Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family Chapter 1224: 287: Lu Changsheng: Give Me an Explanation! (2)

A deafening roar echoed as the Yiming Ghost Sect's protective barrier ignited.

Swirling veils of spectral energy ascended like an overwhelming flood, solidifying into a colossal shield that obscured the heavens. The very mountains seemed to tremble, akin to a slumbering leviathan awakening.

Simultaneously, urgent alarms blared throughout the sect grounds.

Practitioners of varying cultivation levels scrambled to their assigned posts. Those in the Qi Refinement stage hurried towards designated safe zones, while Foundation Establishment elders moved swiftly to reinforce the array's nexus points. Cultivators at the Core Formation stage took to the skies, forming ranks behind the imposing Ghost Ship, where the formidable Yinming Ghost King and the revered Ghost Bat True Master presided.

From afar, the Yiming Ghost Sect presented an image of coiled menace—fully armed and visibly defiant, yet hesitant to engage.

Their hesitation stemmed from their uncertainty regarding the true nature of the threat before them.

"Great Elder," Yinming Ghost King's voice was subdued as his gaze remained fixed on the golden silhouette hovering beyond the protective cordon. "What is your estimation?"

Ghost Bat True Master's countenance remained unnervingly pale. The residual agony from the Blood Burning Technique was a palpable burden, each breath a testament to his concealed suffering.

"His cultivation level..." a pause, "...I cannot ascertain its depths."

This single admission caused Yinming Ghost King's eyes to narrow perceptibly.

Ghost Bat True Master had achieved the late stages of Core Formation decades prior. His inability to appraise an opponent's strength was not a sign of oversight, but a dire premonition.

"The Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng," Ghost Bat True Master continued, his voice laced with incredulity, "serves as his steed. And it obeys his every command."

A profound silence fell.

The Ghost Ship groaned subtly beneath them, jostled by the lingering tremors that reverberated through the sky from the earlier confrontation.

Yinming Ghost King observed the majestic golden bird, which circled the figure in black robes with the unwavering loyalty of a devoted guardian. He had encountered formidable cultivators, witnessed rare spiritual artifacts, and faced formidable demonic beasts.

However, he had never encountered anything of this magnitude.

"And the two individuals accompanying him?"

"The lady clad in white is Fairy Qingyi from the Qingyun Sect," Ghost Bat True Master stated, his jaw clenching. "A cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage."

Another silence descended, this one more prolonged.

"The Qingyun Sect," Yinming Ghost King exhaled slowly through his nostrils. "He is accompanied by a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Qingyun Sect, commands a Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng, and arrives at our gates mere moments after the Ghost Shadow Elder's apprehension."

He turned his full attention to Ghost Bat True Master.

"Great Elder, whom precisely did the Ghost Demon True Master offend?"

Ghost Bat True Master remained silent, utterly bewildered.

Beyond the sect's formidable defenses, Lu Changsheng remained still, postured atop the magnificent Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng.

He exhibited no haste.

Patience was a virtue he possessed in abundance, and there was a distinct power in simply waiting, in allowing the weight of one's presence to be felt without recourse to action or speech.

This was a lesson learned from years of navigating the perilous cultivation world: oftentimes, the most potent declaration was a silence so profound that the opposing party felt compelled to fill it themselves.

He was acutely aware of Chu Qingyi and Lu Quanzhen, concealed within the Tianyuan Lotus behind him, awaiting his signal. They had not yet been released; the situation beyond the sect's perimeter remained too uncertain.

This is for my son, he thought.

The name resonated in his consciousness, settling like a stone dropped into tranquil waters.

A Nascent Soul cultivator who, for reasons yet unfathomed, had unleashed an assault upon Lu Quanzhen—his son—leaving him grievously wounded. The sheer audacity of such a transgression was almost unfathomable. To target one's offspring. To inflict such crippling harm.

Lu Changsheng had maintained his composure upon receiving the initial news. He had remained unruffled as he marshaled his resources. His calm demeanor had persisted throughout the relentless pursuit.

He was still calm now.

Yet, it was the calmness of a deep, still ocean, not the tranquil surface of one who had found forgiveness or oblivion.

Justice will be served, he thought simply.

"The array is fully operational," the Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng's demeanor shifted subtly beneath him, its magnificent plumage bristling with readiness. It too harbored resentment for the earlier disruption of its pursuit.

Lu Changsheng gently rested a hand upon the creature's neck—a subtle gesture, yet sufficient. The Peng stilled.

Within the array's confines, movement became apparent. Cultivators mobilized. The Ghost Ship adjusted its position. A brief, charged exchange transpired between two figures cloaked in shadow.

A decision was being made.

He graciously afforded them the time to decide.

"The Supreme Elder must not be disturbed," Ghost Bat True Master stated plainly. "Not unless absolutely no other recourse exists. A breakthrough to Nascent Soul is not something that can be interrupted without bringing about catastrophic consequences."

Yinming Ghost King's expression was tumultuous. "Then our choices are indeed few."

"We can either fight, negotiate, or attempt to stall for time."

"Is fighting a viable option?"

Ghost Bat True Master remained silent for a protracted moment.

"No," he replied at length, "not without incurring substantial losses. Possibly devastating ones."

Yinming Ghost King's gaze returned to the figure patiently waiting beyond their defenses. Unhurried. Poised. Standing at the very gates of their sect as if visiting a local market.

He had encountered arrogance before. However, this—this quiet, unyielding confidence—was an entirely different beast.

"Then we shall negotiate," Yinming Ghost King declared.

The Mountain Protection Array pulsed with light.

A section of the barrier opened—not broadly, not with overt welcome, but intentionally. An opening for dialogue, not combat.

Yinming Ghost King advanced on the Ghost Ship, his voice imbued with the practiced authority befitting a sect master.

"Fellow Daoist. You have clearly displayed your prowess. This King is prepared to listen to your demands."

Lu Changsheng's expression remained unaltered.

He lifted a single hand.

The Tianyuan Lotus unfurled, and Chu Qingyi along with Lu Quanzhen emerged onto the Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng accompanying him.

He then surveyed the assembled forces of the Yiming Ghost Sect—the defensive array humming with latent power, the Great Elder's ashen face, the Sect Master standing rigid, barely containing his rage—and spoke. His voice carried effortlessly across the vast distance separating them.

"I am Yangming. Your sect's Ghost Demon True Master, despite being a Nascent Soul Cultivator, shamelessly assaulted my son, leaving him grievously injured. I have come to your Yiming Ghost Sect to seek an explanation."