Chapter 862: Bloodline Talents, Forbidden Secrets

A talent born from bloodline power?!

Lu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed, surprise flickering deep within.

Based on the Turtle Immortal Patriarch’s strength and the Golden-Winged Roc’s words, Lu Changsheng had already guessed this old turtle’s bloodline was anything but ordinary—possibly stronger than all his current spirit pets.

But to think a bloodline talent could nurture a Nascent Soul stage doppelganger… That was on a whole other level.

Just how rare was this bloodline?

None of his own spirit pets came close to this kind of talent.

Almost as if worried he wouldn’t believe it, the Turtle Immortal looked over at the Zhenhai Patriarch.

He watched as the two figures’ auras began to interweave, blending seamlessly together.

Back then, their similarities had only shown in manner and temperament.

But now, as their auras fused, the two seemed like trueborn brothers.

Even Lu Changsheng found himself both skeptical and amazed by the sight.

Only now did he realize why these two shared such a deep bond.

Why, when meeting the Turtle Immortal, he had always felt an auspicious omen.

Why, back when he tried to divine the situation in the Fuhai Sect, no matter how he cast, there were always subtle signs of great fortune.

Because as long as the Zhenhai Patriarch summoned his true form, Lu Changsheng could use the Demon Subjugation Talisman to make this top-tier demon king submit!

And through controlling this demon king, he could indirectly command Zhenhai Patriarch and even the Zhenhai Seven Sects!

Such an enormous gain was more than worthy of a great fortune sign!

“What kind of beast is your true form? How would you rate your bloodline?”

Lu Changsheng continued questioning.

He might have glimpsed the Turtle Immortal’s true form earlier, but he hadn’t recognized it.

He couldn’t judge its bloodline rank.

At his question, both the Turtle Immortal and the Zhenhai Patriarch looked a bit surprised.

How could a supposed “Eastern Emperor’s Heir” not know their true form?

Granted, he was hatched with some innate deficiencies.

But anyone who’d seen his appearance could identify him as a Sacred Guardian Beast of Yuhai Mountain—of the Xuanming Mountain Sea Turtle line.

Could Lu Changsheng not really be the Eastern Emperor’s Heir?

The thought of that Eastern Emperor Mirror earlier, which had unleashed a beam of Yin-Yang energy…

And using something as unbelievable as a Demon Subjugation Talisman—suddenly the Turtle Immortal realized the man before him might not be the Eastern Emperor’s Heir at all.

Instead, he was likely someone truly terrifying whose origins were shrouded in mystery.

“My lord, my true form is a pure-blooded true spirit: the Xuanming Mountain Sea Turtle.” The Turtle Immortal Patriarch quickly responded, voice full of pride.

He couldn’t help it—a sense of pride and superiority shone on his face.

And he had every right to be proud.

Among the demon race, having the blood of a true spirit was a great honor.

Once one’s bloodline reached a certain standard, you were considered low-rank true spirit.

Above that: mid-rank, then high-rank, and finally—true pure-blooded.

Even though he was hatched with innate flaws and never quite achieved pure-blood,

his bloodline was still stronger than average mid-rank true spirits—better even than most high-rank demon bloodlines.

“Pure-blooded true spirit?”

Lu Changsheng arched a brow. He knew true spirits went from low to mid, high, and then the top tier.

But he’d never heard exactly where pure-blooded fit in.

Still, now wasn’t the time to dwell on details.

Instead, he pressed on. “When you use your bloodline’s talent to create a doppelganger, are there any limits? And how is it a demon’s clone ends up as the Patriarch of the Zhenhai Seven Sects?”

If word ever got out that the head of the Zhenhai Seven was a demon’s doppelganger, the whole cultivation world would go wild.

Lu Changsheng was desperate to know how they’d pulled that off.

“I was originally the Sacred Guardian Beast and Supreme Elder of the Zhenhai Seven. Because the local spiritual veins here at Starry Sea limited my growth, I used my bloodline talent to nurture a doppelganger for the Zhenhai Sects, while my main body left for the Forbidden Sea to cultivate.”

