Chapter 1: Awakening
A sudden wave of grievance surged within him, and despite Ye Xuan's resilient will, he could not help but shed tears. This extremely unfamiliar feeling made Ye Xuan somewhat unaccustomed, and in his flustered attempts to wipe away the tears, it naturally appeared to Lu Jie and Lu Xin as even more pitiful and deserving of sympathy.
Ye Xuan opened his eyes, and a flash of brilliance swept through them, but it was merely for an instant
"Why are you thanking me? This is what that old turtle Lu Ren owes you!" Lu Jie said in a deep voice, "Fortunately, you are fine. If anything were to happen to you, I would first give Lu Ren a beating, and then head to the Zhang family. I wouldn't care whether he is the head of the family or not!"
However, Lu Jie is different; he is among the top experts in the entire Baiyu Dynasty and can rank within the top ten among many innate realm martial artists.
However, after carefully examining his own cultivation, Ye Xuan's brows furrowed tightly. The strength of this body is only at the lower tier of the ninth rank, which is simply incomparable to his previous strength. Fortunately, this body is only about thirteen or fourteen years old, and its foundation is quite solid, better than that of his previous body.
Although the room is not large, the furnishings are relatively complete, the style is quite exquisite, and there are some uncommon small items.
The memories retained within the body clearly informed Ye Xuan: the original owner’s parents passed away early, and his martial arts aptitude was quite ordinary, which led to him suffering bullying from his clan members since childhood. In the entire Lu family, the only ones who treated him sincerely were his second uncle Lu Jie and his half-sister Lu Xin
At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and a middle-aged man with a square face stepped in, his expression filled with concern. Following him was a young woman in her twenties, also wearing a look of worry. Lu Li thought for a moment and recalled who these two were; the square-faced middle-aged man was the current body’s second uncle, named Lu Jie, while the concerned young woman behind him was his half-sister, Lu Xin.
Although the White Jade Dynasty is not considered a major dynasty on the Tianyuan Continent, there are still quite a few individuals who have reached the Innate Realm. The four great families, being second only to the royal family, naturally have a number of Innate masters stationed within their ranks
Looking at the serious-faced Lu Li, Lu Jie pondered for a moment before bursting into laughter: "Good! Truly worthy of you, Li Er, you indeed have the courage and ambition! The reason you will lose this time is that the Qi induction technique and martial skills you have cultivated are inadequate. I will now impart the Lu family's Qi induction technique to you, and then teach you the Listening Wind Sword Technique. With your talent, I believe that in a few years, you will surely be able to defeat that Zhang family brat!"
What the Mountain and River Formula invokes is the innate spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers. However, this energy is not easy to locate, as not every mountain or river possesses a corresponding energy vein. If one fails to find this energy vein, the effect of the Mountain and River Formula will be equivalent to that of a human-level guiding formula. Nevertheless, the spiritual energy drawn by the Mountain and River Formula is purer and significantly superior to that of an ordinary human-level guiding formula. If the energy vein is not found, the effect of the Mountain and River Formula will still be akin to that of a human-level guiding formula, but the energy it draws will be more refined, far surpassing that of a typical human-level guiding formula.
After making up his mind, Ye Xuan looked at his second uncle, Lu Jie, and said: "Second Uncle, you need not be so angry. This time, it is merely due to my lack of skill; I cannot blame others. In the future, I will certainly double my efforts in training, and one day I will personally avenge this grievance"
When Ye Xuan accidentally obtained a manual of cultivation techniques, he had already passed the age for laying a solid foundation. Although he later achieved some accomplishments through relentless hard work and numerous fortuitous encounters, he did not expect to be ambushed a few days ago while exploring an ancient immortal's abode.
This time, Lu Xin was quite overwhelmed. She hurriedly tugged at Lu Jie’s clothing and said, "Second Uncle, please don’t act impulsively. Xin’er understands that you care for Li’er, but you absolutely must not take action in this matter. Otherwise, it will only lead to more trouble. Moreover, Zhang Xu has already returned to the Zhang residence, so your rash visit would be highly inappropriate."
Hearing Lu Jie seriously express his intention to impart this Qi Manipulation Technique to him, Ye Xuan felt a sense of amusement.
Thank you, Uncle Er
Although he fought valiantly and killed many of his attackers, he ultimately met his demise. Had he not consumed a Soul Transformation Pill prior to his physical death and employed the secret technique of Soul Concealment, he would not have experienced this resurrection today
As Ye Xuan replayed the events of recent days in his mind, he clarified all the threads of thought. He saw that Lu Jie and Lu Xin genuinely cared for him. The heart of Lu Li, who had never felt familial affection, softened as well: So be it, I have taken your body and consumed your consciousness, thus we have become one. Therefore, your enmity is also my enmity, and I will certainly seek revenge! Rest assured, I will ensure that no one in the Lu family dares to underestimate us again. I have taken your body and consumed your consciousness, thus we have become one. Therefore, your enmity is also my enmity, and I will certainly seek revenge! Rest assured, I will ensure that no one in the Lu family dares to underestimate us again
"If anyone has any opinions, let them come and speak to me!" Lu Jie, in front of Lu Xin, imparted the incantation of the Qi Guiding Technique to Lu Li and then continued, "Your injuries have not yet healed. I will teach you the Listening Wind Sword Technique once you are able to get out of bed and practice martial arts. For now, use this Qi Guiding Technique to channel spiritual energy to repair your injuries. I will go to the storeroom to get you a healing pill. With this medicine, along with the *Diagram* *Book*, your injuries will surely heal faster."
