Under One Person: Sincerity Moves the Gods

Chapter 34 Lu Family Birthday Banquet

Inside the main hall, the floor is paved with blue bricks, and the air is filled with the fragrance of incense.

Zuo Ruotong sat upright on the futon at the head of the table, her white hair falling naturally over her shoulders, her eyes slightly closed.

There was no one serving in the hall, only a sandalwood incense burner on the table burning silently, its smoke rising and swirling between the beams for a long time.

crunch.

With the sound of a wooden door rubbing against each other, Li Cunzhen and Li Muxuan walked into the main hall side by side.

The two stopped in front of Zuo Ruotong and bowed, saying:

"Master."

Zuo Ruotong opened her eyes, glanced at the two of them, nodded slightly, and first looked at Li Cunzhen, asking:

"Cunzhen, how's your cultivation going lately?"

Li Cunzhen answered truthfully:

"Reporting to Master, there are no problems with the cultivation of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage for the time being. As for the cultivation of Reverse Life, it is still in the stage of condensing Yang Core, and it is probably impossible to break through in a short time."

Zuo Ruotong nodded upon hearing this, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

From the day he entered the sect, Li Cunzhen had been constantly breaking his expectations. Not only was he exceptionally talented, a gift from heaven, but what pleased Zuo Ruotong even more was that Li Cunzhen never slowed down because of this. Day after day, year after year, he always put his life cultivation first.

As for the bottleneck of reversing life...

The seventh stage of reversing life allows one to transcend life and death and surpass heaven and earth.

This stage requires repeatedly transforming the body's Qi, recovering when you can't hold on, and repeating this cycle to gradually deepen the degree of Qi transformation. It is a process that takes time and patience.

In addition, this test requires one to take life and death lightly and regard the damage to one's limbs and internal organs as nothing. This requires considerable worldly experience to achieve. After all, Li Cunzhen had been cultivating in seclusion on the mountain. No matter how outstanding his talent was, it was only natural that he lacked experience in this area.

In short, it would be truly astonishing if Li Cunzhen could break through this barrier right now.

Thinking of this, Zuo Ruotong looked at Li Cunzhen and said:

"It's alright. Haste makes waste. The cultivation of rebirth is inherently difficult. Just continue your cultivation step by step."

Li Cunzhen nodded without saying anything.

He certainly wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

After asking Li Cunzhen, Zuo Ruotong turned her gaze to Li Muxuan: "Muxuan, what about you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Muxuan cupped his hands and said:

"This disciple has no problem reaching the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage."

"As for condensing the Yang Pill, I feel that my skills are not yet up to par, so I have not yet gone into seclusion to try it."

Zuo Ruotong nodded slightly upon hearing this:

"Condensing the Yang Elixir is extremely dangerous; the slightest mistake can ruin everything. It's right to go into seclusion only when you're confident. Don't rush it; cultivation is something that can't be rushed."

"Disciple understands."

Li Muxuan cupped his hands in agreement.

Eight years have passed.

Li Muxuan's appearance and temperament have changed quite a bit.

He was wearing the white Taoist robe that was the hallmark of the Sanyi Sect, and his hair was no longer casually loose as it was at this age in the original story, but was properly tied up and hung down behind his head.

His eyes were lively, but not sharp.

In short, he no longer looked like that naughty child, but like a well-behaved Trinity disciple.

This is only natural, given the eight years of seclusion and cultivation at the Sanyi Sect, plus the presence of Li Cunzhen.

This was enough to temper Li Muxuan's temperament considerably, and most of the time, his behavior and actions were quite composed.

Of course, it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.

Deep down, he was still the same Li Muxuan who didn't believe in heaven or earth; however, under the suppression of his elder brother and master, those sharp edges were temporarily hidden.

If something really happens, he'll probably still act like a spoiled brat.

Zuo Ruotong looked at the two outstanding disciples in front of her and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

After inquiring about his cultivation progress, he brought up the important matter at hand, reaching out to take a letter from the table.

The letter had a bright red background, giving it a festive look, and on it was neatly written a gold-embossed character "陆" (Lu).

