Chapter 220: Before Ascension

Two hours later.

Lu Yuan returned to Xiantai Mountain with the newly defected Su Lingyue and her servant.

Chen Zhantang, who had come to greet them upon hearing the commotion, was dumbstruck to find that Lu Yuan had returned from his trip having lured back two strange female cultivators:

"Master, these... who are these two?"

Lu Yuan smiled and explained:

"This is Su Lingyue, Array Hall Elder of the Longshan Immortal City in the Upper Realm, and beside her is her personal maid, Hanyu. They have descended to this realm this time, and Hanyu will remain here for a few years to take charge of maintaining the great array in the Extreme North. The Dao Palace shall assist her in all matters."

Although Chen Zhantang did not know what kind of person an Array Hall Elder was, he could sense that Su Lingyue was clearly an extremely powerful cultivator, so he hurriedly bowed:

"This junior greets Senior Su, and greets Miss Hanyu."

Hanyu pursed her lips and smiled, offering a graceful bow, while Su Lingyue nodded slightly, then revealed a hint of surprise:

"Daoist Lu, is this your personal disciple? I observe that his bone age is not great, yet he seems to already possess cultivation at the Foundation Establishment level. Given the thin spiritual energy of this lower realm, this is truly incredible. Could it be that he possesses an Earth Spiritual Root or even a Heavenly Spirit Root?"

Lu Yuan shook his head and smiled:

"Certainly not. This disciple of mine has a Superior Spiritual Root. Aside from his own diligent efforts, his cultivation to this point has relied primarily on Pills."

"I see."

Although she was curious about what kind of Pills could be refined in this Absolute Spirit Land, Su Lingyue did not ask further. She simply nodded, then took a silver-white long sword from her Storage Bracelet and let it float before Chen Zhantang:

"Since he is Daoist Lu's personal disciple, I, as a senior from the Upper Realm, should show some gesture. This is a first-grade superior Dharma Artifact, the Xuanzhen Sword; I gift it to you as a greeting present."

Chen Zhantang, currently at the mid-stage of Refining Essence into Qi and possessing over four hundred wisps of Dharma Power, had not yet owned a Dharma Artifact of his own. Seeing the Dharma sword floating before him, he was both shocked and delighted, subconsciously looking toward Lu Yuan.

Seeing Lu Yuan nod slightly, he struggled to remain calm, took the Xuanzhen Dharma Sword with both hands, and said respectfully:

"Many thanks to Senior for your great kindness!"

Su Lingyue smiled:

"No need for formalities. My maid Hanyu will be residing in this realm for a few years. She and you can be considered peers; she is unfamiliar with the surroundings here, so I ask that you look after her."

As Su Lingyue's maid, Hanyu was also fair and beautiful with a moving figure. Chen Zhantang glanced at her and quickly withdrew his gaze, looking straight ahead as he said:

"Senior, rest assured, this junior will certainly do his utmost."

Although her cognition had been tampered with by the Nightmare Prayer Divine Ability, her concern for her personal maid had not changed, and with this, Su Lingyue felt at ease.

Immediately, under Lu Yuan's instructions, Chen Zhantang personally arranged a place for Su Lingyue and her servant to stay, and then had Qin Ruoning lead the pair on a tour of Tianjing City and its surroundings to experience the customs of the lower realm.

As for Chen Zhantang, he hurried back to the main hall:

"Master, are you going to ascend to the Upper Realm?"

Lu Yuan nodded: "That is correct. In a few days, I will pass through the Reception Array with Su Lingyue and the others to the Upper Realm. Everything in the lower realm will be left to you."

Chen Zhantang said gravely:

"Is that maid left behind by Senior Su trustworthy? What should this disciple do?"

Lu Yuan laughed:

"They have already been controlled by me and will not be detrimental to the lower realm; they are fundamentally trustworthy. You and that Hanyu are not too far apart in age and cultivation; you may communicate more in the future."

Completely missing the subtext, Chen Zhantang said:

"This disciple understands. But Master, if you are received into the Upper Realm together with them, won't you be discovered by the cultivators of the Upper Realm? This..."

"No need to worry, I have my own means to deceive the heavens and cross the sea."

Lu Yuan was unconcerned:

"In ten years at most, I will contact the lower realm to receive you. During this time, you must practice diligently and not be slack. Only disciples who have entered the Refining Essence into Qi Stage will be qualified to go to the Upper Realm. After I leave, you may announce this to all Dao Palace disciples."

Chen Zhantang promised:

"Yes, this disciple obeys."

"Also."

Lu Yuan flicked his finger, and a Jade Slip floated before Chen Zhantang:

"This slip contains the two Dharma Techniques of 【Earth Travel】 and 【Sword Technique】. The former can save your life when you face danger, and the latter belongs to the art of sword-controlling attacks. Since Su Lingyue just gifted you a Dharma sword, you should practice these two techniques diligently. Your combat ability will certainly not be inferior to any cultivator of the same level, and you will even be able to defeat those a small stage higher."

