(Author: Hello! Hour late as internet kept breaking connection. The third book has finally started. This book will consist of the remaining three and a half years until the Pantheon of Devils. Once again, the Hyperion will be prominent in the story once more. Lu Shu will have two friends, who are also rivals, to assist him as he conquers the land alongside the other eight generals under Great General Meng Ce. Now, Lu Shu meets his men for the first time. Enjoy.)

--------------Chapter 1: General Lu Shu----------------

Lu Shu was sitting on a black chair at the end of a long table, a map of the land stretching over the table's surface. On his right, sat the Practitioners with Matsuda Ken sitting closest to him. On his left, sat the mages. Likewise, Li Jiro sat the closest to him. He had two five thousand man commanders as his lieutenants and five one thousand man commanders as his captains. They also sat on the table.

"General, prince...," one of the captains began.

"Just general is fine. We will be exiting the empire," Shu said. "Tell me our current composition."

"Allow me," one of the lieutenants began. "I am Lieutenant General Lu Gong, a Practitioner of the ninth stage and member of the sub branch of the Lu Clan. Under my command are three thousand of the Lu Clan elite who have joined the army for over five years. All of them are Practitioners. They are the main infantrymen of our army and have fought under General Meng Ce before. The other two thousand are our cavalry. Each of them are required to contract a horse magical beast of the fourth rank or higher."

"I am Cao Wei," a general in light armor bowed. "I am a Mage Apprentice, my class being a Lava Mage. I have the rare ability to cast fire and earth magic, with the talent to fuse both elements and use lava spells. Under my command are one thousand white mage apprentices, one thousand elemental class mages, one thousand support class mages capable of summoning and other types of magic, one thousand Practitioners who specialize in long range fighting, and the one thousand staff. These staff consists of messengers, scouts, cooks, servants, and Practitioners and mages specializing in barrier magic and formation arrays. Each member of the staff is either a Mage Apprentice or a Spirit Shaman of the fifth rank. In the entire army, there are no mage novices and the weakest Practitioner is of the fifth stage, all of the few fifth stage Spirit Shamans among the one thousand staff."

"The fifth stage. That means they are already either Archons or true Archons. Good," Shu said. "For Mage Apprentices, I understand little. None of them can cast Advanced grade magic, right?"

"That is correct, unless it is a special magic that runs down their lineage," Li Jiro said. "Shu, what is the plan?"

"My ancestor, Lu Feng, wants us to travel through Giant's Chains, to the east," Shu said.

"General, that means we must cross through several islands to reach the Hyperion lands. I was stationed there two years ago," Lu Gong said. "We only have near half of the chain islands under our control. None of us dared to assault the heart of the island chain. In the biggest islands, none of our scouts returned alive."

"We have no choice," Shu sighed. "No doubt, Lu Feng will tell Great General Meng Ce to march through Giant's Chains. You can consider it the first campaign of our new army. You all know the mortality rate will be high. Not only are we facing dangers from magical beasts, we will fight Hyperion beyond Giant's Chain. We might also come across dragons and demons."

"We know, general," Cao Wei answered. "Most of us don't come from powerful clans. We join the military to gain access to resources, techniques, and spells a regular citizen would never be able to attain. We joined the army, knowing the risk, for the power to change our lives."

"The sub branches too," Lu Gong nodded. "Our resources are not as great as the main branch family. We also joined, knowing full well we might not live to see another day."

"I see," Shu said closing his eyes. "Then make the necessary preparations. "Once they are ready, let the soldiers enjoy one last night with their loved ones."

"Yes, general," Lu Gong and Cao Wei cried and left with the captains.

"The lives of ten thousand lay on your shoulders," Jiro said, as the military leaders left. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not used to this. Killing is simpler," Shu said. "I have to change the way I think, the way I act......I'll burden you two to oversee the preparations."

"Yes, Prince Shu," Jiro and Ken bowed their heads as Lu Shu left.

Shu arrived in a hidden location under the palace. Currently, Shu had half his body submerged in a strange liquid as he meditated. This liquid was made by the Great Ancestor, for his wife. When the wife did not cultivate the spirit energy from the pyramid formation, she meditated in several special pools. As she had left, with the Great Ancestor and the five strongest Spirit Sages, the pools was now free to be used by Lu Yi and Lu Shu. They were the only Practitioners of the main branch who were not Spirit Sages. Thus, the pools were perfect for them as they were far weaker.

The liquid contained the blood of the Great Ancestor in his true form as well as other alchemical ingredients. Each pool had different properties and benefits. Naturally, those with demon blood considered this pool a priceless treasure. The Great Ancestor left behind one hundred pools of his blood and other alchemical materials. Each of the nine Spirit Sages left behind were given a pool of his blood. One pool would be shared among the emperors and Lu Shu was given a pool of his blood, Lu Kui also receiving one when she formed her demonic body. The Great Ancestor left ten more pools before taking the rest with him. His wife would surely need it.

