[The Lu Family Siblings [Haven’t gone back yet] Waiting in the mountains. The Lu family members who followed the scent]
Several days later, Wu Dongxiao still had not emerged.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian knew that the opportunity involved within this cave-dwelling was probably quite significant, and the lad wouldn’t be coming out any time soon.
As early as after seeing Qin Huanyue off, the couple had taken out a simple bamboo shelter and placed it directly on a relatively stable spot on the side.
The two of them were reading books and waiting in this bamboo shelter.
Now, Zhong Cai even felt that he had time to refine some pills.
Thinking it, Zhong Cai acted, quickly taking out a pill furnace and warming it with Mu Huo.
Wu Shaoqian understood, and to make space for Zhong Cai’s medicinal ingredients, he simply sat down behind Zhong Cai. The closeness of the distance allowed him to wrap an arm around Zhong Cai’s waist with just a stretch of his hand.
Zhong Cai felt the familiar aura envelop him, and his mood for refining pills became even steadier.
Wu Shaoqian, on the other hand, held a jade tablet in his hand, contemplating while guarding his A Cai’s pill refinement.
Soon, the pill refinement began.
The couple didn’t speak to each other anymore, but the atmosphere was very comfortable.
On the mountain path.
There were two cultivators in the Soul Transformation Realm [1] Seventh Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, followed by a string of younger men and women whose facial features bore a slight resemblance to theirs and whose cultivation levels were lower. They were traveling while also keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.
Evidently, they all belonged to the same family.
This group of family members being led not only had low cultivation levels—all from the Enlightenment Realm [2]Third Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); to Fusion Realm [3]Fifth Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });—but their ages also universally did not exceed two hundred years.
They seemed to be here for training.
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators should be the elders responsible for their protection this time.
Upon reaching a chain of four or five large mountains, the Soul Transformation Realm cultivators announced:
“You will train here. Disperse and your scores will be calculated based on the number and rank of the savage beasts you kill.”
“You may travel and cooperate together, but each small team must not exceed five people. However, you must note that if you form a team, the score will be credited to the family member who genuinely took the savage beast’s life.”
“Family members must not kill one another. If confrontation and conflict are necessary, you must not use deadly force.”
“The two of us will be watching here. Any violators will be dealt with according to family law!”
These words were quite strict, making the younger family members hold their breath in awe.
Subsequently, this string of young men and women all responded, “Yes!”
The next moment, they indeed separated.
Some who were on good terms quickly gathered together, discussed briefly, and indeed formed teams.
Most of the dozens of family members had teams.
The few who traveled alone were clearly superior in cultivation and also exuded a stronger aura.
Then, all the cultivators scattered.
After everyone left, the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators each leaped onto a thick tree nearby and settled down securely.
While releasing their soul senses to observe the situation, they also chatted quietly.
One of them said, “Fifth Brother, did you notice that something seems to be wrong with the Feng family?”
The other also said, “Someone went to inquire, but no one dared to speak. They only vaguely knew that a disciple named Lian, whom their family had groomed, was killed some time ago. No one knows who did it, but the Feng family’s demeanor suggests it’s mostly related to this person.”
The first person scoffed, “The Feng family probably thought they could further win over Venerable Lian using this person, right?”
The other said again, “Regardless of what they were thinking, and whether things can develop according to their wishes, now that the person surnamed Lian is dead, all their expectations have fallen through.”
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators exchanged glances.
“Fifth Brother, do you think our Lu family has a chance to replace the Feng family and become an affiliate of Venerable Lian?”
“Let’s try to gather more information. I have a feeling that this might be an opportunity.”
“I really hope the Feng family exposes a flaw…”
“Venerable Lian seems to still be in seclusion. I wonder what his final reaction will be. We should send more people to investigate and look for more opportunities… We also need to be careful not to be preempted by other families.”
While speaking, the two did not forget their respective duties.
After chatting intermittently for four or six hours, suddenly, they saw that on the third peak to the right, a young family member in the Suspended Illumination Realm [4]Fourth Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); was facing a fifth-level savage tiger and was absolutely no match for the beast! It looked like he was about to die at the tiger’s hands!
Seeing that the junior did not even send out a signal for help, the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators frowned, but one of them immediately flashed over, killed the savage tiger, and brought the junior back.
