Supreme Ancestor Realm, Ancestor Lu! The Qi Clan's Shock!

"Eldest Brother, what should we do?" Qi Yushu looked at her brother. In matters concerning the Qi clan, her elder brother had always been decisive and assertive. Yet confronted with such a situation, Qi Yutang was at a complete loss. "Go fetch Father." Before long, the Qi clan patriarch arrived. Qi Yutang and his sister briefly explained what had transpired. The Qi clan patriarch knitted his brows slightly. Deep down, the last thing he wanted was to become entangled in such trouble. What could an unknown expert bring to the Qi clan? Nothing but unnecessary trouble—or even catastrophe. If given a choice, the Qi clan patriarch would certainly choose to "usher" the stranger away. Yet how could they usher him away? The stranger had clearly latched onto the Qi clan. If they truly tried to drive him off and provoked his wrath, it could mean utter destruction for the Qi clan. It was a dilemma. After turning it over in his mind, the Qi clan patriarch took a deep breath, walked up to the carriage, and respectfully inquired, "May I ask what Senior requires?" "Attend to your own affairs, that is all." "Furthermore, if the Qi clan possesses natural treasures—preferably treasure medicine that can aid in recovering from injuries—that would be even better." "Here are immortal crystals. Lu will not take your treasure medicine for nothing." Lu Changsheng still had immortal crystals on him. Although immortal crystals were practically impossible to find in the Boundary Sea, a supply had remained within the City in the Sky. Lu Changsheng had transferred them all into the underwater manor. Though the City in the Sky had been destroyed, the underwater manor remained completely intact. "Understood, Senior." The Qi clan patriarch accepted the immortal crystals. He understood now that the Qi clan had no way to shake the man off. Since they could not rid themselves of him, they could only comply with his demands. Otherwise, utter destruction would befall the Qi clan in an instant. On this point, the Qi clan patriarch was exceedingly clear-headed. "Go, bring the treasure medicine here," the patriarch instructed. Fortunately, from the detail of Lu Changsheng offering immortal crystals, the patriarch had formed an idea of his disposition and character. The man was reasonable. At the very least, he was not the overbearing, unreasonable sort. As long as the Qi clan served him dutifully, he likely would not cause them trouble. He might even grant the Qi clan some benefit. In that sense, it was a blessing in disguise. "Resume the journey." With a wave of the patriarch's hand, the caravan set out once more toward Lu City. Inside the carriage, Lu Changsheng called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 16,080,000 (Peerless Through the Ages) Mortal Immortal Dao: 82% (Enter the Dao) Myriad Spirits Immortal Body Foundation: 64% (Not yet perfected) Physical Immortal Dao Foundation: 83% (Not yet perfected) Divine Eye of Annihilation: Supreme Ancestor Realm Level Slaughter Dao: Sixth Revolution Flesh Martial Dao: Denary Growth (Ancestor Realm) Comprehension Deduction: Can consume large amounts of comprehension to perform deductions On this attribute panel, Lu Changsheng had originally possessed forty-six million comprehension points after breaking the immortal array. Yet inside the Heaven Realm passage, deducing and analyzing the spatial forces at any cost had drained a staggering thirty million comprehension points in one go. Only sixteen million comprehension points remained. Fortunately, he had been lucky enough to ascend to the Heaven Realm alive. Lu Changsheng harbored no regrets. Had he not expended those comprehension points, he likely would have died. He would never have reached the Heaven Realm. No matter how much comprehension one had, what meaning did it hold in death? Besides, he could find ways to increase his comprehension points in the future. Now that Lu Changsheng was cut off from the Boundary Sea, any comprehension points gained by his avatar were irrelevant to his true body. He could only seek out methods to augment his comprehension points within the Heaven Realm. For now, however, the most pressing matter was not increasing comprehension points, but recovering from his injuries as quickly as possible. Lu Changsheng had already received the treasure medicine provided by the Qi clan. He began inspecting his injuries. In truth, his wounds were exceptionally severe. Eighty percent of his physical body was depleted. A mere twenty percent remained. Yet it did not matter; so long as that twenty percent remained, he could recover. With that, Lu Changsheng swallowed the treasure medicine whole. Treasure medicine from the Heaven Realm was entirely different from that of the Boundary Sea. Lu Changsheng sensed it acutely. The moment the medicine entered his body, a dense wave of immortal spirit qi burst forth, diffusing into every corner of his physical body and rapidly mending it. Day after day passed. Lu Changsheng finally consumed every last bit of the treasure medicine. *Swish.