Chapter 47: A Letter from the Great Yan Kingdom

Lin Tian smiled and said, “This is what I should do. You are the hero of Lingxiao Sect; if even you cannot be protected, it would dishearten the disciples.”

Soon after, everyone left the Sunset Forest and returned to Lingxiao Sect.

Upon returning, Lu Xingchen immediately sought out Lin Wanqing.

Having been away from Lingxiao Sect for so long, he truly missed his beautiful wife.

Ahem, fiancée.

“Miss Wanqing, I’m back!” Lu Xingchen knocked on her door, noticing it was slightly ajar.

Yet, he did not enter rashly; he waited by the door.

Fifteen minutes passed without a sound from inside.

A bad feeling crept over him, and he suddenly pushed the door open.

The room was empty, devoid of any sign of habitation.

On the living room table, Lu Xingchen found a letter left by Lin Wanqing.

“Dazhuang, by the time you read this letter, I will have already left.

“Congratulations on becoming the Sacred Son of Lingxiao Sect. I’m sure you returned from the Chuyuan Secret Realm richly rewarded. But I feel your pace has been too swift; I can no longer keep up.

“I love you—not like the Lingxiao flowers that cling and boast upon your lofty branch, but as a tree standing firmly beside you.

“You have found your path, and I must find mine. I hope that when we meet again, you will surprise me once more. Until we meet at the summit!”

Though brief, the letter revealed his wife’s confident and resolute spirit.

He sighed softly and tucked the letter close to his heart.

As she said, the Tianyuan Continent is vast; sooner or later, they would meet again.

A summit reunion was not impossible.

With Lin Wanqing gone, Lu Xingchen turned his focus to mastering the method of forging Earth Fiend Puppets.

Having more free fighters would undoubtedly smooth his future path.

Yet he discovered that creating puppets of the Great Martial Master realm required at least the skill of a third-grade alchemist.

Determined, Lu Xingchen locked himself in his room, refining pills and steadily increasing his proficiency.

After ten days, he finally advanced to a third-grade alchemist.

Using materials bought with medicinal pills and the corpse of Qin Tian, Lu Xingchen crafted his first puppet.

This puppet’s strength matched Qin Tian’s in life—three-star Great Martial Master—a formidable aid.

Following the scroll’s instructions, Lu Xingchen imprinted his soul on the Earth Fiend Puppet.

This meant that unless the puppet was forcibly destroyed or himself killed, it would serve him indefinitely.

Of course, the more puppets the better.

But finding the corpses of Great Martial Masters was no easy task.

Though he had slain many before, without knowledge of the forging method, he had destroyed their bodies.

To forge more Earth Fiend Puppets, he would have to defeat Great Martial Masters himself.

Just as Lu Xingchen fretted over this, Wang Dongxuan suddenly knocked at his door.

Hurriedly hiding the Earth Fiend Puppet, Lu Xingchen opened the door.

“Senior Sister Dongxuan, what brings you here?”

Wang Dongxuan’s voice was grave: “Junior Brother Lu, the Sect Leader wants to see you. Hurry to the Council Hall!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen felt puzzled.

Why would the Sect Leader seek him out?

Could he have regretted and wanted the Hunyuan Umbrella back?

No, that couldn’t be.

He had been pleased with the exchange.

Lu Xingchen nodded firmly: “Alright, I’m on my way!”

In the Council Hall, Lin Tian had been waiting for some time.

Lu Xingchen went straight to the point: “May I ask why the Sect Leader summoned me?”

Lin Tian spoke solemnly: “Here is a letter from the Dayan Kingdom. Lu Xingchen, read it.”

At those words, Lu Xingchen’s heart jolted.

Given his father’s nature, he would fully support his cultivation and not disturb him lightly.

If he had sent a letter, something major must have occurred in Dayan Kingdom.

Was it good news or bad?

Taking the letter, Lu Xingchen read:

“Lu Xingchen, I am Sovereign Xiao Long. Dayan Kingdom is in grave peril!

“Half a month ago, Fengming Kingdom suddenly launched war against us. Their forces multiplied overnight, and many martial arts experts have appeared in their ranks.

“General Lu Chaoyang steadfastly defended our borders, but our forces were overwhelmed, and the general was captured by Fengming Kingdom.

“Lu Xingchen, Xiao Yue and I have lost contact. You are Dayan Kingdom’s only hope. If you are doing well in Lingxiao Sect, could you request the Sect to send disciples to aid Dayan Kingdom?

“Please return swiftly to assist. Without General Lu, I do not know how much longer we can endure!”

After reading the letter, Lu Xingchen’s face darkened considerably.

“Sect Leader, have you read the contents of this letter?”

Lin Tian nodded slightly: “Yes. Your father’s capture is a matter of life and death, which is why I summoned you immediately.”

“Is it possible for Lingxiao Sect to intervene?”

Lin Tian shook his head.

“No. On Tianyuan Continent, sects and kingdoms balance each other. According to the Orthodox Alliance’s rules, major sects are forbidden from meddling in kingdom affairs. Regardless of regime changes, the Orthodox Alliance remains uninvolved.

“Though I wish to help, Lingxiao Sect is only a third-grade sect; it cannot withstand the Orthodox Alliance’s pressure.”

Lu Xingchen nodded faintly: “Understood. In that case, Sect Leader, I will return home first.”

“Act within your means. Lu Xingchen, your potential is immense; your future achievements will not be confined to one kingdom or city. If the situation becomes untenable, invoke Lingxiao Sect’s name. Though I cannot save Dayan Kingdom, I can protect you.”

Lu Xingchen replied with gravity: “I understand. Sect Leader, let us part here. As for the Sacred Son title, please return it to Senior Brother Hu Junfeng.”

“That is a minor matter; your life is Lingxiao Sect’s priority.”

Lu Xingchen fell silent and turned back to Bamboo Peak to pack.

For ordinary martial artists, traveling from Dayan Kingdom to Lingxiao Sect takes three days.

He wondered how much land Dayan Kingdom had already lost in those three days.

Undoubtedly, the situation was worse than Sovereign Xiao Long’s letter described.

There was no time to waste.

When Lu Xingchen reached the mountain gate, he found the other six chief disciples and Lin Qingzhu waiting.

He was slightly startled: “Why are you all here?”

Hu Junfeng spoke softly: “Junior Brother Lu, the Sect Leader has informed us of the situation. We came to see you off.”

Warmth filled Lu Xingchen’s heart, and he smiled: “Thank you all! Rest assured, I will return safely.”

Lin Qingzhu handed him a storage ring.

“Lu Xingchen, this ring contains nearly all third-grade pill recipes. I hope it will aid you.”

Having just become a third-grade alchemist, these recipes would be quite useful.

At this critical moment, Lu Xingchen set aside pride and accepted the ring.

“Thank you, Peak Master!”