Chapter 11: I Need More Power
The moment Guard Zhou and Lu Yang returned to the Lu Family estate, the atmosphere changed completely.
The corpses of two middle-stage Body Tempering Realm cultivators and a captured Fifth Stage Body Tempering Realm assassin were enough to alarm the entire clan instantly.
Especially after learning that Lu Yang, who had not even reached the peak of the Third Stage of Body Tempering Realm yet, had personally killed a Fourth Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator head on.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the clan.
And this time, even the older generation cultivators could no longer remain calm completely.
...
Within the inner clan training grounds, discussions erupted continuously among the younger generation descendants.
"A Third Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator defeating a Fourth Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator directly?"
"That’s crossing the bottleneck between the early and middle stages of Body Tempering Realm..."
"I heard the assassin couldn’t even suppress him from beginning to end."
"This is true genius..."
Many younger generation descendants revealed expressions of disbelief.
After all, fighting across minor realms was not unheard of in Canglan Prefecture.
Some top geniuses from large cultivation families or sects could indeed suppress opponents slightly above their own cultivation.
Even the Twin Stars were capable of doing that.
However, that mostly depended on superior cultivation techniques, martial arts, talent, comprehension ability, and resources.
But crossing the distinction between the early and middle stages of a realm was entirely different.
That kind of disparity was far too enormous.
For ordinary cultivators, the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering Realm could easily crush someone at the Third Stage of Body Tempering Realm.
The difference between the two was as great as the difference between the First Stage of Body Tempering Realm and the Third Stage of Body Tempering Realm.
Thus, those capable of crossing such a gap were all monstrous geniuses among monsters in not just the Canglan Prefecture, but throughout all of Wuyuan Province.
Even within major sects like the True Martial Sect, such figures were extremely rare, appearing only once or twice in a generation.
Naturally, the Lu Family cultivators did not know one more thing.
The reason Lu Yang managed to suppress the assassin was not merely because of talent.
His Blood Qi foundation was indeed terrifyingly solid, his cultivation method far surpassed ordinary rogue cultivators, and his comprehension ability allowed him to see through flaws within attacks rapidly.
But most importantly, Lu Yang possessed the combat experience of a peak Ninth Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator.
That experience alone was enough to completely overwhelm the assassin.
The difference between the two sides in combat awareness was simply too great.
...
Three days later.
Deep within the Lu Family estate, inside the clan meeting hall.
Absolute silence permeated the surroundings.
The enormous hall appeared incomparably oppressive.
One powerful aura after another filled the air heavily.
Every figure seated there was a genuine Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator, the pillars of the Lu Family.
Their Blood Qi had already begun transforming after being tempered by Spirit Qi, possessing terrifying pressure.
Mortals would likely kneel instantly merely standing within this hall.
At the center sat the Family Head silently.
His expression remained calm as usual, yet the atmosphere around him carried faint heaviness.
Meanwhile, the other elders sitting throughout the hall all possessed varying expressions, some cold, some thoughtful, and some indifferent.
Several moments later, the Fifth Elder suddenly sneered lightly.
The sound was especially clear within the silent hall.
"Interesting."
His gaze slowly shifted toward the Family Head.
"As soon as Lu Tianhe and Lu Qingyu returned from outside...
... such a thing happened immediately afterward."
The atmosphere instantly became even heavier.
The Family Head remained silent.
The Fifth Elder continued speaking coldly, "Family Head, even if that mortal concubine of yours is the daughter of a Marquis household, you should still restrain her properly, otherwise, if she continues acting recklessly because of the Twin Stars, sooner or later, she may bring an irreversible calamity upon herself."
Several elders narrowed their eyes slightly at these words.
The so-called mortal concubine naturally referred to the mother of Lu Tianhe and Lu Qingyu.
Although merely a mortal woman, her background was extraordinary.
She originated from a Marquis household that had once produced an Essence Gathering Realm cultivator in the Imperial Capital.
Even within Canglan Prefecture, such a background carried enormous influence.
Thus, despite lacking cultivation herself, her status within the Lu Family remained extremely special.
And now, the suspicion surrounding this assassination attempt pointed directly toward her faction almost openly.
The timing was simply too coincidental.
Before the Twin Stars returned, everything had remained peaceful.
But the moment they came back and Lu Yang’s reputation continued rising higher and higher, an assassination attempt occurred immediately afterward.
Moreover, the attackers clearly understood Lu Yang’s cultivation and movement patterns very well.
This alone already revealed many things.
