Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 994 Chi Yang's Fate, Suddenly Launching an Attack!
The next day, inside the temporary cave dwelling,

Zhou Xun sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, carrying out his daily cultivation.

The spiritual energy surrounding him entered his body through the acupoints and meridians, circulating throughout his body and eventually transforming into spiritual power that flowed into his dantian.

Although he now presents himself as 'Chen Ping', he has never slacked off in his cultivation.

After a long while, he slowly finished his practice, opened his eyes, and a glint of purple light flashed in them.

He got up, left the meditation room, and went to the courtyard.

The morning sunlight filters through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs.

He was just about to stretch his muscles.
A pale yellow talisman was seen flitting about outside the light barrier of the courtyard gate, searching for the entrance like a headless fly.

It is a message talisman.

Zhou Xun's heart stirred, and with a wave of his hand, the talisman pierced through the restriction and floated lightly into his hand.

A ray of light shot out from his fingertip and disappeared into the talisman.

The talisman spontaneously combusted without wind, turning to ashes. A familiar voice rang in Zhou Xun's ears; it was Wu Shuangyuan:

“Fellow Daoist Chen, the matter you entrusted to me has made progress. I have already informed Steward Lu.”

"The manager has agreed to meet you in three days at the Tianzi No. 2 private room in the Forget-Worry Pavilion. Remember not to be late."

The sound stopped abruptly.

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Zhou Xun's eyes.
The "Lu" family, Han generation... finally, we've made contact with the first line of communication.

……

Soon, three days passed.

Zhou Xun changed into a blue Daoist robe and steadily suppressed his aura to the mid-stage of Core Formation before stepping out of the cave.

The streets were indeed much quieter.

The shops were deserted, with few pedestrians. The few monks seen were mostly in a hurry, no longer as composed as before.

'It's all the fault of the Lu family...' Zhou Xun felt a chill in his heart.
But he remained calm and walked steadily toward the city center.

About an incense stick later, a magnificent five-story building appeared before us.

With its carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and brackets, it appears both ancient and luxurious.

Above the main entrance hangs a huge plaque with three gilded characters: "Forget-Worries Pavilion"!
It glitters in the sunlight!

As soon as Zhou Xun reached the door, a quick-witted servant came up to him with a warm smile on his face:
"Senior, please come in! What would you like to have?"

Zhou Xun said calmly, "My name is Chen Ping, and I have come here at the invitation of Steward Wu Shuangyuan."

Upon hearing this, the servant's attitude became even more respectful:
"So it's Senior Chen. Manager Wu already gave the instructions. Please follow me!"

As he spoke, he bowed and led the way.

Zhou Xun followed the servant into the Forget-Worry Pavilion.

The interior decoration was extremely luxurious, with soft animal fur carpets on the floor and luminous pearls embedded in the walls, emitting a soft glow.

They went up the private staircase and came all the way to the fifth floor.

The waiter led Zhou Xun to a private room marked "Top Class Two" and respectfully said:
"Senior, this is the place."

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, straightened his robes, and then raised his hand to knock on the door three times, neither too hard nor too soft.

"Come in."

A clear, yet somewhat aloof, young male voice came from inside.

Zhou Xun pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The private room was elegantly decorated and exuded a spiritual atmosphere.

A young man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with a cold and aloof expression, sat in the main seat, holding a cup of spiritual tea in his hand, sipping it gently.

His gaze didn't even immediately turn to Zhou Xun who had just entered.

He was at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his brows carried the arrogance unique to scions of aristocratic families.

Zhou Xun took two quick steps, stopped a few paces in front of the young man, lowered his posture considerably, and bowed deeply in greeting:

"Junior Chen Ping greets Senior Lu!"

The young man then put down his teacup and glanced over at the object with a detached look, as if examining it.

He waved his hand casually:

"You're Chen Ping?"

"It's the junior."

"Hmm," the young man snorted, his tone remaining flat.

"Wu Shuangyuan highly recommended you, saying that you have solid cultivation, extraordinary abilities, and are willing to serve my Lu family."

He paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked directly at Zhou Xun:
"Besides your cultivation level, what skills do you possess that make you worthy of being recruited by the Lu family?"

"In response to Senior Lu, I am of dull talent and dare not aspire to the Great Dao. I have only devoted some effort to alchemy and have only scratched the surface."

"Oh? Alchemy?"

The young man raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly showing a hint of interest.
"What rank?"

"I was fortunate enough to be able to refine a high-grade third-tier spirit pill," Zhou Xun replied.

"Third-tier superior grade?" A hint of surprise flashed in the young man's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by doubt.
"Is this true? You, a rogue cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation, could have such attainments?"

Zhou Xun remained calm and said frankly, "I dare not deceive you in front of a senior!"

