Chapter 769: Lu Changsheng: Master Zhenren, What are you doing here?
by xennovel“My Lord!”
Qian Zhuyan saw the figure clad in dark armor and wielding a whip and mace, and immediately called out, his cold, raspy voice tinged with joy.
Lu Changsheng didn’t immediately respond to Qian Zhuyan.
Instead, his eyes, full of doubt and surprise, turned to the front, towards a woman holding a pale golden Dharma sword, dressed in a colorful palace robe that accentuated her tall, graceful figure.
The woman in the colorful dress also looked at Lu Changsheng.
Her beautiful eyes, shimmering with a faint rosy light, mirrored Lu Changsheng’s, filled with doubt, surprise, and a hint of disbelief, almost incredulous.
“Hmm!?”
Even in the pitch darkness of the Land of Eternal Night, Qian Zhuyan could sense something was off from the exchange of glances between the two.
Did his lord know this female cultivator? He scrutinized her features.
Her black, lustrous hair was styled up, adorned with a colorful phoenix hairpin with outstretched wings.
Her delicate, arched eyebrows framed a face with soft features, like jade meticulously sculpted by the heavens, naturally beautiful without any need for makeup.
Within her eyes, a mix of surprise, doubt, and disbelief, shimmered a crystalline, colorful light, like clouds reflecting in the Dongting Lake in autumn, dreamlike, illusionary, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Those eyes alone could be described as “exquisite,” like the brightest stars in the night sky, captivating for an eternity.
Beyond her natural beauty, she possessed an air of elegance and nobility, cultivated over time from a position of power.
Even in the eternal darkness, she was like a dazzling, radiant rainbow.
So… how many female cultivators did his lord actually know?
Although she hadn’t followed Lu Changsheng for long.
Normally, she was either sleeping or crafting puppets, researching the art of puppetry.
But Qian Zhuyan had long noticed that her lord was a bit of a romantic.
For example, in Immortal City of Damengze, there were Hong Lian, Ling Zixiao, Meng Xiaochan, Bai Ling, and others.
In Jin Kingdom, there were also Ah Youduo and Nangong Mili. Arriving at the Starry Sea, he was deeply affectionate towards the Third Palace Master, the divine maiden.
Not long ago, after being poisoned, he forcibly had relations with a Nascent Soul female cultivator with a natural charm, forcing her to watch a day of spring palace.
Now, being swept into this mysterious place, he also seemed to know this stunning woman before him. For a moment, the ghostly blue flames in Qian Zhuyan’s eye sockets seemed to flicker with a hint of resentment.
“Master Zhenren, what are you doing here?”
Lu Changsheng looked at the woman in the colorful dress ahead and said in surprise.
This woman in the colorful dress was none other than Caiyun Zhenren—Yun Wanshang, whom he knew from years ago when she traveled to seek her Nascent Soul opportunity.
According to Xiao Xiyue and Chu Qingyi, Caiyun Zhenren had gone traveling over forty years ago and hadn’t been heard from since. Even Azure Cloud Sect couldn’t contact her, leading them to suspect an accident had occurred.
He never expected to encounter Yun Wanshang in the Land of Eternal Night.
“Lu Changsheng?”
Hearing Lu Changsheng speak, Yun Wanshang dared to confirm that the handsome man in armor before her was indeed Lu Changsheng.
Even though she had recognized Lu Changsheng just now, she was still hesitant to believe it.
Firstly, Qian Zhuyan, a top-tier puppet with independent consciousness, was calling Lu Changsheng “My Lord.”
Wouldn’t that make him a Nascent Soul cultivator? Secondly, after more than forty years, Lu Changsheng’s cultivation had improved, his physique had broken through the fourth rank, and his Chaos Body had undergone a complete transformation, making his appearance and demeanor even more exceptional than before.
Even in the Land of Eternal Night, where Lu Changsheng’s Blood Energy, magical energy, and divine sense were suppressed, his appearance and demeanor remained outstanding, like a banished immortal.
“Yes, it’s me. I heard from Xiyue and Qingyi… Zhenren, that you went out traveling to seek a Nascent Soul opportunity.”
Even though he had slain Nascent Soul True Lord Lu Ancestor and broken through several others.
But towards Caiyun Zhenren before him, he still held a certain respect and special feelings.
Whether it was the impact Caiyun Zhenren’s Core Formation True Person status had on him when they first met, or their subsequent interactions, or her identity as the master of Xiao Xiyue and Chu Qingyi.
“That’s a long story. How did you end up in the Land of Eternal Night?”
Yun Wanshang was still somewhat dazed, unable to believe that the person before her was Lu Changsheng.
