Chapter 298: Lu Quanzhen: Quanzhen Pays Respects to Uncle!

Inside the room.

“Dad, what’s the matter?”

Lu Qingshan closed the door and looked at his father inquiringly.

“Qingshan, what are your thoughts about the future?”

Lu Changsheng calmly looked at his son and asked.

“The future…”

Lu Qingshan rarely saw such a serious expression on his father’s face.

He immediately put aside his playful demeanor, thought for a moment, and said earnestly, “The future is too distant and unpredictable. In my view, life is about following one’s heart and doing what one wants.”

“My previous goal was to break through to Foundation Establishment early, bring Little Zhu’er back home, and visit you, mom, and grandfather.”

“Now that you and aunt have broken through to Foundation Establishment, I don’t need to worry about the family. As long as everyone at home is well and Little Zhu’er is happy, I can live freely, eating, drinking, and enjoying life to the fullest.”

“If I really have to have a goal, it would be to cultivate well, one day break through to Golden Core, achieve Nascent Soul, become famous in the Southern Wilderness, and make our family a Nascent Soul clan!”

“By then, my name should be able to have its own volume in the clan records, establishing a monument of great achievements and becoming the pride of the family!”

Lu Qingshan started off looking serious, but as he spoke, a hint of pride appeared on his face, and he said casually.

“Haha, your thinking is quite carefree.”

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but smile when he heard his son’s words.

He then picked up the tea on the table, poured a cup for his son, and said softly, “Do you know that cultivation is not as easy and carefree as what you see in your sect? It’s not just about riding swords freely and living as you please. To achieve success in the immortal path, one must cut through thorns and brambles, cross a single-log bridge amidst thousands of troops, and sacrifice countless lives for a single general’s success.”

“Of course I know that, but I firmly believe that only by being fearless in heart, advancing bravely, and slaying all obstacles can one reach the peak!”

Lu Qingshan laughed carefreely, his face showing a hint of unrestrained sharpness and confidence.

“Qingshan, the Sword Dao is indeed sharp, but in your father’s view, it’s not just about seeking sharpness. As the saying goes, ‘Excessive rigidity leads to easy breakage.’ Sometimes one should conceal the blade in its sheath, appear dull to others, but use the sharpness to motivate oneself…”

Lu Changsheng paused, then continued.

Through their time together, he knew that his son was not only sharp and proud but also had an outgoing personality with a desire to show off in front of others.

He understood this very well, but he still hoped his son would know when to restrain himself.

“Dad, I understand what you mean and know the reasoning behind it.”

Lu Qingshan picked up the tea, drank it in one gulp, and grinned, “But life is short, and nine out of ten things don’t go as planned. Since that’s the case, we should enjoy ourselves while we can. When things are going well, we should make the most of it. Only by doing so can we live a truly fulfilling life.”

“Otherwise, if we suddenly die one day, wouldn’t it be too much of a loss, too frustrating!”

“Besides, you know my personality. I really can’t be as… well, as steady as you, Dad.”

Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment before finding the right word at the end.

Although he was only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, he had gained some insight during his years in the Golden Sun Sect.

He knew that his father must have had some significant secret opportunities.

Otherwise, how could his father have progressed from being a son-in-law at Qingzhu Mountain to his current position relying solely on his talent in Talisman Making?

It was clear that he had been hiding his abilities all along, keeping them secret.

As a son, he understood and even admired his father for this.

But he couldn’t do the same himself.

His philosophy was that life is about achieving greatness, but more importantly, it’s about living freely and happily, repaying grudges and settling scores.

If one always considers gains and losses, looking ahead and behind, enduring and waiting, it would be too self-restraining.

“Hehe.”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng shook his head and chuckled.

He understood what it meant to be a sword cultivator.

His son’s single-minded nature…

Only with such a mindset could one be fearless, wield the sword, and maximize the power and effects of sword techniques.

“Alright, since that’s the case, father will give you something that will help you in the future.”

