Chapter 876: Lu Wangshu’s Core Formation, Broken Feather, and the Reappearance of Granny

At Bihu Mountain within the Sumeru Cave Heaven, Lu Miaoge gazed at the Hall of Everlasting Life above. Amidst the five-colored spiritual clouds, a golden glassy radiance burst forth accompanied by the endless resonant hum of the Great Dao. Her tightly clenched jade-like hand finally relaxed.

Her face as pure and beautiful as snow bloomed like a snow lotus, revealing a smile more radiant than the colorful clouds in the sky.

She knew her daughter Lu Wangshu had successfully achieved Core Formation.

She had condensed an Immortal Golden Core.

Perhaps even the Dao Golden Core her husband had spoken of!

Lu Miaoge’s gentle water-like eyes brimmed with joy, more excited than when she herself had broken through to Core Formation.

After all, Lu Wangshu had been raised by her since childhood, cherished as if she were her own daughter.

Especially since her other daughter Lu Qingzhu had been taken as a disciple by Immortal Tian Yuan to cultivate in Yue Kingdom when she was young. Lu Wangshu carried so many of her emotions.

Seeing Lu Wangshu successfully reach Core Formation and step into the ranks of high-tier cultivators with a lifespan of five hundred years and boundless potential, how could she not be overjoyed?

At that moment, a sudden sensation stirred in her heart as a Yin-Yang Message Talisman appeared in her hand.

This was a fourth-tier talisman given to her by Lu Changsheng, only to be used in emergencies.

“Miaoge, come to the Yue Kingdom Front Lines. I’ve asked Caiyun True Lord to escort you.”

Lu Miaoge read the message from her husband with a flicker of confusion.

She couldn’t fathom why Lu Changsheng summoned her to Yue Kingdom.

To support the war effort?

With her cultivation level, even if she went, there was little she could do.

“Could it be that Qingxuan and the others are injured, or is Yue Kingdom planning a counterattack against Liang Kingdom?”

Though unclear about the current situation in Yue Kingdom, she trusted her husband.

She knew the front lines must be safe.

Otherwise, Lu Changsheng wouldn’t call her there.

Summoning her and involving Caiyun True Lord likely meant that after her husband reached the front lines, the situation had turned in their favor, and a counterattack was imminent.

As part of the lineage of the Immortal City of Damengze, it was their chance to contribute and make a good impression.

“Caiyun True Lord.”

Knowing Caiyun True Lord would soon arrive to escort her, Lu Miaoge sent a voice transmission to Lu Wangshu in the Hall of Everlasting Life. “Wangshu, I have some matters to attend to and must leave for a while. Stay home and stabilize your cultivation.”

“???”

Inside a secluded chamber in the Hall of Everlasting Life, Lu Wangshu, who had just achieved Core Formation and was savoring the mysteries of her Golden Core, froze at the message.

What was going on?

Half a month ago, her father had left abruptly for urgent matters.

Now her mother was leaving too?

Had something happened at home?

Lu Wangshu couldn’t focus on the wonders of her Golden Core any longer. She flew out of the chamber to question Lu Miaoge.

“Earlier, news came from the Yue Kingdom Front Lines that the war has escalated. Your father rushed there, and just now he sent word asking me to join him.”

Lu Miaoge’s beautiful eyes shimmered with delight as she looked at Lu Wangshu before her.

Every time a cultivator breaks through a major realm, their very essence transforms, like shedding an old skin for a new one.

Lu Wangshu was no exception. Her aura and demeanor had undergone a remarkable enhancement.

Since her realm wasn’t fully stabilized, her Golden Core’s magical energy flowed around her, forming faint nine-colored rune lights that intertwined and bloomed with profound mystery, giving her an ethereal, immortal-like presence.

“The Yue Kingdom Front Lines?” Though Lu Wangshu had been in secluded cultivation at home, she was aware of the Liang-Yue War.

If her parents hadn’t forbidden it, she would’ve joined Lu Qingxuan there long ago.

“Wangshu, have you achieved the Dao Golden Core your father spoke of?”

Lu Miaoge gazed at the radiant nine-colored rune marks glowing at Lu Wangshu’s brow, her expression tinged with anticipation as she asked.

She knew Lu Wangshu’s late breakthrough to Core Formation was partly due to practicing the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra, a method unlike most others. It emphasized steady progress and deep accumulation, taking considerable time.

On the other hand, her husband doted on this daughter immensely, placing high hopes on her. He had always suppressed her realm, ensuring her foundation was honed to perfection.

“Mother, take a look.”

