Chapter 900: Joining the Tianmo Sect! Qu Zhenzhen’s One Condition!

“The Tianmo Sect!?”

Lu Quanzhen had long suspected his uncle came from an extraordinary background, most likely one of the great demonic sects.

Even so, learning that his uncle hailed from the Tianmo Sect, one of the Seven Demonic Sects in the heart of the Southern Desolation, still took him by surprise.

In the past, he had even name-dropped the sect to scare off trouble.

Yet the Tianmo Sect rules the prosperous Central Domain of the Southern Desolation, far from the Jiang Kingdom. How had his uncle ended up there?

Had Uncle actually reincarnated from some powerful Tianmo elder?

Apart from that, Lu Quanzhen really couldn’t imagine how his uncle had risen so high in just a century.

Back when the man visited, he’d handed over treasures even Core Formation elders could only dream of.

“Uncle’s hiding things from me, that’s for sure.”

Lu Quanzhen voiced the thought aloud.

“You can just ask him,”

Lu Changsheng said. He could see his brother-in-law carried plenty of secrets but they weren’t close enough for probing questions.

He added, “Honestly, I’d rather you cultivate at home until you reach the peak of Core Formation before heading out.”

“I’ve already gathered a Huaying Pill and a Nascent Soul spirit item for you. With the Liang-Yue war over, the trial realms in Liang, Yue and Jiang are all open for tempering yourself.”

He preferred a steady path for his son.

But he also knew Lu Quanzhen was anything but obedient and hated rote cultivation.

Hearing his father had prepared the pill and spirit items, Quanzhen felt touched yet restless.

Since childhood he’d known his spirit root was low grade and his family background average; success would require working harder than everyone else.

So at fifteen he chose to wander the world.

His father, worried, first sent him to mundane Ruyi County for training.

Then Father shocked everyone by revealing Foundation cultivation, seizing Bihu Mountain and establishing the Lu Family there, bringing Quanzhen home to handle clan affairs.

He did well and earned Father’s high hopes,

but the life bored him to death.

Seeing no hope of breaking through like that, he left to roam again.

Next time he returned, Uncle Qu Changge showed up, showering him with top-tier opportunities that smoothed his road to Foundation and Core.

Soon after, Father also displayed power beyond anything he’d imagined.

A hundred years later he sits at late Core Formation, while Father is a Nascent Soul True Lord famed for capturing six Nascent Souls alone.

Uncle too has stepped into Nascent Soul with frightening combat power.

Both men have now prepared a Huaying Pill and all the Nascent resources he needs.

Such fortune takes Core cultivators centuries to earn, yet Quanzhen felt reluctant to accept it so easily.

Where was the thrill if he could see the end of the road at a glance?

He’d already taken shortcuts at Core Formation.

If he sailed smoothly into Nascent Soul under Father and Uncle’s care, how could he ever compete with other Nascent experts later on?

Would he still rely on them for mid or late Nascent breakthroughs?

He refused to let future regrets grow out of present complacency.

While he still had fire in his belly, he wanted to fight for every inch, even under their protection.

“Father, let me talk to Uncle.”

Drawing a deep breath, he stated firmly that he still leaned toward training in the Central Domain.

After all, it was the true heart of cultivation in the Southern Desolation.

Every cultivator dreamed of going there.

In the Northern Region, mid-stage Nascent Souls were already titans. Most who broke through later moved to the Central Domain for greater chances.

“I’ll go with you,” Lu Changsheng nodded.

Father and son headed to Qu Changge’s cave residence.

“Quanzhen, what is it?”

Qu Changge asked his nephew while flat-out ignoring Lu Changsheng; the two men simply didn’t get along.

“Quanzhen wants to temper himself outside. I’d rather he stay near the Jiang Kingdom until peak Core, so I wanted your opinion.”

Lu Changsheng added, “If he does go to the Central Domain, could you keep an eye on him?”

“Training in the Central Domain?” Qu Changge frowned slightly.

Late Core strength is impressive anywhere,

but danger in the Central Domain is several—perhaps dozens—of times higher than in the north.

Simple reason:

Between Jiang, Jin and Yue, Nascent experts are few and rule their own turfs.

With Quanzhen’s power, he’s safe unless he provokes them—and Father’s around anyway.

In the Central Domain, though, he might draw the eye of roaming Nascent monsters, robbers or devil cultivators without even noticing.

His raw talent could make him a prime target for body-snatching.

“Once I return to the sect, I’ll be swamped. I won’t have time to watch over him,”

Qu Changge shook his head.

He’d love to guide his nephew, but there simply wasn’t time.

“Uncle, can you tell me more about the Central Domain?” Quanzhen asked. What he’d read was vague at best.

