Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 315 Defying Fate, Extending Life by a Thousand Years! Seclusion!

A year has passed in the blink of an eye!
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed capable of swallowing everything.

Inside the main hall of the Lu family mansion, the flickering candlelight cast two quiet and solitary figures on the wall.

Sitting in the main seat, Lu Jiahe straightened his back, but his knuckles were slightly white from gripping the armrests tightly.

Time has mercilessly etched deep furrows into his brow, each line telling a story of past hardships.

However, at this moment, the deep wrinkles on his face could not conceal the intense shock in Lu Jiahe's eyes.

Standing before him was Lu Xuan, dressed in black robes, his eyes like unfathomable pools, calm yet turbulent beneath.

After a few breaths, Lu Xuan slowly spoke.

“Father, I will be going into seclusion tomorrow.”

Lu Xuan's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, steady and powerful, yet it was like a heavy hammer carrying immense force, striking Lu Jiahe's heart directly.

And every word that follows carries a heavy weight.

"This seclusion will last for decades, or even... a hundred years, or even a thousand years!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jiahe reacted violently and quickly. He stood up abruptly and strode eagerly to Lu Xuan's side.

Lu Jiahe's aged hands trembled slightly, filled with reluctance and worry.

It was as if she wanted to hold onto her son tightly, but then stopped in mid-air and ultimately just fell helplessly.

He stared intently at his son's face, his gaze sharp as a blade.

It was as if she wanted to use this final gaze to forever etch her son's image into the deepest part of her soul.

"A hundred years...a thousand years?"

Lu Jiahe's aged body swayed slightly, as if those few words had drained all his strength.

A hundred years is a lifetime for an ordinary person.

Not to mention the unreachable span of a thousand years!
—Will I be able to live to see the day my son emerges from seclusion?

The thought coiled around his mind like a venomous snake, causing Lu Jiahe to freeze for a moment.

He stared intently at Lu Xuan, his gaze almost greedily tracing his son's features, as if trying to etch every inch of his features into the depths of his soul.

—Could this be… the last time I see her?

This son who made him proud all his life, this sole pillar that kept the Lu family standing strong, this... the child he watched grow up from childhood.

His throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had suppressed all his emotions.

He reached out and pressed heavily on Lu Xuan's shoulder, his voice hoarse but firm.

"Well, let's go."

"The Lu family, and Yun Qing and Yun An, you don't need to worry so much."

In fact, Lu Jiahe had already vaguely guessed that this day was coming.

Throughout the year, Lu Xuan worked tirelessly, personally and meticulously guiding all the younger members of the Lu family in their cultivation.

Whether they were ordinary disciples with mediocre talent or martial artists with decent abilities like Lu Qingqing and Shen Yuan, they all trained diligently under his tutelage day and night, never daring to slack off.

From that moment on, Lu Jiahe understood that his son was making arrangements for his own departure.

This time, he's really leaving.

"Father, there is no need to worry."

Lu Xuan gently curved his lips into a reassuring smile, his voice gentle yet unwavering, "My child, I will surely return."

Lu Xuan's voice still echoed in the hall.

The next second, a black-gold light suddenly burst forth from his eyes.

The light was dazzling, like a star suddenly rising from the abyss, so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Xuan slowly raised his hand, and on his palm, a phantom of a world, both illusory and sacred, appeared faintly.

Upon closer inspection, one can see a network of mountains and rivers, with majestic mountain ranges stretching endlessly and surging rivers flowing incessantly.

The sun, moon, and stars hang high in the sky; the sun radiates its intense heat, the moon casts its cool, silvery glow, and the stars twinkle with a mysterious light.

All things in heaven and earth flow orderly within this small, illusory world, like a miniature universe, mysterious and profound.

"This is……?"

Lu Jiahe's pupils suddenly contracted sharply, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief, and his lips trembled slightly.

He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Although he had already seen many incredible things from his son.

But faced with this miraculous scene, he couldn't help but sigh.

A wisp of dazzling golden light, like a nimble gossamer thread, quietly detached itself from the illusory world of that wondrous realm.

This wisp of pure golden light was enveloped in the aura of creation.

It appears gentle, yet it seems to contain endless vitality and immense power.

This is—the power of creation!

The origin of all things, the source of the most fundamental power in the world!
Only those who successfully condense a small world and reach the level of Earthly Venerable Realm Lord can control the supreme power!

And at this moment, the creative power of these worlds...

It is intertwined and complements the life rule power generated by Lu Xuan's immortal martial arts technique, which he has cultivated for many years.

The two combined into one, transforming into a supreme life force capable of reversing life and death and changing the world!

"This power of creation can extend Father's lifespan by a thousand years."

Lu Xuan remained calm, but his eyes revealed concern as he lightly tapped his fingertip.

That wisp of golden light, containing endless mysteries, merrily disappeared into Lu Jiahe's brow like a nimble dragon.

