Previously on Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family...
Lu Changsheng searches the deep mountains for Qian Zhuyan and the Golden-Winged Heavenly Peng. Despite the inconvenience of not being able to use Divine Sense, he uses a mirror and divination coin to guide his search. He encounters a battle between Qian Zhuyan, who is trapped in a puppet body, and a woman in a colorful dress. The woman mistakes Qian Zhuyan for a monstrous being, but he clarifies he is a cultivator who has fallen into the "Land of Eternal Night." Just as they begin to understand each other, Lu Changsheng arrives.
"Master!"
Qian Zhuyan, observing the figure garbed in dark armor and wielding a whip mace-like weapon inscribed with Dao marks, promptly addressed him, his voice raspy and parched yet brimming with elation.
However, Lu Changsheng offered no immediate reply to Qian Zhuyan.
Instead, his gaze, filled with astonishment and bewilderment, fixed upon the woman before him. She was adorned in a resplendent palace dress of myriad colors, her physique tall and elegantly proportioned, and she held a magical sword of pale gold.
The woman in the vibrant attire mirrored Lu Changsheng's gaze.
Her exquisite eyes, suffused with a delicate blush, reflected the same surprise, confusion, and disbelief that Lu Changsheng displayed.
"Hmm!?"
Despite the pervasive darkness of the Land of Eternal Night, Qian Zhuyan perceived from their shared gazes that something was indeed unusual.
Could it be that his Master was acquainted with this female cultivator?
Upon closer inspection:
Her long, ebony, and graceful tresses were elegantly swept up, adorned with a Colorful Phoenix Feather Hairpin angled just so.
Her visage, as exquisitely sculpted as a celestial being's, was delineated with divine grace, appearing as a heavenly masterpiece, a natural beauty unblemished by artifice, exuding peerless elegance.
Within those intertwined eyes, clouded with doubt and astonishment, shimmered a clear, kaleidoscopic luminescence, akin to clouds reflected upon the tranquil autumn waters of Dongting Lake—dreamlike, ethereal, and breathtakingly alluring.
Her eyes alone merited the descriptor "exquisite," shining like the most radiant star in the nocturnal sky, indelibly etching themselves into one's memory.
This was not even to mention her inherent beauty, complemented by a noble grace and composed demeanor cultivated through a lifetime of refined living.
Even within the profound gloom of the eternal night, she shone like a dazzling, magnificent beacon.
Thus, the question arose in Qian Zhuyan's mind: how many female cultivators did his Master truly know?
Even though she hadn't been by Lu Changsheng's side for an extended duration,
Usually occupied with slumber, the meticulous crafting of puppets, or delving into the intricacies of puppetry,
Qian Zhuyan had long since taken note of his Master's... amorous inclinations and his peculiar fondness for romantic entanglements.
For instance, within the Great Dream Immortal City, there were figures like Hong Lian, Ling Zixiao, Meng Xiaochan, and Bai Ling, among others.
Within the Jin Kingdom, notable individuals included Ayoudo and Nangong Mili...
Upon arriving in the Starry Sky Sea, he had formed a deep connection with the Third Palace Master, and later, the Goddess...
More recently, after an unfortunate poisoning incident, he even crossed paths with a Nascent Soul Female Cultivator possessing 'charming bones,' leading to an extended period of intimate encounters.
Now, ensnared in this enigmatic locale, and seemingly recognizing this extraordinary beauty...
For a fleeting moment, Qian Zhuyan's eye sockets, illuminated by the soul fire of a profound emerald hue, seemed to convey a subtle, gentle pang of resentment.
"Master... True Immortal, what brings you to this place?"
Lu Changsheng gazed intently at the woman in the colorful attire, his expression radiating profound surprise.
This woman, clad in vibrant robes, was none other than Caiyun True Immortal, Yun Wanshang, who had embarked on a quest years prior in pursuit of Nascent Soul opportunities.
According to intelligence gathered from Xiao Xiyue and Chu Qingyi, Caiyun True Immortal had departed on her journey over forty years ago, and her whereabouts had remained unknown since, raising concerns within Qingyun Sect regarding her potential fate.
He had never fathomed that he would encounter Yun Wanshang within the desolate expanse of the Land of Eternal Night.
"Lu Changsheng?"
Upon hearing Lu Changsheng's voice, Yun Wanshang finally confirmed that the handsome man before her, encased in armor, was indeed Lu Changsheng.
Though recognition dawned, she still found it difficult to fully accept.
Firstly, Qian Zhuyan, a puppet of supreme caliber possessing independent sentience, addressed Lu Changsheng as 'Master.'
Could he possibly be a cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage?
Secondly, after an interval exceeding forty years, Lu Changsheng's cultivation base had dramatically escalated, his physical form having surpassed the fourth rank. His Chaos Body had undergone a complete internal and external metamorphosis, elevating both his appearance and aura far beyond his earlier presence.
Even in the Land of Eternal Night, where Lu Changsheng's Qi, blood, mana, and divine sense might be suppressed, his outward appearance and aura remained strikingly commanding, resembling a transcendent immortal.
"Indeed, it is I. I heard from Xi Yue and Qing Yi... True Immortal, that you had set out on a journey to seek Nascent Soul opportunities."
Despite Lu Ancestor having vanquished numerous Nascent Soul True Lords,
He maintained a degree of deference and unique sentiment towards Caiyun True Immortal in this situation.
Whether it stemmed from their initial encounter and the significant impact Caiyun True Immortal, in her Core Formation state, had on him, or from their subsequent interactions...
"It is a lengthy tale; but tell me, what brings you to the Land of Eternal Night?"
Yun Wanshang remained somewhat disoriented, struggling to reconcile the possibility that the individual before her was truly Lu Changsheng.
The Land of Eternal Night might be devoid of sunlight, yet based on her calculations, only approximately twenty years should have elapsed?
Coupled with her preceding journey, the total duration was less than fifty years.
Within less than half a century, Lu Changsheng had... ascended to the Nascent Soul realm?
How could this possibly be!
Could it be that the passage of time in this realm was different from the outside, and that over a hundred years had already elapsed in the external world?
Upon realizing that Lu Changsheng had achieved a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage before her, Yun Wanshang found herself overwhelmed by a complex swirl of emotions.
After all, when she had first met him, he was merely a fledgling cultivator at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.
"I encountered a ghost ship in the Starry Sky Sea and was consequently drawn into this location," Lu Changsheng offered a concise explanation. He then turned his gaze towards Qian Zhuyan and made introductions, "Little Yan, this is Caiyun True Immortal, my... wife's master."
"How did the two of you come into conflict?"
Lu Changsheng posed the question to Qian Zhuyan, his mind dawning with the realization that the fated encounter, as hinted at in his prior divinatory readings, involved not only meeting Qian Zhuyan but also Yun Wanshang.
"I was teleported here, into the depths of the mountains. Noticing your absence, along with the Golden Peng, I began searching for you... Subsequently, I observed movement and light in this vicinity and chanced upon Caiyun True Immortal," Qian Zhuyan recounted, her voice a sinister, hoarse whisper.
Despite half of her soul having been transmuted into a Puppet Spirit, robbing her of emotional perception, she instinctively sensed that the relationship between her Master and this woman was far from ordinary.
"True Immortal, this is Qian Zhuyan, my loyal companion. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she currently inhabits a puppet, and it appears a misunderstanding has arisen," Lu Changsheng stated swiftly to Yun Wanshang.