The junior, having narrowly escaped death, honestly stood to the side to reflect.
Afterward, the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators continued to observe the other juniors.
Gradually, they also saw a few signals and brought back some young family members.
The training was scheduled to last for seven days, a time of tempering for the younger family members.
It quickly passed.
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators tallied the scores of the juniors and led them back, walking in a different direction.
Some who were injured took medicine, and some helped one another along, looking much more dishevelled than when they arrived.
After walking for a while, one of the Soul Transformation Realm cultivators suddenly stopped, and his nose twitched.
The other immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
The juniors following were also puzzled, exchanging glances, but none dared to act rashly.
The cultivator who stopped first waved his hand, signaling the juniors to be quiet, and then said to the other cultivator, “Seventh Sister, there seems to be the fragrance of pills.”
This entire family was the Lu family.
There were as many as eight Nirvana Realm [5]Eighth Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); experts in their family, including two at the late-Nirvana stage, which was by no means inferior to the Feng family.
In fact, besides the Lu family, there was at least another He family, also possessing strength only short by one or two Nirvana Realm experts.
It was only because the Feng family had cunningly attached themselves to Venerable Lian years ago that the Feng family became the authority in the Nan Lan Domain, turning a place that could have been jointly governed by multiple families into a dictatorship by the Feng family.
The Feng family hadn’t produced a Heavenly Connection Realm [6] Ninth Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); expert themselves, yet they lorded over everyone else. Who could be convinced?
Therefore, not just the Lu family, but also the He family and other forces with several Nirvana Realm experts in charge, had actually wanted to pull the Feng family down for a long time.
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators were considered relatively outstanding among the Lu family’s younger generation.
They belonged to roughly the same generation of Lu family members, so they addressed each other according to age.
The male Soul Transformation Realm cultivator was named Lu Zheng, and the female one was named Lu Ping.
Lu Zheng and Lu Ping had a deep relationship; they were very close paternal cousins and often went on training trips together.
Now, the cousins were acting together again.
Lu Ping listened to her cousin and immediately said, “Fifth Brother, should we go take a look?”
Lu Zheng glanced at the family members.
Lu Ping said, “Let’s take them all with us.” She paused. “Although we don’t know why there’s a pill fragrance here, if we are truly lucky, and some alchemist just happens to be refining pills in this mountain…”
Lu Zheng also felt it was necessary to go and make their acquaintance.
The other Lu family juniors were also very curious upon hearing this.
‘Is there really a pill fragrance?’
‘Would any alchemist really refine pills in this mountain?’
However, the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators didn’t find anything strange about it.
Not every alchemist in the world is willing to refine pills in cities. It’s quite normal for them to casually refine pills in the wilderness or mountains if they encounter trouble during training or simply desire peace and quiet.
Moreover, as Lu Ping also caught the pill fragrance, she, like her cousin, found the aroma rich and of high quality—suitable for them to consume—and it seemed the pill was about to be finished.
The Lu family cousins certainly wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
What if the alchemist was indeed in a dangerous situation? If they helped out, could they perhaps ask for a pill?
Even if the alchemist was safe, they could go say hello… wouldn’t it be even better if they could invite them back to the Lu family for a period of hospitality?
If the alchemist was comfortable, they might be willing to refine a batch of seventh-grade pills for the Lu family… If they were even luckier, and the alchemist could refine pills that assist Soul Transformation Realm to Nirvana Realm breakthroughs, perhaps their Lu family could gain one or even several more Nirvana Realm experts?
Just thinking about it made them incredibly happy!
With their thoughts racing, the Lu family cousins led their group and quickly followed the pill fragrance.
Slowly, they climbed a considerably tall mountain peak, and after turning a few corners, they found a wide-open cave-dwelling halfway up the mountain.
A young Lu family member murmured, “Huh? I think I’ve been here before.” He hesitated. “But last time I came, there was no cave here…”
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators, however, could tell that this must be a newly opened cave-dwelling.
They instantly felt a surge of excitement, but soon, their vision blurred, and they saw a tall and elegant young man standing right in front of them.
The young man was incredibly handsome, and his entire demeanor was extraordinary, but the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators were in no mood to appreciate his appearance right now… their hearts were instead filled with horror.