“This bloodline power allows each Xuanming Mountain Sea Turtle only a single doppelganger in their whole life—even death can’t reset that count. The cost is steep, and the clone will never surpass the main body.”

The Turtle Immortal Patriarch’s back was hunched, his frame like an aged turtle bearing a great weight as he spoke respectfully.

“The Sacred Guardian Beast and Supreme Elder of the Zhenhai Seven…”

Suddenly, it all clicked for Lu Changsheng.

He’d imagined this old turtle used its bloodline clone to steal the seat of power within the Zhenhai Seven.

Turns out, he’d actually been the Zhenhai Seven’s Supreme Elder and Sacred Beast from the start.

Only, the Starry Sea had grown too small for his ambitions, so he left a doppelganger to watch over them as he journeyed on.

“No wonder a sect that’s endured for thousands of years could have such a terrifying foundation.”

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help being awed.

Just having seven or eight Nascent Soul True Lords at all times made the Zhenhai Seven a major force among Starry Sea’s elite.

And now it turned out they’d been protected by a hidden supreme beast and elder this whole time.

That kind of power was beyond imagination.

If not for the Demon Subjugation Talisman, today he’d either be running for his life or in even worse shape.

“Relax. So long as you loyally serve me, you’ll remain the Supreme Elder of the Zhenhai Seven—I won’t shackle your freedom.”

Lu Changsheng’s tone was calm as he addressed the Turtle Immortal.

He knew powerful demon kings like this needed respect.

You couldn’t treat a being like him as just a pet or a lowly servant.

Sure, with the Demon Subjugation Talisman, he could take his life or worse with just a thought.

But forcing obedience would only breed resentment, making him unwilling to truly serve.

And based on how the Turtle Immortal had revealed these secrets, he clearly had his own bargaining chips.

He might have subdued the old turtle, but he hadn’t yet taken control of the Zhenhai Patriarch.

And the old turtle could, in fact, handle that task—keeping the Zhenhai Seven in check on his behalf.

As soon as he finished, Lu Changsheng looked at the Zhenhai Patriarch and said coldly, “Hand over a drop of your soul blood, then open your mind and let me plant a restriction.”

The Zhenhai Patriarch might’ve been under the turtle’s thumb.

But if he didn’t have his own failsafes in place, how could he possibly trust him?

“This…”

The Turtle Immortal and Zhenhai Patriarch might have shared a body once, but each had their own mind.

Now that the Turtle Immortal was enslaved by the talisman,

the Patriarch knew that if he also handed over his soul blood and became bound by a restriction, he’d end up in the same boat.

But he also understood the main body’s reasoning.

As long as you’re alive, there’s always hope of breaking free one day.

Seeing the Turtle Immortal offer a cold, wordless nod, Zhenhai Patriarch sighed, sliced his brow, and forced out a drop of soul blood. His face went ashen.

Lu Changsheng took the blood and began weaving restriction after restriction into the Zhenhai Patriarch’s soul.

His restrictions might not be in the same league as the Demon Subjugation Talisman—the other might break free one day.

But with this drop of soul blood as leverage, he’d sense if the restrictions were tampered with and could use the Ten Thousand Calamities Toxic Spirit Codex to curse him on the spot.

Even with their difference in cultivation, it’d be hard to kill the Zhenhai Patriarch outright, but costly or not,

just keeping him contained would be easy enough.

Besides, the Ten Thousand Calamities Codex and Divine Creation Refinement Art both had additional ways to control others.

Once back home, he’d use this soul blood as a catalyst to make a token and secure his hold even more.

When he finished, Lu Changsheng considered asking about the Zhenhai Seven, the Star King, and Starrymoon Hall.

But just then, he sensed True Lord Xuanjian arrive beyond the grand array and told the Zhenhai Patriarch, “Go handle the Fuhai Sect situation.”

After all, while the battle had been brief,

the damage to Fuhai Sect was severe.

Now that he’d enslaved the Turtle Immortal—and picked up a Zhenhai Patriarch for free—he almost felt like the Fuhai Sect and the whole Zhenhai Seven were now his own property.

Naturally, he needed to take care of the aftermath.

