Chapter 74: Dire Situation

Lu Yang’s body trembled slightly at those words, but he said nothing merely lowering his gaze.

The courtyard once again fell silent. No one knew what to say.

Lu Tianhe’s hand remained on his shoulder for several breaths of time before he slowly withdrew it.

The next three days passed quietly.

The entire Lu Family seemed to have entered a state of mourning.

Lu Qingxue’s funeral was held without excessive ceremony, but the Lu Family did not deliberately conceal her death. There was no point in doing so.

Her identity was already known to too many people within the True Martial Sect, and the news had spread through the sect’s inner circle almost immediately.

The current generation’s number one genius, Hall Master Su’s only personal disciple, the eldest senior sister of the Alchemy Hall and a prodigy who had entered Spirit Awakening at twenty-one years of age, was now dead.

Her death naturally caused some commotion, however, the current situation was simply too chaotic.

The Misty Cloud Sect had produced an existence above the Qi Sea Realm, rumored to be the legendary Spiritual Platform Realm.

The Divine Martial Hall was facing a crisis, and the various factions of Wuyuan Province were beginning to choose sides. Many cultivators were already thinking about how they could survive the coming upheaval.

At a time like this, the death of a genius who had yet to reach Essence Gathering Realm was ultimately not enough to attract the attention of the truly powerful factions.

The cultivation world had always been like this.

The stronger the person, the more cruel the rules became.

A genius was still only a genius. Only after reaching a certain level could one truly possess the power to affect the overall situation.

...

On the third day, the Lu Family welcomed an unexpected guest.

A middle aged man wearing ordinary gray robes walked into the courtyard. He looked to be around fifty years old, with an ordinary face and ordinary stature, with nothing special about his appearance.

If he were placed among a group of mortals, probably no one would pay him any attention.

Yet, when Lu Yang saw him, his numb gaze stirred slightly.

Essence Gathering Realm.

Although the man deliberately concealed his aura, Lu Yang could still sense the faint pressure coming from his body.

It was extremely restrained, like an abyss concealed beneath calm water.

Lu Yang had encountered quite a few Essence Gathering cultivators throughout his life, whether it be the ones who appeared in Fang Chen’s wedding decades ago, Hall Master Su, or the ones he crossed paths with on the way to Tiannan Province.

In his past life, he had also seen one make a move. He could recognize the aura now.

The middle aged man slowly walked towards Lu Qingxue’s funeral hall.

His expression was calm, but when his gaze landed upon the young woman lying there, a trace of emotion appeared in his eyes.

He stood there silently for a long time before letting out a faint sigh.

"What a pity."

His voice was extremely soft as he spoke.

"She was supposed to go much further."

The middle aged man remained there for a while before eventually turning around and leaving, unnoticed by all below the Spirit Awakening Realm.

Only after everyone else had departed did he return.

At that time, only Lu Yang, Lu Tianhe, Lu Qingyu, and Fang Jinxing remained in the hall, seemingly waiting for him.

The middle aged man stopped several meters away from Lu Yang.

Then, he cupped his fists solemnly.

An Essence Gathering cultivator greeting a Spirit Awakening cultivator like a junior was certainly a rare sight.

Although Lu Yang was already considered an extremely powerful existence beneath the Essence Gathering Realm, the difference between the two realms was still enormous. Yet, the middle aged man didn’t particularly seem to care about this distinction.

"Fellow daoist Lu, my condolences."

Lu Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"And who may the esteemed person be?"

The middle aged man straightened his body, speaking calmly.

"I am an Essence Gathering cultivator of the True Martial Sect."

The expressions of Lu Tianhe and the others changed immediately, but Lu Yang remained silent, having already guessed this.

The middle aged man continued.

"More precisely, I am one of the hidden trump cards of the True Martial Sect."

Lu Tianhe’s breathing became slightly heavier at these words.

The True Martial Sect publicly had seven Essence Gathering cultivators, yet every major faction knew that those were unlikely to be all of them.

There were always hidden experts in factions at the True Martual Sect’s scale.

However, this was the first time Lu Family had actually seen one.

The middle aged man looked towards Lu Qingxue’s coffin.

"I knew Qingxue, or to be more accurate, I guided her several times."

His expression softened slightly as he continued.

"She was an extraordinary child, and her talent was far beyond what most people could imagine. I had great hopes that she would eventually reach the peak of the Essence Gathering Realm and might even have the hope to impact the Qi Sea Realm."

The man’s voice became heavier as he lowered his head slightly, his eyes containing a trace of guilt.

"Unfortunately... We couldn’t protect her. Even though she was a disciple of our sect, one of the most important geniuses of her generation, we still failed to provide her sufficient support. Part of the reason for her death lies with the sect."

Lu Yang’s expression was calm as he shook his head, "This isn’t your fault alone."

The middle aged man looked at him.

Lu Yang’s voice was quiet as he spoke.

"The situation in Tiannan Province has already exceeded the level of Spirit Awakening cultivators, even Essence Gathering cultivators are struggling to protect themselves. You cannot protect everyone."

The middle aged man fell silent.

He knew Lu Yang was right, but knowing that did not make it easier to accept.

"Hall Master Su is not here?"

Lu Yang suddenly asked.

The man’s expression became slightly solemn.

"None of the Hall Masters are currently in the sect; they’re all in Tiannan Province, supporting the Divine Martial Hall."

Lu Yang’s gaze flickered.

"What is their current situation?"

"We don’t know." The man’s voice was low.

"Communication with Tiannan Province has already become extremely difficult these past few days. Many of the disciples sent there earlier like Qingxue have already disappeared. Whether they’re alive or dead, we cannot determine."