Lu Wangshu wasn’t sure if her Golden Core was the Dao Golden Core her father described.

From her flowing pink and white cloud-sleeved robe, she extended a fair wrist adorned with a bracelet of six gemstones, offering it for Lu Miaoge to inspect her Golden Core.

There were no reservations between Lu Miaoge and Lu Wangshu. She took her daughter’s wrist, channeling her divine sense and magical energy into her Qi Sea Dantian.

Instantly, she saw a jade platform at the center, etched with mysterious runes and edged with intricate blood-red patterns. Atop it rested a Golden Core radiating a nine-colored glassy sheen.

The runes on the platform seemed to flow with the patterns of the nine-colored glassy Golden Core, exuding an enigmatic aura, as if embodying some heavenly law or principle.

“Wangshu, congratulations.”

Lu Miaoge’s voice was light and joyful as she spoke, recognizing that Lu Wangshu’s Golden Core surpassed her own. It bore a similar presence to the aura Lu Changsheng had when he broke through to Core Formation years ago.

“Mother, is this the Dao Golden Core Father mentioned?” Lu Wangshu’s eyes lit up with delight as she asked.

Her younger brother, whom she had once looked after, had formed his core years ago and was likely at the second or even third layer by now.

Under such circumstances, Lu Wangshu naturally felt a competitive spark, eager to surpass others in different ways.

“Yes.” Lu Miaoge replied softly.

“But I’ve seen Father’s Golden Core before.”

Lu Wangshu wasn’t entirely convinced her Golden Core was a Dao Golden Core, having seen Lu Changsheng’s once.

At the center of a five-colored jade platform sat a Golden Core shimmering with purple-gold light, embodying Yin and Yang.

Around it swirled an energy resembling Yin-Yang fish, carrying an indescribable mystique.

“A Golden Core can be improved over time.”

Lu Miaoge gently stroked Lu Wangshu’s hair, speaking in a tender voice.

Having cultivated the Taiyi Water Technique alongside Lu Changsheng, she could faintly sense the state of his foundation.

She knew her husband’s foundation and Golden Core had undergone tremendous improvement over time.

When he first achieved Core Formation, his Golden Core wasn’t vastly superior to Lu Wangshu’s.

But by the time he prepared for Nascent Soul, the quality of his Golden Core was on an entirely different level.

It was precisely for this reason that after Lu Changsheng broke through to Nascent Soul, he reintroduced the Taiyi Dao Seed to her. Not only did it elevate her cultivation from the third to the fifth layer of Core Formation,

but it also refined her talent, physique, magical energy, and Golden Core Dao Foundation, granting her a comprehensive enhancement.

Lu Wangshu naturally understood that a Golden Core and foundation could be improved later through natural treasures.

But such treasures were incredibly rare.

Take the Butterfly Transformation Gu and Ten Thousand Spirit Blood she had used earlier—those were far beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator could typically obtain or use.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could hardly dream of such conditions or待遇.

And treasures to enhance a Golden Core’s quality later on were generally at the fourth-tier Nascent Soul level.

Such treasures were exceedingly precious.

Even her father likely didn’t have many in his possession.

Now that she had achieved Core Formation, the shackles that once bound her Talisman Art due to her cultivation level were broken.

Lu Wangshu was confident she could elevate her Talisman Art skills to Third-Rank Top-Tier in the shortest time possible.

Perhaps even during the Core Formation stage, she could draw fourth-tier talismans using secret techniques.

Moreover, after reaching Core Formation, her parents would no longer restrict her so much. Lu Wangshu brimmed with anticipation for the future.

She felt the sky was vast and open for her to soar, certain she could carve out her own path in the cultivation world!

“Alright, Wangshu, go stabilize your realm for now.”

Though Lu Miaoge wished to chat more with Lu Wangshu,

Caiyun True Lord could arrive at any moment, and she needed to prepare to greet her. She couldn’t keep the True Lord waiting at Bihu Mountain.

“Mother, I’ve just achieved Core Formation. Let me go with you.”

Lu Wangshu spoke up, having long wanted to see the Yue Kingdom battlefield.

In her early years, both her father Lu Changsheng and mother Xiao Xiyue had opposed the idea.

“You’ve only just broken through to Core Formation. You need to stabilize your realm, and you haven’t cultivated any Divine Abilities yet.”

Lu Miaoge refused immediately.

“Mother, my realm is very stable. It won’t take long to solidify with just a bit of time.”

Lu Wangshu clung to Lu Miaoge’s wrist, her voice clear and bright. “As for Divine Abilities and spells, I’ve already comprehended third-rank spells during the Foundation Establishment stage. For Divine Abilities, I was hoping to ask Father for help.”

