The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 191 - 190: To Advance, First Take the Test

Chapter 191: Chapter 190: To Advance, First Take the Test

Back then, why did Ying Long choose to suppress Wuzhiqi at Gui Mountain instead of killing him outright? We cannot know for sure. Still, Nezha decided to visit the sealing site to take a look.

Nezha slashed Wuzhiqi with his sword, causing the Human Clan’s Qi Fortune of Nantang to increase slightly. He casually transmitted Wuzhiqi’s severed head to Old Li.

This matter was neither too big nor too small, but Nezha needed to figure it out. Otherwise, today it’s Wuzhiqi, and tomorrow it might be Youzhiqi. How is Nantang supposed to live peacefully?

Using Wuzhiqi’s flesh, Nezha wandered around and arrived at Gui Mountain. This location near the southern battlefield of the Shang-Zhou War was completely cracked. Draped in the Mountain and River Map, he ventured into the sealing site and inspected the Sealing Array.

With Nezha’s cultivation in Arrays, he deduced two conclusions: first, the Array had indeed fallen into disrepair; second, the ley lines powering the Array had been destroyed.

Since it pertained to his expertise in construction and earthcraft, Nezha began tracing the issue all the way back to the battlefield.

By now, both factions were fighting like dogs, and the aftermath had naturally damaged the earth vein. This was well within Nezha’s expectations.

Without alarming anyone, he used Earth Escape to continue along the ley lines, eventually arriving at a lake. Circling the area repeatedly and calculating, Nezha more or less figured out what it was.

It was likely one of Dayu’s Nine Tripods that defined Jiuzhou—though the exact identity of the tripod and which of the Dragon’s Nine Sons guarded it were still unknown.

Nantang was already blessed with the Heavenly Mandate and the Kongtong Seal, making its reign exceptionally stable.

But this raised another question: who within the Li Family should sit on the throne?

Daji? Deng Chanyu?

These two were constantly thinking about Nezha, and the Great King was practically tired of it.

Li Jing?

Old Li was just waiting for retirement. If he wanted to be king, he would have done it long ago.

Jinzha and Mu Zha?

Even less likely—they were entirely focused on seeking the Immortal Dao.

Should the throne go to another family?

That would mean all the efforts of the Old Li family were for nothing!

Nezha had thought about this issue. The solution was somewhat ahead of its time; in the current chaotic and unstable world, it couldn’t be done. Power had to be concentrated in the hands of one person to ensure stable governance.

Regardless of who Nezha might reincarnate into, in his past life or this one, he was fundamentally a member of the Human Clan. As long as it didn’t conflict with his interests, he would prioritize humanity.

If he came across something, it didn’t matter whether or not it was useful—he would grab it first and figure it out later!

With the secure feeling of the Mountain and River Map draped over him, Nezha transformed into a stream of light and dove into the lake. Sensing spatial fluctuations, he arrived at a slightly dim space.

The space contained nothing but a massive, ancient tripod and an enormous blank stele.

Though Nezha’s time spent cultivating was short, his breadth of knowledge was not. Upon seeing the stele, he roughly guessed which dragon was guarding the place.

"I, Li Nezha of the Human Clan, wonder if the esteemed elder might reveal himself?"

For treasures whose symbolic significance outweighed practical usage, if they could be obtained openly, there was no need for underhanded methods.

As Nezha finished speaking, the space began shaking violently. The stele trembled as a massive, azure dragon spiraled up from the ground. With an ear-splitting roar directed at Nezha, it let out two resounding shouts.

Finally, the dragon’s shadow faded, the stele shrank, and the space settled into tranquility.

In the aftermath sat a refined, elegant young man in azure robes atop the giant tripod, holding a folded fan.

This person embodied the phrase "beauty on a distant path, unparalleled gentleman on earth." The only thing slightly jarring was the huge tablet standing behind him.

If not for such an incongruous difference in artistic tone, Nezha might have feared the guy would suddenly yell "Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!" and charge at him with the tablet swinging like an oversized door plank.

