Twenty Years

Ten days later, the trade fair began.

At the trade fair, everyone wore masks, concealing their identities.

The transaction went smoothly. The Lu Clan got its wish and bought the Guiyuan Pill for twenty-five thousand spirit stones.

After purchasing the Guiyuan Pill, the three elders quietly departed.

Swish swish!

As the three elders walked through the mountain range, a flying sword suddenly shot toward them in assassination.

Third Elder Lu Changping activated his magic artifact, and a golden shield appeared, blocking the assassinating flying sword. Yet the tremendous impact sent his blood and qi surging, his mind wavering.

At the same moment, the other two elders also came under attack.

Bang bang!

Magic artifacts collided, and spells crashed against one another as both sides clashed.

The battle erupted swiftly and entered a desperate, bloody phase.

The Lu Clan's three elders were caught in an encirclement, clearly unable to defeat the six black-clothed cultivation bandits.

In barely a dozen breaths, someone was injured.

"Old bastard, die!"

At that moment, a Black-Clothed Man activated his spirit sword. Flickering rays of light formed thirteen sword shadows that stabbed toward the Third Elder.

Oh no, my life is over. What a pity I cannot deliver the precious pill to the Ancestor!

The Third Elder spoke in despair.

At that moment, a faint sigh drifted over, as though lamenting something.

A spirit sword appeared. Forged from spiritwood, it bore the grain of a tree and glimmered with green vitality.

Screech!

The spirit sword struck, piercing the Black-Clothed Man. With one sword stroke, it broke through his true essence barrier and killed him on the spot.

An old man appeared ahead, imposing and spirited, radiating a trace of destructive aura. He was none other than the Lu Family Ancestor, Lu Fuming.

This Purple Mansion Ancestor had actually followed them in secret.

The remaining black-clothed cultivators were horrified and fled in separate directions.

Purple Mansion cultivators were too strong. They were not opponents Foundation Establishment Cultivators could withstand.

Lu Fuming pursued in one direction. His spirit sword flashed, transforming into a green flying sword that shot forth. That black-clothed cultivator dodged and blocked seven sword blades, but when the eighth Sword Qi arrived, he was pierced by it and fell on the spot.

After another series of pursuits, three more Foundation Establishment Cultivators died one after another.

The remaining three black-clothed cultivators fled for their lives.

"Ancestor, why did you come? Acting before your injuries have healed will worsen them!"

The Third Elder spoke, filled with concern.

"It is nothing. This old man may be seriously injured, but killing a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators is still as easy as turning my hand." Lu Fuming spoke calmly, casual and composed.

"We have made the Ancestor worry."

The Third Elder said.

"What a pity. I had intended to fish for a big fish, yet only caught a few little ones."

Lu Fuming said regretfully.

Sending the Lu Clan's three elders to Qinglian Market had originally been meant to lure the snake from its hole, drawing certain enemies into making a move so they could be eliminated and the Lu Clan's troubles swept away. He had not expected those enemies to be so patient.

Setting aside his thoughts, Lu Fuming departed with the three elders.

About three hours after the Lu Family Ancestor left.

The earth churned, and a Gray-Clothed Man emerged from the ground like a gopher.

"Lu Clan old dog, what skill, what skill..."

The Gray-Clothed Man said, "As expected of a Purple Mansion Layer 8 existence. Even heavily injured, he is not someone my Purple Mansion Third Layer cultivation can provoke. If I encountered him, I might be slain within twenty moves. However, you are old in the end. Even if you recover from these injuries, you have no more than twenty years left to live."

"Time stands on my side!"

"When you pass away, it will be the day I destroy the Lu Clan!"

As he spoke, the Gray-Clothed Man ground his teeth, hatred etched into his very bones.

Back then, he had merely been a Rogue Cultivator. By chance, he entered a senior's Cave Mansion and began to rise.

On one occasion, he entered a Lu Clan market to purchase some items and revealed his wealth.

When he left the market, Lu Family cultivators tried to kill and rob him.

He struck back and brazenly beat the Lu Family cultivators to death.

But this poked a hornet's nest. Lu Family cultivators came after him in an unending stream, and he fought them time and again. In those fierce battles, he killed a Lu Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The entire Lu Clan was enraged and issued a wanted order.

The Gray-Clothed cultivator had no choice but to flee Qingshui Commandery. While fleeing, he encountered another Lu Clan interception. He escaped by the skin of his teeth, but his Dao companion died at the hands of the Lu Clan.

That year, he swore that unless he destroyed the Lu Clan, he would not be human.

After cultivating bitterly for a hundred years, he returned to Qingshui Commandery as a Purple Mansion Third Layer cultivator, yet he was still no match for the Lu Family Ancestor, Lu Fuming.

Fortunately, Heaven had eyes. The Lu Family Ancestor was old and seriously injured; at most, he would pass away within twenty years.

This time, he had incited cultivation bandits to intercept the Lu Clan's three elders merely to test the Lu Clan's true strength.

If it succeeded, so much the better.

If it failed, it mattered little.

When Lu Fuming made his move, he successfully killed three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but he had also exposed his weakness. He could not hold out much longer.

"Twenty years. I can afford to wait!"

The Gray-Clothed Man sneered and vanished.

Cough, cough!

Along the way, Lu Fuming had remained calm and composed, as though he were uninjured. But upon entering the Cave Dwelling, he could no longer endure. He immediately coughed up blood, his aura weakening drastically.

All along the way, he had been forcing himself to keep up appearances.

He opened the pill bottle and took out the Guiyuan Pill.

The Guiyuan Pill was wrapped in a Pill Robe that sealed in its medicinal potency and reduced its loss.

Without the Pill Robe, the Guiyuan Pill could only be stored for a little over a year before its potency dissipated.

But with the Pill Robe, it could be preserved for at least thirty years.

Peeling away the Pill Robe, the pill shone green, brimming with dense life force.

Lu Fuming swallowed the pill, and its medicinal power began to spread.

Hoo hoo hoo!

He formed pill seals with his fingers and refined the pill's medicinal power. Strands of gentle medicinal energy spread through him, repairing his injured body.

About ten days later, all the medicinal power had been refined.

Yet Lu Fuming felt no joy. Instead, he sighed sorrowfully. "My injuries are even worse than I imagined. This old man has at most ten years left to live. In ten years, I will pass away... I am not reconciled! I am not reconciled!"

His expression twisted, his face darkening. Black Qi seemed to shroud the top of his head, Sha Qi surging as he resembled a ghostly demon from hell.

"Once I pass away in ten years, the Lu Clan will suffer the encirclement of tigers and wolves... I am not reconciled!"

"If not for the Beast Tide, I would still have seventy years of lifespan remaining, enough to enter Purple Mansion Layer 9, perhaps even gain one chance to attempt Golden Core... I am not reconciled!"

"Ten years, ah! In ten years, I will die. I will become a cold corpse, buried beneath the earth. I am not reconciled!"

The Lu Family Ancestor roared madly, shouting out the resentment in his heart.

Voicing the rage in his heart.

After a long time, he slumped down dejectedly. "As things stand, there is only that way... I'm sorry..."

PS: The First Update is here. Updates will continue tonight.