“Understood.” The Zhenhai Patriarch took a deep breath, shot a signal to the Fourth-Rank Demon King pressed flat by the Golden-Winged Roc, then turned to begin the cleanup.

The Golden-Winged Roc eyed the food that slipped through his beak, sulking.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you later.”

Lu Changsheng promised, planning to bring him to Beast God Mountain for a feast. Then he walked out of the Fuhai Sect with the Turtle Immortal.

Meanwhile, outside the sect…

True Lord Xuanjian appeared in a snowy white robe, his magic sword in hand, gazing at the Fuhai Sect.

He’d just been wandering a distant island, gathering news about Starry Sea.

When he suddenly sensed a huge disturbance erupting from the direction of the sect.

He instantly realized Nascent Soul cultivators were battling.

Recalling Lu Changsheng had headed this way on a fact-finding mission, it was easy to guess he’d gotten into a fight with Fuhai’s Nascent Soul True Lords.

Although the resulting waves of power didn’t quite add up…

Still, given their new alliance, Xuanjian rushed over immediately.

But as he arrived, all signs of battle abruptly disappeared.

“City Lord Wang?”

Xuanjian didn’t push his way in. Instead, he used a message talisman to call out to Lu Changsheng and check in.

After all, once inside a Nascent Soul sect, it could be tough to get out again—things were risky.

Just then—

The deep blue array surrounding Fuhai Sect rippled with waves.

Out stepped an imposing man in black robes, followed by an old man in a wide dark robe, turtle-backed and hunched.

“City Lord Wang?”

Xuanjian spotted Lu Changsheng and called out.

Then his gaze fell, suspicious, on the Turtle Immortal who trailed a half-step behind.

While the Turtle Immortal suppressed all traces of magical might and looked like nothing more than a decrepit servant,

at the Nascent Soul level, the more someone concealed their aura, the scarier they usually were.

“Xuanjian, my friend.”

Lu Changsheng nodded with an easy smile.

Though his magical energy and blood were a little disordered—a clear sign he’d just fought.

“I just finished a match with the Zhenhai Patriarch. We’ve laid down arms and started peace talks. Give me a little time to handle things.”

Lu Changsheng reassured Xuanjian, not mentioning he’d just subdued the Zhenhai Patriarch.

After all, word of such a conquest could spread panic and unrest.

For now, it was best to keep things as they were.

With the Zhenhai Patriarch running the Seven from behind the scenes, he could quietly siphon off resources for his own purposes.

Once he was strong enough, then he could openly take over.

If anyone learned the Zhenhai Seven had changed hands now, every other power in Starry Sea would be sniffing around for dirt.

Especially with most of their Nascent Soul True Lords dead or crippled and barely anyone left standing.

If they realized the Seven were running on fumes, they might not even be able to hold onto their turf.

“Hmm?”

Xuanjian’s mind whirled with suspicion.

How had things gone from fact-finding to negotiations so quickly?

If Lu Changsheng had that kind of clout, why hadn’t he just made peace in the first place?

Wasn’t he worried the Zhenhai Patriarch might be forcing him?

But Lu Changsheng’s demeanor showed no fear.

Given his strength, it would’ve taken at least several top Nascent Soul Lords ambushing him to put him down that fast.

“Alright, then. I’ll wait here. If anything comes up, just send word.”

Xuanjian nodded and didn’t enter the sect.

He’d already confirmed Zhenhai Seven’s strength matched Lu Changsheng’s description; there were eight Nascent Soul True Lords backing them up, a terrifying force.

And he still couldn’t make sense of how a deadly brawl had ended in peace talks so suddenly.

He even suspected Lu Changsheng might be setting this all up to lure him into the sect.

Besides, once you entered a fourth-rank forbidden grand formation like this, you lost all leverage. Best not to risk it.

“Fine.” Lu Changsheng nodded and strolled back into the sect with the Turtle Immortal to continue their discussion.

“My name is Gui Da. But you can simply call me Old Turtle, my lord.”

The Turtle Immortal, hearing Lu Changsheng ask his name, answered respectfully.

