Chapter 871
Things Have Changed
Hometown World.
Lu Qing looked at everything before him, feeling utterly shocked.
From the moment he saw the shattered jade absorb energy and eventually evolve into a small world, he had a vague guess in his mind.
But now, seeing the evolved world, which is indeed his home world, he still felt deeply shaken.
After all, he never imagined that his home world was actually evolved from a piece of broken jade.
The truth was so shocking that Lu Qing was unable to calm down for a long time.
It turns out that all of this originated from a small piece of broken jade.
That piece of broken jade is the true core and the true origin of this world.
“Mysterious Transformation… Demon Heaven… Blood Demon…”
Lu Qing muttered to himself, countless questions surging in his mind.
What level of existence were those people? And where did that great battle take place?
Did Xuanhua, the owner of that jade ruyi, ultimately escape the pursuit?
Too many questions filled Lu Qing's mind, leaving him momentarily at a loss for where to begin.
Just then, the scene before my eyes began to blur.
That vast starry sky, that evolving world, that endless time, all began to fade away.
Finally, everything in front of me disappeared.
Lu Qing felt a blur before his eyes, and when he could see his surroundings again, he had already withdrawn from the origin of the world and returned to the origin space.
The vast origin of the world still floated before him, its pristine white surface emitting a faint glow, as if nothing had ever happened.
But Lu Qing knew that everything that had just happened was real.
Those scenes, those sounds, those shocks, are all deeply etched in his mind and cannot be erased.
Lu Qing's mind remained still, and he did not move for a long time.
Through his recent experience, he had come to understand that the true nature of that broken jade was beyond his imagination.
It's incredible that a small world can evolve simply by absorbing energy.
It's hard to imagine what grade that white figure's jade ruyi magic weapon must have been when it wasn't intact.
But one thing is certain: it must be far beyond the scope of Dao artifacts.
Such a treasure could not possibly be grasped by him with just a wisp of divine thought.
And who knows what secrets lie hidden within that shard of jade?
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, Lu Qing decided to retreat for the time being.
After taking a deep look at the vast origin before him, Lu Qing's divine sense transformed into a ray of light, quickly piercing through the earth and returning to his body.
In the days that followed, Lu Qing acted as if nothing had happened.
He didn't tell anyone about what he saw in the origin of the world, whether it was about the origin of the mysterious jade or the truth about the birth of his home world.
Some things are better known to as few people as possible.
Moreover, he himself has not fully digested that information yet, and speaking out rashly will only cause trouble for those around him.
Therefore, Lu Qing chose to remain silent.
As usual, he meditated in the courtyard every day, occasionally giving guidance to Xiaoyan and Xiaoli on their cultivation, and sometimes he would go to the small courtyard halfway up the mountain to visit his master.
More often than not, he simply sits quietly under the old locust tree in the courtyard, watching the sunrise and sunset, and the clouds drift by.
He hadn't enjoyed such peaceful days in a long time.
On this day, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan to pay respects to her parents and Grandpa Zhang.
My parents' graves are on a sunny hillside behind the mountain, surrounded by lush pine and cypress trees that shield them from the scorching sun.
A stone tablet stands in front of the grave, engraved with the names of the parents and an inscription written by Lu Qing himself.
Xiaoyan respectfully kowtowed three times in front of the grave, then silently stood aside.
Lu Qing stood quietly in front of the grave, looking at the stone tablet, without saying a word for a long time.
He only had scattered memories of his parents in this life, inherited from the original owner, and didn't have any real connection to them.
Unfortunately, the original owner of this body died young and was unable to repay her parents' kindness in raising her.
Since he inherited this body, he must also inherit this cause and effect.
After paying respects to their parents, the two went to the graves of Grandpa Zhang and other elderly people in the village to pay their respects before returning to the village.
In the following days, Lu Qing met some old acquaintances again.
Wei Zian is now a Golden Core cultivator and can be considered a powerful figure in his hometown world.
But he did not leave Jiuli Village; he stayed there to protect this land.
Like Wei Shanhai, Wei Xinghe was stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage and could not break through to the Golden Core stage.
Both of them were somewhat anxious, but there was nothing they could do. After all, talent plays a large role in cultivation, and it cannot be forced.
Hu Zezhi has made the most significant progress, and is now at the fifth stage of the Golden Core realm, just one step away from the sixth stage.
