Chapter 214: Gu Daoshi: Comparison Will Be the Death of You
"So, Father, how did you all get in here?"
Lu Xiaoyao was naturally puzzled beyond measure.
He had, of course, looked through the records on the Azure Heaven Secret Realm, so he knew that ordinary powerhouses couldn't enter it — couldn't so much as influence what happened inside.
Yet his father had not only come in, he'd even brought Auntie Zhu and this uncle along with him.
"I wanted to see what sort of state your cultivation was in, so I came in."
Lu Xunxian spoke slowly, but then let out a somewhat disappointed sigh.
"From the looks of it now, though, your pace is still too slow. A full fifty years, and you've only gone from the Late Immortal Stage to the True Immortal Realm — and that's even with the Immortal Venerable Inheritance."
With but a single glance, Lu Xunxian had seen through his son's present state.
One had to understand — in the previous eighteen years, his son had cultivated straight from a mortal to Ascension; now, in a full fifty years, he'd only gone from the Late Immortal Stage to the True Immortal Realm. How could he not feel disappointed?
Off to the side, hearing this, Zhu Qingyan and Gu Daoshi both looked rather awkward.
"Ahem — Senior Lu, this is actually quite impressive. Back when I went from the Late Immortal Stage to the True Immortal Realm, it took me a full three hundred years."
Gu Daoshi put in a word.
In a mere fifty years, forget breaking through a major realm — breaking through even a minor realm would count as excellent.
So Gu Daoshi was, in fact, thoroughly satisfied with Lu Xiaoyao's talent.
It was just that his satisfaction didn't mean Lu Xunxian was satisfied too.
"You're you, and my son is my son."
"No good. Once we leave the Azure Heaven Secret Realm, I'll have to put you through special training."
Gu Daoshi: ...
Why do I suddenly feel so wounded? I should've kept my mouth shut.
And hearing his father's disappointment, Lu Xiaoyao felt rather dispirited within.
"Father, I understand. I'll cultivate hard, and I absolutely won't let you down again."
Hearing his son's tone, Lu Xunxian could tell the boy was a little hurt.
So he softened his tone somewhat. "Xiaoyao, you must understand — sooner or later, the day will come when you have to face everything on your own, and by then, your father won't be there at your side."
"Father, are you going somewhere?"
From his father's tone, Lu Xiaoyao sensed something, and hurriedly pressed him.
Lu Xunxian looked toward the direction of the Dao Realm, his expression grave.
"Before long, I'll be making a trip to the Dao Realm — and I can't take you with me, so you'll have to become independent and strong."
Judging from how Lu Xuanyuan had been searching for him, he likely had some connection to the Lu Family of the Dao Realm.
He wasn't certain whether the Lu Family meant to find him and then eliminate him, or to bring him back into the Lu Family.
But what he could be certain of was that, once he grew strong, he would definitely make a trip to the Lu Family.
For no other reason than this — for the truth of his own origins.
After all, an infant appearing in the middle of a river, with a clearly valuable jade pendant inscribed with a name hanging on him — by any measure, it looked anything but ordinary.
And so, in the end, he was bound to make a trip to the Lu Family.
As for why he wouldn't take his son and daughter along, it was because he didn't want them entangled in this matter.
If the Lu Family meant to find him and then eliminate him, then he would wipe out the Lu Family without the slightest hesitation.
After all, at present he likely shared only a blood relation with the Lu Family; without any bond of feeling, he'd have no qualms whatsoever if the Lu Family moved to kill him.
Of course, if the Lu Family meant for him to return and acknowledge his ancestors and rejoin the clan, then naturally he wouldn't refuse.
After all, from what Gu Daoshi and the others had said, he could surmise that the Lu Family's strength within the Dao Realm was immense.
And so, until he broke through to the Peak Dao Venerable Realm, he had no intention of heading to the Dao Realm.
And before heading to the Dao Realm, he meant to raise his son and daughter to the point where they could protect themselves.
As for Lu Xiaoyao, hearing Lu Xunxian's words, a flash of resolve crossed his eyes, and he nodded firmly.
"I understand, Father. I'll cultivate hard, and strive to make you proud!"
"Mm. Come on, let's go see how your sister is doing over there."
The first place Lu Xunxian had entered was his son's location, so he'd come to check on his son's situation first.
Meanwhile, on the other side — perhaps because she lacked the boost of an Immortal Venerable Inheritance — Lu Qingyun had only just barely broken through to the Peak of the Immortal Stage.
Still, reaching this point in a mere fifty years already counted as quite excellent.
After all, the Myriad Wood Saint Body was poorly suited to cultivation to begin with; it had only joined the ranks of the Saint Bodies because of its utterly terrifying powers of recovery.
Of course, part of it was thanks to the boost from the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer; otherwise, by Lu Qingyun's own estimate, she'd only have broken through to the Peak of the Immortal Stage by the time she left the secret realm.
At this moment, Lu Qingyun sat astride the Seven-Colored Heavenly Dao Deer.
"Little Seven, faster!"
Lu Qingyun urged it on. Looking behind them, there was a Saint Emperor Realm demon beast — its body covered all over in venom-tempered purple spikes, horse-like in shape, with a pair of wings on its back — pursuing them.
And this was none other than a famed demon beast of the Immortal Realm: the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse.
Some days earlier, Lu Qingyun and Little Seven had wandered by mistake into the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse's territory, and so had been hunted by it.
It was only because Little Seven had already cultivated to the Peak of the Saint King Realm, with speed to its advantage, that they'd managed to escape the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse at all.
Even so, owing to the vast gap in cultivation, Little Seven couldn't shake the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse, and could only barely keep its distance.
But at the present rate, before long Little Seven's spiritual energy would run dry, and then the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse would catch up.
And just then, the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse behind them suddenly burst forward, and the venom-tempered purple spikes on its back abruptly shot out, dozens of them streaking toward the two of them.
Once struck, even a Peak Saint Emperor would surely die.
This was the terror of the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse.
In the Immortal Realm, few would ever willingly cross a Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse of the same realm.
"Little Seven, look out!"
As Lu Qingyun finished speaking, she made to meet the incoming attack.
But just then, a figure appeared before Lu Qingyun, raising a hand to catch the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse's venomous spikes outright, without taking the slightest harm.
"Vile beast — you'd dare harm my daughter? Die!"
It was none other than Lu Xunxian, who had rushed over in haste.
And the instant the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse saw Lu Xunxian, instinct told it that the man before it was terrifying beyond measure — that it was no match for him whatsoever.
But before it could even turn to flee, Lu Xunxian raised a hand and brought down a single sword strike.
In an instant, the Heaven-Poison Myriad-Thorn Horse was cleaved clean in two — as dead as could be.