Crossover: In Little Garden, Becoming a God Through Once Proven, Forever Proven

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Qin Qi made his breakthrough without a hitch, and the Threefold Reversal Second Stage began converting his bones, meridians, and internal organs into qi.

"The second stage really is quite a bit harder than the first."

Qin Qi's cultivation had slowed as well. The structures beneath the skin and flesh were more complex, and working on them took longer.

Even so, compared to others, Qin Qi was as fast as if he had a premium membership. Where others made one percent progress in a year, he probably needed only two or three days.

When Qin Qi emerged, Lu Jin breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of him safe and sound.

"A heaven-sent genius, a natural-born talent for cultivating our Threefold Reversal!"

"This must be heaven-no, it must be Master watching over us! Our Three-One Sect will surely rise again!"

Relieved, Lu Jin was both excited and gratified. Maintaining Reversal for a long time might have been an inborn ability, but cultivating it depended on pure talent.

He had thought he was only casually taking in a disciple on his master's behalf, but he had never expected the one who joined to be so talented and capable.

"Ah."

Lu Jin thought back to their first meeting and could not help laughing. Even if Qin Qi really had schemed against him back then, so what?

Wasn't he happy enough now?

"Junior Brother, it's good that you're afraid of death. You should be! If you weren't, wouldn't our Three-One Sect have no future?"

Lu Jin stepped forward and patted Qin Qi on the shoulder as he spoke.

"Why do I feel like you're insulting me?"

The more Qin Qi listened, the more wrong it sounded. What do you mean, I'm afraid of death? The old man has no refinement at all.

It's called cherishing life, all right? Going on and on about being afraid of death-how awful would that sound to other people?

[In the time that followed, you continued to cultivate diligently, and your progress in the second stage steadily improved. Lu Jin gradually put his mind at ease and stopped keeping constant watch over you.]

[He found time to take some wine to the valley alone and knelt before the cave.]

"Master, brothers, I, Lu Jin, did many things wrong back then, and even now I haven't managed to avenge you."

"I have no face to see you, but I've come anyway. There's something I must tell you."

"Master, there's someone to carry on the Threefold Reversal and the Three-One Sect now."

"Our hopes and dreams will be realized through him... Master, he's so much like you, so much alike, with the same extraordinary talent."

"The same steadfast will, too, especially when he enters Reversal and turns white all over, then smiles."

"It's as if I can really see you standing behind him. Master, if your spirit truly watches over us from heaven, please bless him."

"I've lived my whole life for revenge, but he is the future of the Three-One Sect."

As Lu Jin spoke, tears streamed down his aged face. After all these years, he still blamed himself and had never even set foot inside the cave.

He broke the seal on the wine jar and poured all of it onto the ground.

Chapter 48: The Lu Family's Bizarre Generations, Lu Lin: I Don't Dare Move, I Really Don't Dare Move!

[In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed, and your Threefold Reversal Second Stage continued to advance steadily.]

[And because of your Once Proven, Forever Proven talent, your Threefold Reversal advanced on its own every second of every day.]

[As a result, you had more time to do other things and could devote some of your energy to learning other techniques.]

"Senior Brother, could I take a look at your Lu Family's collection of books on techniques?"

Qin Qi asked.

"Books on techniques? We do have some, and it's fine if you want to read them, but none of them are particularly impressive. They're as basic as can be."

"Our Lu Family is different from other families. We don't pass down cultivation methods, only rules and unyielding backbones from one generation to the next."

Lu Jin was delighted to see Qin Qi's cultivation improving steadily. He thought that perhaps before he died, he would get to see Qin Qi reach the third stage of Threefold Reversal.

"Hmm... Senior Brother, tell me more. Why doesn't your family pass down cultivation methods? Why did the Lu Family ancestor make that rule?"

Qin Qi found it rather interesting and asked him about it.

"Actually, there isn't much to it..."

Lu Jin began recounting the story of the past and finished before long.

"The Lu Family ancestor was impressive. What great wisdom!"

After listening, Qin Qi could not help praising him. The Lu Family truly was worthy of being a great family that had endured for a thousand years. This strategy was spot on.

"It looks as though no techniques have been passed down, but the reputation and connections built up over the years have been handed down continuously."

"The Lu Family has no inherited methods, but its younger members become disciples of different sects. Even if the Lu Family doesn't make use of those relationships..."

"Just having them there is enough to affect many things. There's give and take: the Lu Family sends them promising talents."

"And those sects are willing to show the Lu Family respect. That's how the family made a name for itself and gained a foothold in the world of superhumans."

Qin Qi could not help marveling. It was a way of doing business, but also a way of survival. Those who clung to their inherited cultivation methods were like merchants interested only in profit.

If their family was destroyed, then even if some members survived, the family would fall into complete decline. But the Lu Family was different.

Even if the Lu Family was destroyed, its members would most likely survive. After all, those sects could not just stand by and watch their disciples die.

As long as someone survived, the next generation could still spread its branches and leaves in the same way, and the Lu Family would recover in a few hundred years at most.

They had seemingly given up their interests, but in reality, they had gained an unbreakable path to growth!

"You're no slouch yourself, Junior Brother. You understood the reasoning the instant you heard me explain it once. That's some impressive wisdom too."

Lu Jin sighed. It had taken him many years after becoming family head to understand that principle.

Qin Qi had grasped the secret after hearing it just once. Truly, comparing people made you want to die; comparing goods made you want to throw yours away.

[In the time that followed, you read the books in the Lu Family's collection. Though they were very basic, that was exactly what you needed.]

