As for Sara's future husband, Saya had originally made a deliberate effort to groom someone. However, the Shinobi World was never short of unexpected events.
Before a new candidate could be chosen, she met Li Fusheng. Compared to youths who had grown up entirely in Loulan, Li Fusheng was a few years older, much more handsome, and possessed an inexplicable affinity alongside a unique temperament. If she herself weren't the Queen of Loulan, and if fate hadn't left her with only a few final years to live, perhaps even she would have fallen for a man like this...
Once Sara inherited the throne, the countdown on her own life would begin. To have had the chance to spend her remaining time with a partner of such exceptional qualities could also be considered a blessing.
With this thought, Saya had already made up her mind in her heart. Her own life was set to end this way, but she could at least grant Sara a fleeting moment of happiness, ensuring that her final decade and more would not be filled solely with agony.
After their stroll through the markets, Li Fusheng noticed that Sara had become much more lively than before, though he didn't read too much into it. He simply assumed that because the two of them had grown more familiar with one another, she was finally letting her true nature show instead of remaining so tightly wound.
Walking a circle around the city only confirmed his suspicion that the concentration of Spiritual Energy was stronger inside the palace. With Sara by his side, the environment was too noisy to continue practicing the Earth Release Technique, but continuing to absorb Spiritual Energy into his body and refine it presented no major problems. Therefore, going out to wander the streets had not hindered his cultivation at all.
Unbeknownst to the two of them after they returned home, a figure had trailed them in the shadows the entire time they were out.
"Dammit! I finally waited for that brat to leave the palace, and yet I couldn't find a single opportunity to make a move the whole way."
At the Loulan council meeting the next day, An Lushan stood up, looked at Saya, and proposed, "Your Majesty, although the wars outside have subsided, we must still prepare our own military forces in advance. Otherwise, when the flames of war reach Loulan—just like the Second Shinobi World War a few years ago—we will be completely powerless to respond."
Saya remained noncommittal regarding An Lushan's proposal. What he said was indeed the truth, but An Lushan did not understand the actual reality of the Dragon Vein. Did the Shinobi Villages of the Five Great Nations really not know that Loulan possessed the Dragon Vein?
Why was it that during wartime, even when the fighting spilled over to Loulan, Konohagakure and Sunagakure left Loulan intact? Was it because of the kindness in their hearts?
Of course not. It was because they knew that without Loulan and the Queen's lineage, no one would be able to resolve the crisis of the Dragon Vein. When that time came, everyone would go down together.
Therefore, even if Loulan possessed no military force of its own, outsiders would never truly invade this place. Leaving aside whether those outsiders would even know how to utilize or seal the Dragon Vein once they got their hands on it, Loulan's sheer poverty alone was enough to ensure that no one would target it.
Yet the moment Loulan truly seized control of military might, the major Shinobi Villages would no longer stand by and let it be. In the eyes of the major nations, Loulan—possessing nothing but the Dragon Vein—was merely a key used to seal away a terrifying entity. But the moment that key developed the power to resist and harbored other ambitions, its destruction would be right before their eyes.
At that time, Sara might still be allowed to drag out a meager existence under their control, reduced to a tool for breeding bloodlines and a puppet to seal the Dragon Vein, but everyone else would undoubtedly be slaughtered to the last man. This was the fundamental reason why Saya refused to let Sara cultivate.
Thus, although Minister An Lushan's proposal sounded wonderful, it could never, under any circumstances, be accepted.
Upon returning to his residence after the meeting ended, An Lushan wore a ferocious expression. In his view, if not for Li Fusheng's sudden appearance giving Saya a backbone, the proposal he had prepared for so long would certainly have passed. When that time came, he could have combined the power of the Dragon Vein with his Puppet Technique to become the new generation's God of Shinobi and conquer the world.
As a result, his plan was now on the verge of abortion—something he found utterly unacceptable.
"Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me," a fierce glint flashed in An Lushan's eyes.
If the Queen refused to obey, then she would simply be eliminated. The new queen was still a minor, and as the First Minister of Loulan, he could take the opportunity to turn her into a brand-new puppet queen. As for that young man, once the Queen was gone, dealing with him would no longer be a problem.
Perhaps due to spending half the day resting after going out shopping with Sara in the morning, Li Fusheng felt his mind was exceptionally active upon returning to his room. He suddenly wondered: although his family's God-Refining Technique had been lost, would any of the Daoist classics he had thoroughly read over the years contain a cultivation manual capable of refining the spirit?
Daoist Internal Alchemy was similarly one of the top cultivation manuals for Qi Condensation and achieving immortality. Correspondingly, it ought to possess methods for refining the spirit. Moreover, the Li family's inherited Qi Condensation technique seemed somewhat outdated in its version ever since the Great Qin dynasty.
The Daoist Internal Alchemy, External Alchemy, and the techniques of other factions that rose afterward were far more formidable. Compared to the minor Li family, the Daoist inheritance was clearly much more complete. Previously, without Spiritual Energy, it was impossible to tell what those classic texts contained; but once Spiritual Energy existed, surely some of those cultivation manuals could play a role once again, right?
With this thought, he began to recall various Daoist classics he had read, hoping to find a technique to temper the spirit. Mentioning Daoism inevitably brought up the foundational text of Daoist teachings, the *Tao Te Ching*. Yet after silently reciting it a few times, Li Fusheng felt no miraculous properties whatsoever. He couldn't tell whether his cultivation was simply too low to resonate with the classic, or if this book truly had nothing to do with cultivation.
Thus, he immediately began trying other classics.
"The Supreme Terrace Star, responding to changes without pause. Exorcising evil and binding demons, protecting life and safeguarding the body..." As he silently recited the Calm Heart Incantation—one of the Eight Great Incantations—he suddenly felt his mind become much clearer. Furthermore, the spiritual energy within his body grew far more active than before.
"I should have thought of this sooner!" Li Fusheng slapped his forehead in frustration.
As the foremost of the Eight Divine Incantations, the Calm Heart Incantation was originally created to allow the chanter to purify the mind, see their true nature, and pacify the spirit and soul. Wasn't this a blatant God-Refining Technique?
Having made this discovery, Li Fusheng no longer cared whether the remaining seven divine incantations possessed any special traits, and immediately began silently reciting the Calm Heart Incantation once again.
As a result, he found that the effect of the second recitation was far less pronounced than the first, though his mind and spiritual energy still underwent a trace of change. However, since he didn't have any other God-Refining Technique right now, a slow method was better than nothing. Wasn't it still infinitely better than having nothing at all?
After a while, Sara came looking for him once more. It was more than two hours later than usual, and as she entered the door, her cheeks were slightly flushed with shyness.
Hearing the door open, Li Fusheng stopped what he was doing, turned his head, and saw that it was indeed Sara.
"Were you singing a song from your hometown just now? Can you teach it to me?" Sara asked with a trace of embarrassment. Just as she was about to enter earlier, she heard Li Fusheng inside singing something she couldn't understand yet sounded wonderful, so she waited until he stopped before knocking and coming in. Consequently, Sara had almost forgotten the real business that brought her here.
Hearing Sara's words, Li Fusheng froze for a moment. Someone had been singing in his room?
Or had his supposed silent recitation of the incantation actually been spoken aloud without him realizing it?