“All you need to know is that opportunities abound, yet competition is fiercer than you imagine. It’s the realm of demons and mystics alike, with geniuses from every power battling for glory. Loose cultivators have little space to breathe.”

“In short, only a handful rise there, and every step drips with danger.”

Most of Qu Changge’s time was spent undergoing the Tianmo Grandmaster’s trials, but he’d seen enough during his outings to know how brutal it was.

He didn’t want his nephew fighting for life like countless vagabonds.

Yet Quanzhen’s blood surged at the picture of a harsh yet dazzling world.

He inhaled and told Lu Changsheng, “Father, I want to travel south through Jiang, then Yuan Kingdom and Yan Yang Kingdom, finally reaching the Central Domain.”

“You once said a fledgling eagle must face the sky and the abyss alone to truly grow.”

“Yes, under your and Uncle’s wings I could probably reach Nascent Soul, but that’s not my endgame.”

He longed to measure himself against that field of blazing stars.

Around Jiang and Yue, no one but Nascent True Lords could push him anymore.

Only the Central Domain’s galaxy of prodigies would give real pressure.

Cruel? Dangerous?

Every top cultivator walks on blood and bones.

After a century of cultivation, he knew he wasn’t the stay-at-home type.

He loved dancing on the knife’s edge; it made his heart pound and his spirit soar.

Lu Changsheng saw the excitement blazing in his son’s eyes and frowned. How could the boy look so eager after hearing all those dangers?

“You truly want to go?”

Qu Changge could tell his nephew was born restless.

Which made sense—otherwise he’d never have cultivated the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art or stolen the Kunpeng True Spirit with the Demonic Fetus Parasitism Technique.

“Cultivation is a single-plank bridge over a stampeding army. Only by standing out in that brilliant yet brutal Central Domain can one go farther.”

Quanzhen’s eyes shone with anticipation.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying young?” Qu Changge asked bluntly.

“I am, but I’d hate future regret more than present fear.”

There’s an old saying: the higher your realm, the more you fear death.

He still had fire now, but if life stayed too easy after Nascent Soul, would that drive fade?

Qu Changge studied him and said, “Are you willing to join the Tianmo Sect?”

If the boy’s aptitude were average he wouldn’t ask,

but with the Kunpeng art, a top Spirit Body and dual cultivation of body and Qi, Quanzhen could rival Central Domain prodigies.

With that drive, Qu Changge didn’t mind giving him a push.

Under the Tianmo banner he’d have shelter and resources.

And while Quanzhen remained under his watch, no elder would dare covet him.

Later on—a demonic catastrophe was bound to sweep the South. By then, his nephew might already hold a firm seat in the sect and could protect his little sister and Caizhen.

The only worry was whether the boy could stay unmoved by Qu Changge’s own… situation.

“If he displays talent beyond reason, I can warn him ahead of time,” the uncle thought. No perfect choice exists, so best lay groundwork early.

“Join the Tianmo Sect?”

Quanzhen was stunned.

Major powers vet disciples by background. Those bringing outside techniques usually stay outer-sect at best.

With a monster like the Tianmo Sect, standards were even harsher.

Lu Changsheng also stared, baffled by Qu Changge’s offer.

He accepted his wife and children practicing demonic arts, but a core position in the Tianmo Sect still made him uneasy.

“Your Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art is one of the sect’s top heritages. No one has completed it for nearly a thousand years,”

“With my arrangement you could enter as an inner disciple—or even a direct disciple, perhaps on the shortlist for Holy Son.”

“That way, once in the Central Domain, you won’t need me hovering. You’ll clash with geniuses from every faction on equal footing.”

Otherwise the journey south is perilous, full of covetous eyes, and your technique alone would cause endless trouble.

Qu Changge absolutely opposed his nephew trekking from Jiang to the Central Domain alone.

The road wastes time and invites disaster,

and the Kunpeng art, which grows by reaping others, is hated by most orthodox sects.

If the Five Grand Mystic Gates heard of it, they’d send disciples to hunt him down.

Without backing, even Nascent elders might stoop to steal his body.

“Qu Changge, what exactly is your position in the Tianmo Sect?”

Lu Changsheng finally asked the question that had long lingered in his mind.

Bringing his son in was one thing, but guaranteeing Holy Son candidacy?

A Holy Son is the heir apparent to the sect master or hall lord—practically upper management.

“The Tianmo Grandmaster is my master,” Qu Changge replied calmly.

That single fact said everything. As the grandmaster’s sole disciple, he didn’t even have to fight for a Holy Son seat.

Most Tianmo Nascent elders greeted him as Young Lord—or Little Ancestor.

“The Tianmo Grandmaster!?”