As Lu Changsheng spoke, he flipped his palm, and a thumb-sized sword-shaped light cluster surrounded by a faint golden glow appeared in his hand.

“Hmm? Dad, what’s this?”

Lu Qingshan looked at the Law Seed in his father’s hand with some surprise, feeling a strange attraction to it.

The next moment, he saw the light cluster enter his forehead.

In an instant, four golden characters appeared in his mind, as if written in iron and silver, as vigorous as a startled dragon, with a sharp brushstroke.

“Sword Piercing the Big Dipper!?”

Lu Qingshan looked at these four characters in his mind, not knowing what was going on.

He saw the light cluster in his mind burst into threads of golden sword qi, as brilliant as stars, causing a mysterious tremor throughout his body, making him feel completely empty.

At this time, the spiritual energy in his dantian began to surge slowly, accompanied by threads of golden light moving through his dantian and meridians.

During this process, his already abundant spiritual energy was being reinforced, and his meridians and dantian were being expanded.

A moment later.

“Boom!”

Lu Qingshan’s body calmed down.

His cultivation level broke through from the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining to the peak of the eighth layer.

Moreover, it seemed as if an eye had opened in his forehead.

Through this ‘eye’, he could clearly see the surrounding scenes and situations.

Not only that, he clearly realized that the increase in his cultivation level was just a side effect. The truly amazing thing was that his dantian had expanded by almost double.

The spiritual energy that was originally full now only filled half.

This half of the spiritual energy was much more powerful and vigorous than before.

“The effect is quite noticeable.”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow as he observed the changes in his son.

The Law Seed had effects of enhancing talent, developing the six senses, changing temperament, improving qualities, and compensating for deficiencies.

But these effects didn’t manifest immediately.

Instead, they would gradually take effect as time passed, cultivation improved, and one’s temperament aligned with it.

So Lu Changsheng was slightly surprised to see his son’s cultivation breakthrough, foundation improvement, and the birth of Divine Sense right after receiving the Law Seed.

It’s worth noting that this improvement might seem small, but to put it simply, future Foundation Establishment would be a breeze for Lu Qingshan!

This also made Lu Changsheng somewhat expectant about his son’s future.

After all, the greatest effect of this Law Seed was to enhance sword dao talent!

By enhancing sword dao talent, it would improve comprehension, foundation, combat power, cultivation speed, and various other aspects, thus achieving rapid progress in the path of the sword!

“Dad, this is…!?”

Lu Qingshan opened his eyes, his face a mixture of joy and confusion, still not quite understanding what had happened.

“This is a Sword Dao Seed that your father obtained outside. After using it, it can enhance one’s sword dao talent.”

“But this Sword Dao Seed doesn’t align with your father’s temperament.”

“It’s only effective for those who are unyielding, brave and determined, fearless and undaunted.”

“So after some thought, your father decided to give this Sword Dao Seed to you, hoping it will make your future path of immortality smoother.”

Lu Changsheng said with a slight smile.

“Dad, you’re too good to me! You really are my dear father!”

“Do you have any other treasures suitable for me?”

Lu Qingshan immediately moved closer, his face full of flattery.

Lu Changsheng: “???”

“Go away, go away.”

He pushed his son away with a look of disdain, then took out a Jade Slip and said, “The Great Metal Sword Technique you’re currently cultivating suits you well, but your father happens to have a sword technique manual. Take a look at it now, you can learn from both.”

He had always been concerned about his son’s cultivation technique.

Over the past few days, he learned that his son was cultivating a sword technique called the “Great Metal Sword Technique”.

This sword technique was very compatible with the Metal-attribute spiritual body.

It was precisely for this reason that Immortal Tian Yuan was determined to take Lu Qingshan as a disciple.

It was to pass down this sword technique.

Although this manual was only a side branch level technique, not as good as his own Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Manual.

But at the current stage, this sword technique was indeed more suitable for Lu Qingshan than the Seven Luminaries Sword Scripture.

Because the Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Manual emphasized the balance of yin and yang, and the five elements’ seven attributes.

