"Hahaha, great! I never expected my little grandson to be such a rare prodigy!" Zhong Taiyue's laughter echoed like thunder in the main hall, clearly showing his delight.
After all, Lu Ming is his grandson, and half of the Zhong Clan's blood flows in his veins.
"Okay, okay."
Zhong Taiyue's eyes gleamed with a strange light, while a hint of regret rose in his heart. If he had known earlier that his grandson had such talent, he should have taken the initiative to ask Zhong Ying to bring him to the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall so that he could personally train him.
In this way, not only will he achieve greater success, but he will also get closer to Lu Ming.
Seeing their grandfather so happy, the four cousins couldn't help but feel a little envious. It was one thing for Zhong Taiyue to favor Zhong Quan all these years, but now a poor relative they had never met before had managed to steal their thunder.
"I've heard that the Rain Pearl from the Black Rain Zone have the effect of corrupting the mind. If you cultivate with this stuff, aren't you afraid of causing any problems? Ten Divine Ability Dharma Mark might just be illusory Primordial Qi, easily defeated," someone muttered to themselves.
"Shut up, all of you! You're all mediocre, you don't know how to work hard, yet you can't see the excellence in others!" Zhong Taiyue glared at them fiercely and shouted angrily.
The four cousins, who were initially considered cheap, were immediately frightened and shrank back into the crowd.
Zhong Taiyue snorted coldly. His gaze finally fell on Lu Qingyan beside him. His strong and serious face softened slightly. He nodded and said, "Qingyan, it's been many years. You've raised a good son."
Lu Qingyan hesitated for a moment, then respectfully called out, "Father."
He knew, of course, that Zhong Taiyue had harbored resentment towards him all these years, but things would ease up now. One reason was that Zhong Ying had finally returned, and another reason was probably that his own son had earned him face.
Zhong Taiyue nodded slightly, acknowledging the use of the title "Lu Qingyan".
This made Lu Qingyan breathe a sigh of relief. If it had been more than ten years ago, if he had called Zhong Taiyue that, this domineering and unreasonable old man might have thrown him out directly.
"Is A-Ming currently cultivating at the Thunderfire Hall?" Zhong Taiyue turned his gaze to Lu Ming and asked.
"Yes." Lu Qingyan nodded.
"Hey, your Thunderfire Hall is only Third-Tier Divine Ability Hall after all, your foundation is a bit weak. If someone with A-Ming's talent were to come to the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall, his future achievements would be even greater." Zhong Taiyue finally couldn't help but say this.
"If A-Ming comes, I will personally teach him."
Lu Qingyan dared not respond. If Lu Ming were truly left at the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall, how could he possibly return to the Thunderfire Hall? At that point, Lu Jin would likely slap him to death.
If your grandson isn't coming back, then you, as his son, don't need to come back either.
Lu Qingyan knew all too well how Lu Jin ranked her position in the family.
Knowing her husband's predicament, Zhong Ying immediately spoke up, "Father, Father-in-law has now become a True Qi Master. Some time ago, the Golden Gang Sword Hall of Qingyuan Market tried to plot against our Thunderfire Hall. Father-in-law fought against Lin Changkong, who had also entered the True Qi Master, and ultimately killed him. The Golden Gang Sword Hall was also swallowed up by the Thunderfire Hall. Therefore, the Thunderfire Hall's foundation has become much stronger. In the future, when A-Ming becomes Divine Ability Master, the Thunderfire Hall will be able to advance to the Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall."
These words once again shocked everyone in the main hall.
What?
Lu Jin, the master of the Thunderfire Hall, has now become True Qi Master?! And he even killed a powerful True Qi Master as a foe? His combat power is astonishing?
Zhong Taiyue's face showed surprise, and he said, " Lu Jin... no, my father-in-law has become True Qi Master? This is truly a cause for celebration."
When Zhong Taiyue first learned of Lu Jin, the latter had not yet become Divine Ability Master. He never expected that after more than ten years, Lu Jin would have made such great progress.
Even within the city of Fengyang Prefecture, True Qi Master was considered a formidable figure capable of standing alone.
Therefore, when everyone learned that Lu Jin had actually become True Qi Master, their expressions couldn't help but become more respectful.
But what concerned Zhong Taiyue even more was Zhong Ying's mention of killing Lin Changkong.
"I've heard of this Lin Changkong. He's quite promising for his age. He possesses High-Grade Divine Ability Bone, and his shrewdness and strength are both excellent. I previously thought that the Golden Gang Sword Hall he founded would eventually become famous throughout Fengyang Prefecture, but I never expected that it would be swallowed up by the Thunderfire Hall in the end."
