Chapter 156: Truly a Family

Lu Yang had now figured out the cause and effect.

However, from his perspective, the conflict between the Sifeng Peak Lord and Lady Ruoxiang regarding their children actually had a compromise solution.

For instance, Lady Ruoxiang could have simply committed suicide to reincarnate before her lifespan ended, then used a secret technique to awaken her reincarnated self through her children's hands, after which the Sifeng Peak Lord could have used the children for the Tribulation Crossing, maximizing the utilization of talent; but to do so, there must have been a certain level of trust between them.

Thus, it is evident that Lady Ruoxiang and the Sifeng Peak Lord likely did not possess this trust that allows one to entrust oneself to another.

However, this is also normal.

The Saint Sect, how could there be mutual trust? Most cooperation is achieved only by holding each other's leverage or sharing common interests.

"Fellow Daoist, I understand your intentions."

Thinking this, Lu Yang finally spoke: "But why should I help you? The Sifeng Senior's cultivation is profound; he is not someone you or I can deal with."

Upon hearing this, Lady Ruoxiang asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"Does Duanmu Yuan Tu know why the Saint Sect has the Inner Gate Sifeng?"

Lu Yang shook his head; he had long been puzzled by this. In the Saint Sect, any Foundation Establishment True Person is qualified to establish a separate dojo within the Reaching Heaven Cloud Sea.

However, generally speaking, even dojos established by Foundation Establishment True Persons are reclaimed by the Saint Sect upon their death; only the Inner Gate Sifeng are different, as they remain permanently fixed above the Cloud Sea. Even if no Foundation Establishment True Person is currently stationed there, the establishment of the Inner Gate Sifeng will not be cancelled.

"The reason lies in the protection of our ancestors."

Lady Ruoxiang explained: "The first-generation Peak Lords of the Inner Gate Sifeng were close confidants who fought alongside the First Ancestral Master, establishing great merits."

"Therefore, the First Ancestral Master once promised the four Peak Lords that as long as the Saint Fire Cliff exists, the Sifeng will not fall."

This promise is, of course, valid.

Because the First Ancestral Master of the Original Saint Sect is the Saint Sect's Nascent Soul Dao Lord. He is still very much alive; with the Ancestral Master above, who dares make him break his word?

"However, under the protection of our ancestors, descendants are often unworthy."

Speaking thus, Lady Ruoxiang revealed a look of helplessness: "Countless years have passed, and the Inner Gate Sifeng have actually weakened, forcing us to introduce outsiders."

This is also reasonable.

After all, the hardships of this life were all consumed by the founding ancestors back then; one only needs to enjoy the fruits, so who is willing to continue striving?

Over time, decline naturally ensued.

Yet, how could the Inner Gate Sifeng lack a Foundation Establishment True Person to station there? Therefore, to solve the predicament caused by decline, introducing external aid was a logical decision.

"Chen Taihe is precisely such a person."

Lady Ruoxiang said with hatred: "Back then, he displayed his talent at the Sifeng Peak, was taken in by my family as a matrilocal son-in-law, and, with my family's support, became a Foundation Establishment True Person."

"However, since then, he and my family have not been of one mind; he began to suppress my family openly and secretly, abandoning several clan members with higher talent than mine, and instead supported me, who had inferior talent, just to make me stop at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, forever unable to pose a threat to him."

Speaking thus, Lady Ruoxiang's eyes filled with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Yet Lu Yang did not believe a single word of it.

Moreover, after all that talk of misery, where is the point?

Where is my benefit?

Seeing Lu Yang smile on the surface while impatience already showed between his brows, Lady Ruoxiang also timely stopped her weeping tone and instead presented her bargaining chips:

"Chen Taihe is an outsider; Fellow Daoist can be one too."

"I am willing to swear a great karmic oath: kill Chen Taihe, and Fellow Daoist shall be the next Sifeng Peak Lord."

"This is not just a title, but status, identity, and far more resources; Chen Taihe's current cultivation makes this identity crucial."

"That is right, as long as you can kill Chen Taihe."

Lady Ruoxiang lowered her starry eyes slightly, took a step forward toward Lu Yang, and whispered softly: "Everything of the Sifeng Peak is yours... including myself."

"Oh?"

Lu Yang looked down from above at Lady Ruoxiang who had approached, his gaze landing on her skin, whiter than frost and rivaling snow, sliding down her neck into a bottomless abyss.