[Your foundation and knowledge continued to improve and grow more complete. In the blink of an eye, only one month remained before the Luotian Grand Ceremony.]

[At this time, Lu Lin returned from school, and Lu Jin introduced you to his grandson, another inheritor of the Three-One Sect.]

"Lu Lin, you joined before I did. Should I call you Senior Brother?"

Qin Qi looked at Lu Lin. A lot of people had once said the Three-One Sect had a minimum looks requirement, and now it seemed they might have been right.

Zuo Ruotong and Lu Jin back then, Lu Lin now, and of course me. Looks like I'm a recognized handsome guy too.

"There's no need. We can just address each other normally day to day. Just call me Lu Lin; there's no need to be so formal."

Looking at Qin Qi's smile and hearing his polite words, Lu Lin immediately felt a sense of closeness and developed a favorable impression of him.

"Come to think of it, I just remembered something. Lu Lin became a disciple too, and he's also your great-grandson. Doesn't that make him your junior brother?"

Qin Qi had suddenly noticed the crucial point. They had all become Zuo Ruotong's disciples, which meant Lu Lin and Lu Jin were of the same generation.

Lu Jin's face darkened, and he said nothing. How had the boy suddenly thought of that? How was he supposed to answer?

"No, it doesn't count as becoming his disciple. Our family's tradition is not to pass our methods down to family members."

"But the Three-One Sect really couldn't find anyone able to get started with Reversal, and I happened to have the talent, so my great-grandfather made an exception and took me in."

"And because my great-grandfather is a Three-One Sect disciple, I'm considered one too. So my master is my great-grandfather, not Sect Leader Zuo."

Lu Jin hurriedly said, "If we go by seniority that way, I should be calling you Martial Uncle."

"Don't be so formal. We're not that far apart in age, so just call me Qin Qi. We're all family here; there's no need to stand on ceremony."

Qin Qi smiled and said, "Right, you became your great-grandfather's disciple, so that means you and your grandfather are of the same generation."

"Your dad would have to call you Uncle, wouldn't he?"

"Cough, cough."

Lu Jin immediately choked and started coughing. He had never thought anything of it before, but now that Qin Qi had said it aloud, why did it sound so strange?

Lu Lin stood to the side with his head lowered, not daring to say another word. In this situation, both people in the room were his seniors.

What could he say? He dared not say or do anything, so he could only play the quail.

"The Lu Family's bizarre generations."

For a moment, Qin Qi felt as though he had returned to JoJo's world. These bizarre generational ties really were hard to understand.

"Cough, cough, cough. Let's not talk about that. Since Lu Lin's back, Junior Brother, why don't you spar with him?"

"You can't just learn Reversal without putting it into practice. You two should train together and get familiar with how to fight using it."

Lu Jin coughed twice and changed the subject.

"Yes, Great-grandfather."

Lu Lin nodded. Since members of the Three-One Sect were not afraid of getting hurt, sparring was perfectly normal for them.

He had no reason to hesitate. At worst, he would take a beating. Besides, he had heard that this martial uncle had only joined recently and was probably still at the first stage.

It was hard to say who would beat whom.

"Forget it. Cultivation isn't about fighting and killing, and I don't like fighting and killing."

Qin Qi looked at Lu Lin without the slightest desire to fight. The gap between them was too great; in his eyes, Lu Lin was like a little baby.

There was no point in bullying a little baby.

"It's just a spar. It's part of cultivation too."

"Martial Uncle, please don't refuse."

Lu Lin spoke up, and as he did, his skin and hair turned white, putting him straight into the Reversal state.

"Since you put it that way, I'd feel bad refusing. Come on, let's get this over with. I still have something to discuss with your great-grandfather."

Qin Qi shook his head and beckoned with a finger from where he stood, as though calling Lu Lin over.

"Martial Uncle, here I come!"

Lu Lin frowned. Wasn't that beckoning gesture a little too dismissive? No, he had to prove his strength!

Chapter 49: That Raised Hand Didn't Mean Sorry, It Meant You Still Need Practice, Little Brother!

"Boom!"

Just as Lu Lin stepped forward to attack, a bolt of golden lightning appeared out of thin air and struck him.

One bolt, two... dozens, hundreds of bolts struck at incredible speed, directly draining Lu Lin's qi.

"I wasn't beckoning to you. I was calling them."

Qin Qi shook his head as he watched Lu Lin fall. After being upgraded, Thunder Hamon no longer had to be released from his own body.

It could be released out of thin air, and both its power and speed were much greater than before.

"Phew! Martial Uncle, if you're this strong, say so earlier next time."

Lu Lin looked up at Qin Qi and breathed out a puff of black smoke. Then he used the last of his strength to finish speaking, and his head lolled to one side as he passed out.

It was hard to tell whether the lightning had knocked him out or Qin Qi's last words had made him faint with anger.

"That technique of yours is really impressive. It's a bit like Mount Longhu's Thunder Method. Just the fact that you can summon lightning from empty air means there aren't many people who can match you, Junior Brother."

Lu Jin sighed. He had thought his boy could at least exchange a few moves with Qin Qi, but he had never expected him to go down without even getting a chance to get close.

Come to think of it, hadn't this guy just kept saying he didn't like fighting and killing, only to finish the fight in an instant?!

"Not even close."

Qin Qi shook his head. Compared to the monsters in Little Garden, this technique was still far from enough, but taking first place at the Luotian Grand Ceremony should be easy enough.

"Senior Brother, I remember you said before that once I became your master's disciple, you wouldn't stop me from learning other methods, and you'd even introduce me to someone, right?"