Great Elder

Some things could not be taken.

For example, the Third Grade Flying Sword, the Third Grade Shield, and the like were the ancestor's signature magic treasures. If he took them and outsiders noticed, there would be no way to explain it away.

Besides, the Third Grade Flying Sword was too high-grade. Lu Xuanji simply lacked the strength to activate it; holding it would only invite disaster.

The other pills could not be taken either. Their origins would be impossible to explain.

There were three hundred thousand Spirit Stones in the storage pouch.

Lu Xuanji directly took ten thousand Spirit Stones.

He also took three talismans, all of them Third Grade.

Hoo hoo hoo.

Lu Xuanji took a deep breath and suppressed the greed in his heart. He took only ten thousand Spirit Stones and three talismans before turning to leave.

He did not take anything else.

The first rule of survival in the Cultivation World was to suppress the greed in one's heart.

The news of the ancestor's passing could not be hidden for long.

Part of the ancestor's inheritance would go to his descendants, while another part would remain with the clan.

Taking ten thousand Spirit Stones and three talismans was not much of a problem. Even if it were exposed, he could say they had been bestowed by the ancestor, and no one could say otherwise.

But if all kinds of precious treasures vanished from the ancestor's storage pouch—

The entire clan would surely investigate with all its strength, conducting endless inspections and interrogations. They might even use a God-Questioning Talisman. By then, he might be exposed.

Yet now, he had only taken ten thousand Spirit Stones and three talismans. Compared to the precious items in the storage pouch, they were utterly inconspicuous. The clan might not even investigate.

It was like a household from his previous life: if they lost tens of thousands of yuan, they might call the police; if they lost a few yuan, they could not be bothered to look.

"Trouble."

When Lu Xuanji reached the entrance of the Cave Mansion, he sensed a Foundation Establishment Elder standing guard outside, meditating about a hundred meters away.

"The ancestor was at Purple Mansion Layer 8. He could slip past that Foundation Establishment Elder's detection without a sound, but I cannot."

"Fortunately, I have an Invisibility Talisman."

Lu Xuanji took out a talisman and stuck it to himself. Instantly, his aura vanished, and his figure disappeared as well.

He walked out of the Cave Mansion and left without a sound.

From beginning to end, that Foundation Establishment Elder noticed nothing.

Only after returning to his own Cave Mansion did Lu Xuanji finally feel at ease.

Passage of Time. Before he knew it, Five Years had passed.

The ancestor's Cave Mansion remained sealed shut. No one knew that the ancestor had already passed away.

As for Lu Xuanji silently obtaining enormous benefits, no one knew of that either. He merely cultivated quietly, planted spirit herbs, and steadily improved his cultivation.

Hoo hoo.

After finishing his meditation, Lu Xuanji Opened His Eyes. A trace of melancholy flashed through them. "I'm twenty-six now. According to clan rules, it's time for me to descend the mountain and carry out some missions. The clan does not raise idlers. With my current Qi Refining Layer 5 cultivation, even if I encounter powerful enemies I cannot defeat, I can still preserve my life."

Leaving his Cave Mansion, Lu Xuanji headed for the Law Enforcement Hall.

Though it was called the Law Enforcement Hall, it was actually the Cave Mansion of the Great Elder, Lu Tianyi.

The Lu Clan appeared grand and prosperous, but in truth it only had a little over fifteen hundred cultivators. With so few cultivators, they could hardly avoid seeing one another.

The Law Enforcement Hall, Pill Hall, Artifact Hall, and other institutions established by the clan were all rather loosely organized.

Most cultivators were either busy farming, carrying out missions, or cultivating in seclusion. There were not actually that many trivial affairs.

When he arrived at the entrance of the Cave Mansion, he saw that the Great Elder was in seclusion.

Lu Xuanji waited patiently. After a short while, the Great Elder opened the Cave Mansion and said with a smile, "Xuanji, you're here. Come in."

"Thank you, Great Elder."

Lu Xuanji did not stand on ceremony and entered the Great Elder's Cave Mansion directly.

Within the Cave Mansion, room after room stretched ahead. There was a study, a pill room, a spring pool, and more. Night-Luminescent Pearls the size of fists were embedded in the walls for illumination, casting a soft glow.

Night-Luminescent Pearls were precious items in the mortal world, but in the Cultivation World, they were merely commonplace objects used for lighting.

In the pill room stood an Alchemy Furnace as tall as a person, connected below to Earth Fire for refining pills. Spring water was also channeled here, usable for washing or for refining pills.

The furnishings here were quite luxurious, far beyond anything in Lu Xuanji's own Cave Mansion.

"Not bad, not bad. Without relying on external resources, you reached Qi Refining Layer 5 at merely twenty-six. Such speed is Somewhat Terrifying." Great Elder Lu Tianyi looked at Lu Xuanji, approval flashing in his eyes.

Before the ancestor entered seclusion, he had instructed the Patriarch and the Great Elder to treat Lu Xuanji with exceptional favor, because Lu Xuanji possessed Purple Mansion potential.

The influence of one Purple Mansion cultivator surpassed that of ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Unfortunately, the Purple Mansion Realm was difficult to attain.

To achieve the Purple Mansion Realm, one needed at least a Dual Spirit Root.

Although Lu Xuanji had a Triple Spirit Root, he seemed to possess a special physique, and his cultivation speed did not lag behind that of those with Dual Spirit Roots.

"This is all thanks to the clan's support. Without the clan, how could I be where I am today?"

Lu Xuanji said.

"I am still looking forward to the day you become a Purple Mansion cultivator and bring glory to our ancestors," the Great Elder said. "According to clan rules, after cultivating on Ziyang Mountain for twenty years, one must go out and carry out missions. Because your aptitude is exceptional, you could have been an exception... but I did not intend to do so. Do you know why?"

"For the sake of keeping a low profile."

Lu Xuanji said, "A genius who has not yet grown up is nothing. The Patriarch intends to treat me as an ordinary disciple, drawing away certain people's attention and giving me time to grow."

The Great Elder said, "Xuanji, you are no longer young. There are some matters I do not wish to hide from you any longer. The clan's situation is not good. Because the ancestor is recovering from his injuries, rumors outside claim that he has fallen. Many forces are stirring restlessly, wanting to take bites out of our Lu Clan."

"The situation of our Lu Clan is very bad. Very bad."

A hint of worry flashed through Lu Xuanji's eyes. He subconsciously stroked his chin and said, "Great Elder, does the Danyang Sect not uphold justice? Our Lu Clan pays the Danyang Sect a great amount of tribute every year."

"The Danyang Sect naturally upholds justice. Otherwise, those forces would not merely be stirring restlessly—they would have come directly to annihilate our clan," the Great Elder said. "But the Danyang Sect only maintains the overall order. As for specific matters, it will not, and cannot, constantly speak up for our Lu Clan. The ancestor is severely wounded and close to death. No matter what we do, our Lu Clan ultimately lacks confidence."

Lu Xuanji fell silent as well.

So long as no major bloody conflict broke out, the Danyang Sect would not interfere.

So long as things remained presentable on the surface, the Danyang Sect would not act either.

"Let us not speak of this. You are still too young; telling you these things is useless. What matters most for you is to develop steadily... We old fellows are not dead yet, so there is no need for you to fight and kill," the Great Elder said with a smile. "Right, go to Danyang County and test children for spirit roots."

"If any have spirit roots, remember to bring them back. And while you are in the mortal world, walk around a little more. Cultivation is not merely secluded bitter training; it is also the ways of human relationships and worldly affairs."

PS: I think it is still better to update in the morning.