Of course, Fu Xi, being a cultured dragon, wouldn’t behave this way. Look at his name: "Fu Xi," clearly a symbol of scholarly excellence and mastery!

Similar to him was Fu Xi, famed for the Innate Eight Diagrams, weaving, stargazing, and so on—it hardly needed elaboration.

Fu Xi couldn’t compare to the legendary Fu Xi, but he excelled in poetry, lyrics, and refined pursuits. With his good family background and cultivated cultural knowledge, he was undoubtedly a gentleman among dragons.

"Junior, back then I made an agreement with Yu King: whoever seeks to obtain the Yu King’s Cauldron must pass my test."

Nezha secretly nodded in approval. He appreciated the adherence to Human Clan customs. After all, if one wanted to progress now, there was a test; in Nezha’s past life on Blue Star, one also had to take exams to advance. It was entirely reasonable.

"I humbly ask the elder to teach me."

Fu Xi first scrutinized Nezha’s appearance, nodding to himself. Excellent—a cultured individual. Being fond of poetry and fine compositions, Fu Xi detested barbarians. If Nezha had been a muscular brute, Fu Xi would have kicked him out immediately.

"There are primarily two challenges. The first is gaining my approval.

The second is gaining Yu’s approval."

Nezha wasn’t aware that his outstanding looks and demeanor had already cleared the hidden first challenge. Upon hearing the tests, he found them somewhat tricky—the first was too subjective, and the second involved Yu King, who had been dead for countless years. How was he supposed to gain his approval?

Nevertheless, problems are solved one step at a time. If encountered, solutions will emerge.

"How might I gain the elder’s approval?"

Fu Xi, smiling, waved his folded fan and replied, "The world knows of my passion for literature. Whenever I encounter an exceptional poem or text, I inscribe it upon the stele behind me. This stele can be regarded as a crucial artifact of the Primordial literary tradition. As long as you compose something that isn’t already inscribed on it and that resonates with the stele, you’ll clear the challenge."

Nezha glanced at the blank slab behind him and asked, "My knowledge is limited—would works by friends suffice?"

Fu Xi confidently answered, "Certainly."

Seeing Fu Xi’s smug expression, Nezha was speechless. Why didn’t this guy make it clear it was a freebie from the start? It had made him tense for no reason.

"Ahem, let me clarify, this is a piece by a friend—his name is Li Bai. He’s a Sword Immortal and part-time poet."

Fu Xi looked disdainful, as if Nezha was trying to dodge a lack of cultural refinement by attributing it to this Li Bai fellow.

"At dawn, I leave the White Emperor crowned by colorful clouds,

In one day, thousands of miles to Jiangling are traveled.

The calls of monkeys on both shores linger without pause,

While a light boat slips between layers of towering mountains."

Fu Xi: "..."

Fu Xi didn’t recognize the so-called "White Emperor" in Nezha’s poem, but the Primordial era had its own White Emperor—Shaohao.

Shaohao, surnamed Ji and named Zhi, also known as the Golden Sky Lord, styled Qingyang. Legend has it that upon his birth, five phoenixes of different colors flew to offer congratulations. He was the first to establish phoenix culture among the Human Clan.

He wore a white jade hair crown and white feather robes, and often traveled on a white dragon’s back.

Dragons being reduced to mere steeds reflected a stark difference in their treatment. Shaohao’s conduct was unmistakably tied to his reincarnation as a prominent member of the Phoenix Clan—and this fact left Fu Xi speechless.

The poem, undeniably a masterpiece, grew more nuanced the deeper Fu Xi reflected upon it. However, the historical enmity between dragons and phoenixes went far beyond mere animosity—it was etched into their very bones and blood.

The stele behind Fu Xi flickered, and finally, he inscribed the poem upon it with a begrudging sigh, casting a sharp glare at Nezha.

"This one only counts as half. Compose another!"

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