Script of Reincarnation

The news of Lu Yang's breakthrough did not immediately spread throughout the Lu Family. In fact, the Family Head and several Grand Elders deliberately suppressed the information.

Only the highest echelons of the family were informed that Lu Yang had successfully entered the Fourth Stage of Spirit Awakening Realm.

Even the ordinary elders weren't all aware of it, let alone the younger generation and clansmen beneath the Spirit Awakening Realm.

There was a simple reason for this: Lu Yang was too young.

A forty-seven year old Fourth Stage Spirit Awakening cultivator was already extraordinary even when compared to the successors of Essence Gathering Realm factions across Wuyuan Province.

One had to know, even if the true inheritors of Essence Gathering Realm powers entered the Spirit Awakening Realm in thirty years of cultivation time, not many could break through to the middle stages of Spirit Awakening Realm under fifty years of age.

Prodigies capable of stepping into the middle stages of Spirit Awakening Realm under fifty were all once in a century geniuses on a prefectural scale, possessing the potential to enter the middle stages of Essence Gathering Realm.

If news of Lu Yang's cultivation were to spread throughout Canglan Prefecture, the Lu Family's name would inevitably attract considerably more attention.

For a cultivation clan that currently possessed no Essence Gathering Realm powerhouse of its own, excessive attention wasn't necessarily a good thing.

A single, weak Essence Gathering cultivator could not stir up many ripples, but if a strong Essence Gathering cultivator emerged, it would inevitably touch the interests of many already established Essence Gathering Realm forces, especially the True Martial Sect because of their proximity.

Thus, after the initial shock, the Lu Family chose to remain silent.

Inside a secluded hall, several of the highest ranking cultivators of the family looked at the man standing before them with complicated expressions.

The Supreme Elder's gaze lingered on Lu Yang for several breaths before finally sighing.

"Forty-seven years old..."

His voice carried a rare trace of emotion.

"Back when you first entered the main family, who could have imagined that you would reach this point?"

Lu Yang merely smiled.

He didn't know how to answer that, after all, even he himself hadn't imagined how far he would eventually come.

The Great Elder, sitting nearby, stroked his beard while looking at Lu Yang with an expression that contained both satisfaction and helplessness.

"At this rate, you may truly become the first Essence Gathering cultivator in the history of our Lu Family."

The Internal Affairs Grand Elder immediately laughed.

"Don't say such things yet. The Essence Gathering Realm is completely different from the Spirit Awakening Realm."

Although he said that, the smile on his face couldn't be concealed.

Essence Gathering potential; that was not just a title given to a promising youngster, it meant that, barring some enormous accident, Lu Yang possessed an almost certain possibility of stepping into that realm in the future.

For the Lu Family, which had never had an Essence Gathering cultivator throughout its entire history, that possibility alone was enough to make everyone excited.

However, Lu Yang himself remained remarkably calm as he understood his own situation better than anyone.

The Fourth Stage of Spirit Awakening Realm was impressive, but the distance between the Fourth Stage of Spirit Awakening and the Essence Gathering Realm was still enormous.

Besides, had he not possessed his past life memories, cultivating extremely fast in the Body Tempering Realm, even with his current talent and comprehension, he truly wouldn't have been able to reach the Fourth Stage of Spirit Awakening Realm without another ten or fifteen more years of cultivation.

The so-called "genius" among Essence Gathering Realm seeds was actually just an illusion, though the Essence Gathering potential remained incomparably real.

But to live up to that potential, he still had to work extremely hard.

He couldn't afford to become complacent.

...

Last year, another piece of joyous news had arrived in the Lu Family.

Fang Chen and the youngest princess of Wuyuan Province had already welcomed their first child.

When the hundred day ceremony arrived, Lu Yang and Bai Qinglan personally traveled to Wuyuan Province to offer their congratulations.

The ceremony was naturally extremely lively, after all, Fang Chen's status had risen considerably over the years, and his marriage to the youngest princess had further elevated his position.

Looking at the tiny infant sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms, Lu Yang couldn't help feeling somewhat strange.

This was a child belonging to someone from the same generation as him.

Looking at the child, he suddenly realized that he had already entered an age where people around him were beginning to have grandchildren.

Time really passed too quickly.

He handed over the congratulatory gift before quietly stepping aside, with Bai Qinglan standing beside him, her gaze lingering on the infant for a little longer than usual.

Lu Yang noticed this, however, he didn't say anything. He already knew what she was thinking.

After nearly twenty years of marriage, they still didn't have children.

For cultivators, this wasn't particularly strange, yet, as time passed, even Bai Qinglan's originally indifferent attitude had gradually begun to change.

Several days after returning to the Lu Family, the two were sitting beneath the pavilion in their courtyard, the evening sun illuminating the distant mountains.

Bai Qinglan rested her chin against one hand, appearing somewhat distracted.