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "Thirty percent!" "My physical body has already recovered to thirty percent." "This was just a few stalks of treasure medicine, yet the effect is marvelous—as expected of medicine nurtured in the Heaven Realm." "Moreover, if even the current Qi clan could produce these stalks, they certainly aren't anything exceedingly rare or precious. Once we arrive in Lu City, I should be able to buy plenty of treasure medicine." "At that point, full physical recovery will be just around the corner. I might even take it a step further..." A flicker of delight passed through Lu Changsheng's eyes. Braving the danger and enduring hardship to ascend to the Heaven Realm had indeed been the right choice. In the Heaven Realm, advancing was simply too easy. Lu Changsheng could sense that even if he did nothing at all in the Heaven Realm and merely cultivated step by step, his Myriad Spirits Immortal Body and Physical Immortal Dao could both reach one hundred percent. This was the Heaven Realm! Cultivating here yielded twice the result with half the effort—compared to the Boundary Sea, it was a hundred times easier! *** A month passed, and the Qi clan's caravan finally arrived safely at Lu City. Though they had encountered minor setbacks along the way, none had posed a serious problem. The Qi clan had resolved them on their own. Lu City was more magnificent and colossal than any city Lu Changsheng had ever seen in the Boundary Sea. Before such an imposing, titanic city, their caravan was practically negligible, resembling a line of tiny ants. Lu Changsheng could see numerous humans, demons, spirit beasts, and others steadily entering Lu City. The Heaven Realm belonged to all living beings, not merely the human race. It could only be said that humans held a dominant position and possessed immense strength here. Furthermore, Lu Changsheng noticed something curious. During this entire period, he had not encountered a single Heaven Realm Upper Immortal—an immortal of the Heaven Realm. At most, he had sensed cultivators of the Ancestor Realm. Even upon reaching Lu City, Lu Changsheng could not detect any immortals. Unable to hold back, Lu Changsheng asked one of the accompanying Qi clan members, "Are there immortals in Lu City?" Knowing Lu Changsheng held a special status, the Qi clan member answered without hesitation: "Lu City is overseen by an immortal. Rumor has it that Lu City was founded by Great Immortal Lu, so Great Immortal Lu naturally watches over it." "Under Great Immortal Lu's banner, there are also many immortals. Of course, it cannot compare to Zhang City—after all, Lu City can only be considered a small city." Lu Changsheng's heart stirred slightly. Great Immortal Lu? There were even many immortals serving under him? "Yet why has Lu not seen any immortals?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Senior must be joking. What lofty figures immortals are! Each and every one stands high above; how could they show themselves so casually?" Enlightenment dawned on Lu Changsheng. Perhaps he understood now. Though he had yet to gain a complete grasp of the realm, he had pieced together the general picture. Even in the Heaven Realm, immortals were exalted existences. It was not as he had imagined, where immortals walked everywhere in the Heaven Realm. That was simply impossible. Attaining immortality remained exceptionally difficult even in the Heaven Realm. As for more specific details, it was not convenient for Lu Changsheng to pry further right now. Once they settled down, he could learn more at his own pace. Though Lu City was considered a small city, the arrival of the Qi clan was an insignificant drop in the ocean, causing no stir whatsoever. The Qi clan no longer possessed an Ancestor Realm expert. What did they amount to? In the Qi clan's prime, when they possessed an Ancestor Realm forebear, they had wielded some influence. Now that the clan had migrated to Lu City and stood in precarious peril, how could they dare court trouble? Consequently, the Qi clan entered the city in an extremely low-profile manner. Soon, the Qi clan took up residence in an estate prepared beforehand. The clan had sent advance members to arrange everything in advance. Upon arriving in Lu City, the Qi kinsmen were able to settle in immediately. "Senior Lu, this is your quarters." "I have also assigned two maidservants to attend to you. If Senior has any orders, you need only command them." Qi Yutang spoke respectfully to Lu Changsheng. The Qi clan patriarch had many miscellaneous matters to handle and had not personally arranged Lu Changsheng's lodging. Yet