CHAPTER 417: CHAPTER 259: YIN GOD-LEVEL SPIRIT: ETERNAL MARK STAR_2

His tone carried a hint of weakness.

"Heavenly secrets have been obscured?"

Lu Baichuan’s expression turned grim. "Great Elder," he said urgently, "I fear someone is targeting our Lu Family!"

"I understand."

The Great Elder gritted his teeth and waved his large hand again. Strands of profound aura began to emanate from his body. This was the very Path of Destiny he cultivated—one that could reveal the past, present, and future of living beings. The aura of the great Dao permeated the air.

In that instant, a clear image finally emerged within the divination chessboard.

In the image, he saw the battle between Lu Shangxing and Shao Zhengze, as well as the Power of the Curse afflicting Lu Shangxing.

"It’s him—Shao Zhengze!"

Lu Baichuan stared intently at the image before him. Was this the man who killed my son? Was this all a scheme by the Purple Cloud Divine Sect? Yet, something felt off.

BOOM!

The next moment, Shao Zhengze suddenly self-destructed, shocking them both.

Could it be there was someone else?

Indeed, in the following instant, another dark shadow flashed within the secret chamber. It was this individual who had killed Lu Shangxing.

Lu Baichuan’s heart began to pound violently; he knew the murderer was the person now visible.

However...

"No, why can’t I see his face?" Lu Baichuan’s eyes widened abruptly. No matter how hard he tried, the face remained indistinct. It was as if an unseen power had obscured his face, veiling it from divine perception.

"Great Elder!" Lu Baichuan turned, his eyes filled with murderous intent, but there was nothing he could do except watch the shadow slay his son. His only hope now rested with the Great Elder. The Great Elder’s Path of Destiny should be able to forcibly uncover this person’s identity.

PFFT!

However, in the next instant, blood suddenly gushed from the Great Elder’s mouth. His meridians ruptured one after another, Spiritual Qi flowed in reverse, and his aura instantly diminished. This was the backlash from prying too deeply into heavenly secrets. The Path of Destiny was exceedingly perilous. Every attempt to divine the Heavenly Dao would, at best, shorten one’s lifespan; at worst, inflict grievous injuries upon the practitioner.

This time, the Great Elder was clearly suffering a severe backlash.

"Great Elder!" Lu Baichuan rushed to support him. Though he had appeared extremely domineering moments before, he held the utmost respect for the Great Elder. The Lu Family’s ascent to its current standing owed a great deal to the Great Elder’s contributions.

"Baichuan, let it be." The Great Elder’s face was ashen, his voice incredibly faint. "This person... is entangled with immense karma, and the one backing him possesses an understanding of the Great Dao... far surpassing my own."

"What!" Hearing this, Lu Baichuan’s expression became exceptionally grave. This person actually has such a background! It had to be known that in all of Zhongzhou, those overtly stronger than the Great Elder could be counted on one hand.

"Baichuan, you must not provoke this person lightly..." The Great Elder weakly grasped Lu Baichuan’s hand. "I am old now. You might say I’ve grown wary of trouble, but... my divinations have never been wrong."

"Great Elder... I understand..." Lu Baichuan’s expression shifted repeatedly, but he ultimately nodded. Since the Great Elder had spoken so gravely, it truly underscored the situation’s severity.

"Good, that’s good." The Great Elder sagged, his strength failing him. His pupils dilated as the backlash surged within him once more.

"Great Elder..." Lu Baichuan cried out anxiously again.

"I’m fine..." But the Great Elder waved his hand again, forcefully suppressing his injuries. He then pushed Lu Baichuan away, saying, "Baichuan, I don’t matter, you don’t matter—no one does. Only the Lu Family is paramount. Do you understand?"

"I... understand," Lu Baichuan clenched his teeth.

"Go. Just go." The Great Elder gestured dismissively, preparing to begin his healing. He then quietly closed his eyes.

"Great Elder, please rest well." Seeing this, Lu Baichuan said no more and quickly departed.

However, after Lu Baichuan left, the Great Elder opened his eyes again. In truth, he had seen certain images. Only, the figure in the vision was entwined with countless threads of karma, their complexity truly horrifying.

