Chapter 709

After a night of contemplation, Lu Qing had gained a profound understanding of the “Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth”.

The more he delved into it, the more he realized how boundless and intricate this secret art truly was—it was an unparalleled divine technique of the Nascent Soul realm.

Its profundity was not inferior in the slightest to the “Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations” left behind by that great being of the Wu Clan.

This made him even more aware of how unfathomable the greater world beyond truly was.

A single secret technique left behind in a Starry Sky Secret Realm was already so incomprehensibly deep—how many terrifying existences must be lurking in the starry void beyond?

Having just achieved Nascent Soul himself, Lu Qing knew he was still at the beginning of that path. He needed to remain cautious, cultivate diligently, and accumulate strength quietly—that was the proper way forward.

As Lu Qing pondered the “Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth”, immersing himself in new insights, somewhere in a small world, within a blood-red underground palace, a massive blood pool suddenly rippled.

The pool was filled with a thick, gemlike liquid, the color of blood agate—sinister and ominous.

Suddenly, the once-still surface began to churn violently.

Moments later, a figure slowly rose from the depths and stepped onto the floor.

When the sticky blood slid off his body, his face was revealed—it was the cold, sinister old man whom Lu Qing had slain.

However, his aura was now feeble, barely maintaining the level of an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Yet, the old man paid no heed to his weakened state. His expression was grim, and his eyes were filled with unmistakable terror—terror of Lu Qing.

The mystical power of the “Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth” ensured that even though his main body had perished, his reborn soul retained all the memories of that life.

Thus, the agony he had endured within Lu Qing’s illusion remained carved into his mind.

“What kind of monster is that brat? How can his illusion be so terrifying that even my Nascent Soul—having survived two tribulations—could not break it?”

Just recalling that illusion made the old man tremble uncontrollably.

Never had he imagined such a dreadful illusion could exist in this world.

Despite his desperate struggle, he had been unable to resist and had eventually spilled the cultivation method of the “Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth.”

“Fortunately, even if he knows the cultivation method, without the corresponding treasures, he won’t be able to master it anytime soon. That brat may be strong, but he won’t achieve success so quickly.”

Back then, the old man had relied on several rare treasures—found alongside the jade slip that recorded the ‘Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth’—to carve his soul imprint into the world’s origin.

Even with those aids, he had survived by the narrowest of margins.

Without them, not even a hundred centuries of effort would have sufficed to truly master the art.

Although he had resurrected, revenge was the last thing on his mind.

Instead, dread gnawed at him—what if that young monster came to his home world to annihilate him completely?

“No… that brat now knows the method of the ‘Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth.’ If he tries to destroy my soul imprint anchored in the world’s origin, I won’t be able to stop him. I must prepare another escape route.”

As he pondered grimly, several figures entered the underground palace.

Seeing the old man alive, they dropped to their knees, crying out, “Greetings, Ancestor! You’ve returned!”

“Hm.” The old man’s face turned cold again. “Anything unusual while I was gone?”

“No, everything has been normal. The righteous cultivators wouldn’t dare cross the border.”

That answer didn’t surprise him.

But one disciple’s next question made his expression twitch. “Ancestor, that person… who exactly was he? Even you couldn’t defeat him. Could he be a mighty one who has survived three tribulations?”

The old man’s eyes glinted coldly. “Who said I couldn’t defeat him? I allowed myself to be captured deliberately to probe his origins. Now that I’ve learned everything, once I recover my full strength—his death is certain.”

“T-this disciple spoke recklessly! Please punish me, Ancestor!”

The disciple paled and fell to his knees.

With a flick of the old man’s sleeve, the disciple was sent flying, crashing to the floor and coughing up blood.

“I’ll spare you this once. Speak out of turn again, and I’ll melt you into my blood pool to strengthen it.”

“Thank you, Ancestor, for your mercy!” The disciple kowtowed repeatedly.

The others stood stiffly, eyes lowered—they were clearly used to such scenes.

“Enough. Leave me. I’m entering seclusion.”

Once alone, the old man’s expression darkened again.

That foolish disciple had struck a raw nerve.

If he weren’t in such a weakened state—dependent on these idiots for protection—he would’ve already dissolved him in the blood pool.

Still, he had already marked the man for death. Once recovered, he would have plenty of time to make him suffer.

“The seventh resurrection already… According to the ‘Ephemeral Life Chapter of Heaven and Earth,’ a Nascent Soul cultivator only has one chance to forge a life-bound imprint, and after nine rebirths, the imprint fades completely.

“When that happens, unless I transcend the Nascent Soul realm itself, I’ll never be able to use this technique again. I must treasure these last two chances.”

Sitting cross-legged in the blood pool, his heart was heavy.

Everyone in his home world—his disciples included—believed him to possess immortal, endless rebirth.

That was a lie he had cultivated to maintain awe and control.

No one knew his rebirths were numbered.

No one—until now.

But with Lu Qing now holding the method, that secret was no longer his alone.

“That brat will surely cultivate this art himself. With such a life-saving technique, he’ll keep its weakness hidden. Still, I can’t rely on that. I must prepare a fallback.”

