Chapter 60: Departure

The next day, in front of the royal palace, a contingent of imperial guards stood ready for departure. Zhou Yuan chatted with Zhou Qing and Qin Yu, who had come to see him off, while his gaze constantly swept the distance.

Clip-clop! From a distance, a sudden sound of hurried hoofbeats approached. A fiery red steed galloped over, then whinnied to a stop in front. A light and graceful figure nimbly dismounted.

This graceful figure was, of course, Su Youwei. Today, she was dressed in a gray-blue tunic and trousers, her long hair tied into a ponytail, looking exceptionally refreshed and pretty. The imperial guards did not stop her, allowing Su Youwei to walk right in. She approached the carriage, her pretty face flushed and a slight sheen of sweat glistening on her pale forehead from her hurried journey.

"Youwei greets the King and Queen," Su Youwei said, first cupping her fists in salute to Zhou Qing and Qin Yu, who stood nearby. Zhou Qing and Qin Yu also smiled gently at her. Having witnessed Su Youwei's performance in the Prefectural Examination, they were very fond of this strong and independent girl.

Zhou Yuan, standing nearby, smiled. This time, Yaoyao and Su Youwei would both accompany him to Canglan County. Yaoyao was coming simply because she found staying in the royal palace a bit dull. As for Su Youwei, he hoped she would gain more experience, which would also benefit her cultivation. After all, Su Youwei was about to open her eight meridians and enter the Qi Nurturing stage. Therefore, staying in the Great Zhou Residence would actually serve little purpose. To avoid delaying her cultivation, Zhou Yuan decided to bring Su Youwei along on this trip to Canglan County.

"It's almost time. Prepare to depart," Zhou Qing said, glancing at the sky. He then turned to Lu Tieshan and added, "The task of escorting them this time falls to you."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. If anything happens to His Highness, I will offer my head!" Lu Tieshan said in a deep voice.

"I don't wish for anything to happen to any of you," Zhou Qing said, waving his hand.

Lu Tieshan nodded, stood up, and mounted his horse. With a wave of his hand, he loudly commanded, "Depart!" Zhou Yuan also boarded the carriage, waved to Zhou Qing and Qin Yu, and then stepped inside.

The large contingent set off, their footsteps rumbling as they passed through street after street. Finally, they exited Great Zhou City and headed straight for Canglan County.

At the same time Zhou Yuan departed Great Zhou City, in the Residence of Prince Qi.

"Your Highness, Lu Tieshan led a thousand imperial guards to escort Zhou Yuan out of Great Zhou City. They must be heading to Canglan County," Qi Ling, the butler of Prince Qi's Residence, said respectfully in the room.

Behind the desk, Prince Qi, Qi Yuan, nodded indifferently. "It seems the royal family has also learned about the ruins."

A cold glint flickered in Qi Yuan's eyes. He said indifferently, "They gained some advantage in the Great Zhou Residence affair. But this time, I must obtain the 'Fire Spirit Millet'!" Fire Spirit Millet is a Fourth-Grade Origin Food. If obtained, its value would be immeasurable. With it, Prince Qi's Residence would be able to extensively cultivate and recruit experts from all sides. Consider this: the royal family can stabilize the situation merely by relying on the Second-Grade Origin Food, "Profound Crystal Rice." If Prince Qi's Residence obtains the "Fire Spirit Millet," Qi Yuan believed that within a year, their strength would overwhelmingly surpass that of the royal family.

"This time, I will remain in Great Zhou City to keep an eye on Zhou Qing. So, you must immediately set out for Canglan County to find Hao'er. He has managed to establish himself there these past two years. I want you to use every means possible to make Wei Canglan side with our Prince Qi's Residence!" Qi Yuan's eyes held a sinister glint. He said, "As long as Wei Canglan is on our side, we will have no more concerns and can directly act to completely eradicate the Great Zhou royal family! Of course..." Qi Yuan said coldly, gripping his teacup. "If there's any sign that Wei Canglan is leaning towards the royal family, then it would be best to find a way to eliminate him. Once Wei Canglan dies, the Canglan Army will be leaderless, and Hao'er can quickly absorb them and turn them against the royal family."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Qi Ling replied.

Qi Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, like a sinister, venomous wolf. He said chillingly, "And that Zhou Yuan, tell Hao'er that if there's an opportunity, make sure that little bastard never returns to Great Zhou City! Canglan County is close to the Black Abyss. There, for someone to die, even a prince, is not uncommon. Since that little bastard cut off one of my son's hands, I'll make him pay with his life!"

