Chapter 52: Lu Family

Luo Fu’s so-called innate superiority doesn’t merely refer to Lu Linglong’s status as a Quanzhen disciple of the Baiyun Monastery, practicing both spiritual and physical cultivation to manifest her yang spirit.

On the contrary, he was referring to Lu Linglong’s innate supernatural ability.

Others may not know, but Luo Fu knew that when Lu Linglong was very young, she witnessed her mother being brutally hacked to death right before her eyes.

As a result, Lu Linglong developed a self-destructive tendency in her personality, which triggered her ability to control blood.

Once, Lu Jin took Lu Linglong to Teng Mountain to seek a master, but she was rejected solely because of this self-destructive tendency.

It should be noted that the Lu family, as a prestigious clan without its own lineage tradition, has managed to thrive to this day solely because its disciples often possess exceptional talent and are rarely rejected when seeking mentors.

Even Lu Linglong herself was rejected—not due to lack of talent or any other reason—but because her inner self-destructive impulse made Teng Mountain unwilling to accept her; doing so would have been irresponsible toward her.

This innate ability to control blood, combined with her self-destructive tendency, means any misstep could lead to her bleeding out completely.

Only the Quanzhen sect, with its dual cultivation of life and nature, can help her grow—cultivating her spirit to strengthen her mind and suppress self-destruction, while cultivating her body to enhance her physical resilience, allowing her to endure outbreaks of her tendency long enough to survive.

Against others, Lu Linglong, as a high-ranking Quanzhen disciple and scion of the prestigious Lu family, could easily spar—even against Zhang Lingyu. Though she might lose, her remarkable cultivation of life and nature was so impressive it nearly forced Zhang Lingyu to reveal his true strength.

But against Luo Fu, or beings like the Four Madmen who can manipulate emotions, encountering Lu Linglong requires no physical combat—just triggering her innate self-destructive tendency, and the rest is left to her fate.

Hearing Luo Fu’s words, Lu Linglong, unaware of the truth, pouted her rosebud lips and scolded, “Luo Fu, even though Itachi’ve beaten me before, I’m not someone to be trifled with—let me show Itachi how much I’ve grown lately.”

Luo Fu sighed inwardly but made no move to attack.

From his forehead, the Seven Sins Eye—never before revealed—suddenly opened.

A bizarre eye with seven pupils, as if possessing its own consciousness, began spinning instantly upon appearing.

Each of the seven pupils glowed with the power of pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust.

The moment it fixed on Lu Linglong, the two abilities least affecting her—sloth and lust—erupted instantly.

Lu Linglong, whose tiny fist—strong enough to kill a normal person—was poised to charge at Luo Fu, suddenly felt an alien influence intrude into the depths of her consciousness.

Her Quanzhen dual cultivation of life and nature instantly alerted her.

“Not this disgusting ability again!!”

At that moment, Lu Linglong had no energy left to attack Luo Fu—she could only desperately defend against the invasion of sloth and lust into her mind.

Seeing Luo Fu and Lu Linglong suddenly locked in stalemate,

Zhang Choulang on the stands muttered suspiciously, “Is that the Seven Sins Eye Hu Zi has? It really grew an eye right on his forehead?”

After a brief pause, Zhang Choulang turned to his companions Xu San and Xu Si and asked, “Brothers San and Si, can an innate ability manifest physically?”

“Why not?” Xu Si, smoking lazily, replied nonchalantly, “It’s not just an extra eye—some people grow multiple heads or become three-headed and six-armed. I’ve even seen someone turn into a dinosaur-human hybrid.”

“Din… dinosaur-human? What the hell is that?” Zhang Choulang’s eyes widened in shock.

“Hard to understand?” Xu Si exhaled a wisp of pale blue smoke. “It’s when a normal person suddenly transforms into a dinosaur with human consciousness.”

Zhang Choulang chuckled awkwardly. “So awakening an innate ability really is dangerous, isn’t it?!”

“That’s why innate talents usually lose to cultivated ones—it’s perfectly normal,” Xu Si smiled, leaning closer to Zhang Choulang. “Just like Itachi possess the Qi Ti Yuan Liu technique, but your childhood friend carries even greater secrets.”

After a moment of silence, Zhang Choulang asked, “Brother Si, what does the company plan to do about Hu Zi?”

“The higher-ups have their own considerations—don’t overthink it. Focus instead on what Itachi’ll do after the Luotian Da Jiao ends.”

“What do Itachi mean?” Zhang Choulang asked, puzzled.

“I always thought Itachi weren’t slow-witted. Haven’t Itachi noticed how the audience keeps growing?” Xu Si glanced meaningfully at the densely packed crowd around them.

“So what? It’s the quarterfinals now—fewer matches, more spectators as we near the finals. That’s normal.”

Seeing Zhang Choulang still pretending ignorance, Xu Si sneered, “Normal? Kid, do Itachi really think these people came to watch the Luotian Da Jiao at Longhu Mountain? I’ll tell Itachi—they’re all here for Zhang Luo Fu. There’s only one Zhang Luo Fu. What do Itachi think they’ll do if they can’t get him?”

“What will they do?” Zhang Choulang had suspected it, but as he scanned the sea of spectators, a crushing weight settled over him.

“They’ll find leverage to control Zhang Luo Fu—whoever’s close to him becomes a target. The Lu family and Longhu Mountain won’t escape unscathed, but they’re both prestigious sects. Itachi, though—what do Itachi have behind Itachi?”

“Aren’t I backed by the company?” Zhang Choulang laughed nervously, then changed the subject: “By the way, Brother Si, where’s Auntie Er? She’s Hu Zi’s mother—won’t these cultivators target her?”

“No,” Xu Si shook his head first, then added, “Normally, the company’s purpose, besides maintaining balance in the cultivator world, is regulation—cultivators must never harm ordinary people. That’s an ironclad rule; violators are crushed without mercy. But Zhang Luo Fu is different—this is a chance at immortality. Who knows what desperate cultivators might do?”

The moment Xu Si finished speaking,

A sudden uproar erupted around them.

On the training ground, everyone else was fired up—except Luo Fu and Lu Linglong, whose scene looked like it had been bathed in pink lighting.

(End of Chapter)