Chapter 1 Task

Chu Fan shook his head inwardly, a strange feeling rising within him.

The last time he came to this 'Royal Dream', he suspected that someone was manipulating things behind the scenes. Now he knew he wasn't the only one entering this 'Royal Dream'.

Coupled with this task, his suspicions deepened.

What exactly did the person behind it all want?

His doubts were destined to remain unanswered, but the intangible light screen before him changed again:

Chu Fan (Dreamer Identity: Chu Da)]

Cultivation: Outer Refinement Third Level, Martial Arts: Snake Form Step, Exhalation Method, Ancient Gate Mind-Intent Fist]

Dream Realm: Royal Authority Year One]

Main Quest: Blood Exchange Within One Year]

The concise data panel made Chu Fan feel even more uneasy.

Could the person behind this Royal Dream also be from Da Xuan?

"Blood exchange..."

After the doubts came the urgency. Chu Fan knew that the martial arts system in this Royal Dream was divided into three levels of outer refinement (tendons, bones, and skin) and three levels of inner refinement (organs, marrow, and blood).

Blood exchange was the beginning of a transformation, and a prerequisite for condensing the seed of true qi. It could be said to be a crucial step bridging the gap between what came before and what would come after.

Taking this step meant one could fight a hundred men.

If he wanted to achieve blood exchange within a year, he clearly couldn't rely on his own slow cultivation.

"A'Da?"

A voice called out.

Chu Fan came back to his senses and saw a young man in a green shirt walking unhurriedly into the courtyard.

The young man had a peaceful aura, a jade-like face, bright eyes, and a neatly groomed beard. He had the air of a scholar, but with a hint of untamed wildness.

But Chu Fan knew that although this young man looked no more than thirty years old, he was already fifty years old. Because this person was his master, the one Jiang Shi Li called a 'sycophant', Fan Zimin.

"Master."

Chu Fan responded, walked out of the house, and bowed respectfully.

"In the past year or so, you have made rapid progress. Inner refinement doesn't seem far off. If you can reach blood exchange, I will accept you as my direct disciple."

Fan Zimin's eyes lit up slightly.

He had picked up this disciple from a pile of refugees. At first, he didn't progress quickly, but a little over a year ago, he suddenly became enlightened. In just one year, he had cultivated to the third level of outer refinement, making him the fastest among his nominal disciples.

"Thank you, Master."

Chu Fan quickly thanked him.

He was very grateful to this master, and a lineage of qi channels was very valuable.

An expert with qi channels could shatter heavy armor with a flick of a finger and cross a large river in a single stride. They were great experts who could dominate a state, and their status was extremely high.

The fact that he had caught his eye was likely due to the few years of boxing he had learned.

"Pack up a little, and come with me to gather inspiration. There haven't been any good stories in recent years. Those few old clichés just won't spread."

Fan Zimin stroked his beard and shook his head gently.

Some people liked martial arts, some liked beauty, some liked wealth, and some liked food. He alone loved fame. Whenever he heard the stories he wrote and compiled spread from other people's mouths, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

This sense of satisfaction even surpassed his own qi channel formation.

"...Yes."

Chu Fan's lips twitched, and he nodded in agreement.

There wasn't much to pack. In less than half an hour, Chu Fan had followed Fan Zimin out the door.

"Master, where are we going this time?"

Seeing Fan Zimin leading out two majestic steeds, each eight feet tall at the shoulder with flowing manes, Chu Fan knew they were going on a long trip.

He knew how valuable jiaoma (蛟马) horses were. The Fan family had more than a dozen jiaoma horses, and the daily cost was more than dozens of servants. Moreover, Fan Zimin didn't allow anyone else to raise them.

The ones who served these 'horse masters' were nominal disciples like Chu Fan.

They ate eggs and fodder, drank boiled spring water, and the disciples even used their inner strength to massage them every day. With such treatment, they were naturally 'masters'.

Normally, Fan Zimin would never bring out jiaoma horses.

"Zhong Province, I guess."

Fan Zimin mounted his horse and said softly, "I heard that the Holy Son of the Six Prisons Demonic Sect has come down from the mountain and is likely to go to Zhong Province."

"Zhong Province."

Chu Fan's heart stirred, and he also mounted his horse.

He had served this jiaoma horse for over half a year, so of course he wouldn't be thrown off.

The city was prosperous, but outside the city was desolate.

