Chapter 845: When the Patriarch Returns: Bonds and Blessings

“Dad, you’re back.”

“Dad, you finally made it home!”

Lu Ping’an and Lu Wangshu greeted their father with completely different attitudes.

Ping’an remained calm, a gentle smile hinting at his lips as he saluted politely.

His tall, broad frame radiated a deep and powerful presence.

Wangshu, on the other hand, skipped the formalities and called out with a blend of joy and mock annoyance, her red lips pouting slightly, her bright beauty undeniable and warm.

“Mm.”

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but smile at his daughter’s eager expression. He knew she’d been waiting impatiently for news about her core formation.

He turned to his son, Lu Ping’an, and asked with concern, “Ping’an, how is Xiaoqin doing lately?”

Lu Ping’an’s rugged, handsome face immediately broke into a beaming grin as he replied, “Dad, Yi Yi should have the baby in about two months.”

Though he never cared much about having heirs—

Once Qin Yi became pregnant, the thought of becoming a father filled him with a surge of joy he couldn’t put into words.

“Guess I’ll need to delay my seclusion or I might miss my nephew’s naming celebration.”

Lu Wangshu teased with a laugh from the side.

She was close to both Lu Ping’an and Qin Yi and had known for a while when her nephew would likely arrive.

“Heh.”

Watching his son’s infectious grin, joy shining in his eyes, Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but recall when his wife, Lu Lanshu, was pregnant with Ping’an.

Back then, he’d been a son-in-law with no real relationship foundation with Lu Lanshu.

Still, upon hearing she was expecting, a wave of excitement and happiness swept through him like never before.

Especially when he first heard his son cry and held the newborn in his arms—nothing else had ever matched that powerful surge of emotion.

Before he knew it, one hundred and twenty-six years had passed.

The once pink, wrinkled little infant he’d held aloft now stood as a respected Core Formation cultivator, on the verge of having children of his own.

This was what it meant to continue the family legacy.

Sadly, Lu Lanshu, who had no Spirit Root, had long since passed away and could not witness this moment.

“While I was away, I got a Corpse King Pearl—it’s useful for your cultivation. Take it.”

Lu Changsheng tossed the Corpse King Pearl to his son, then followed up by handing him a storage pouch. “There are some cultivation resources in here—enough to support your training.”

“And a few spirit medicines that’ll be good for the baby. You can give them to Xiaoqin.”

Since Ping’an stayed at home to watch over the family, his resources were a bit limited.

Now that Lu Changsheng had returned with a hefty haul, he wasn’t about to hold back.

“Dad, I still have enough resources.”

Ping’an quickly explained that his father had already given him plenty before departing last time, and he hadn’t used them up.

“Just take it. So many excuses!”

Lu Changsheng waved him off.

Whenever he could, he made sure to give his children a little extra.

Better that than missing the chance after running around so much.

“Big bro, why are you still being polite with Dad?”

Wangshu’s eyes curved in a bright smile.

She’d never stood on ceremony with her father.

After all, she was a third-rank talisman maker—hardly short on cash, a little rich lady in her own right.

But no amount of hard-earned money could match the speed of Dad’s generous handouts.

“Bonk!”

Despite her words, Lu Changsheng couldn’t resist lightly tapping his daughter’s head—this daughter never truly knew how hard it was to provide for a family.

He tossed the Corpse King Pearl and storage pouch to his son. “I’ve got other matters to handle and may be away again soon, so just take these as an early gift.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

Though his father always treated money lightly and made giving seem effortless,

Ping’an was keenly aware just how hard his father had been working, traveling all over.

As the eldest son, heir to so many blessings, Ping’an felt a heavy burden for being unable to ease his father’s troubles.

Instead, his father still treated him like a child, piling on precious cultivation resources. The weight of it sat heavily on his heart.

In most other families, the children went out to earn resources and provide for the clan.

“Focus on your training. I’ll have something for you to handle soon.”