Lu Yang did not speak, letting the middle aged man continue.

"At present, there are only two Essence Gathering cultivators left in the True Martial Sect, me and the Sect Master."

Lu Tianhe’s expression became slightly solemn.

"You mean..."

The man nodded.

"Indeed, we cannot leave. The True Martial Sect’s foundation cannot be abandoned just like that. If both of us leave the sect, then even if we return alive, there may no longer be a True Martial Sect waiting for us."

His words were extremely calm, yet they carried an indescribable heaviness.

"The situation in Wuyuan Province is deteriorating rapidly. Several sects and factions from neighboring prefectures have already chosen to stand on the Misty Cloud Sect’s side. A major conflict is inevitable."

Lu Yang’s eyes rippled inscrutably.

The man looked towards him.

"We intend to send some of the sect’s most talented disciples north, leave Wuyuan Province, and find somewhere beyond the reach of this conflict."

He paused before saying, "I came here to inform the Lu Family of this matter."

Lu Yang nodded.

"We’ve already made preparations."

The middle aged man seemed slightly surprised.

"You expected this?"

"Not specifically this." Lu Yang shook his head.

"But I knew the Lu Family couldn’t stay here forever, especially after I got the news."

The man slowly nodded.

"You should not travel with our disciples."

Lu Tianhe’s expression changed slightly before realization dawned upon him.

"The group would become too large."

The middle aged man nodded before calmly explaining.

"Indeed, too many people moving together will attract attention, and if the Misty Cloud Sect’s subordinates discover a large group of True Martial Sect disciples leaving Wuyuan Province, they will inevitably pursue them. It’s better to divide the people and send them in different directions. Some can even disguise themselves as ordinary cultivation families or Rogue Cultivators."

The man paused briefly, seemingly considering something before shaking his head.

"If push comes to shove, leaving the Great Qian Dynasty might be the only option. After all, the influence of a legendary Spiritual Platform Realm existence... is too far reaching. The further apart everyone is, the harder it will be for the enemy to eliminate everyone at once. There are still many lands and nations beyond Great Qian, both stronger and weaker. At worst, they can just leave Great Qian."

Lu Yang nodded, knowing that more information would only be harmful for the current Lu Family, and didn’t ask further.

"That makes sense."

The middle aged man sighed.

"This is the only thing I can do for your family right now."

His gaze shifted towards Lu Qingxue’s coffin.

"Qingxue’s death... I’m truly sorry."

Lu Yang was silent for a long time before eventually nodding.

"Thank you for coming."

The middle aged man cupped his fists and then turned around, his figure gradually disappearing beyond the courtyard.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Lu Yang remained standing there with a distant gaze.

Then, he slowly turned towards Lu Tianhe and Lu Qingyu.

"There is something I need to tell you."

The two looked at him.

Lu Yang took a deep breath before speaking.

"The Azure Moon Spirit Water Technique... It isn’t actually a complete cultivation technique, but a portion of a much larger inheritance of an ancient cultivation force from before the previous dynasty, the Azure Moon Spirit Control Art. This is what the Supreme Elder told me before passing that day."

He paused, letting the two digest this information before continuing.

"According to the clues I’ve investigated over the years, the Azure Spirit Sect’s Azure Spirit Body Tempering Art appears to be the Body Tempering Realm Chapter of the Azure Moon Spirit Control Art, while the Azure Moon Spirit Water Technique is the Spirit Awakening Realm Chapter. Presumably, the Azure Spirit Sect also possesses the Essence Gathering Realm Chapter. I accidentally obtained the Azure Spirit Body Tempering Art when I went to experience the secular world in my early years, and after finding these similarities, I let Xue’er cultivate it to establish a foundation. Then, I passed on the Azure Moon Spirit Water Technique to her after she achieved Spirit Awakening."

By the time Lu Yang finished speaking, the expressions of the three people in the hall had changed completely.

Lu Qingyu’s pupils contracted sharply.

"So that’s why..."

She finally understood why Lu Yang insisted on Lu Qingxue cultivating the Azure Moon Spirit Water Technique rather than other cultivation techniques of the True Martial Sect.

Lu Tianhe’s expression became extremely solemn.

"The Azure Spirit Sect... they seem to have already submitted to the Misty Cloud Sect."

Lu Yang nodded.

"That’s right."

Lu Qingyu’s face became slightly pale, her fingers curling.

"And that Wu Family Young Master..."

"He probably cultivated the Azure Spirit Body Tempering Art." Lu Yang’s expression was cold as he said.

The courtyard fell silent.

The Wu Family Young Master was still alive, which meant he had almost certainly reported the information about Lu Qingxue’s cultivation technique after so many days.

Lu Tianhe’s expression was extremely unsightly.

"That means the Lu Family is already in danger."

Lu Yang nodded, his eyes cold.

"More than that; according to that person just now, the Azure Spirit Sect and its allies are already preparing to attack the True Martial Sect to solidify their connection and achieve some merits for the Misty Cloud Sect, so once the war begins, the Lu Family’s connection to the True Martial Sect will make us a natural target."

Lu Qingyu’s fists tightened at these words.

They had already considered evacuating and even prepared several routes, but they couldn’t evacuate with the entire Lu Family in such a short time, specifically the mortal branch.

For several breaths of time, no one spoke, but just then, a hurried voice suddenly came from outside.

"Supreme Elder!"

A maid rushed into the courtyard, her face pale as she immediately bowed.

"Something has happened to Madam Bai!"

Lu Yang’s expression changed instantly before he disappeared from his original position the next moment.