This was Chu Fan's first time out of the city in over a year, and he felt a sense of novelty. But before long, seeing the corpses lying unburied by the roadside, this novelty was replaced by a heavy feeling.

Whoosh!

Fan Zimin flicked his finger, and a wisp of qi劲 swept across more than twenty meters, killing a wild dog in the grass on the spot.

Chu Fan saw clearly that the dog was carrying a human bone in its mouth.

"Let's go."

Fan Zimin looked calm, as if he was used to it. Chu Fan smiled bitterly in his heart, but he could only follow.

Once he came out, he realized how vast Jing Province was. Riding a horse was different from taking a high-speed rail or a plane. Under this real perception, distance was no longer just a number.

Riding a horse with a sword, traveling the martial world. Chu Fan had never experienced such a life before. Here, there was no nine-to-five job, no pressure from mortgage or car loans. A freedom from the inside out made him feel comfortable from the bottom of his heart.

Except that his thighs were really sore from the rubbing.

Along the way, Fan Zimin began to truly teach Chu Fan martial arts, especially a set of breathing techniques for cultivating on horseback. The more tiring and difficult this set of 'dynamic exercises' was, the greater the progress.

Chu Fan was immersed in practicing, and didn't even feel the hardship of sleeping in the mountains and traveling.

One day, the two arrived in Qing Province and heard a burst of clamor as soon as they entered the city.

"The fiend is hateful! He actually killed the Righteous Sword, Ke Mengfan, Hero Ke, in broad daylight! It's simply outrageous!"

"Poor Hero Ke, a hero all his life, has come to such an end. It's tragic, tragic, tragic!"

"His romantic life has been battered by the wind and rain. How sad, how lamentable."

The entire Qing Province seemed to be discussing the same thing, but for most people it was just a topic of conversation. There were few who truly regretted his death.

"What? Ke Mengfan has been killed?"

Fan Zimin's expression changed slightly, and he jumped off his horse: "A'Da, watch the horses and find an inn to wait for me. I'll be right back."

"Master..."

Chu Fan just wanted to say something, but Fan Zimin was already gone. He could only lead the two horses to find an inn and settle down temporarily.

After a hard journey, Fan Zimin was also quite generous. Chu Fan certainly wouldn't treat himself badly. He heated three large buckets of hot water to wash away the hardships of the journey, and then ordered a table of good wine and dishes.

After drinking a cup of clear wine, feeling the蠕动 of his internal organs and his refreshed body, Chu Fan let out a long breath:

"Good wine!"

"Young Hero Chu is living a carefree life."

At this time, a light laugh came from outside.

"Hm?"

Chu Fan flicked his wrist and grabbed the long sword beside him.

Whoosh!

Qi劲 broke through the window, and in a flurry of white clothes, a beautiful young girl sat down opposite Chu Fan.

"Jiang Shi Li?"

Looking at the girl in front of him with a different appearance, different temperament, but a very familiar tone, Chu Fan couldn't help but blurt out.

"You recognized Older Sister?"

Jiang Shi Li covered her mouth and chuckled, her voice delicate and charming.

"How did you find me?"

Chu Fan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still remained wary.

"With the intelligence system of the Six Doors, isn't it easy to find someone?"

Jiang Shi Li flipped her wrist, and a booklet fluttered in front of Chu Fan: "You've been running around with Fan Zimin all this time, so you probably haven't seen this, have you?"

"This is..."

Chu Fan glanced at it and saw three large characters on it: *Bingqi Pu* (兵器谱) - "Register of Arms".

"This is the Register of Arms of the Da Feng Dynasty, listing many experts below the Divine Meridian. Your master, Fan Zimin, is ranked thirty-first on the Earth Rankings..."

Jiang Shi Li tapped the table lightly.

"Master is only ranked thirty-first on the Earth Rankings?"

Chu Fan was shocked. He had seen Fan Zimin take action on the way here, and he had flattened a mountain village of thousands of people by himself. With such tyrannical martial power, he was only thirty-first?

He couldn't help but open the Register of Arms.

At this sight, his pupils shrank, and his gaze fixed on the second place on the first page:

Earth Rankings Second, Blood Fiend An Qi Sheng]

"Which An Qi Sheng?"

Chu Fan couldn't help but exclaim.

He was too familiar with this name. Not to mention that he had been rescued by him twice, or that this name had been trending online on Xuanxing these past few days, with the highest heat.

