Chapter 1197: Divine Rune Military Manual

Mi Li then showed a hint of recollection on her face: "In my memory, the art of refining weapons was unparalleled in the Xia Dynasty."

"The Xia of Yu the Great, who tamed the floods?" Zu An quickly asked.

"Precisely," Mi Li nodded. "Back then, King Yu of Xia cast the Nine Cauldrons, five to correspond to the Yang principle, and four to symbolize the Yin numbers. He instructed craftsmen to use 'female gold' for the Yin cauldrons and 'male gold' for the Yang cauldrons, forging peerless divine artifacts. This was precisely because the cultivation technique he practiced was the 'Divine Weapon Inscription Chart'."

"Legend has it that Yu the Great could wield any weapon in the world for his own use. To achieve this, he first had to understand the characteristics of all weapons. And there was no better way to understand weapon characteristics than to personally forge them. The 'Divine Weapon Inscription Chart' is precisely such a technique: by forging all the weapons under heaven, one gains a deep understanding of each, and eventually, every weapon in the world can be used by the practitioner."

Zu An clicked his tongue in amazement: "Was he a master blacksmith, then?"

Mi Li shot him a glare. "Don't be disrespectful. How could a mere blacksmith describe even a fraction of King Yu's greatness? If you can find the 'Divine Weapon Inscription Chart,' you'll not only be able to repair Tai'e Sword's damage but also restore it to its former glory as a divine weapon."

Zu An sighed. "That sounds incredibly difficult."

Since it originated from the Great Xia Dynasty, it was likely another secret scripture the keyboard needed.

However, those unknown lands were mysterious and unpredictable. He had only managed to enter them a few times by sheer coincidence, and he might not be so lucky in the future.

He had also used the vast intelligence network of the Embroidered Uniform Guards to investigate, but unfortunately, he found no relevant clues.

It made sense. Emperor Zhao Hao had to mobilize the entire nation's resources just to discover one unknown land, and even then, the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' from within it ended up benefiting Zu An.

So, finding these unknown lands really depended on luck.

To his surprise, Mi Li was quite optimistic about him. "Since you were able to find West Quanqiu and the Yin Ruins, it suggests you are a person of great destiny. You might just be able to discover the ruins of the Great Xia Dynasty."

Zu An was stunned. He, a person of great destiny?

Then how come he always had such terrible luck?

He instinctively asked, "Master, have your spiritual injuries recovered?"

Mi Li also looked gloomy. "I was on the verge of recovery, but then a strike from the Sun-Slaying Arrow made all my previous efforts go to waste."

Tai'e Sword itself was almost shattered, and since she was now its sword spirit, she was naturally not lightly injured.

Zu An's expression changed. "One drop of Purple Frost Divine Milk takes ten thousand years to condense. I might not be able to find a second one."

"Don't worry," Mi Li said, her heart warming at his anxious concern. "The Sun-Slaying Arrow's strike wasn't as severe as Zhao Hao's. This injury doesn't require Purple Frost Divine Milk. I just need to go into seclusion and recuperate in a deep sleep for a while."

"Going into seclusion again?" Zu An felt a pang of reluctance. He and Mi Li were always separated more often than they were together.

"What, you're sad to see your master go?" Mi Li chuckled lightly. "If I were awake, I'd constantly be disturbing you and your confidantes in your intimate moments. Wouldn't it be better if I were asleep?"

Zu An moved closer with a cheeky grin. "I wouldn't mind."

"Bah! You might not mind, but I'd find it an eyesore." Mi Li spat.

Zu An chuckled awkwardly, then asked seriously, "By the way, Master, can you temporarily transfer your spirit to another item? Tai'e Sword now has a crack, and I'm worried that if it ever breaks, it could lead to you..."

Mi Li shook her head. "Tai'e Sword is a divine sword of Chu and also the Qin King's Emperor Sword. Our connection runs deep, and our compatibility is the strongest. That's why my soul experiences the least repulsion when residing within it. Moreover, each time I change hosts, my soul is significantly weakened. In my current state, I cannot withstand another host change."

Thinking of this made her grit her teeth. If not for this boy, she would have long since taken over Chu Chuyan's body and wouldn't have to consider the possibility of her soul scattering.

However, as this thought came to mind, an image suddenly flashed in her head: Zu An pinning her down when she had possessed Chu Chuyan's body. Her expression instantly became unnatural.

That guy was an animal!

Her expression quickly returned to normal. She couldn't let him know about that.

