Free Web NovelChapter 520: Chapter 13: Returning to The Beginning of Ancient Times, Lu Nian Punches Primordial (2)
Zhuge Shang suppressed his turbulent emotions, feeling a bit dazed. ’It really is Lu Zi!’
How could he not know the name of Lu Zi, or the deeds of Saint Lu?
Immediately, Zhuge Shang bowed respectfully once more and said softly:
"In response to Lu Zi, this junior is Zhuge Shang. My father is Zhuge Zhan, and my grandfather is Zhuge Kongming!"
Zhuge... Kongming?
Lu Xuan was taken aback. He was naturally familiar with the name. In the original, false history—compressed and stripped of its mythological elements—that Prime Minister of Shu Han held an incredibly high status. He couldn’t imagine how magnificent that figure must have been in the true history, in the age of myth.
Kunpeng Zi had also landed on Taishan by now, a look of astonishment on his face.
"You are the grandson of Zhuge Kongming??"
A thousand thoughts raced through Lu Xuan’s mind. He glanced sideways and asked:
"You’re very familiar with Zhuge Kongming?"
"Of course!" A look of reverence appeared on Kunpeng Zi’s face as he murmured, "He lit the Seven Stars Great Lamps, struck down Demons, ghosts, Immortals and Buddhas, suppressed all deities, and rebuked a Dao Fruit..."
As he spoke, Kunpeng Zi bowed to Zhuge Shang—not to the man himself, but to his bloodline.
Lu Xuan’s expression flickered. He immediately began asking questions, which Zhuge Shang answered one by one.
Using the Seven Lamps to defy the heavens, burning his own life force and the lifespans of his descendants to repel a Dao Fruit, slaying Demons, Immortals, ghosts, and Buddhas...
After a long silence, Lu Xuan’s expression relaxed. He silently repeated the name "Zhuge Kongming" in his mind a few times before looking up and asking:
"The Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp is inside Taishan?"
"To answer Lu Zi, yes!" Zhuge Shang bowed, trembling slightly. "My grandfather said I was to wait for a specific person to come and retrieve the lamp, and that I would know who it was when the time came."
After a pause, he lowered his head.
"You are from the Direct Lineage of the Supreme Great Celestial Venerable and a former saint of our Human Race. The Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp was originally the artifact of the Supreme Great Celestial Venerable... I believe I have found the one I was waiting for."
"So that great treasure was the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp!" Kunpeng Zi’s eyes shone. "Legend has it that when the Three Lamps gather, their power is unparalleled. Zhuge Prime Minister used these Three Lamps as the foundation to repel a Dao Fruit back then..."
After a pause, he sighed.
"Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the other two lamps are unknown..."
Before his words had faded, a Cyan Lamp and a Gloomy Lamp appeared, floating in Lu Xuan’s palm.
"I have them."
Both Zhuge Shang and Kunpeng Zi were stunned. Little Lu Nian curiously reached out, touching the flickering flame of the Jade Void Glazed Lamp.
Lu Xuan’s expression changed. Before he could stop her, he subconsciously froze time, and all things came to a standstill.
But Lu Nian was somehow unaffected. Within the frozen time, she placed her little finger on the Jade Void Glaze Fire, cried out in pain from the burn, and frantically shook her hand.
Lu Xuan picked the girl up and glared.
"You’ll touch anything, won’t you?"
Little Lu Nian, feeling guilty, shrank back and sucked on the blister that had formed on her little finger.
"But I have Innate Invincibility and Innate Invulnerability..."
Lu Xuan was momentarily speechless. The flame of the Jade Void Glazed Lamp used concepts and Cause and Effect as fuel; there was nothing it couldn’t burn.
This girl touched it, and her finger only got a blister...
He felt a headache coming on, and a sense of shock. He said irritably:
"And you still haven’t called me ’Dad’!"
Little Lu Nian’s eyes welled with tears. Sucking on her finger, she said pitifully:
"Dad..."
Then, as if remembering something, she started grumbling.
"You never even held me when I was born, and the first thing you do when you come back is yell at me..."
Lu Xuan was left speechless.
After a moment, he took the little girl into his arms and poked her on the forehead.
"Oh, you... Is your mother doing well?"
"She’s doing great!" Lu Nian said, full of resentment. "All Mom knows how to do is fight with me over chestnuts to eat, and the thing she’s best at is making me face the wall!"
Lu Xuan couldn’t help but laugh.
Gently rubbing Lu Nian’s little head, he composed himself. With a thought, the frozen time around them began to flow again.
