Confessing His Strength

Upon returning to the estate, Luo Qing and the guards had already completed their preliminary inspection. As expected, the Lei Clan had planted incendiary materials in several storehouses and accounting rooms, clearly intending to destroy Ironwood Estate at the last moment.

"Young Master, thanks to your foresight, those incendiary materials have already been removed," Luo Qing reported with a bow.

Luo Heng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the estate that covered several hundred mu. His expression remained calm as he said, "Starting tomorrow, arrange trustworthy men to transport the ironwood back to the manor in batches. At the same time, seal off the back mountain. Without my permission, no one is allowed to approach."

"Yes!" Luo Qing replied before withdrawing.

Late that night, Luo Heng returned to Luo Manor.

The study was still lit. Luo Yun, Su Yi, and his grandfather Luo Shan had been waiting for some time.

Seeing Luo Heng return safely, the three of them visibly relaxed.

"Heng'er, over at Ironwood Estate..." Luo Yun was the first to speak.

"Father, rest assured. Ironwood Estate has been smoothly taken over, and the hidden dangers planted by the Lei Clan have also been cleared," Luo Heng said calmly. He then briefly recounted the day's events, naturally leaving out the matter of the Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein for now.

After hearing his account, Luo Shan stroked his long beard, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. "The Lei Clan suffered a great loss this time. They certainly will not let this go. Heng'er, you must be more careful when you go out from now on."

"Rest assured, Grandfather. I know what to do. Actually, I have another important matter to tell you," Luo Heng said.

At those words, all three pairs of eyes turned toward Luo Heng once more.

Luo Heng took a deep breath, and the aura he had been concealing slowly began to spread.

It began at the Body Tempering Seventh Level, then continued to rise... the Ninth Level... the Body Tempering Ninth Level Peak...

"Huh?"

Before Luo Yun and the others' stunned eyes, Luo Heng's aura suddenly broke through that barrier!

A dense, pure wave of Primal Energy spread through the room, carrying traces of icy chill. Even the temperature in the study dropped by several degrees.

"The... Earthen Yuan Stage?!" Luo Yun shot to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.

Su Yi covered her mouth and gasped, tears of excitement welling in her eyes.

A sharp light burst from Luo Shan's clouded old eyes. He stared at Luo Heng for a long while before asking in a deep voice, "Heng'er, when did you... break through?"

"Three days ago, on the eve of my battle agreement with Lei Li. Actually, I had already touched upon the threshold of the Body Tempering Ninth Level years ago, but I kept suppressing my cultivation to temper my foundation. Some time ago, I happened upon an opportunity, and coupled with some insight gained in battle, I was naturally able to break through to the Earthen Yuan Stage," Luo Heng said according to the explanation he had prepared long ago.

Seven parts of those words were true and three parts false. The three of them were half-convinced, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that Luo Heng had truly broken through to the Earthen Yuan Stage!

"Suppressing your cultivation to temper your foundation... you brat," Luo Shan muttered.

Luo Yun also came back to his senses. His voice trembled with excitement as he said, "Good! Good! My son has entered the Earthen Yuan Stage at sixteen. This is unprecedented in Qingyang Town! Even in Flame City, you would be among the finest geniuses!"

Su Yi, meanwhile, wept with joy. Holding Luo Heng's hand, she looked him over from head to toe. "Heng'er, you child... why didn't you tell your father and mother sooner about something so important?"

Luo Heng sounded somewhat apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mother. Before, I thought that revealing it too early would inevitably make the people of other families target me. But when I saw how worried you all were about my fight with Lei Li, I knew I should reveal part of my strength. Now, I'm no longer afraid of them trying to harm me."

Luo Shan deeply agreed and nodded. "Heng'er has thought this through... But you just said 'part of your strength'? Then you..." Suddenly catching the hidden meaning in his son's words, he froze. Could there be more?

Luo Heng smiled faintly. Father, you really guessed right. Hahaha. Then the Myriad Law Seal within his Niwan Palace spun lightly.

An invisible wave of Spiritual Power spread outward like ripples. Though he did not deliberately exert pressure, it still caused every candle flame in the study to sway.

"This is... Spiritual Power?! Heng'er, you've entered the Path of the Talisman Master?" Luo Yun was stunned speechless once again. This was even more shocking than he had imagined!

