https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1221-The-Talented-Scholars-Tower-Opens/13050300/
Chapter 1220: The Black Heart
Chapter 1220: The Black Heart
November 3rd, 2017
In a realm beyond, a mysterious place existed.
On an endless, vast red plain, a colossal black altar stood like a dark pearl embedded in the earth.
At the very center of this massive black altar, an elderly man in black Daoist robes sat motionlessly, akin to a wooden statue. Beside him stood the old general who had appeared in the grand black palace not long ago.
The focus here, however, was not on the old man nor the black-robed Daoist, but rather on an object held by the old general.
The old general held in his arms a heart the size of two fists, entirely black. Though it didn't emit any eerie energy or have anything peculiar about it, it gave off an incredibly eerie feeling.
Even as he held the heart, the old general dared not lower his gaze, and he had even donned a full set of white armor and a pair of gloves that looked as if they were crafted from white jade.
These gloves were clearly not ordinary; at the very least, they were of Mythical grade. Yet, despite being Mythical-grade equipment and possessing attributes specifically designed to counter the heart's nature, they were slowly turning black as they held the heart.
Evidently, the gloves were being corrupted by the black heart.
"So, this is the heart of that thing? Truly terrifying! Even in its sealed state, the Mythical-grade White Jade Gloves will be rendered useless after holding it for just a few hours!"
The black-robed Daoist opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the heart, filled with awe.
"This heart was retrieved from the remains of an ancient divine beast, and many lives were lost in the process. How could such an object not be terrifying?" The old general spoke with mixed emotions, pride in the heart's formidable power, but also a deeper sense of apprehension.
"Then I'm even more curious. You threw away such an object for a Three Kingdoms world. Was it worth it?"
To this question, the old general bluntly refused to answer, "I'm afraid I can't disclose that. Elder, you just need to help us send this thing into the Three Kingdoms world."
The black-robed Daoist didn't seem to mind the old general's blunt refusal.
"Fine, if you won't tell, you won't. Anyway, you've made your offer, and we'll do as you ask."
As the black-robed Daoist spoke, he raised his hands and executed a series of intricate hand seals with blinding speed. As his final seal was cast, a cracking sound emanated from the massive black altar, and a black stone pillar rose before the old general.
"Put the object on it!"
Without hesitation, the old general placed the heart on the black pillar and then retreated a good dozen steps, as if avoiding a venomous snake.
The black-robed Daoist didn't scoff at the old general's apparent cowardice. In fact, he didn't have the leisure to do so. As the old general retreated, the Daoist's expression grew solemn, his gaze fixed on the black heart, while his hands continued to form intricate hand seals.
These hand seals seemed to control the black altar, and as he cast them, the altar began to activate.
The runes on the altar began to glow, their radiance intensifying within the array of runes, eventually merging into a unified light. As the light converged, the heart on the stone pillar trembled, and a black aura appeared above it, causing the black heart to vanish completely in the next instant.
The old general's lips curled into a sinister smile as he witnessed the heart's sudden disappearance.
...
Capital Military Camp, Luoyang City.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already July of the year 189.
More than a month had passed since the farce of the Coalition of Warlords and the grand coronation ceremony of Lu Hai Kong.
During this period, most of the warlords who had returned to Luoyang had also gone back to their respective territories.
Logically, after witnessing the might of the Foreign Demons and understanding the formidable challenge they would face in five years, these warlords should have returned to their lands with a sense of urgency, focusing on development and preparation.
However, this was not the case. Instead of prioritizing development, the first thing these warlords did upon their return was to engage in annexation!
The Coalition of Warlords initially consisted of twelve warlords, but only six remained after the expedition: Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Jian, Yuan Hong, and Meng Hu. Liu Biao, Tao Qian, Kong Qing, Ye Wen, and Han Sui had perished, while Ma Teng had pledged allegiance to Lu Hai Kong.
With six warlords gone, vast territories were left without rulers, including Ma Teng and Han Sui's northern Liangzhou, Liu Biao's Jingzhou, Tao Qian's Xuzhou, and Kong Qing and Ye Wen's Qingzhou.
These territories were like juicy morsels to the remaining warlords, and no one could resist the temptation.
Upon their return, the six warlords began to make their moves, each using different pretexts to claim these lands.
Although these territories were ripe for the taking, it was not going to be an easy task. As a result, the once peaceful world was once again plunged into chaos.
Lu Hai Kong paid no heed to this situation. He let them fight and scheme as they pleased, showing no intention of mediating.
On one hand, mediation would be an arduous and thankless task. On the other hand, these warlords were now aware of the true threat posed by the Foreign Demons, and with the knowledge of the black stone, they were unlikely to overstep their bounds. Thus, Lu Hai Kong chose to let them be.
He allowed them to create their own chaos, as long as they did not interfere with his development of the territory.
Aside from this, there was another, more important reason why Lu Hai Kong had become so busy and anxious during this period.
With Lu Hai Kong's current strength, influence, and mindset, very few things could make him feel this way. Even the invasion of Foreign Demons would not have caused him as much anxiety as he felt now.
The source of Lu Hai Kong's anxiety was the recent confirmation by Hua Tuo, who had diagnosed Princess San and found her to be pregnant...
(End of Chapter)
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