Chapter 009: Lu Zhongdao is to escort the princess

Lu De was repeatedly admonished by Lu Zhongdao, nodding in agreement. He reflected that the ancestor was already in his seventies and eighties; although powerful, he could still live for some years, yet he could not provide eternal protection for the Great Philosopher. As the ancestor had said, there was not a single talented descendant in the Great Philosopher's royal family, and the major clans saw little hope. At this moment, a promising future silver-level talisman master was about to rise. If he did not firmly bind this individual to the Great Philosopher before his ascent, it would indeed be foolish.

Although the gold spiritual power does not directly compete with the water spiritual power, it has not instantaneously merged into the water spiritual power either. Wen Zifu concluded a day of practice and checked the condition of the spiritual power within his body. He discovered that a significant portion of the gold spiritual power had been integrated with the water spiritual power, which filled him with great joy. He realized that he had finally taken the right direction. As long as he persevered for a little longer, the gold spiritual power would be completely merged with the water spiritual power, thus taking the first step into the integration of the five elements.

"This talent of mine is truly unparalleled in the world; just you wait and see," Wen Zifu declared, patting his chest with great confidence. Today, the successful integration of some golden spiritual energy had significantly boosted his self-assurance. As long as the fusion of the five elemental spiritual powers succeeded, his strength would surely advance further, and at that time, he would become a rare blue-level talisman master.

Upon hearing Lu Zhongdao's words, Wenzi's body trembled slightly, as if suddenly sensing something. He turned to look at his master's concerned expression, and in that moment, his heart became calm. Smiling, he said, "Old man, thank you. I think I have figured out where the problem lies." After saying this, he ran off without looking back to practice under the large tree.

After realizing that he was unable to cast spells due to the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and restriction, Wenzi Fu calmed his mind and diligently practiced. In his spare time, he contemplated how to harmonize the spiritual energy within his body. In fact, he was already aware of the principles of the Five Elements' interactions; what he lacked now was merely the application of these principles to spiritual energy.

The biting cold of winter could not deter Wen Zifu's determination to practice his skills. He cautiously and meticulously fused the five streams of spiritual energy together, but those energies seemed inherently incompatible; once they collided, they became entangled without end. At such moments, Wen Zifu had to forcibly disperse the entangled energies to avoid the peril of losing his life

Lu Zhongdao was in a good mood, responding cheerfully to the questions of the three individuals. While playfully teasing the three young ladies, he inquired about their names, ages, and so forth, secretly delighting in his thoughts: "Kid, once these princesses come knocking, heh heh, then the fun will truly begin!"

Lu Zhongdao carefully summoned the three esteemed princesses to his side and instructed Lu De to annul their engagements. Upon hearing such an impudent request from his ancestor, Lu De was nearly brought to tears. It should be noted that the three princesses favored by Lu Zhongdao were his significant bargaining chips. One princess was promised to the grandson of the current Grand Minister, while the other two were betrothed to the two most prominent families of the great philosopher. Now, with the ancestor demanding the annulment of these engagements, was he not forcing a confrontation with the Grand Minister and the two major families?

"Rest assured, I will choose those with good temper for you, guaranteeing that they will serve you comfortably. If one is not enough, I will find you two; if two are not enough, I will find you three." Lu Zhongdao chuckled, seeing that Wenzi Fu did not take this matter to heart, he chose not to elaborate further and encouraged him, saying, "Practice well. I have never seen the Yin-Yang Five Elements talisman technique either. Once you master it, you will also open my eyes."

Within him, five streams of spiritual energy flowed incessantly without interfering with one another, yet the total amount was exactly the same as when he had first acquired the five elemental spiritual energies. It is important to note that although the five streams of spiritual energy did not interfere with each other, this very lack of interference prevented him from cultivating the spiritual energy. Therefore, at this moment, the two strongest streams of spiritual energy within him were the water and earth energies. However, the water energy and earth energy were in conflict, while the weakest metal energy was complementary to the water energy. By merging the strongest with the weakest, it seemed to be the most effective method for fusion. Thus, he slowly guided the process, merging the metal energy with the water energy.

"Rest assured, my ancestors, I will definitely accomplish this." Lu De bowed and took his leave. Once the emperor had departed, Lu Zhongdao began to tease the three princesses, saying, "My dear ones, I have found you a young talent. Although he is a bit short and thin, his future prospects are limitless. I believe you will thank me for this in the future." Wen Zifu, who had suffered ridicule in the Wen family, was at a time of growth but could not get enough to eat, so his stature was naturally not very tall.

