Chapter 271
Using a Surrogate Mother to Birth a Lotus! Another clash with the Star Lord?!
Chapter 271 Using a Surrogate Mother to Birth a Lotus! Another clash with the Star Lord?!
The next day, in Haicheng.
Arriving in the early morning and resting for a night, Lu Chen and Sun Yourong walked out of the five-star hotel where they were staying.
Looking up, the hotel is surrounded by towering buildings with stylish and sharp designs, showcasing the grandeur of a metropolis.
Lu Chen couldn't help but exclaim, "Haicheng truly lives up to its reputation as a megacity; it's far superior to our Jiangdu!"
"Of course. They are first-tier cities, while Jiangdu is at best a mid-tier second-tier city. We can't compare. Even Qianjiang City is far behind Haicheng."
Sun Yourong smiled and shrugged.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes: "To be able to rise to such a prestigious position in this place where every inch of land is precious, it seems that the Chang family is indeed extraordinary."
Sun Yourong nodded: "Haicheng not only has famous families, but also powerful clans. There are four famous families and twenty or thirty large clans. Newcomers probably wouldn't even be qualified to sit at the table here. The Chang family ranks in the middle to upper range among the four famous families, which shows their strength."
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen suddenly asked curiously, "Sister Sun, which family do you think is stronger, the Chang family or the Wang family of Jiang Province, both of which are prestigious families?"
“The Chang family.” Sun Yourong answered decisively: “The Chang family has conquered three SS-level missions, while the Wang family only has one. Moreover, it is rumored that the Chang family has an eighth-grade spiritualist in charge, but such a person is always elusive and rarely stays in the clan.”
As they spoke, the two got into the car and drove towards the Chang Family Temple.
Lu Chen's expression stiffened slightly: "Three SS-level missions? I almost lost half my life when I did an S-level mission back then. How did they manage to complete these SS-level missions?"
Sun Yourong chuckled: "To complete a mission of this level, three things are essential: first, good fortune; second, a powerful background. After all, at that level, who doesn't have connections in Heaven? Of course..."
She glanced at Lu Chen and said, "I don't think they could be as abnormal as you. After all, most mortals are subservient to gods, unlike you, who can summon all sorts of gods to help you at the drop of a hat."
Lu Chen smiled.
I thought to myself: They didn't hang up, but I did, how can we compare?
If you can't beat someone even with cheats, then what's the point of using cheats?
"And what's the third point?" he pressed.
"Third?" Sun Yourong's tone was a little indifferent: "Just risk your life. Most of these SS-level missions are demon dungeons. These dungeons look scary, but they're actually the easiest."
It's essentially a meat grinder. Whoever can fill it, whoever can survive to the end, wins. Those who win the meat grinder soar to great heights.
"Having lost, its vitality severely damaged, it's no wonder that its nest was usurped, leaving it in ruins."
Lu Chen clicked his tongue, seemingly lost in thought: "By the way, you said before that prestigious families can govern all the families in a region, and can also set incense money, set prices for inviting gods, and even influence the religious beliefs of a region. But Haicheng has both aristocratic families and prestigious families, so how do they divide power? Logically speaking, shouldn't prestigious families listen to aristocratic families? Wouldn't that greatly weaken the power of prestigious families?"
“That’s true locally. But the families in Haicheng are generally of a higher rank than those in other places, and they have more say in the court. Many high-ranking officials in the court come from prominent families in Haicheng and the capital, which indirectly preserves their authority.”
"Moreover, the imperial court bestows favors upon families of noble birth and above every year. They are the first to choose any rare treasures. Only after they have finished choosing can the remaining treasures be distributed among the noble families of other regions."
Therefore, although the prominent families of Haicheng may seem to be suppressed and weakened by the local powerful families, they have actually made up for their losses elsewhere.
"I see." Lu Chen sighed softly, "Alas, it must be really hard for ordinary people to hear this."
Sun Yourong rolled her eyes at him: "When you reach that position, you'll become a fan too."
"Not necessarily." Lu Chen pursed his lips. "I have a strong attachment to my hometown."
Sun Yourong was taken aback, then burst out laughing.
About half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the Chang Family Temple.
As soon as Lu Chen got out of the car, he was stunned by the magnificent gate of the Chang Family Temple.
"Is this a temple?" He pointed to the plaque that read "Chang Family Temple" hanging high above: "This facade is more luxurious than a five-star hotel."
"It's a prestigious family, don't make a fuss." Sun Yourong stepped into the temple first.
Lu Chen clicked his tongue and followed them inside. As soon as he entered the gate, his eyes were drawn to the bulletin board at the entrance.
