Lu Sheng was momentarily speechless. Was this truly their method—passing their own disillusionment onto someone else?
“Then… which sect should we exchange with?” he asked.
“Crimson Whale Sect is the Number One sect in the Northern Lands. But with the region slowly declining, the usual choices won’t suffice,” Hong Mingzi said with a genial smile. “We can look farther, toward the borders of the Central Plains. Several plains, valleys, and a few cities there fall under the White River Sect’s control. We can arrange an exchange with them.”
“White River Sect?”
“Yes. A large sect that has risen swiftly in the past three decades. I’ve dealt with their Sect Master, Xu Tianfeng, before. It’s worth giving them a try,” Hong Mingzi replied.
“Alright then. They may be smaller than Crimson Whale Sect, but they still dominate an entire region. We’re in the same tier. An exchange with them isn’t a bad idea,” Lu Sheng said with a decisive nod. “I’ll get engaged immediately, then we can proceed with the exchange.”
“Engaged, now?!” Hong Mingzi stared at him in disbelief. “The Sect Master’s engagement is no trivial matter!”
“There’s no need to make it grand. I prefer to keep a low profile,” Lu Sheng said solemnly. “When the time comes, I’ll just invite a few of you for a simple gathering.”
Chen Yunxi was a mortal. The more public attention on their engagement, the more enemies would understand her importance—and the danger to her would only grow.
His own Lu Family had nearly been dragged into disaster once. Lu Sheng dreaded the thought of returning from a journey to find Chen Yunxi’s entire family harmed… or of being gravely injured someday and unable to shield those he loved.
The fear drove him to strengthen his own influence. Power alone was not enough; no matter how formidable he became, he was still just one man. And even the strongest needed rest. When that time came, he would need loyal forces to safeguard him and everything he valued.
“Alright then,” Hong Mingzi said softly, now understanding his reasoning. “Remember to notify me once preparations are complete.”
“Fine.” Lu Sheng nodded.
After settling a chain of sect affairs, Lu Sheng returned to his routine—soaking in medicinal baths, taking his tonics, and maintaining his cultivation. Nearly every day afterward, he accompanied Chen Yunxi around the city, wandering from scenic spots to quiet corners. As for Li Shunxi, he had dispatched men to track his movements across the Northern Lands. The moment Li Shunxi was found, they were to report to him without delay.
The engagement itself was conducted with utmost simplicity.
Lu Sheng remained at home. His father and Second Mother arranged a modest banquet in their residence. Later, a second discreet gathering was held in one of Mountain-Edge City’s secluded estates, giving Lu Quanan the opportunity to meet Chen Daozao—the formal meeting of the two families.
Only a few relatives were invited. From among their friends, only Lu Family members and a handful of Lu Anping’s new acquaintances attended.
And so, Lu Sheng was engaged to Chen Yunxi.
During this period, he also sought out Song Zhenguo again. Ever since receiving the Green Pine One Thought Formula, the wealthy young master’s improvement had accelerated at a pace that left even Lu Sheng astonished.
Song Zhenguo had rented an arena near the Winged Honor Guards’ garrison outside the city, where he trained martial arts daily with unwavering determination. When Lu Sheng arrived, Song Zhenguo was mid-training, lifting a stone dumbbell and swinging it with deliberate, powerful motions.
Though late autumn chilled the land, Song Zhenguo wore nothing more than a single thin shirt. Heat pulsed from his skin, and faint threads of Qi shimmered around him. A servant girl waited quietly at his side.
“Master Lu!”
Spotting him, Song Zhenguo froze for a heartbeat before joy broke across his face. He dropped the stone dumbbell with a thud and ran over. “Master Lu, you’ve finally come! I’ve been waiting so long with no news from you. I wasn’t even sure whether I was training correctly. If you didn’t appear soon, I was thinking of seeking another martial arts teacher for guidance.”
Clad in a black robe and hat, Lu Sheng cut a silhouette like a grim reaper. He studied Song Zhenguo carefully.
After their long separation, the once frail young master now stood transformed—muscular, steady, and carrying a faint bronze glow in his skin, the mark of diligent training.
“Have you gotten initiated in inner force?” Lu Sheng asked, genuinely surprised.
“Nah… I’m still stabilizing and consolidating my strength. But lately my appetite and strength have shot up. I’m a lot healthier than before,” Song Zhenguo said with a carefree laugh.
Lu Sheng nodded. This was the typical progression for an ordinary cultivator. Even a talent like Song Zhenguo—who sensed Qi within a single day—would still need at least three years to consolidate and stabilize his inner force after his initial breakthrough.
Inner force was far from easy to cultivate.
“It’s been several months since Master Lu taught me the skill. I’ve been experimenting on my own too. I even learned a Wave Tossing Hand from an expert I met by chance. Master Lu, please assess me!”
Song Zhenguo’s enthusiasm for martial arts had clearly grown; he had even sought out another teacher.
Lu Sheng’s curiosity stirred. “Expert? Very well—why don’t you demonstrate it?” He stepped back, giving the young master room.
“Alright.”
Song Zhenguo retreated a few steps, raising his hands into a classic starting stance—strikingly similar to something out of an old Huang Feihong film.
The corner of Lu Sheng’s mouth twitched, but he refrained from commenting.
“HO!!!”
With a sudden roar, Song Zhenguo unleashed his technique. His palms flew wildly, slapping and chopping at the air in a frenzy.
“Ah ah ah ah ah ah! Da da da da da da!!!!”
By the time ten breaths passed, he was gasping for air, drenched in sweat and flushed bright red.