Wen Zifu shared the joyous news of his accomplishments in cultivation with Lu Zhongdao. Lu Zhongdao chuckled and, feeling delighted, downed a whole pot of wine before saying, "Good lad, I truly did not misjudge you. You are indeed a genius in cultivation, managing to carve out such a path through your own exploration. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" As he spoke, he took several more hearty sips, sighed contentedly, and squinted his eyes, sizing up Wen Zifu from head to toe.

After sitting cross-legged, Wenzi Fu mobilized the spiritual energy of his entire body. Previously, he had only thought about merging the five types of spiritual energy all at once, forgetting that the five elemental attributes not only support each other but also restrain one another. The five types of spiritual energy intertwined, with the cycle of generation and restraint causing what was originally supportive to be suppressed by the conflicting attributes, leading to an inability to merge. Due to the influence of his cultivation environment, the most powerful spiritual energy within him was actually the water element, and the five elemental energies had not reached a balance. Once the five types of spiritual energy mixed together, it would inevitably result in failure to merge and death.

The five elemental energies now flowed within his body, each independent yet unconflicted. What Wen Zifu needed to do was to merge these five streams of energy together while ensuring they did not clash with one another. However, this process of energy fusion could not be accomplished in a single attempt. Under the guidance of Lu Zhongdao, Wen Zifu could only proceed with caution. Several times, driven by a glimmer of hope, he hastily attempted to converge the energies, resulting in a tumultuous surge that spiraled uncontrollably. Had it not been for Lu Zhongdao's protective measures, forcefully suppressing the energies with his formidable power, Wen Zifu would have likely met his demise long ago.

Lu Zhongdao, known for his formidable strength, was referred to as the second most powerful person in the world. He was also the ancestor of the Great Philosopher royal family and a pillar of the Great Philosopher dynasty. Upon witnessing the anger of this living ancestor, Lu De dared not argue further and had no choice but to summon the princesses for him to choose from. Lu Zhongdao smiled as he selected three exceptionally beautiful princesses and inquired about their temperaments, asking whether they were mischievous and if they understood how to serve others.

In the following days, Wen Zifu gradually fused the gold spiritual energy with the water spiritual energy using the method he had previously developed. This process of energy fusion is not particularly large in scale, but it cannot be rushed. If one becomes slightly impatient, the gold spiritual energy will once again become incompatible with the water spiritual energy. Having gained experience from successful fusions and seeing the hope of success, Wen Zifu no longer felt anxious; he simply proceeded step by step to merge the two types of spiritual energy little by little.

"I have no desire to deal with any princesses or noble ladies; these delicate girls have such tempers and are difficult to serve!" Wen Zifu said disdainfully, shaking his head. He did not take Lu Zhongdao's words to heart. Although Lu Zhongdao was the ancient ancestor of the Great Philosopher's royal family, he had long ceased to concern himself with worldly matters. Moreover, this old man enjoyed making jokes, resembling a mischievous old child. If one were to believe his words, then even pigs would climb trees.

The potential for achieving Gold level is certainly present; at the very least, reaching Silver level is absolutely no problem. That young man has advanced to the Ninth Stage of Yellow level after just two months of cultivation, making him truly unprecedented in history! After some thought, Lu Zhongdao felt that he had been overly optimistic, so he revised his statement about becoming a Gold level talisman master to reflect that there is potential for it. In summary, it can be expressed as securing Silver while striving for Gold

"Is this the disciple who learned the spiritual incantations from you, as our ancestors said? Does this person truly have the potential to become a Gold-level talisman master?" Lu De could hardly believe it and asked again for confirmation. It is known that there has not been a Gold-level talisman master for ten thousand years, with the highest level being merely Silver-level Ninth Rank. If a great philosopher could rely on a Gold-level talisman master's son-in-law, wouldn't that mean they could dominate the world in the future?

Upon realizing this, Lu De also understood what he needed to do. He quickly nodded and said, "Rest assured, Ancestor. I will go and annul the engagement right away, ensuring that those noble families will not dare to cause any trouble."

Wenzi Fu, filled with excitement, finished his practice and stood up, jumping and shouting. The successful fusion of the two types of spiritual energy assured him that he would undoubtedly achieve the integration of the five elemental spiritual energies, and becoming a talisman master was no longer a distant dream but a reality that was about to happen.