Zhong Taiyue slowly spoke, saying, "It seems your Thunderfire Hall is truly not what it used to be."
He knew what Zhong Ying meant; she didn't want him to leave Lu Ming behind.
But Zhong Taiyue was still a little unwilling to give up. He turned his gaze to Lu Ming and showed him a rare gentle smile, saying, " A-Ming, now that you're here with your grandfather, why don't you come with me to see the supernatural powers of the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall?"
"It just so happens that today is the academy's semi-annual examination. Since you've come from Qingyuan Market, you should also see how the disciples of the Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall differ from those of your Thunderfire Hall."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ming couldn't help but smile inwardly. How could he not know what Zhong Taiyue meant? He wanted to use the supernatural powers of the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall to lure him.
An ordinary young man might have been tempted by it, but unfortunately, Lu Ming, who knew the Thunderfire Hall's strength, would never look down on any other Divine Ability Hall.
But Lu Ming did not refuse; instead, he obediently nodded.
"Following Grandpa's arrangement, I also want to witness the supernatural powers of the Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall."
"Well!"
Zhong Taiyue was delighted and patted Lu Qingyan's arm with a broad smile, saying, "Qingyan, you should go and take a look too."
This was the first time Lu Qingyan had seen Zhong Taiyue smile at him, and he was flattered and naturally dared not refuse, nodding repeatedly.
Then Zhong Taiyue turned around and led the way, taking everyone towards the divine abbot's shrine. Along the way, they passed through the Zhong Clan's courtyard, attracting curious onlookers from many people inside.
They became even more curious after hearing Zhong Taiyue's rare, hearty laughter.
Some servants from the second and third branches of the family, after making a brief inquiry, all turned pale and hurriedly relayed the news back to their respective courtyards.
No one expected that the eldest daughter of the family, who had been away from home for many years, would return with a child of extraordinary talent, which drew praise from the master of the house, who completely disregarded her willfulness over the years.
Could it be that the eldest son's branch of the family is about to gain power?
The divine passage of the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall is located to the west of the manor. It is a huge hall like a golden palace, with a majestic and imposing presence. At this moment, countless sounds of Primordial Qi booming can be heard from within, and faintly, the loud chimes of bells echo.
Led by Zhong Taiyue, they and his entourage rushed into the Golden Hall.
The main hall was extremely spacious, and it was now filled with people; at a glance, there were probably over a thousand.
Lu Ming and Lu Qingyan were both amazed. Their Thunderfire Hall's divine passage could only accommodate three hundred people at most, which was much smaller than this place. The Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall was True Qi magnificent.
At this moment, as Zhong Taiyue entered, all the disciples in the divine abduction arena stopped their training and bowed in respect.
"Greetings, Grand Master!"
The shout was like thunder, causing the entire sacred temple to rumble and shake.
At the same time, three figures came forward, two of whom were middle-aged, one tall and one thin.
"This is the second master of our Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall, named Qiu Feng. He has already condensed True Qi and is a True Qi Master," Zhong Taiyue said with a smile, pointing to the somewhat tall and stout middle-aged man.
Lu Ming keenly noticed that when the middle-aged man named Qiu Feng was introduced, Lu Qingyan's expression became slightly stiff. His mind raced, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.
Back then, a powerful figure from the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall went to the Thunderfire Hall, causing conflict and injuring Lu Jin, making the situation extremely awkward and causing the two families to cease all contact.
So... that powerful figure from back then, unsurprisingly, should be Qiu Feng. It's unexpected that after so many years, he has also become True Qi Master, second only to Zhong Taiyue in strength at the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall.
Lu Ming didn't say anything, but he gave Qiu Feng a deep look.
"And this is Xiao Gong, the Third Master of the Pavilion, a Feather Robe Master." Zhong Taiyue pointed to the middle-aged man in gray with three braids.
Upon hearing this, Lu Ming was secretly amazed. A Divine Ability Hall with three Divine Ability Master —was this the foundation of a long-established Fourth-Tier Divine Ability Hall? It seemed that their Thunderfire Hall still had a long way to go.
Qiu Feng and Xiao Gong smiled, then looked at Lu Ming with some doubt, clearly wondering why the usually stern and domineering Zhong Taiyue would be so friendly to a stranger.
"Oh, and this is your older cousin, Zhong Quan, a rising star of the younger generation in our Zhong Clan."
Zhong Taiyue pointed to a young man behind him. He was tall and slender, with a handsome face and a commanding presence. At this moment, he was looking at Lu Ming with some curiosity.