However, the occasional hint of sorrow in her gaze towards Lu Qing made Lu Qing feel somewhat helpless.
Madam Hu remained unchanged, her cultivation level stagnating without any progress.
However, she has a good attitude. She takes care of the housework, her husband and children every day, and she is quite content with it.
On the contrary, Ma Gu, who was traveling abroad, rushed back overnight after hearing the news of Lu Qing's return.
Then Lu Qing discovered that this Master Ma had actually achieved the Golden Core stage as well.
His cultivation progress was actually faster than that of Wei Shanhai and Wei Xinghe.
Lu Qing took some time to go out and visit the Holy Mountain and the Cold Water Palace.
However, he did not show himself; he simply observed from the shadows.
Within the sacred mountain, the three holy lords were all in good condition, and their cultivation levels had all made progress.
Inside the Cold Water Palace, Han Ling Shuang was in seclusion. Lu Qing sensed her aura and realized that she had already entered the sixth stage of the Golden Core realm, making her even stronger than Hu Ze Zhi.
Clearly, she has also practiced diligently over the years.
Seeing this, Lu Qing did not disturb her and quietly left.
After going out and seeing that all his old friends were well, Lu Qing felt relieved.
He did not go out again and stayed in the village.
Unfortunately, it took decades for him to return after that trip.
He really knew very few people in the village.
The older generation has all passed away.
Those uncles, aunts, and other relatives who watched him grow up are all gone now.
Of those villagers who were among the first to be found to have the aptitude for cultivation, only a few are still alive.
However, due to their lack of aptitude, their cultivation levels were not high. Although they relied on the pills left by Lu Qing to prolong their lives, they could not resist the erosion of time and appeared somewhat old and decrepit.
That morning, someone came to see Lu Qing.
The visitor was the current village chief of Jiuli Village, surnamed Zhou, named Zhou Mingde.
Zhou Mingde was one of the first children to be found to have cultivation potential. He was only seven or eight years old at the time, thin and small, standing in the crowd looking timidly at Lu Qing.
Now, decades later, the children of yesteryear have become elderly people with graying temples.
"Zhou Mingde pays respects to the Ancestor."
As soon as Zhou Mingde entered, he bowed respectfully and addressed Lu Qing as "Ancestor".
Lu Qing was taken aback when he heard this address, then smiled helplessly.
The title "Ancestor" always made him feel very old.
Although by age he is indeed several hundred years old, and in the eyes of ordinary people he would definitely be an ancestor, he himself always felt that he was still very young.
"Get up, no need for formalities." Lu Qing waved his hand. "Zhou... Mingde, did you come to see me for something?"
Zhou Mingde straightened up and looked at Lu Qing's youthful face, which remained as youthful as ever, and felt even more awe in his heart.
He remembered very clearly that Lu Qing looked exactly like this when he was a child.
Even after all these years, his appearance hasn't changed at all.
Even the old ancestor Xiaoyan still looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, as if time had stood still for her.
As for himself, the skinny child he once was, now has graying temples and a face full of wrinkles, and it seems he doesn't have many years left to live.
This is the difference between immortals and mortals.
Zhou Mingde was filled with emotion, but dared not show it on his face. He respectfully said, "Reporting to the Ancestor, tomorrow is the day that takes place once every ten years in the village to test the cultivation aptitude of newborn children. I dare to ask the Ancestor to preside over the ceremony."
"Testing qualifications?" Lu Qing was slightly taken aback.
He remembered that he had indeed set this rule before he left.
Every ten years, the village will test the spiritual aptitude of newborn children.
If someone has good aptitude, they will be taught the techniques and guided in cultivation by a senior villager with high cultivation level.
The purpose of doing this is to ensure the continuity of Jiuli Village's heritage and to give more children the opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation.
However, he forgot that the testing was scheduled to coincide with his return.
"Okay." Lu Qing nodded. "I'll go tomorrow."
Zhou Mingde was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Ancestor! Thank you, Ancestor!"
Lu Qing waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite.
Zhou Mingde exchanged a few more polite words and then respectfully withdrew.
The next morning, Lu Qing prepared to go to the ancestral hall.
After hearing about this, Xiaoyan and Xiaoli also came over out of interest.
"Brother, I want to go see too," Xiaoyan said with a grin. "It's been so long since I've seen such a small child."
Xiao Li didn't say anything, but simply jumped onto Lu Qing's shoulder.