“Your father hasn’t taught you the subsequent techniques?” Lu Miaoge was surprised, finding it unlikely.

“No, I want to use my Life Talisman to condense the Nine-Nine Profound True Borrowing Treasure Talisman and the Nine-Nine Myriad Forms Borrowing Law Talisman.”

Lu Wangshu explained with a playful smile. “These two great Divine Ability talismans are formed by borrowing others’ artifacts and Divine Abilities. During combat, they can manifest those artifacts and abilities for battle.”

“So I want to borrow Father’s artifacts and Divine Abilities to cultivate them.”

The Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra came with many supporting Divine Abilities.

Aside from the Profound True Borrowing Treasure Talisman and Myriad Forms Borrowing Law Talisman, there were others like the Nine-Nine Profound Transformation Symbol to enhance artifacts and talisman formations; the Nine-Nine Profound True Golden Gate Symbol to seal off areas; the Nine-Nine Borrowing Life Substitution Calamity Symbol for life-saving substitution; and the Nine-Nine Myriad Forms Myriad Laws Symbol that could connect countless talismans, among others.

However, all these great Divine Ability talismans required significant time.

Not only did they demand comprehension and cultivation, but they also needed constant refinement with natural treasures to boost their power.

The Profound True Borrowing Treasure Talisman and Myriad Forms Borrowing Law Talisman were no exception and even had an intangible threshold.

If the borrowed artifact or Divine Ability was subpar, the resulting power would be mediocre, wasting time and effort.

But Lu Wangshu had immense confidence in her father’s strength.

She believed his artifacts and Divine Abilities would never disappoint her.

They might even unleash the full potential of these two great Divine Ability talismans!

Of course, she also hoped Lu Miaoge would take her along to Yue Kingdom by saying this.

Seeing the eager look in Lu Wangshu’s eyes and considering that the Liang-Yue War showed no signs of ending soon, Lu Miaoge thought of how her husband had grown busier over the years while Xiao Xiyue remained at the front lines.

After a moment of contemplation, she said, “I’m traveling with Caiyun True Lord this time. I’ll go greet her first and see if it’s convenient.”

“Grandmaster?” Lu Wangshu was surprised, not expecting her mother to travel with her grandmaster.

Eagerly, she added, “I’ve never met Grandmaster before. Should I go pay my respects?”

“.” Lu Miaoge paused, recalling how True Lord Yun Ji had once helped her husband break through to Nascent Soul. She thought to herself that Changsheng was truly reckless.

If Wangshu and Xiyue ever found out, how would she explain it?

“Focus on stabilizing your realm for now. I’ll greet Caiyun True Lord first.”

Lu Miaoge spoke gently, unsure of Caiyun True Lord’s temperament. She planned to meet her first and gauge her attitude before deciding.

“Alright.”

Though Caiyun True Lord was her grandmaster,

Lu Wangshu still held a sense of reverence for a Nascent Soul True Lord and obediently agreed.

Lu Miaoge stepped out of the Sumeru Cave Heaven, waiting calmly at the summit of Biyun Peak for Caiyun True Lord’s arrival.

Not long after, she sensed a faint ripple of magical energy and immediately knew Caiyun True Lord had arrived.

“Greetings, Caiyun True Lord.”

Lu Miaoge flew out from Bihu Mountain, bowing respectfully toward the source of the magical fluctuation.

Ripples stirred in the void.

A figure appeared, clad in a colorful and luxurious palace attire skirt, her face and form shrouded in a hazy multicolored mist of light.

“Has Lu Changsheng gone to the Yue Kingdom Front Lines? When did he leave?”

Yun Wanshang inquired of Lu Miaoge.

“Half a month ago.”

Though Lu Miaoge knew the Caiyun True Lord before her was once True Lord Yun Ji,

she remained exceedingly respectful, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

“Using the identity of the Lord of Dameng City?” Yun Wanshang pressed on.

Lu Miaoge’s heart skipped a beat, but she replied respectfully, “Half a month ago, True Lord Xuanjian sent word that the war in Yue Kingdom had escalated, so he went with True Lord Xuanjian.”

Yun Wanshang had already guessed that the tide of the Liang-Yue War had turned. Lu Changsheng summoning her likely meant sharing the spoils of war.

Without delay, she said, “Since that’s the case, let’s head there now.”

“True Lord, Xiyue True Lord’s daughter Lu Wangshu has just achieved Core Formation. Would it be convenient to bring her along to the front lines for experience?” Lu Miaoge asked.

