Chapter 146: Testing

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Mr. Lu, Miss Xu, this house will now belong to you.”

“Don’t worry, this house used to belong to a hunter in the village.”

“But after he went hunting and got into trouble, the house became vacant.”

“As for the school, sir, please don’t worry. Since you’re willing to teach us, we won’t trouble you. We’ll build the school in a few days, and you can teach the children there.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. We should be the ones thanking you.”

After sending off the friendly villagers, Lu Yuan returned to the house.

With a wave of his hand, the dust in the house instantly vanished, and a new house appeared in front of Lu Yuan.

Although the house was not large, it was well-equipped and suited Lu Yuan’s simple needs.

In addition, Lu Yuan himself was not the kind of person who valued material things, so having such living conditions was already good enough.

Once the outsiders had left, Xu Wan’er automatically assumed the role of a maid and began tidying up the room.

While she was tidying up, Xu Wan’er asked curiously, “Young Master, is there anything special about this village that makes you willing to stay here?”

Lu Yuan, who was sitting and sipping tea, smiled and replied, “Wan’er, it seems your observation skills are still lacking. This village is quite remarkable.”

As soon as he said this, Xu Wan’er’s interest was immediately piqued.

“Please tell me more, Young Master.”

Lu Yuan took another sip of tea before speaking slowly, “Wan’er, have you ever wondered why, despite the numerous demons roaming the mountains, this village has remained unaffected?”

“Although there are restrictions on demons harming mortals in the Full Moon Mountain, I don’t believe these guys would abide by that rule.”

“As long as things don’t escalate, these demons shouldn’t encounter too much trouble.”

“Based on the map, Niu Family Village is dozens of miles away from the nearest town. For mortals who can’t fly on swords, this is already a remote and desolate area. There’s no reason for the demons to spare so much prey.”

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Xu Wan’er also furrowed her brow.

Previously, she hadn’t given it much thought, but after Lu Yuan’s comment, she discovered the strangeness of Niu Family Village.

If it were truly an ordinary village, it wouldn’t have remained safe until now.

This could only mean that there were cultivators in the village, and their cultivation must be powerful.

That’s the only way Niu Family Village could avoid being attacked by demons.

But Xu Wan’er couldn’t sense any spiritual energy fluctuations when she was in the village before.

Perhaps the cultivator there had much higher cultivation than her, making it impossible for her to detect them.

But just because she couldn’t sense it didn’t mean that the Young Master couldn’t.

Just as Xu Wan’er was about to ask something, Lu Yuan suddenly spoke up, “Wan’er, go and open the door. There’s a guest.”

Xu Wan’er quickly set down the half-finished bed and walked towards the door.

Not long after, Xu Wan’er led village chief Ge Xiu into the room.

“Mr. Lu, 1 hope I am not disturbing you by visiting at this hour?” asked Ge Xiu.

Lu Yuan replied while sipping tea, “Old village chief, your visit is an honor to my humble abode. You could never be a disturbance.”

Upon hearing this, Ge Xiu took a deep puff from his pipe.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan turned to look at Xu Wan’er and said, “Wan’er, could you bring out some of the candies 1 have in the cupboard next door? Please give them to Shan Yao and the other children in the village.”

“We are new here, and the villagers have been helping us in every way possible. It is only proper that we show our gratitude,” he added.

Xu Wan’er was stunned at first, but she quickly understood Lu Yuan’s intent.

She silently retrieved the candies and left the courtyard.

Once Xu Wan’er was gone, Ge Xiu dropped his pretense and asked directly, “Fellow Daoist, my place is not a paradise. Why do you insist on staying here?”

Ge Xiu’s demeanor had changed, and his formidable cultivation was now apparent.

Though he exuded no overt aggression, Lu Yuan felt as though he were facing a calm yet unfathomable sea.

He sensed unprecedented pressure.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan was no ordinary person.

The Foundation Establishment through the way of the heavens with seven spiritual roots had already made Lu Yuan’s total spiritual energy that was almost comparable to a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

In addition to having the physique of an Innate Stage martial artist and a divine soul in the Emptiness Realm middle stage, Lu Yuan was able to remain composed even under pressure.