As for those manuals titled "Qi Induction," they are ultimately of third-rate quality. Without such genuine techniques for induction, one would merely remain at the innate realm throughout their life. This is also why people believe that the innate realm is the pinnacle, unaware that there are stronger beings beyond it.
If it were another member of the Lu family, a war between the two Lu clans would have erupted long ago. It is precisely because Lu Li is an inconsequential illegitimate child with low cultivation that the Lu family would not expend their utmost efforts for this matter
Although there is only a one-character difference between "innate" and "acquired," their meanings are entirely different
Ye Xuan secretly nodded, realizing that the original owner of the body he had possessed had a rather complicated background. However, it was unlikely that this person held an important role within their family; otherwise, how could they have been easily injured, providing him with the opportunity to take over their body?
The martial arts manual he accidentally obtained that year was indeed a technique for summoning dragons
With a sudden leap, Ye Xuan sat up in bed, his gaze coldly sweeping the surroundings
Li Er, are you alright?" Lu Xin said with a concerned expression, "My second uncle and I heard that you were sent back to the residence by the servants, so we hurried over.
All the techniques for drawing energy in this world are derived from the true methods of drawing in the energies of the universe, including drawing in vitality, drawing in malevolent forces, drawing in yang energy, and drawing in spiritual essence. Only these are the genuine techniques studied by true practitioners.
Hmph, what a formidable Taiyi Sect. If I were to restore my cultivation, I would certainly ensure that your Taiyi Sect is expelled from the Tianyuan Fifteen Sects forever! A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes
"Second Uncle, although Xin'er does not understand martial arts, ..." Upon hearing that Lu Jie intended to pass on the two supreme skills of the Lu family to Lu Li, Lu Xin was taken aback again, "Isn't this perhaps inappropriate? Didn't the family rules of the Lu family clearly state that non-core disciples who have not undergone assessment are not allowed to learn these two supreme skills?"
The energy cultivated in the upper three ranks is not inherently one's own, but rather borrowed from the ambient spiritual energy of the universe. If one can refine this energy to the point where it becomes an integral part of oneself, then one can transform acquired abilities into innate ones, thereby stepping into the realm of innate existence in one fell swoop
"Don't cry, don't cry, I will help you bear any great troubles!" Lu Xin hurriedly comforted her brother upon seeing him in such a state
This book, the Dragon Induction Sutra, is the best among the many sutras for channeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It is named the Mountain and River Sutra and is said to be one of the four great texts known as the Heavenly Dragon Four Books, alongside the Spiritual Source Sutra, the Purple Cloud Sutra, and the Son of Heaven Sutra. These four Dragon Induction Sutras are actually a complete set, but they have been scattered and lost over time.
With this secret manual, how could Lu Li possibly be interested in any other Qi Drawing Techniques? Even if it were a Heavenly Grade Qi Drawing Technique, it would not shake Ye Xuan's determination to cultivate this Mountain and River Technique. Moreover, could the Qi Drawing Technique from the Lu family possibly be a Heavenly Grade one? However, seeing Lu Jie’s serious expression, Ye Xuan found it difficult to refuse. Thus, he could only acquiesce to Lu Jie’s wishes and listen as he solemnly imparted the incantation of this Qi Drawing Technique to him.
Upon a slight recollection, Ye Xuan had already roughly understood the identity of this new body: "Lu Li... has it already drifted to the Baiyu Dynasty?"
Lu Jie is extremely fond of Lu Li, and this is known throughout Han Shui City. This time, Lu Li was severely injured in the market by Zhang Xu, a disciple of the Zhang family from the previous generation. He was carried back by servants. Upon learning this, Lu Jie was bound to be exceptionally furious, so Zhang Xu returned to the Zhang residence early and did not dare to linger.
The realm of the day after tomorrow is also known as the Nine Grades of Mortal Martial Arts, which is divided into three tiers: upper, middle, and lower, totaling nine grades. The lower three grades focus on strength training, emphasizing powerful and forceful techniques, with abundant internal energy; the middle three grades focus on energy cultivation, emphasizing the gathering and condensing of energy, with strikes akin to the howling wind; the upper three grades focus on qi cultivation, emphasizing the transformation of strength into qi, with swords possessing sword qi and palms generating palm wind
Thus, when Lu Jie became enraged, it was certainly not a trivial matter. However, if the entire Lu family were to confront the Zhang family, it would be difficult to predict the outcome. Yet, if it were just Lu Jie taking on the Zhang family alone, it would be certain that Lu Jie would be the one to perish.
"That kid from Zhangjia, relying on his higher rank than yours, actually dares to be ruthless. I will go and kill him right now!" Lu Jie shouted angrily, immediately turning to leave.
This kind of familial affection is a novel experience for him, one that he had never had the opportunity to savor in his previous life before the possession.
As he contemplated this sentence, Ye Xuan suddenly felt a buzzing in his mind, and the consciousness that had previously shown some resistance completely vanished. At this point, Ye Xuan had truly succeeded in seizing control. Had it not been for this statement, even if he could control this body, there would still have been hidden dangers within his consciousness, making the potential consequences of any future outbreak extremely unpredictable. However, now all of this no longer required any concern.
Although Ye Xuan successfully took over this body, he could not erase the deep familial bonds inherent to it.
Lu Jun and Lu Jie are biological brothers with the same father and mother. Ten years ago, when Lu Jun passed away, Lu Jie naturally had to take on the responsibility of helping to care for Lu Li and Lu Xin. However, Lu Xin still has a mother who is alive, and Lu Jie, having been devoted to martial arts in his early years, did not marry or have children. Therefore, he devoted most of his energy to Lu Li, and it can be said that the two share a bond akin to that of a father and son
However, if Lu Jie can rank among the top ten, this ranking would be highly valuable