If Lu Qingshan were to cultivate the Seven Luminaries Sword Scripture now, it might even affect the effectiveness of his Metal-attribute spiritual body.

So Lu Changsheng had no intention of making him switch cultivation methods. He just wanted his son to take a look at the Seven Luminaries Sword Scripture, hoping it would be of some help to him.

“A technique?”

Hearing this, Lu Qingshan took the Jade Slip containing the technique from his father’s hand with some surprise.

After a long while, he finished reading the contents of the technique and drew in a sharp breath. Looking at Lu Changsheng, he said, “Dad, you’re the protagonist from those story books, aren’t you!?”

“Oh, no, I’m the real protagonist!”

“Dad, you have all these opportunities and luck, but the opportunities you get don’t suit you, and they all end up falling to me, becoming my dowry. Hahaha… I truly am a person of great fortune!”

“Dad, don’t worry. When I make it big in the future, I definitely won’t forget you. I’ll certainly take good care of you. I’ll capture all sorts of immortal maidens and demon girls for you!”

Lu Qingshan put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily.

“You brat, you’re all grown up now but still can’t be serious.”

Lu Changsheng looked at his chuunibyou son and knocked him on the head, causing Lu Qingshan to immediately clutch his head in pain.

Then he told his son to study this technique carefully over the next few days.

The matter of the technique and the Sword Dao Seed must absolutely not be known by others.

“Dad, don’t worry, I’m not stupid. I definitely won’t let others know about this.”

Lu Qingshan pouted and said, rubbing his still slightly sore head.

He thought to himself that his old man must have practiced body tempering as well, for his strength to be so great.

“Alright, stop fooling around. Let’s go.”

Lu Changsheng said to his son as he stood up and opened the door.

“Dad, later mom will definitely secretly ask me what you called me for. If I say you gave me some treasures but didn’t give any to Little Zhu’er, won’t it seem like favoritism?”

Lu Qingshan quickly followed, grinning as he spoke.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Your father has already prepared for it.”

Lu Changsheng chuckled, thinking to himself that the other party still knew to ask for benefits for his sister.

“Dad, you have more treasures? Let me take a look?”

Lu Qingshan put on a flattering expression again.

“Get lost, get out of here.”

Lu Changsheng waved his hand with a look of disgust, feeling that this son of his was truly shameless.

This was far from the cold, ruthless, and taciturn image of a sword cultivator.

But with this personality, he felt more at ease.

If his son had been the type of sword cultivator with an arrogant and sharp demeanor, looking down on everyone and wearing his emotions on his sleeve, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable giving him the Law Seed.

Hongye Valley Marketplace.

Lu Quanzhen looked at the gradually darkening sky outside, walked out of the shop, and came to the law enforcement hall of the Market.

“Cousin Quanzhen, did you come here for something?”

A Lu Family member from Qingzhu Mountain in the law enforcement hall asked when he saw Lu Quanzhen.

Due to the relationship between Bihu Mountain and Qingzhu Mountain, children of the same generation from both families addressed each other as cousins.

“Cousin Mujun, I came here to check the Market entry registration information for today.”

Lu Quanzhen said.

“Entry registration information? Has some rogue cultivator or evil cultivator infiltrated the Market!?”

This Lu Family member immediately became serious upon hearing this.

“That’s not it. I had a business deal today and wanted to check the other party’s information.”

Lu Quanzhen said.

“This needs Uncle Miaofeng’s approval. I’ll go report to Uncle Miaofeng.”

This Lu Family member pondered for a moment before saying.

He knew that Lu Quanzhen before him was the son of Lu Changsheng’s wife Qu Zhenzhen, and had quite a high status in Bihu Mountain, so he was willing to do this small favor.

“Thank you, Cousin Mujun.”

Lu Quanzhen nodded.

Soon after, the other party brought out a Jade Scroll on which the registration information for Hongye Valley Marketplace could be checked.

Through the Jade Scroll, based on the time information, Lu Quanzhen immediately locked onto a name: ‘Zhao Changhe’.