However, what Lu Zhongdao just mentioned about the two armies clashing suddenly made him think that the five streams of spiritual power within him are akin to five armies. It is similar to the current coexistence of the five great nations in the world, which maintains a delicate balance, much like the situation of his spiritual power at present. Moreover, the relationship of mutual restraint among the spiritual powers within him mirrors the dynamics between the five great nations.

On this day, after having breakfast, Zi Fu hurriedly went to practice his skills. Lu Zhongdao, watching his anxious figure, called out loudly, "Zi Fu, do not rush; practicing skills cannot be hurried. It is like two armies clashing in battle; whoever becomes anxious first will lose."

Lu De's children were numerous, and coupled with his significant imperial authority, they all greatly feared him, behaving obediently in his presence. Little did they know what their daughter's true temperament was like, so they had to inquire with the servants who attended them. Naturally, the servants did not dare to speak ill of the princesses, praising them to the heavens. Upon hearing the servants' compliments, Lu Zhongdao felt a sense of pride, thinking that the Lu family, being a prominent philosophical royal lineage, must have excellent family teachings. The princesses seemed to have good temperaments and appearances, and he believed they should be able to capture that young man's heart.

Originally, princesses were merely pawns in political marriages. Although Lu De had many children, as soon as his daughters reached marriageable age, they were promised to the descendants of meritorious officials or prominent families. In the palace, there were hardly any suitable young women; there were only a few pre-adolescent girls. Upon hearing Lu De's remarks, Lu Zhongdao scolded the younger generation for their foolishness, sternly insisting that Lu De summon all the unmarried princesses.

Lu Zhongdao waved his hand dismissively and said, "Those worthless things are not worth my attention. I can live for another ten years without any problem. During these years, that boy has had my protection, and I doubt they would dare to do anything. By the time I can no longer move, that boy will likely have already stepped into the Silver Rank, and even if they want to take revenge, they will have no means to do so. What I worry about is that those things might use some underhanded tactics to provoke that boy, which could lead him to develop a dislike for me, the great philosopher, and that would be a loss. When you go, just say that it is I who need someone; I doubt they would dare to play tricks again."

Wen Zifu's thoughts were indeed correct; the five types of spiritual energy originally entangled with one another, causing the energy within him to become increasingly chaotic, to the point where he could no longer direct its flow. However, at this moment, as the golden spiritual energy made contact with the water spiritual energy, it seemed to return home, flowing through his body along the route of the water spiritual energy. Wen Zifu suppressed his joy at having guessed correctly and quietly felt the changes in the spiritual energy within him.

Lu Zhongdao did not understand what he meant by "old glass," but he thought it was not a good remark. He spat and said, "Who is the old glass? I just want to see what you are made of, could it be that you are the reincarnation of Zhang Tianshi? Otherwise, how could you possess such talent!" As he spoke, Lu Zhongdao suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed three times, saying, "It's decided, I will have that brat Lu De send his beautiful daughter over for you to choose from, and take you as a son-in-law!" The Lu De he mentioned is the name of the current emperor of the Great Philosophy Dynasty.

Wenzi Fu, who was diligently cultivating on the island, was naturally unaware of Lu Zhongdao's cunning scheme. When Lu Zhongdao initially mentioned sending the princess to him, he had not taken it seriously at all. After several days of hard practice, the gold spiritual energy within Wenzi Fu had nearly merged with the water spiritual energy. Today, he only needed to make one final effort, and the last trace of gold spiritual energy would be completely integrated with the water spiritual energy. Therefore, Wenzi Fu had been meditating under the large tree for an entire day, and the fusion of spiritual energies was entering its critical final stage. Once the two types of spiritual energy successfully merged, it would prove that his thoughts were entirely correct. As long as he continued to practice, the convergence of the five elements would be inevitable.

Wenzi was in a good mood, accompanying Lu Zhongdao for a while to drink and chat, and only then did he happily scamper back to his little room to sleep. Lu Zhongdao watched his disciple leave with a cheerful expression, took a few more sips of wine, and murmured, "I wonder how many daughters that brat Lu De has. I’ll go take a look in a few days; I’ll personally oversee it. If one isn’t enough, heh heh..." Thinking of his keen insight in finding a future son-in-law with golden-level potential for the Great Zhe Dynasty as a support, Lu Zhongdao couldn’t help but feel elated, pouring himself drink after drink, looking quite merry.