The next second, Lu Yang shook his head: "Lady, please maintain your dignity; I am not fond of women."

The next morning.

Lu Yang watched Lady Ruoxiang depart quietly, having gladly agreed to join forces with her; not for any other reason, but mainly to take down the Sifeng Peak Lord and wipe out past shame.

For this, Lady Ruoxiang also presented her plan.

"That old thing wants to use Chen Xinan and Chen Shuqian to substitute for the tribulation; however, regarding Chen Shuqian, I have a way to prevent him from using her as a substitute during the Tribulation Crossing."

The plan coincided with Lu Yang's, even complementing each other perfectly.

However, Lu Yang did not tell her about Chen Xinan's matter; he merely stated that he would handle Chen Xinan himself, and then saw her out of the Luofeng Mountain.

However, a few days later, the Luofeng Mountain welcomed a second visitor.

The visitor wore a straw rain cape, only removing it after entering the mountain, revealing a dress of silk and satin, and smiling sweetly: "Qian'er greets Senior Duanmu Yuan Tu."

The daughter of the Sifeng Peak Lord, Chen Shuqian!

Lu Yang looked closely, immediately narrowing his eyes slightly, then smiled: "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on establishing your Immortal Foundation; longevity is in sight; now you are one of our kind."

To date, Lu Yang had actually only seen Chen Shuqian once, in the lifetime when he transformed Yu Suzhen into a Superman; he had met Chen Shuqian through Yu Suzhen's body, and his impression was of a very obedient girl who listened to her father; yet looking at her now, she was completely different.

"Senior overpraises."

Chen Shuqian was seen gently biting her red lips and continuing: "Although it is Foundation Establishment, it was merely a narrow escape, far inferior to Senior Duanmu Yuan Tu's past achievements."

"Hmm."

Lu Yang calculated with his fingers, then wore a strange expression: "Fellow Daoist seems to have come to see me in secret from the Sifeng Senior; is this not inappropriate?"

"What is inappropriate about it?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shuqian pouted her red lips: "He is wholeheartedly guarding my brother's cultivation; where would he have time to manage me? Senior, rest assured, he will not discover it."

This scene seemed somewhat familiar?

Lu Yang paused, then continued: "In that case, what brings Fellow Daoist here?"

The next second, it was exactly as Lu Yang had thought.

Chen Shuqian was seen, upon hearing this, her expression turning fierce; she said coldly: "To be honest, this junior wishes to kill father and slay mother to attain true freedom; please, Senior, assist me!"

Lu Yang: "."

You really are a family, damn it!

The moment Chen Shuqian spoke these words, Lu Yang immediately understood that the schemes of the Mending Heaven Peak Lord and Lady Ruoxiang probably hadn't escaped their clever daughter.

'So this is the Holy Sect...'

Lu Yang sighed inwardly, yet showed not a trace on his face; after all, since someone had voluntarily come knocking, he naturally didn't mind eating from both sides: "What benefit do I get?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shuqian immediately said: "My Dao Foundation is named the Phoenix and Mandarin Duck Harmonious Resonance Dao Foundation. It is a sixth-grade technique created by my father to match the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art. Establishing a foundation with this, then practicing dual cultivation with a True Person who has established the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Driving Dao Foundation, can catalyze a spiritual fire."

"This fire is named the Green Mandarin Phoenix Noon Fire."

"Noon is the moment when the six Yangs are exhausted and one Yin is reborn. When the fire's fortune reaches Noon, it gives birth to Yi Wood, nurturing all things, endlessly generating life... This is a fire that heals injuries."

"Injuries on the physical dharma body can almost all be repaired with it."

"My father's original intention was for me to use this spiritual fire to withstand more Heavenly Thunder for him."

Speaking to this point, a deep hatred flashed through Chen Shuqian's phoenix eyes, and she said coldly: "I am willing to offer this fire as a reward, and ask the senior to save my life!"

"Ho!"

Looking at the resolute Chen Shuqian, Lu Yang fell into deep thought, because he discovered that Chen Shuqian seemed not to have coordinated with Lady Ruoxiang before coming.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have begged him to save her life.

After all, Lady Ruoxiang originally didn't intend to take her life; she even wholeheartedly wanted to protect her, so strictly speaking, Lu Yang actually didn't need to do anything.

This... seems like I can get it for free!

(End of this chapter)