The Lu Clan's ancestor

"How dare you try to destroy my Lu Clan?!"

A furious roar suddenly rang out from deep within the Lu Clan grounds.

The Lu clansmen present were all taken aback. "That's the clan leader's voice!"

A figure soon came racing toward them, making no attempt to conceal his Spirit Master Realm cultivation.

At the sight, the Lu clansmen were overjoyed.

"The clan leader really has recovered!"

"Hahaha, wonderful! Our Lu Clan is saved!"

"So the first elder wasn't lying. The clan leader really was in seclusion, recovering."

Lu Qingshan's cultivation had recovered, returning him to the Spirit Master Realm!

Once this news spread, it would surely be like a boulder stirring up a thousand waves throughout White Cloud City.

After that, White Cloud City would no longer be divided among three powers. Four great forces would vie for supremacy!

That was how much a Spirit Master Realm cultivator was worth in White Cloud City.

"Fellow clansmen, thank you for your efforts. Leave the rest to me."

Lu Qingshan came to Lu Guangyao's side and patted him on the shoulder before addressing the clansmen.

As Lu Guangyao looked at Lu Qingshan, his heart churned like rivers and seas, and his expression was complicated. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but considering their current situation, he could only close it in silence.

On the other side, the Azure Dragon Gang members could not help trembling as they looked at Lu Qingshan, his cultivation restored, and slowly retreated.

The Azure Dragon Gang leader's face darkened. "You... how could you possibly have recovered so quickly?" he asked in disbelief.

He knew Lu Qingshan's condition all too well. It was impossible for him to have recovered in such a short time, unless the Lu Clan possessed some heaven-defying treasure.

Perhaps that really was possible.

At the thought, the Azure Dragon Gang leader looked at the Lu Clan in a very different light.

In response to the Azure Dragon Gang leader's question, Lu Qingshan snorted. "How could the likes of you know the depths of my Lu Clan's foundations?"

"You!"

"Hmph! The Lu Clan got lucky this time. Let's go!"

The Azure Dragon Gang leader left them with those harsh words and was about to turn and run.

Now that Lu Qingshan had recovered, his goal was naturally out of reach.

Even if the Azure Dragon Gang was currently stronger than the Lu Clan overall and had a great chance of winning a fight to the death, there was no point in doing so. After all, there were still two other major powers in White Cloud City.

If his Azure Dragon Gang fought the Lu Clan, the Balance Sect and the City Lord's Manor would undoubtedly reap the greatest benefits.

His plan was all well and good, but the Lu Clan thought otherwise.

Seeing that the Azure Dragon Gang wanted to flee, Lu Qingshan sneered. "Azure Dragon Gang, do you think you can come and go from my Lu Clan as you please?"

At those words, the Azure Dragon Gang leader's face turned ugly, and he could not help warning him, "Lu Qingshan, do you want both our sides to suffer?"

"Hahahaha!"

The Azure Dragon Gang leader's words made Lu Qingshan burst out laughing. "I was injured before, so I was unwilling to take issue with your Azure Dragon Gang. Now that I've recovered, what are you in front of me?"

"Since you dared to come to my Lu Clan and run wild today, prepare to face our wrath!"

"Kill!"

Lu Qingshan led the charge, rushing straight at the Azure Dragon Gang leader, his Peak Spirit Master Realm strength on full display.

With a single strike, he blasted the Azure Dragon Gang leader into the distance.

"Gang leader!"

"Our clan leader is mighty! Everyone, attack!"

Seeing this, the Lu Clan's experts came to their senses.

In an instant, a melee broke out.

With their leader defeated at the outset, the Azure Dragon Gang's fighting spirit vanished. Though they were stronger than the Lu Clan overall, they were still beaten back.

The Azure Dragon Gang leader also suddenly remembered that Lu Qingshan had been hailed as White Cloud City's greatest genius in his youth.

Now that Lu Qingshan's Peak Spirit Master Realm cultivation was already superior to his own, how could he possibly be a match for him?

"Retreat! Retreat, quickly!"

The Azure Dragon Gang leader no longer cared about saving face. He fled the Lu Clan grounds with all his might, without looking back.

When the remaining Azure Dragon Gang members saw that even their leader had fled, none dared linger. They hurriedly fled as well.

And so, the Lu Clan defeated the Azure Dragon Gang on the battlefield, sweeping away years of decline.

Seeing every Lu clansman's blood boiling as they stood with heads high and chests out, Lu Qingshan nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the result he had wanted to see.

The Lu Clan had been suppressed for too long. They needed a great victory to wash the gloom from their spirits.

"Rest assured, fellow clansmen. From this day forth, no force in White Cloud City will dare bully our Lu Clan again. Our Lu Clan will surely flourish!"