"Cultivating in the portable demon pool?" Wraith asked as it separated from Hao's shadow as the Spirit Beast joined Shu.

"It helps my cultivation. Being able to carry a pool of a Golden Earth Fiend's blood, filled with inexhaustible demonic spirit energy, is too great. Beyond words. It's a shame my father's purity level is not high. The black blood never seems to dry and I feel my body becoming stronger as I bathe in it. I don't know what else is in the pool I was given, but it feels great," Lu Shu nodded.

"What about the lion wine?" Wraith asked.

"This greedy kitten," Shu laughed, patting Hao's head. "It has taken a liking to the lion wine. It does not empower me much, serving only as a supply of spirit energy to replace the loss. Luckily, Lu Feng poured all the lion wine in a magical gourd. Thanks to the gourd, the supply of lion wine is inexhaustible. However, I was told it won't recover my demonic sword spirit energy, the energy of Sword Immortals. By then, I should find a new way to replenish spent spirit energy before all my demonic spirit energy is permanently converted."

"Master, how goes the progress of the Sword Immortal cultivation?" Spook asked as Wraith returned to Hao's shadow as the guardian lion cub fell asleep by the pool.

"The Sundered Thorn Scripture is very powerful," Shu answered as he stared at the sentient ring. "By meditating under its methods, my Soul Realm is actually expanding. It's improving my foundations. However, it will be much harder to condense my soul later on. The more my Soul Realm's planets and galaxy radius enlarges, the bigger a planet of spirit energy must be made. The martial arts, I can grasp and I can understand sword energy better. However, it is truly difficult. The more I learn, the harder it is to progress."

"At least you made progress with the Tralagafa Totem," Spook said as Shu stared at a small, white wood totem with engravings made of radiant purple crystals. It currently shined, on his lap, under the pool's black blood surface.

"Perhaps," Shu smiled. "I can create a radiant purple light barrier and chains of light. Over time, the abilities I can use will increase. I just can't harness the power of my spirit reactors yet. I can feel it, but I can't bring out its power. My spirit techniques have all improved, thanks to the totem. The totem is able to attract far more spirit energy and makes it easier to cultivate. Especially my Great Spirit Integration technique. Since fusing my physical body with the Armored Ocean Tiger God spirit, it's power has increased tenfold. However, integrating the earth element is too difficult."

"However, you have progressed on Totem Fusion. Your left arm can become that of an adult guardian lion. No matter what the infant becomes to, when it enters its juvenile state, your transformation will be that of a guardian lion," Spook comforted. "Transforming your arm can already be considered a great achievement. It is a great trump card to use. One of many."

"Yes," Shu nodded as he left the pool, washing and changing clothes before storing the pool in Spook. "It will have to do. How goes the Phoenix Resurrection Pills? How far along are the seven pills?"

"The Great Ancestor left the materials to make the seven pills in me. I am currently finished refining two of them within me," Spook said. "While at the Pantheon of Devils, you must be sure to find a method to enter the Archon Dragon tier. The Great Ancestor is no human and did not kill enough true Archons to devise a method for true Archons to reach the Archon Phoenix tier."

Lu Shu slept until dawn, his body drawing spirit energy endlessly. He sighed as he wore the Black Tiger God armor and entered the barracks of his army. Everyone saluted him and waited for him to ride the collared magical beast tiger Shu once used to ride with Meng Ce. Many people gasped, recognizing the tiger to be the same as the one Meng Ce rode. Rumors had spread that the second prince, the general of Tiger Army, was once a student of Great General Meng Ce. Seeing the tiger, it appears the rumors held truth to it.

"It's been a long time since I rode this tiger. Pity it is but a shell of what it was before it died and was resurrected by this collar," Shu said, arriving before his tent.

"Think about the Painting of Tralagafa the Mighty. There are no life forms in the empty canvas. You don't need to kill the life form to trap it in," Spook reminded Shu. "This expedition is a great opportunity to fill in some of the canvas before the Pantheon of Devils. You could also seal some powerful life forms, from the Pantheon of Devils, inside it. However, the more powerful, the more space it takes up. As you get stronger, the painting's power seems to enlarge. This is evident due to the changes I sensed when you returned from Spirit Road, at the tenth stage. All you need to do is defeat the life form and let the canvas absorb it."

"What about the life form? Is it still as it was? I know it will have absolute loyalty and will never harm me. Still....," Shu asked.

