While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 243 Returning to Tianmu, Xian'er's Suspicion

Soon after,

The entrance to the Nine Netherworld Abyss.

"Sect Master Lu, are you leaving already?" The Grand Elder of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan bowed and saw him off with a polite smile.

Lu Yu calmly returned the greeting: "This time, my cultivation here has gone very smoothly. Thank you for your kindness."

The First Elder smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly: "That's good, that's good... It's an honor for our clan to be able to help Pavilion Master Lu."

Lu Yu nodded slightly: "Elder, please return."

"Please take care, everyone. You are welcome to visit us often in the future." The Grand Elder maintained a respectful posture as he watched them leave.

Once Lu Yu and the others had completely disappeared into the horizon, the Grand Elder finally let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. He gazed in the direction they had gone and murmured to himself, "Finally, we've seen that big shot off... Fortunately, they were just using this place for cultivation, so they probably didn't notice the secrets deep underground."

After saying that, he turned and strode quickly into the depths of the abyss, preparing to rearrange the barrier to ensure that the person imprisoned in the clan would not be noticed by outsiders.

……

Several days later, Tianmu Mountain came into view in the distance.

The rolling mountain ranges appeared and disappeared in the sea of ​​clouds, and the misty vapor rising from the Blood Pool of Tianshan was already visible. After days of travel, the group finally returned to this familiar land.

"Finally back!" Zi Yan was the first to rush towards Tianmu Mountain, her purple hair flying in the wind. "This trip has exhausted me."

Cai Lin and Qing Lin exchanged a smile. They looked a little tired from their days of travel, but their eyes were filled with satisfaction from their accomplishments.

After all, the inheritance of the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python had greatly benefited them.

As Lu Yu gazed at the familiar mountain gate before him and felt the steady flow of energy within the Floating Pagoda in his body, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

This trip to the ancient ruins yielded far more fruit than expected. Not only did they successfully obtain the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit and the Soul Infant Demon Tree, two rare treasures of heaven and earth, but Cai Lin also acquired the complete inheritance of the Seven-Colored Devouring Python. And bringing back Mo You, this ancient remnant soul, safely was an even greater surprise.

"Let's go." Lu Yu waved his sleeve and stepped into the Tianmu Mountain barrier first. "It's time to properly digest the gains from this trip."

……

Soon after,

Inside the main hall of Tianmu Mountain, everyone gathered.

"Brother Lu, is this the Soul Infant Fruit?"

Xiao Yan stared intently at the golden fruit shimmering in Lu Yu's hand, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

Lu Yu smiled slightly and handed the Gold-Grade Soul Infant Fruit to Xiao Yan: "Not bad, this is the highest quality Soul Infant Fruit, enough to repair Elder Yao's damaged soul essence."

Xiao Yan accepted the Soul Infant Fruit, his fingertips trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and said, "I can't thank you enough! I'll head back to the Starfall Pavilion now..."

"Wait a minute." Lu Yu raised his hand to stop him. "Since you're already here, why not stay a few more days? I'm planning to start refining ninth-grade pills soon, and you can watch from the sidelines."

"A ninth-grade elixir?!"

Xiao Yan was shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Lu Yu looked at Xiao Yan, smiled calmly, and said, "Not bad. Observing the alchemy process this time may be helpful to your future cultivation of the art of medicine."

The hall fell silent for a moment, everyone's expressions varied, yet none could hide their shock. A ninth-grade alchemy grandmaster was already a legendary existence, even rarer than a Dou Sheng powerhouse.

For many years, no new ninth-grade alchemist has been heard of in the Central Continent.

"Besides that, I also obtained a batch of puppets during this trip to the ancient ruins." As Lu Yu spoke, he waved his sleeve, and dozens of puppets appeared neatly in the hall.

"There are eighteen ancient human puppets at the Dou Zun level and ten earth demon puppets at the peak of the Dou Zong level here."

He looked at Xiao Yan and said, "Your journey to the Starfall Pavilion is long. Choose a Dou Zun puppet to take with you, so you can have someone to look after you on the way."

