3: Chapter 3 System Guidance, Phoenix Fate Woman

The grand hall was silent.

Li Xuan lay on the Dragon couch, listening to those unfilial descendants scrambling away, feeling incredibly satisfied.

Acting cool is like the wind, always by my side.

Without lifting a finger, he had scared the powerful Prime Minister, who held sway over the court, almost to the point of wetting his pants.

The satisfaction brought by this kind of underhanded behavior was more gratifying than downing a bottle of ice-cold cola on the hottest days of summer.

However, after the thrill passed, Li Xuan's mind began to work.

That old bastard Wei Yong had been scared out of his wits and wouldn't dare cause trouble today.

But given the nature of that old fox, once his shock subsided upon returning, he would certainly become suspicious.

Suspicion would lead to even crazier probing and retaliation.

This Great Xia Divine Dynasty was currently like a sieve, full of holes everywhere.

Inside, there was that massive tumor, Wei Yong.

Outside, there were neighboring countries eyeing it like tigers.

Plus, his own cowardly grandson, the Emperor, was the spitting image of a mistreated little wife.

This game was a Hell-difficulty start.

"Sigh, the revolution has not yet succeeded."

Li Xuan sighed inwardly.

If he relied solely on immortality to slack off, he feared his home would be stolen before he could even get comfortable.

The top priority was still to acquire some strength for self-protection.

With a thought, he began to call the System.

"System, are you there? Come out and chat?"

[Ding!]

The System interface appeared immediately, faster than a girlfriend replying instantly.

[Newbie guidance phase has ended, long-term planning has been activated.]

[Newbie task: Marry a concubine to start the path of Bloodline Legacy.]

A line of golden characters appeared before his eyes.

Li Xuan's expression stiffened a bit.

Great, it circled back again.

After all this, my System isn't a monster-slaying leveling type, but a child-rearing type?

"Other people's Systems are all about punching nursing homes and kicking kindergartens, with sparks and lightning all the way. Coming to me, the style directly changes to 'My Old Ancestor Can't Possibly Be This Fertile'?"

Although he complained, Li Xuan was clear-headed.

This was definitely a bright path!

What's the point of miserable Cultivate?

Let the kids do the grinding, and as the father, he could sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor, getting ten thousand times the returns—that was the life of an immortal!

"Fine, I'll give birth! For the tribe!"

Li Xuan made up his mind.

But the choice of concubine had to be carefully considered.

With three thousand beauties in the harem, he couldn't just grab anyone to make up the numbers.

The System had hinted that the concubine's destiny and Luck were key.

"System, is there any radar-like function? Let me see who is a potential stock?"

Hum—

The System interface fluctuated, and a virtual compass resembling a game mini-map appeared.

On the compass, it was densely packed with light dots of varying sizes and colors.

[Destiny Map (Elementary) has been unlocked.]

[This function can detect the destiny and Luck of all living beings within a ten-mile radius of the host.]

[Luck ranges from weak to strong, corresponding to light dot colors: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold.]

[Destiny is a Heaven-ordained attribute, hidden beneath the light of Luck; it requires the host to focus to perceive it.]

Good heavens, it really exists!

Isn't this a Divine Artifact for finding Dragons and acupoints!

Li Xuan perked up, his mind immediately focusing on this Destiny Map.

His gaze first landed on the core area of the harem in the imperial palace.

That area had the densest light dots, a large patch of colorful lights.

The vast majority of light dots were the most ordinary white, representing eunuchs and palace maids with mediocre Luck.

Interspersed among them were some green light dots, which were much brighter.

Li Xuan randomly locked onto one.

[Name: Zhao Wan'er]

[Identity: Jieyu]

[Destiny: None]

[Luck: Green (Small wealth and status)]

[Introduction: Daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, gentle in nature...]

"A Jieyu only has green Luck, that's alright."

Li Xuan looked at other green dots; most were concubines with some rank in the harem, with decent Family backgrounds.

He quickly lost interest.

Small wealth and status are not worthy of my strongest Divine Bloodline in the Myriad Realms.

It has to be at least blue!

He scanned the map quickly and finally discovered an eye-catching purple light dot in a corner of the harem.

The purple light was intense, surrounded by several blue and green light dots.

"Oh, found a big fish?"

Li Xuan immediately locked onto that purple light dot.

[Name: Consort Wei Shu]

[Identity: Noble Consort]

[Destiny: Scorpion Destiny]

[Luck: Purple (Overwhelming power)]

[Introduction: Niece of Prime Minister Wei Yong, deep in schemes, bullying others in the harem by relying on her power. Her destiny is tainted by Family Karma; although it can bring temporary power, the backlash is extremely strong and damages the Dynasty's Luck.]

"Bah!"

Seeing "Scorpion Destiny" and "Niece of Wei Yong," Li Xuan almost vomited.

Good heavens, no wonder this purple looked black; it was moldy!

It's a textbook template for a demonic concubine.

If he chose her, he feared that the first thing the child would do after being born would be to backstab its father.

"Bad Luck! Next!"

