Swallowing the Stars: Ten Thousand Times Return for Taking on Disciples

Chapter 187 The Witch Doctor Summons and Departs
Lu Qingshan stood silently outside the door for a moment before the heavy door slowly opened.

Before he even stepped into the courtyard, he saw a tall and imposing figure standing in the center of the courtyard.

Today, the ruler of the Qianwu Kingdom was wearing a bright red robe. His usually slender figure appeared somewhat plump under the wide robe.

This outfit made him look even more like his second senior brother, the Dragon Whale King. Even Lu Qingshan couldn't help but wonder if the two of them really had no connection. Of course, he could only keep this thought to himself.

"I just finished processing a few emails, which took a while. Qingshan, come in."

"Meet the teacher."

Lu Qingshan stepped into the courtyard and bowed respectfully.

"In the future, you don't need to be so formal with me. Just relax... be as casual as your senior brother, Dragon Whale King."

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom personally helped Lu Qingshan up, his hazy eyes carefully examining his disciple before him, a look of satisfaction on his face.

“Very good… Qingshan, your progress over the years has surprised even your teacher. If I weren’t worried about disturbing your comprehension of the laws, I would have summoned you long ago.”

The King of Qianwu patted Lu Qingshan's shoulder lightly, his tone full of pride: "Over the years, I have had bad luck and everything has gone wrong. Even your second senior brother, the Dragon Whale King, has suffered because of me. Taking you as my disciple was the wisest decision I ever made. You have really brought me honor!"

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom was lavish in his praise.

In recent years, the ruler of Qianwu Kingdom has rarely come to Thunder Mountain. Why?
First, they were concerned about saving face; second, they wanted to avoid paying their debts.

Living here, seeing creditors the moment you step outside is bound to dampen your spirits. And then there are the colleagues who always like to joke around, always eager to reopen old wounds.

Lu Qingshan's rise to power made the ruler of Qianwu Kingdom proud.

When Lu Qingshan was recommended to the Primordial Secret Realm, he faced a lot of criticism. Many people said that Qian Wu was using his seniority to favor his disciple.

But what to say now?
His disciple, Lu Qingshan, had only spent three thousand years comprehending in Chaos City and had already passed through 17 levels of the Cosmic Bridge. He had truly surpassed the realm lords of most primordial secret realms.

Who would dare to question him now? When he goes out now, everyone says that Qianwu has good judgment and knows how to train disciples!

He emailed those people to see if those who had questioned him back then were convinced now.

"Teacher... I am able to be where I am today thanks to your careful guidance."

Lu Qingshan wasn't just being polite; the Qianwu Kingdom's ruler had indeed provided him with considerable assistance.

For example, the "Overview of Time" given to him when he became an apprentice enabled him to quickly analyze the fundamental laws of time in the early stages.

When he entered Chaos City to cultivate, the 10 billion points he had earned helped him develop the Time Body and purchase many precious treasures, eliminating his anxiety about points.

Furthermore, the Blood Crystal given to him by his second senior brother enhanced his talent and potential. His seventh senior sister's painting helped Lu Lingxiao enter the realm of laws, relieving him of his worries.

If he hadn't become a disciple of the Qianwu Kingdom's ruler, even with his cheat-like abilities, his cultivation path would never have been so smooth. In his early years, the Qianwu Kingdom's ruler was like a mountain, shielding him from all the storms ahead.

"Qingshan," the Qianwu Kingdom Lord shook his head and laughed, "The resources I gave you are nothing to a Universe Venerable. Your achievements today are entirely due to your own talent, so there's no need to be so modest... I heard that you also took several Immortal Military Lords as your disciples in Chaos City?"

"Yes, that's true." Lu Qingshan nodded in response. "Those few came to the Initial Universe with me, and we've become somewhat acquainted. I thought I would need their help in the future, so I took them in as disciples and gave them some resources to help them comprehend the laws."

“It would be good to have a few immortal gods assisting you, since your focus should still be on comprehending the laws. Let them handle the trivial matters.” The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom pondered for a moment, then added, “I still have some original shares in the Virtual Universe Transportation Corporation, so I have some say. Assign them to the freight department. That way they will have more freedom of movement, and you can call them at any time if you need anything.”

"Thank you teacher."

Lu Qingshan felt a warmth in his heart. He hadn't expected the Qianwu Kingdom's ruler to be so considerate of even such trivial matters. If Jieming and the others joined other departments, they would inevitably be bogged down in official duties. Only in the department he was in charge could they be at his beck and call.

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom was unaware that those individuals were merely tools for Lu Qingshan to comprehend the laws. This arrangement was made with the best interests of his disciple in mind.

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom only mentioned these minor matters briefly before changing the subject, his expression becoming serious: "Qingshan, are you aware of how the Virtual Universe Company cultivates geniuses? The Virtual Universe Company requires each level of genius to complete the training arranged by the company. Although you were recommended to the Primal Secret Realm and are already at the Realm Lord level, this step is indispensable, which is the main reason why I summoned you here today."

He continued in a solemn tone, "Trial missions for World Lords usually offer two options: going to a cosmic secret realm or to an extraterrestrial battlefield. Of course, if one is confident enough, one can choose both. What are your plans?"

"This disciple has little understanding of these two things, please enlighten me, Master," Lu Qingshan respectfully asked.