that was only part of the reason. In truth, the most important reason was that the patriarch did not wish to appear before Lu Changsheng. He seemed deeply wary of Lu Changsheng, dreading that a single wrong word might provoke his fury. By having Qi Yutang liaise with Lu Changsheng, the Qi clan would have room to maneuver regardless of what happened. This was the Qi clan's current path of survival. Having lost their Ancestor Realm forebear, if they wished to survive now, they had to tread with utmost caution, daring not show the slightest negligence. "The Qi clan has been thoughtful," Lu Changsheng said with a nod. He did not dismiss the two maidservants. Such a spacious courtyard indeed required someone to keep it in order. More importantly, Lu Changsheng was unfamiliar with Lu City and the Heaven Realm as a whole. Having two maidservants at his beck and call would make things far more convenient. The two maidservants were named Qi Liu and Qi Yue. Both were house-born servants of the Qi clan, their families having served as slaves for generations. Lu Changsheng questioned them briefly, and both answered truthfully. Although their lineage had been slaves for generations, there remained an opportunity to alter their fate. So long as one displayed cultivation talent, their servant register would be revoked, allowing them to become true kinsmen of the Qi clan. Thus, these servants and retainers were not doomed to utter despair; a glimmer of hope remained. According to Qi Yue, being assigned to attend to Lu Changsheng was considered a "coveted post." If Lu Changsheng was pleased with them, they might soar to the heavens in a single bound, altering their destinies forever. This was not an exaggeration in the slightest. Lu Changsheng merely smiled and said nothing. Over the next few days, while the Qi clan busied themselves with settling in, Lu Changsheng began familiarizing himself with the state of the Heaven Realm. Common knowledge of this sort was quite easy to acquire. Lu Changsheng learned that the vast Heaven Realm was virtually boundless. No one knew where the ends of the Heaven Realm lay. Ordinary living beings existed in the Heaven Realm as well. However, because the realm was permeated with immortal spirit qi, even ordinary creatures were far stronger than those in the Boundary Sea, and cultivation was much easier. Yet no matter how much easier cultivation was, attaining immortality remained exceedingly difficult. It largely aligned with what Lu Changsheng had previously learned. The Heaven Realm also recognized four paths of the Immortal Dao. Most took the path of the immortal body. Only beings lacking sufficient talent pursued the path of the Loose Immortal. Any being with ambition chose the Mortal Immortal Dao. Yet the Mortal Immortal Dao was excessively difficult; every being who aspired to it was a talent of supreme brilliance. The remainder consisted of beings born with naturally powerful physical forms, who pursued the Physical Immortal Dao—a path that perfectly matched their innate gifts. However, there was a difference. Once an immortal ascended in the Heaven Realm, they condensed a Dao Fruit within their body. A Dao Fruit was the very essence of an immortal's lifetime of cultivation. It was not a physical object, yet an immortal could personally perceive it. For this reason, achieving immortality was also referred to as "attaining the Dao." The so-called attainment of the Dao was, in fact, the condensation of a Dao Fruit. A Dao Fruit possessed countless miraculous properties and incomprehensible, marvelous methods—whether for offense, defense, or auxiliary purposes. In short, the Dao Fruit was profoundly wondrous. Only now did Lu Changsheng understand the difference between Heaven Realm Upper Immortals and Immortal Realm mighty figures from the lower realms. Lower realm figures—be it the Mortal Immortal Liu Yun, the Physical Immortal Giant Spirit Ancestor, or the Loose Immortal Giant Axe Immortal—had none of them condensed a Dao Fruit. This Dao Fruit appeared unique to the immortals of the Heaven Realm, a kind of "bestowal" from the realm itself. Yet relying on their Dao Fruits, Heaven Realm Upper Immortals were virtually unstoppable. Their power shook the heavens and earth, far surpassing that of lower realm immortals. This was also why, despite both being Immortal Realm mighty figures, the Giant Axe Immortal had been vastly inferior to the Heaven Realm Upper Immortal. Beyond lacking an immortal body, the greatest reason lay in the fact that the Giant Axe Immortal possessed no Dao Fruit. "So that's how it is..." "Heaven Realm Upper Immortals condense a Dao Fruit to attain the Dao and become immortals." "Every immortal who obtains a Dao Fruit qualifies to establish an immortal Dao field." "A Dao field is effectively an extension radiating from an immortal's cave dwelling; within it, an