Luo Shan was so excited that even his beard trembled. His voice shook slightly as he said, "Earthen Yuan Stage cultivation, along with the Spiritual Power of a First Seal Rune Master... dual cultivation! Such a genius has actually emerged from my Luo Family!"

On the Tianxuan Continent, those who cultivated both martial arts and talisman arts were one in ten thousand!

The two required entirely different talents, and their cultivation systems were vastly different, making it difficult for ordinary people to balance both.

Anyone capable of dual cultivation was an extraordinary genius, with limitless potential for future achievements!

Luo Heng withdrew his aura and said seriously, "Grandfather, Father, Mother, my strength goes far beyond this. However, now is not the time to reveal everything. Besides, I have an even more important matter to discuss with you."

As he spoke, he took the dark-red Yang Yuan Essence Stone from his robes and placed it on the table.

"This is..." Luo Shan picked up the essence stone and examined it closely. A moment later, his pupils contracted sharply.

"Yang Yuan Essence Stone?! Where did this come from?"

"On the back mountain of Ironwood Estate. I discovered a Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein," Luo Heng said bluntly, stunning the three of them once again.

"What?!"

The three of them cried out at once, and the study fell silent for a time.

A Yang Yuan Stone Mine Vein! If this news spread, it would be enough to stir up a bloody storm throughout Qingyang Town and even Flame City!

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Luo Yun asked in a deep voice, "Heng'er, is this true? Have you investigated the scale of the mine vein?"

"I've conducted a preliminary investigation. The mine vein's reserves are not enormous, but they are enough for our Luo Family to cultivate several Heaven Yuan Realm experts. More importantly, at the core of the mine vein are Yang Yuan Essence Stones of even higher quality, which would be greatly beneficial to Heaven Yuan Realm cultivation," Luo Heng explained calmly and carefully.

Luo Shan took a deep breath, his gaze turning sharp. "This matter must be kept strictly confidential! The mining must also be carried out in secret. We absolutely cannot let outsiders notice!"

"Grandfather is right. I have already ordered Luo Qing to seal off the back mountain. For the mining, we must select absolutely trustworthy people and proceed in batches. The Yang Yuan Stones we extract will be supplied first to the core members of the family for cultivation," Luo Heng said with a nod.

Only then did Su Yi recover from the string of shocks. Looking at her calm and wise son, boundless pride rose within her heart. The little boy who had once needed their protection had already grown up. Soon, he would be the one protecting us.

"Heng'er, you... have truly grown up," she said softly.

Luo Heng smiled and patted the back of his mother's hand. "Mother, with me here, no one will be able to bully our Luo Family."

Luo Yun and Luo Shan exchanged a glance, both seeing relief and gratification in each other's eyes. They also resolved that they could never hold the child back in the future.

Moreover, with this mine vein, the rise of the Luo Family would be unstoppable!

"Heng'er, then how do you plan to make use of this mine vein?" Luo Shan asked with a smile.

Luo Heng paused, then slowly said, "The first step is to mine it in secret and rapidly increase the family's strength. Grandfather, you have been stuck at the Middle Heaven Yuan Realm for many years. With the help of Yang Yuan Essence Stones, breaking through to the later stage will be just around the corner. Father can also use this opportunity to advance toward the Middle Heaven Yuan Realm."

"The second step is to gradually expand our business into Flame City after the family's strength has stabilized. Qingyang Town is ultimately too small. We can develop in Flame City then."

"The third step... well, I need to make a trip to the Flame City Rune Master Tower. My own exploration of the talisman arts can only go so far. I must receive the systematic inheritance left behind by those before me."

Luo Shan nodded repeatedly. "Excellent! Since you possess such talent as a Talisman Master, you should naturally study further at the Symbol Master Tower. Although the Flame City Rune Master Tower is not considered top-tier, it will be sufficient for you at your current level."

Luo Yun was somewhat worried, however. "The forces in Flame City are deeply entangled. You..."

"Father, don't worry. With my current strength, as long as I do not provoke those old monsters, I have more than enough ability to protect myself. Besides, it is time for me to go out and see the world," Luo Heng said with a smile, his tone full of confidence. After all, he was an ordinary person who had created a Third-Grade Movement Technique at sixteen.

Seeing that his son had made up his mind, Luo Yun stopped trying to persuade him and merely reminded him, "Be careful in all things. If you encounter a powerful enemy, do not act rashly."

"I understand, Father."

As the night grew deeper, after discussing many details, Luo Heng took his leave and returned to his own courtyard.