Lu Changsheng knew his son was responsible and clapped him on the shoulder.

He was planning to involve Ping’an in upcoming matters.

Like when he dealt with the Qisha Sect, he intended to bring him along.

During his last visit to the Jin Kingdom to handle the Yin Ghost Sect, his other son, Lu Quanzhen, helped with the chores and made everything run smoother.

He found that taking one or two competent children along could come in handy more often than not.

“Yes, Father.”

Ping’an understood his father’s words were meant to comfort him, not to let anxiety fester.

He’d already planned that, after his own child was born and his siblings Wangshu and the others achieved Core Formation, he would head out with Qin Yi to help relieve the family’s burden—maybe even join the war efforts.

He’d been following the Liang-Yue War closely for years.

He knew that after Yue’s crushing defeat, the Jiang Kingdom faced serious danger.

With the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain now Jiang’s top clan, trouble was sure to reach them.

By then, sending just Qingxian to the front lines wouldn’t be nearly enough.

The whole family would be drawn into the broader war of the immortal world.

Lu Changsheng then checked in about Ping’an’s cultivation before turning to Wangshu with a smile. “Wangshu, have you sensed your second Heavenly Dao Core Formation opportunity?”

From her eager, expectant look, he guessed she’d made progress but hit a bottleneck.

“Dad, I’ve completely understood the opening for Heavenly Dao Core Formation.”

“Just give me enough time, and I can adjust my state to match it, then fully sense the opportunity.”

Wangshu’s rosy lips parted as she spoke, her voice clear and bright, a hint of proud confidence in her stylish gaze.

Though she couldn’t yet be in the Core Formation state at all times like her father,

Relying on a clear, focused Dao heart, she could slip into enlightenment with ease.

In this state she could master spells, talismans, formations, alchemy, artifact crafting—you name it—to an unbelievable level.

That’s how Wangshu had caught glimpses of Heavenly Dao Core secrets.

She could deliberately seek out and resonate with these opportunities, growing ever closer to unity with the Dao.

“Oh?”

Lu Changsheng’s expression warmed, his curiosity piqued as he asked about her recent insights and how she’d reached them.

Despite being playful since childhood and always pestering him for treats,

she’d never once let him down.

Her cultivation and talisman skills had always kept the family’s reputation strong—and surprised him more than once.

Wangshu immediately demonstrated her state of enlightenment for her father.

Seeing his sister like this, Ping’an couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.

If we’re talking raw talent, Wangshu wasn’t the family’s brightest star.

But in terms of comprehension and insight, she was way ahead of the pack.

She’d already become a third-rank talisman maker during Foundation Establishment.

She’d also dabbled in alchemy, artifact crafting, puppetry, formations, music, spiritual plants—almost every branch of the Dao.

Right now, it wasn’t talent that held Wangshu’s talisman art back, but her actual cultivation level.

Once she broke past Core Formation, it would be like shattering shackles—the progress in her talisman arts would be astonishing.

Lu Changsheng carefully watched the state his daughter was demonstrating.

He could see she was merging her Blood Talisman Spirit Body and the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra, entering a mysterious unity with talismans themselves.

From there, her talisman patterns reached into the laws of heaven and earth, touching unity with Dao and nature.

It was a mysterious process.

Talisman arts, after all, were essentially patterns that mirrored the rules of the world.

Now, with her own power, Wangshu could draw on even more of those forces.

With this breakthrough, her chances of obtaining an Immortal Golden Core were extremely high.

“Impressive.”

Lu Changsheng praised her with a smile, determined to push her odds even higher—close to absolute certainty.

With that, he presented her with a gift: a Butterfly Transformation Gu.

Wangshu was certainly familiar with Gu insects.

Her father had once given her, Qingqi, and Qingzhu a little Gu insect each.

She’d also learned a lot about poison arts from Meng Xiaochan.

If there’d been any family inheritance or the right environment for Gu-crafting, she might’ve tried making her own.