"Long live the clan leader!"

"Long live the clan leader!"

Inside the Lu Clan's council hall.

Four old men sat around a square table, staring at one another.

They were Lu Qingshan, the Lu Clan leader, and the clan's three elders.

First Elder Lu Guangyao stared at Lu Qingshan, his eyes flickering.

Second Elder Lu Mutong was a taciturn man and still said nothing.

Seeing that none of the other three would speak, Third Elder Lu Chen finally could not hold back. "Would one of you say something already?!"

Hearing this, Lu Qingshan finally smiled. "I imagine you're curious how I managed to recover from my injuries so quickly."

The three elders nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qingshan stood up and said solemnly, "I was able to recover entirely thanks to our ancestor."

"Our ancestor?"

The three elders looked shocked. They glanced at one another, utterly bewildered.

The Lu Clan still has an ancestor? How come we didn't know?

"Clan leader, please stop keeping us in suspense. What exactly is going on?"

Lu Qingshan's gaze grew distant. "It really is hard to believe, but it's true."

"Very well. I'll take you to see for yourselves."

With that, Lu Qingshan led the three elders toward the ancestral shrine.

Along the way, the three elders were both nervous and excited. If a hidden ancestor of the clan was truly still alive, then their Lu Clan would surely rise to power.

After all, anyone who could be called an ancestor had to be above the Spirit Master Realm, at the very least.

Before long, the four arrived at the ancestral shrine.

"Let's go in."

As he spoke, Lu Qingshan made to enter the shrine.

"Wait!"

Lu Guangyao suddenly stopped Lu Qingshan. Under the puzzled gazes of Lu Qingshan and the other two elders, he hurriedly smoothed his somewhat disheveled hair.

"It's our first time meeting the ancestor. Allow me to tidy myself up."

Reminded by the first elder, the other two elders hurriedly checked themselves for any dirt.

Second Elder Lu Mutong even asked, "Should I go back and take a bath first?"

Lu Qingshan's mouth twitched at the three elders' behavior, but he said, "There's no need. The ancestor won't mind."

Only after Lu Qingshan had reassured them repeatedly did the three enter the ancestral shrine with nervous hearts.

As soon as they entered, all three immediately knelt and began paying their respects.

"This junior, Lu Guangyao, greets the ancestor!"

"This junior, Lu Mutong, greets the ancestor!"

"This junior, Lu Chen, greets the ancestor!"

The ancestral shrine was frighteningly quiet. Only the incense burner gave off wisps of ethereal smoke.

When no response came, question marks appeared over the three elders' heads, and they looked at Lu Qingshan in confusion.

They saw Lu Qingshan bow toward the incense burner. "Ancestor, this junior has not failed you. The clan's crisis has been resolved for the time being."

The three elders: ???

Wait, where exactly is the ancestor?

If Lu Qingshan had not been the clan leader, Lu Chen would have demanded to know whether he was messing with him.

Just then, a wisp of smoke drifted out as though it were alive. It gently brushed past the three elders before coming to a stop in front of Lu Qingshan.

Under their shocked gazes, the smoke slowly formed two words: "Not bad."

Lu Qingshan's face lit up. "It was all thanks to you, Ancestor, for healing this junior's injuries and restoring my cultivation!"

The hearts of the three elders kneeling beside him were already churning like rivers and seas.

There really is an ancestor!

And he seemed to be inside the incense burner.

Lu Guangyao suddenly recalled that the incense burner seemed to have been passed down in the Lu Clan for a very, very long time. Just how long was nearly impossible to trace.

No wonder. The ancestors had passed down this incense burner for a reason.

"Ancestor, are you trapped inside this incense burner? Do you need us juniors to act and rescue you?"

Third Elder Lu Chen addressed the incense burner respectfully.

Lu Qingshan explained, "Third Elder, I've already asked that, but the ancestor didn't answer. If the ancestor needs us to act, he'll surely say so."

"I see."

"Then can the ancestor come out at all?" Lu Mutong, who had remained silent all this time, could not help asking.

Lu Qingshan shook his head. "That I don't know."

Just then, the smoke changed again, slowly forming one word: "Yes."

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting was also underway at the City Lord's Manor.

In a dim secret chamber.

Three figures sat facing one another, all wearing somewhat gloomy expressions.

"Xiaolong, is everything you said true?"

City Lord Bai Yunfei asked.

The Azure Dragon Gang leader nodded. "Of course. The Lu Clan leader has recovered his strength and reached the Peak Spirit Master Realm. Think about it: with his talent, I'm afraid he'll eventually rise above the Spirit Master Realm. When that happens, what will become of our three forces? Will we bow our heads and submit to the Lu Clan?"