Chapter 796: The Shattering of Fate

News that Yun Wanshang had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage outside and returned to the Azure Cloud Sect spread rapidly.

The announcement was earth-shattering, like a deep-sea bomb that stirred endless waves of shock throughout Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world.

It wasn’t just the Azure Cloud Sect—Luoxia Sect and Beast Spirit Sect were abuzz as well.

Even the Heavenly Sword Sect was utterly stunned and found it hard to believe when they received the news.

After all, fifty years isn’t a long time for a Core Formation cultivator.

Many disciples of the Four Great Immortal Sects personally knew Yun Wanshang.

Though she had been extraordinarily gifted from her youth, her potential for a Nascent Soul breakthrough was already widely expected.

In the long traditions of the Four Great Immortal Sects, nearly eighty out of every hundred Core Formation cultivators were predicted to attain the Nascent Soul stage.

Not only did some exhibit the traits of a Nascent Soul, but a few even carried a Nascent Soul seed.

Yet, very few actually managed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage—a number so scant it could be counted on one’s fingers.

Everyone was in shock, hardly believing that Yun Wanshang had not only broken through but had done so in record time.

“Is this for real?”

“The news comes straight from the Azure Cloud Sect. Caiyun Zhenren returned to the sect and, right outside its gates, displayed a Nascent Soul prowess that can’t be faked.”

“When will Caiyun Zhenren hold the Nascent Soul Ceremony?”

“Let’s go—hurry and head to the Azure Cloud Sect to pay our respects to him!”

Many Core Formation factions prepared lavish gifts as they journeyed to the Azure Cloud Sect to offer their congratulations.

Even under Azure Cloud’s jurisdiction, some went all the way to Bihu Mountain to share in the joy.

After all, Changsheng Zhenren of Bihu Mountain’s partner, Xiyue Zhenren, was a disciple of Caiyun Zhenren.

Now that Caiyun Zhenren had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and ascended to True Lord, Bihu Mountain’s status naturally soared.

“Mom? Has our Master broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?”

Upon hearing the rumors, Lu Wangshu immediately sought confirmation from his mother, Xiao Xiyue, exclaiming in astonishment.

“Yes.”

Xiao Xiyue nodded gently.

“Then are we going to pay our respects to our Master? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

Lu Wangshu, ever so sensible, remarked, thinking that he now had another pillar of Nascent Soul talent to rely on.

However, a tinge of resentment stirred within him as he recalled that his stinky old dad still hadn’t returned from the Immortal City of Damengze.

“Your Master is currently in seclusion. He will emerge only after his retreat, and then Mom will take you to see him.”

Xiao Xiyue replied softly, feeling no qualms about taking Lu Wangshu to meet his Master.

After all, Lu Changsheng and Yun Wanshang had celebrated their union properly in a grand Dao Partner Ceremony at the Azure Cloud Sect.

As for the matter between Senior Sister and Shouzheng, she planned to resolve it herself once Lu Changsheng returned.

“Caiyun Zhenren?!”

At the Heavenly Sword Sect, True Lord Juejian scrutinized the intelligence about Yun Wanshang, his brows furrowing as he pondered.

Half a month earlier, he had received a message from True Lord Xuanjian in Yue Kingdom stating that Jiang Kingdom might be in turmoil and that a new Nascent Soul True Lord had emerged.

He never imagined that this new Nascent Soul True Lord would come from the Azure Cloud Sect.

Reviewing Yun Wanshang’s dossier carefully, he found her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage utterly implausible.

Even with a rare opportunity, such a breakthrough couldn’t occur so swiftly.

“Did she acquire a prime Nascent Soul opportunity from an early exposure to the Heavenly Yuan Secret Realm?”

True Lord Juejian was well acquainted with Yun Wanshang.

He recalled that it was she who first discovered the Heavenly Yuan Secret Realm in her youth.

It now seemed likely that, as one of the first to encounter the Heavenly Yuan Secret Realm, she had quietly reaped a Nascent Soul opportunity.

Without further reflection, True Lord Juejian rose, preparing to head to the Azure Cloud Sect to meet this Caiyun Zhenren.

Meanwhile, news of Caiyun Zhenren also reached the Immortal City of Damengze.

Yet Lu Changsheng, the Lord of Damengze, paid it little heed as he was immersed in the Heavenly Yuan Lotus, busy assisting his son with a demonic fetus rebirth.

