Chapter 842: Intrigues and Unforeseen Bonds

But True Lord Ben currently has urgent matters to attend to; the ceremony for taking a concubine will be held on an auspicious day in the future.

Lu Changsheng, his expression calm, continued.

These past years, with countless matters to handle, Lu Ancestor hadn’t taken a concubine in a long time.

Yet he was thoroughly familiar with the procedure, knowing every detail by heart.

The truth was, he had too many pressing issues back in Jiang Kingdom to spare time for organizing the concubine ceremony here.

“Yes, True Lord.”

Yin Yuge replied obediently.

But her lowered, inky eyes betrayed an undercurrent of complex uncertainty.

After all, she was a Core Formation female cultivator.

Her talent, beauty, and figure were exceptional.

Everywhere she went, she was treated with respect, attracting numerous ardent admirers.

She was truly seen as an unattainable goddess by many within the Heaven Corpse Sect.

Yet now, having bound herself to the Yangming True Lord as a concubine without even a proper ceremony, she couldn’t help but feel a ripple of unease.

But ever since being chosen by the Heaven Corpse Sect Master, she had been repeatedly warned.

This Yangming True Lord was of extraordinary power and status—she must serve him well and seize the opportunity.

If she could earn his favor and bear him children, she might even attain a Nascent Soul breakthrough.

He might even grant her the sect’s time-honored female corpse as her fate’s body to help bolster her cultivation.

Bearing this in mind, Yin Yuge quickly set aside her inner turmoil and resolved to adjust her state, determined to win the Yangming True Lord’s favor.

Seeing Lu Changsheng’s response, the Heaven Corpse Sect Master exhaled a relieved sigh and said, “It matters not, as long as the True Lord is pleased.”

“If the True Lord ever needs anything, you may ask Yuge or have her send a message to me,” he added.

Though in Yin Yuge’s presence the Heaven Corpse Sect Master avoided addressing Lu Changsheng as ‘Master’, his demeanor remained deeply respectful.

After all, his informants had made it clear that the Yangming True Lord was no ordinary Nascent Soul powerhouse.

Not only did he possess the might to effortlessly annihilate Nascent Soul cultivators, but he also commanded a pair of formidable Fourth-Rank spirit pets.

Such strength placed him among the top cultivators across both Southern Desolation and the Northern Region!

Especially since this reincarnated giant was destined for limitless potential.

In time, he might even break through into the later Core Formation stage and ascend to the highest echelons as a True Lord in the cultivation world!

“Master Yan, you’re too kind,” Lu Changsheng said with a smile.

He confided to Yan Wujiang that once he completed refining his Spirit Treasure, he would temporarily leave Jin Kingdom.

Many of the affairs in Jin Kingdom would then depend on his support.

In any emergency, they could urgently send him a message.

As he spoke, Lu Changsheng handed a pre-prepared Jade Talisman to the Heaven Corpse Sect Master.

This Jade Talisman was not only for calling him in emergencies, but also for summoning help when in danger.

Sure enough,

Upon receiving the Jade Talisman from Lu Changsheng, the Heaven Corpse Sect Master’s face brightened immediately.

He was willing to submit to Lu Changsheng and even hand over the sect’s Core Formation prodigy as a concubine—essentially, his demands amounted to two primary conditions.

Further advancement in the future;

In times of danger or trouble, Lu Changsheng could always assist.

Although Lu Changsheng had previously promised to escort him to the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons to seek the sect’s lost treasure, to hunt down demonized beasts, and to confront the Corpse King—

such plans, lacking a fixed time, seemed nothing more than empty promises.

Now, receiving an emergency signal in the form of a Jade Talisman offered at least some assurance.

“Yan, I have pressing matters to handle, so I won’t burden the True Lord further,” he said.

With the concubine already delivered, Yan Wujiang, not intending to linger, excused himself.

Before departing, he sent a message to Yin Yuge, urging her to serve the Yangming True Lord diligently.

After all, her future performance would affect not only her own fate but also the standing of the Heaven Corpse Sect in Lu Changsheng’s eyes.

