315: Long-lost warmth! About to be closed for a hundred years!

Surrounded by mountains, a majestic complex of buildings rose from the ground, like a masterpiece painted by a Heavenly God.

The glazed golden roofs shimmered with colorful light in the morning sun, and on the nine-tiered eaves, the stone sculptures of Auspicious Beasts crouched lifelike.

Inside the central hall, the spiritual tea on the agarwood table was steaming with white mist.

The two elders on the main seats were chatting and laughing when they were suddenly interrupted by a rush of footsteps.

"Father! Father!"

A young woman, holding up her green skirt, ran in, her hairpins jingling.

She didn't bother to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, her almond eyes brimming with unconcealed joy: "Xiangrong and Xianglin can walk!"

And the young woman was none other than Lu Qingqing.

The two elders on the main seats were Shen Yunwei and Lu Jiahe, respectively.

Lu Jiahe, on the left main seat, was about to scold her, but then he saw that his daughter's hair tips were still wet with morning dew, and her embroidered shoes were covered in grass clippings, indicating she had rushed over.

Lu Jiahe's stern face immediately softened into a smile, his eye wrinkles filled with tenderness.

"You girl..."

He pointed a finger, but his voice softened, "You're already a mother, yet still so reckless."

"Master Shen, I've made you laugh."

Shen Yunwei, who was beside him, stroked his beard and chuckled, taking over Lu Jiahe's words and speaking unhurriedly.

"Lu Jiahe, you are mistaken."

Shen Yunwei's gaze swept past the hall entrance, looking at his two great-grandchildren slowly approaching, a gentle light appearing in his eyes.

"Lu Qingqing's innocent heart is truly a blessing to my Shen family."

Before long, a burst of bell-like laughter came from outside the hall.

Two toddlers, dressed in red silk bellybands, were tottering across the threshold.

The gilded bells on their wrists chimed clearly with each step.

The boy had a sturdy build, with two large, black grape-like eyes set in his round little face.

The girl was as lovely as jade and snow, with a butterfly hairpin in her hair that gently trembled as she moved, as if it were alive and about to flutter its wings and fly.

"Oh dear!"

"My precious little grandson!"

Lu Jiahe didn't even have time to put down his teacup, rushing forward in a few quick steps.

The elder squatted down and spread his arms, his dark brocade robe spreading out like clouds on the green jade tiles.

"Xiangrong, Xianglin, come to your grandpa!"

The little boy, Xiangrong, suddenly sped up, stumbled, and was about to fall.

Just in that flash of lightning, a faint golden halo suddenly appeared around him, and he actually floated three feet in the air, perfectly stable!

"This...?"

The teacup in Shen Yunwei's hand cracked with a "click," and tea slowly seeped out through the crack.

He was completely oblivious, his gaze fixed on the hall entrance, his expression filled with pleasant surprise.

Before Shen Yunwei could get up, a gentle breeze wafted in from outside the hall, carrying the unique fresh scent of grass and trees from the mountain forest.

A slender figure had appeared at the vermilion lacquered threshold at some point, like a banished immortal descending from the heavens.

This person wore a flowing dark black robe, the soft fabric automatically billowing in the windless, quiet air.

The flowing cloud patterns meticulously embroidered with gold thread on the cuffs shimmered brilliantly in the faint light.

"You two little rascals."

The newcomer's lips parted slightly, and he chuckled, his voice like the clear ringing of a jade chime, echoing leisurely through the great hall.

He took a light step, and though he only took one, black and gold light seemed to flow around him.

As if stepping on invisible clouds, he instantly appeared before the two children.

With a gentle flick of his wide sleeve, the two babies were safely embraced in his arms.

"Uncle... Uncle!"

The two little ones called out in their childish voices, their rosy little faces filled with surprise, their lotus-root-like hands flailing in the air.

Their target was the few round, bright pearls on the man's brocade robe, and crystal clear drool flowed from the corners of their mouths, dripping onto the man's long robe.

After Lu Jiahe clearly saw who the person was, his cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.

Like a withered tree coming back to life, they regained their luster, and the layers of wrinkles on his face completely smoothed out at this moment.

"Lu Xuan!"

Lu Jiahe's voice trembled, and his withered, tree-like arms slowly rose, the veins on the back of his hands bulging and trembling slightly, as if he wanted to calm his inner excitement.

"Big Brother--"

Lu Qingqing flew to him like a swallow returning to its nest, the golden hairpins on her bun jingling with her movements, their crisp sound echoing through the hall.