‘Too fast!’
They hadn’t even registered where the young man had sprung from before they were blocked.
Furthermore…
This young man carried an extremely chilling sense of danger. Although he hadn’t immediately attacked, nor had he wantonly released any pressure, nor had he deliberately used his aura to showcase his power…
He still sent shivers down their spines.
It was as if, even though the other party was merely looking over quietly, with no emotion in his eyes or on his face, and no intent to kill, the two still felt a sensation… that if the other party were to attack, they would have nowhere to hide; they would surely die.
This chill that sprang from the bottom of their hearts made goosebumps involuntarily rise on their skin.
When the two cautiously took another look, they found him a bit familiar.
Lu Ping had a slightly better memory and recalled reviewing the images of many young powerhouses when she looked at the Cangqiong Ranking with her siblings—many who made it onto the Cangqiong Ranking were very young within their respective realms.
Then, the two matched the person to a name.
The cousins blurted out, “Wu Dou Wang!”
Lu Zheng’s pupils contracted violently.
He had inquired about him; this Wu Dou Wang’s combat power was terrifying. Even though his current ranking was only fifth, this was entirely due to the limitation of his cultivation realm! In the eyes of countless Soul Transformation Realm experts, the Wu Dou Wang would ascend to the top of the Soul Transformation Ranking in the near future, just as he had been the top of the Fusion and Palace Construction [7] Sixth Order jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); Rankings before.
Now, seeing him, the strange fear they felt because of the other person made them deeply understand that he truly lived up to his name.
Lu Zheng and Lu Ping immediately paid their respects: “Greetings, Wu Dou Wang.”
The numerous younger members of the Lu family were also quick-witted. Seeing this, they immediately followed the actions of the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators and bowed, saying, “We respectfully greet Senior Wu!”
The elegant young man opposite them slightly nodded.
The Lu family cousins felt a small measure of relief internally.
The next moment, Lu Ping’s mind raced, and a smile appeared on her face: “My Fifth Brother and I just now caught the fragrance of pills and couldn’t help but follow the scent. Now that we’ve met Your Excellency, we finally understand why that pill fragrance is so mellow.” She praised him sincerely, “Zhong Dan Wang is truly a top-notch alchemist. Despite his young age, he easily surpasses countless Dan Wangs, which is admirable.”
Lu Zheng was in perfect sync with his cousin and immediately offered praise: “Zhong Dan Wang and Wu Dou Wang are truly a match made in heaven. There is no other pair of Dao Companions in this world that can rival the affection between the two of you, nor any other pair of Dao Companions that are a better match.”
Following this praise, the two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators clearly noticed that the chilling sense of danger had lessened somewhat.
Evidently, their words had pleased the Wu Dou Wang somewhat; at least the Wu Dou Wang’s mood had become “gentler.”
Wu Shaoqian was indeed in a good mood.
He had noticed this group of people as soon as they began climbing the mountain, but since they didn’t look like they belonged to the Feng family, and he thought that A Cai had just finished a batch of pills which had attracted other cultivators—and A Cai would probably find this interesting… he allowed them to approach.
And after these people came up the mountain, their attitude was good, and their words were pleasing to the ear.
So, Wu Shaoqian asked, “You are looking for A Cai?”
The Lu family cousins smiled and replied, “We hope we haven’t disturbed Zhong Dan Wang.”
Wu Shaoqian looked at them: “Want to request a pill?”
The Lu family cousins immediately said, “We also humbly ask Wu Dou Wang for an introduction. If the two of you are willing to part with a pill, our Lu family is willing to pay a hefty price to purchase it.”
Wu Shaoqian had observed these Lu family members, and his impression of them was much better than that of the Feng family.
So he said, “Follow me.”
The many Lu family members followed him.
The two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators walked in front, their movements very gentle, not making the slightest noise.
The other Lu family members followed suit.
Consequently, although there were many people walking over, they didn’t make any sound.
Not far away, the Lu family members saw a bamboo house.
It was actually quite conspicuous.
It was only because their previous angle was wrong that they hadn’t immediately noticed it.
The rich pill fragrance was emanating from the house.
The window was open.
As soon as they stood at the doorway, they could see a handsome and lively young man inside rapidly forming hand seals.
After a dull thud, they realized the young man was actually collecting the pills!