“Lu Wangshu?” Yun Wanshang knew of this grand-disciple but had never met her. She asked, “Why didn’t Lu Changsheng bring her along?”

“Wangshu only just broke through.”

“Since she just broke through, she should stay home and stabilize her realm.” Yun Wanshang stated indifferently.

But then she considered that she had yet to meet Lu Wangshu.

Neither Xiao Xiyue nor that rascal Lu Changsheng had brought her to pay respects to her as grandmaster. She added, “Bring her to me.”

“Yes.” Lu Miaoge responded respectfully and quickly went to fetch Lu Wangshu.

Moments later, Yun Wanshang looked at Lu Wangshu before her and couldn’t help but feel a surge of astonishment.

She marveled at how much resources Lu Changsheng must have poured into this daughter for her to embody such heavenly grace and talent.

Though she didn’t inspect Lu Wangshu’s condition or Golden Core quality closely,

just from the magical energy radiating from her, Yun Wanshang could tell she was a top-tier seed with an Immortal Golden Core, practicing dual cultivation of body and magic.

To achieve this at just over a hundred years old couldn’t be explained by mere talent alone.

There must have been great opportunities and extraordinary encounters.

Having interacted with Lu Changsheng for so long and learning about the many天才 disciples of the Lu Family, Yun Wanshang believed it was more due to Lu Changsheng’s nurturing rather than pure luck.

After all, how could so many top-tier opportunities and encounters just happen to fall upon the Lu Family disciples?

Yun Wanshang initially wanted to say that since Lu Wangshu had just broken through to Core Formation, she should stay home to stabilize her realm.

But on second thought, Lu Changsheng’s urgent summons for her,

and his request to bring Lu Miaoge, suggested the war situation was stable with minimal danger.

Such wars in the cultivation world were rare, and bringing Lu Wangshu along could broaden her horizons and serve as valuable experience.

“Fine.” Yun Wanshang agreed calmly, then tossed an artifact to Lu Wangshu to further conceal her magical energy.

Otherwise, having just broken through, her true strength could easily be seen through.

“Thank you, Grandmaster.” Lu Wangshu expressed her gratitude with joy.

Yet hearing the title ‘Grandmaster,’ Yun Wanshang felt a bitter irony, wishing she could give Lu Changsheng a couple of sword strikes.

That damned rascal, what a scoundrel!

Cursing inwardly, she unleashed her Nascent Soul magical energy, summoned a cloaking artifact, and took the two with her toward the Yue Kingdom Front Lines!

At Red Peak Immortal City in Yue Kingdom,

Lu Changsheng sensed a sudden surge of magical energy, realizing his daughter Lu Wangshu had achieved Core Formation.

However, with his cultivation already at the second layer of Nascent Soul, such an energy boost was negligible to him.

Moreover, the time gap was too wide to accurately compare the quality of Lu Wangshu’s Golden Core with that of his sons Lu Qingshan, Lu Lingxiao, and others.

Lu Changsheng didn’t dwell on it too much.

After all, Lu Wangshu’s Core Formation had already reached its pinnacle.

Thinking of his children gradually stepping into the Core Formation stage one by one, a sense of contentment filled Lu Changsheng’s heart.

Yet when he thought of his daughter Nangong Yaoyao, who had joined the Celestial Lotus Sect, and his unseen daughter Mu Que, whose divination revealed a rocky fate full of hardships, he let out a long sigh.

Once, he had planned to visit Nangong Yaoyao at the Celestial Lotus Sect in the Central Region of the Southern Desolation with Nangong Mili after breaking through to Nascent Soul.

He also hoped to witness the prosperous cultivation world of the Southern Desolation and the rumored Seven Demonic Sects.

But since achieving Nascent Soul, he hadn’t had a moment of free time.

Now, with the Liang-Yue War involving the Blood Sea Sect of the Seven Demonic Sects,

resolving the conflict and then heading to the Celestial Lotus Sect to see his daughter might provoke retaliation from the Blood Sea Sect.

As for his daughter Mu Que, he had no clue where to even begin searching for her.

Lu Changsheng lightly tapped his Storage Ring, and a cyan feather appeared.

It was the token given to him by Qingluan True Lord when they parted ways.

Breaking it would alert the other party.

“What exactly is going on with Qingluan True Lord…”

Lu Changsheng sighed inwardly as he gazed at the feather in his hand.

Back then, Qingluan True Lord had said she would find a place to seclude herself and digest the gains from the Secret Realm of the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, estimating a short ten years or a long thirty to fifty years.

