550: Chapter 550 Trust

Thunder Pond.

After a round of rewards, Liu Xuan soaked in the thunder slurry to relax, while You Ruo knelt by his side as usual, kneading his shoulders.

After promoting to Nascent Soul True Lord, Liu Xuan had increased the intensity of the thunder slurry in the Thunder Pond by more than tenfold, making it take on a faint purple hue.

Ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators would find it difficult to withstand such thunder slurry even with full defensive measures, yet Liu Xuan used it as a hot spring soak!

As a ghost Cultivator, You Ruo naturally feared thunder and lightning; every time she looked down, her heart would tremble with fear.

Even the electrical arcs spreading from Liu Xuan's shoulder skin required her careful handling; while they wouldn't seriously injure her, being shocked still hurt quite a bit!

'Just what kind of Yao Race Bloodline does my husband possess, and what Cultivation Technique has he practiced? Why is his body so hard?'

Liu Xuan's Physical Body was too strong! For a simple shoulder massage, You Ruo had to exert the ghost qi within her body just to move his muscles; even so, her hands became sore after only a short while.

Though it was tiring, You Ruo felt very at peace. After Liu Xuan's Breakthrough to Nascent Soul True Lord, his Yang Qi had become even more abundant. If she absorbed it for long enough, it could even help her achieve the Ghost King Realm.

"Husband!" You Ruo said while kneading, "I feel like my Master has already begun to suspect me."

"Oh? How so?" Liu Xuan only paused slightly before continuing to rest with his eyes closed, showing no sign of panic.

"Starting from a year ago, I felt Master testing me—testing whether I was still alive, whether I was still the same You Ruo as before, and testing my true attitude toward her and toward you," You Ruo said slowly after a moment of thought.

"And did she figure it out?" Liu Xuan asked.

"I don't know!" You Ruo shook her head slightly. "However, she definitely knows that I have followed you, husband; she just hasn't called it out openly."

At this point, a hint of worry appeared on You Ruo's exquisite face. Although she had decided to follow Liu Xuan, Ghost King Lianyue's prestige had been established for many years, so she couldn't help but be concerned.

For as long as You Ruo could remember, Ghost King Lianyue had been the master of the Black Death Marsh and the Dominator of hundreds of millions of ghost Cultivators in the entire Southern Border. The psychological pressure of betraying her Master was immense.

"Don't worry!" Liu Xuan's perception was keen; he didn't need to open his eyes to know the changes in You Ruo's emotions, so he spoke to comfort her. "Since she hasn't called it out or acted against you, just proceed as usual."

Among the several Soul Transformation experts involved in the Endless Demon Court battlefield, Liu Xuan's wariness toward Ghost King Lianyue was relatively low.

Although Ghost King Lianyue's cultivation had reached the Peak of the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, she would not easily leave the Black Death Marsh, as her strength would be greatly reduced otherwise.

The Avici Karmic Fire, the nine heavens thunder source bead, and even the wither-thrive life-death cauldron in Liu Xuan's possession were all supreme treasures that countered ghost Cultivators.

Furthermore, the Divine Soul attacks and illusion techniques that ghost Cultivators excelled at were also Liu Xuan's strengths. As long as he didn't take the initiative to go to the Black Death Marsh, it would be difficult for Ghost King Lianyue to do anything to him.

Moreover, there were no conflicts of interest between the two parties, and Liu Xuan had always shown goodwill, so she had no reason to act against the Liu Family.

"Mhm! I will listen to you, husband."

Liu Xuan's calm tone gave You Ruo great confidence, and the sliver of worry in her heart instantly dissipated. She chuckled and said, "I guess that seeing me leave the Lianyue Immortal Palace so decisively, Master must be even more wary of your identity, husband, and thus wouldn't dare to do anything to me instead."

"Next time I find an opportunity, I'll lay my cards on the table with her. From then on, I won't be an envoy of the Lianyue Immortal Palace, but a Liu family member, working for our Liu Family."

"Do as you see fit!" Liu Xuan's tone was lazy and casual as he instructed, "Just don't let the relationship turn sour; try to focus on cooperation as much as possible."

