Weakness Is the Original Sin!

Lu Qingshan had finished selecting his position when Mitchell received the news. Over these past days, there had been no movement from Mo Li's side; Mitchell had roughly guessed that Lu Qingshan would decline the invitation. He bore no grudge over this. Back during the assessment, taking note of Lu Qingshan's potential had been a mere whim. If the other party had no such intention, he would not force the matter. Yet when he saw the position Lu Qingshan had chosen, a trace of hard-to-comprehend surprise flickered in his eyes. "The Qianwu Dojo Headquarters... a First-Class Instructor?" Mitchell muttered under his breath, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop: "A holder of the Giant Axe Martial Arts Practitioner title, choosing to become an instructor?" In his deep-seated notions, the role of a professional instructor was often equated with martial artists pursuing a life of ease, or those whose potential was exhausted and whose limits were near. This was the polar opposite of a "Giant Axe Martial Arts Practitioner." "Evidently, this child has no enterprising spirit; his future achievements probably stop at Domain Master." Mitchell's estimation of Lu Qingshan instantly plummeted to rock bottom. He had originally thought highly of the other's potential to assail World Master, hoping he would become a future right-hand man. Now it seemed he had misjudged him. "There is no need to keep following this person's movements." Mitchell replied succinctly, then completely struck Lu Qingshan's name from the watchlist. ... Qionglong Star, Lu Qingshan's residence. After exiting the Virtual Universe, Lu Qingshan immediately informed his father-in-law Kevin of his choice. "The Qianwu Dojo Headquarters?" Kevin's eyes instantly sparked with delighted surprise at these words. "That is a place where an Undying Deity presides. I do not know if I will ever have the chance in this life to see it with my own eyes." Lu Qingshan raised his wine cup and took a large gulp, smiling. "Father, with your strength as a senior Domain Master, as long as you avoid dangerous forbidden zones, where in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom can you not go?" Kevin shook his head with a wry smile. "Where is there such freedom as you say? If I left, what would become of this foundation on Qionglong Star? My son Keli and I rely on this bit of income to support our cultivation." His voice carried a touch of helplessness, and he frequently mentioned his youngest son Keli. "Alas, Keli is unpromising. If he were willing to stay put on Qionglong Star, I could occasionally leave for a while, and it would not be so bad..." Lu Qingshan understood in his heart: his father-in-law was missing his son. He silently calculated: Keli had left Qionglong Star probably five thousand years ago. "That brat's wings have hardened; he doesn't even listen to his old man!" Kevin could not help but curse. "Sometimes I send him messages through the Virtual Universe, and he doesn't even give a reply." Sensing the deep resentment in his father-in-law's words, Lu Qingshan laughed heartily. "Father, rest assured! Keli is in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom. I am heading there myself. When I run into him, I will definitely drag this brat back to you!" After the meal, Lu Qingshan bade farewell to his father-in-law and returned to his own manor. Just as he reached the castle gate, he saw his disciple Lei Ming—lightning flashing above his head—waiting there with an excited expression. "Teacher!" Seeing Lu Qingshan, Lei Ming immediately stepped forward, joy he could not conceal on his face. This year, he had been training alone on Qionglong Star. It was the first time his teacher had taken the initiative to contact him. He was still young, pure of heart. Toward the teacher he had followed for three years, he felt both reverence and dependence. "Come in first." Lu Qingshan pushed open the castle's heavy doors. Lei Ming followed behind like a curious child, cautiously examining the luxurious and ancient furnishings inside the castle. "Teacher, is this the property you acquired on Qionglong Star? It's so grand!" Lei Ming was no longer the ignorant boy who had just arrived on Qionglong Star a year ago. He knew the value of this castle probably equaled that of an ordinary life-bearing planet. "No," Lu Qingshan said in a gentle tone. "This was originally the home of your teacher's wife and me." Hearing this, Lei Ming's face instantly reddened. With deep apology, he lowered his head. "Teacher, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have spoken carelessly." He knew that the teacher's wife had passed away tens of thousands of years ago; this was no secret in the Maple Leaf Empire. "It's fine." Lu Qingshan waved his hand, changing the subject. "Tell me: what gains did you make from this year of training?" He wanted to see how this free-range disciple had changed. "Teacher..." Lei Ming seemed to recall something. His voice sank, filled with indignation and helplessness. "I... I saw the cruelty of the universe. I went to Qionglong Star's slave market... it was simply hell! Living fellow tribesmen were treated like goods, selected, bought, and sold! Even Star Level Ninth Stage powerhouses could not escape the fate of becoming slaves!" He was somewhat agitated. "I know someone named Beta. His home planet was occupied by slave traders; only he escaped, and his entire clan became slaves. What did they do wrong? Was it merely because they had not yet come into contact with cosmic civilization?" "And then there's Mengna. Her home planet was even worse! It was occupied by demons. The humans of that planet were all handsome and beautiful. They did not spare even ordinary people below apprentice level, capturing them and selling them at the slave market. As for the rest, regardless of male or female, they all... they all became tools for breeding..." "The weak: that is original sin." Lu Qingshan sighed long and low, his gaze becoming profound. He gazed toward the direction of the slave market, as if seeing the shadow of his own past. If not for having been a little luckier back then, where would his freedom be today? A trace of cold chill condensed in the depths of Lu Qingshan's eyes. He secretly made a decision. If, one day, he could break through to Universe Lord, he would surely sweep this evil slave system into the trash heap of history. Those bugs who tolerated or even led all of this must also pay a painful price! Of course, that was an impossibly distant future. "The weak... are original sin?" Lei Ming chewed on his teacher's words, his eyes gradually becoming extremely firm. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Teacher! I will definitely become strong! Extremely strong!" "Good!" Lu Qingshan patted his shoulder with satisfaction. "Apart from these experiences, did you gain anything else?" "Yes!" Lei Ming took a deep breath and calmed himself. "I found a place called the 'Killing Field' in the Virtual Universe. It is very useful. For most of this year, I have been training there, and I feel my combat experience and ability to exert force have improved considerably!" He then added somewhat embarrassedly, "It is just too expensive. Without those Black Dragon Coins you gave me, Teacher, I could not afford it." "The Killing Field is indeed a good place to hone techniques, but staying too long yields little." Lu Qingshan shook his head. He did not mind that his disciple had taken a detour. "Did you not notice anything wrong? By all logic, after experiencing so many life-and-death battles, your domain should have broken through by now..." "Disciple is dull-witted." Lei Ming's face showed shame. The core reason he had gone to the Killing Field to fight wildly was to comprehend his domain, yet he had never succeeded. "A true domain is born from great terror between life and death. No matter how realistically the Killing Field simulates battle, it ultimately lacks that genuine pressure of having no retreat." Lu Qingshan smiled faintly, pointing out the key. "Its true function lies in perfecting your system of techniques. Wanting to rely purely on fighting there to comprehend your domain or even a law? That is wishful thinking." He stood up, looked at Lei Ming, and his tone turned solemn. "For the next few days, you need not cultivate. Rest well and let this year's gains settle. Seven days from now, we will leave Qionglong Star..." A gleam of sharpness flashed in Lu Qingshan's eyes. "By then, I, as your teacher, will show you what the correct cultivation method on the path to power truly is." Having stayed on Qionglong Star for over a year, and with the road ahead now set, it was time to set out.