"An ancient puppet? This is a rare and valuable item!"

At this moment, Venerable Tianhuo, who was sitting on the left side of the main hall, couldn't help but have his eyes light up. He immediately stood up and went to the puppet to examine it carefully, his eyes full of admiration. "I heard that these puppets are not only fearless, but they can even use the fighting techniques they used in life. Their combat power far exceeds that of experts of the same level..."

Zi Yan also curiously leaned over and gently poked the hard shell of a Dou Zun puppet with her finger: "Are these iron lumps really that powerful?"

Looking at the group of puppets exuding a powerful aura, Xiao Yan was once again shocked by Lu Yu's grand gesture.

He carefully examined the puppets, noticing that the Earth Demon Puppets at the Dou Zong level shone with a familiar silver luster, while the higher-level Ancient Human Puppets exuded an aura of vicissitudes and antiquity, clearly indicating that their crafting techniques were more profound.

"Brother Lu, this gift is far too generous," Xiao Yan said solemnly, cupping his hands in greeting.

Lu Yu waved his hand dismissively: "It's just a puppet. The protective array of my Spirit Treasure Pavilion is far more powerful than these puppets. I'll feel more at ease knowing you have a Dou Zun puppet accompanying you on your trip to Starfall Pavilion."

As he spoke, Lu Yu slowly walked to Xiao Yan's side, pointed to several of the puppets, and introduced them: "The souls of these ancient puppets contain different martial arts inheritances. The three on the left are good at offensive martial arts, the five in the middle are good at defensive martial arts, and the rest each have their own strengths."

"You choose one."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan carefully examined the eighteen puppets radiating powerful energy. After a moment's thought, he finally pointed to one with a particularly stable aura: "Brother Lu, I'll choose this one that excels in defensive combat techniques. For this mission to escort the Soul Infant Fruit, safety is paramount." "A wise choice," Lu Yu nodded with a smile, then looked at Little Fairy Doctor beside him, "The remaining ancient human puppets and earth demon puppets will be under your command, Fairy Doctor."

Little Fairy Doctor smiled and began to take inventory: "In that case, these Dou Zun puppets will be distributed to various key locations in Tianmu Mountain to strengthen defenses, while the Earth Demon puppets will be assigned to the Northwest Branch Headquarters, which will be a good supplement to the guard force there."

“Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” Lu Yu nodded.

Xiao Yan carefully put away the Soul Infant Fruit and the puppet, his gaze shifting between Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor. He smiled knowingly and said, "Brother Lu, sister-in-law, I won't disturb your reunion any longer. I'll come back to observe and learn when you're ready to start refining pills."

"You little rascal..." Lu Yu shook his head and chuckled, but there was a hint of helpless amusement in his eyes.

After Xiao Yan left, Lu Yu turned to look at Venerable Tianhuo and found that the old senior was still staring intently at the ancient puppets, his eyes full of fascination.

"Elder Yao seems to have a particular fondness for puppetry."

Lu Yu couldn't help but chuckle, then took out an ancient scroll and a ball of light sealing a soul, and handed it over, saying, "In that ancient ruin, I happened to obtain the method for refining this ancient puppet. As for the soul... it belongs to the Soul Palace's Bone Nether Saint. If you are interested, you can find a suitable Dou Zun corpse and try refining it."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Tianhuo's aged eyes suddenly blazed with intense light.

He carefully took the scroll and the soul light orb, holding them in his hands as if they were priceless treasures: "Rest assured, Pavilion Master! I will do my utmost and will not let this precious material down!"

Seeing how eagerly Venerable Tianhuo was studying the scroll, Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor beside him exchanged a smile.

At this moment, Venerable Heavenly Fire suddenly came to his senses, cupped his hands to Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor, and said, "Then I will take my leave first and go to prepare for the refining." After saying that, he hurriedly left with the scroll in his hands.

In the blink of an eye, only Little Fairy Doctor, Zi Yan, and Lu Yu remained in the main hall.