He had never been a stingy person, especially after possessing sufficient cultivation strength and even Heavenly Gang Divine Abilities; he was no longer reluctant to pass down some powerful Earthly Fiend Arts to his disciples.

Although the Earthly Fiend Arts he currently passed to Chen Zhantang were only the more basic parts and did not yet involve the essence of the Divine Abilities, for a beginner cultivator at the Refining Essence into Qi stage, it was enough to study and practice to deal with formidable enemies.

Chen Zhantang performed a deep bow, his voice resonant:

"Thank you, Master, for passing down the techniques! This disciple will certainly study diligently in the lower realm, so as to ascend to the Upper Realm as soon as possible and share your burdens!"

Lu Yuan nodded:

"Go."

Chen Zhantang bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the main hall with his thoughts drifting. A moment later, he formed a hand seal, flew out of the main hall, and flew toward the distance.

After all, he was about to leave this world, and once separated for years, he did not know when he would return. He wanted to see his old acquaintances once more to avoid regrets.

With the distance from Tianjing to Jinjin, he arrived in an instant. Only a moment later, Lu Yuan was once again flying over Jinjin.

Although he had only lived in this city for a year or two, his meteoric rise and subsequent sweeping of the world had begun here. After looking down at the land and feeling a slight sense of nostalgia, he concealed his figure and descended from the sky, landing in front of the Fenghua Gambling Garden in the bustling district of Tianjing, which was now touted as the best in the world.

The current Gambling Garden covered an area of tens of thousands of square meters. During the day, there were performances of tricks, juggling, and stunts from countries all over the world. At night, martial arts tournaments organized by various provinces and countries around the world were held in the main arena, causing the entire city of Jinjin to empty out as everyone flocked there, making tickets hard to come by.

When Lu Yuan arrived, tourists were coming and going in an endless stream, and some parents were taking their children to watch the animal-taming section. After he took a tour with interest, he concealed his figure and flew straight to the back of the Gambling Garden.

Similar to the Gambling Garden in Fengyang Prefecture, the area behind the park was a living quarter. One could see many robust young men on the open playground, sweating profusely and shouting as they trained. At the same time, a dignified middle-aged man was pacing back and forth, instructing them.

When he saw this middle-aged man, Lu Yuan's gaze shifted. He descended from the air behind him and dispelled his Invisibility Technique:

"Senior Brother Erhu?"

Hearing the commotion, the middle-aged man, who had been in a dignified posture instructing the other young men, shuddered violently. He turned around in disbelief and rubbed his eyes fiercely:

"A Yuan!?"

His voice trembled:

"Am I seeing things, is it really you!?"

Lu Yuan laughed, "It is me. It has been many years, and Brother Xu Erhu has become so steady and weathered."

The other young trainees around them did not know what status Lu Yuan held, only that his appearance seemed somewhat familiar, while Xu Erhu was so excited he could hardly contain himself, unable to stop himself from stepping forward two paces, rubbing his hands as he said:

"Yes, it has been so many years. Why have you come to Jinjin? Are you here to visit Master?"

Lu Yuan nodded:

"That is right. I may be leaving for a very long time again, so I specifically came to visit old friends to avoid future regrets. Are you, Master, Brother Dahu, and the others doing well now?"

Xu Erhu's excited mood calmed down slightly, and he said quickly:

"Good, all very good! I am now in charge of the entire Boxiyuan, and I have organized a martial arts tournament across the whole province. Unlike the bloody and barbaric ones back in Fengyang Prefecture, our martial arts tournament focuses on entertainment, and we have divided the martial artists into levels. The champion of each level is a well-deserved star, which can be considered carrying forward Master's foundation."

"Master and Mistress tied the knot over ten years ago, and two years later they gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins. They have grown up now and have become the little terrors of the household. Eldest Brother is now the Chief Instructor of martial officers in Jinjin, and he also settled down and started a family long ago, with two sons and one daughter."

"Old Master Gu is advanced in age, but his health is exceptionally robust; he spends his days playing with his grandchildren and enjoying his twilight years. Even Uncle Lin, under Mistress's introduction, found a good match long ago and has descendants, and he even arranged a childhood betrothal with Master's children!"

More than ten years had passed since the marriage of Li Junxian and Gu Yunsheng, and such tremendous changes also filled Lu Yuan with emotion. He immediately asked:

"Is Master at the residence now?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Xu Erhu said hurriedly:

"I will take you there right now, and I will also notify Uncle and the others to come over. What do you think?"

Lu Yuan did not refuse. Xu Erhu immediately went to make a phone call himself, then had someone prepare a shiny, rather impressive car, and acted as the driver himself to take Lu Yuan through the city's main roads.

