273: Lu Chen went home

Lu Xiaohu is now the strongest fighter in Lu Family Village, the leader of the younger generation in the village.

Not only does he Cultivate diligently himself, but every morning he also leads the young people in the village to practice, teaching them the Golden Dragon Cultivation Technique left by Lu Chen.

And he is not an exception.

In Lu Family Village, almost every young person is desperately Cultivating—

Some get up before dawn to meditate, while others are still sweating profusely in the training grounds at night.

They all know in their hearts:

The peace Lu Family Village enjoys today is all thanks to Lu Chen.

But outsiders will not always bestow it; only by becoming strong themselves can they truly stand invincible!

This spirit of striving has long been integrated into their Bloodline.

Village Chief Lu Zhengde, nearing seventy, with hair like snow and a slightly hunched back, still had clear eyes.

Every night, he would lean on his cane and walk alone into the village ancestral hall.

In the center of the ancestral hall, an uncarved memorial tablet was enshrined—it was set up for Lu Chen.

He lit three sticks of incense, knelt tremblingly, clasped his hands together, and prayed in a low voice:

"Lu Chen... if you have a spirit in heaven, bless the village with peace."

"Xiaohu and the others are all working hard; none of the young people in the village are lazy."

"But this old body of mine won't last many more years... When will you return?"

"Lu Family Village... is waiting for you to come back..."

The curling incense smoke reflected his wrinkled face.

That sigh was so heavy it seemed to weigh down the hopes of the entire village.

A figure appeared silently behind him, as if stepping out of the Void Realm, not even causing the candlelight to flicker in the slightest.

Who!!

Lu Zhengde sensed someone.

"It's me."

The voice was deep and calm, yet it exploded in Lu Zhengde's ears like a clap of thunder!

Lu Zhengde turned his head sharply, his cloudy old eyes widened instantly, and he trembled all over, almost unable to believe his eyes—

"Lu... Lu Chen?! It's you!! It's really you!!"

Lu Zhengde stumbled, trying to stand up, but his legs gave way, and he almost fell.

Lu Chen stepped forward and gently supported him.

Lu Zhengde tightly grasped his arm, tears streaming down his face:

"You... you're exactly the same as ten years ago! Not aged, not injured... That's wonderful! That's truly wonderful!"

He laughed uproariously, crying and shouting, "I don't have to worry anymore! Lu Family Village is saved! We have a backer!!"

Lu Chen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the uncarved memorial tablet in the ancestral hall, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes:

"Don't worry, from now on, no one will dare to threaten Lu Family Village again. If anyone dares to touch an inch of Lu Family Village's land, I will wipe out their entire clan."

The lights in every household in the village suddenly lit up!

Dog barks, sounds of opening doors, and footsteps rose and fell, the villagers seemed to have sensed something, and all came out in their clothes, rushing towards the ancestral hall!

"Lu Chen is back!!"

"It's Lu Chen!! He's really back!!"

In an instant, the entire Lu Family Village was in an uproar!

Gongs and drums sounded, firecrackers exploded, and men, women, and children poured onto the village road, their faces beaming with long-lost ecstasy.

Some knelt and kowtowed, some cried loudly, and more people gathered around, chattering about the bits and pieces of the past ten years—

"Brother Lu Chen, I married Xiaomei, and last year we had a big chubby boy named 'Lu Nian,' to remember your kindness!"

"My father passed away last year, and he was still talking about you on his deathbed... But now I'm at Qi Refining seventh-level, I haven't shamed you!"

"Xiaohu has reached Foundation Establishment! He's the pillar of the village now, leading us in practice every day!"

Lu Chen listened and watched, a rare smile gracing his lips.

It was a long-lost feeling—

Kinship.

Not master and Disciple, not lord and subject, not allies, but a Bloodline connection, a belonging that needed no words.

He stood in the crowd, feeling this simple warmth, as if the loneliness of ten years of wandering was soothed at this moment.

A moment later, he suddenly asked:

"Auntie... still hasn't returned?"

Lu Zhengde shook his head, his expression complex:

"She came back once seven years ago, and only stayed for one night. She heard that you had left ten years ago and there was no news... She left early the next morning, very resolutely. Later, I heard that she started Cultivating and joined an Immortal Cultivation Sect called 'Taixu Sect,' and she never came back."

"Taixu Sect?" Lu Chen frowned slightly.

Of course, he knew that name—

The number one Immortal Cultivation Sect on Tianqi Continent!

With a Legacy of tens of thousands of years, the School possessed the only Nascent Soul on the Continent, nearly a hundred Golden Core Elders, controlled nine Spiritual Veins, had strict School rules, and all its Disciples were Prodigies!

It was as difficult for ordinary people to enter as ascending to heaven!

And his aunt, a Mortal woman who had never Cultivated before, could enter the Immortal Realm in just seven short years and be accepted by Taixu Sect?

This talent... was completely unexpected!

Lu Chen's heart stirred slightly.

He had intended to find her and protect her, but now it seemed—

His aunt had already forged her own path, found her Opportunity, her Dao.

If he appeared rashly, it might disrupt her Cultivation instead.

So be it.

She has her destiny; I... should not disturb her.

Lu Chen returned to his dwelling, and Bai Jingjing was actually there. Ten years had passed, and she had become even more feminine. Her eyes filled with tears, she knelt on the ground: "Master, I knew you weren't dead."

Lu Chen stepped into his simple old house. The moment he pushed the door open, the candlelight inside flickered gently.

A graceful figure slowly emerged from the shadows, moonlight spilling over her, outlining a breathtaking curve.

It was Bai Jingjing.

Ten years had not diminished her charm; instead, they had sculpted her into an even more seductive and captivating woman.

The former innocence had long faded, replaced by the unique allure of a mature woman—

A plain white dress, tailored to fit, outlined her full bust and slender waist, with a slit up to her thigh, revealing a long, snow-white leg.

Her raven hair cascaded like a waterfall, the ends slightly curled, resting gently on her shoulders, making her skin appear even fairer.

Her eyes were tearful, and as they moved, they seemed to convey a thousand words, appearing utterly charming.

She slowly knelt, her hands clasped before her knees, her posture humble yet unable to conceal her grace:

"Master... I knew... you weren't dead. I waited day and night, even when everyone said you had fallen, I believed... you would return."

Lu Chen stood at the doorway, his expression calm: "You're still here? I thought that after ten years, you would have found a new path."

Bai Jingjing looked up at him, her lips trembling slightly, her voice soft as a whisper: "Wherever Master goes, my heart is there. These ten years, I have never left Lu Family Village... because I knew you would definitely return."

Lu Chen nodded faintly:

"Hmm, you are indeed loyal."

But he didn't know—

Bai Jingjing had not told the whole truth.

These ten years, she had not simply been waiting, but had been imprisoned by fear.

She often woke up in a fright from dreams, countless strange images flashing through her mind—seas of blood, rotting corpses, a burning palace, and a Divine Thought that was cold to the extreme:

"I must find you! I must find you!!"