As Wang Xuan sensed the bronze pagoda, the pagoda seemed to resonate with him. It trembled slightly, and a message was transmitted into Wang Xuan's mind.
"So this bronze pagoda is called Eternal Heaven and Earth, a supreme and eternal treasure!"
As an eternal treasure, things like concealing heavenly secrets and suppressing destiny are merely the basic functions of this pagoda.
The most crucial function of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth is to traverse all the heavens and myriad worlds and fuse them into one!
"It really is a treasure. This Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth can be regarded as a system." After dismissing the maids around him, Wang Xuan chuckled. With a thought, a light screen appeared in front of him.
Name: Wang Xuan
Permissions: Level 1
Cultivation level: First level of the Acquired Realm
Luck: 78 (1 for ordinary people)
Cultivation Method: *Ziyang Zhenjie*
Unlocked abilities: Time travel, Enlightenment
Existing world coordinates: Mythical Three Kingdoms World
The content on the light screen was clear and concise, without any unnecessary or irrelevant information. In the blink of an eye, Wang Xuan had a complete grasp of the information about the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth.
It turns out that Wang Xuan currently only has the lowest level of authority over the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth. To obtain higher authority, he must use his luck to refine the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth!
With Wang Xuan's current Level 1 privileges, the only two functions he can use in the Eternal World system are time travel and enlightenment. As for how to use them, it's simple: just burn his own luck.
In this life, Wang Xuan is the son of Wang Yun, who is the Grand Minister of Works of the Han Empire, a man of high status. Therefore, Wang Xuan's fortune far surpasses that of ordinary people due to his father's status. However, to use the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, his own meager fortune is truly insufficient.
"Even traversing to the lowest-level world requires 100 points of luck, and I only have 78 points of luck to begin with!" Wang Xuan rubbed his temples in frustration. "Having a mountain of treasure but being unable to use it is truly frustrating."
"Since I don't have enough luck myself, I have no choice but to find a way to get some luck from others."
Wang Xuan secretly pondered, thinking about how he could strengthen his own fortune.
After much thought, the simplest way is to spread the Dao. For example, Hongjun Daozu of the primordial world reaped a massive amount of fortune by spreading the Dao, and eventually merged with the Dao of Heaven as the Daozu.
Furthermore, the various schools of thought during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, each spreading their own doctrines, were merely plotting their own destiny.
While preaching was commendable, Wang Xuan knew his own limitations. With his mediocre skills, attempting to spread his teachings in this mythical Three Kingdoms world was nothing short of a pipe dream.
What? You mean spreading the way of science and technology?
Speaking of the path of technology, Wang Xuan's heart is filled with tears. In order to resist Dong Zhuo's tyranny and change the fate of his family, Wang Xuan naturally tried to develop technology.
But the result was quite touching. No matter how Wang Xuan made the black powder according to the textbook formula, it simply wouldn't undergo a chemical reaction and therefore wouldn't explode.
Wang Xuan also conducted many other experiments, large and small, which proved that the mathematics, physics and chemistry he learned in his previous life were completely useless in this mythical Three Kingdoms world!
Even the most basic physical rules are different, so the technological methods of Earth in the previous life are naturally not applicable to this world.
Moreover, this world also has the Mohist school, which possesses countless advanced technologies. The little bit of knowledge that Wang Xuan has gleaned by combining his previous life's technological understanding is simply no match for the Mohist school.
"Besides preaching, there is also gathering people, establishing a power base, and collecting the fortune of all people to nourish oneself. However, Dong Zhuo has stationed a large army in Luoyang now, and everyone is in danger. If I dare to recruit subordinates at this time, I'm afraid I won't have to wait a few years before I'm wiped out by Fatty Dong."
"If the path of gathering the masses is not feasible, then the only way is fame. With a prominent reputation, fortune will naturally follow; this is what is meant by fame."
Wang Xuan quickly came up with a plan. There were so many famous poems and songs in China from his previous life that had been passed down through the ages; Wang Xuan could borrow some of them and use them to make a name for himself as a talented scholar.
Once a reputation spreads and people sing its praises, good fortune will naturally come to those who seek it.
Wang Xuan summoned his steward and questioned him in detail, quickly learning some information.
The renowned Confucian scholars Cai Yong and Lu Zhi will be holding a literary gathering in three days! Luoyang is the capital of the Han Empire, and even though it was ravaged by Dong Zhuo, it still attracts a large number of scholars. There will definitely be quite a few scholars attending that gathering in three days.
"This is truly a stroke of luck!" Wang Xuan was overjoyed and said to his steward, "Steward, I also want to attend the literary gathering in three days. As for any preparations needed, you can handle them yourself."
