Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Since war with the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe was unavoidable, it was better to solve the problem in one fell swoop while the military genius Man Yu was still alive, rather than pointlessly delaying.

Therefore, after a moment of thought, Li Chang’an didn’t hesitate. He spoke decisively, “Send the order. Have the entire tribe prepare for all-out war. It just so happens I haven’t stretched my legs in a long time…”

At this, his voice paused. Then, with a sudden glint of interest, he added, “Oh, and remember to drag the Barbaric Snake Tribe’s army and that old snake into this. It’s followed behind the Fusang Tribe, enjoying the benefits for so many years. Now it’s time for it to contribute to the tribe!”

The Barbaric Snake Tribe had gained a great deal over the years by relying on the Fusang Tribe.

After all, for a long time, the Fusang Tribe had possessed vast lands but lacked the population to fill them, which allowed the Barbaric Snake Tribe to expand its own territory considerably.

Now that the Fusang Tribe and the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe were in conflict, and the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe had already begun conscripting its vassal tribes as cannon fodder, Li Chang’an had no reason to spare the Barbaric Snake Tribe.

Hearing Li Chang’an’s decision, Man Yu nodded. She stood and prepared to carry out his orders.

From her perspective, this war absolutely had to be fought.

And not just fought, but fought ruthlessly.

They had to fight until the enemy wouldn’t dare to think of trying anything again.

After all, she knew the nature of these large tribes all too well. Concede a hundred li of territory today, and they would demand a thousand tomorrow.

Patience wouldn’t make the enemy back off once they’d gained an advantage; it would only make them more brazen.

Instead of constantly giving ground, it was better to not yield a single inch from the very start. That might at least give the enemy pause.

Man Yu returned to the tribe to prepare for war.

Li Chang’an, meanwhile, continued to contemplate his Martial Dao cultivation.

By now, the Divine Shadow Guard had expanded to nearly one hundred members. Among them, besides Man Yu, the member with the greatest Martial Dao strength was already approaching the Great Success Realm.

To cultivate the Martial Dao to the Great Success Realm under limited conditions, with no seniors to learn from, was undoubtedly a feat only achievable by those with extraordinary talent.

A Martial Artist at the Great Success Realm could fight an Incense Fire God at the Transformation Realm and would, in all likelihood, even have the upper hand.

And while the number of such Martial Artists within the Divine Shadow Guard wasn’t large, it wasn’t exactly small either.

In other words, if they truly went all out, the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe wouldn’t necessarily be a match for the Fusang Tribe.

Of course, that was impossible for the time being.

The time was not yet right. They had to lie low for a while longer.

…

As Li Chang’an was cultivating, a strange and wondrous object that the Fusang Tribe had long kept enshrined on his desk suddenly burst forth with a radiant glow.

Li Chang’an glanced over and discovered that the object glowing so brilliantly was none other than the legendary Map of Mountains and Rivers, said to have been left behind by the Ancient Human Emperor!

Li Chang’an had studied this map for a long time in the past.

However, whether because his power was insufficient at the time or for some other reason, he had only ever determined that the map was extraordinary, without ever figuring out exactly what made it so.

Over time, Li Chang’an had gradually come to treat it as a mere decoration.

He planned to wait until he grew more powerful before trying to unravel its secrets.

He never expected that after sitting here without a hint of activity for several hundred years, the map would suddenly show a sign of abnormality.

With a thought from Li Chang’an, the Map of Mountains and Rivers on the desk instantly appeared before him. It hovered in the air and slowly unrolled, revealing the image upon its fabric.

The painting on the Map of Mountains and Rivers showed nothing particularly special.

It was just a painting of some mountains, rivers, clouds, and mist.

But now, the map revealed a side it had never shown before. The mountains, rivers, clouds, and mist within the painting seemed to come alive. Layers of clouds, high peaks, and flowing water shot out dazzling rays of divine light.

The divine light projected onto the ground, gradually revealing the outline of a vast Immortal Palace.

The Immortal Palace was hazy, looking as if it would scatter at the slightest touch.

Li Chang’an subconsciously began to pour Energy into the Map of Mountains and Rivers. As he infused it with power, the Map of Mountains and Rivers grew ever more brilliant, and the hazy Immortal Palace gradually became clearer and more substantial.

Time passed, second by second. The Map of Mountains and Rivers was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled. The Martial Dao Energy stored in Li Chang’an’s body was completely exhausted, yet the Immortal Palace in the painting continued to absorb it greedily.

Left with no other choice, Li Chang’an steeled himself and switched energy sources, beginning to channel in the Power of Incense.

However, the instant it sensed the Power of Incense, all the divine light and the projection from the Map of Mountains and Rivers vanished in the blink of an eye. The map lost its Divinity and fell to the ground, as if everything it had just shown had been an illusion.

Li Chang’an was stunned.

’Why did the Map of Mountains and Rivers recoil and play dead the moment it sensed the Power of Incense?’

’Don’t tell me this thing is allergic to the Power of Incense?’

Recalling that this artifact was supposedly a supreme treasure left by the legendary Ancient Human Emperor, Li Chang’an felt there was actually a high probability that it was, in fact, allergic to the Power of Incense.

’So this Map of Mountains and Rivers really is the genuine article left behind by the Ancient Human Emperor? And the reason I could never trigger it before was because it could sense the Power of Incense on me?’

Li Chang’an faintly perceived its purpose.

However, his current Realm was still insufficient. He had to cultivate his Martial Dao to an even higher Realm before he could possibly hope to satisfy the Map of Mountains and Rivers’ outrageously large appetite.