"Okay!" the young man decided.
"There is an alchemy room in the pavilion. Try refining a batch of Gathering Yuan Pills. If you can really refine them, I, Lu Hanqing, will certainly reward you handsomely!"

……

Soon, the two arrived at a secluded alchemy room in the backyard, where Wu Shuangyuan was also serving them.

Lu Hanqing ordered someone to bring him a set of materials for refining a third-grade high-quality "Gathering Yuan Pill".

"Fellow Daoist Chen, please." Lu Hanqing said calmly.

Wu Shuangyuan appeared somewhat nervous, after all, Zhou Xun was the one who had recommended him, and if the alchemy failed, he would not only lose face,

They will likely face further punishment.

Zhou Xun and the other man cupped their hands in greeting and entered the alchemy room.

With practiced skill, he cast a spell, igniting the earth's fire.
Then came the familiar...

Preheating, adding medicine, quenching, melting, separating the pills, condensing the pills...

Several hours later, the door to the alchemy room opened, and Zhou Xun walked out, carrying a porcelain plate with five white, translucent pills on it.

"I have successfully completed my mission. Please examine it, Senior Lu."

Lu Hanqing glanced at them, a look of surprise on his face.

"Five pills were successfully made. You truly are a top-grade third-tier alchemist!"

He then took the jade plate and examined it carefully. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a pill the size of a longan, with a smooth and round color, and faintly exuding Daoist charm.
Compared to the others, this one is much more refined. "This is... a high-quality Gathering Essence Pill! You actually refined a high-quality pill!"

Lu Hanqing couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
It's important to understand that even for seasoned, high-grade, third-tier alchemists, maintaining a high success rate when refining Gathering Essence Pills is already quite an achievement.
To refine a masterpiece, a considerable amount of luck is often required.

And this man in front of me actually succeeded in mastering it.
Lu Hanqing's gaze toward Zhou Xun completely changed; the previous suspicion and scrutiny vanished, replaced by deep appreciation and respect.

He turned to look at Wu Shuangyuan, who was equally dumbfounded, and couldn't help but praise him:

"Deacon Wu, you've done a great job. You've recruited a talented person for the Lu family! Rest assured, you'll be richly rewarded!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shuangyuan was overjoyed and immediately bowed:
"Thank you, Steward Lu! It was my duty, and I dare not take credit for it!"

He then turned to Zhou Xun and became more polite and warm.

"This is also due to Master Chen's superb skills!"

Lu Hanqing nodded in satisfaction and looked at Zhou Xun again:

"Fellow Daoist Chen is indeed truly talented! Our Lu family has never been stingy in treating talented people well!"

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Hanqing spoke:
"From this day forward, I hereby appoint you as a Class C Upper-Rank Guest Elder of the Lu Clan. You will receive 500,000 spirit stones every ten years, free access to a Class IV Lower-Rank cave dwelling, and access to the third floor of the library."

"Furthermore, even if it's a Nascent Soul Pill in the future, it's not impossible to exchange for it!"

Upon hearing about the Nascent Soul Pill, Zhou Xun was overjoyed, his face filled with gratitude, and he bowed deeply.
"This junior will certainly do my utmost to live up to the senior's expectations!"

……

Soon, with Lu Hanqing's appreciation, Zhou Xun quickly gained a foothold in the Forget-Worry Pavilion thanks to his 'exquisite' alchemy skills.

The pills he refined not only had a high success rate, but occasionally even included exceptional pieces.

In just over ten days, the name 'Chen Ping' had become a hot new favorite under Lu Hanqing and was highly valued.

On this day, Zhou Xun had just finished refining a batch of 'Heart-Clearing Pills' in the alchemy room attached to the Forget-Worry Pavilion.

A pale golden communication talisman flew through the air.
Zhou Xun took it into his hand, scanned it with his divine sense, and heard Lu Hanqing's voice coming from inside:

"Come to my cave immediately!"

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Xun's eyes.
'Finally, the opportunity has arrived!'

He quietly cleaned up the traces in the alchemy room, straightened his robes, and then fled towards the inner city.

As the representative of the Lu clan in Tian Shu City, Lu Hanqing's cave dwelling was of extremely high standard, reaching the fifth rank.
Such a high-grade cave dwelling is extremely rare in the entire Tian Shu City, and usually only those who have transformed into a Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord are qualified to live there.

Following the instructions in the communication talisman, Zhou Xun arrived at the east side of the inner city.

From afar, one can see a solitary mountain peak, lush and verdant, with a misty aura enveloping its waist, and a shimmering light flickering at its summit, creating an extraordinary spectacle.

However, when Zhou Xun approached and saw the entire mountain peak, his steps suddenly stopped and his pupils contracted sharply!

An uncontrollable, chilling killing intent surged from the bottom of his heart, almost breaking through his carefully maintained disguise!