Lu Qing smiled, did not refuse, and led them out the door.
The ancestral hall is located in the center of the village. It is an ancient building with blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, exuding a sense of solemnity and dignity.
A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the ancestral hall.
Men, women, young and old, a dense crowd, numbering at least nearly a thousand.
They were all villagers from Jiuli Village, young and old, men and women, all eagerly awaiting Lu Qing's arrival.
When Lu Qing appeared at the entrance of the ancestral hall with Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, a commotion immediately broke out in the crowd.
"They're here! The Ancestor is here!"
"It really is the ancestor! I saw him once when I was a child, and he looked just like this back then, and he still looks the same now!"
"The one next to the Ancestor should be Ancestor Xiaoyan, right? I heard she's also a deity who has lived for hundreds of years!"
"And that little beast, is that the Ancestor's spirit pet? It looks so majestic!"
The crowd discussed among themselves, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity.
Lu Qing ignored the stares and led Xiao Yan and Xiao Li straight into the ancestral hall.
Inside the ancestral hall is a spacious courtyard.
In the center of the courtyard stands a huge jade tablet.
The jade tablet was pure white, about ten feet tall and three feet wide, with a smooth, mirror-like surface and a faint, shimmering light.
It was the jade tablet that Lu Qing had personally crafted to test cultivation aptitude.
Upon seeing the jade tablet, Lu Qing was somewhat dazed.
When he forged this jade tablet, he was a young man who had just embarked on the path of cultivation.
Back then, Grandpa Zhang was still alive, Brother Da Shi was still alive, and all the old people in the village were still alive.
They surrounded the jade tablet, examining it curiously and discussing it animatedly.
Grandpa Zhang stood by with a smile, watching him set up the formation, his eyes full of satisfaction.
Brother Da Shi held his hand, excitedly asking all sorts of questions, wishing he could have the whole village tested immediately.
Those scenes feel like they happened just yesterday.
But now, the jade tablet remains, but those familiar figures are long gone.
Grandpa Zhang is gone, Brother Da Shi is gone, all the old people in the village are gone.
Only this jade tablet remains, standing quietly in the courtyard, witnessing the passage of time and the growth of generation after generation.
Things are wrong.
A faint sense of emotion welled up in Lu Qing's heart.
However, he was a cultivator at the Dao Integration Realm, and his mind had long been tempered to be as firm as a rock.
This feeling was fleeting, and he quickly suppressed it.
"Let's begin," Lu Qing said calmly, pulling himself out of his thoughts.
Zhou Mingde nodded quickly, turned to the children standing in the corner of the yard, and said loudly, "Come here, line up, one by one."
Upon hearing this, the children nervously approached.
There were more than 30 children in total, the oldest being eight or nine years old and the youngest only two or three years old.
They were dressed in new clothes, their hair neatly combed, clearly having been carefully groomed by their family.
But at this moment, facing Lu Qing, the legendary "ancestor," and so many adults around, the children were all a little timid, lowering their heads and not daring to speak.
Several of the younger children even hid behind the older children, peeking out and curiously observing Lu Qing.
Lu Qing looked at the children, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
He recalled how he looked when he first tested Zhou Mingde and the others; he was probably just as timid.
"Who wants to go first?" Lu Qing asked.
The children looked at each other, none of them daring to step forward.
Just as Zhou Mingde was about to urge them on, a boy of about seven or eight years old suddenly stepped out from the crowd.
The boy was a robust-looking boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Although he was a little nervous, he mustered up his courage, walked up to Lu Qing, and respectfully bowed, just like an adult.
"Ancestor, I'll go first!"
The boy's voice was childish, but his tone was firm.
A hint of admiration flashed in Lu Qing's eyes.
This kid has a lot of courage.
"Okay, what's your name?" Lu Qing asked.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, my name is Zhou Hu!" the boy shouted.
Lu Qing nodded and pointed to the jade tablet: "Put your hand on it, close your eyes, and don't think about anything."
Zhou Hu responded, walked to the jade tablet, took a deep breath, and then placed his hand on the jade tablet.
In an instant, the jade tablet lit up.
A soft light emanated from the jade tablet, enveloping Zhou Hu completely.
The light was initially white, then gradually turned red, and finally settled on a pale gold hue.
"Gold-level qualification?"
Upon seeing this, Lu Qing's eyes revealed a hint of surprise. (End of Chapter)