immortal's power multiplies several times over." "Some immortals establish Dao fields in famous mountains and great rivers, while others construct cities to serve as their Dao fields. Lu City, for instance, is actually Great Immortal Lu's Dao field..." Lu Changsheng understood completely now. He lifted his head to gaze into the void. He could discern no traces of arrays or the like in the empty air. Yet once he set foot in Lu City, Lu Changsheng had effectively stepped into Great Immortal Lu's Dao field. Fighting Great Immortal Lu here would put him at an overwhelming disadvantage. Consequently, major battles between immortals rarely took place within an opponent's Dao field; cultivators would typically lure the immortal out instead. Having grasped the general knowledge of the Heaven Realm, Lu Changsheng felt his perspective broaden immensely. However, the key issue right now remained his injuries. His body had only recovered thirty percent. Seventy percent remained. To bridge this gap required treasure medicine. Treasure medicine was not difficult to find; on the contrary, Lu City had an abundance of it. Yet one needed immortal crystals. Lu Changsheng did not have an unlimited supply of immortal crystals. To purchase enough treasure medicine, he needed the Qi clan's assistance. Thus, Lu Changsheng went directly to find the Qi clan patriarch. "Lu requires the Qi clan to make every effort to purchase treasure medicine." "As much as you can obtain." "Continue until Lu's injuries are healed." Lu Changsheng spoke plainly. "Uh..." A look of difficulty appeared on the patriarch's face. The Qi clan's current circumstances were strained, and parting with a large sum of immortal crystals to purchase treasure medicine would place a considerable burden on them. Yet after glancing at Lu Changsheng, the patriarch did not refuse. "Very well." "If Senior will wait a few days, a steady stream of treasure medicine will surely be delivered to your hands." Lu Changsheng nodded. He had no desire to demand things endlessly without return. Yet needing to heal his injuries, he could only act according to circumstance. Once his wounds were mended, he would naturally grant the Qi clan some benefits. The Qi clan swung into action, spending large sums of immortal crystals to purchase stalk after stalk of treasure medicine. As their purchases grew massive, they eventually drew the attention of various factions in Lu City. "What is going on? Why has the supply of treasure medicine dropped sharply lately?" "It seems someone has been quietly buying up treasure medicine in bulk." "Who is secretly stockpiling treasure medicine? Even the current prices have gone up." "To operate on such a grand scale, it can't be a small faction." "Someone seems to have investigated already—it's the Qi clan making these sweeping purchases." "The Qi clan? The Qi clan that just relocated to Lu City?" In no time, many factions learned of the Qi clan. Yet none of them understood what purpose the Qi clan had in hoarding so much treasure medicine. While treasure medicine was indeed wondrous, it was far too valuable to distribute to ordinary kinsmen for cultivation. The Qi clan was not so extravagant. That left only one other possibility. Treasure medicine could heal injuries. Many cultivators used it to mend their physical forms after suffering wounds. Could an expert of the Qi clan be injured? Yet to require such a vast quantity of treasure medicine, what caliber of cultivator would that be? At least the Ancestor Realm! Did the Qi clan possess a hidden Ancestor Realm expert? *** Lu City, the Qi clan estate. Qi Yutang was currently reporting the clan's latest developments to his father. "Father, although we were very discreet in procuring the treasure medicine, Senior requires such a massive quantity that several factions still caught on." "Those factions are all watching our Qi clan right now." "However, because we purchased so much treasure medicine, people have mistakenly assumed our clan still harbors an Ancestor Realm expert. As a result, the local factions in Lu City haven't suppressed our growing businesses; instead, they've gone out of their way to accommodate us." "The livelihoods of our kinsmen have improved considerably as well..." Qi Yutang appeared delighted. This was an unexpected boon. Who could have guessed that those factions would conclude the Qi clan possessed a hidden Ancestor Realm expert purely based on the volume of treasure medicine? For the Qi clan, this was naturally beneficial. Having an Ancestor Realm expert versus lacking one were two entirely different realities. Had the local powers of Lu City not been uncertain about which Ancestor Realm expert backed the Qi clan, how could the clan have settled down in Lu City so smoothly? Qi Yutang had not anticipated that without speaking a word or even showing his face, Lu Changsheng could