Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 1021 Lu Xinghai's Grief and Indignation: A Price Goes Up for Grabs!

"What did you say?"

Lu Xinghai was furious, and his aura as a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator erupted instantly!

"boom--!"

The violent pressure swept out as if it were a tangible force.

The restaurant's protective barriers were activated, and layers of five-colored light curtains lit up.

However, these restrictions were as fragile as paper in the face of the furious outburst of a Void Refinement cultivator.

The light curtain shattered inch by inch, and the entire roof was blown away by the violent airflow!
Wood chips flew everywhere, rubble flew, and diners in the restaurant scattered in fear.

Lu Xinghai grabbed the middle-aged cultivator who had just spoken, his eyes filled with a terrifying abyss:

"What did you just say? Say it again!"

"Senior...please calm down!"

The middle-aged cultivator sensed Lu Xinghai's vast and boundless aura and was so frightened that he became incoherent and trembled all over.

"Where did you get this information from the Lu family?"

Lu Xinghai suppressed his raging anger and asked in a hoarse voice.

"From...from the exchange meeting, this...this matter has already spread, and I'm not the only one who knows about it!"

The middle-aged monk stammered his reply, his face as pale as paper.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Lu Xinghai's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice filled with disbelief:

"With the Star River guarding our Lu Clan, plus a mid-grade sixth-order mountain-protecting array, who can destroy us?"

The middle-aged man was so frightened he couldn't speak; even with his Nascent Soul stage cultivation,

It was already extremely remarkable that he could remain calm in the face of an enraged mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator.

Just then, several powerful beams of light rapidly approached from a distance.

The light faded, revealing five figures.

Judging from the aura emanating from them, they were all Void Refinement cultivators!

The leader was a handsome young man dressed in white, carrying a long sword on his back.
His aura was as deep as the sea, far surpassing that of Lu Xinghai!
"Fellow Daoist Lu, what this young friend said is all true!"

The young man in white spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

This person's name is Gai Wujiu, a peak cultivator at the Refinement Void stage, and a sword cultivator.

He is also the city lord of this Flying Crane Immortal City!
"Greetings, Lord Gai!"

Even in his rage, Lu Xinghai had no choice but to bow and pay his respects.

This Lord Gai is a very famous figure in Wandao Lake, and he is extremely powerful.

He is known as "the number one person under the combined power"!
According to legend, ordinary late-stage Void Refinement cultivators cannot withstand more than a few of his sword strikes.

Even more terrifying is that this person, when he was still in the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, was once hunted down by a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator.

But the final result was that...
Gai Wujiu returned safely, but the late-stage Void Refinement cultivator was never heard from again. Clearly, he had fallen by Gai Wujiu's sword.

Gai Wujiu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic restaurant. His brows furrowed slightly as he slowly spoke:

"Are you unaware of the rules of my Flying Crane Immortal City?"

"No one is allowed to take action in the city without authorization!"

His voice remained calm, but the imposing aura it carried made Lu Xinghai's heart skip a beat. He quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Lord City, please forgive me. Upon hearing this terrible news, I was overwhelmed with emotion and could not control myself. Please forgive me!"

Lu Xinghai seemed to have aged several years.

Gai Wujiu nodded slightly.
"Fortunately, there were no casualties, and considering the great calamity that befell your family, Lady Lu, I was overcome with emotion."

Gai Wujiu paused, then continued:
"Then I will spare your life,"

"But, he cannot escape punishment."

"You are ordered to compensate this restaurant with one thousand spirit crystals, and five thousand spirit crystals will be confiscated and handed over to the City Lord's Mansion."

His gaze fell on Lu Xinghai:
"Can you accept this?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xinghai felt a surge of anger welling up inside him.

Six thousand spirit crystals—that's almost half of his fortune!
He only damaged one floor of a restaurant, yet he's being asked for so many spirit crystals—how unfair!

The Lu family had already suffered a great calamity, and now they had to endure this further hardship.
I am truly filled with inexplicable grief and indignation.
But faced with Gai Wujiu's unfathomable strength, he dared not show any dissatisfaction.

Suppressing his humiliation and anger, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, City Lord. Lu Xinghai is willing to accept the punishment."

His voice was hoarse, filled with barely concealed pain.

He trembled as he took out six thousand spirit crystals, each one feeling as if it were cutting into his flesh.

Gai Wujiu rolled up his sleeve, put away the spirit crystal, and nodded slightly.

"Go."

After saying that, he vanished in a flash.

The other cultivators who had reached the Void Refinement stage also left one after another, leaving behind only a dilapidated restaurant and a distraught Lu Xinghai.

He dared not linger in the city any longer and transformed into a streak of light, rushing out of the city.

After determining the direction, they sped straight towards the Lu clan's territory.