"You are still young and haven't received training from any major powers, so it's natural that you don't know," the Qianwu Kingdom Lord patiently explained. "The primordial universe is boundless, and besides numerous other universes, it also harbors countless cosmic secret realms. For example, the primordial secret realm you are about to visit is one that has been developed by the human race, and except for certain areas, it is mostly safe." "But the cosmic secret realms for World Lords to train in are quite different. They are cosmic secret realms that have not been developed by the human race, and they are fraught with danger... In some core areas of these secret realms, even Universe Venerables can perish. Lian Luo, who almost became your senior brother, perished in a cosmic secret realm. And the Chaos City Lord, the genius known as a once-in-ten-million-epoch genius, Ke Di, although due to his alien race, also perished in a cosmic secret realm... and your second senior brother too..."

"The secret realms of the universe are not only fraught with danger, but also full of variables, and the risks are simply uncontrollable. Even I, as your master, dare not easily set foot in certain terrifying secret realms. In comparison, the battlefields outside the realms are much safer."

"Qingshan, there are billions of races in the primordial universe. Did you know that besides our human race, there are several other top races such as the insect race, the demon race, and the mechanical race? These three races' territories border our human race, and conflicts are constant. The extraterritorial battlefield is one of the main battlefields!"

"Of course, the extraterrestrial battlefield is not limited to just a few top races. Many affiliated races of the top races, friendly races, and even races or geniuses unrelated to us can choose to join one side and fight there. It can be said that there are all kinds of races, and many races that are rarely seen in reality can be encountered there."

"There's a restriction on the extraterritorial battlefield: those above the level of Cosmic Venerable are not allowed to participate. Therefore, the strongest are only invincible kings like your second senior brother, the Dragon Whale King. Moreover, the battlefield is divided into multiple war zones, each further subdivided into several combat areas, each with varying levels of danger and a different number of powerful individuals. As long as you act cautiously and avoid dangerous areas teeming with powerful figures, the risks are usually manageable..."

"Teacher, but I heard that the mortality rate in overseas battlefields is as high as 90% or more?" Lu Qingshan asked at the right time.

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom laughed and said, "The high mortality rate is because it includes the cosmic level, domain lord level, and world lord level. The aftershocks of the battle between immortal gods are enough to wipe out a large number of domain lords and cosmic level beings, so the mortality rate is naturally high. But as long as immortal gods do not take risks and their luck is not too bad, they can usually survive for a long time."

Lu Qingshan understood the Qianwu Kingdom's thoughts and said with a smile, "Teacher, are you suggesting that I choose the battlefield outside the realm?"

"Exactly!" The King of Qianwu Kingdom nodded slightly: "Choosing an extraterritorial battlefield, as long as we avoid dangerous areas teeming with powerful individuals, there's always a chance to fulfill the company's stipulated military merit quota. Moreover..."

He flipped his palm, and an exquisite jade pendant appeared. Although it was a conjured object from the virtual universe, the ancient tree patterns on it were clearly visible.

"This is the talisman of the Ancestral Tree Venerable, a top-tier human warrior who guards the outer battlefield. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it immediately to save your life. This jade talisman is only equivalent to the strength of a C-grade ore; you can crush it easily."

“Teacher…” Lu Qingshan looked at the jade talisman with a slight surprise. He knew how precious this jade talisman was. The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom must have spent a lot of favors to obtain this talisman.

The King of Qianwu Kingdom really went to great lengths for his disciple, which moved Lu Qingshan.

The King of Qianwu sighed softly, "This is all I can do to help you. As for treasures, the Youyue Blade is the only valuable treasure I possess. When your second senior brother complained to me, I had no other valuable treasures to give him."

Finally, the ruler of Qianwu Kingdom reminded him once again: "Remember, when you go to the battlefields beyond the realms in the future, never act recklessly. Your own safety must be the top priority. If you perish, it will not only be a loss for your teacher, but also a loss for the human race!"

"If I really reach a point where I have no way to escape, I would rather choose to self-destruct than be controlled by others."

The ruler of Qianwu Kingdom did not explain the reason, but the solemnity in his eyes said it all.

If Lu Qingshan were to unfortunately perish, he would do everything in his power to revive his disciple.

The prerequisite is that one's lifespan cannot be exhausted or one cannot be controlled by a soul.

Of course, he didn't say these words aloud. Even without the threat of death, he worried that Lu Qingshan would go to those dangerous places.

……

In truth, the ruler of Qianwu Kingdom had no intention of subjecting his disciple Lu Qingshan to any life-or-death trials. Lu Qingshan was progressing rapidly and had not yet encountered any bottlenecks; why should he rush into taking risks?

However, the company has its own set of standards for cultivating geniuses, which even a high-level cosmic venerable like him cannot defy. Moreover, when he was vying for a spot, the Lord of Chaos City had already stated this beforehand, leaving him with no room to speak.

All he could do was use all his connections to ensure his disciple could return alive.

In the battlefields beyond our borders, as long as Lu Qingshan avoids dangerous places and doesn't easily reveal his identity, his chances of survival are still quite high.

……

A year later, Lu Qingshan boarded a spaceship and left Chaos City... Accompanying him was the Realm Lord who had come to the Initial Universe with him to comprehend the mysteries.

Of the three hundred realm lords in those two batches, about sixty or seventy comprehended the laws and became immortal gods. Among them were Lu Qingshan's five disciples, and Luo…

As soon as the spaceship left the initial universe, streams of fundamental laws descended, a sight that would amaze anyone who witnessed it.

Inside the cabin, Sky King watched all this with a smile on his face.

"This batch is of good quality, with 65 of them breaking through to the Immortal God realm! Among them, 46 have joined our Virtual Universe Company as official members."

"However, six of these guys were assigned to the freight company headquarters... They must be someone important, probably the work of that Primordial Mystic Realm Lord!"

(End of this chapter)