บท 72: Chapter 72: The Old Beggar
Zhao Wenliang exploded in anger upon hearing this.
"How dare you speak like that! Don't think I won't hit you!"
Lu An waved his hand, indicating that it was okay. He invited the old beggar into the guest hall and, after he sat down, respectfully asked:
"Senior, what do you mean by that? Could you explain further?"
The beggar clearly had noticed something wrong with Lu An's body. Could it be related to his restless divine soul?
But the beggar didn't respond immediately. He patted his stomach and said:
"I'm starving. No strength to talk."
Lu An internally grumbled but kept a calm expression.
"Wenliang, could you go to a nearby restaurant and get a roast chicken, two flasks of clear wine, and some side dishes for the senior?"
"Lu An, but he—"
Lu An gestured for him to stop, urging him to hurry.
Reluctantly, Zhao Wenliang gave the beggar a fierce look before leaving.
The old beggar ignored him and turned his gaze toward Lu Xuan, commenting:
"This girl is really pretty, no worse than the one I know."
Almost making Lu Xuan strike him on the spot, had Lu An not intervened.
And so, the old beggar settled into the Lingfu Residence, enjoying gourmet meals daily. Though he constantly teased the two women in the residence, he never went beyond mere words. Over time, everyone in the residence got used to him, realizing his jests were harmless. Even Gu Yu'er started bantering back with him occasionally.
Lu An was not in a hurry, treating the old beggar with the respect of an elder. Despite appearing as someone with no cultivation, Lu An was certain this man was anything but simple. He had instantly recognized Lu An's identity as a soul cultivator and detected the hidden issue in his divine sense, something even County Lord and Gu Chuanfei couldn't do.
One day, Lu An gathered everyone in the residence and announced:
"I'm preparing to enter seclusion again to break through to Foundation Establishment. This time, it won't be as long as before, but it will probably take over a month."
"During this time, I'm leaving the Lingfu Residence in your care."
Everyone agreed. Bai Sheng asked:
"Master, the Talisman Hall is still waiting for you to take up the position of Elder. What do you think?"
"Everything can wait until after I finish this seclusion."
With that, Lu An dismissed everyone and began preparing for his seclusion.
However, the old beggar, while eating and drinking, shook his head dismissively:
"Focusing on only one aspect of the Three Extremes—having a strong soul but neglecting balance—and still wanting to break through to Foundation Establishment? You're courting death."
Lu An frowned and asked:
"What do you mean by that, senior?"
He had asked this question many times, but the old beggar always avoided it. This time, however, seemed different.
"Don't be impatient, boy. I've been staying here in Lingfu Residence all this time because of your problem. Did you really think I was just here for the free food?"
From the moment he first saw Lu An and noticed he was walking the path of soul cultivation, the old beggar had grown curious. His curiosity wasn't due to Lu An's soul cultivation but because he himself had once followed that path.
He cleared his throat and continued:
"The so-called Three Extremes refers to the three ultimate limits that a cultivator can reach: the Extreme of the Soul, the Extreme of the Body, and the Extreme of the Dao."
"Ancient soul cultivators followed the path of the Extreme of the Soul, abandoning external aspects to focus solely on maximizing the strength of their divine soul."
"Once the divine soul reaches a certain threshold, a substance known as 'the Extreme' will form."
"This substance is incredibly dominant, like a higher being, naturally exerting a suppressive force over ordinary divine souls."
"However, since the core inheritance of ancient soul cultivation has been lost, problems began to arise."
"Later generations of soul cultivators gradually discovered that as the amount of 'the Extreme' increased, their fragile bodies became more and more unable to bear the strain."
"The reason you've been experiencing occasional headaches is due to this issue. Fortunately, you've cultivated the Everlasting Spring Art to the ninth level, which has strengthened your body. Otherwise, you would have already died from your body exploding."
Lu An's face turned pale in shock. He had never heard of this theory before. However, his Yimu Divine Soul Art did indeed not mention anything about 'the Extreme,' suggesting it was likely an incomplete inheritance.
If the old beggar was right, once Lu An broke through to Core Formation and the amount of 'the Extreme' increased further, wouldn't he be at risk of instant death from his body exploding?
However, he did not panic. Now that he understood the root cause of the divine soul issue, he had a path forward. If his body was too weak to bear such a powerful divine soul, he would simply need to find a body-strengthening cultivation technique to elevate his physical strength.
In this way, he could solve the problem on his own without relying on the old beggar's help.
The old beggar, seeing through Lu An's thoughts, smiled faintly.
"I assume you've figured out that as long as you strengthen your body, you can protect yourself."
"However, I'll still give you a choice."
"The first option is as I just mentioned: you can seek out a body-strengthening technique on your own and cultivate it."
"I'll provide you with this information as payment for the food and wine I've enjoyed here. After that, we'll go our separate ways."
He glanced at Lu An and continued:
"The second option is to become my disciple, and I will personally teach you. However, you must swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao to complete three tasks for me within your power."
"Think carefully about it and give me your answer by tomorrow evening."
After saying that, he waved his sleeve and abruptly disappeared. Even with Lu An's soul strength, he couldn't detect how the old beggar had vanished.
Lu An lowered his head in contemplation. The old beggar had clearly performed that trick to encourage him to choose the latter option and become his disciple. However, agreeing to complete three tasks and swearing a Heavenly Dao oath—was it truly worth it, considering he already knew how to solve his problem?
Lu An thought about it long and hard, unsure of what to do. Faces of his enemies, such as the Fang family, the Su family, and the Lingxiao Pavilion, flashed through his mind, followed by those of his uncle Zhao, Bai Sheng, and that one soul-stirring figure.
After much internal struggle, he suddenly opened his eyes with a firm decision.
The next evening, he went to the courtyard where the old beggar was already waiting.
"Have you made your choice?"
Instead of answering directly, Lu An asked:
"I have a few questions for the senior."
"Ask away."
"The three tasks you want me to complete—do they involve harming the innocent?"
The old beggar was surprised and shook his head.
"Do they violate morality?"
His expression became serious, and he shook his head again.
"Do they go against my heart?"
At this question, the old beggar lifted his head to look at Lu An and asked:
"What does your heart desire?"
Without hesitation, Lu An replied resolutely:
"To live as long as the heavens and shine as bright as the sun and moon."
A flash of light appeared in the old beggar's eyes, as if he saw a reflection of his younger self.
"Rest assured. The tasks I ask of you are personal matters and won't hinder your path to the Dao."
Lu An nodded and immediately said:
"In that case, I am willing to become your disciple."
With that, he offered tea and bowed, performing the traditional three bows and nine kowtows before standing up.
The old beggar, now fond of Lu An, laughed heartily:
"I never thought I'd take on another disciple in my lifetime!"
His voice boomed like rolling thunder, startling the residents of Lingfu Residence, who came out to investigate.
Lu An was also quite happy. From that moment on, he no longer felt like a rootless drifter.
Even though the old beggar seemed unreliable, Lu An was convinced he had made the right choice.
"Master, now that I'm your disciple, how should I solve this issue with my divine soul?"
The old beggar's eyes sparkled as he spoke in an imposing tone:
"It's simple. You must push your soul, Dao, and body all into the Extreme Realm!"
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