She hugged Lu Xuan's right arm without a care, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, welling up and threatening to overflow at any moment.

It was the look of crying tears of joy.

"Father, Master Shen!"

Lu Xuan immediately greeted Lu Jiahe and Shen Yunwei in front of him.

Then, he slowly turned his head, his eyes instantly filled with doting affection as he looked at his younger sister.

"This time, I will be staying for a year."

At this moment, Shen Yunwei, who had been quietly observing Lu Xuan, suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of concern and caution: "Xiao Xuan, have you settled everything outside?"

Lu Xuan naturally understood Shen Yunwei's meaning, and he nodded slowly, his movements steady.

"Yes, most of it is settled. It's time to come back."

Back then, the situation was extremely critical; the Eight Great Families and the Five Transcendent Forces harbored deep hatred for Lu Xuan and wished to eliminate him quickly.

And since Lu Xuan was about to enter the Lingxu Land, he could only move the Shen family and the Lu family to this isolated place as a precaution.

By now, the thirteen forces that once dominated the Great Xia Dynasty and were once arrogant and unyielding, now only had the Li family, the Mo family, and the Officials Surname family remaining.

Those remnants who had fortunately escaped had no chance of escaping; Lu Xuan didn't even need to personally take action.

The Great Xia Dynasty and those three families—the Li family, the Mo family, and the Officials Surname family—would certainly do everything in their power to protect their own interests and authority.

They would hunt down those forces that dared to rebel throughout the land, eradicating the five aristocratic families and the remnants of the Five Transcendent Forces, leaving no one alive.

Then, Lu Xuan carefully handed the two little nephews he was holding to his father.

The little ones blinked their round eyes, still not understanding the situation, their small hands waving in the air, babbling incoherently.

Lu Xuan suddenly raised his sleeve and waved it—

"Boom!"

The world suddenly changed color!

The next moment, where everyone's gaze was focused, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Light seemed to be arbitrarily manipulated by an invisible hand, beginning to flow in reverse, as if the world was being reshuffled, and the outlines of mountains and buildings twisted and changed.

The entire valley suddenly twisted like a reflection in water, and the glazed golden roofs began to peel off piece by piece.

The Auspicious Beast sculptures on the nine-tiered eaves even let out a mournful wail, turning into streaks of light and dissipating.

The Lu family and Shen family members outside the complex of buildings watched their own bodies in horror.

A mysterious black and gold light was slowly spreading to every corner of their bodies.

These Lu family and Shen family members, who had been completely unaware of the situation inside the house, suddenly noticed this anomaly and all craned their heads.

Everyone looked around in all directions, their faces filled with shock.

As time passed minute by minute, this luxurious complex of buildings, hidden deep within the mountains, seemed to be mercilessly eroded by time.

It gradually turned into dust flying everywhere, scattering in the wind with a rustling sound.

"The houses, the valley, they're all disappearing!"

Liang Cheng's eyes widened, staring intently at the strange changes occurring around him.

The black and gold barrier that had originally enveloped the mountains was crumbling like a shattered glazed cup, disintegrating at a visible speed.

Gradually, Liang Cheng looked up, staring blankly at the sky, his lips trembling slightly.

After a long while, he spoke in a daze: "What... what exactly happened?"

"How did Xuan Ge's Heaven and Earth Seal disappear?"

At this moment, a bold idea flashed through Liang Cheng's mind.

Liang Cheng's pupils constricted, his face instantly showing a mix of surprise and joy, and he roared up at the sky: "It's Xuan Ge!"

"Xuan Ge is back!"

Liang Cheng's voice still echoed in the air, and everyone within this mountain complex was gently swept over by this soft black and gold light.

In just one breath, everyone mysteriously vanished between heaven and earth, leaving no trace, as if they had never existed.

Qingyun County!

When the crowd reappeared, they only felt a blur before their eyes, and when they opened them again, familiar surroundings came into view.

On the bluestone slab road, the main gate of the Lu family's long-silent mansion opened automatically with a "creak."

In the courtyard, withered trees came back to life, the old well gushed forth water, and even the string of wind chimes under the eaves, dusty for many years, suddenly began to sway joyfully with a "ding-a-ling" sound.

The previously somewhat desolate Lu family mansion suddenly became bustling with activity, filled with people.

"We're back!"

"Hahaha!"

"I, Master Liang Cheng, am finally back!"

Liang Cheng stood on the ground with his hands on his hips, his booming laughter startling a flock of sparrows from under the eaves.

He looked as if he had single-handedly conquered the entire world.