Given Wang Xuan's status, it wouldn't be difficult for him to be assigned among the scholars and attend literary gatherings.
Three days passed quickly. Wang Xuan changed into a scholar's robe, with a sword at his waist, looking every bit the dashing scholar.
The only thing that displeased Wang Xuan was that he was only eighteen years old in this life and had not yet reached adulthood, so his hair was styled into two buns, like two horns on the top of his head, which is the so-called "top horns".
"My dashing and debonair image has been completely ruined by these two brats!" Wang Xuan looked at his reflection in the bronze mirror and made up his mind to trick his father into giving him the coming-of-age ceremony ahead of schedule.
After tidying his clothes, Wang Xuan, accompanied by two guards, boarded a carriage drawn by dragon-scaled horses to attend the literary gathering.
Luoyang was the capital of the Han Empire, and the Luoyang in this world was particularly large, with a population of over 20 million. Even at the speed of the dragon-scaled horse, it took them a full half hour to reach the banks of the Luo River, the venue for this literary gathering.
After getting off the carriage, Wang Xuan saw countless scholars and literati gathered on the banks of the Luo River.
These literati either gathered together to engage in lively discussions or sat cross-legged at their desks, wielding their brushes and ink. Nowhere in the capital could such a scene be more prominent than this.
Wang Xuan secretly admired the situation and walked into the crowd, quickly spotting several familiar faces. These were the same few fair-weather friends the original owner of this body had made before Wang Xuan's transmigration.
"Brother Wang, I didn't expect this literary gathering to have attracted you as well. Do you also want to catch a glimpse of the Cai family's young lady?"
Chapter Four: Luoyang Literary Gathering
The so-called "Young Lady of the Cai Family" refers to Cai Yan, the daughter of the great Confucian scholar Cai Yong.
Cai Yan, courtesy name Zhaoji. After Sima Zhao became emperor, people changed Cai Zhaoji's name to Cai Wenji to avoid using Sima Zhao's name.
Although Cai Yan's fame is not as great as it would be in later generations, she is still a renowned talented woman. Many scholars were drawn to this literary gathering because of Cai Yan's reputation.
A young man in his early twenties walked over and patted Wang Xuan on the shoulder familiarly, acting like a good buddy.
Wang Xuan's lips twitched; he felt a little disgusted, but he couldn't show it. This guy's identity was also extraordinary; he was Yang Jun, the son of Yang Biao, the Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty.
Like Wang Xuan's predecessor, Yang Jun was also a spoiled brat, spending his days idly and having little presence in society. His younger brother, Yang Xiu, on the other hand, went down in history—unfortunately, he didn't have a good ending either, being killed by Cao Cao because he was too clever…
"So it's Brother Yang! It's been a long time. How have you been lately, Brother Yang?" Regardless of what Wang Xuan was thinking, he didn't show it on his face at all. Instead, he greeted Yang Jun very warmly.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Yang Jun looked around and said to Wang Xuan in a mysterious tone, "Brother Wang, you wouldn't happen to be interested in that young lady from the Cai family, would you? Tell me, and I definitely won't compete with you for her."
"What does this have to do with the young lady of the Cai family?" Wang Xuan asked, somewhat puzzled.
Yang Jun said in surprise, "Haven't you heard the rumors? It is said that Lord Cai wants to choose a suitable son-in-law, and this literary gathering is held for that purpose."
"So that's how it is." Wang Xuan suddenly realized.
Cai Yan, a talented woman, was certainly very attractive, but unfortunately, she had already married Wei Zhongdao. Wei Zhongdao was always frail and sickly, and he died not long after Cai Yan married him. This left Cai Yan with a reputation for being a jinx to her husband and was disliked by her husband's family.
It's only natural for Cai Yong to want to find a good husband for his daughter.
Wang Xuan and Yang Jun chatted casually for a while, and then the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Wang Xuan looked up and saw that the two great Confucian scholars, Cai Yong and Lu Zhi, had arrived at some point.
As renowned Confucian scholars, even a spoiled brat like Yang Jun held Cai Yong and Lu Zhi in high esteem, and couldn't help but stand solemnly.
The literary gathering truly reached its climax at this point. Under the guidance of the two great Confucian scholars, scholars frequently composed poems and essays, showcasing their talents to the world.
A faint smile appeared on Wang Xuan's face. His body trembled slightly. It was time for this young master to step up and show off!
"Master Cai, Master Lu, I have recently written a poem, and I hope you two elders can help me with your evaluation!" Wang Xuan bowed to Cai Yong and Lu Zhi and then recited a poem.