Sitting in the back row, Lu Yuan couldn't help but ask with a smile: "Brother Xu Erhu, what brand is this car of yours, and how much is it worth?"

Xu Erhu chuckled:

"This is a Star-Gallop Brand car, made by our own New Nation. The quality is even better than those made by the Shenluo People or the Sunlight People. This one only cost fifty thousand Silver Yuan!"

Not many years after the founding of the New Nation, they had long since abolished the old currency system, recalled the Silver Yuan, and issued paper currency across the board.

In terms of purchasing power, one Yuan was roughly equivalent to one old Silver Yuan. An ordinary laborer's average monthly wage in Jinjin was now about twenty or thirty Yuan, which was completely unimaginable in the past.

And not long after the casual chat.

The car Xu Erhu was driving stopped in front of a large mansion. A middle-aged doorman immediately came up to greet them, saying with a smile:

"Master Erhu, why are you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his smiling question came to an abrupt halt.

Because he was shocked to see that Xu Erhu, the owner of the Boxiyuan who could be called a top-tier big shot throughout all of Jinjin, was not only driving himself, but after the car stopped, he immediately and eagerly got out to open the back door, welcoming a person down with great respect!

And the moment he saw Lu Yuan, the middle-aged doorman's pupils dilated, as if he had remembered something:

"You, you are..."

"Shh."

Xu Erhu made a gesture to be quiet, then quietly led Lu Yuan into the Li family mansion. After passing through corridors and courtyards and stopping several servants from announcing them, they soon arrived at the backyard.

Just listening in the backyard, there was a sound of scolding. An old man with black hair and a sturdy build was reprimanding a pair of teenagers standing before him:

"You haven't finished your two days of meditation, who allowed you to sneak out to play!?"

"The Guiding Technique is a method truly passed down by immortals. Once you achieve success, you can fly through the sky and burrow into the earth, roaming the four seas. People all over the world who crave to practice this immortal art could line up from here to the moon, yet you two still dare to be lazy. You really don't know how lucky you are!"

"From today on, without my permission, you are not allowed to leave the backyard for even a single step!"

The old man grew angrier as he spoke. The boy was trembling with fear, but the girl beside him was clearly not very afraid, even muttering a complaint:

"Dad, that Guiding Technique is really hard and so complicated. I don't want to learn this anymore!"

"How dare you!"

The old man blew his beard and stared:

"Usually I can indulge you in everything, but this matter is not up for negotiation!"

The stern tone immediately made the girl's eyes turn red, tears welling up. At this moment, a beautiful middle-aged woman walked out from a pavilion and advised:

"Old Li, Xiaoxing and Lan'er are still young after all. At this age, they are at their most lively and playful. It is truly inappropriate for you to trap them in this backyard."

The two people talking were none other than the couple Li Junxian and Gu Yunsheng.

Compared to over ten years ago, not only did the two not look much older, but they were even more radiant and full of vitality, not at all looking like people who were already sixty or seventy years old.

Li Junxian sighed and was about to speak, but Lu Yuan had already walked out with a smile:

"Master, Mistress is right. The two children are at an innocent age, why force them to cultivate the Dao so early?"

The Guiding Technique Li Junxian spoke of was naturally what he had passed down long ago. Although it was too late to practice this technique at his age, and he could at most barely step onto the path of the Dao, the Guiding Technique had the effect of prolonging life. Practicing it with perseverance would at least allow one's lifespan to increase significantly.

Therefore, he had not only passed down the basic breathing methods of the Guiding Technique to Li Junxian, but also to Lin Xingchao, Gu Kanshan, Wu Yixian, and others, and allowed them to pass it on to their descendants.

And at the same time.

Hearing this familiar voice.

Li Junxian and Gu Yunsheng's bodies stiffened. They turned their heads abruptly, thinking they were hallucinating, and were stunned.

Xu Erhu jumped out as if claiming credit and laughed:

"Master, Mistress, you are not seeing things. It is A Yuan, I brought him here!"

"Master, Mistress, long time no see."

Lu Yuan walked over with a smile and performed a bow, then gently stroked the heads of the two bewildered teenagers:

"I never thought you would have already given birth to offspring. Why didn't you send someone to notify me?"

"It really is, it really is you..."

Having recovered, Li Junxian was incredibly agitated, his voice trembling:

"A Yuan, it has been over ten years. I didn't expect you to still remember this old fellow..."

Gu Yunsheng was also extremely excited: "A Yuan, do not blame us. You are the noble Supreme Heavenly Master, suppressing the world and the nation. We truly felt embarrassed to disturb you with such a small matter as giving birth to offspring, so..."

The two half-grown teenagers immediately opened their mouths wide, their eyes round with shock as if they had been frightened:

"Father, Mother, what are you saying?"

"Th-this uncle is the Supreme Heavenly Master?"