Now bound by the Demon Subjugation Talisman, his spirit would only become more submissive.

Not only could he not resist Lu Changsheng anymore, but over time, he’d feel increasingly loyal.

Eventually, the very idea of breaking free would fade away.

That was the terrifying advantage of the talisman.

“So what’s the current situation with the Zhenhai Seven? Other than you, any more Nascent Soul cultivators or Fourth-Rank demon kings?”

Lu Changsheng asked.

He did have a rough idea of the Seven’s strength,

but that sort of information could always be bought—the real secrets lay deeper.

The Turtle Immortal understood the Seven’s state well enough, but since he’d spent centuries in the Forbidden Sea, his details were fuzzy.

Time to get the Zhenhai Patriarch in here to fill the gaps.

“The Zhenhai Seven have always kept just seven Nascent Soul cultivators on purpose…”

The Patriarch explained that to save resources, they deliberately limited the number of Nascent Soul experts.

Only if someone especially talented appeared did the sect help them break through, possibly boosting their total for a while.

Now, after Lu Changsheng killed three, only Zhenhai, Lingbo, Tunhai, and Minghai remained.

At the mention of Minghai True Lord, the Patriarch stiffened.

A year ago, Minghai had reported back about Yangming True Lord’s children—he’d ordered her to capture them and collect their blood.

A year had passed—who knew what had happened since?

“Hmm?”

Lu Changsheng’s divine sense rivaled a mid-stage Nascent Soul, and with so many restrictions in place, he sensed the Patriarch’s sudden guilt.

His gaze sharpened, demanding to know what was being hidden.

“Two years ago, after you killed several from the Pinghai and Fuhai sects, I sent Minghai to scout, discovered you had children, and so ordered her to find and capture them…”

The Patriarch confessed with a wince—he hadn’t expected to fall so quickly into servitude.

He now loathed the Star King, who’d dragged him into this mess with his reckless ambition.

Had the Star King not acted so rashly, he’d have scouted the situation better and never ended up like this.

If he’d discovered more about Lu Changsheng’s background, maybe things would have turned out differently.

All he could do now was sigh bitterly, “It’s only been a year. Minghai shouldn’t have acted yet. I’ll contact her right away.”

“You’re seeking death!”

Lu Changsheng’s face twisted in fury, magical energy surging as he punched the Zhenhai Patriarch.

No matter how you looked at it, Minghai was a Nascent Soul cultivator.

One such expert turning on his children—there’d be no way they could fight back.

“Pff!”

The Patriarch dared not counter.

But neither did he dare take a mid-fourth-rank punch straight on.

He diverted some of the force with magic, but still flew tumbling and spat blood.

“My lord, Zhenhai truly didn’t expect this. The smart move now is to contact Minghai right away before it’s too late.”

The Turtle Immortal cut in quickly.

“Go contact Minghai True Lord—find out what’s happening!”

Lu Changsheng snapped, knowing it was pointless to vent his anger anymore.

“Yes!” The Patriarch responded immediately. Only the main sect had the formation that could contact Minghai directly.

He’d need to return to Zhenhai Sect.

Luckily, there was a teleportation array here that led right back.

“Let’s move.” Lu Changsheng didn’t hesitate, following them toward the teleportation chamber.

Lu Changsheng, the Patriarch, and Turtle Immortal stepped into a secret chamber in Fuhai Sect, where a teleportation array waited. He asked, “You and the Star King came through this array before, right?”

“Yes.” The Turtle Immortal nodded.

“You really do have all sorts of tricks up your sleeve.”

Lu Changsheng commented dryly, letting the old turtle step in first before following.

Back at Zhenhai Sect, Lu Changsheng and the Patriarch found another secluded chamber and triggered the layered formations to contact Minghai True Lord.

“Patriarch.”

After about fifteen minutes, Minghai’s voice carried from within a diamond-shaped crystal.

“Minghai, where are you and what’s the situation? Have you acted against Yangming True Lord’s children?”

The Patriarch asked, voice tense, terrified Minghai had already made a move.