Lu Yuan appeared unaffected by Ge Xiu’s aura and began pouring tea with a natural expression.

This calm and collected demeanor only served to increase Ge Xiu’s wariness toward Lu Yuan.

He couldn’t see through him, not at all.

This fellow looked young, but his cultivation… even he, who was a Core Formation stage cultivator with nine revolutions couldn’t quite figure him out.

They came with hostile intentions…

Seeing that a forceful approach wouldn’t work, Ge Xiu had to resort to a gentler approach.

He sat in front of Lu Yuan and asked calmly, “Fellow Daoist Lu, my friends and

1 are deeply grateful for your help in saving Shan Yao.”

“But given your age and behavior, I assume you are a cultivator from the outside world.”

“Why are you staying in this small mountain village instead of preparing for the path to immortality?”

In response to Ge Xiu’s inquiry, Lu Yuan used his spiritual energy to manipulate the teacup, causing it to fly in front of Ge Xiu.

Throughout the entire process, Ge Xiu didn’t sense any spiritual energy fluctuations coming from Lu Yuan.

This indicated that Lu Yuan had already achieved a level of mastery in which he could effortlessly lift heavy objects, showcasing his profound skills.

As a cultivator from the Upper Realm, Ge Xiu knew exactly what this meant.

Sometimes, the most elementary aspects could reflect a person’s level of cultivation.

To be able to cultivate the elementary level of Item Manipulation to this extent, the person in front of him was not an ordinary person.

Even in the Upper Realm, Ge Xiu believed that this person could be considered outstanding.

“Fellow Daoist Ge, you don’t have to be so wary of me. The reason why I’m staying here is similar to your intentions,” said Lu Yuan with a smile.

Ge Xiu frowned and asked, “Do you know why we’re staying here?”

Lu Yuan smiled and said, “I’ve observed the traces of your cultivation techniques. I believe you’re all cultivators from the Upper Realm.”

“The few of you did not stay in the Upper Realm but chose to live in seclusion here. I speculate that the few of you should be avoiding some powerful enemies.”

“The reason why I want to live in seclusion here is similar to yours. However, I’m not hiding from a strong enemy, but from possible danger.”

“Possible danger?” Ge Xiu repeated with a puzzled expression.

Lu Yuan nodded and said, “Yes, it’s a possible danger.”

“Whether it’s the danger of demons, other cultivators, or the test of the path of immortal ascension, I want to avoid all of them.”

Upon hearing this, Ge Xiu’s expression became even more perplexed.

So, Lu Yuan wanted to hide here until the test of the path of immortal ascension was over, and then leave safely?

However, Lu Yuan’s cultivation level was so high that it should have been an easy task for him to pass the test.

Perhaps seeing Ge Xiu’s doubt, Lu Yuan smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist, are you wondering why I’m not participating in this test of the path of immortal ascension?”

Ge Xiu nodded.

Lu Yuan looked down at his reflection in the teacup before calmly saying, “To them, it’s honey, but to me, it’s poison.

“Others might want to go to the Upper Realm, but I’m not interested.”

“After all, in my opinion, there’s no difference between the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm. Both are just worlds where people kill each other.”

“Do you agree with me, Daoist?”

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Ge Xiu fell silent.

As a cultivator from the Upper Realm, he knew all too well that what Lu Yuan said was true.

The Upper Realm was no different from the Lower Realm, it was still a cruel world where the strong preyed on the weak.

The only difference was that the Upper Realm was bigger, while the Lower Realm was smaller.

Moreover, the cultivators of the Upper Realm were more powerful.

But regardless of the size or strength of the two realms, their essential nature was the same.

After understanding the reason for Lu Yuan’s stay, Ge Xiu no longer had any intention of staying in his room.

“In that case, please don’t easily reveal your cultivation in the future. After all, the people in this village are just ordinary people.”

“Fellow Daoist Ge, don’t worry. I’m having a sense of propriety..”