Li Xuan directly blocked this patch of blackish purple light.

He patiently and carefully scanned the entire harem, including his grandson the Emperor's bedchamber, over and over again.

The result was disappointing.

In the entire harem, apart from the moldy Consort Wei Shu, there wasn't even a single proper blue light dot.

Let alone the legendary gold.

It was all crooked melons and cracked dates.

"That makes no sense..."

Li Xuan felt suspicious.

The Great Xia Divine Dynasty is at least a Dynasty, gathering beauties from all over the world; how could there not be a single one that's impressive?

Is it because his grandson has such poor taste?

Just as Li Xuan was disappointed and preparing to expand the search range, he inadvertently detected a remote and desolate corner of the palace.

The light dots there were sparse, almost a patch of deathly gray.

This place is... the Cold Palace?

In Li Xuan's memory, that was a place of ill omen and despair.

A concubine cast into the Cold Palace was equivalent to being sentenced to death, left to live out the rest of her life miserably in loneliness.

He originally wanted to skip it.

But just as his thought was about to leave, he suddenly paused.

In that patch of decaying, desperate gray, he caught a glimmer of light.

A faint yet incredibly pure golden light!

That golden light was as thin as a silk thread, like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.

But its essence was incredibly noble!

Like a golden lotus blooming in the mud!

Li Xuan felt a stir in his heart.

Golden Luck!

Moreover, beneath this thread of golden Luck, he sensed an aura of destiny ten thousand times nobler than Consort Wei Shu's "Scorpion Destiny"!

Although faint, it was like a dormant Phoenix.

Even if all its wings were retracted, that aura, which stood above all birds, could not be completely concealed!

Found it!

Li Xuan pressed all his focus onto that point of golden light.

As he watched, the information of the owner of the golden light appeared.

[Name: Consort Xiao Yu]

[Identity: Deposed Consort]

[Destiny: Phoenix Destiny (Incomplete · Seal)]

[Luck: Gold (Hidden Dragon in the Abyss)]

[Introduction: Daughter of the former Protector General and Minister of War, Xiao Hong. Three years ago, due to a great victory at the border, Xiao Hong's achievements overshadowed the ruler, leading to him being framed by Prime Minister Wei Yong and his entire Family being executed for "treason." Because Consort Xiao Yu was carrying a Dragon descendant (which miscarried), the Emperor spared her life, stripped her of her title as Noble Consort, and cast her into the Cold Palace, where she remains. She has a resilient nature and a kind heart. The Phoenix Destiny is on the verge of shattering due to the decline of the Dynasty's Luck and the suppression by the traitorous official's Luck.]

After reading the information, Li Xuan was deeply shocked.

Xiao Hong!

He had an impression of this name!

That was an iron-blooded general star promoted by his son when he was still on the throne.

He was loyal, brave, and upright, with illustrious military achievements; he was the true pillar of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty!

He could never have imagined that such a pillar of the nation would end up being executed along with his entire Family!

The culprit was none other than Wei Yong!

Li Xuan was burning with rage.

What a Wei Yong!

In order to eliminate dissidents and suppress the loyal and good, he truly stopped at nothing!

Li Xuan's gaze seemed to pierce through the palace walls, seeing the scene in the Cold Palace.

A dilapidated courtyard, overgrown with weeds.

A woman wearing a washed-out, plain palace dress was crouching in the corner, carefully watering a small flower that had sprouted from a crack in the stone.

Her figure was thin, and her face was pale.

But those eyes were clear, without any resentment or malice, only calm and gentleness.

The hardships of the world seemed not to have extinguished the nobility in her bones.

She was Consort Xiao Yu.

"Phoenix Destiny... Incomplete... Seal..."

Li Xuan looked at this woman, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He mourned her misfortune and was even more furious at his useless grandson, the Emperor Li Zhan!

His own concubine, his own flesh and blood, his loyal subjects—being bullied and framed like this, and he could only watch helplessly!

However, after the anger came wild joy!

A fate bestowed by Heaven!

Someone brought a pillow just when he was sleepy!

Consort Xiao Yu possessed the top-tier Phoenix Destiny, perfectly meeting the System's requirements, and was the best candidate to give birth to a child of destiny!

At the same time, she was the descendant of the loyal subjects persecuted by Wei Yong!

Choosing her would not only complete the task but also send a signal to the outside world.

He, the Retired Emperor, would vindicate the loyal subjects!

This was a justification for his actions.

It was also a formal declaration of war against Wei Yong's massive interest group!

A deposed, disgraced concubine and a dying Retired Emperor.

In the eyes of outsiders, this combination was ridiculous and laughable.

But Li Xuan knew in his heart that when these two stood together, it would be enough to set off a huge wave that would sweep across the entire Great Xia Divine Dynasty!

"It's you!"

Li Xuan lay on the Dragon couch, his eyes turning cold.

"Wei Yong, the debts you owe, it's time to pay them back."

"Your retribution will start being settled from this innocent girl!"

His eyes turned cold.

The first thing to do was to bring this dusty Phoenix out from the cage of the Cold Palace, upright and openly!