# 1682
Chapter 1682: Wu Quan Seeks a Master
On the desolate land, two carriages raced forward at breakneck speed.
"Seek... the gods?" Hearing these two words, Hu Jia froze in place.
"By the way, where are your Eastern gods? How long will it take us to reach them?" Chloe asked.
"The Heavenly Court can move freely, so I don't know where they are either."
"Don't know? Then where are we going?"
"Though we can't find the Heavenly Court, there's one place that can't run away..." Lin Qiye's eyes narrowed slightly. "We're going to the Jade Pool."
"Where is the Jade Pool anyway?"
"Kunlun Mountain."
Finding the Heavenly Court was difficult, but as long as they found the Jade Pool and the Queen Mother of the West, they could learn the Heavenly Court's whereabouts... And Lin Qiye was intimately familiar with the Jade Pool.
"Kunlun Mountain is already at the border of the Western Regions of Great Han. Further southwest is the Magadha Kingdom... It would take at least a month to travel from Chang'an by carriage." Hu Jia mused thoughtfully.
"It won't take that long." Chloe waved her hand. "We only have two carriages and no army following us, so we're much more mobile. Plus, I can use wind to reinforce the carriages and horses, cutting the time in half at least."
As Chloe's words fell, the passengers inside the carriage clearly felt their bodies lighten. The entire carriage seemed weightless, racing forward at high speed with the horses.
Lin Qiye was about to praise Chloe when, the next moment, the entire carriage shook violently!
After a series of tremors, the carriage they were in was lifted by an invisible hand, rising into the sky. This sudden turn of events directly terrified the fast horses—they stared blankly at their bodies gradually floating up into the clouds, panicked and bewildered.
The fierce winds at high altitude blew open the carriage curtains. Hu Jia looked down, her face paling slightly before she shrunk back inside.
"We... we're flying?"
"Still have to rely on the Marquis." Lin Qiye laughed. "This way, we even save the bumps."
Wu Quan sat beside Lin Qiye. Through the fluttering carriage curtains, he gazed at the carriage ahead, lips pressed tightly together, lost in thought.
...
Half an hour later.
The two carriages descended slowly from the sky.
"Hurk——!!"
"Hurk——!!!"
The moment the wheels touched the ground, several figures rushed out of the carriage like the wind, doubled over on the ground, heaving violently!
Gongyang Wan, Chloe, Hu Jia, Zhan Yuwu, Yan Zhong, Wu Quan... The six of them had no trace of color in their faces, drained like they had been spent, too weak to even straighten their backs.
Lin Qiye leisurely stepped out of the carriage. Looking at the neat row of six people before him, he had a fleeting sense of déjà vu, as if he had returned to the days of ship exploration.
Though it was only half an hour of flight, they were already受不了. Besides Lin Qiye and Huo Qubing, everyone else was affected. Even the horses pulling the carriage had collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Everyone else was understandable, but even Wu Quan, who had weathered modern airplanes and ships, couldn't withstand this ordeal.
Though thinking about it, using 【Dominion Emperor】 to fly the carriage was not like an actual airplane. Not to mention anything else, the material and shape of this carriage alone couldn't support stable high-speed flight in the air. Managing this long was already the limit.
Huo Qubing slowly descended from the front carriage, his gaze sweeping calmly over the weak figures nearby. He turned and walked toward the grove on the other side... Moments later, another retching sound echoed from within.
Lin Qiye: ...
The group took a long time to recover on the ground, finally regaining some vitality. Yan Zhong tremblingly pulled out a map, comparing it with their surroundings for a moment before speaking slowly:
"In this half hour, we've flown over five city-states, saving roughly two days of travel... Next, if Lady Chloe's wind assistance continues, we'll reach Kunlun Mountain in at most seven days."
Huo Qubing contemplated silently for a moment. "In that case, why don't we fly for another two hours..."
"Impossible!"
"No way!!"
Before Huo Qubing could finish speaking, the rest of the group refused in unison. Even Hu Jia, the newcomer to the Bureau of Evil Suppression, found the courage to resist the Marquis's proposal, trembling as he did so.
"Really can't fly anymore." Lin Qiye stated objectively. "After half an hour of flight, this carriage is already falling apart... If we fly any longer, both the carriage and horses won't hold up. Then we'd have to purchase new vehicles and horses, but the further west we go, the fewer city-states there are. Finding places to buy such things won't be easy."
Huo Qubing considered for a moment, then nodded in agreement with Lin Qiye's words.
"Very well, let's wait for these horses to recover before we set off by carriage."
Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The group dispersed to rest while waiting for the horses to recover. Huo Qubing sat alone on the edge of one carriage, gazing westward, lost in thought.
Wu Quan leaned against a massive boulder nearby, silently watching Huo Qubing's direction. His eyes flickered with conflict.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and walked toward the carriage.
"Marquis."
Hearing Wu Quan's voice, Huo Qubing withdrew his distant gaze, examining the sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.
"What is it?"
Wu Quan gritted his teeth and dropped to his knees before Huo Qubing.
Upon seeing this, Lin Qiye's eyebrows raised in the distance, surprise flickering in his eyes, but he didn't step forward to intervene.
"Please, Marquis, take me as your disciple." Wu Quan's voice was resolute and unwavering.
Huo Qubing's eyes immediately narrowed.
"Though my Forbidden Ruins and the Marquis's share the same origin and nature, the Marquis's control and understanding of 【Dominion Emperor】 far surpasses my own.
【Dominion Emperor】 is inherently flawed, with an extremely short lifespan. My talent doesn't match the Marquis's. Without guidance, I'm afraid I could never reach the Marquis's realm until the day I die... If that were to happen, I would die with regrets.
I also want to become as powerful as the Marquis... Please, Marquis, teach me!"
As his words fell, Wu Quan bowed deeply to Huo Qubing, his voice full of sincerity.
His voice drew the attention of others. The group that had been somewhat lively moments ago fell into silence, waiting for Huo Qubing's response.
Lin Qiye gazed at Wu Quan's back and let out a long sigh. There was a hint of gratification in his eyes...
The proud and reckless fierce boy from Hanshan Orphanage had finally grown up.
Huo Qubing stared at the kneeling figure before him and shook his head. "An 'Emperor' does not kneel before an 'Emperor.' Rise and speak."
"...Understood."
Wu Quan stood up and raised his head to meet Huo Qubing's gaze.
"Do you know why this lord named this ability 【Dominion Emperor】?" Huo Qubing spoke slowly.
"I don't."
"The word 'dominion' needs no explanation, but the word 'Emperor' has two meanings.
The first is the hope that through this lord's efforts, it can become the sovereign among all abilities of the异样 warriors. Only a sovereign has the qualification to quell chaos and command other abilities... The second is to constantly remind this lord that protecting the common people of the world must be our sacred duty. This ability must never be used for crooked purposes.
Without the heart to guard the borders and protect the people, how can one call themselves an 'Emperor'? Without this lifelong aspiration to pursue, how can one compel oneself to keep advancing?"
As Huo Qubing's words fell, he stared into Wu Quan's eyes and spoke word by word:
"Wu Quan, you too bear the name 'Emperor.' Tell this lord—what is the lifelong aspiration you pursue...?"