Seeing that their sect master displayed humble reverence before the Yangming True Lord, Yin Yuge felt an added weight of responsibility.

“Yuge, can you stow away that female corpse for now?”

After Yan Wujiang left, Lu Changsheng turned to the tall female corpse beside Yin Yuge and inquired.

Though Lu Ancestor was curious about many matters, he had no interest in this type of female corpse.

He was baffled.

In his mind, why would the Heaven Corpse Sect Master send a concubine along with an entire female corpse?

Could it be that, favoring a woman, they casually paired her with a ‘signature specialty’ of the Heaven Corpse Sect?

The extravagance was simply over the top!

“True Lord, please wait a moment,” Yin Yuge interjected.

At her words, she swiftly patted the pouch at her waist meant for the corpse.

In an instant, a broad, jet-black wooden coffin materialized in the hall.

As the coffin slowly opened, a potent, pure yin energy permeated the air.

“Wugou!”

Yin Yuge softly called to the female corpse, then chanted a rapid string of enigmatic necromantic incantations.

Clad in black and white robes, the tall female corpse—with a statuesque, solemn bearing and an eerie, exquisite beauty—ambled into the coffin, then lay down with her hands neatly folded over her abdomen.

“Boom!”

A heavy, muffled thud resounded as the coffin sealed shut, causing the lingering yin energy to vanish.

Yet instead of tucking the coffin into her pouch, Yin Yuge gently lifted it and secured it onto her back with two sturdy straps.

The tight black bands that crossed beneath her ample bosom accentuated her generous curves, exuding a seductive aroma.

“???”

Lu Changsheng, taken aback by the sight of Yin Yuge—her flowing silver hair, graceful figure, and youthful features—as she carried the massive coffin, was momentarily speechless.

He wondered what kind of spectacle this was meant to be.

Yet he soon discerned that with the coffin strapped to her back, Yin Yuge and the corpse seemed to share an inexplicably intimate connection—a subtle, intertwined flow of energy.

“True Lord, I have only recently refined ‘Wugou’ into my fate’s body. I cannot be apart from her for long; even stowing her away in the corpse pouch might disrupt this bond,” she explained deferentially.

Immediately, with a mix of deference and pity, Yin Yuge spoke to Lu Changsheng.

“Wugou?” Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow, seizing the opportunity to inquire about this unusual practice concerning the retention of a corpse within the Heaven Corpse Sect.

Although it touched on the sect’s secret traditions,

given the Yangming True Lord’s stature, Yin Yuge explained everything truthfully.

She revealed that ‘Wugou’ was the name she had given the female corpse—its full name being ‘Yin Wugou’.

This corpse was a treasured relic of the Heaven Corpse Sect, its innate potential surpassing even her own; as her fate’s body, their lives were bound together, their energies merging to boost her potential.

In dire straits, she could even channel her spirit into her fate’s body or refine it further into an external avatar.

“I see,” Lu Changsheng murmured.

He nodded slightly, surmising that this fate’s body concept bore a resemblance to the ‘Cantong Pact’.

By harnessing the primordial essence of yin corpses, one could significantly enhance one’s inherent potential.

But this also meant their fates were inseparably linked—any future breakthrough would require first strengthening the fate’s body.

Without pressing further, he assigned a resting place for Yin Wugou.

“Yuge,”

Lu Changsheng fixed his gaze on Yin Yuge, intent on reaching the depths of her soul to further their connection.

She was mentally prepared for this.

She set down the coffin; her Gothic-style dark dress—reminiscent of a sheer, mysterious chiffon adorned with intricate patterns like thorned blossoms—exuded an aura of haunting allure.

Then, with a gentle resolve, her petite form stepped into Lu Changsheng’s embrace.

Her pale, jade-like neckline shone like moonlight against a dark night.

As she nestled against him, subtle hints of pink hinted at her charm and playful grace.

Observing the slightly hurried, awkward movements of the young woman, Lu Ancestor inwardly sighed; such tender affectations were all too common.

However, when it came to matters of intimacy, Lu Ancestor had long mastered the art and took the lead.