This place... this place is none other than the cave dwelling of Qiu Yu, the Heavenly Lord of the Crimson Sun—Crimson Cloud Peak!

The Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord was one of the few Nascent Soul cultivators who had befriended him in Tian Shu City back then. He was known for his forthright and generous personality.

Both were proficient in fire-based Taoist arts, and the two had sat down to discuss the Tao and exchange cultivation experiences on many occasions.

Today, Chiyang Peak remains the same, but the plaque hanging at the entrance of the cave has been changed from the original "Chixia Peak" to the cold words "Lu Clan".

'Fellow Daoist Chiyang...could it be that you too have fallen victim to the Lu family's wickedness?'

The thought that his generous old friend might have also met with misfortune sent a rush of blood to Zhou Xun's head.
It took quite a while for him to calm down.

He took a deep breath and sent out a sound transmission talisman towards the cave's protective barrier.

Before long, the barrier light screen rippled open, and a beautiful maidservant dressed in plain clothes, with a worried expression, stepped out.

She glanced at Zhou Xun, curtsied, and spoke softly, yet with a hint of numbness:
"Is that Master Chen? Young Master is already waiting in the mansion. Please follow me."

Zhou Xun's gaze lingered on the woman's face for a moment, and his heart sank again.

He recognized the woman! She was clearly one of the most favored concubines of the Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord, named 'Yunshang', who was skilled in music and often played the zither for the Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord.

Unexpectedly, she has now become Lu Hanqing's maid!
Lady Lu is truly not a human being!
They not only seized the cave dwelling, but also their family members!
Zhou Xun remained silent, following behind Yunshang as they entered the mountain.
Zhou Xun looked around and couldn't help but marvel. The spiritual energy on the mountain was so dense that it was almost liquid, and every breath made him feel refreshed.

The mountains are covered with a variety of rare and precious plants.

The spot where the fifth-grade "Crimson Spirit Fruit Tree" used to grow was now empty!

"It seems they didn't even spare these spiritual plants!"

Zhou Xun felt extremely cold inside.

Yunshang lowered her head and silently led the way, her steps light, as if afraid of disturbing something. Zhou Xun could sense the overwhelming sorrow and despair emanating from her.

After passing through several corridors, we arrived at a spacious reception room.

"Young Master, Alchemist Chen has arrived," Yunshang whispered from outside the door.

"Come in," came Lu Hanqing's voice from inside.

Yunshang opened the door for Zhou Xun, then bowed and withdrew, never raising her head throughout.

Zhou Xun stepped into the reception room.

The interior was lavishly decorated. Lu Hanqing was standing with his back to the door in front of a huge landscape painting, seemingly admiring the artwork.

"Your subordinate Chen Ping greets Your Highness." Zhou Xun bowed respectfully.

Lu Hanqing slowly turned around, a smug smile on his face:

"Master Chen, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat. I've summoned you here today because I have an important alchemy task for you. If you can complete it, I will reward you handsomely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Xun's divine sense stirred slightly, and he keenly sensed that the door behind him had closed silently.

At the same time, a subtle wave of restriction spread out, completely sealing off and isolating the entire reception room.

Clearly, Lu Hanqing did not want anyone to overhear their conversation.

And this was exactly what Zhou Xun wanted!
The respectful expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

"The opportunity... has finally arrived!"

Zhou Xun sneered inwardly and no longer held back!
His figure flashed like a ghost, leaving only a faint afterimage in place, while his true body had already traversed several meters and suddenly appeared in front of Lu Hanqing!

The speed was extremely fast, far exceeding the level expected of a Core Formation cultivator!

Lu Hanqing's smile froze instantly, and his eyes flashed with disbelief and horror!
He had no time to react; he felt a tightness all over his body, as if he had sunk into an invisible swamp!

Zhou Xun pointed his fingers like a sword, with purple lightning crackling around them, and struck several acupoints on Lu Hanqing's chest and dantian with lightning speed!
The pure and domineering lightning magic surged in instantly.
It transformed into countless tiny chains, completely imprisoning his meridians, magical power, and dantian!

Lu Hanqing felt as if all his magical power had been frozen, and he could no longer mobilize it. He stood frozen in place, unable to move even a finger!

Only then did Zhou Xun calmly raise his hand and unleash a series of complex spiritual incantations.

Rays of spiritual light seeped into the surrounding walls and ground.
The barrier, which originally served only as a barrier, was instantly reinforced and transformed into a sturdy cage, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!
From Zhou Xun's sudden attack to his complete subjugation of Lu Hanqing and sealing off the scene, the whole process was smooth and efficient, taking only a breath or two!
Only then did Lu Hanqing recover from his extreme shock and horror.

His face was deathly pale, and his voice trembled slightly with extreme fear:
"You...who are you?"

(End of this chapter)