"It will. I can sense the properties of the item in me. However, no one should know of its existence," Spook warned. "Just like that book which trapped wraiths in its pages back in Seto's store, many would do anything to obtain it. Who knows what happened to the owner of that book. I'm sure there are other itmes like it, but not as universal as the painting. It makes me wonder what other ultimate treasures the vault sections of the other Old Gods contain."

"Greetings, General Lu Shu," Lu Gong and Cao Wei bowed as Lu Shu got off his magical beast.

"A collared magical beast," Cao Wei gasped. "It even looks like the one Great General Meng Ce rides."

"It's nothing compared to the Gold-Eyed Lightning Tiger, Supaiku," Lu Gong said. "That was personally gifted to the general by Ancestor Lu Feng. It is a Saint level magical beast. However, the general did not ride it."

"It will train with the other magical beasts of the Lu Clan. Plus, I cannot afford the risk of it dying here," Shu said.

"That is wise," Cao Wei nodded. "General, you should also decline to bring it with you to the Pantheon of Devils. The longer the magical beast is bonded, the more damage to the Practitioner or mage. You only bind with up to three magical beasts in a life time. Some powerful clans have powerful treasures that bind other life forms, like that collar around the magical beast tiger. However, it is not the same and the power of what is sealed only increases as you do. It does not grow independently."

"My clan has four of those treasures," Ken agreed. "It's as Lieutenant General Cao Wei said. According to my clan's rules, no one brings magical beasts to the Pantheon of Devils as many have lost their magical beasts there. Too many."

"Back to the issue at hand, the troops have all returned and made their preparations. All we need is an order from Great General Meng Ce to begin the march," Jiro interrupted. "The five thousand under Lu Gong will be at the front, Cao Wei's men behind them."

"Good," Lu Shu said, as they received the order to march ten minutes later. "Tiger Army, march!"

"Yes, General Lu Shu!" the men and women cried and the Tiger Army left the barracks.

"I heard Empress Lu Rong was looking for you," Lu Gong said as he rode alongside Lu Shu. "The empress was furious. Not at you, general. She received news that Crown Prince Lu Xing impregnated two maids that attended him. I heard the emperor tried to conceal the matter, but Lu Feng just nonchalantly said it over dinner. Two of the Lu branch leaders, Lu Ce and Lu Fei, were also present and ran out of the dining hall with Lu Mei and Lu Kui as the empress turned to the emperor."

"I was meditating and forgot to eat dinner, using the spirit energy to sustain myself," Shu said. "So why was she looking for me?"

"The emperor said he has picked out ten fiancés for you to choose among, hoping to avoid a situation similar to the crown prince," Lu Gong answered as the two whispered so as to avoid revealing the Lu Xing's shame. "What do you think the Great Ancestor will do?"

"Ancestor Lu Feng is in charge," Lu Shu said, not revealing the truth of the Great Ancestor as he was ordered not to reveal anything. "Besides, older brother will be the emperor. He might choose the maid, who bears him a son, as his empress. Did my brother have a fiancé?"

"No, general. The crown prince only ever cared about learning new spells and rituals to prepare for the Pantheon of Devils and display his potential as the emperor while conversing among the ministers of the court. As far as the sub branch families knew, the first prince only went to a brothel once and left, disgusted. I suspect his testosterones were abnormally active. While being in the army, far from home, soldiers do tend to visit the brothels to relieve some stress. I know a few who bore children the same way, just not with their own maids," Lu Gong replied.

"So she was looking for me to introduce me to the fiancé candidates?" Shu asked.

"No, general. She looked for you to not see the candidates," Lu Gong laughed. "As you will not be emperor, it is okay not to wed early and bear a child. She just wanted to tell you to think with your brain and not your gems."

"I haven't met a girl who could make me do that. Yet," Lu Shu smiled mischievously as the two roared with laughter.

"Apologies, general," Cao Wei said as he appeared behind them. "I bring news from the rear. Six of the armies have marched ahead and the Great General wishes to speak with you among the army behind us. It is the Dragon Army, led by the Great General's sister and number one tactician: General Meng Xuan."

"She is also a member of the branch family of the Lu Clan," Lu Gong whispered. "Just as Meng Ce is. She is his younger sister, only twenty four years of age and an unprecedented genius. She is a role model for female soldiers of the Lu Clan."

"Right," Lu Shu said as he turned his tiger towards Cao Wei. "Cao Wei, lead the way. It's been a long time since I last saw Master Meng Ce, Great General Meng Ce now."

Cao Wei led Shu through his army of orange and black armored soldiers and arrived before a large army of gold and white armored soldiers. They parted and bowed their heads before the second prince as he passed by. Lu Shu grinned as he saw a familiar face, clad in bright crimson and black armor. This was his first master and the one who taught him how to cultivate and gifted him Bahamut's egg: Meng Ce.