Lu Linghe sat obediently to the side, his eyes wide with wonder as he gazed at the Kunpeng Egg, amazed that his elder brother had somehow been absorbed into it, only to be reborn anew.

“Daddy, how long until Senior Brother hatches from the egg?”

Lu Linghe’s clear eyes sparkled with anticipation as he looked up at his father, eager to witness someone emerge from inside.

“It should be some time still. If you’re bored, why not go play with Little Creek and Little Peng King?”

Lu Changsheng said warmly to his daughter.

After returning home, he naturally resumed father-daughter lessons with Lu Baixi, creating a heartwarming daily routine.

Yet, even a father’s love and energy have their limits.

After a few days of teaching, Lu Changsheng summoned the Golden-Winged Roc to take over instructing Lu Baixi.

Seeing that his once Uncle Da Jin now appeared even younger, Lu Baixi couldn’t help but smile, though she refused to call him ‘uncle’ any longer.

Considering that, as the Shapeshifting Demon King, the Golden-Winged Roc was not to be trifled with, Lu Baixi, Lu Mengchan, Lu Linghe, and the other Lu family women began calling him Little Peng King instead.

“With Daddy around, boredom is out of the question,”

Lu Linghe beamed broadly, chattering away with endless questions like a little bundle of curiosity.

In that moment, Lu Changsheng suddenly paused, a look of realization etching his face as his brows knitted in concern.

“Someone is divining the Spirit Whale. Could it be True Lord Pinghai and his men?”

Lu Changsheng’s expression turned grim as he began calculating on his fingers.

After driving away the trio of Fuhai True Lords earlier, he had guessed that they wouldn’t let it go easily.

They would surely employ a diviner to gauge their situation.

Armed with the Heavenly Yuan Lotus, he had no cause for worry.

Once Yun Wanshang bore a son, she could use the Lu Family Record to help shield their destiny from the prying eyes of fate.

As for the rest—Qian Zhuyan, the Golden-Winged Roc, the Soul-Taking Beast, and the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale—Lu Changsheng then employed his Heavenly Secret Technique to conceal their destinies.

Based on his judgment, Qian Zhuyan, the Golden-Winged Roc, and the Soul-Taking Beast had all progressed to Fourth-Rank cultivation; without a token to mediate, they would be nearly impossible to divine.

Only the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale, having been hunted for so long by True Lord Pinghai’s trio, might be detected.

Thus, Lu Changsheng not only veiled her fate but also imbued her with several Dao-Comprehending Artifacts to obscure heavenly secrets.

“A Fourth-Rank Diviner?”

Harnessing the mysterious power of heavenly secrets, he roughly deduced that True Lord Pinghai’s trio had hired a Fourth-Rank Diviner to assess their fate.

“No wonder Nascent Soul cultivators have such extensive connections.”

Fourth-Rank Diviners are extremely scarce—not only in the cultivation world of Jiang Kingdom but even across the vast Starry Sea, they are a rare breed indeed.

“Are they diviners from the Zhenhai Seven Sects or from Starrymoon Hall?”

Lu Changsheng mused to himself.

Most factions do recruit or nurture diviners, yet he believed that True Lord Pinghai would likely avoid those from the Zhenhai Seven Sects and opt for another.

From his assessment, it was far more probable that he’d secure someone else.

After all, the most renowned diviner in the Starry Sea hailed from Starrymoon Hall, famed for his divination prowess.

“Under normal circumstances, no Fourth-Rank Diviner would sacrifice his lifespan to divine someone else’s fate.”

“Even if they deduced that the Spirit Whale was in Da Mengze, they wouldn’t come over lightly now.”

Lu Changsheng mused inwardly, confident in his own Heavenly Secret Technique.

Unless that Fourth-Rank Diviner willingly sacrificed his lifespan, there was no way he could divine the situation concerning Lu Lingjing and the others.

Moreover, most Fourth-Rank Diviners, typically Nascent Soul True Lords, wouldn’t be coerced into such a task.

No one would willingly waste their lifespan to perform such divinations for others.

“But delaying is like a ticking time bomb.”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes grew deep and mysterious, his pupils appearing interwoven with a grand net of fate as he foresaw that the issues surrounding the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale and the Kunpeng Egg would soon unleash a perilous aura.

“Little He, Daddy will take you to find the Spirit Whale.”