Although there was no daylight in the Land of Eternal Night, according to her calculations, only about twenty years should have passed. Including her previous travel time, it was a total of just over forty years, less than fifty.
In less than fifty years, Lu Changsheng had broken through to Nascent Soul? How was that possible!
Could it be that time flowed differently in this world compared to the outside world? Had centuries passed outside?
Thinking that Lu Changsheng had broken through to Nascent Soul even earlier than her, Yun Wanshang couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions.
After all, when she first met him, he was just a small Qi Refining cultivator at the fourth level.
“I encountered the Phantom Ship in the Starry Sea and then got swept into here.”
Lu Changsheng kept it brief, then looked at Qian Zhuyan beside him and introduced, “Xiaoyan, this is Caiyun Zhenren, my wife’s master.”
“How did you two come into conflict?”
Lu Changsheng asked Qian Zhuyan, realizing that the mid-to-upper fortune stick he had drawn earlier, “meeting an old friend,” didn’t only refer to Qian Zhuyan, but also Yun Wanshang.
“Earlier, I was teleported to these deep mountains. Seeing that you and Golden-Winged Roc were not there, I searched around and noticed the earth’s light surging here, which is when I encountered Caiyun Zhenren.”
Qian Zhuyan said in a cold, raspy voice.
Although half of her soul had become a puppet spirit, lacking much emotional sensation, she instinctively felt that the relationship between her lord and this woman was not simple.
“I see.”
Lu Changsheng nodded and immediately said to Yun Wanshang, “Zhenren, this is Qian Zhuyan, my trusted friend. Due to certain reasons, she is currently residing in a puppet. There must have been some misunderstanding just now.”
Although it had been over forty years since they last met, and he was no longer the same as before, Lu Changsheng’s tone remained sincere.
“It was all a misunderstanding. When I saw this fellow Daoist, I thought I had encountered a terrifying creature.”
Yun Wanshang was not an unreasonable person. She cupped her hands towards Qian Zhuyan, expressing her apology.
Moreover, from their brief exchange just now, she could tell that she was no match for Qian Zhuyan. If they continued fighting, she would have chosen to retreat.
What she hadn’t expected was that such an entity would call Lu Changsheng “My Lord.”
Soon after, they resolved their conflict and sat down to rest and converse.
“Phantom Ship?”
Yun Wanshang listened to Lu Changsheng’s account of how he entered the Land of Eternal Night, and exclaimed in surprise, explaining that she had originally arrived at the Starry Sea through a teleportation array.
But before she could understand the situation, she was engulfed by a vast expanse of gray-black mist and then arrived here.
Now it seemed that the gray-black mist back then was likely the Phantom Ship that Lu Changsheng had encountered.
“Zhenren, you’ve been in the Land of Eternal Night for so long, do you know how to get out?”
Lu Changsheng heard that Yun Wanshang had been here for twenty years, paused slightly and asked.
“Yes, I do,” Yun Wanshang nodded gently.
“How to get out?”
Lu Changsheng’s spirits immediately lifted, and he asked with anticipation.
Earlier, when Chu Qingyi’s son was born, he had wanted to go home to see him.
But fearing misfortune, he had not returned.
Now, having fallen into this Land of Eternal Night, he desperately wanted to return to see his and Chu Qingyi’s son, as well as Ina’s daughter.
“Celestial Light.”
Yun Wanshang slightly raised her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at the boundless, pitch-black night sky, and parted her red lips, saying, “You should know that in the Land of Eternal Night, celestial light streaks across the sky every so often.”
“According to records and legends, if you seize the opportunity the moment the celestial light appears, you can use it to leave this place.”
“But achieving this is extremely difficult. Only Nascent Soul True Lords who have mastered the power of space can do it.”
Yun Wanshang sighed.
Although she had recovered some magical energy, leaving the Land of Eternal Night was far beyond her capabilities.
She could only cultivate Celestial Light Force to enhance her physical body, slowly accumulate magical energy, and hope for a massive celestial light to appear, allowing her to leave this world.
However, after saying that, seeing Lu Changsheng in front of her, a spark of hope suddenly ignited in her heart.
If Lu Changsheng had already broken through to Nascent Soul, perhaps he could take her out of here.
“Leave through celestial light?”
Lu Changsheng knew that celestial light was a unique phenomenon in this world.
Once celestial light descended, treasures might appear, and blessed lands might be born.
Of course, it was also possible for people or beasts to fall into this world.
Now, listening to Yun Wanshang, this celestial light was likely some kind of rift in the fabric of the world.
