Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Thank-You Gift
“Lu, this time it was thanks to your intervention that this old man was able to escape disaster. Previously, I had underestimated you; Mount Shu truly lives up to the reputation of being one of the six major sects, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I admit defeat,”
the Great Xia State Preceptor put aside his aloofness and expressed sincere admiration.
Had it not been for Lu Changsheng’s astonishing cultivation level, the people from Xia Kingdom would have been inescapable from calamity.
“In dire straits, the State Preceptor still stepped forward, possessing the grace of the Literary Sage.”
As the other party sincerely apologized, Lu Changsheng also gave him enough respect, a mutual adulation of sorts.
“Daoist Lu, from Heyang City to Tianyu Mountain, you have helped our Xia Kingdom twice. This kindness I shall never forget. Once I return to the imperial city, I am willing to present as a gift a sixth-grade elixir pill, no, a seventhgrade elixir pill.”
The Second Princess bit her lower lip lightly. In order to get acquainted with Lu Changsheng, a friend whose cultivation might be above the seventh layer of Dao Palace, she did not hesitate to offer a seventh-grade elixir pill.
Not to mention the Xia royal family, even the six major sects did not possess many seventh-grade elixir pills.
In the treasury of the Xia royal family, seventh-grade elixir pills were among the highest grade treasures.
The Second Princess made a significant resolution before she decided to give out a seventh-grade elixir pill as gratitude.
“This old man has a sixth-grade talisman that I personally crafted. If Lu does not disdain it, I would like to give it to you as a thank you gift,”
the Great Xia State Preceptor took out a sixth-grade talisman.
Being a Divine Talismancer, a sixth-grade talisman was the highest grade he could craft.
His offer of a sixth-grade talisman as a thank you gift showed his sincerity.
“May I perhaps forgo the sixth-grade talisman, seventh-grade elixir pill, and instead choose a number of fourth-grade or fifth-grade talismans, elixir pills?” To the surprise of the Xia princess and State Preceptor, Lu Changsheng seemed indifferent to high-grade talismans and elixir pills, showing more interest in fourth-grade and fifth-grade treasures.
Truly a peculiar person.
The Second Princess and State Preceptor wondered to themselves.
Sixth-grade talismans and seventh-grade elixir pills were rare items in the world, yet Lu Changsheng didn’t care for them?
Lu Changsheng had his own plans.
He did not lack sixth-grade talismans or seventh-grade elixir pills; he even had quite a few seventh-grade talismans and eighth-grade elixir pills.
Lu Changsheng wanted to select a batch of fourth-grade or fifth-grade treasures with specific functions to give to his disciples, utilizing the system to return specific high-grade treasures.
The Xia royal family and Literary Court should have some fourth-grade and fifth-grade treasures that are otherwise rarely seen.
“Lu, if there’s any fourth-grade or fifth-grade talisman you need, just tell me. I will personally craft ten of them for you,”
said the Great Xia State Preceptor promptly. Since Lu Changsheng did not want the sixth-grade talisman, he would custom-make ten talismans of a slightly lower grade for Lu Changsheng.
“The State Preceptor personally crafting talismans to give away, and even ten at once, is truly rare.”
“Daoist Lu struck down three formidable enemies from Dao Palace and saved us all; the State Preceptor’s generosity is only logical.”
“Alas, our own cultivation is too meager, and we have no treasures worth mentioning.”
The Great Xia Confucians commented one after another; their treasures were not even considered valuable to Lu Changsheng.
The Second Princess nodded, “Since the Daoist does not want the seventhgrade elixir pills, then I will ask my father to allow the Daoist to select thirty fourth-grade or fifth-grade elixir pills from the treasury.”
“Thankyou both,”
Lu Changsheng cared not about the fourth-grade or fifth-grade treasures, but about the freedom to choose himself.
Some treasures might not even be in the inventory of Mount Shu.
“Daoist Lu, once we return to the imperial city, I have some doubts about my cultivation that I would like to seekyour guidance on,”
thought the Second Princess. Although Lu Changsheng was reluctant to take her as his disciple, they could still be friends, and she saw the opportunity to build a closer relationship.
“If it’s just doubts about your cultivation, I may offer you some guidance.”