Its speed was so fast that it seemed as if it wanted to unleash all the anger in its heart through its speed of escape.

At the same time, even without seeing it with his own eyes, he always held onto a sliver of hope.
After all, that was a mid-grade sixth-order grand formation, renowned for its defensive capabilities, and with Lu Xinghe personally overseeing it, even if he were to personally intervene...

It is also impossible to break through.

He simply couldn't imagine how a mere Nascent Soul cultivator could break through.

……

Half a month later, Lu Xinghai finally arrived at the waters near Xingyuan Island.

He stood high in the sky, looking in the direction of Xingyuan Island from his memory, and was momentarily stunned.

"The island...where is the island?"

Before me lay a vast, empty sea, its blue waves stretching endlessly. Where was Xingyuan Island to be seen?

"Could it be that I've gone to the wrong place?"

Lu Xinghai muttered to himself, his eyes filled with confusion.

He hurriedly took out the nautical chart and examined it carefully, tracing the map repeatedly with his finger.

"That's right, this is indeed the waters around Xingyuan Island."

His voice began to tremble, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart. How could Star Origin Island, which spanned hundreds of miles, simply vanish into thin air?

Lu Xinghai panicked and quickly flew towards the location he remembered.

The sea breeze whistled in his ears, and his heart pounded faster and faster.

Soon, he landed on a ruined reef.

These islands and reefs are scattered across the sea, the largest of which is only a few meters square.

It's less like an island and more like a few large rocks in the sea.

"Ancestor! The Ancestor has returned!"

Just then, several figures suddenly emerged from the seawater nearby.

These people were all dressed in rags, looked haggard, and were only at the Nascent Soul stage.

They knelt on the reef, tears streaming down their faces, their voices choked with sobs:
"Ancestor, you're finally back!"

Lu Xinghai recognized these people; they were indeed all members of the Lu family.

However, their current appearance is completely different from the spirited and energetic people in my memory.

"So what happened?"

Suppressing his unease, Lu Xinghai asked in a hoarse voice:
"What about Star Origin Island? What about Star River?"

His gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, hoping to find the answer.

However, all that could be seen was despair and fear.

"Ancestor"

An older Nascent Soul cultivator choked up as he spoke:
"Star Island is gone."

"Ancestor Xinghe...he also..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was already sobbing uncontrollably. Lu Xinghai felt a sudden dizziness, and countless questions flooded his mind.

What about a mid-grade sixth-order mountain-protecting formation?

What about Lu Xinghe, who was stationed on the island?
So many Nascent Soul cultivators?
How could this ancestral land, which has been cultivated for tens of thousands of years, simply disappear?
He looked around at the familiar yet unfamiliar sea.

The once bustling Xingyuan Island is now reduced to a few dilapidated reefs.

A raging fire burned within him, but even more intense was a chill that seeped into his very bones.

Who on earth could possess such abilities?
"What exactly happened?"

Suppressing his unease, Lu Xinghai asked in a hoarse voice.

Several surviving members of the Lu family began to recount their story, albeit haltingly:
"A few months ago, the clan's Nascent Soul ancestor suddenly perished."

"Ancestor Chi Hong went to investigate, but unexpectedly, two more Nascent Soul Ancestors perished."

"Ultimately, this alarmed the Star River Ancestor."

"After the ancestor left, that person sneaked into the island at some unknown time and looted all the spiritual herbs and treasures on the island."

"Finally, even Ancestor Chi Hong and Ancestor Xinghe disappeared without a trace."

"That person returned to the island and detonated all the spiritual veins on the island, causing Star Origin Island to disappear."

From the intermittent answers of the people, Lu Xinghai gradually pieced together the truth of the matter.

But when he asked about the whereabouts of Lu Xinghe, Lu Chihong and others, they all shook their heads and said they didn't know.

"Xinghe was at the peak of the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, so naturally he couldn't have fallen so easily!"

Lu Xinghai felt somewhat relieved. To him, the entire Lu family was not as important as Xinghe.

He was able to establish the Lu family the first time, and he can rebuild it a second time.
But he only has one younger brother, Xinghe.

Just then, a Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, Ancestor, that person seems to have left something behind."

He pointed to an inconspicuous reef in the distance:
"Right there, there's a small protective barrier on top."

Lu Xinghai flashed and instantly arrived in front of the reef.

With a wave of his hand, he easily broke the restriction.

When the barrier dissipates, revealing what lies within—

The first thing that catches the eye is Lu Xinghe's head, which remains open in death!
"what--!"

A piercing scream tore through the sky.

Lu Xinghai suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

"The Milky Way! Oh, the Milky Way!"

He reached out with trembling hands and carefully lifted the head.

Lu Xinghe claimed to be his younger brother, but in reality, he was no different from his son.

When the prestigious Lu clan was destroyed, he fled with his younger brother, who was less than a year old.