He was almost floating in the sky, his chest puffed out, his nostrils almost pointing upwards.

Just as Liang Cheng was about to become so arrogant that he'd float into the sky, there was a crisp "smack," and a finger snap landed squarely on his head.

The sound was exceptionally loud, echoing above the Lu family mansion, startling the birds in a nearby tree into flying away.

Liang Cheng cried out "Ouch!" in pain, and instinctively turned his head to look.

"Ouch!"

Liang Cheng turned, clutching his head, and upon seeing who it was, his face immediately broke into a silly grin: "Xuan Ge!"

"I just missed home too much..."

However, Liang Cheng's triumphant smile didn't have time to fully bloom.

Lu Xuan's next words were like a basin of cold water, dousing his heart full of joy.

Liang Cheng's face, which had been flushed red and filled with excitement, suddenly drooped, and his expression became terrified.

His eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, as if thousands of stars revolved in his eyes.

The hem of his long robe below his waist billowed without wind, rustling and emitting a heart-pounding hum.

"Liang Cheng, it seems you've been living a bit too comfortably these days."

Lu Xuan's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"For the next year, you, Yunqing, and the other juniors will Cultivate in seclusion with me!

Without my command, no one is allowed to step half a step out of the Lu family!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, Liang Cheng felt his vision go black.

The next second, his legs gave out, and he directly collapsed to the ground, wanting to cry but having no tears.

He then quickly shuffled forward, clinging tightly to Lu Xuan's thigh with both hands, like a spoiled child, begging for mercy while wailing.

"No!"

"Xuan Ge, I was wrong, please let me off this time, a year is too long!"

As he cried, he pitifully looked up at Lu Xuan, his expression as miserable as could be.

"Cultivating is something I can do myself!"

"I'll go right now!"

Liang Cheng cried so much that his face was covered in snot and tears, his words thick with a nasal tone, and he even wiped his arm across his face haphazardly.

"Look at my thin arms and legs, how can I withstand your torment, Xuan Ge!"

Throughout the Lu family, no one knew Lu Xuan's methods better than Liang Cheng.

His cousin, he was truly merciless when he took action.

Every time he Cultivated, it was like he was being pushed to his death.

High-intensity training, strict demands, Liang Cheng felt like he was crawling and rolling through a sharp, thorny bush, his whole body pierced with countless holes.

But his cousin, Lu Xuan, also had a Divine Ability that could turn decay into wonder.

No matter how severe the injury, even if he was hanging on by a thread.

He had a way to instantly heal him, making him lively and energetic, without a single flaw.

However, the pain of that arduous Cultivation was real, and Liang Cheng truly suffered a lot.

After each Cultivation, his bones felt crushed, and his muscles ached so much that he couldn't even move his fingers.

Although this Hell-like Cultivation method made his strength improve rapidly, progressing by leaps and bounds.

The process, however, made Liang Cheng utterly miserable.

Every day was like torment in Hell; it could be said that a day felt like a year.

Whenever Liang Cheng thought of those past days of being "tormented" by Lu Xuan, he couldn't help but shiver.

He was truly terrified of being tormented by his cousin, Lu Xuan.

At this moment, he only wanted to figure out how to escape this ordeal.

However, Liang Cheng's opinion was clearly not within Lu Xuan's consideration.

"Liang Cheng, stop faking it."

Lu Xuan frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"With your cousin's strength, looking at the entire world, there's no one who is qualified for me to personally teach!

And you, you're still making excuses."

Lu Xuan glanced disdainfully at Liang Cheng, who was still sprawled on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Without another word, Lu Xuan raised his foot and mercilessly kicked him away.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, Liang Cheng's body crashed heavily into a towering ancient tree within the mansion.

The thick tree trunk shook, and large patches of leaves rustled down, like a shower of leaves, scattering around Liang Cheng.

"What idiotic thing has this rebellious son done again?"

Not far away, Liang Cheng's biological father, watching this scene, not only felt no pain but instead frowned deeply, his face full of blame.

"It's good, let Xiao Xuan help educate Xiao Cheng; it's for his own good."

Liang Cheng's mother echoed from the side, sighing softly, her eyes filled with helplessness.

The reason Lu Xuan wanted to set aside a year to personally teach the younger generation of the Lu family and Shen family.

It was precisely because he was going into seclusion.

This time, Lu Xuan had a premonition that he might be in seclusion for a hundred years.

During this period, he would leave some protective measures on his relatives.

A hundred years is enough to witness the birth, old age, sickness, and death of a Mortal!