Moments later, as if unveiling a hidden treasure, the young woman’s Gothic dark skirt dropped to reveal intricately embroidered, lace-trimmed underwear.

Her soft, supple legs were encased in exquisitely patterned black stockings.

Whether it was her usual attire or something specially prepared, her outfit perfectly complemented her youthful, alluring appearance, exuding undeniable seduction.

Her allure swirled like rippling spring waves.

Time passed, its measure lost in the moment.

“Yuge, having experienced intimacy, you must now rest and recover well,” Lu Changsheng urged, cradling the frail, flushed Yin Yuge.

Her pale face still held traces of warmth, and his voice was gentle as he spoke.

Now, with Lu Ancestor’s extraordinary physique and the activation of his Kidney Divine Treasure, he was brimming with energy.

The tender Yin Yuge, new to intimacy, was no match for him and could not possibly satisfy him completely.

Thus, faced with such circumstances, Lu Ancestor naturally showed compassion and did not push her too hard.

Yin Yuge felt a pang of self-reproach.

She never imagined that before the Yangming True Lord, she would feel so inadequate.

It must be remembered that as a Core Formation cultivator of the Heaven Corpse Sect, her method involved dual cultivation of body and magic.

Her physical form rivaled that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators, comparable to a Third-Rank body refinement practitioner.

Yet now, she was utterly unable to resist his advances.

“True Lord, may I let Wugou serve you?”

Yin Yuge winced slightly as she spoke.

When the Heaven Corpse Sect Master bestowed this treasured yin corpse upon her, he had subtly hinted at such an arrangement.

Though some cultivators of the Heaven Corpse Sect chose to live in communion with their yin corpses as life partners,

she found it difficult to accept the notion.

But now, she understood the deeper meaning behind their sect master’s intentions—to share some of the burden through the yin corpse.

“???”

Lu Changsheng was momentarily taken aback.

Gazing between Yin Yuge in his arms and the massive coffin by her side, he was rendered speechless.

He hadn’t expected that the female corpse was indeed the ‘specialty’ offered by the Heaven Corpse Sect.

No— the extravagance of the Heaven Corpse Sect’s tastes was simply too much!

No wonder the sect was associated with the demonic path—damn, they really pushed the limits.

In that instant, Lu Ancestor’s opinion of the Heaven Corpse Sect plummeted.

“I have no interest in such matters,” Lu Changsheng stated coolly.

“True Lord, I meant no disrespect; it’s just…”

Hearing the flat tone in her voice, Yin Yuge sensed his indifference and instantly realized that she had misjudged the True Lord’s preferences; in a panic, she said,

“Rest well.”

As the concubine, she also doubled as an informant for the Heaven Corpse Sect, and Lu Changsheng treated her with the dignity of a True Lord rather than as one of his other wives.

After speaking, he adjusted his robe with a casual gesture and went off to check on his other wives and children.

The delicate Yin Yuge, watching Lu Changsheng depart, clenched her small hand—disbelief that she had already made such a misstep on her first day overwhelming her.

Immediately, she pondered how she might mend the situation and win back the True Lord’s favor.

After meeting with Nangong Mili, Meng Xiaochan, and Lu Jiangtang, Lu Changsheng proceeded to the Artifact Refining Hall to collaborate with three sect weaponsmiths on refining his Spirit Treasure, the Starrealm Compass.

Four months later, the refinement was complete.

Due to time constraints and limited materials, the Starrealm Compass barely attained the status of a Spirit Treasure.

Yet refining a Spirit Treasure in just four months was an extraordinary feat.

It even recalled the time when three sect weaponsmiths had assisted him in reworking the materials to remake the Danghun Bell.

“As long as the ‘Starlight’ can cling to the Nascent Soul, forming an imprint, it will suffice,” he murmured.

Lu Changsheng gazed at the compass in his hand—a solid artifact, neither fully golden nor entirely jade-like, with a deep, mysterious blue hue and twinkling specks of starry light—and mumbled to himself.

A Spirit Treasure capable of disrupting the Nascent Soul, much like the Danghun Bell.