After a moment’s thought, Lu Changsheng resolved to inspect the condition of the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale to counter this ominous divination.

He planned to confront the impending fate head-on.

Lu Linghe glanced at the Kunpeng Egg beside him before joining his father as they exited the Heavenly Yuan Lotus and silently made their way to Xuan Whale Island via the Misty Dust Banner.

Starrymoon Hall was nestled in the Xingyun Archipelago amid the boundless sea.

Its palace, resembling a colossal star core, radiated a profound mysterious light amid towering columns of luminescence on thirteen islands, floating between sea and sky to create a scene of breathtaking grandeur.

At that moment, a man clad in a blue brocade robe patterned with ocean waves stepped out of Starrymoon Hall, his eyes as deep as the sea.

His face was set in a stern frown, and beneath the layers of embroidered waves his fists were clenched so tightly that blue veins stood out, a clear sign of his displeasure.

The sea wind howled as his robe whipped around him and his hair danced wildly in the storm.

After a brief silence, True Lord Pinghai stepped forward, his entire form seeming to merge with the endless ocean before vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile, inside Starrymoon Hall,

a teenager of about twelve or thirteen with a mischievously handsome face and eyes like swirling nebulae sat across from a mysterious young lady draped in delicate gauze, her skin pale as cold moonlight.

“Star King, what do you think?”

The young lady, wearing a flowing sky-blue robe with broad sleeves that rippled like drifting clouds and her light purple hair elegantly swept up with nine jade hairpins, spoke in a tone devoid of both sorrow and joy.

This young man, known as Star King, was one of the two grand masters of Starrymoon Hall, the foremost power within the Starry Sea.

With deep, enigmatic eyes, the young man smirked and replied, “What can I say? It’s all just coincidence.”

“According to our ancestral master’s last words, when the Sun-Moon Star Palace was breached and the Eastern Emperor’s lineage was nearly eradicated by the Demon Race, there was no way a great solar treasure could have been left behind.”

“Yue Zun, you don’t really think the Solar God Light mentioned by True Lord Pinghai comes from the Eastern Emperor’s lineage, do you? Are you planning to support that person in restoring the Sun-Moon Star Palace?”

The young man coolly replied while looking at the young lady whose eyes were partly veiled by gauzy fabric and whose dress bloomed like a mandorla.

Not long ago, True Lord Pinghai of the Zhenhai Seven Sects had visited Starrymoon Hall, requesting that he and Yue Zun perform a divination.

Although neither he nor Yue Zun was inclined to divine lightly, True Lord Pinghai’s enormous expense—and an outstanding favor he still owed—compelled them to agree.

Due to the chaotic, murky process that was rife with resistance, they sought additional details from True Lord Pinghai to serve as a medium for their divination.

It was then that they received a stunning piece of news from him.

True Lord Pinghai revealed that the subject in question possessed a treasure capable of emitting the Solar God Light across the vast void!

At that moment, both he and Yue Zun said little—merely informing True Lord Pinghai that the other party possessed an artifact that blocked heavenly secrets along with the aid of a top-tier diviner.

They assured him that, given enough time and effort, valuable rewards would eventually come to light.

After True Lord Pinghai departed, as they began their divination the two quickly realized something was amiss—this treasure was beyond their current capacity to divine.

“Moreover, our ancestral master prophesied that the great sun would rise from the Eastern Sea to support Fusang, and that the Starry Sea region belonged solely to the Southern Desolation cultivation realm.”

Star King continued, “Even if the Eastern Emperor were reincarnated or his heirs appeared, they would belong to the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm—not the Starry Sea!”

“In that case, let’s wait and see.”

Yue Zun’s eyes, shrouded in delicate gauze that rippled like intricate patterns, glimmered with elusive light as she spoke in a tone devoid of sentiment.

Having cultivated together for centuries, she knew well Star King’s intentions and refused to become a subordinate of any unfamiliar Eastern Emperor.

Additionally, she wasn’t willing, as per the ancestral master’s words, to support any unknown Eastern Emperor without first meeting him.

At the very least, she insisted on seeing this so-called ‘Eastern Emperor’ in person.

Otherwise, according to Master, the Sun-Moon Star Palace—once the pinnacle of power in the Eastern Sea guarded by a Transformative True Lord—would have never fallen.

How could such might, even at its zenith, have crumbled?