Zhuge Shang and Kunpeng Zi, who had been put on pause, snapped back to awareness, both staring in horror at the Cyan Lamp and the Gloomy Lamp.
The former recognized the two lamps at a glance and began to stammer incoherently:
"This... You..."
Zhuge Shang’s breathing became ragged. He took a few deep breaths.
"I will take you to retrieve the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp! That lamp is sealed within Taishan. It requires a secret ritual of the Zhuge Lineage to retrieve, a process that takes nine days!"
"Nine days? That’s fine."
Lu Xuan nodded slightly, his gaze suddenly deepening.
"The others are all hiding inside the mountain, aren’t they? In that case, first find me a quiet room. I am not to be disturbed for nine days."
After a moment’s thought, he added:
"Among the people who came to Taishan this time are three old acquaintances of mine named Zhong Xiaoyu, Zhong Muhua, and Zhong Hongshan. They are a family of three. Take good care of them for these nine days. I will see them after that."
Zhuge Shang and Kunpeng Zi were somewhat confused, but the former didn’t ask any questions. He quickly bowed in assent and, under Little Lu Nian’s puzzled gaze, led them to a Great Palace halfway up the mountain.
After they entered the quiet room and Lu Xuan had explained a few more things, Kunpeng Zi and Zhuge Shang took their leave.
Only then did Little Lu Nian ask in a soft, childish voice:
"Dad, what’re ya gonna do?"
Lu Xuan looked at this porcelain doll of a child, couldn’t resist reaching out, and pinched both of Little Lu Nian’s cheeks, giving them a little pull. ’Hmm... feels nice!’
She stared back with wide, watery eyes.
"Why are you just like Mom, always pinching my cheeks!"
Lu Xuan laughed heartily and said cheerfully:
"How else would your mother and I have ended up together? This is what you call being on the same wavelength!"
As he spoke, he said with a chuckle:
"Besides, I haven’t settled the score with you yet."
Little Lu Nian’s gaze drifted away.
"Wh-what score?"
"The score for your ’Reversed Celestial Spirits’." Lu Xuan picked up the little girl, chuckling. "Relying on that Innate Invulnerability and Innate Invincibility of yours, you must have caused quite a bit of trouble, haven’t you?"
"No way!" Little Lu Nian turned her head away guiltily and muttered, "If I caused trouble, Mom would beat me up... although it doesn’t hurt that much."
"Oh, you..."
Lu Xuan felt helpless. He knew that a child like Xiaonian was the hardest to discipline.
Being born Immortal was one thing, but she also inherited his knowledge, entered the Celestial Realms level at the age of three, and was a symbol of being Unending, Immortal, Invulnerable, and so on...
He immediately smiled and said:
"I really need to find someone to discipline you... On this trip, you’re coming with me."
"What?!" Little Lu Nian leaped away, a bad feeling rising in her heart. With a wary expression, she turned to flee, crashing into the void.
Only to be immediately grabbed by the fateful scruff of her neck by Lu Xuan and dragged back.
"I knew you wouldn’t behave, you little rascal!"
Lu Xuan laughed and cursed, relying on his Cultivation, which was already approaching the Fifth Level of the Celestial Realms. He activated the Dao of Da Dajun—where Jun equals the Time Skill—and yanked out the River of Time.
He grabbed Little Lu Nian and swam against the current of time, laboriously crossing the chasm of Years, tracing it all the way back to the very source of the River of Time.
"Second Master!"
With a loud cry, the membrane separating The Beginning of Ancient Times from the River of Time opened slightly. Lu Xuan, still holding Lu Nian, walked straight toward The Beginning of Ancient Times.
"Let’s have your grandmaster discipline you properly!"
Lu Xuan said with a laugh, but his gaze deepened. ’The Beginning of Ancient Times...’
’I have to completely equalize the Celestial Intent Dao Rhyme here, and while I’m at it, take care of a few things.’
Taking a step into The Beginning of Ancient Times, he found the Blind Daoist waiting there. When the Daoist saw the sulking little baby Lu Xuan was carrying, his eyes lit up.
"That must be Xiaonian, right?"
The Blind Daoist slapped Lu Xuan’s hand away and, to Lu Xuan’s dumbfounded look, beamed with joy.
"Come, come, let Grandpa hold you, let Grandpa hold you..."
"Ah, a weird old man!!" Little Lu Nian shivered in fright, gathered Immortal Slayer and Immortal Slaying Sword Qi into her fist, and smashed it into the Blind Daoist’s face.
’THUD!!!’
Lu Xuan sucked in a sharp breath.
