Chapter 443 (2)

“It’s rare to catch so many Spirit Fish. How about we make fish soup tonight?” Lu Qing said with a smile.

“Alright!” Xiao Yan nodded enthusiastically.

Fish soup made from Red Moon Carp was incredibly delicious. Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

The siblings, accompanied by their two Spirit Beasts, happily made their way back to the village.

As soon as they arrived home, Grandfather Zhang from next door came to visit.

“Ah Qing, you just came back from fishing?”

“Yes, I caught quite a few Spirit Fish. I was planning to make some fish soup tonight. Why don’t you join us, Grandfather Zhang?” Lu Qing said warmly.

“Haha, these old eyes of mine can’t pick out fish bones anymore. You all enjoy it,” Grandfather Zhang replied with a chuckle.

“No need to worry, Grandfather Zhang! I can pick out all the fish bones for you!” Xiao Yan chimed in immediately.

“What a good girl,” Grandfather Zhang said, patting the little girl’s head affectionately. Then, he hesitated, as if wanting to say something but holding back.

Lu Qing noticed his hesitation and asked, “Grandfather Zhang, is there something troubling you?”

Seeing that Lu Qing had picked up on his unease, Grandfather Zhang hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak openly.

“Ah Qing, yesterday, some of the village elders gathered and discussed something. We were wondering if we could ask a favor of you.”

“What is it?” Lu Qing asked.

“Well, some of the younger folks in the village, after witnessing your divine prowess, were hoping you could teach them a thing or two. Would that be possible?”

Lu Qing was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this to be the reason.

For a moment, he pondered in silence.

Seeing his hesitation, Grandfather Zhang quickly added, “Ah Qing, I know that you’re now among the immortals. All the stories say that immortal techniques cannot be easily shared. If it’s inconvenient for you, don’t trouble yourself. I’ll go back and explain it to them.”

“Grandfather Zhang, you misunderstand,” Lu Qing said with a smile, snapping out of his thoughts. “It’s not a matter of convenience or inconvenience.

The Path of Cultivation isn’t something one can undertake just because they’re interested. It requires innate talent and comprehension. Without these, even with true methods at hand, one might not be able to begin their journey on this path.”

Lu Qing didn’t resent the villagers for their request. On the contrary, he understood their longing.

After all, who wouldn’t be drawn to the powers of the immortals? If he were in their place and saw someone demonstrating Immortal Techniques, he too would yearn to cultivate.

However, cultivation was not something achievable simply by desire. Aptitude, comprehension, perseverance, and mental fortitude were all necessary. Missing even one would make achieving great success—or even entering the path—impossible.

At least as far as the Path of Cultivation was concerned, based on his understanding of the village’s young people, he hadn’t yet seen anyone with exceptional potential.

“I see…” Grandfather Zhang said, his tone tinged with disappointment.

From Lu Qing’s explanation, he could tell that the village’s young people likely lacked the aptitude for cultivating Immortal Techniques.

Seeing the disappointment on the old man’s face, Lu Qing thought for a moment before saying, “But nothing is absolute. Every matter holds a sliver of opportunity within it.

How about this, Grandfather Zhang? Go back and discuss with everyone to see who is truly interested in cultivation. Tomorrow, have them gather at my place, and I’ll give them a chance.”

“Really?” Grandfather Zhang’s face lit up with joy.

“Of course,” Lu Qing nodded.

“Alright, I’ll go tell them right away!”

Watching Grandfather Zhang’s hurried departure, Lu Qing smiled faintly.

As a member of Jiuli Village, he naturally wished for the village to prosper. If even one or two villagers with talent for cultivation emerged, it would be a boon for everyone.

Now that spiritual energy had fully revived, the next tens of thousands of years would be dominated by the cultivation of the Dao. For Jiuli Village to survive in this grand era, it couldn’t remain under his protection alone.

After all, he didn’t know if he would always remain in this world.

If the village could produce its own cultivators, even if he had to leave one day, someone would still be there to protect the village and ensure its survival.

With this thought, Lu Qing felt more assured.

While he was mulling over these matters, a sudden fluctuation emanated from the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Moments later, the ripple faded away.

Lu Qing’s expression shifted. Turning into a streak of Flight Light, he flew toward the mountains.

Before long, he arrived at a valley where the entrance to a Mystic Realm was located.

The black vortex that led to the Five Elements Hidden Realm was gradually shrinking.

“So, the entrance to the Five Elements Hidden Realm is finally closing,” Lu Qing murmured, watching the vortex diminish without making any move to stop it.

The opening and closing of Mystic Realms were natural phenomena of this world. Unless one was willing to sacrifice a Spiritual Artifact and permanently fuse it into the realm, there was no way to prevent it from closing.

However, the few Spiritual Artifacts Lu Qing currently possessed were of great use to him, so he had no intention of sacrificing any.

Besides, the greatest opportunities within the Five Elements Hidden Realm had already been claimed by him. Most of the Spirit Herbs and treasures had been thoroughly scavenged by the martial experts who entered later. Many of those experts had been slain by the white-robed youth, and their spoils ultimately ended up in Lu Qing’s hands.

In short, the Five Elements Hidden Realm’s value had significantly diminished, making it unworthy of sacrificing a Spiritual Artifact.

When the black vortex finally disappeared, the valley returned to complete tranquility. The pervasive Spatial Fluctuations dissipated entirely.

Lu Qing sighed softly.

The Five Elements Hidden Realm had brought him immense fortune. Without the Five Elements Spirit Liquid he obtained from it, he wouldn’t have advanced to the Golden Core Realm so quickly or formed a Perfect Golden Core.

He had also gained a supreme Spirit Herb and a Spirit Beast of immense potential.

The Five Elements Hidden Realm had undoubtedly been his greatest blessing.

Who knew when it would reappear after this closure?

With a faint smile, Lu Qing glanced toward the deeper part of the valley before once again transforming into a streak of light and leaving.

Only after his figure completely vanished did several trembling figures emerge from a dark corner of the valley, their faces filled with relief at narrowly escaping danger.

“Who is this young man? His aura is terrifying, and he can even fly through the air!”

“No matter who he is, he’s someone we must never provoke!”

“We thought we might try our luck in the Mystic Realm, given the lack of recent activity in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. But just as we arrived, the Mystic Realm closed, and we encountered such a terrifying presence. Truly unlucky!”

“No, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have arrived late. Had we entered earlier, we might have been trapped when the realm closed.”

“Enough talk! Let’s leave quickly. I have a feeling that man noticed us. If he turns back, we won’t even know how we died.”

These words sent chills through the others, and they hurriedly fled in another direction.

Naturally, Lu Qing had sensed the presence of those hiding in the valley. However, with his current cultivation, a few Precelestial Realm cultivators were beneath his notice. Since they hadn’t provoked him, he chose to ignore them.

Flying back to Jiuli Village, he had just landed at his home when another visitor arrived.

This time, it was Lin Zhirui, accompanied by two others.