"HAHAHAHA! Lu Shu, second prince and general. It's been a long time," Meng Ce laughed as Shu rode alongside him. "I hear you are at the tenth stage. Those Spirit Shamans at the tenth stage dominate the battlefield, their might undefeatable except against another. Good to have you with us. This is my sister: Meng Xuan."

"Hello, Prince Shu," Meng Xuan said, not calling him general as his status was above her. Only Meng Ce could address Shu as an equal, being the commander-in-chief of the armies. Meng Xuan had long black hair that fell past her shoulders with breasts as big as melons. However, her eyes were as cold as ice and had a reputation of whipping soldiers to death who so much as ogled her breasts. She made it clear not to harass her for being a woman. As she had the strength to fight back, many female soldiers admired her and also steeled themselves.

"To ride alongside the prince again. Shu, it is good to see you," Meng Ce laughed. "Be sure to pick up some pointers on how the six generals,in the front, lead their armies. The army behind the Dragon Army is the Shield Armor Army. They are the army that guards the emergency supplies and boast the highest defensive capabilities. Their general, General Lu Kong, is a highly valued member of the Lu sub branches with the rare armor spirit encompassing his whole body, starting from a helmet spirit before he became a fake Archon."

"Full-body armor spirit? Does he use all the elements?" Shu asked.

"No. Only a power-hungry fool would do so. Lu Kong is the uncle of the emperor, serving in the army for sixty years. Due to his accomplishments, Emperor Lu Yi gifted Lu Kong with a Demonic Immortality Pill. We all know Practitioners gain eternal youth at the higher tiers of cultivation, the Archon Dragon or Spirit Master tier. However, generals often don't wish to leave the army and try to gain major accomplishments to be awarded the pill. I also wish not to be a Spirit Master and prefer to remain a general, living forever until my death on the battlefield. The Demonic Immortality Pill cuts off the Practitioner from the Spirit Knight tier as the price for the eternal youth benefit you would have gotten if you became a Spirit Master. However, you get to stay in the army," Meng Ce said, gazing at the sky in awe. "If this expedition is successful, I will have enough accomplishments to gain the pill as well. I really owe General Lu Kong for steeping aside to allow me to be the Great General this time."

"So even pills like that exist," Shu nodded. "Eternal youth? The dream of all women. No wonder my mother looks so young. Maybe the whole eternal outh thing ages you back to your mid-twenties. It makes sense to see Lu Feng look so young."

"It's best not to ask a female how many years passed before having children," Meng Xuan warned, as Shu thought of his mother. "In two days' time, we will be approaching the entrance to Giant's Chain. This is only because we are an army of Practitioners and mages. That is why our advance is so fast. Lieutenant General Lu Gong should know about Giant's Chain, but you only need to worry about it after we follow the six armies, ahead of your own, through the checkpoints of the islands we already control."

"We'll talk later. Right now, you are a general. Best be with your troops. I won't keep you here any longer," Meng Ce laughed as he pat Shu on the shoulder. "You are the hope of all the Practitioners in the Lu Clan. There are just too many mages in our clan now. Having a Practitioner among the next generation of the main family is a great thing."

"Goodbye, Great General Meng Ce," Shu grinned as he bowed his head and followed Cao Wei back to his Tiger Army.

"It's been a long time since I saw him," Lu Shu said as he followed Cao Wei back.

"So you did train under the Great General before," Cao Wei said. "General, as we travel, we should go over the known layout of Giant's Chain with Lieutenant General Lu Gong and your two advisors."

"We should also think about how to travel across the islands we have not conquered. There should be no connecting bridges there," Lu Shu agreed as they returned to the Tiger Army. "I wonder what magical beasts we'll see."

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(Author: Wow! Over 5,000 average views and over 800 followers! Thank you. So far my schedule is good, allowing me to study and continue writing. I don't think there will ever be a hiatus for now. I also finished one side project that was a little too similar as it was also a xianxia. I started a new side project, one original story I wrote back in high school. I will randomly upload those chapters as I have about a dozen and only need to re-read and change up some stuff. I haven't made tables in a while so...hahaha. It's called The Alternate Earth.

I usually never post this ending note but I wanted to say thanks for reading. Writing two books was tough and I got a lot of feedback on how the story progressed to you all, as readers. This third book has more character interaction and I am constantly researching new creatures and animal combinations (that aren't too strange) for the Hyperion and magical beasts. As it is quite obvious, Lu Shu won't be reaching the Archon Phoenix tier in this book. I am starting with a first arc that takes a nice amount of chapters before they arrive in the Hyperion lands.

Enjoy and thanks for reading my stories.

Scheduled release for Chronicles of the Tiger Immortal: Wednesday and Saturday, pacific time, around noon or 1 p.m. if there is traffic home on Wednesday)