"This concubine understands~"

As an envoy who managed general affairs and intelligence for the Lianyue Immortal Palace and a confidante of Ghost King Lianyue, You Ruo's ability to handle matters was beyond question.

...

A few days later.

While Liu Xuan diverted a sliver of Divine Thought to plant Spirit Medicine inside the wither-thrive life-death cauldron within his body, he also accompanied the children in the Clan School.

Liu Xuan was very invested in his children's education, but because he was truly too busy, he could only occasionally find time to accompany and guide them.

Regarding Cultivation Techniques and various immortal arts, aside from public lectures, he only had the energy to teach the few with the highest talent. The rest were taught by their older brothers and sisters with good grades or by those aunts with high cultivation levels.

The current Liu Clan School was not yet fully mature; compared to the teaching halls of those great Sects, its teaching staff was relatively thin.

However, in terms of cultivation manuals, various Legacy Jade Slips, and treasures that aided in cultivation and comprehension, the Liu Clan School lacked nothing and was not inferior to the great Sects at all.

"Father, there is still one part of the Heaven-Seizing One Qi Secret Art that I don't quite understand." His daughter Xin Ci had a focused gaze as she held a Jade Slip to consult Liu Xuan.

Xin Ci was already twenty-six years old this year, having grown from the little girl of the past into a graceful young woman.

Possessing the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body, Liu Xuan had been quite partial to her when she was young. Her mother, Zi Ling, was an Alchemist who practiced poison techniques, so there was no shortage of various poisons.

At only twenty-six, Xin Ci had already reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining; with good luck, she could reach Foundation Establishment in the near future.

Liu Xuan looked over the problem Xin Ci encountered and patiently explained it to her. Finally, he asked, "The Heaven-Seizing One Qi Secret Art consumes Lifespan; are you not afraid?"

Xin Ci shook her head, her mind entirely on the Cultivation Technique and secret art. She said absentmindedly, "There's nothing to be afraid of. As long as I break through to the next Realm, the little bit of Lifespan lost can be earned back. It's not a loss!"

"You certainly are confident enough!" Liu Xuan smiled, very satisfied with her answer.

Ever since the Heaven-Seizing One Qi Secret Art had spread in the Clan School, more than half of the adult Disciples in the Family had begun to Cultivate it.

Some among them, like Xin Ci, were full of confidence, while others were forced into the competitive struggle; otherwise, if their ranking in the Family competition dropped, the treatment and resources they received would decrease.

A decrease in treatment and resources would lead to a further drop in ranking. This was a vicious cycle; if one didn't join the competition, they would be reduced to a 'salted fish'.

Hearing Liu Xuan's words, Xin Ci suddenly smiled and shook her head. "It's not that your daughter is confident, but that I believe in you, Father!"

Without waiting for Liu Xuan to ask, she continued, "If there were a problem with the secret art, you wouldn't encourage us to Cultivate it."

Liu Xuan was taken aback! "You girl, you're still as clever as ever."

Liu Xuan already had some ideas regarding the Heaven-Seizing One-Qi Creation Technique. After promoting to the Nascent Soul Realm, his comprehension of the technique had deepened, and he was confident he could split the unique qi of creation into many portions.

The True Qi cultivated by the Liu Family Disciples could be directly converted into the qi of creation in the future, without losing much Lifespan.

After Xin Ci took her leave, Liu Xuan was about to continue guiding the next child when he saw Li Xihe walking in from the door.

"Fellow Daoist Li, is something the matter?" Liu Xuan asked with a frown.

Li Xihe carried something left by Daoist Lord Lihuo that could allow the Dao Lord's Dharma Idol to descend. Liu Xuan wasn't sure if this item allowed the Dao Lord to perceive the surroundings at any time, so he tried his best to avoid contact with her.

Liu Xuan's attitude made Li Xihe very unhappy. He was gentle toward other beautiful women, so why was he specifically cold toward her?

Was it that she wasn't beautiful enough? Or was it because of that small matter from back then?

'It was just a small matter; how can he be so petty?'