This article is ornate and beautiful. If people from later generations were present, they would be astonished, because it is actually Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River". Some shameless guy has openly claimed it as his own!
Upon the release of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River," accolades immediately arose one after another, with even Cai Yong and Lu Zhi praising Wang Xuan highly.
Wang Xuan was secretly pleased with himself, but unexpectedly a frail young man stepped out from beside Cai Yong and recited a poem that was in no way inferior to Wang Xuan's "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River"!
Wang Xuan was completely dumbfounded. The "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" was supposed to be a masterpiece that would be famous for thousands of years. How could just anyone stand up and write a poem that was comparable to the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River"?!
"I have long admired Brother Wang Xuan's name, but I only learned today that you are so talented that you could create a masterpiece like 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River.' I wonder if Brother Wang has any other works?" The young man did not feel that he had ruined someone's show-off. On the contrary, he felt that he had met a kindred spirit and wanted to have a long talk with Wang Xuan about poetry and songs.
Wang Xuan felt frustrated, but he also had a sudden realization. This was no longer Earth from his previous life; it was a much larger world!
Throughout ancient China, the population before the Qing Dynasty was only in the tens of millions. The population increased slightly during the Qing Dynasty, but culturally it was not particularly prosperous.
In this world, the Han Empire alone has over ten billion people! Such a massive population naturally produces more literary giants and renowned figures. Moreover, this world has cultivation methods, which develop the minds of cultivators, making them even more intelligent.
For various reasons, those famous works that have been passed down through the ages in the previous life can only be considered as good works in this world.
It seems that to become famous, a single poem like "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" is enough! Wang Xuan secretly vowed to himself, if the quality isn't good enough, this young master will make up for it with quantity! Anyway, this young master possesses five thousand years of Chinese cultural heritage, and if he pours it all into this, he should be able to forge a reputation as a talented scholar!
Wang Xuan immediately recited another famous work, which was in no way inferior to the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River in terms of quality.
What frustrated Wang Xuan even more was that the boy who had ruined his show-off earlier was still not willing to give up. Every time Wang Xuan recited a poem, the boy would respond with a poem in response. It seemed that he was determined to compete with Wang Xuan.
Although Wang Xuan was somewhat annoyed, he was actually quite pleased. Without a formidable opponent to set the stage for his talents, how could he possibly demonstrate his versatility?
Immediately, Wang Xuan and the young man began to compete. They took turns composing poems and essays, and before they knew it, they had produced over a hundred poems and essays, each one a masterpiece!
In the end, Wang Xuan had the last laugh thanks to his "erudition and talent," while the young man who had been competing with him had run out of ideas and had to admit defeat.
Looking around, it became clear that, without realizing it, the two of them had attracted the attention of all the scholars and literati present, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.
"Excellent! My two nephews can compose a hundred poems after drinking wine; their talent is truly astonishing!" The great scholar Lu Zhi praised Wang Xuan and the young man.
The surrounding crowd echoed his sentiments, showering him with praise and declaring Wang Xuan a great talent. Even the young man who had challenged Wang Xuan, though defeated, was considered honorable, and everyone marveled at his talent.
Among so many people, only Yang Jun and a few of Wang Xuan's cronies still refused to believe it—when did that bastard Wang Xuan actually have such talent?
Faced with everyone's praise, Wang Xuan smiled modestly on the surface, but he was extremely excited inside.
Because his previous idea actually worked!
Those who came to attend this literary gathering were all well-known scholars or sons of officials in Luoyang; there was not a single ordinary person among them.
At this moment, amidst the praise from the crowd, faint wisps of literary energy gathered above Wang Xuan's head, which he then absorbed and transformed into his own fortune.
Within just over half an hour, the number of Wang Xuan's luck displayed on the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth had increased from 78 to 79, and then to 80!
Moreover, the good fortune brought by this fame is not temporary, but long-lasting.
Chapter Five: Lü Bu Among Men
Wang Xuan was pleased that his luck had increased, and he even found the boy who had previously challenged him somewhat agreeable.
Although the other person was thin, their face was exquisitely beautiful, and Wang Xuan felt a faint stirring in his heart...
"Huh? Something's not right!" Wang Xuan cursed himself inwardly. Only now did he belatedly realize that the person was clearly a woman disguised as a man!
Considering that the other party had been standing not far from Cai Yong, if Wang Xuan really couldn't guess the other party's identity, he might as well give up and just kill himself.
This person is most likely Cai Yong's daughter, the famous talented woman Cai Yan! Indeed, how many talented men in the world could match Wang Xuan's more than a hundred poems? How could such talent not be famous?