“Zhao Changhe, ninth layer of Qi Refining.”

Lu Quanzhen muttered, looking at this name.

Then, through the Jade Scroll and the other party’s identity Jade Token, he checked their movement trajectory within the Market.

Seeing that after entering the Market, they went directly to his spirit wine shop, and after leaving, went to the Tian family’s general store, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Thank you, Cousin Mujun.”

Lu Quanzhen’s expression returned to normal as he cupped his hands in thanks.

“Haha, Cousin Quanzhen, you’re too polite.”

This Lu Family member said with a laugh.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Quanzhen bid farewell and left, heading to the Tian family’s general store.

Through inquiries, he immediately learned that a young man in black robes had come here today to purchase information and intelligence about Bihu Mountain, and had behaved somewhat strangely.

“Young Master Lu.”

The middle-aged female cultivator who was the shopkeeper looked at Lu Quanzhen with some panic and unease.

She hadn’t expected that selling just one piece of intelligence information today would bring the young master of Bihu Mountain to her door.

“Just pretend this never happened.”

Lu Quanzhen said calmly, walking out of the shop. After thinking for a moment, he came to a restaurant.

He made some inquiries and arrived at a room on the sixth floor of the restaurant. He lightly knocked on the door and said, “Fellow Daoist Zhao.”

“Hmm?”

Qu Changge inside the room immediately recognized Lu Quanzhen outside.

He didn’t know why Lu Quanzhen had come here to find him.

Moreover, he didn’t remember giving Lu Quanzhen this address.

“Come in.”

He lightly raised his hand, opening the door.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, what brings you to see me?”

Qu Changge looked at Lu Quanzhen, his expression calm and indifferent.

“Quanzhen pays his respects to Uncle.”

Lu Quanzhen bowed deeply.

“What did you call me!?”

Qu Changge was startled, his hand trembling slightly under his wide black robe, his voice deepening a bit.

“Uncle.”

Lu Quanzhen called out again.

“How did you know who I am?”

Qu Changge didn’t deny it, asking instead.

He didn’t know how this nephew had recognized him after just one brief meeting and conversation.

“Because Uncle’s visit to see me today, your words and actions were a bit off, which led me to this guess.”

Lu Quanzhen, seeing that the other party didn’t deny it, knew he had guessed correctly.

This made his heart skip a beat, not knowing what the other party’s intentions were for this visit.

After all, years ago when he was handling affairs for the Ruyi Marquis Manor in the mortal world, he had learned of a piece of news.

His uncle Qu Changge hadn’t died, but had cultivated the demonic path.

“Oh?”

Qu Changge still didn’t know where he had revealed any flaws, a smile appearing on his face as he said with interest, “Tell me, how did you guess?”

As he spoke, he made a gesture inviting Lu Quanzhen to sit down nearby, then took out tea utensils and began to brew tea.

“When Uncle came today, your words and actions weren’t like someone here to do business, but rather like you were looking to chat with me, which I found somewhat strange.”

Lu Quanzhen lightly pinched the talisman in his sleeve, then came to the table and sat down, respectfully saying, “During our chat, I paid extra attention and through your accent and surname, I had this guess.”

“Accent and surname?”

Qu Changge seemed not to notice the talisman in his nephew’s sleeve, his face full of smiles as he gestured for him to continue.

“That’s right. I once lived in Zhou Mountain Prefecture for a long time and noticed that your accent was somewhat similar.”

“Then the surname Zhao that you used, and coincidentally, my grandmother’s surname is Zhao.”

“Plus, mother often mentions you, Uncle, telling us siblings stories about you, so I guessed your identity.”

Lu Quanzhen said.

“It shouldn’t just be these reasons, right?”

Qu Changge looked at his nephew, smiling as he spoke.

He felt that these few conditions weren’t enough.

“After I had my suspicions today, I wasn’t sure, so I checked today’s Market entry registration through the Market.”

“I saw that Uncle, you used the fake name Zhao Changhe, and then I saw that you came directly to my place, and afterwards purchased information about Bihu Mountain, so I became more certain.”