She said coldly, "You'd better find the 'Divine Weapon Inscription Chart' and repair Tai'e Sword quickly. Don't forget, we've signed a life-and-death pact. If my soul disperses, you won't fare much better."

Zu An felt bewildered. Why had she suddenly gotten angry? Just as he was about to ask, she had already returned to Tai'e Sword and fallen into a deep sleep. No matter how he called, there was no response.

"This was a huge loss," Zu An muttered, looking at the crack on Tai'e Sword. He thought to himself that if he didn't get that wretched prince's consort back, he wouldn't be doing justice to his losses this time.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he took out two arrows from the Glazed Pearl.

Both arrows emitted a dark, luminous glow. Many runes were carved onto their shafts, and a faint sense of Dao-like principles could be perceived emanating from them.

Both arrows exuded an aura of terror and destruction, causing an inexplicable palpitation.

These were precisely the Sun-Slaying Arrows. Earlier, Crown Prince Golden Crow had fired two arrows: one Zu An had directly withstood, and the other he had blocked using the prince's golden chariot.

He had seized the moment they lost their divine light to collect them into the Glazed Pearl.

Unfortunately, just like with the golden chariot, he had also tried to retrieve the Sun-Slaying Bow at the time, but without success.

It seemed difficult to lay hands on items that already had masters.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, a soft knock came from the door. "Young Master Zu, are you asleep?"

The voice was gentle and reserved.

Zu An paused. He recognized the voice; it belonged to the young girl named Xiaobai.

He put away the Sun-Slaying Arrows, then got up and opened the door. Indeed, a delicate young girl stood there. "Miss Bai, is something the matter?"

Xiaobai's small face was slightly flushed, and she dared not look up at him. She spoke softly, "I saw you were quite badly injured during the day, so I brought some Hundred Herbs Pills from home. They are healing elixirs, and I hope they can help you."

Zu An smiled faintly. "Miss Bai, please come in and sit."

He recalled Star Slave mentioning that Elders Bai and Qing were influential figures in the Snake Tribe who held real power, and though they appeared agreeable with Yu Yanluo, their hearts were not aligned.

To reduce potential trouble for Yu Yanluo when she took over the Snake Tribe in the future, he should try his best to cultivate good relations with both families.

"Hmm, was he trying to win favor with the family through her?" he wondered.

Hearing his invitation, Xiaobai showed hesitation. Entering a man's bedroom in the middle of the night was truly improper, and normally, given her nature, she would never agree.

However, the image of him displaying his formidable power during the day flashed in her mind. Before she could voice her refusal, her feet had, as if by some strange impulse, already stepped inside.

"Thank you, Miss Xiaobai." Zu An poured her a cup of tea and subtly surveyed her. With her red lips, white teeth, and delicate, graceful figure, she was indeed a budding beauty. The key was her fresh-faced, shy demeanor, which was quite unusual among the Snake Tribe.

After all, he had just experienced how passionate the Snake Tribe women were at the banquet.

Under his gaze, Xiaobai's heart pounded. She quickly picked up her teacup and took a sip, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Zu An chuckled. "Aren't you afraid I might have drugged the tea?"

"Huh?" Xiaobai, like a startled rabbit, instinctively put down the teacup.

Zu An laughed heartily. "Just kidding."

"Brother Zu, you're so naughty!" Xiaobai finally realized she had been teased. Her angry expression, however, was far from threatening; it only made her more adorable.

Zu An chuckled. "I'm just reminding you. You shouldn't have absolutely no guard up when you're in a man's bedroom in the middle of the night."

Xiaobai muttered softly, "I wouldn't be like this in front of anyone else."

Zu An paused. Xiaobai then realized her words had been somewhat suggestive and quickly said, "Brother Zu, why aren't you taking the medicine I brought? These Hundred Herbs Pills are very effective for healing. My grandfather went through a lot of trouble to get them."

If Elder Bai ever found out about this, he would probably faint from anger. Given his family's influence within the Snake Tribe, they had only managed to acquire two such pills over many years. He himself had been injured several times and always begrudged using them, only for his granddaughter to steal one for an outsider.

Seeing the expectant look in her eyes, Zu An naturally didn't want to disappoint the young girl, so he swallowed the pill.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth, quickly dispersing into several waves of warmth that flowed into his body.

At this, Xiaobai revealed a hint of a mischievous smile. "Brother Zu, you were just lecturing me, but when it came to yourself, didn't you easily take medicine of unknown origin?"