The timing was perfect.
After the pills were out of the furnace, the Lu family members personally witnessed the previously dangerous Wu Dou Wang flash to the side of the pill furnace, smiling as he congratulated Zhong Dan Wang, who also had a brilliant smile and held up the pills for Wu Dou Wang to see.
Who wouldn’t know?
This scene was the young couple communicating their affection.
None of the Lu family members made a sound or any movement to disturb them.
A little while later, they heard Wu Dou Wang gently say, “A Cai, I met a few people outside just now, who followed the pill fragrance, wanting to request a pill from A Cai. Would A Cai like to meet them?”
Immediately after, they saw Zhong Dan Wang turn his head and look right at them.
“I see them!” Zhong Dan Wang said.
…
Zhong Cai looked at the Lu family members sitting opposite him. Like his Old Wu, he also had a good impression of them.
He smiled and asked, “What pill do you want to request?”
The Lu family Soul Transformation Realm cousins instantly focused their gaze on Zhong Cai’s hands.
The pills Zhong Cai had just finished refining were casually placed in two small bottles.
The Lu family cousins could clearly see that one bottle contained one top-grade pill, and the other contained two high-grade pills.
They watched with wide eyes as Zhong Dan Wang directly handed the top-grade pill to Wu Dou Wang. Naturally, they didn’t dare to covet it, so they all looked eagerly at the high-grade pills.
Zhong Dan Wang’s alchemy skills were indeed extraordinary.
If they were lucky, could they each take one of the remaining two high-grade pills?
Therefore, Lu Zheng spoke first: “The two of us would like to request Zhen Hun Dan [8] Soul-Calming Pill jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.”
This Soul-Calming Pill is a medicinal pill capable of relieving pain.
During the initial stage of the Soul Transformation phase, when one is about to undergo Soul Division, there are many types of such medicinal pills that can alleviate the pain.
However, they are difficult to purchase.
The two pills currently in Zhong Chi’s possession were the highest quality ones that the Lu siblings could afford.
The Lu siblings both happened to be in the initial stage of the Soul Transformation phase.
They were precisely worried that something might go wrong during the Soul Division, so they had been meticulously preparing.
They had been diligently trying to gather pain-relieving medicinal pills.
In fact, while Zhong Cai was exchanging pleasantries with the two, Wu Shaoqian had already used a voice transmission to relay all the information he had observed to Zhong Cai.
Upon hearing it, Zhong Cai understood what these two were seeking.
It was exactly as he had expected.
Zhong Cai nodded, tossed the small vial to the two, and said, “Meeting is a form of destiny; let’s go with the market price.”
The brother and sister exchanged a look, both revealing expressions of extreme joy.
They immediately took out a bag of Xuanshis—all of which they had prepared long ago for the purchase of medicinal pills and could now be used directly.
Then, the siblings presented the Xuanshis.
Although Zhong Dan Wang said “market price,” the siblings knew how rare high-grade medicinal pills were; how could they really only give the market price?
Each bag of Xuanshis was two-tenths higher than the market price.
This was their sincerity.
Zhong Cai swept his soul sense over them, smiled, and said, “I happen to have nothing to do. Do you have anything else to say?”
The Lu siblings were startled at first, then quickly realized and immediately asked, “If Zhong Dan Wang doesn’t mind, could we, the brother and sister, request another pill?”
Zhong Cai casually replied, “One batch should be no problem, but if you want more, it depends on fate.”
The Lu siblings felt incredibly lucky and were both filled with gratitude.
Right then and there, they wanted to request another batch of Zhen Hun Dans, but soon, they exchanged another glance.
They thought of their clan.
Their Lu clan had a very good family tradition and they meticulously nurtured the younger generation within the clan, but ultimately, due to the Feng family’s control, they often missed out on some opportunities, resulting in smooth early-stage cultivation but difficulty in acquiring resources for higher levels.
Therefore, there are many cultivators stuck at the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm in their clan right now.
‘If possible…’
The siblings recalled the clan’s nurturing of them and quickly made a decision.
Lu Zheng carefully inquired, “Might it be possible to order a batch of Niepan Dans [9]Nirvana Pill jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3526233_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3526233_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });?”
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow: “Naturally, it is possible.”