As for Cai Lin and Qing Lin, they received the infusion of the Seven-Colored Devouring Python in the Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs. As soon as they returned to Tianmu Mountain, they immediately went into seclusion to focus on stabilizing their rapidly increasing cultivation levels.

Zi Yan tilted her head, her bright eyes darting between Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor. Suddenly, she smiled slyly and deliberately drew out her words: "Oh dear—I suddenly remembered that I still need to sort through those spiritual fruits I brought back from the ruins!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already transformed into a purple shadow and slipped out of the hall. Before leaving, she didn't forget to wink at Lu Yu.

The vast main hall fell silent, leaving only Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor standing facing each other. As their eyes met, the air was filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion.

"What are you looking at...?"

Little Fairy Doctor felt a little uncomfortable under his smiling gaze, and her slender fingers unconsciously twirled a strand of hair.

Lu Yu deliberately leaned closer, raised an eyebrow and said, "Of course it's because my fairy is getting more and more beautiful. I've seen a lot of scenery on this trip, but none of them can compare to this."

"You're so glib." Little Fairy Doctor scolded lightly, turning her face away, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but turn up slightly.

He suddenly reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace: "Let me take a closer look. Have you been secretly practicing some kind of anti-aging technique lately?"

"Stop fooling around..." Before Little Fairy Doctor could finish speaking, she felt her body lighten as she was lifted up horizontally. She instinctively let out a soft cry, her slender arms naturally wrapping around his neck.

Lu Yu carried her steadily toward the inner room, a mischievous smile in his eyes: "That girl Ziyan slipped away so quickly just now, we can't let her create this opportunity for us."

The curtains hung lightly, and the brocade quilt sank slightly. After a few days apart, Little Fairy Doctor was as lively and proactive as a bird released from its cage. Her skin was as white as jade, her waist slender and supple, and her figure long and graceful. The indescribable beauty of her was truly captivating.

After several tender moments, tranquility gradually returned within the boudoir. The Little Fairy Doctor's face flushed a rosy hue; her former aloofness had transformed into a gentle, spring-like tenderness, like snow melting after a storm, captivating all who beheld her.

"If you ever discover ancient ruins again... you must take me with you." She calmed her breathing gently, her voice still slightly languid and hoarse.

"Hmm? Why are you suddenly saying that?" Lu Yu stopped talking, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Little Fairy Doctor, panting slightly, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a sly glint in her eyes: "I can't always let you go out and attract suitors by yourself. The way Cai Lin looked at you when she came back this time wasn't like that of an ordinary friend."

Lu Yu chuckled upon hearing this, but a thought flickered in his heart. He remained outwardly calm and said, "Really? I didn't notice."

"Play dumb." Little Fairy Doctor gently tapped his chest with her slender finger. "Women understand women's hearts best. The light in her eyes when she looks at you is exactly the same as when I looked at her."

Lu Yu grasped her restless fingers, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Since my wife is so perceptive, I must be even more careful in my future actions."

"Good to know." Little Fairy Doctor leaned into his arms, her tone both coquettish and serious. "However... if you really care, you should give her a proper status."

Lu Yu was slightly taken aback by these words. He calmly asked, "Why did Xian'er suddenly bring this up today?"

Little Fairy Doctor blinked, feigning nonchalance, and said, "I just think Sister Cailin is a nice person, if..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yu suddenly chuckled and gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips: "Little fox, are you testing your husband here?"

Little Fairy Doctor's ears turned slightly red when he saw through her thoughts, but she still tried to remain calm: "Who, who tested me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yu had already flipped her over and gently pressed her onto the bed. He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin: "Since Xian'er cares so much about my confidante, why don't you think about how to beg for mercy right now?"

"You..." Little Fairy Doctor wanted to argue, but he silenced her with a kiss.

The candlelight flickered gently, and soon soft sobs and gasps filled the air within the bed curtains. Interspersed among them were occasional, broken pleas for mercy.
"No...don't dare..."

"Brother Lu...please spare me..."

(End of this chapter)