“Patriarch, Yangming True Lord has two children. One is Qu Changtian—his whereabouts are still uncertain, so I haven’t attempted anything. The other is the Young Lord of Immortal City of Damengze. I’ve put out bounties with several factions to target him.”

Minghai replied, “But he’s been fighting on the Yue Kingdom’s frontlines, so getting close will take time.”

She herself could have easily snatched Lu Lingxiao away,

But ever since Lu Changsheng had thrashed her, she’d been too scared to expose herself.

Plus, the Patriarch had told her repeatedly—be careful and never give herself away.

The Patriarch finally relaxed and ordered, “Cancel the bounty immediately and come back at once.”

Minghai grew suspicious. “Patriarch, did something happen?”

Just before, she’d been ordered to capture Yangming’s children. Now she was told to drop everything and return.

“Nothing’s wrong. The whole Yangming situation is canceled. Just come back.”

The Patriarch’s tone gained some bite.

“Yes, Patriarch.”

Despite her doubts, Minghai always obeyed the Patriarch. She didn’t press further, just gave a respectful reply.

Once the call ended, Minghai mulled over the abrupt orders—was something happening to the sect?

But if there really was trouble, she doubted her return would help much.

Still, out of loyalty, Minghai contacted the Shadow Pavilion, Qisha Sect, and others to cancel the bounties—and made her way home.

She decided it would be best to investigate in person once she returned.

If not for the Patriarch’s strange behavior, she wouldn’t have worried at all.

Seeing Minghai hadn’t yet targeted his son, Lu Changsheng let the matter drop with the Patriarch.

After all, had it not been for the Demon Subjugation Talisman, he and the Patriarch would still be locked in a death feud.

Now, after forcing him to submit, there was no point fussing over the past.

Besides, Minghai hadn’t actually acted yet.

He tried using divination to check on his son Lu Lingxiao.

But with the Starry Sea and Yue Kingdom so far apart—and the Liang-Yue War disrupting the flow of fate—further divining was impossible.

“Is that… divination?”

The Turtle Immortal and Zhenhai Patriarch watched as Lu Changsheng channeled faint streaks of fate through his fingers, shocked to realize he could divine fortunes.

They hadn’t thought he could do that sort of thing at all.

Everyone knew that real diviners could evade even elaborate traps—taking them out was several times harder than dealing with any normal cultivator!

Thinking of that, the Turtle Immortal remembered his own gift for sensing omens.

From the moment he left the Forbidden Sea, waiting the right amount of time, even up until this moment, his bloodline’s omen-sensing always promised great fortune.

Yet here he was, in chains—how was this possibly a good omen?

“What…”

Trying to use his ability again, the Turtle Immortal froze up completely.

Serving this man, for him—was a blessing? An opportunity?

How could this be possible?

He was utterly dumbstruck.

Being bound to this mysterious man was actually a stroke of luck?

The world had surely gone mad.

“Something wrong?”

Lu Changsheng watched the Turtle Immortal’s reaction and asked.

“My lord, my bloodline talent can sense luck and calamity in addition to producing doppelgangers…”

“A few years ago when I left the Forbidden Sea, it was because I sensed fortune ahead. Only after serving you did I realize: you are that fortune. I can’t help but feel immensely grateful.”

The Turtle Immortal beamed with genuine flattery.

Initially, his deference was just because of the talisman.

But now, knowing it was genuine fortune, everything seemed fine.

After all, didn’t his father—another pure-blooded Xuanming Mountain Sea Turtle—also serve Yuhai Mountain as the Sacred Guardian Beast?

Why shouldn’t he follow Yangming True Lord? Maybe his own future would be brighter this way.

Sometimes, making the right choice meant more than working hard.

“…Really?”

Lu Changsheng stared blankly at the Turtle Immortal’s almost groveling reply.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a mighty demon king? Why was he calling himself an old servant?

“Gui Da, there’s no need to degrade yourself. As long as you serve me well, there’ll be plenty of rewards.”

Lu Changsheng wasn’t one for pointless status games.

The Turtle Immortal was entirely under his control already—he might as well get some verbal respect and goodwill out of it.

“Thank you, my lord.” The Turtle Immortal replied, all the while guessing at Lu Changsheng’s background.