“Zhenren, doesn’t this world suppress Blood Energy, magical energy, and divine sense? Without them, how can we leave?”
Lu Changsheng asked, somewhat puzzled.
Although he wasn’t a Nascent Soul True Lord.
But his Chaos Body possessed the [Void Spirit Body] effect, giving him a rudimentary understanding of the power of space.
At full power, with the aid of the Misty Dust Banner, he could rival many Nascent Soul cultivators.
But the problem was, his Blood Energy and magical energy were currently suppressed.
Being able to retrieve a few items from his Storage Ring was only thanks to the small amount of magical energy provided by his children and descendants at home.
“After entering the Land of Eternal Night, magical energy and Divine Abilities are lost, but this situation isn’t without a solution. You can use some secret techniques and rare spiritual products of this world to gradually adapt your physical body and recover some magical energy.”
Yun Wanshang had been in the Land of Eternal Night for many years, even becoming a city lord, so she naturally knew many secrets.
And how to leave this world was something every cultivator from beyond the heavens was concerned about.
After speaking, she said with some surprise, “How long have you been in the Land of Eternal Night?”
She saw that Lu Changsheng was not only clad in armor and wielding top-tier artifacts, but also carrying three puppets. She subconsciously assumed that he had been in the Land of Eternal Night for some time and had used recovered magical energy to retrieve these items from his Storage Ring.
But having been in the Land of Eternal Night for so long, he shouldn’t be unaware of these things.
“About three months,” Lu Changsheng admitted frankly.
“Three months?”
Yun Wanshang was taken aback, very surprised.
When she first fell into the Land of Eternal Night, it was only after cultivating Celestial Light Force and gaining some strength that she slowly searched for natural treasures and recovered a bit of magical energy.
Lu Changsheng had only been in the Land of Eternal Night for three months and had already achieved this?
Or perhaps he had landed near some natural treasure? “What’s wrong?”
Lu Changsheng, seeing Yun Wanshang’s surprised expression, felt somewhat puzzled.
“You’ve been in the Land of Eternal Night for three months and already recovered magical energy?”
Yun Wanshang said with some disbelief.
“Not really, it’s just that my physique is special, allowing me to awaken a bit of the suppressed magical energy.”
Lu Changsheng immediately realized Yun Wanshang had misunderstood, explained with a smile, and then continued to ask her about recovering magical energy.
If he could recover magical energy, he was confident he could leave.
“Physique?”
Yun Wanshang had long suspected that Lu Changsheng might possess some kind of peerless Dao Body.
Hearing this now, she didn’t doubt it.
After all, her ability to recover so much magical energy was not only due to Celestial Light Force and spiritual products but also related to her Jade Phoenix Marrow Body.
Thinking of her Jade Phoenix Marrow Body, she looked at Lu Changsheng’s handsome face before her, and her heart suddenly fluttered.
Then, lightly pursing her red lips, suppressing her heart’s flutter, she said, “These rare spiritual items aren’t specific; we need to see them to know if they’re useful. The reason I came out this time was because I heard that celestial light had appeared here and might produce such rare spiritual items.”
“If you don’t mind, we can travel together next, splitting the spoils evenly, or you get seventy percent and I get thirty.”
Although Yun Wanshang was quite disgusted and displeased with Lu Changsheng’s ‘breeding pig’ behavior.
But after all, they knew each other well and had a level of trust far exceeding ordinary acquaintances.
“Of course, I don’t mind.”
Lu Changsheng agreed readily.
Not to mention they knew each other well and had a relationship like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya.
Even if it were an unfamiliar cultivator, Lu Changsheng was now willing to cooperate to learn about the situation in the Land of Eternal Night from them.
Moreover, besides Qian Zhuyan, he also needed to find the Golden-Winged Roc.
If he could get help from a force within the Land of Eternal Night, finding the Golden Roc would be much easier.
Moreover, the Six Paths Demon Concubine was also in this world.
With his cultivation and magical energy suppressed, if he could get Yun Wanshang’s help, he would have a better chance of dealing with this demon concubine if they encountered her.
“Hmm, how is Xiyue doing now?”
Yun Wanshang looked at Lu Changsheng before her and asked.
When she initially went out traveling, she hadn’t intended to be gone for so long. It was just that she encountered an accident and then fell into this world. She was also very worried about Azure Cloud Sect and her disciples Chu Qingyi and Xiao Xiyue.
“Xiyue is doing very well and has already broken through to Core Formation.”
Lu Changsheng heard about Xiao Xiyue, Lu Changsheng also felt a surge of longing in his heart.