“This one’s called Butterfly Transformation. It symbolizes breaking out and soaring as a butterfly—perfect for Nirvana and enhancing your cultivation and innate talent.”

Lu Changsheng explained.

This Gu insect was a real treasure.

Ah Youduo had refined it in the first batch after obtaining the Gu God Cauldron, intending it for inner-circle confidantes.

But after hearing Lu Changsheng wanted potent spirit pills, she accelerated this one’s creation so he’d have it sooner.

“Enhance my talent and potential!”

Wangshu’s eyes shone with excitement as she studied the delicate Gu.

Her cultivation, magical power, and Dao foundation were all at their limits.

To go any further, she needed something that could boost her innate abilities.

She’d always benefited from good conditions since childhood.

As her father rose in the world, herbal baths and spirit medicines became normal, nearly pushing her gifts to their absolute peak.

Ordinary natural treasures no longer worked for her—they just had no effect.

“Thank you, Dad! I always knew you loved me the most.”

Wangshu instantly snuggled up to his arm, her voice sweet and cheerful.

“Haha.”

Lu Changsheng was long used to this side of her. With a wave of his hand, two porcelain vials appeared.

They were actually Heaven Mending Pills he’d collected from the Yin Ghost Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect.

He handed one each to Ping’an and Wangshu.

“This is… a Heaven Mending Pill!”

Wangshu opened her vial and gasped with delight.

Ping’an recognized the pill in his own bottle as well.

“Dad, the Heaven Mending Pill wouldn’t help me much. Why not give it to someone who needs it more?”

Wangshu glanced at the Butterfly Transformation Gu and Heaven Mending Pill and pressed her lips together, speaking softly.

She often pestered Dad for spirit stones and talismans,

But she wasn’t a sheltered daughter with no sense of struggle.

She knew how rare such resources truly were.

Usually she didn’t feel bad about asking for stones or charms—

After all, her father was a Nascent Soul True Lord.

A single high-grade spirit stone equaled a million lower-grade ones.

Just a few thousand or tens of thousands lasted her for years.

And for Dad, drawing talismans was as easy as eating or drinking—nothing like how hard it was for her.

But rare pills like the Heaven Mending Pill? She knew exactly how precious those were.

She understood they didn’t matter much for her—but plenty of relatives needed them more.

Ping’an felt the same and declined his pill, too. As a Core Formation cultivator, upgrading his Spirit Root now wouldn’t change much—maybe a slight improvement at best.

“Don’t worry, take it.”

Lu Changsheng was pleased to see his children’s humility.

Still, he believed they could both benefit from the Heaven Mending Pill.

Especially Wangshu.

Having given his daughter every advantage, why not do everything possible?

But noticing Ping’an’s determination, he sighed and sent him a message quietly: “If you really can’t use it, see who in the family needs it more.”

Truth was, plenty in the family could use the Heaven Mending Pill.

He always found it tough to divide up resources like these.

After chatting for a while, Lu Changsheng started inspecting Wangshu’s talisman cultivation.

Noting that her talisman arts were badly limited by her current realm, he didn’t linger any longer and began helping her refine the Butterfly Transformation Gu.

Three days later, Wangshu had fully refined the Gu.

The butterfly-shaped insect quivered, cloaked in rainbow mist, darting and fluttering around her, shrouding her body.

Swirls of light revealed the faint outline of butterfly wings unfolding from Wangshu’s back, like something from a dream.

“Sumeru.”

Seeing that his daughter’s transformation would take time, Lu Changsheng didn’t stick around, instead asking the Sumeru Tree King to keep an eye on her.

Then he began preparing Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

The blood he’d gotten from True Lord Mingsha was exceptionally high quality.

Even though Wangshu had reached third-rank in physical refinement, she couldn’t handle it undiluted.

Besides, the blood wasn’t just for Wangshu—Lu Linghe, Lu Baixi, and the sons Lu Shouzheng, Lu Yunxiao, Lu Chensha, and Lu Xingchen were meant to share it too.