However, he did not expect the Starrealm Compass’s starlight to block the Nascent Soul’s spirit outright.

It only needed to form an imprint on the Nascent Soul, thus enabling pursuit via the compass.

“These days, thank you all for your hard work. Here are some of my insights on Artifact Refining. Feel free to study, discuss, and see if you can glean anything from them,” he said.

Lu Changsheng then looked toward the main hall with reverence and tossed out his prepared Divine Creation Refinement Art scroll for Artifact Refining.

The scroll did not contain the full text, but it was a compilation of insights and methods for refining Spirit Treasures.

It was also his means of securing the loyalty of these weaponsmiths.

“We are grateful, True Lord!”

The weaponsmiths’ faces lit up, as if they had been given a priceless treasure.

After all, this True Lord was clearly a Fourth-Rank Artifact Refining cultivator with a top-tier refining legacy.

Even a few pointers were enough to greatly benefit them.

They also saw that Lu Changsheng highly valued talented weaponsmiths.

If someone demonstrated exceptional talent and insight and was taken on as a disciple of the Yangming True Lord, it could be an instant leap to the top.

Even if one didn’t become a disciple, serving as an assistant or further refining their skills would significantly boost their status.

Lu Changsheng waved his hand and, looking slightly fatigued, left the Artifact Refining Hall.

“Father,”

Lu Quanzhen had finished his tasks and returned accompanied by Lu Minghuang and Lu Mengchan.

Hearing that Lu Changsheng had emerged from seclusion, he immediately arrived to report on the affairs outside the Yin Ghost Sect.

“You handle these matters,” Lu Changsheng said dismissively, entrusting everything to his son.

He then asked Lu Minghuang and Lu Mengchan how their outings had been.

“Quanzhen, I still have matters to attend to in Jiang Kingdom. Oversee the Yin Ghost Sect from now on,” he instructed.

After a while, Lu Changsheng informed his son Lu Quanzhen that he planned to return to Jiang Kingdom.

Even though his divination and heavenly secret sensing indicated that neither his family nor the Immortal City of Damengze faced dire peril—just fluctuating fortunes—

he remained uneasy until the matters of the Zhenhai Seven Sects and the Zhenhai Patriarch were resolved, as if a sword hung over his head.

Now that his cultivation had broken through to the second layer of Nascent Soul, his body refinement had reached mid Fourth-Rank, and he possessed both the Danghun Bell and the Starrealm Compass—treasures that could, under certain conditions, constrain the Nascent Soul—he felt more confident about handling the Zhenhai Patriarch.

He believed that with the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror unleashing his Celestial Treasure Might, he could swiftly subdue his enemy!

“Yes, Father,” replied Lu Quanzhen.

Lu Quanzhen had long suspected that his father would entrust the Yin Ghost Sect to him.

He was completely unfazed by that prospect.

He planned to leverage the gains from recent days and the resources—along with the spiritual veins of the Yin Ghost Sect—to break through into the later stage of Core Formation.

“Minghuang, Meng Meng, are you planning to stay here or return to Bihu Mountain?”

Lu Changsheng turned to his other two children and inquired.

They exchanged glances; though they leaned toward returning, they agreed to abide by their father’s arrangement.

“Alright, I’ll discuss it with your mother later,” he added.

For now, Lu Changsheng decided they would remain.

On one hand, the Yin Ghost Sect needed family oversight to manage affairs,

and on the other, his son Lu Minghuang and Nangong Mili had been apart for many years—leaving the woman deeply dissatisfied with her son’s current behavior.

If he took her away without proper nurturing, resentment might well grow.

Thus, it was best for Lu Minghuang to remain within the Yin Ghost Sect, learning under Lu Quanzhen’s guidance.

Moreover, with the abundant resources of the Yin Ghost Sect and the extensive assets of the Five Poisons Sect, it was an ideal environment for Meng Xiaochan and daughter Lu Mengchan to cultivate.

After speaking with his three children, Lu Changsheng proceeded to the Artifact Refining Hall to collaborate with the three sect weaponsmiths on refining his Spirit Treasure, the Starrealm Compass.