We are but Nascent Soul cultivators, like Star King; if we rashly choose to align with the Eastern Emperor and return to the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm, we might well be annihilated by the old enemies of the Sun-Moon Star Palace.

Xuan Whale Island.

Lu Changsheng noticed that the flow of heavenly secret energy had begun to dissipate, confirming his suspicion that the divination hadn’t been pushed to its depths.

That was only natural—at the Nascent Soul stage and with a Fourth-Rank Diviner, few are willing to risk their lifespan for such insights.

After strolling around Da Mengze with his daughter for a while, Lu Changsheng returned to the City Lord’s Mansion to assist Lu Quanzhen with his demonic fetus rebirth.

Half a month later, Ling Zixiao sent word that True Lord Tie Jian had come to pay a visit.

True Lord Tie Jian, formerly the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect and now a retired elder, held a status second only to True Lord Xuanjian and True Lord Juejian among their few peers.

After brief negotiations, Lu Changsheng, led by his son Lu Lingxiao and accompanied by a Core Formation offering from Damengze along with several False Core court officials, set off to Yue Kingdom for support.

As for the earlier plan to send Qian Zhuyan or the Golden-Winged Roc, after much deliberation, they decided against it.

First, the Liang-Yue War situation had changed—it no longer required prolonged stationing or even direct combat.

Qian Zhuyan was entirely absorbed in studying Fourth-Rank Puppets, and Lu Changsheng didn’t want to disturb him.

Second, Qian Zhuyan’s enemy, the Ancient Puppet Sect, was based in the endless desert west of Yue Kingdom.

In recent years, Yue Kingdom had enlisted Jiang Kingdom’s support, and besides the Yuan Kingdom Alliance, many independent cultivators had been invited—forces that might well include members of the Ancient Puppet Sect.

If Qian Zhuyan were to attract attention from these cultivators, complications could arise.

Regarding dispatching the Golden-Winged Roc, on one hand he held the title of Yangming Zhenren,

and on the other, as a Shapeshifting Demon King, he would be far less cooperative in Lu Changsheng’s absence.

Unless Lu Changsheng accompanied him or sent Hong Lian instead.

But Hong Lian was busy preparing for Nascent Soul matters.

Thus, when Lu Changsheng sent his son Lu Lingxiao, he also provided several Third-Rank Puppets as added support—a true display of sincerity.

Two months later, within the Heavenly Yuan Lotus,

the Kunpeng Egg, covered with dense runic inscriptions and shimmering with intertwined golden and dark luster, began to pulsate with terrifying energy.

Lu Changsheng gazed at the egg with hopeful anticipation.

He was eager to see just how far his son’s plundered essence from a Kunpeng hatchling would elevate him.

“Bzzzz——”

As the egg’s trembling grew ever more violent, the surrounding air seemed to warp under its turbulent force, forming ripples of energy.

After an extended moment, a crisp cracking sound resounded.

A dazzling surge of golden and dark radiance burst forth from the Kunpeng Egg like a tidal wave, its brilliant glow blinding as it lit up the entire Pocket Dimension.

“Wow, Senior Brother is about to emerge!”

Lu Linghe, meditating nearby, immediately shouted in excitement, eager to witness his elder brother’s hatching.

Yet the overwhelming brilliance made it impossible for her to keep her eyes open.

Had it not been for the three sariras given to her by Lu Changsheng, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand the torrent of energy.

Noticing this, Lu Changsheng quickly shielded his daughter.

Seeing a vague figure materializing within the Kunpeng Egg, he then covered her eyes with his divine sense.

After several measured breaths, a surge of pure, magnificent Blood Energy and magical energy flooded into his body, accompanied by a system prompt.

【Congratulations, the host has birthed its first Dao Body offspring, granting a rare lottery draw opportunity!】

【Detecting an upgrade in the offspring’s Spirit Body; the effects conflict. Do you wish to fuse?】

“Dao Body!?”

Lu Changsheng was astonished by the surge of Blood Energy and magical energy.

He had never expected the system to notify him that his first offspring had attained a Dao Body.

His first thought went to the sword embryo Dao Body within Yun Wanshang’s womb.

But the subsequent system prompt made it clear that it was not the sword embryo Dao Body.

Rather, it was his son Lu Quanzhen’s physique—directly upgraded from a Superior Spirit Body to a Dao Body. “What!?”

Even Lu Changsheng was stunned by his son’s sudden advancement.

