Lost His Purity

As night fell, Sanbao dragged his exhausted body back to his bedroom in the rear courtyard of Luo Mansion. To his surprise, Old Luo was sitting inside, waiting for him.

"Uncle, you're here?" Sanbao murmured a greeting, then promptly flopped onto the bed without a thought for etiquette.

"Sanbao, I saw how you were doing today. Your body is very weak; by rights, you shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard. But I know you have lofty ambitions, and I'll support you wholeheartedly. Starting tomorrow, I'll designate the area at the foot of Deer Mountain as a restricted zone. Just focus on your cultivation. I'll take care of everything else! All right, get some rest. I'm off!"

Old Luo came and went like the wind, disappearing from the room in the blink of an eye.

"Third Master, let me wipe you down." Meimei appeared from who knew where, carrying a large basin of hot water.

"Mm..."

Sanbao was so exhausted that he could only let out a soft murmur before quickly falling asleep...

Early the next morning, a startled cry rang out from a side room in the rear courtyard of Luo Mansion.

"Third Master, what's wrong?" Meimei rushed into Sanbao's room in a panic.

"Why am I only wearing my underpants? And who changed them?" Sanbao asked haltingly, half-hidden beneath the thick quilt.

"Oh, yesterday you were covered in sweat, Third Master, so I took off your clothes and wiped you down..."

Meimei answered quickly and calmly, but a moment later her face turned red. Third Master is still so young, yet he already knows how to be embarrassed.

"I, I..." Sanbao gave an awkward smile, unable to get another word out.

"Oh, right. Second Young Master came to see you yesterday. He said he had good news: yesterday, the eldest young master beat a bunch of Yan Clan bastards until they ran off with their tails between their legs..." Perhaps noticing her master's embarrassment, Meimei hurriedly changed the subject.

"Good, got it. I'm going to the back mountain again today. You don't need to come along." Sanbao knew the Luo Clan's strength like the back of his hand. The Yan Clan was no match for them.

From that day on, grueling cultivation took over Sanbao's life completely.

Three months later.

Sanbao finally completed his first full Stone Carving Painting. Though it looked like nothing more than a few simple horizontal and vertical strokes, it had cost him nearly a whole day's effort.

"Not bad. You've made great progress!"

Circling the remarkably ordinary Stone Carving Painting, Sanbao looked more than satisfied—not just with the work, but with the soul-cultivation technique Saint Ancestor had taught him.

After three months, Sanbao could clearly feel his mental strength—his soul power—growing. At first, he had to stop and rest after painting for just fifteen minutes. Now he needed only two or three breaks over the course of a whole morning, and even those were partly because his body was running out of strength.

"Saint Ancestor really is Saint Ancestor. His methods are truly unique!" Sanbao was pleased with his cultivation progress, and his admiration for the indistinctly remembered Saint Ancestor grew as well.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, the world spun around Sanbao. Before he could exhale the stale air in his lungs, he collapsed unconscious.

"Third Master, you're awake? What happened to you?" Meimei's voice reached him.

When Sanbao came to again, he was lying in his side room. Old Luo, Caiguang, Caiyue, and the maid Meimei were gathered beside him, watching anxiously.

"I don't know either. I just suddenly fainted. But I should be fine now." Sanbao was just as baffled. He had been in high spirits when he suddenly blacked out. Truly, joy turned to sorrow.

"All right, you can all leave. I have something to discuss with Sanbao." Old Luo waved a hand, and the room immediately fell quiet.

"Sanbao, has your body been especially weak lately? Your bloodline activation has entered a dangerous stage. You need to be very careful. I don't think you should keep cultivating on the back mountain, just in case..."

"Uncle, I'll be careful. Don't worry." Sanbao nodded, but didn't agree to stop cultivating.

"I was going to put a stop to this, but before Lord Thirteen left, he specifically told me you're a very decisive person who can make your own choices. I didn't quite believe him at first, but after these past few months, I understand. Your judgment is far beyond that of others your age. So I won't say too much, but there's something I still want to tell you. You're very young, after all. There's no need to take such a big risk. Even if you put off your cultivation for a year..."

After a long, heartfelt lecture, Old Luo left with a heavy heart.