Lu Changsheng didn’t know the exact hierarchy,

but anyone called a sect’s Grandmaster was usually its supreme elder—

in other words, a top Nascent Great Lord.

He’d guessed Qu Changge’s background was big, yet hearing his master was one of the region’s highest-ranking Nascent lords still shook him.

Without Divine Transformation cultivators around, a Great Nascent Lord stood at the very summit.

Now Lu Changsheng understood how Qu Changge had advanced so far in a century,

why he could casually gift his son treasures Core elders coveted,

and how he’d procured Qingdi Mountain intelligence and its inheritance with one trip.

His master was simply one of the land’s true giants.

But another puzzle rose—why had the grandmaster taken him as a disciple? A mere Dao Body wasn’t enough; it must resonate perfectly with the sect.

Deciding to avoid entanglements, Lu Changsheng planned to keep his distance; if the grandmaster took notice, trouble would follow.

Once the Starry Sea affair ended, he meant to hole up in Jiang and cultivate quietly.

Unlike his son, he never cared about tempering willpower—

to him, bottlenecks meant a shortage of talent or resources.

With enough of both, no bottleneck existed. If one did, he had the system’s lottery.

“Father…” Lu Quanzhen was moved.

He didn’t want to lean too hard on family, but he wasn’t stupid. If the offer was there, why not use it?

Joining the Tianmo Sect would give a solid environment where he could openly duel other prodigies.

“It’s your choice,” Lu Changsheng said softly, handing the decision to his son.

Though he disliked demonic sects, he’d always believed that a big tree offered the best shade.

“Uncle, I’m willing to join the Tianmo Sect!”

Quanzhen declared earnestly, eager to gauge himself against that top circle.

“Good. In a few days you’ll return to the sect with me.”

Qu Changge nodded, then suddenly asked, “Does your mother know?”

“…”

Lu Changsheng and Lu Quanzhen fell silent at once.

Seeing their faces, Qu Changge winced. His sister already resented how little her son stayed home; if he took the boy away again she’d be furious.

“We still have to tell Zhenzhen,” he said, respecting his sister.

“We do,” Lu Changsheng agreed with a headache.

The three found Qu Zhenzhen, who greeted them happily and asked what was up.

“Mother…” Quanzhen braced himself and said he wanted to leave with Uncle.

Qu Zhenzhen paused. She knew once he left, who knew when he’d come back.

But she understood her son’s nature better than anyone.

Seeing husband and brother by his side, she knew they’d already discussed it.

A little aggrieved, she sighed, “Go then, you’re never home anyway.”

“Zhenzhen,” Lu Changsheng took her hand and comforted her softly.

Qu Changge felt sorry for his sister, not sure what to say.

“You can go train, but on one condition,” Qu Zhenzhen suddenly said to her son.

“Anything, Mother.” Quanzhen respected her deeply.

“When you come back, you must bring home a wife. Look at Minghuang—so much younger and already married with a baby on the way.”

She had always worried about his marriage.

Lu Quanzhen: “…”

Lu Changsheng: “…”

Qu Changge: “…”

“Your mother is right, and I’ll handle it for you,” Qu Changge promised. He doted on his sister.

Since she fretted over the boy’s marriage, helping was the least an uncle could do.

“Then I’ll count on Brother-in-law,” Lu Changsheng said, not objecting.

The Jiang region had few suitable matches, but the Central Domain—and the Tianmo Sect—surely held many gifted female cultivators.

He even looked forward to Quanzhen’s Kunpeng Body spreading branches and leaves.

Lu Quanzhen could only nod helplessly under their combined gaze.

With everything decided, everyone relaxed.

After chatting a while, Lu Changsheng led Qu Zhenzhen to rest and comforted her.

Her body was frail; she soon fell asleep.

Lu Changsheng then recalled that since Quanzhen was headed to the Tianmo Sect—and the Celestial Lotus Sect was also in the Central Domain—

his son might meet his daughter Nangong Yaoyao, or at least visit her.

He sought out Nangong Mili and told her the plan,

asking if she had any words or letters for their daughter that Quanzhen could deliver.

“Quanzhen’s going to the Central Domain?”

Nangong Mili’s beautiful eyes widened. She hadn’t expected gentle Qu Zhenzhen to have a Nascent-level brother.

And now Quanzhen would travel south with him.

“The Liang-Yue war just ended and I’m buried in work, so I can’t accompany you to the Celestial Lotus Sect for now,” Lu Changsheng sighed.

Mili, though a bit temperamental normally, was understanding here.

The war news had only just spread, and he had a mountain of follow-up tasks.

He had to watch Yuan Kingdom, the Endless Desert and probe the Northern powers’ next moves.

Still, thinking his daughter had been at the Celestial Lotus Sect for sixty-plus years, Mili’s heart ached with longing and worry.