After several near-fatal lessons, Wen Zifu became much more cautious. He had a frail mother waiting for him to return to the Wen family, so how could he recklessly lose his life during cultivation, causing her to suffer more in the Wen family? Now that he has made progress in his cultivation, teaching the Wen family a lesson and then bringing his mother out to enjoy a better life has become his greatest motivation for hard training.

"What? You little rascal are still unwilling? Let me tell you, breaking off the engagement will only bring you benefits, not drawbacks. You have no idea what a great support I have found for you!" Lu Zhongdao scoffed, expressing his disdain. However, in order to comfort Lu De, he still decided to tell him about the matter concerning Wenzi Fu.

Seeing that Lu De seemed quite unwilling, Lu Zhongdao huffed, puffed out his beard, and glared, saying: "What? You don't believe what I say? Just look at how many capable disciples the Lu family has? I am already of advanced age; how much longer can I look after the great philosopher? Once I pass away, who will be left to restrain the great philosopher without the Silver Talisman Master? Who will deter foreign nations? The Great Xia is strong and powerful, but it is separated from the Great Song, so there is no need to worry. The Dali Kingdom under Duan Ziqing is weak and poses no threat, but that Da Rong, Murong Xi, is only in his forties, not yet fifty. Although he is currently only at the Silver Level Four, after I die, if he takes the lead in attacking our great philosopher, what will you use to resist him?

Wenzi Fu closed his eyes and carefully guided the last trace of golden spiritual energy to merge with the water spiritual energy. He then released his control over the golden spiritual energy, allowing the water spiritual energy, now infused with golden energy, to flow freely within him. It was unclear how long the spiritual energy circulated within his body or how many cycles it underwent. When Wenzi Fu attempted to sense it again, he found that the water spiritual energy had significantly strengthened compared to before. Upon sensing the golden spiritual energy, he discovered that the water spiritual energy had transformed into golden energy, as if the two types of spiritual energy were inherently one.

Three months have passed, and winter has arrived, with temperatures dropping significantly. However, Lu Zhongdao is, after all, the ancestor of the Great Zhe Dynasty and a national protector silver talisman master. The current emperor of the Great Zhe Dynasty naturally does not dare to be negligent, sending people to inquire about his well-being every few days, and providing clothing and bedding whenever there is a slight change in the weather. Therefore, Wen Zifu has not had to squeeze together with his mother as he did in the Wen family to feel any warmth. Thinking of his mother suffering at the Wen family at this moment, Wen Zifu is even more determined to learn the talismans and spiritual spells, not for any other reason, but to selflessly dedicate himself to his beloved mother.

Lu Zhongdao also took a few days off. As for where he went, Wen Zifu did not inquire. Firstly, he was focused on his training during these days and had no extra thoughts to pay attention to other matters. Secondly, it was not unusual for Lu Zhongdao to leave the island from time to time, so there was no need to ask. Unfortunately, Wen Zifu did not know that this time Lu Zhongdao's departure was not for his own affairs as usual; rather, he returned to the Great Philosopher's Palace to summon the current Great Philosopher Emperor, Lu De, for an interrogation, instructing him to call all the unmarried eligible princesses.

Wenzi was somewhat uncomfortable under the old man's strange gaze, slightly shrinking back, and asked, "Old man, you aren't some kind of old pervert, are you? I have no such interests, so I suggest you look for someone else."

Imagining the spiritual energy within oneself as an army, the first step is to merge the two strongest divisions. Then, one can gradually integrate them with the next strongest divisions, thus allowing the five streams of spiritual energy to blend together in this manner

After trying for another three months, as spring arrived, Wen Zifu still had nothing to show for his efforts. His originally calm and peaceful heart gradually became restless. Lu Zhongdao, seeing this, felt anxious and wanted to comfort his disciple, yet he did not know how to express it. He could only keep repeating that haste makes waste, advising his disciple not to be impatient, emphasizing the importance of steadiness and caution in practice.

"Ancestors, is that person good-looking? Is he kind to others? Does he often get angry?" asked the three princesses. The three, being clever, did not inquire about Wen Zifu's actual strength. Since Lu Zhongdao's conversation with their father had not concealed anything from them, they naturally understood that although Wen Zifu's current abilities were mediocre, he had a great chance of quickly becoming a Silver Talismancer, or even a Gold Talismancer in the future, with a significant possibility of becoming the world's foremost figure.