But Sanbao hadn't been swayed at all. He had simply explained that he understood his own condition, leaving Old Luo feeling helpless. This Prince Cheng was not only strong-willed, but stubborn as a mule.

On the surface, Sanbao had seemed deaf to Old Luo's words, but he knew full well that his uncle's worries were justified.

Still, as Sanbao had said, he knew his own body best. Though he had fainted once, his condition was nowhere near bad enough to make cultivation impossible. After all, the Stone Carving Painting trained his mental strength, and it was mainly his mental strength that it consumed. Physical stamina was only a secondary factor.

He simply hadn't paid enough attention to his body before, which had led to a small mishap. If he was more careful from now on, there shouldn't be a problem.

After the mishap, Sanbao threw himself into the Stone Carving Painting with even greater focus. He knew he might not have much longer to devote himself to it so wholeheartedly. Lord Thirteen had said that his body would grow weaker and weaker until his bloodline was fully activated. In other words, any day now, he might end up bedridden, unable to move.

The leaves fell away, and the mountains turned a brittle yellow. In the blink of an eye, the year drew to a close.

Sanbao had been in this world for nearly a year. As he gradually grew familiar with it, he also adapted to his new body and identity—and, more than anything, began to look forward to a brighter future.

On New Year's Eve, more than ten members of the Luo family, Sanbao among them, gathered in the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, a sacred place in the rear courtyard.

The year-end ancestor worship ceremony was one of the grandest events for nearly every lineage, and the Luo Clan was no exception.

The family head, Luo Dingyi, led the way, followed by Luo Kaifeng, Luo Kaiyu, Sanbao, Luo Caiyang, Luo Caiguang, and Luo Caiyue. Then the Luo family's daughters-in-law joined them, and they all knelt in the central hall of the ancestral shrine. There were no ancestral tablets at the far end of the hall, only an antique-looking hanging scroll on the high wall. The scroll bore nothing but a single character, "Luo," recognizable only to the Luo Clan of Sky Orchid.

Though it was only the simple character "Luo," it was the faith of the entire lineage. It was also thanks to that character that they possessed talents and strength beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The altar below was piled high with offerings: vegetables, fruits, and the meat of pigs, cattle, dogs, and sheep.

"Ancestors of the Luo Clan, Dingyi has brought the children and grandchildren to pray before you. Another year has passed, and our clan has seen many changes. First and foremost, Sanbao, the eldest brother's descendant, has returned to the family. This is a great joy for the Luo Clan. Caiyang, Caiguang, Caiyue, and the others have also grown up strong and healthy. Caiguang is now a two-star Spirit Scholar, and even Caiyue has reached the sixth stage of Spirit Entry..."

After Luo Dingyi's lengthy speech, everyone's faces lit up with delight. Compared to the previous year, the affairs of Luo Mansion were progressing smoothly, and the clan's influence had grown increasingly stable. The strength of the Luo family's direct descendants, its core force, had steadily improved—and now they had gained another direct descendant like Sanbao.

The Luo Clan's family connections were quite meager, after all. Every additional direct descendant meant another glimmer of hope.

"Sanbao, this is your first time at the ancestor worship ceremony. Come light a stick of incense." As the ceremony drew to a close, Old Luo gave Sanbao a meaningful look before calling him forward.

Old Luo had watched Sanbao's performance over the past six months with joy in his heart.

For a boy of only ten to shut himself away in one small corner for half a year—such grit and perseverance meant his future achievements would surely be extraordinary.

Sanbao nodded and silently stepped forward. As the incense in his hands slowly began to burn, he knelt alone before the Luo Clan's ancestors for the first time.

"Thank you, ancestors of the Luo Clan, for giving me a new life and a new body. I swear I'll do everything I can to help the Luo Clan return to its former glory. I also hope your spirits in heaven will protect me and grant me great talent and power..." Sanbao knelt in silence, praying in his heart.

The solemn setting and the special atmosphere swept Sanbao up completely. Even the blood in his body seemed to begin smoldering...

At this moment, he was not only Sanbao from his previous life, but also Prince Cheng, whom he had never met.

He rose to his feet, his gaze resolute and far-reaching, meeting the character "Luo" on the hanging scroll.