"It can also... protect my Lu family, ensuring its prosperity for a thousand years!"

In an instant, a miraculous change occurred, and Lu Jiahe's body radiated a dazzling and brilliant light.

The golden light was warm and gentle, as if it were the source of life.

Lu Jiahe's originally aged skin began to recover its vitality at a speed clearly visible to the naked eye.

Loose skin gradually becomes firm and smooth, and the traces left by time disappear little by little.

The white hair gradually faded, regaining its glossy black color.

Finally, even the wrinkles on her face disappeared as quickly as snow melting away.

He seemed to have become more than ten years younger, transforming into a middle-aged man who was almost forty.

Lu Jiahe felt the surging, powerful energy within him, the vitality of life spreading wildly through every corner of his body.

His heart was filled with shock and emotion, and his eyes unconsciously welled up with tears.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt like it was choked by something, and he couldn't make a sound for a moment.

After a long while, Lu Jiahe finally spoke with difficulty: "Xuan'er, you must be very careful in everything you do when you go into seclusion."

Lu Xuan nodded slightly, his voice low but firm: "Father, take care."

Previously, Lu Xuan had used the power of creation to carefully transform the cultivation physiques of the younger generation of the Lu family, including Lu Qingqing and Shen Yuan.

Lu Xuan's power of creation is extraordinary.

Through the shaping power of creation, their martial arts aptitude has been completely transformed.

Although their martial arts talent may not be considered unprecedented, it is an undeniable fact that they have joined the ranks of top-tier geniuses.

Given time, the Outer Martial Grandmaster, the Divine Mansion True Person... will no longer be unattainable martial arts realms for them.

With the strength that the younger generation of the Lu family has developed, they are more than capable of protecting the Lu family.

However, Lu Xuan bestowed that power of creation—capable of defying fate and extending lifespan—on only his father. —Not because he was unwilling, but because he couldn't!

Within Lu Xuan's own little world, he was like a creator.

He can control life and death; the lifespan of all things in the world can be decided by his single thought and controlled at will.

However, it is far from easy for this power to defy fate to shake the rules of the real world.

How could Lu Xuan, a mere Earthly Venerable Realm Lord, easily alter the rules of this vast real world?
Lu Xuan's eyes darkened slightly as he felt the nearly depleted power within his body.

He paid a heavy price simply for extending his father's lifespan by a thousand years—

That wisp of creation power almost drained the power of the rules of Lu Xuan's small world, leaving him in an unprecedented state of weakness.

Even more terrifying, Lu Xuan clearly sensed...

This real world is rejecting him!
It was as if his actions had disrupted some established balance, drawing the world's "dissatisfaction."

Lu Xuan knew this perfectly well!
Ever since he stepped into the realm of Earthly Venerable Realm Lord, it seems that an invisible malice has been shrouding him.

It felt as if the longer I stayed, the more hostile the world became.

—If you were to forcibly extend someone's life against all odds...

"The next one to descend... will probably be the legendary Heavenly Tribulation."

Lu Xuan had no desire to experience the tribulations of heaven and earth in this great world.

He might end up with a tragic death.

Lu Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly lifted his robe, knelt down, and bowed deeply to his father.

Immediately, Lu Xuan's figure gradually became ethereal, turning into specks of starlight and dissipating into the world.

Only a wisp of breeze swept by, ruffling Lu Jiahe's jet-black hair.

Lu Jiahe stood alone in the empty hall, gazing in the direction his son had disappeared, motionless for a long time.

In the silent hall, the dim candlelight flickered gently, casting a long, long shadow of Lu Jiahe…
The day after Lu Xuan left.

Early in the morning!

Rumbling--

Just then, thunderous drumming and music suddenly resounded over Qingyun County.

A vast and seemingly endless procession, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, suddenly appeared in the sky above Qingyun County.

Nine fiery red steeds pulled a gilded imperial carriage that broke through the clouds, followed by thousands of elite palace guards!
One by one, the armored guards walked through the air, each step causing the air within a hundred miles to tremble and ripple.

Upon hearing the commotion outside the Lu family gate, Lu Jiahe's expression changed slightly. He immediately led the entire Lu family, young and old, out the gate in a hurry.

As soon as Lu Jiahe led his men out of the gate, he was so shocked by the grand spectacle before him that his pupils shrank.

Three important figures dressed in purple and gold court robes descended from the sky.

The woman in the middle wore a phoenix coronet and a wedding robe, and the "Star and Moon" jade pendant hanging at her waist shone with a clear light. Nine black divine bird phantoms surrounded her.

—It is none other than the most illustrious person in the Great Xia Dynasty today, the younger sister of the Great Xia Empress, Princess Xia Xingyue!
The moment Princess Xingyue saw Lu Jiahe about to perform the full kneeling ceremony, her expression changed drastically.