Previously, when he went to Azure Cloud Sect to visit Xiao Xiyue, he learned from the Leader of Qingyun Sect that she had gone to war in Yue Kingdom.
Now, so many years had passed, he didn’t know how the war was going or if Xiyue had encountered any danger.
Hearing that her disciple Xiao Xiyue had broken through to Core Formation, Yun Wanshang looked pleased and relieved, and then inquired about the situation of Azure Cloud Sect.
“Zhenren, you’ve been traveling, so you might not know, but Liang Kingdom launched a war against Yue Kingdom. Currently, the Liang-Yue war is at a stalemate, and Yuan Kingdom is infiltrating Wu Kingdom. So, Heavenly Sword Sect has summoned Core Formation cultivators from the Four Great Immortal Sects to help Yue Kingdom share the burden.”
Lu Changsheng told her about the current situation of Jiang Kingdom and Azure Cloud Sect.
“The Liang-Yue War.”
As a high-level figure in Azure Cloud Sect, Yun Wanshang had anticipated the outbreak of war when she left, but she hadn’t expected the situation to be so intense.
Thinking of this, she suddenly asked, “Lu Changsheng, with the war between Jiang Kingdom and Yue Kingdom so intense, why are you in the Starry Sea?”
If Lu Changsheng had broken through to Nascent Soul, he should be powerful enough to influence the war. How could he inexplicably appear in the Land of Eternal Night?
“Like Zhenren, after cultivating to the peak of Core Formation, I felt a vague premonition that my Nascent Soul opportunity was in the Starry Sea.”
Lu Changsheng said frankly, without concealing his cultivation level.
On one hand, Yun Wanshang already knew about his breakthrough to Core Formation.
On the other hand, both of them had fallen into this world and needed to work together to leave.
In this situation, he certainly couldn’t hide anything and had to show some of his strength and abilities.
“Peak Core Formation? You haven’t broken through to Nascent Soul?”
Yun Wanshang was taken aback.
Although it was already astonishing for Lu Changsheng to reach the peak of Core Formation at his age, compared to breaking through to Nascent Soul, it was still much more common.
After all, a Nascent Soul cultivator in their hundred-odd years of age was unheard of in the entire cultivation history of Jiang Kingdom.
Even looking at the entire Southern Desolation cultivation world, they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, legendary cultivators worthy of being recorded in history books.
“No, I haven’t.”
Lu Changsheng saw Yun Wanshang’s expression, smiled slightly, and knew that she had thought he had broken through to Nascent Soul.
But thinking about it, it was understandable.
He not only possessed a fourth-rank puppet like Qian Zhuyan, but also wielded a Spirit Treasure and carried three third-rank top-tier puppets.
Hearing that Lu Changsheng had not yet broken through to Nascent Soul, Yun Wanshang, though relieved, was also somewhat disappointed.
According to legends, only Nascent Soul cultivators who had mastered the power of space could leave.
Now that Lu Changsheng hadn’t broken through to Nascent Soul, the difficulty for both of them to leave had increased significantly.
“Zhenren, rest assured, I have some opportunities. As long as I can recover magical energy, I will have a way to leave this world!”
Now that he knew the way to leave, Lu Changsheng was still confident and assured about escaping the Land of Eternal Night.
“Mm.”
Yun Wanshang looked at Lu Changsheng’s confident expression, responded softly, and continued to tell him about the situation in the Land of Eternal Night.
Although Lu Changsheng had learned a lot about the Land of Eternal Night from Yuan Yi’an and others, their understanding was limited, far less than Yun Wanshang’s.
“By the way, Zhenren, have you noticed any celestial light appearing about two months ago, or a golden roc bird? This time, I was swept into here by the Phantom Ship, and I also have a spirit pet.”
At this moment, Lu Changsheng asked Yun Wanshang.
Since the Golden Roc had fallen into this world, he definitely had to find it.
Moreover, as a True Spirit-level Demon King, the Golden-Winged Roc possessed unmatched speed. If he found it, it would not only boost his combat power but might also help them escape this place.
“Two months ago, celestial light, golden roc bird?”
Yun Wanshang pondered for a moment, then shook her head, saying she would need to go back and inquire.
As a city lord, she rarely went out unless there was a celestial light treasure appearing.
The two of them chatted continuously like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years.
Although Lu Changsheng’s words on Rainbow Cloud Peak, about one day reaching the peak of Azure Cloud and embracing the rainbow clouds, had caused some awkwardness in their relationship, neither of them mentioned it after reuniting decades later.
After a long while, the two stood up, leading Qian Zhuyan, three puppets, and Yun Wanshang’s golden-armored guards into the deep mountains to search for spiritual items.