Previously, although his son’s Kunpeng Demon Body was a Superior Spirit Body, it had barely managed to edge into that realm.

Its effect was far inferior to those of Lu Ping’an and Lu Lingxiao’s Superior Spirit Bodies.

He had assumed that his son’s Kunpeng Demon Body would at best reach the top-tier Spirit Body level.

But unexpectedly, his son’s physique leaped directly from Spirit Body to Dao Body! Moreover, the system generously awarded a rare lottery bonus—a reward that formerly, even for lower-tier Spirit Bodies, was granted only with normal lottery draws.

At that moment, Lu Changsheng felt his son’s demonic fetus rebirth had been an incredible bargain!

All his years of hard work had finally proven worthwhile.

Not only had he acquired a Huaying Pill, several exotic artifacts, and Spirit Treasures, but he had also gained a Dao Body and a rare lottery bonus! He restrained the surging energies in his body, planning to integrate them later.

The terrifying energy from the Kunpeng Egg persisted for nearly fifteen minutes before gradually subsiding.

Then, before them, a robust and athletic youth stood proudly.

His thick, flowing hair cascaded over his shoulders; one eye shone with brilliant gold while the other deep ebony, and he exuded a dazzling divine aura as if a Kunpeng phantom coiled about him, teeming with majestic power.

Lu Changsheng looked at his son, Lu Quanzhen, in awe.

Absolutely extraordinary!

Though his youthful appearance remained, his demeanor had transformed completely.

He resembled an ancient deity, transcending mortal bounds, or an anthropomorphic Kunpeng embodying the majesty of the heavens and earth!

“Father!”

Lu Quanzhen, feeling the surge of boundless energy coursing within him, called out to his father with a delighted expression.

From being trapped inside the Kunpeng hatchling to parasitizing it, usurping its essence, and even enduring near-death as the Heavenly Yuan Lotus’s energy waned over more than ten years—every hardship had been worth it.

The gains of these past years surpassed a century’s worth of arduous cultivation!

“Excellent,”

Lu Changsheng murmured with heartfelt approval.

In earlier days, when his son Lu Quanzhen had fallen into the hands of the Demon True Lord, his lifespan had nearly been cut short and his essence severely damaged.

Though Lu Changsheng had later helped mend his essence, the lost years could never be restored.

Now, he need not worry about his son’s lifespan or condition.

“Senior Brother Lu Quanzhen!”

Lu Linghe, still with his eyes covered by his father, eagerly called out, anxious to see how his elder brother would finally hatch from the egg.

“Quick, get dressed,”

Lu Changsheng immediately tossed a cyan robe to his son, instructing him.

Realizing he had just emerged completely naked from the egg, Lu Quanzhen accepted the garment and dressed neatly.

Draped in a cyan wide robe, his stature was now taller and more athletic—not as burly as Lu Ping’an but exhibiting a leaner, more agile build.

“Wow, Senior Brother Lu Quanzhen, you really did hatch from the egg,”

Lu Linghe’s mouth formed an astonished ‘O’ after his father released his grip from his eyes.

“.”

Though it was the plain truth, the words sounded strangely odd. Even though Senior Brother Lu Quanzhen rarely visited home since entering Core Formation, he still greeted fellow Lu Family disciples like Lu Wangshu with a slight nod, saying, “Little He.”

“Senior Brother Lu Quanzhen, you seem a lot taller now. Are you hungry? I have some food here.”

Lu Linghe blinked his big eyes and said to his brother as he reached into his Storage Pouch to fetch some food.

But the suppressive force of the Heavenly Yuan Lotus rendered the Storage Pouch nearly impossible to open unless vast magical energy was applied.

She immediately said to her father, “Daddy, I can’t open my Storage Pouch.”

“It will open once we step outside.”

Lu Changsheng patted her head and then looked at the Kunpeng Egg, curious about the whereabouts of the hatchling. Noticing his father’s gaze, Lu Quanzhen saluted and said, “Father, based on my calculations, this Kunpeng hatchling was expected to have a very short lifespan. But due to some mishaps during its transformation, I managed to completely refine it.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng felt a hint of regret, though he wasn’t too troubled—after all, had his son not completely refined the hatchling, it might never have advanced to a Dao Body. Besides, he also hoped to extract some Kunpeng blood essence from it for his children to cultivate True Spirit Nine Transformations.