“This martial art uses both vocal and palm techniques! I bought it from that expert for a hundred taels of silver. What do you think, Lu Sheng? Isn’t it powerful?” he asked eagerly.
Lu Sheng fell silent.
“It’s a pity, though… After he sold it to me, that expert disappeared completely,” Song Zhenguo said with a crestfallen sigh.
‘Of course he disappeared. If he stayed, wouldn’t you beat him to death the moment you realized the truth?’
Lu Sheng felt utterly helpless. He had only left the boy unsupervised for a short while, and his sole disciple had already turned into… this.
“Channel your inner force into your palm and strike mine.” Lu Sheng extended his right hand. “As for that… whatever Wave Tossing Palm, forget it. Just tap my palm lightly.”
Song Zhenguo froze. Those few words were enough—he instantly realized he had been scammed. His eyes widened, and his face flushed crimson.
“Hurry,” Lu Sheng urged.
Song Zhenguo drew a deep breath, activated the Green Pine One Thought Formula, and gently pressed his palm against Lu Sheng’s.
Lu Sheng felt it immediately. “As expected. You’re still a short step away from initiation. Your inner Qi is unstable and lacks substance.” With a single touch, he understood Song Zhenguo’s current state.
“How is it?” Song Zhenguo asked eagerly, eyes fixed on him.
That was when Lu Sheng suddenly remembered one of Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi’s unique abilities—Qi Transfer.
Guiding a single thread of that profound Qi with his mind, he grasped Song Zhenguo’s arm and allowed the slightest wisp to flow into him.
“This… such deep inner force!!!” Song Zhenguo trembled violently, stunned to his core. In truth, Lu Sheng had infused only the faintest strand.
Song Zhenguo felt a cool, gentle ribbon of Qi slide through his meridians, blood vessels, joints, tendons, flesh, and muscles. Everywhere it passed, tension melted away, leaving behind an indescribable sense of comfort and release.
But Lu Sheng’s experience was entirely different.
The instant the Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi entered Song Zhenguo’s body, he was jolted in surprise. That faint strand of Qi instantly devoured the Green Pine One Thought Formula inner Qi the boy had cultivated through months of labor. Then, as if mimicking its flavor, it reshaped itself into a form identical to Green Pine One Thought Formula Qi.
And more than that—Lu Sheng could feel his own Qi moving inside Song Zhenguo’s body. At any moment, he could withdraw it with a single thought.
It was like planting a seed in the depths of Song Zhenguo’s meridians.
‘So this is the Qi Transfer and Assimilation ability?’ Lu Sheng was stunned. This meant he could devour the inner Qi of those with weaker cultivation whenever he wished.
But Lu Sheng wasn’t particularly interested in that ability itself. Inner force experts in this world, no matter how strong, were still ultimately limited.
What truly stirred him was the sudden recollection of a technique he once read in a novel—one where a “devil’s seed” could be planted in another’s heart.
“Zhenguo. Try it—can you still control your inner Qi?” Lu Sheng asked.
Only then did Song Zhenguo realize that all the inner Qi in his body had been transformed into Green Pine One Thought Formula Qi. He focused his mind, attempting to guide it—and joy lit up his face as the Qi responded like an extension of his own body.
The transformed Qi was leagues beyond the meager accumulation he had built up over the months.
“I can control it!” he exclaimed, elated.
Lu Sheng released his grip and stepped back several meters. Even from that distance, he could still sense the faint wisp of Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi planted within Song Zhenguo. Yet the farther he moved, the weaker the sensation became.
Still, he knew with absolute certainty: if he wished, he could reclaim every drop of Song Zhenguo’s inner Qi with a single touch.
‘This Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi… it’s truly twisted,’ he thought, though his expression remained calm.
“With your current level, you can be considered initiated. I won’t assist you further. As for the single move I taught you before and told you to practice—how is your progress?”
He had created that move specifically for Song Zhenguo, intending to test how far one could grow by mastering only a single technique.
“I’ve been practicing it all this time.” Song Zhenguo nodded. He slowly sank into the stance, then punched out with what looked like a relaxed motion.
“Hoo!!”
The strike was smooth, familiar, and disciplined, though still ordinary. Despite his effort, a few months simply wasn’t enough to refine it to its true potential. Even so, his execution was already commendable.
“Continue practicing that move. It will pay off,” Lu Sheng said.
“Yes!” Song Zhenguo responded with renewed vigor.
Lu Sheng did not retrieve the thread of Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi he had planted. Instead, he passed on to Song Zhenguo a highly practical martial technique—Arresting Hold Minor, a freely circulated art from the Martial Proclamation Court.
As a disciple of Crimson Sun Sect, Song Zhenguo was technically part of Crimson Whale Sect and thus violated no rules by learning it. Besides, with Lu Sheng’s current level of strength, there was no one in the martial world qualified to lecture him about rules anyway. As for the Noble Families, they couldn’t care less about who imparted martial arts to whom.
By the time he finished handling Song Zhenguo’s affairs, Lu Sheng’s injuries had almost completely healed.
He selected a cohort of thirty elites from the sect to accompany him for the exchange—Elders, a pair of newly appointed External Affairs Emissaries, Branch Heads and Deputy Branch Heads from various outposts, as well as several Nine-Fish experts. Even the weakest among them had reached the peak of Strength Proficiency, while four were Intent Proficiency experts belonging to the sect’s upper ranks.
With supplies, ceremonial gifts, bodyguards, and additional disciples included, their entourage was comparable in size to a small merchant caravan.
Thus, they set out toward White River Sect.
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