Now, thirty years had passed.

Yet there was still no word from Qingluan True Lord.

Even fourth-rank divination failed to reveal any information.

He could only vaguely sense that she was no longer in the Northern or Southern Regions of the Southern Desolation.

“Now, I can handle or even resolve the dangers and troubles of the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands. So even if Qingluan True Lord returns, it won’t cause significant issues or impact.”

Lu Changsheng looked at the feather in his hand, pondering for a long while before deciding to break it.

On one hand, Qingluan True Lord’s return would give him another powerful ally.

On the other, it was about his daughter Mu Que’s situation. He truly didn’t know how to find her and lacked the time to search slowly.

He could only rely on Qingluan True Lord, the child’s mother.

As Mu Que’s mother, she must know where she is.

As long as he had a general location, he could find his daughter and bring her back, sparing her from suffering outside.

With his decision made, a crisp ‘snap’ sounded as the cyan feather in his hand broke, releasing a burst of cyan magical energy.

“I hope Qingluan True Lord receives the message and can return soon.”

Lu Changsheng sighed inwardly, worried that after so many years of silence and absence, Qingluan True Lord might have encountered a life-threatening danger.

Though his divination suggested she was still alive,

if she had fallen into a state of Soul Escape with her body destroyed, it would be incredibly troublesome.

At this very moment, in the Eastern Region of the Southern Desolation,

deep within a scorching lava fire lake that could incinerate all things,

a crimson giant egg adorned with intricate, luxurious patterns resembling a phoenix egg radiated a brilliant, dazzling red light.

The egg seemed alive, inhaling and exhaling in a peculiar rhythm, exuding an aura of profound mystery.

At that moment, the egg’s breathing seemed interrupted, pausing abruptly.

But after a few breaths, the egg resumed its dimming and brightening, inhaling and exhaling in that mysterious rhythm, blooming with crimson brilliance as if resonating with the heavens and the lava fire lake around it.

In the Central Region of the Southern Desolation, within the Blood-Colored Mountain Ranges,

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—”

a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl with a boyish yet resolute appearance darted frantically through the forest, fleeing for her life.

Her hair was disheveled, her robes torn, and her body covered in wounds and dripping with blood.

For an ordinary cultivator, such injuries would have left them utterly weakened, yet this girl moved like a leopard, relentless and fierce.

But at that moment, a streak of blood-red light sped toward her.

The Qi Refining cultivators chasing her saw it and respectfully called out, “Uncle Zhao!”

“Greetings, Uncle Zhao!”

As the disciples shouted, the blood shadow closed in. With a single palm strike to the girl’s back, it shattered her spiritual energy shield, and the sound of cracking bones echoed.

“Pfft!”

The girl flew forward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a massive boulder. She spat out blood, unable to move.

“Am I going to die here?”

Mu Que coughed up blood, staring at the Foundation Establishment cultivator before her, her heart filled with despair.

With her strength, she could hold her own against an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But after fleeing for half a month, her stamina was nearly depleted. She was no match for a Foundation Establishment cultivator now.

And the blood-shadowed man before her was no ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It could only be said that her bloodline was both her blessing and her curse.

Her innate Heavenly Phoenix Bloodline granted her astonishing physique and self-healing abilities. Her fire-based spells far surpassed those of her peers, allowing her to contend with Foundation Establishment cultivators while still in the Qi Refining stage.

Yet this same Heavenly Phoenix Bloodline had brought her danger time and again.

In her early years, an evil cultivator had coveted her, intending to refine her into a pill.

Now, having come to the Blood-Colored Mountain Ranges to hunt a second-rank special demon core to gather materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill, she had caught the attention of disciples from the Blood River Valley.

“Not bad. Her blood is fragrant and enticing, perfect for a top-grade blood slave! My trip wasn’t in vain.”

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from Blood River Valley eyed the girl before him, his face alight with delight, feeling this journey had been worthwhile.

He reached out to grab the girl, intending to take her back as a blood slave.

But after taking just two steps, his body suddenly split into four pieces, blood spraying everywhere.

Mu Que and the nearby Blood River Valley disciples were stunned by the sight, unsure of what had just happened.

“Little Sparrow.”

At that moment, a hoarse voice rang out.

An old woman, her back slightly hunched and leaning on a jujube wood cane, slowly approached, calling out to the girl.

“Granny!?”

Mu Que heard the voice and looked at the old woman who had appeared out of nowhere, instinctively calling out.

But after shouting, a chill ran through her heart.

How could Granny be here? Wasn’t Granny already dead?