Lu Quanzhen continued speaking, maintaining his composure.

“There should be other reasons, right?”

Qu Changge still wore a smile on his face.

Seeing that his nephew had deduced so much information from their simple conversation today, he felt very pleased.

As expected of a child of his Qu family, so intelligent!

“I couldn’t be completely sure about this matter, I just thought it was possible, so I came to ask. I didn’t expect Uncle to admit it directly.”

Lu Quanzhen said.

“If that’s the case, why are you holding a talisman in your sleeve?”

Qu Changge said with a smile, appearing gentle and refined.

Seeing Lu Quanzhen’s face change, he immediately raised his hand and said, “Quanzhen, don’t be nervous. Uncle is just asking casually.”

At this moment, he directly acknowledged his identity.

Since his nephew had recognized him, what was there left to hide?

“I didn’t expect Uncle to notice.”

Lu Quanzhen’s heart sank, not expecting that his uncle would know about the talisman hidden in his sleeve.

This indicated that the other party was definitely not at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, but had broken through to Foundation Establishment!

Only the Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have such keen perception!

This shocked him greatly. He hadn’t expected that this uncle he had never met before was actually a Foundation Establishment great cultivator!

Faced with this situation, he knew he couldn’t play any tricks in front of the other party.

He immediately took out the talisman hidden in his sleeve, placed it aside, and said with a bitter smile, “Because mother often talks about you, Uncle, and our family has always had people searching for you, but we never had any news.”

“Thinking that we needed to see you alive or find your remains, I investigated information about you when I was handling affairs in the mortal world years ago, and learned that thirty years ago, a male demonic cultivator appeared in Zhou Mountain Prefecture.”

“And this demonic cultivator was very likely to be you, Uncle, so when I came here this time, I was somewhat cautious. Please forgive me, Uncle.”

Lu Quanzhen no longer concealed anything and spoke frankly.

He knew that playing tricks in front of the other party was useless, he could only gamble on the other party not having ill intentions.

“Male demonic cultivator…”

Qu Changge immediately knew that it must have been when he returned home years ago, only to find out that his entire family had been wiped out, causing the demonic blood within him to erupt.

He smiled and said, “Haha, there’s nothing to forgive about that. In the world of cultivation, one needs to be more cautious.”

“That’s right, years ago, due to some reasons, I walked the path of demonic cultivation and became a demonic cultivator.”

Qu Changge admitted frankly.

Then his facial features blurred and changed, the disguise dispersing to reveal his true appearance.

Although he had returned to his original appearance, the current look and demeanor were completely different from the uncle Lu Quanzhen had imagined from his mother Qu Zhenzhen’s descriptions and paintings.

His face was stern, with a strange, demonic air between his brows.

“Zhenzhen… how has your mother been all these years?”

Qu Changge continued to speak, his voice somewhat hoarse and trembling.

When he saw the information about Lu Changsheng today, he had originally planned to go directly to Bihu Mountain to see how his sister was doing and teach this brother-in-law a lesson.

But after reading through the information and making some simple inquiries, he learned that Lu Changsheng’s reputation and public opinion were quite good.

He wasn’t the essence-absorbing evil cultivator or demonic cultivator that he had imagined.

Especially in terms of treating his wives, he was famously good, and his sister Qu Zhenzhen was one of his wives, not just some concubine.

He then thought about continuing to interact with his nephew for a while before going to Bihu Mountain to take a look, but he didn’t expect his nephew to take the initiative to come to him.

“Mother has been doing well these years, it’s just that she still often mentions you, Uncle, and grandfather and grandmother.”

“Then, I’ve been causing mother some worry these years…”

Lu Quanzhen spoke, slowly describing his mother’s situation.

He roughly guessed that his uncle must have achieved success in his cultivation and had come back to visit his mother.

Because from his mother’s stories, he knew that the two siblings had a very good relationship, and his uncle cared most for his sister.

Faced with this situation, he also tried his best to use the family card to stabilize his uncle.