Qingzhu Mountain, Lu Family.
This day, Lu Yuanzhong, who had been away, returned.
But the news of the Lu Family Ancestorâs return did not fill the family with joy and welcome.
Instead, it cast the entire Lu Family in white mourning clothes, full of sorrow and grief.
Four months ago, on the orders of the Qingyun Sect, Lu Yuanzhong took nine elders, core members, and elite disciples of his family to participate in the campaign against the Xiahou Clan.
Now, however, only Lu Yuanzhong and three Lu Family Disciples returned.
Furthermore, the family ancestor, Lu Yuanzhong, arrived looking frail and disordered, his face weary and pale.
âAncestor!â
âGrandfather, Father!!!â
âHusband!â
âFengâer!â
Some in the Lu Family wept softly, while others wailed in anguish, a picture of profound mourning.
Many people, upon seeing Lu Yuanzhongâs pale and feeble state, felt a sense of foreboding.
The family had lost so many high-ranking members in a single blow, and the Lu Familyâs vitality was greatly damaged.
If something were to happen to Lu Yuanzhong, the backbone of the family, then the Lu Family of Qingzhu Mountain would be finished.
âBig brother, how could this have happened?â
âAncestor, why did this battle turn out this way?â
Lu Yuanding and Lu Miaochang asked with faces full of grief.
In the campaign against the Xiahou Clan, not only did the Qingyun Sect summon several family powers, but also had a Nascent Soul Immortal at the helm.
In their view, the battle should have been a crushing victory, if not a total rout.
How could it have been so tragic?
âAlas.â
Hearing their questions, Lu Yuanzhong let out a heavy sigh.
âThis battle initially went very smoothly.â
âUnder the leadership of the Qingyun Sect, our family forces easily eradicated the power of the Xiahou house and advanced towards Blackwater Pool.â
âBut as we converged at the Blackwater Pool, the clanâs Earthshaking Formation was unexpectedly upgraded from second rank to third rank.â
âAfter the Earthshaking Formation deployed by the Qingyun Sect broke the Xiahouâs clan defense, an unexpected event occurredâŠâ
Lu Yuanzhong spoke slowly, his mind revisiting that battle.
That day, after the Xiahou Clanâs formation at Blackwater Pool had been broken, the army of Cultivators stormed into the pool.
Then appeared the False Core Patriarch of the Xiahou, who was not the well-known Xiahou Wuwo.
Instead, it was Xiahou Jie, an ancestor of the Xiahou family who was thought to have died long ago.
With a long howl from the Xiahou Ancestor, a thousand coffins soared into the sky from Blackwater Pool.
Countless zombies burst from the coffins, their malevolent aura pervading the air, their might terrifying.
Then the battle commenced.
Though most of these zombified Dao Soldiers were of average strength, they fought fearlessly and to the death.
What was even more shocking was that Xiahou Jie, using these corps of undead soldiers, was able to hold his ground against the Qingyun Sectâs Caiyun True Immortal. áčĂïŒźÈ±áÄáčą
And thus, what should have been an overwhelming victory became a tense struggle.
In the end, it was only with the deployment of the âTianluo Fumo Formationâ supporting Caiyun True Immortal that Xiahou Jie was barely subdued and the battle concluded.
As a result, the battle was exceedingly brutal.
All of the great families involved suffered casualties.
Some family powers had all their members perish at Blackwater Pool.
For instance, the Bai Family of Hundred Birds Lake, who were close to the Lu Family, lost their patriarch in this battle.
Therefore, his grievous injury was considered lucky.
âXiahou family ancestor, Xiahou Jie, necrotic Dao SoldiersâŠâ
Hearing Lu Yuanzhongâs account, Lu Yuanding and Lu Miaochang felt shocked.
They had not expected the Xiahou family to have such deep and dark secrets.
The battle was devastatingly brutal.
The Bai Family patriarch actually died in this conflict.
âAlthough the Xiahou family of Blackwater Pool has been wiped out, Iâve heard that some of the Xiahou elites have escaped.â
âAnd Xiahou Wuwo, the False Core Patriarch of the Xiahou family, did not appear throughout the battle, which likely means he fled secretly.â
âSome speculate that they might turn to demon cultivation, causing havoc throughout the Qingyun Region, or even seek revenge against our families.â
âMiaochang, make sure to caution all family descendants who are outside, to be extra careful and vigilant against any demon cultivatorsâ disturbances.â
Lu Yuanzhong said with a pale face.
And as he spoke, he couldnât help but cough violently a couple of times.
He fought valiantly with the Lu Family Disciples at Blackwater Pool, where he encountered a flying zombie in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and was poisoned, damaging his internal organs.
If it werenât for his Foundation Establishment cultivation, the zombieâs poison would have claimed his life.
âBig brother, how are you feeling?â
Lu Yuanding immediately expressed concern.
âIâm afraid I donât have many years left.â
Lu Yuanzhong shook his head, not hiding the truth.
âMy injury is severe, but if I refrain from fighting, I can hold on for another ten years.â
âWeâve earned considerable merit in this battle. Yuan Ding, calculate how many Spirit Stones the family can mobilize.
Then weâll go to the Qingyun Sect and exchange them for a Foundation Establishment Elixir and a few Foundation Establishment Spirit ObjectsâŠâ
Lu Yuanzhong said in a deep voice.
Now, the Lu Familyâs urgent priority was to have new Foundation Establishment Cultivators born.
Only with the emergence of a new Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator to preside over Qingzhu Mountain could they weather the coming crisis.
âAncestorâŠâ
Hearing this, both peopleâs expression turned somber.
Being able to hold on for another ten years as long as he avoided fighting meant that Lu Yuanzhongâs condition was very serious.
If he were to engage in combat, he might not survive even a year or two.
âYuan Ding, Miaochang, donât bother collecting any Spiritual Medicines for me.â
âDuring this time, focus all your effort on gathering and purchasing Foundation Establishment Spirit Objects. Our Lu Family must have a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator.â
Lu Yuanzhong said to the two before him.
He was acutely aware of his own condition.
Even with Elixir Medicines and Spiritual Medicines, it would only be prolonging life for a few more years.
This was never a long-term solution.
Instead of wasting resources for his own life, it was better to use them all to nurture a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
âŠ
Jiuxiao Immortal City.
Inside a cave dwelling.
âZi Xiao.â
Lu Changsheng softly called out to Ling Zixiao to signal that he was ready to begin.