Just the locust wood token he had picked up, which seemed to have made him a dreamer, was enough to make him remember this name deeply.

"What do you think?"

Jiang Shi Li asked back.

Her heart was far from as calm as she showed. As a member of the Six Doors, she knew how powerful the second place on the Earth Rankings was. This was simply a match for ten thousand men.

The 'men' in this 'match for ten thousand men' did not refer to ordinary people, but to well-trained military elites who possessed inner strength and could fight ten or even dozens of people on their own!

But this wasn't the most terrifying thing.

It was what she had seen through the Six Doors' intelligence system...

"Unbelievable..."

Chu Fan's heart was beating wildly. Was that Mr. An really that powerful?

He didn't know what it meant to be second on the Earth Rankings, but his master, Fan Zimin, was already so powerful, yet he was only thirty-first on the Earth Rankings. One could imagine how terrifying the second place was.

If calculated according to the inner strength he brought back, wouldn't that Mr. An be invincible?

No, this Mr. An was already invincible...

"Among the dreamers within the Da Xuan Dynasty, there are more than 320 registered people, a small half of whom have never been exposed to boxing, and a large half who practice martial arts. But these 300 people are not all at this time..."

Jiang Shi Li thought for a moment and decided to reveal some secrets.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Chu Fan was confused. Compared to intelligence, he was far behind Jiang Shi Li, who had the support of the state.

He couldn't even interject, and could only be shocked.

At this time, he was a little glad that he had cooperated. Not to mention the future, at least for now, the benefits of cooperating with the government were obviously greater.

"According to the big data of artificial intelligence, the real opening of this dream world should be after 3,300 years..."

As Jiang Shi Li spoke, an indescribable expression appeared on her face: "We, the people in Royal Authority Year One, don't seem to be favored..."

"Or, in some ways, we don't meet the requirements..."

Chu Fan frowned: "We are a group of people who are not favored?"

"You could say that..."

Although she didn't want to admit it, Jiang Shi Li couldn't help but sigh and replied: "If I'm not mistaken, you must have received a task as well."

Chu Fan nodded blankly.

"In the past two months, I've been in contact with many dreamers, and they all know the same thing. Everyone has received a task, and all of them will lose their identity as dreamers if they don't complete it!"

A bright light flashed in Jiang Shi Li's eyes: "Then, completing the task may be the time when we truly enter the 'main quest', which is after 3,300 years..."

......

Autumn was high and crisp, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the breeze was gentle.

On a mountain peak, An Qi Sheng sat cross-legged, overlooking the rolling clouds and mist, with a touch of nostalgia.

He didn't have the power to create a world. This dream world was a summary of everything he had seen and heard in the Jiu Fu Realm, a gathering of all spiritual imprints. It was what he had gained from walking the world for the last thirty-three months in the Jiu Fu Realm, hiding the world in his heart.

And the Royal Authority Grand Era after 3,300 years was the intersection point of the dreams of people from both worlds.

"Mr. Monster, why don't you send everyone to the intersection point? Why go to the trouble of doing this?"

Blue Spirit Child flapped its wings, somewhat puzzled: "Is it because these people are weaker?"

An Qi Sheng had given it a lot of freedom. It could sense all the dreamers through the dream, and convey An Qi Sheng's mission.

Real-time monitoring.

"Dreams are reflections of the mind, manifestations of divine will. If the mind is not complete and the divine will is lacking, the dream will have flaws. It has nothing to do with one's own strength, only with the heart."

An Qi Sheng's gaze drooped, reflecting many scenes in it. The actions of all the dreamers flowed through his heart:

"Gu Changsheng has biases in his heart, Gong Qingzhu lacks personality, Jiang Shi Li had an unhappy childhood, Chu Fan witnessed his girlfriend die before his eyes and has shadows in his heart, Lu Shiping is selfless and sends his son to prison...

These people, their minds have more or less deficiencies. Normally, it doesn't matter, but encountering a nightmare will harm them instead..."

Blue Spirit Child lay on the clouds and supported its chin with its hands: "So, Mr. Monster wants to help them? But, what do you want me to do?"

"The wounds of the human heart are nothing more than resentment, hatred, love, separation, and unfulfilled desires. Having experienced enough, one will naturally not care."

An Qi Sheng's voice was as ethereal as the clouds, and he disappeared along with it:

"You have the ability to understand written messages. Having seen a lot, you should know what to do..."