As Sun Yourong said, there are three SS-level missions:
——【Binhai Wan Gui Ku】
——【The Black Dragon Overturns the City】
——【Underground Palace Treasures】
Looking further down, there are as many as twelve S-rank missions.
In comparison, the difference between the Wang family and the Chang family is indeed obvious.
These three SS-level missions look intimidating, but honestly, can the so-called Xuanjiao be compared to the Four Seas Dragon Kings?
Could the Binhai Ghost Cave be as dangerous as the Qianjiang City God Street?
And what about that underground palace treasure? Could it possibly be used to damage the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda?
They're not even in the same league.
"I lost money." He shook his head to himself. "Thinking about it now, it was a complete loss all the way."
With a soft sigh, Lu Chen walked towards the incense burner window.
The prestigious families have enshrined as many as two hundred deities.
Therefore, the temple complex was significantly more advanced.
There are ten incense-selling windows alone.
In contrast, the Temple of Talu had only two windows, highlighting the stark difference in design.
A moment later, the two arrived in front of the Taiyin Temple.
"I won't go in, I'll just wander around." Sun Yourong considered it as buying a "visit ticket".
Since it was a rare opportunity for her to visit a renowned temple, she wanted to learn as much as possible about its practices and apply them to the management of her own temple.
"Okay, let's meet here later."
Lu Chen stepped into the main hall alone.
At this time, there were many female worshippers in the hall. When they saw a young man coming alone to worship Taiyin, they all turned their heads.
Lu Chen didn't care at all. He lit the incense sticks and inserted them into the incense burner, too lazy to even recite the "Invocation of the Yin".
Anyway, the Goddess Taiyin knows it was him.
……
"Seriously? A man comes to worship the Goddess Taiyin? Will she even acknowledge him?"
"Exactly! Why are men worshipping Taiyin too?"
"This is really tough! I've encountered a weirdo."
Amidst the chatter of female worshippers around them.
Amidst the murmurs of conversation, the statue of the Moon Goddess suddenly emitted a hazy, faint light.
- Om!
Upon seeing this, the female worshippers around them froze on the spot, their faces filled with disbelief.
……
"You arrived quite quickly, did you rush here overnight?"
The clear, cold voice of the Moon Goddess resounded.
This time, Lu Chen was not directly pulled into the sea of consciousness.
"Your Majesty is wise." Lu Chen cupped his hands and also transmitted his voice secretly.
"Since you are so sincere, I will not bother with you." The Moon Goddess's voice softened a bit: "If you can accomplish this, I will remove the love tribulation that the Old Man of the Moon has set for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty! May I ask... what are your orders?"
"This matter must begin with one of my incarnations." The Moon Goddess paused, then asked, "Do you know what an incarnation of a deity is?"
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that besides the celestial pets and celestial children causing trouble in the mortal realm, even the gods themselves have transformed into mortals and descended to earth?"
"You know quite a lot."
The Moon Goddess chuckled faintly, "However, the vast majority of immortals who slay their avatars and descend to the mortal realm do so to gain experience in the mortal world, not to cause trouble. But this time... you really guessed right."
Her tone turned cold: "Indeed, there are immortals causing trouble in the mortal realm, intending to—covet me."
"Coveting the Empress? Who?"
"Jade Pool Immortal Garden, the Celestial Protector of the Myriad Transformations Department of the Heavenly Court—Spirit Cypress Immortal."
"Wanhua Division... Lingbai Immortal?"
Who is it?!
Lu Chen frowned slightly, his mind racing.
The Heavenly Court is filled with numerous deities, including 365 principal gods and countless other celestial officials.
He didn't really remember this Lingbai Xian at the moment.
However, the title "General Protector of the Immortals" sounds quite weighty, suggesting that the person is a powerful deity who may not be well-known but wields considerable authority.
"This immortal is a guardian deity under the command of Chonghua Star Lord, the Eastern Wood Virtue Year Star, one of the Nine Luminaries. He is in charge of the flourishing and withering of plants, the birth and death of spiritual plants, and the growth of flowers."
"So it was a guardian deity under the command of the Wood Star Lord."
If you put it that way, he'll understand immediately.
"But Your Majesty... you said He covets you? What do you mean by that?"
The voice of the Moon Goddess suddenly turned cold:
"This fellow has quite the ambition; he actually wants to use my avatar to stage a 'borrowing a lotus to bloom' drama!"
"Born through a womb?" Lu Chen was taken aback: "Your Majesty means...he wants to be your son?!"
Just a heads up, the 31st is a big day for the author, so updates will be a bit irregular these two days. I'll do my best to keep updating.
But I probably won't be able to post those two chapters after February 1st, which is after the 31st. I'll probably be forced to drink on that day. I'll try to update more frequently when I have a holiday in a few days.
Thank you all for your support!
There will be more later!
(End of this chapter)