Lu Zheng and Lu Ping both breathed a sigh of relief.
The siblings smiled and said, “We respectfully request Zhong Dan Wang to take action.”
Zhong Cai nodded, threw the Mu Huo into the pill furnace, and thoroughly cleansed it of all impurities.
The Mu Huo crackled as it burned, making sizzling sounds.
The cleaning process went smoothly.
But this also takes a certain amount of time.
Zhong Cai looked at the Lu siblings and asked a few questions.
The Lu siblings answered honestly, speaking about some of the current circumstances of the Lu clan, and they would mention anything Zhong Cai was interested in—except for very secretive family matters, which they would gloss over.
Zhong Cai indeed gained a better understanding of the Lu clan.
They are indeed stronger than the Feng clan.
Zhong Cai’s thoughts raced, and he found it quite interesting.
The Lu siblings also gradually relaxed during their conversation with Zhong Cai.
They were both thinking that it was no wonder so many cultivators were fond of Zhong Dan Wang; Zhong Dan Wang indeed had an excellent temperament, and as long as Zhong Dan Wang appeared with Wu Dou Wang, even Wu Dou Wang didn’t seem so intimidating.
Zhong Cai was also proficient in refining the Niepan Dan.
Therefore, he occasionally spoke with the siblings while refining.
The siblings then learned that the external ancient cave dwelling was the opportunity for the nephew of this couple.
The Lu clan had been keeping a close eye on the Feng clan and knew quite a bit about them.
Lu Zheng warned, “It’s best to let you two know that this cave dwelling is likely an ancient dwelling that the Feng clan has been pursuing for a long time, searching for many years. Since your nephew has this opportunity, it is best to…”
Lu Ping said without reservation, “It’s best to be highly wary of the Feng clan.”
Zhong Cai smiled and nodded, without mentioning that they had already clashed with the Feng clan.
Then, he inquired about the specific details regarding the ancient cave dwelling.
The Lu siblings told him everything they knew.
However, they didn’t know much, only that there seemed to be such a place in the Feng clan’s heritage, which appeared to be very beneficial to the Feng clan, so the Feng clan had been searching for it continuously, aiming to convert the resources into the Feng clan’s foundation.
But they were unsure about what was actually inside the cave dwelling.
They hadn’t paid too much attention, only keeping an eye on it when the Feng clan members took action.
The Lu clan, and other powers that disliked the Feng clan, all did the same.
If the Feng clan found it, they would definitely go and get a share of the spoils.
But now, the Lu siblings realized that it was the nephew of the Zhong-Wu couple who stumbled upon it, so of course, they couldn’t harbor covetous thoughts or incur the couple’s displeasure.
Compared to that ancient cave dwelling, the contents of which were unknown, it was much better to associate with the current Zhong Dan Wang, who was certain to become at least a Dan Huang in the future.
In the siblings’ view, Zhong Dan Wang had a very high chance of reaching the ninth level, and Wu Dou Wang also had a very high chance of reaching the Heavenly Connection Realm.
If these two couldn’t make it… then there probably wouldn’t be many others who could.
Perhaps all the geniuses of this generation would be wiped out.
Zhong Cai’s pill refining technique was fluid, and the Lu siblings, watching the whole process, were utterly stunned.
They had seen other alchemists refine pills, but none were as skilled as this one!
Time passed day by day.
The Lu siblings remained to wait for the pill, but other members of the Lu clan could not stay for long. After being escorted part of the way, they were sent back to the Lu family.
Suddenly, one day, a loud boom resonated from the ancient cave dwelling not far away!
The Lu siblings immediately turned to look and saw that half of the mountain cave had collapsed.
‘This, this…’
Recalling that the one exploring inside was the nephew of the Zhong-Wu couple, they quickly headed over to see if they could lend a hand.
But just as the two approached, a black shadow shot out from the other half that hadn’t completely collapsed!
The black shadow landed and stood firm, revealing a tall young man covered in dust and looking disheveled.
The young man saw the approaching Lu siblings at a glance, sensed their auras, and immediately showed vigilance.
“Who are you—”
The Lu siblings immediately introduced themselves.
Wu Dongxiao raised his eyes, saw Wu Shaoqian standing behind, and slowly relaxed.
“Greetings to both of you.”
References[+]