“By the way,” Lu Changsheng turned to the Zhenhai Patriarch. “How did you persuade the Star King to come here? Since he got away, is he going to cause us trouble?”

Lu Changsheng was curious about Starrymoon Hall.

As far as he knew, they stayed neutral and didn’t get involved in Starry Sea’s political squabbles.

So why had the Star King shown up to ambush him?

Plus, Starrymoon Hall was famous for their divination, and with the Star King being a master himself, shouldn’t he have foreseen this fight’s dangers?

“I assumed you were the Eastern Emperor’s Heir, so I went to sound out the Star King and Yue Zun.”

The Zhenhai Patriarch explained his thinking.

“The Star King is proud and stubborn. After witnessing your abilities, he definitely won’t take things lying down. You’d better take care of him soon.”

Funny enough, he’d given up hating Lu Changsheng entirely.

Now all that resentment was aimed at the Star King—he wanted him dead.

The best thing now would be for Lu Changsheng to head right for Starrymoon Hall and take him out.

“Eastern Emperor’s Heir? Sun-Moon Star Palace?”

Lu Changsheng raised his brows, realizing he didn’t know much about the Eastern Emperor, Star King Hall, or the Sun-Moon Star Palace.

“So he really isn’t the Eastern Emperor’s Heir. And he has nothing to do with the Eastern Sea.”

Both the Zhenhai Patriarch and Turtle Immortal realized the truth: Lu Changsheng was an outsider.

Someone with this kind of strength would surely know the big secrets if he really was from the Eastern Sea.

“My lord, Starrymoon Hall was founded by survivors from the Sun-Moon Star Palace after it was destroyed in the Eastern Sea. They escaped here to Starry Sea and set up two branches.”

The Turtle Immortal quickly explained.

“The mirror you have is just like the Sun-Moon Palace’s treasured Eastern Emperor Mirror. That’s why we mistook you for an heir.”

“The Star King refuses to ever let the Eastern Emperor’s line rule over him again, so he joined us hoping to seize your inheritance and the treasure.”

As their stories unraveled, Lu Changsheng finally understood why Starrymoon Hall broke neutrality to attack him.

“Eastern Emperor, Sun-Moon Star Palace…”

He glanced at the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror in his hand, amused.

He’d always wanted to assume a legendary cultivator’s identity to keep the public busy.

Otherwise, rising from a penniless son-in-law to a Nascent Soul True Lord in a hundred years would draw too much attention.

But most legendary names were too recognized—they’d have enemies, old factions, all sorts of baggage.

Now he found the Eastern Emperor’s name ideal.

First, it was famous enough; second, not even South Desolation’s major powers knew much about the Eastern Emperor, so it made a perfect bluff.

The Eastern Emperor was top-tier in the Eastern Sea, but here, no trouble would follow.

Third, his mirror was nearly identical to the original treasure—so no one would question the story.

Anyone seeking revenge would dig for Sun-Moon Palace info and end up being misled by his tricks.

“Where did you get all this information, anyway?”

Lu Changsheng was reminded of stories he’d heard from Shen Yiren—but never anything about the Eastern Emperor, Sun-Moon Palace, or Starrymoon Hall.

He suspected the Zhenhai Seven’s own background must be significant, too—probably connected to the Eastern Sea.

After all, the Turtle Immortal alone had an impressive pedigree.

“Our Zhenhai Seven are descended from a sect in the Eastern Sea known as Yuhai Mountain.”

The Turtle Immortal replied, pride in his voice.

While not as renowned as the Sun-Moon Palace,

Yuhai Mountain was still a household name among Eastern Sea cultivators.

“What happened back there in the East? Why did both your sect and the Sun-Moon Palace fall so hard?”

Lu Changsheng frowned, troubled.

Both Yuhai Mountain and Sun-Moon Palace had been powerhouses—why had their survivors ended up here?

“There’s nothing in the sect records about that…”

The Turtle Immortal shook his head. He’d come to Starry Sea as an egg, and only from bloodline memories and a few old notes left by the Seven’s founders did he know any details.