"He must not be provoked. We cannot afford to provoke him..." the Great Elder murmured to himself. Although divinations aren’t always one hundred percent accurate, as the tides of fate are ever-changing, this was not a time for him to gamble. If the Lu Family’s foundation, built over so many years, were to be ruined under his stewardship, he would be irredeemably culpable. The Lu Family needed powerful individuals now. He was old and couldn’t shelter them for much longer.

...

As soon as Lu Baichuan left the backyard, his eyes turned utterly grim.

"Great Elder, you truly have grown old, losing your edge," Lu Baichuan murmured softly. The Lu Family has been humiliated to this extent, and yet he still speaks of forbearance? Just because the other party has a top expert backing them? So what if they do? The Lu Family will not cower!

"Come forth!" Lu Baichuan suddenly called out.

"Patriarch." Instantly, several figures materialized around him.

"Issue the order: activate the array method, seal off Linlang City, and let no one escape!" Lu Baichuan’s eyes narrowed, a cold, murderous intent flaring within them. If he were to let this go, his Path of Slaughter would truly have reached its end. So, they’ve obscured the heavenly secrets, have they? Yet, I still managed to capture a trace of his aura! Once I investigate them one by one, I will definitely uncover the murderer!

「Tonight.」

Inside the Lu Immortal Mansion, lights shone brightly, and figures bustled about—a scene of vibrant activity. Many powerhouses had gathered, toasts were exchanged, and everyone was in high spirits. Powerful members of the Lu Family, faces wreathed in smiles, moved among the representatives of the major powers.

Soon after, Message Jade Talismans began to light up continuously. The information within caused expressions to shift, and ultimately, they had no choice but to excuse themselves from their guests and depart.

The visiting experts also sensed that something was amiss. The initial atmosphere of harmony and festivity soured.

Many people’s eyes flickered. Something has indeed gone wrong, they mused. They had already sensed it when Qinglian Fairy and Qin Yang had made their moves earlier. They just didn’t know precisely what had occurred.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Outside Linlang City, a grand array slowly activated. Brilliant immortal light illuminated the entire expanse between heaven and earth, seeming to envelop even the river of stars above. This light was incredibly dazzling yet immensely terrifying. It was an extremely peculiar feeling, as if the entire city was locked down by an invisible, oppressive force.

"What is this...?" Everyone looked up, their brows furrowing.

Activating the grand array? What on earth is the Lu Family doing? Could they be planning to trap us all here?

Within Linlang City, an even greater commotion arose; no one knew precisely what was happening. But the activation of this array often signaled that a major event was about to unfold.

「Meanwhile, Wen Zhixing paid no heed to the external chaos, completely immersed in his breakthrough.」

BUZZ!

An endless, mystical Qi danced around his body. Brilliant immortal light enveloped him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

His Sea of Qi churned violently, as if brewing something powerful. Wen Zhixing felt as though he were in the midst of a vast universe, filled with endless stars and boundless life. And he was among them, as small as a speck of dust floating in the cosmos. But this speck of dust suddenly burst forth with endless light, like an Eternal Star that would never fall.

Minuscule, yet eternally enduring.

Wen Zhixing uttered a soft groan; he felt an infinite power permeate every muscle, every drop of blood, every inch of his body. The potential of his Longevity Body began to be rapidly excavated.

All energy converged to a single point!

"Ah!"

The next moment, Wen Zhixing’s eyes snapped open.

BOOM!

Before him, there was a point of light. Yes, it was just a point of light. But on closer inspection, it wasn’t.

Could this be a planet, shrunk to an infinitesimal point? Is this... my Genius Spirit? Wen Zhixing’s gaze flickered.

At the same time, panel prompts popped up.

[Congratulations, you have successfully condensed a Genius Spirit.]

[Your Genius Spirit is: Eternal Star.]

[Eternal Star: Yin God Level. So long as the universe endures, its starlight will never dim. This is the Eternal Star.]

[This quality is the upper limit your current realm can withstand, not upgradable.]

[Your cultivation has broken through to the Genius Spirit Realm.]

[Life-span +2,000.]

[Current life-span: 3,964.]

"Eternal Star!"

Wen Zhixing reached out, wanting to touch his Genius Spirit. He had imagined his Genius Spirit would resemble Murong Fenghua’s—some kind of creature, or perhaps even humanoid. To think it ended up being an actual planet; that was truly unexpected.