"You have been disciples of the Sanyi Sect for some years, but you have been cultivating in seclusion on the mountain and have never gone down the mountain to gain experience."

Zuo Ruotong placed the letter on her lap:

"So, there are some things you may know and some you may not know. I'll take this opportunity to tell you about them today."

Li Cunzhen and Li Muxuan exchanged a glance and listened attentively.

"In the world of supernatural beings, most forces are passed down in the form of sects, but there are also four relatively large forces that are passed down in the form of families, and they are collectively known as the Four Great Families in the circle."

"They are Gao, Lu, Lü, and Wang."

Zuo Ruotong slowly said:

"Among them, apart from the Lu family, the other three families all have their own unique methods. Only the Lu family relies on their family tradition and the talent of their descendants, allowing their children to join various sects and schools, thus establishing themselves in the world of supernatural beings."

The Li brothers nodded; they knew all of this.

"Your junior brother Lu Jin is a member of the Lu family."

Zuo Ruotong continued:

"Most of the Lu family members are outstanding, and various sects are willing to take them in. These sects that take in Lu family members naturally become close to the Lu family. This has been passed down from generation to generation, and the Lu family's network of connections can be said to cover the entire world of supernatural beings."

Zuo Ruotong picked up the red invitation card with gold lettering.

Show the character "陆" to the two of them.

"The reason I've called you all here is because it's the Lu family head's 80th birthday, and at the same time, the position of family head will be passed on to his successor, Lu Xuan. The Lu family has sent out invitations widely within the family circle, firstly to let the world witness it, and secondly..."

Zuo Ruotong paused, then sighed.

"The world is getting more and more chaotic, and everyone is having a hard time. I think that the head of the Lu family usually advocates frugality, so this lavish celebration is probably just an excuse to get everyone together and bring some joy."

"Lu Jin went down the mountain a few days ago to return to Jiangnan ahead of schedule to help out."

Li Cunzhen suddenly realized something.

Sure enough, the Lu family's birthday banquet was about to begin.

In the original story, this birthday banquet was no ordinary event.

As Zuo Ruotong said, the Lu family has connections throughout the world of supernatural beings, so most of the major forces attended this birthday banquet and brought their own outstanding disciples.

Liu Deshui, Feng Ping, Zhang Zhiwei, Lü Ci, Lu Jin...

There are several future members of the Ten Elders and Thirty-Six Thieves just from the storyline, not to mention other young talents who are not explicitly mentioned in the comics but are highly likely to participate.

In conclusion, this was a rare and wonderful feast.

Just as Li Cunzhen was reminiscing.

Li Muxuan, standing to the side, already had shining eyes and couldn't wait to ask, "Master, when does Old Master Lu's birthday banquet start? Who are you planning to bring?"

He was naturally active, and although he had grown accustomed to life on the mountain after eight years of seclusion, it would be even better if he could come down from the mountain.

Moreover, judging from Master's words, most of the forces in the supernatural community will send people to the Lu family's birthday banquet. Wouldn't that be a chance to witness the methods of other sects?

Thinking about this, Li Muxuan became even more excited.

Zuo Ruotong placed the invitation back on the table: "The Lu family sent out invitations widely this time, including to many friends from the border regions, which are far away, so we specially sent out invitations in advance. There is still about a month before the birthday banquet begins."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Li Cunzhen for a moment.

"As for who to take..."

Zuo Ruotong looked at Li Cunzhen, and a barely perceptible smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

"You two came up the mountain in the same batch as Lu Jin and are the most familiar with him, so come with me."

Li Muxuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Thank you, Master!"

His lips curled into a wide grin; he was practically ready to clap and cheer.

On the other side, Li Cunzhen vaguely sensed that his master's gaze was a little strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It seemed like... he was expecting a good show.

However, he also wanted to see for himself.

Although he had read the original novel, he had never personally witnessed those bizarre and wonderful methods. Attending the Lu family's birthday banquet was a great opportunity to broaden his horizons.

"Your disciple obeys."

Thinking of this, Li Cunzhen also bowed and agreed.

Zuo Ruotong nodded and stood up.

"Okay, then you guys hurry up and pack your things, we'll leave tomorrow."