The news regarding Lu Yang’s true monstrous talent had long been sealed tightly within the Lu Family.
The outside world could not possibly know so much in detail.
Thus, the person behind this matter was almost certainly someone from within the clan itself.
Throughout the hall, silence persisted.
The Family Head still did not speak.
However, his gaze gradually became colder with each passing second, a terrifying pressure faintly spreading invisibly throughout the surroundings.
Clearly, his mood was far from as calm as he appeared externally.
Although Lu Tianhe and Lu Qingyu were his children, Lu Yang was also one of the Lu Family’s greatest hopes now.
A genius capable of crossing the bottleneck between early and middle stages of Body Tempering Realm to fight across levels before even turning nine years old...
Such talent was enough to affect the future prosperity of the entire clan.
No matter who touched Lu Yang, they were touching the Lu Family’s future itself.
Finally, the Law Enforcement Grand Elder spoke slowly.
"The captured assassin bit off poison hidden beneath his teeth before interrogation could begin. No useful information was obtained."
The hall remained silent once more.
All the elders were unsurprised by this.
Since the other party dared act, they naturally already prepared for failure.
Soon afterward, the meeting gradually approached its conclusion.
Several elders stood up silently, preparing to leave.
However, at that exact moment.
The Internal Affairs Grand Elder suddenly released his aura completely without warning.
*Boom!*
Terrifying Spirit Awakening Realm pressure erupted instantly throughout the hall.
The air visibly warped slightly beneath the dense Blood Qi enhanced by Spirit Qi and Divine Sense.
Even several ordinary elders’ expressions changed subtly.
The Internal Affairs Grand Elder slowly swept his gaze across everyone present, his expression extremely cold.
He was the same person who recorded Lu Yang’s information when he first arrived in the clan from the mortal branch.
"If something like this happens once again, and a clan prodigy truly comes to harm..."
His voice gradually became icy.
"Then it will not end with merely a warning."
Absolute silence filled the hall afterward.
No one spoke further.
Soon, the meeting officially ended.
...
Meanwhile, within the quiet courtyard.
Lu Yang sat silently beneath the bamboo trees as moonlight illuminated the surroundings faintly.
The breeze rustled softly through the leaves overhead.
Several moments later, Guard Zhou stepped forward quietly before bowing slightly, "Young master, the clan meeting has already ended."
Lu Yang slowly opened his eyes, no surprise appearing upon his face whatsoever as he hummed faintly.
Guard Zhou hesitated momentarily before continuing carefully, "The elders seem to have already guessed who may be behind this matter."
Lu Yang remained silent briefly before speaking, "But they won’t act openly."
Guard Zhou froze slightly.
Lu Yang’s gaze remained fixed upon the moonlit bamboo leaves.
"The Lu Family values talent and benefits above all else. Unless absolute proof appears, the Family Head will not move against the mother of the Twin Stars just because of suspicion."
After all, once internal conflict among Spirit Awakening Realm elders truly erupted, the damage caused to the family would far exceed the value of one failed assassination attempt.
This was reality.
Clan interests always stood above personal feelings.
Guard Zhou looked toward Lu Yang with increasingly complicated emotions.
Sometimes, he truly could not understand how an eight year old child could think so deeply.
Lu Yang naturally understood the thoughts in Guard Zhou’s heart vaguely, but he did not explain anything.
Instead, he slowly lowered his gaze.
This assassination attempt had indeed been only a probe.
At the same time, it was also the first time he truly displayed a portion of his hidden cards before the Lu Family.
Soon afterward, Lu Yang’s consciousness quietly sank inward.
The familiar boundless dark space appeared once more.
Before him floated the cracked golden card silently.
The old figure upon it still stood with hands behind his back, expression weary and ancient.
[Character Card]
[Lu Yang]
[Peak Cultivation: Peak Ninth Stage Body Tempering Realm]
[Status: Summonable]
[Summon Duration: Fifteen Minutes]
Lu Yang quietly stared at the card.
Ever since arriving in this life, he had relied heavily upon caution and restraint, trying to display sufficient value without attracting too much attention.
But now, things were beginning to change.
His talent had already attracted too much attention.
And as his cultivation increased further, the dangers surrounding him would only become greater and greater.
The weak were prey, geniuses who had not grown fully yet were even greater prey.
This truth had never changed within the cultivation world.
The golden cracks upon the card flickered faintly within the darkness.
Lu Yang’s gaze gradually became colder.
He needed strength.
He needed power.
Far more power.
