Choosing to enter seclusion immediately after receiving the horn?
Lu Qingshan pondered briefly.
It seemed this horn truly had a tremendous effect on Ling Yu, perhaps even granting her some kind of opportunity.
Then he smiled.
So what if Ling Yu had obtained an extraordinary fortune? No matter how great it was, could it compare to his own?
He possessed a clone of a special lifeform!
Even though the One-Horned Ghost King was still incubating, Lu Qingshan could clearly feel his affinity for the Time Law steadily rising.
With such rapid growth accumulating day by day, perhaps by the day his One-Horned Ghost King clone finished incubating, his comprehension speed of the Time Origin Law would hardly lag behind his Lightning Origin Law.
"This path of dissecting the essence of the Time Origin Law was made for me!"
Lu Qingshan felt a surge of excitement.
Glancing once more at the residence where Ling Yu stayed in the center of the estate, he vanished in a flash.
To Lu Qingshan's surprise, Ling Yu emerged from seclusion the very next day and came directly to his residence.
Looking at this striking disciple, Lu Qingshan said slowly, "There seems to be a subtle change in you."
"Teacher's guess is spot on. I came today precisely to speak with Teacher about this!"
Ling Yu produced the horn from her World Ring.
"Hmm? Such a drastic change!"
Lu Qingshan had bought the horn of the One-Horned Ghost King at the auction, so he naturally knew its original appearance.
It had originally been a lifeless, grayish-brown horn, resembling a piece of useless metallic ore.
Yet now...
Streaks of cyan radiance swirled around it. Moreover, rows of wondrous secret engravings had manifested all across its surface.
A closer inspection revealed that these engravings were exquisitely subtle, vast as a sea of stars, arranged and combined in an intricately complex fashion.
"These are Time Origin Law secret engravings! How could they suddenly appear? Wasn't it said that the Time Origin Law secret engravings on this horn had been erased?"
Lu Qingshan had a hunch, but he still sounded surprised.
"Teacher, it happened like this... yesterday, after I received the horn..."
Ling Yu began speaking softly, hiding nothing. She recounted everything she knew, down to the smallest detail.
She described her earlier sensations, the strange consciousness, and the transformation in her bloodline...
It could be said that Ling Yu laid everything bare. She had already come to view Lu Qingshan as the person she trusted most, and besides, this so-called fortune of hers had only come about through Teacher Lu's help.
"So that's how it is..."
Lu Qingshan nodded in sudden realization, then continued, "Ling Yu, you're quite fortunate. That fragmented consciousness probably didn't lie to you. Before that senior died, they used a wondrous method to seal the Time Origin Law secret engravings on the horn, which led outsiders to believe it was merely a horn devoid of secret engravings.
"They likely anticipated their impending dissipation after countless ages, and by coincidence encountered a lucky person like you who possesses a sliver of their bloodline legacy. That is why they used their final strength to give you a hand."
Lu Qingshan looked at the horn covered in Time Origin Law secret engravings, paused, and continued, "Without that senior's concealment, the horn revealed its true form."
He picked up the horn and examined it closely.
"The time secret engravings on this horn are far too complete. In life, that senior must have been an extraordinarily powerful being."
That went without saying.
For a sliver of consciousness to endure for such vast ages after death, and to be able to obscure Time Origin Law secret engravings so thoroughly that not even the Undying of the Qianwu Auction could see through it, proved that the being had been formidable in life—at least an Undying King, perhaps even a Venerable...
Even such a mighty One-Horned Ghost King had died completely. The excitement Lu Qingshan felt over obtaining a clone cooled considerably. Even with a clone in the future, he still needed to act with prudence.
"Teacher, I now return this horn to its rightful owner."
Ling Yu offered the horn with both hands.
Though a hint of reluctance lingered in her eyes, Ling Yu understood that the horn was now far too valuable for her to hold onto.
Besides, it had originally been her teacher's collectible.