In an instant, Princess Xingyue gently raised her jade hand, and a gentle burst of energy shot out, supporting Lu Jiahe who was about to kneel down.

"Lord Lu, you mustn't!"

Just as Princess Xingyue came to Lu Jiahe's side and her fingertips touched the old man's arm...

Princess Xingyue suddenly sensed that Lu Jiahe's body was surging with a life force that made her tremble all over!

Immediately afterwards, Xia Xingyue quickly withdrew her finger, her eyes sharp as a hawk, and swiftly gave the new Left Prime Minister a meaningful look.

The Left Prime Minister instantly understood and, without hesitation, swiftly pulled a dark black scroll from his robes.

Upon seeing this, everyone was shocked, clearly recognizing that it was the imperial edict symbolizing the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty!

The newly appointed Left Prime Minister's hands trembled as he held the imperial edict.

The gold patterns on the black scroll were actually the "Map of Mountains and Rivers" personally drawn by the Empress.

An imperial edict of this caliber has only appeared once in the past two thousand years.

That was the imperial edict bestowed by the Holy Ancestor of the Great Xia Dynasty!

As the Left Prime Minister solemnly unfolded the imperial edict with both hands, straightening his back, his voice was loud and clear.

Each word resounded throughout the surrounding area, the contents of the imperial edict being read aloud with trembling voices.

By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

The Lu family, specifically Lu Jiahe, is hereby granted the title of Duke of Anguo of the Great Xia Dynasty, effective immediately.

From this day forward, when he meets me, he need not perform the kowtow ceremony. I hereby bestow upon the Duke of Anguo the title of a prince of a different surname and the title of Prince Zhennan.

The Prince of Zhennan has the right to intervene in all matters concerning the Southern Region!

There is no need to report to the court; their power to act is equivalent to that of the Emperor himself.

Ten portions of rare treasures from the grotto-heaven, including the Nine-Patterned Moon-Grade Sacrificial Artifact, the Mystic Bird Staff!
Many other rare and precious objects and treasures were also bestowed upon the Prince of Zhennan…
Furthermore, his descendants would inherit the title of Prince of Zhennan without fail, enjoy the honors of a prince, and be allowed to establish their own government and staff.

All direct descendants of the Lu family are granted admission to the Great Xia Academy, allowing them to enter the imperial court as officials without going through the martial arts competition, and to be appointed to important positions based on their talents and learning.

In addition, many of the Lu family's collateral relatives were also granted titles and honors, with male members receiving ranks and female members receiving imperial decrees.

Furthermore, all relatives by marriage within three generations of the Lu family were granted titles of the fifth rank or above.
Within the southern region, one may freely acquire land and establish property, and all tribute and taxes paid to the imperial court will be exempted.

The following content was read by the Left Prime Minister of the Great Xia Dynasty for the duration of half an incense stick burning.

However, after the entire contents of the imperial edict were read aloud...

Even the Left Prime Minister of the Great Xia Dynasty, a martial artist at the Divine Palace Realm, felt deeply shocked, fearful, and confused!
What an immense honor!
Her Majesty the Empress bestowed titles upon every relative related to the Lu family.

The contents of this imperial edict were practically lavishing honors upon the Lu family's scoundrels.

It's almost as if it's written out in the open.

This land in the Southern Region belongs to your Lu family. You can do whatever you want with it.

The power of life and death rests with Lu Jiahe, the Prince of Zhennan and the Duke of Anguo.

Everyone present, except for Princess Xingyue who knew the contents of the imperial edict in advance, all wore expressions of extreme shock, just like the Left Prime Minister.

Her Majesty the Empress is not bestowing any honors.

This is clearly a declaration to the entire Great Xia Dynasty that the Southern Region will henceforth belong to the Lu!

..........
Deep in a range of mountains rarely visited by people.

Lu Xuan, dressed in black, sat cross-legged in a somewhat secluded mountain cave.

Host: Lu Xuan

Realm: Earth Lord Realm Lord

功法：焚天刀法10/9，咫尺天涯10/9，不死不灭10/9。

Points: 50 million

After defeating the Netherworld Python, Lu Xuan received a total of 30 system points.

The origin of heaven and earth has been detected. Extract it?
The fundamental rules of the world have been detected. Should we move ahead of time?
"Next, let's see what these fourteen Sun-grade sacrificial artifacts will bring," Lu Xuan murmured softly, his voice echoing softly within the cave.

"And there's this Azure Wood Staff, which surpasses even a ten-patterned Sun-grade artifact," Lu Xuan added, slowly opening his eyes to look at the void before him.

In the void before Lu Xuan, fourteen Sun-grade sacrificial artifacts floated silently, each with a different shape.

Among these sacrificial vessels, a green wooden staff stands out in particular.

It was surrounded by a faint emerald green glow, and the wood grain seemed to contain endless vitality, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary object.

"extract!"

(End of this chapter)