Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The reason Lu Yu spoke so firmly wasn't that he believed in his own cultivation level, but that he had decided, should these Qingqiu foxes not stop at that, he would call upon the Monkey. Given that the Monkey had been unbearably idle these days, if he were asked, he would certainly excitedly grab his Jingu Bang and head straight for Qingqiu's gates.

You must understand that at this moment, the Monkey is the main character between heaven and earth, the center of the great calamity. No matter who you are, you wouldn't dare to provoke him lightly. A single misstep could plunge you into disaster, a truly formidable weapon at this stage.

Since a consensus was reached, naturally, everyone was pleased. Su Mei called Hu Shengliang over and said, "You could say you've found a good fate. I've always known you to be talented. Although you can't peep into the path of cultivation, you won't lack for richness and honor in the human world. From now on, you should serve Hidden Dragon well and you might attain a proper outcome in the future."

Hu Shengliang held Su Mei in high regard, she had been one of the few in Qingqiu who had shown him kindness when he first arrived. Therefore, he gave her much face, nodding in agreement.

Su Mei and Lu Yu exchanged a few words about their experiences in cultivation, and after several attempts to probe Lu Yu's background, she found that he was tight-lipped, revealing not a single clue. Thus, she suppressed her curiosity, stood up, and bid farewell to Lu Yu.

"Sister, why were you so humble and submissive? I think this Scholar is merely at the Primordial Spirit Realm. Do you really need to be afraid of him?" Su Xiuniang said indignantly on the way.

"Primordial Spirit Realm? You are mistaken. This Scholar should be cultivating the Celestial Immortal Dao, and he has already achieved mastery of the Yang Spirit. He is just one step away from activating the Five Qi and stepping into the Land Immortal Realm. Besides, given his youth, how could he have reached such a level without the guidance of a Nameless mentor?"

"If I were to fight him, I definitely wouldn't be his match. Do you think the Treasured Sword at his waist is just for show? I can feel the bone-chilling cold of the Sword Qi even through the scabbard. If the Immortal Sword is drawn, it would surely be earth-shattering. Your tiny frame couldn't withstand a single strike from him," she said.

Such words left Su Xiuniang speechless, only able to stand there with her mouth agape.

"It's also my fault for spoiling you too much, making you so ignorant of the world. When we return, you should take that good-for-nothing nephew of yours back to the ancestral land, to avoid causing trouble."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiuniang urgently said, "Oh, please no! I was wrong, won't that do? I really can't stand the people back at the ancestral land. Don't chase me away, sister!"

However, the only response she got was an icy stare from Su Mei. It was then that Su Xiuniang realized her sister was serious, and she weakly complied, inwardly cursing her good-for-nothing nephew and resolving to deal with him harshly when she returned, to vent her frustration.

In contrast to Su Xiuniang's dejection, Lu Zhang was exceptionally pleased. His uncle's methods were indeed powerful. From Chang Chunzi's conversation, he knew that the woman who stepped forward was a rare expert, yet she was still respectful in front of his uncle.

He hurriedly introduced his subordinates to Lu Yu. In reality, Lu Yu was also observing these people under Lu Zhang's command, thinking to himself that, despite having their Fortune and Destiny stolen, Hidden Dragon still managed to gather a group of outstanding individuals.

"Very well, each one of you is a hero of this age. With your support for Zhanger, I can rest assured now. Erzhu and Shitou have also grown up; knowing this, your parents under the spring would be at peace," he said, looking at the two familiar faces in front of him, still remembering vividly their images as children.

"Second Uncle Lu, it's good that you are alive. Back then, both Second Lord and Uncle Lu Da were very worried about you. We all thought you had died!" the two officers, known to the family as Erzhu and Shitou and officially as Lu Chun and Lu Da, exclaimed upon seeing the unaged appearance of their elder.

Speaking of his deceased elder brother and parents, Lu Yu felt a darkness within him. His memories from those years were clouded, but he had long been a part of this family, and even when his memories revived, his feelings hadn't changed. Now, hearing these old matters, he couldn't help but feel a deep pain within his soul.

Lu Yu had stayed for three days at Lu Zhang's, enjoying what was called familial joy. Unfortunately, having mastered the Eternal Life Technique, he could not immerse himself in it as the elderly did.

"Uncle, why not stay here? My wife and I would take good care of you," Lu Zhang pleaded with the departing Lu Yu.

"I am, after all, a person outside of the worldly affairs. Living long in this mortal world affects my cultivation. Moreover, someone needs to manage our ancestral land.

I, too, am looking forward to the day you reclaim our old home so that I can retreat and find a steep mountain to cultivate on." After saying this, despite Lu Zhang's repeated entreaties, he mounted an auspicious cloud and flew towards his homeland.

Lu Zhang looked toward the direction in which Lu Yu was disappearing, sighing softly in desolation.

"Husband, after all, uncle is a cultivator. How could someone of his cultivation stay in the mortal world among the Cave Heaven and Blessed Earth? That would only hinder uncle's cultivation!" Being more aware of her husband than others, Han Jiangxue understood that Lu Zhang valued family greatly due to the early deaths of his relatives.

"You're right, how can uncle, being akin to an immortal, live with us like other elderly relatives? But we owe a lot to uncle, as Yuzhou City is now as stable as Mount Tai because of him."

Although the view of the great battle that took place at Lu Mansion that day was obscured by mist, making it unclear to outsiders, the aftermath of the battle still led people to speculate wildly. As some details leaked from the courtyard, everyone in Yuzhou City knew that General Lu had an immortal elder.

The immediate effect was that Noble Families and Clans, who had previously been watching from the sidelines, expressed their goodwill at once — both financially and in manpower — a stark change from their previous indifference.

While the common folk did not understand what having an immortal elder meant, it did not prevent them from believing more firmly that Lu Zhang was destined to rule, quickly solidifying his reign over Yuzhou City.

Chang Chunzi saw his lord's fortune and destiny greatly increase; the original Serpent of destiny became even more lively, constantly circling above Lu Zhang's head. Had Lu Yu not concealed it, this Serpent of destiny might have roared to the heavens to declare its presence.

"This is a sign that the foundation has been established. My lord has finally secured his footing and possesses the means to vie for the Central Plains," Chang Chunzi thought to himself.

At the same time, Lu Yu, soaring atop the clouds, also felt a surge of emotion, as his fortune was connected to Lu Zhang's, naturally benefiting from the latter's rise in destiny.

At this moment, he distinctly felt the opportunity he had long sought arrive. He quickly descended from the clouds, planning to find a serene place to carefully contemplate and stimulate one of the Five Qi within himself.

By nature, he was associated with water, and his cultivation also followed the Way of the Water, so the first of the Five Qi was the Innate Water Qi stored within his kidneys.

At this time, Lu Yu had entered a mystical realm, guided by an indiscernible voice. Soon, he found himself beside a great river.