"Ling Yu." Lu Qingshan frowned. "What is the meaning of this? Do you want your master to break his word? Since I said I would lend it to you, I will lend it to you. At least until the Genius Battle concludes, I won't take it back...
"Though you've awakened a sliver of bloodline power, time is too short. Without the aid of the Time Origin Law secret engravings on this horn, it won't be easy to rapidly advance your comprehension of the Time Origin Law."
"However, it isn't as if your master has no expectations..." Lu Qingshan smiled. "Previously, my baseline for you was the top ten in the universe, but now, I want you to strive for that number-one spot in the universe!"
First in the universe!
Ling Yu drew a deep breath.
Who could have imagined that ten years ago, her teacher, the Silver Moon Marquis, had only hoped she might enter the universe's top one thousand?
In just ten short years, such an earth-shaking transformation had occurred within her, and all of it...
Ling Yu looked at the smiling Teacher Lu, emotion swelling in her heart.
*All of this is thanks to Teacher Lu.*
From movement techniques to initiating into the Time Law, to the transformation of her bloodline... Lu Qingshan was intimately involved in every bit of her progress. It was fair to say that without Lu Qingshan, her goal might still be merely the top one thousand in the universe.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself either. Taking first is naturally best, but even if you don't, a spot in the Taichu Secret Realm is guaranteed..."
He added half-jokingly, "Your master's bonus still depends on you, after all."
"Teacher, rest assured, first place in the universe will be mine!" Ling Yu declared with resolute conviction.
"Good." Lu Qingshan smiled, glanced at the horn, and said, "This matter stays between you and me. Let no third person know!"
"Teacher, I understand."
Ling Yu took a deep breath and ultimately stored the horn away. She had already promised Teacher Lu that she would seize first place in the Genius Battle; without this item, her chances would be drastically reduced.
Having confessed everything, Ling Yu felt the weight lift from her shoulders. She did not linger in Lu Qingshan's villa, taking her leave to return and resume her cultivation.
Her cultivation now was straightforward: she only needed to keep practicing the Wind Thunder Sword strike Lu Qingshan had taught her, while dedicating the rest of her time to comprehending the Time Origin Law...
After Ling Yu left, Lu Qingshan stood at the entrance, gazing down the mountain.
He recalled the Time Origin Law secret engravings on the horn—those flawless engravings seemed like the most beautiful sight in the universe.
*The secret engravings on that horn would have been immensely useful to me as well, but taking back something already given away would look unseemly... Besides, I have the Star Map to contemplate, which yields even better results than staring at secret engravings. Ling Yu needs it far more than I do...*
*It seems my luck isn't bad at all. I managed to pick up a hidden gem just by attending a random auction...* Lu Qingshan knew full well that the collectible he bought for thirty Hunyuan was now priceless. If put up for auction again, it would fetch an astronomical figure—the Qianwu Auction might not even qualify to list such a treasure.
*Those Time Law secret engravings on the horn are a treasure that even Undying beings seeking to comprehend the Time Law would covet madly...*
*I hope that girl knows the gravity of this and guards it well, not letting anyone discover it before she takes first place in the Genius Battle...*
Regarding whether Ling Yu could take first place in the Genius Battle, Lu Qingshan possessed a fair bit of confidence.
He knew certain things about the future: Bolan, fifty thousand years later, would be hailed as a genius seen once in tens of thousands of epochs, which meant that in these intervening years, an existence of Bolan's caliber simply could not appear...
The strength Ling Yu displayed now already matched that of Luo Feng and Rong Jun during that future tournament's finals. Ten years from now, even if she still fell short of Bolan, she would likely stand in a league of her own at the very top!
*If I nurture a disciple who takes first place in the Genius Battle, even the three Undying like the Silver Moon Marquis will have to show me deference in the Qianwu Secret Realm...*
*After all, the Qianwu Country Master, that greatest debtor, counts on cultivating talent to repay his debts. A teacher like me is practically the talent of his dreams!*
Chapter 60