Lu Changsheng’s realm was far above Si Yan’s, indeed qualifying him to offer her guidance.
Just at that moment, the Dragon Severing Stone exploded, and dozens of cultivators burst in.
The people who had just experienced a fierce battle looked towards the newcomers with utmost tension, thinking they were reinforcements from the Reincarnation Hall.
“There’s no need to panic; these are people from the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.”
Having recognized the arrivals, Lu Changsheng saw they were elders and disciples from the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.
“Lu Changsheng?”
The newcomers were equally surprised; they hadn’t expected someone to have already cleared out the Reincarnation Hall’s stronghold on Tianyu Mountain, and that the leader was Lu Changsheng.
Xia Ningxue scanned the ground strewn with corpses at the Reincarnation Hall base, noting the infamous Destruction Sword, Jue Jian, White Bone Demon, and other peerless experts from the Reincarnation Hall were all dead.
And the one most likely to have killed all these peerless experts from the Reincarnation Hall was none other than Lu Changsheng.
“Both Destruction Sword and Jue Jian are legendary experts at the seventh layer of the Dao Palace realm, and although the White Bone Demon’s cultivation was slightly weaker, he was at the sixth layer of the Dao Palace realm. They’re all dead…”
The disciples of the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion looked at Lu Changsheng as if he were a monster.
Destruction Sword, Jue Jian, and White Bone Demon had been cultivating for hundreds of years, already famous figures, and yet Lu Changsheng, whose name had risen only three years ago, had killed all these great figures.
The tense expression on Xia Ningxue’s face relaxed, “Three years have passed; it seems your cultivation has greatly improved.”
“I’ve made some modest progress,” said Lu Changsheng as he sheathed the Nine Heavens Imperial Thunder Sword and, with a wave of his sleeve, his True Qi cleansed both his and Lian’s Daoist robes of the blood stains. “Your visit to this place as Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, it’s likely for the same purpose as ours.”
“Indeed. The Reincarnation Hall attacked several cities in the Liang Kingdom, and the Liang Kingdom sought help from our Inquiry Immortal Pavilion. The Pavilion Master ordered me to lead a team to find where these thieves were hiding, and ultimately we arrived here. I never expected such a coincidence to meet here.”
“Your aura is also much stronger than it was three years ago…”
Lu Changsheng felt that Xia Ningxue’s aura was more profound, her realm having improved.
Xia Ningxue’s special constitution, the Lingwa Holy Body, allowed her to cultivate faster than ordinary people. At the age of twenty, she reached the first layer of the Dao Palace realm, and by twenty-five, the fourth layer.
Now Xia Ningxue’s realm was even higher, perhaps not just due to her special constitution, but it might also be possible that someone had given her a Powerinfusing Initiation, allowing her rapid progress.
In the six major sects, there was no shortage of Supreme Elders who, having reached the end of their days and with no hope for Tribulation, were willing to sacrifice their cultivation to perform Power-infusing Initiation for the younger generation as a token of gratitude for the sect, quickly cultivating the next era of peerless geniuses, ensuring that the sect always maintained a wealth of talents.
Given Xia Ningxue’s talent, it wasn’t impossible that the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion was concentrating resources to cultivate her.
With just one peerless genius emerging, a sect could be protected for hundreds or even thousands of years.
“Sister Xia, long time no see!”
Lian approached proactively and took Xia Ningxue’s hand.
Lian was only a few years younger than Xia Ningxue.
“You’ve grown up.”
Xia Ningxue remarked with emotion, as fifteen-year-old Lian had matured into a graceful figure, still somewhat youthful but already resembling an adult.
“You are the Holy Maiden of the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion?”
The Second Princess of the Xia Kingdom was quite surprised.
“And you are?”
“I am Si Yan, Princess of the Great Xia Kingdom. I once studied at the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, but after my master was killed by the Demon Sects, I left the Pavilion to return to Great Xia.”
“So, you were once an elder of our Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.”
“Daoist Lu and I plan to return to the royal city for some rest. Since we’ve encountered the Holy Maiden, why don’t we go together?”
The Second Princess had not expected to meet two peerless geniuses from Mount Shu and the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion and thus, upon reflection, decided to try and forge an alliance with them.