In the study, Qi Yuan's voice was as chilling as a vengeful ghost crawling out of an abyss, its malevolence sending shivers down one's spine.

Qi Ling replied again, then turned and left. Qi Yuan watched Qi Ling's departing figure. He raised his head, looked towards the royal palace, and his cold voice echoed in the study.

"Zhou Qing, don't think you can be arrogant just because you won a round in the Great Zhou Residence affair. As long as the 'Fire Spirit Millet' falls into my hands this time, your Great Zhou royal family will never rise again! This contest, my Prince Qi's Residence is destined to win! At that time, I will make sure you and your son experience the taste of being defeated dogs once more!"

Canglan County is located on the southwestern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, quite far from Great Zhou City. Therefore, at Zhou Yuan and his party's speed, it would take at least more than ten days to reach Canglan County. Fortunately, with Yaoyao and Su Youwei, whose beautiful appearances complemented each other, Zhou Yuan found himself quite fortunate. The tedious journey seemed to become lively.

However, his feast for the eyes did not last for many days; it was interrupted by Yaoyao, who did not wish to see him so comfortable.

"I see you're so idle, and your Spirit has just reached the initial Void Realm. Why not practice some Second-Grade Origin Runes?" In the carriage, Yaoyao directly tossed a jade tablet to Zhou Yuan. A complex Origin Rune, shimmering with light, was carved on it. "This is a Second-Grade Origin Rune, the Golden Ape Mountain-Moving Rune..." she explained. "When inscribed on the body, it can enhance physical strength and greatly increase power."

"Oh?" Zhou Yuan took the jade tablet with some surprise. The effects of Second-Grade Origin Runes far surpassed those of First-Grade Origin Runes. If this Golden Ape Mountain-Moving Rune were inscribed on his body, the amplification it provided would be incomparable to the previous Savage Bull Rune.

"It's truly complex," Zhou Yuan said, glancing at the intricate Origin Rune on the jade tablet and grimacing. According to his estimation, this Second-Grade Origin Rune contained at least nearly a thousand Origin Markings. For someone with a weaker Spirit, merely looking at it for a few moments would cause dizziness and blurred vision.

Zhou Yuan shook his head. He turned his gaze and saw Su Youwei lightly suppressing a smile, looking at him, who was currently suffering from a headache, with a radiant grin. "What are you looking at? You won't have it easy either," Zhou Yuan said, giving her an annoyed glare. Then he pulled a jade slip from his embrace and tossed it to Su Youwei.

Su Youwei quickly caught the jade slip and asked, puzzled, "What is this?"

"I took it from the royal treasury. It's a Low-Grade Profound Origin Art, the Sky Net Hand, perfectly suited for you," Zhou Yuan said with a smile.

Su Youwei held the jade slip and hesitated, saying, "Your Highness, this is too precious." She, of course, knew the value of a Profound Origin Art. The entire Great Zhou Residence did not possess an Origin Art of this level. If sold outside, it would cost at least tens of thousands of Origin Crystals, more than she could afford even if she sold herself.

"We're not going on a leisurely trip this time," Zhou Yuan said earnestly. "You're about to open your eight meridians and enter the Qi Nurturing stage. If you also cultivate this Sky Net Hand, then you'll have the power to fight when you encounter enemies."

Su Youwei bit her red lip lightly. However, she was not one to be overly modest. She quickly gripped the jade slip, nodded seriously, and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will cultivate it as quickly as possible!"

Zhou Yuan nodded with a smile. When leaving Great Zhou City, Zhou Qing had also given him another Mid-Grade Profound Origin Art called the "Imperial Seal." However, this art was too fierce and not suitable for Su Youwei, so he intended to keep it for his own cultivation.

"It seems the rest of this journey won't be too comfortable," Zhou Yuan sighed. He then composed himself, fully focused his mind on the jade tablet, and began to meticulously copy the "Golden Ape Mountain-Moving Rune."

Thus, over the next ten-plus days, Zhou Yuan spent most of his time learning the "Golden Ape Mountain-Moving Rune." Occasionally, when he had free time, he would try practicing the Mid-Grade Profound Origin Art, the "Imperial Seal." He was quite busy.

Under such high-intensity study, Zhou Yuan and his party slowly began to approach Canglan County. However, before reaching Canglan County, another incident occurred that forced Zhou Yuan to slow down their travel speed. This was because, after nearly two months of cultivation, Su Youwei had finally completely unblocked her eighth meridian. With all eight meridians open, the Qi Manor would soon appear. Su Youwei was about to step into the Qi Nurturing stage.