exert such a deterrent effect. Such was the deterrence of the Ancestor Realm! When immortals did not appear, an Ancestor Realm cultivator was the pinnacle of power. In the past, had the Qi clan's ability to flourish so brilliantly in Zhang City not rested entirely upon their former Ancestor Realm forebear? "Yutang, who says our Qi clan lacks an Ancestor Realm expert?" "Remember this: Senior Lu is our Qi clan's ancestor!" The patriarch spoke suddenly. "Huh?" "Father, what are you saying? Senior Lu is our ancestor? But Senior Lu clearly has no connection to our clan!" "Besides, you were so wary of Senior Lu before. Why the sudden..." Qi Yutang was utterly baffled. How could his father have changed his tune so quickly? The crux of the matter was that Senior Lu had done nothing at all. "What do you know?" the patriarch sneered. "Previously, I feared being dragged down by Ancestor Lu." "Now it is different. Ancestor Lu is our Qi clan's great opportunity!" "As for why I changed my mind..." "It is simple. How many stalks of treasure medicine has Ancestor Lu refined over this period?" Qi Yutang paused, gave it some thought, and said, "Around eighty stalks, wasn't it?" The patriarch nodded. "Correct, eighty-five stalks. On the road to Lu City, Ancestor Lu refined several stalks, and just moments ago, we gathered another dozen or so." "Taken together, hasn't Ancestor Lu refined over a hundred stalks of treasure medicine?" "Under normal circumstances, no matter how severe an Ancestor Realm cultivator's injuries might be, twenty or thirty stalks would certainly be enough to heal them. Even for a supreme Ancestor Realm expert, fifty or sixty stalks would surely suffice." "Yet Ancestor Lu required over a hundred stalks to recover. What does that signify?" "It proves that Ancestor Lu is a supreme Ancestor Realm expert! Even among the supreme Ancestor Realm, he is an undisputed powerhouse—perhaps not far from attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal..." As he reached this point, the patriarch's face flushed with excitement. Qi Yutang's mouth hung open, his eyes wide with shock. Indeed, over a hundred stalks of treasure medicine. He had not paid close attention to that detail before. No wonder his father had shifted his stance so drastically. A supreme Ancestor Realm expert, perhaps on the verge of stepping into the Immortal Realm! For such an entity to be associated with the current Qi clan—what immense fortune was that? As for the enemies Lu Changsheng might have? What did that matter? Wealth and honor had to be seized amidst danger. This "fortune" was far too immense; it was worth the Qi clan gambling everything to secure it. Moreover, the local factions of Lu City had likely deduced from the volume of medicine that the Qi clan housed an extraordinarily mighty supreme Ancestor Realm expert. Could the Qi clan be setting up an elaborate bluff? It was possible. Yet without a supreme Ancestor Realm expert holding down the fort, putting on such a show would do nothing but recklessly flaunt wealth. For the Qi clan, such a lie would be punctured in an instant. There was no reason for them to stage such a deception. That was why the local factions treated the Qi clan with such courtesy. "Yutang, pass down the order." "Henceforth, every member of the Qi clan shall treat Ancestor Lu with the rites due an ancestor." "Any who offend him shall face the ultimate penalty!" "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our Qi clan. We must seize it!" The patriarch spoke with solemn resolve. "Father, I understand." Qi Yutang nodded firmly, turning immediately to make the announcements and arrangements. *** Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng remained inside his quiet chamber. As newcomers, the Qi clan's circumstances were meager; they lacked a cave dwelling and had only quiet chambers available. Lu Changsheng could only nurse his injuries within the chamber. Yet recovering here made little difference to him. Regardless, he was continuously refining treasure medicine—stalk after stalk in an endless stream. Moreover, Lu Changsheng sensed clearly that the later stalks provided by the Qi clan grew increasingly potent. Each stalk was remarkably precious. Lu Changsheng did not know what had occurred within the Qi clan, but it was a welcome development that aided his recovery tremendously. Finally, when Lu Changsheng had refined a full one hundred and eight stalks of treasure medicine, a roar resounded within his body. *Boom!* Moments later, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. "Finally recovered..." Lu Changsheng smiled. After half a year in Lu City, he had at last healed his physical injuries. Furthermore, it went far beyond mere recovery. The treasure medicine had worked wonders on his physical body. Lu Changsheng could even faintly sense that he seemed to have grown stronger!