After remaining silent for a while, she suddenly sighed.

"Perhaps we should have had children earlier."

Lu Yang's hand paused slightly while holding his teacup, raising his eyes towards her.

Bai Qinglan didn't meet his gaze.

"Back then, I always thought there was plenty of time, but now we're both approaching fifty."

Lu Yang remained silent as Bai Qinglan continued, "After entering the Spirit Awakening Realm, it's even harder to conceive."

She didn't sound particularly sorrowful, it was merely a slight complaint, perhaps even something she had wanted to say for a long time.

Lu Yang understood almost immediately, after all, he had accompanied her for nearly twenty years already.

He reached over and gently placed his hand over hers.

"We still have plenty of time."

Bai Qinglan looked at him.

"Really?"

"Naturally." Lu Yang smiled.

"Spirit Awakening cultivators can live for more than a hundred years. We're not even halfway there."

Although his words were technically true, Lu Yang knew that reality wasn't quite so simple.

Body Tempering cultivators could generally live to around a hundred years, while Spirit Awakening cultivators could extend their lifespan to roughly one hundred and twenty years.

Compared with mortals, this was certainly extraordinary, but compared with truly powerful cultivators, it wasn't particularly impressive.

At their current age, both of them were already approaching the middle of their lives.

Bai Qinglan still possessed a youthful appearance, but if one looked carefully, extremely faint wrinkles had begun appearing around the corners of her eyes.

They were almost imperceptible, yet Lu Yang noticed them, and she probably did too.

At the thought, something suddenly tightened inside his chest.

He had the Script of Reincarnation.

Even if he eventually died, he could start again.

Perhaps in another life, he could obtain even greater talent, perhaps he could become a Qi Sea powerhouse, and after many lifetimes, he could eventually reach an unimaginable realm.

But Bai Qinglan didn't have that opportunity.

Neither did Lu Qingyu, Lu Tianhe, Fang Chen, the Family Head, the Grand Elders, or any of the people who had accompanied him throughout this life.

They only had one life, one chance to experience everything, one chance to fulfill their wishes, one chance to love, to hate, to say farewells.

Lu Yang lowered his gaze.

For the first time in many years, the thought of immortality no longer appeared entirely joyful.

What was the meaning of living forever if everyone he cared about eventually disappeared?

What was the meaning of reaching the summit if he had to watch countless familiar faces vanish along the way?

Perhaps this was another reason why cultivators throughout the ages pursued the Dao so desperately.

Not merely for power or immortality, but to reach a realm where even the laws governing life and death could no longer bind them.

According to ancient myths and legends that had circulated in the cultivation world since time immemorial, once a cultivator reached a sufficiently terrifying realm, they could interfere with the River of Time, pull people back from the brink of death, reconstruct shattered souls, and even alter the trajectory of fate.

Lu Yang didn't know whether those legends were true.

Perhaps they were merely fantasies created by mortals, but he had already experienced reincarnation himself.

Therefore, he knew one thing for certain; the limits of this world were far beyond what ordinary cultivators could imagine.

If he wanted Bai Qinglan to accompany him forever, he had to become strong enough.

Not just Essence Gathering or Qi Sea, but far, far beyond that.

His gaze gradually became resolute.

"Qinglan, I'll accompany you."

Bai Qinglan blinked at these sudden words.

Lu Yang smiled, "Whatever happens in the future, I'll accompany you till the end."

She stared at him for several breaths before smiling softly.

"If you say so."

...

The years continued to flow by.

Lu Yang's cultivation steadily progressed after entering the Fourth Stage of Spirit Awakening Realm.

However, unlike his explosive progress during the Body Tempering Realm, his advancement was becoming increasingly slow.

This was normal, as the higher one's cultivation, the greater the resources, talent, and comprehension required.

Therefore, he spent most of his time accumulating in secluded cultivation, occasionally exchanging cultivation insights with Bai Qinglan.

Sometimes, he discussed family affairs with Lu Qingyu, Lu Tianhe, and other Grand Elders, and at other times, he would leave the family and travel through Canglan Prefecture.

The incident between the Divine Martial Hall and Misty Cloud Sect was now several years in the past.

Occasionally, new information would emerge or rumors would circulate, but nothing major happened.

Heroes and villains emerged endlessly in the cultivation world, and the waves of the present drowned out the past.

However, Lu Yang never completely forgot the matter, still sometimes wondering about that missing Qi Sea elder.

Was he dead, or was he still alive?

What exactly had happened that day?

Why had the conflict between the Divine Martial Hall and Misty Cloud Sect erupted so suddenly?

The answers remained hidden, but Lu Yang had long known even in his past life that some mysteries weren't meant to be solved by someone at his current level.

At present, his only responsibility was to continue becoming stronger.

One day, when he possessed sufficient strength, those mysteries would naturally reveal themselves.