He still wanted to make the journey back if he ever reached the peak of the fourth rank.

“Work hard for me, and one day I’ll take you back there to uncover the truth.”

Lu Changsheng could see the Turtle Immortal’s longing for the Eastern Sea and painted a lovely future for him.

“Let’s go check your sect’s treasure vault.”

With their conversation done, Lu Changsheng decided to see what treasures the Zhenhai Sect had in store.

He still had cultivation resources from the Yin Ghost Sect, enough to keep the Lu Family practicing for a hundred years.

But apart from spirit stones, most of the Yin Ghost Sect resources leaned toward demonic cultivation, and their third- and fourth-rank treasures were limited.

His wife, Hong Lian, was preparing to break through to Nascent Soul; his son, Lu Quanzhen, had just reached late Core Formation. There might be something useful here.

“Alright,” the Patriarch agreed, though it pained him, and led Lu Changsheng to the vault.

A little while later, Lu Changsheng, the Turtle Immortal, and the Zhenhai Patriarch arrived at the heart of the treasure chambers.

He had to admit—the Zhenhai Seven really were in a different league.

Their vault’s wealth was way above that of an upstart Nascent Soul sect like the Yin Ghost Sect.

Mountains of spirit stones, high-grade treasures, precious pills, and piles of demon beast remains filled every corner.

“No wonder you monopolize trade between sea and land, and even hunt demon kings. What an operation.”

Lu Changsheng looked over the vault with quiet satisfaction.

There was no sectarian bias in the Starry Sea, so the vault held both demonic and orthodox treasures.

Nothing like the Yin Ghost Sect’s piles of evil artifacts.

Most loot here was water-element due to the ocean’s nature.

“Perfect—might as well pick something out for Sister Miaoge.”

He immediately thought of his wife Lu Miaoge.

Her Supreme Goodness Like Water Method had merged into a brand new technique with influences from his other arts, but remained fundamentally water-aligned.

He strolled through the vault, pocketing anything that might be suitable for his wives or children.

He didn’t go overboard, though.

After all, the sect was already his backyard—no need to take everything now.

When he reached the deepest chamber, two extremely rare Huaying Pills caught his eye.

Just two years ago, he’d only just managed to get one from the Zhenhai Patriarch.

Yet somehow there were still two left here!

That’s real heritage.

The true foundation of a top-tier Starry Sea power.

Hong Lian already had hers, and there was no one else who needed one at the moment.

So he took only one, saving it for his son, Lu Quanzhen.

He didn’t need it just now, but since his son had given him one previously, it was only fair.

Barring a few essentials, he didn’t pillage the place—just grabbed what would actually be used by his family.

“Once you’ve handled things at Fuhai Sect, track down the Star King’s whereabouts and confirm if he’s gone back to Starrymoon Hall.”

“We’ll go visit and deal with him together.”

Lu Changsheng could hardly ignore the Star King after he’d joined the Patriarch in attacking him. It was time to demand an explanation.

But he still needed to help his daughter Lu Wangshu break through Core Formation and join Xuanjian to finish the Yue Kingdom battle.

“Once all’s settled in Yue, I can finally slow down and pay Divine Maiden Palace a visit.”

With the Zhenhai Seven issue resolved, Lu Changsheng felt much more at ease.

Now he could deal with the war—and once that was over, visit Shen Yiren and give her the recognition she deserved.

He thought of the kind-hearted Third Palace Master and gave a quiet sigh.

Their whole situation was the Divine Maiden Palace’s fault. Her sister Shen Baishuang had caused the mess, and he’d only been a victim.

But Lu Ancestor had always been soft-hearted.

Considering Shen Yiren had given him a daughter, how could he possibly hold a grudge over the past?

“Wait, what about the matter with Green Dragon King?”

He remembered the promise he’d made to the Green Dragon King and frowned.

If not for the urgency of the war, he’d have headed for the Forbidden Sea first to repay the favor.

But even at top speed, a round trip from here would take months—there just wasn’t time now.

With that decided, Lu Changsheng used the sect’s teleportation array to return to the Fuhai Sect and head home with Xuanjian.