He personally raised his younger brother, taught him martial arts techniques, and guided him in his cultivation.

The two relied on each other for hundreds of years and eventually rebuilt the Lu family, which has continued for tens of thousands of years to this day.

But now.
Lu Xinghe is dead!
Only a head remained, staring at him with wide-open eyes, dying with unfinished business.

Lu Xinghai clutched his head tightly to his chest, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees.

"Xinghe, I'm sorry, brother."

His voice choked with emotion, and his whole body was trembling violently.

Memories of the past flooded my mind—

That toddler learning to walk, that diligently cultivating teenager, that spirited Nascent Soul cultivator.
After tens of thousands of years of companionship, only a cold head remains.

After a long while, Lu Xinghai finally came to his senses.

His gaze fell on the line of words carved on the reef:

"This is the price your Lu family has to pay. Next time it will be your turn, Lu Xinghai—Zhou Xunliu, the Thunder Prison Heavenly Lord!"

"It was you! It was you! Zhou Xun! Thunder Prison Heavenly Lord Zhou Xun!"

Lu Xinghai suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with overwhelming hatred.

"I hate you so much! Why didn't I kill you back then!"

"You killed Qingya, and now you've killed Xinghe too."

He slowly stood up and carefully put away Lu Xinghe's head.

Then he looked up to the sky and roared, his voice filled with boundless grief and indignation:
"I, Lu Xinghai, swear that I will not be human until I have torn you to pieces in this lifetime!"

Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with hatred tinged with blood and tears.

At this moment, the breakthrough to the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm and the revival of the Lu Clan all became unimportant.

He had only one thought in his mind—

revenge!

But he forgot how innocent the Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord clan and the Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord clan were back then!

……

Not long after, a reward notice shocked the entire Wandao Lake area.

Lu Xinghai, the patriarch of the Lu clan, has offered a reward of 10,000 spirit crystals for information leading to the whereabouts of Zhou Xun, the Thunder Prison Heavenly Lord!
This news was like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating huge waves across the islands.

In taverns and teahouses, cultivators whispered amongst themselves; in auction houses, young masters from aristocratic families murmured amongst themselves; even reclusive old monsters sent out their disciples to gather information.

Zhou Xun was completely unaware of all of this.

Even if they knew, they wouldn't care much.

That day, after leaving the Lu clan's territory, he transformed into a streak of light and sped off towards the direction of Qianxingluan.

His target is Thousand Star City, the heart of the Thousand Star Chaos.

This place possesses one of only three seventh-order spiritual veins in Wandao Lake, making it the best place for him to break through his bottleneck.

On this day, beneath the majestic gates of Thousand Star City, a beam of spiritual light quietly descended, transforming into a middle-aged cultivator with an ordinary face and wearing a blue robe.

With a cultivation level of mid-stage Nascent Soul, he was Zhou Xun in disguise.

After registering and obtaining an entry token at the city gate, I stepped into this legendary seventh-tier immortal city.

Sure enough, the room was brimming with spiritual energy; every spot contained spiritual energy of the third rank or higher, truly remarkable.

Everywhere you look, you see high-level cultivators walking around, and with a glance, you can see Nascent Soul cultivators walking by.

As expected of the first city in the chaos of a thousand stars.
With his current cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he is surprisingly insignificant here.

He went straight to the cave rental office.

There were many people coming and going inside.

He coughed lightly, releasing a trace of Nascent Soul aura, and a servant led him to a private room.

A short while later, an elderly man with gray hair walked in.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Wang Cheng, the manager of this place."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Wang. What a coincidence, I also share the surname Wang, and my given name is Lin."

The two exchanged a smile and took their seats as host and guest.

Wang Cheng skillfully brewed a pot of spiritual tea, its aroma filling the air, and then got straight to the point:

"I wonder what level of cave dwelling Fellow Daoist Wang wishes to rent? From the lower third grade to the lower seventh grade, we have everything!"

Zhou Xun was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

"They're even renting out seventh-tier cave dwellings?"

"The first city lord opened one of them to facilitate the breakthrough of many fellow cultivators to the Fusion stage!" the old man explained.

Zhou Xun suddenly realized that the first city lord was indeed a magnanimous and virtuous person.

Then he said:

"I would like to rent a fifth-grade superior cave dwelling. How much would it cost?"

With his current wealth, he could easily rent out a sixth-tier item, but that would be too ostentatious.

"Of course, there are four spirit crystals every hundred years."

"How much?" Zhou Xun was startled.
It's important to know that some poorer Nascent Soul cultivators are worth only two or three hundred spirit crystals.
Furthermore, considering his lifespan of 20,000 years,

If we were to rent all of these cave dwellings, it would cost four hundred spirit crystals, which is incredibly expensive!
(End of this chapter)