“Ah, I had nothing like this when I was still in Foundation Establishment,” Lu Changsheng muttered as he mixed and diluted the blood,

Preparing the precious resource, he headed off to visit his other children.

“Daddy, you’re back!”

Lu Linghe, sparring with Lu Baixi in the courtyard, called out with glee the moment she saw him.

“Daddy, where are Mengmeng and Minghuang?”

A moment later, Linghe asked about them.

Although Baixi and Mengchan weren’t especially close,

Linghe’s cheerful personality meant she got along with everyone, including Mengchan and Minghuang.

“Mengmeng and Aunt Xiaochan are training in Jin Kingdom, preparing for Core Formation. Minghuang is also staying there for a while.”

Lu Changsheng patiently explained.

“Daddy, what’s Jin Kingdom like? I heard it’s a demonic path nation, with the Five Poisons Sect, Heavenly Corpse Sect, and Yin Ghost Sect. Aunt Xiaochan used to be in the Five Poisons Sect…”

Linghe’s curiosity flared as she probed for news about them and conditions in Jin Kingdom.

“Actually, the Jin Kingdom isn’t so different from our Jiang Kingdom. If you’re interested, I’ll take you to see it next time.”

Now that things were stable in Jin, Lu Changsheng saw no harm in showing his kids around.

“Thanks, Daddy.” Linghe nodded, having no bias against the demonic path.

She believed people, not cultivation, determined good or evil.

After all, her mother, Ling Zixiao, practiced a demonic path technique,

And her brother Quanzhen did the same.

Soon she was chattering about the Yue War. She’d heard the Liang-Yue conflict was brutal, that Qingxian was off at the front, big brother always mentioned it, and she wanted to see for herself.

She wasn’t fascinated by warfare itself.

But after hearing so much about its harshness, she wanted to understand it firsthand.

Lu Changsheng hadn’t expected news of the Liang-Yue War to travel so far—Linghe seemed to know all about it.

It was clear just how much the war affected Jiang.

“It’s dangerous. Once you make Core Formation, I’ll take you to see—if I have time.”

He didn’t want his children scarred by scenes of war.

But facing those bright, innocent eyes, he still nodded and agreed.

“Daddy, where’s the little Roc King?” Baixi asked about her best friend.

That reminded Lu Changsheng of the Golden-Winged Roc in the Heavenly Yuan Lotus. He called it out.

“Master, is there something you need?” The great golden bird gleamed, asking Lu Changsheng what task he might have in mind.

But as soon as Baixi reached out, the immense bird shimmered, shrinking into the form of a sharp-featured golden-armored teenager.

“Little Creek, did you need something?”

Despite his youthful appearance, the Roc carried a chilling, steely edge—nothing boyish at all.

“I just saw Dad come home and wondered if you’d made it back too.”

For once, Baixi’s normally cold little face curved in a quiet smile.

“Oh.” The Roc nodded with his usual gravity. “With Master back, of course I’d return. Are you having any trouble with cultivation?”

Baixi immediately began asking him about training.

“Huh?” Lu Changsheng was startled.

Baixi was different from his other children. She almost always looked cold and disinterested.

Even with him, her father, she only occasionally showed warmth.

Now, with the Roc, her smile blossomed openly.

She’d always come to him for help, too. But now she was learning from the Golden-Winged Roc instead.

For a moment, the Lu Ancestor felt a little jealous.

But he understood. Baixi had always been sensitive about still looking so young.

So, compared to herself, she felt more at ease with a transformed Roc who looked even younger.

Lu Changsheng decided to introduce Lu Lingjing to Baixi sometime soon.

“Roc, go check on Chensha and the Phantom Mink.”

With the two already chatting, he sent the Golden-Winged Roc on its way.

Then, he summoned a cauldron and began helping his daughters refine the diluted Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, to cleanse bones and purify bodies.