As he schemed, he began circulating his energy to recover.

…

Meanwhile, Lu Qing knew nothing of the old man’s fears or plans.

He was in his courtyard, receiving some old friends.

It was none other than the Wei family—along with Mago and Hu Zezhi.

“Brother Lu!”

Wei Zian ran forward excitedly, bowing deeply.

Behind him stood a middle-aged couple and two young people, who stared curiously at Lu Qing.

When they saw his youthful face and calm bearing, they froze in shock.

“So it really is you, Zian. You’ve grown steadier with age.”

Seeing the now middle-aged Wei Zian, Lu Qing felt a pang of nostalgia.

When he had left, Wei Zian had been a young man like himself. Now, time had changed him completely.

“Hehe.”

Wei Zian scratched his head, smiling awkwardly—just like the boy who had once set out for Zhongzhou at Lu Qing’s side.

His family, however, stared wide-eyed. They had never seen their father—or husband—act like this.

After greeting him, Lu Qing turned to the others.

“Patriarch Wei, Madam, Master Ma, Miss Hu—it’s been a long time.”

Wei Xinghe quickly waved his hands. “Please, Doctor Lu, you’re too polite! I’m no longer the head of the Wei family—my son Zihao runs things now.

“He’s away from the village, otherwise he’d surely be here to greet you too.”

“So Zihao leads the Wei family now.” Lu Qing smiled softly. “Time truly changes all things.”

“Ah Qing, you haven’t changed at all,” Madam Wei sighed warmly. “But look at me—an old woman now.”

Unlike her husband, Madam Wei had little talent for cultivation. Though medicinal aid had prolonged her vitality, she remained in the Internal Organs Realm and couldn’t step into the Precelestial Realm.

Her face showed gentle aging—the most apparent among them all.

“How could that be, Auntie? You’re still as beautiful as ever in Xiaoyan’s eyes.”

Xiaoyan stepped forward and clung to Madam Wei’s arm playfully.

“You still have the nerve to say that! You haven’t come home in years—I’ve been worrying about you nonstop.”

Madam Wei lightly tapped her head, half-chiding, half-affectionate.

“Hehe.” Xiaoyan giggled, feigning innocence.

Even Han Lingshuang, standing nearby, was surprised—she knew how cold Xiaoyan usually was. For someone to scold her like that without consequence was astonishing.

“Ah Qing, to think you vanished for so many years—I thought you’d just gone into seclusion. Never imagined you’d entered the stars themselves,” Mago sighed.

“When I left, I didn’t know what awaited me. I didn’t want everyone to worry, so I kept it quiet,” Lu Qing said apologetically.

“No need to apologize. You did right,” Mago said firmly. “If word had spread, those demonic cultivators would’ve stirred up chaos much earlier. The world stayed peaceful for decades because of your deterrence.”

Lu Qing chuckled softly.

Mago added, “Now that you’ve returned, will you purge those demons running rampant across the land?”

“Of course,” Lu Qing nodded. “Rest assured—the Sacred Mountain has already begun taking action. The demonic cultivators won’t last long. If any survive their purge, I’ll personally see to them.”

“Excellent.” Mago’s eyes lit with relief.

As they spoke, Lu Qing felt a pair of eyes fixed on him. Turning slightly, he met Hu Zezhi’s gaze—her expression dazed, almost dreamlike.

“Miss Hu, is something on my face?” Lu Qing asked with a smile.

“N-no, nothing.” She blushed and lowered her gaze. “Brother Lu, welcome back from the stars.”

“Thank you. And congratulations, Miss Hu—you’ve survived your tribulation and formed your Golden Core.”

Indeed, Hu Zezhi had crossed her Heavenly Tribulation more than a decade ago and become a Golden Core cultivator—the fifth among those who once journeyed to Zhongzhou.

Wei Zian and Mago, however, had yet to make that final step, still at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Lu Qing was not surprised.

Even back then, he had seen that Hu Zezhi was a person of great fortune and talent—destined for extraordinary cultivation.

He had once suggested that his master take her as a disciple, but fate had not aligned. Still, the old doctor had occasionally guided her over the years.

After her father’s death, she had devoted herself to cultivation, and coupled with the world origin energy she’d obtained, she finally broke through her tribulation and formed a mid-grade Golden Core.

“Thank you, Brother Lu. But my aptitude is shallow—I barely survived the Red Cloud Tribulation and only formed a mid-grade Golden Core,” Hu Zezhi said modestly.

“A mid-grade Golden Core is already commendable,” Lu Qing replied warmly. “Besides, a mid-grade can still be refined into a superior one. I’ll prepare a batch of Golden Core Refining Pills for you. Once you take them, your foundation should strengthen considerably.”

“Golden Core Refining Pills?”

Hu Zezhi gasped in astonishment.

The others were equally shocked.

By now, everyone knew about the Golden Core grades and the Twelve Transformations of the Golden Core Realm.

They also knew that pills capable of refining and improving one’s Golden Core were priceless beyond measure.

Across the entire world, no sect or clan had ever been known to possess such medicine—

—and yet Lu Qing spoke of it as if it were nothing.

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