The Master’s Summons

However, it wasn’t long after Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief that Lin Tian knocked on his door.

“Junior brother, open up!”

“Uncle-master wants you to come to his place!”

Lin Tian’s uncle-master was Lu Chen’s master.

At these words, cold sweat broke out on Lu Chen’s forehead.

But he quickly steadied himself and opened the door for Lin Tian.

“What’s wrong, senior brother?”

“What does Master want with me?”

“You haven’t heard?”

“That demoness from the Hehuan Sect said that our Xuantian Sect has many descendants of that mysterious man!”

“Now the uncle-master wants you to go, and it’s probably related to this!”

Lu Chen’s heart skipped a beat.

He forced a calm expression and squeezed out a smile.

“I haven’t heard.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I cultivate in my cave every day…”

Lin Tian clapped him on the shoulder carelessly.

“Why are you nervous, junior brother?”

“I don’t think it’s related to you either.”

“Let’s go, the uncle-master is waiting.”

The two soared on their swords toward Xuanmu Peak.

Along the way, Lu Chen’s mind was in chaos.

How much had that demoness said?

Was Master calling him over for a face-to-face confrontation?

“Junior brother?”

“Junior brother!”

Lin Tian’s voice pulled him back.

“What are you thinking?”

“Your face looks terrible.”

“Nothing, nothing.”

Lu Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Maybe it’s because my cultivation was sealed and I was locked up for two days.”

“I’m feeling weak.”

Lin Tian felt a bit guilty.

“I’ll treat you to a good meal later to make up for it.”

Soon, they arrived at Xuanmu Peak.

The flying sword landed at the peak, where an ancient cave dwelling stood with two disciples on guard at the entrance.

“Senior Brother Lu, Master is waiting for you inside,” one of the disciples said.

“Understood.”

The two entered the cave one after another.

Inside the hall, a refined middle-aged man sat in the main seat.

He was Lu Chen’s master, Hu Wei.

His face was thin and elegant, with an immortal aura.

He sat with his eyes closed, his expression unreadable.

Beside Hu Wei sat a woman.

Lu Chen glanced at her and quickly lowered his gaze.

She appeared to be around thirty, with a blue robe outlining her graceful figure.

Her brows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn pools.

Her skin was like congealed fat, her lips like cherry blossoms, and her black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist.

She exuded the unique charm of a mature woman.

Yet despite her stunning beauty, she sat with dignity and elegance, holding a cup of tea.

Her demeanor was serene and carried the authority of a senior.

She was his master’s wife, Chen Xuejiao.

Further down stood Lu Chen’s junior brother, Zhang Fan, and his wife, Yu Ning.

“Disciples Lu Chen and Lin Tian pay their respects to Master and Mistress.”

Both bowed.

Hu Wei opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Lu Chen.

“Lu Chen, do you know why I summoned you?”

Lu Chen’s heart pounded like a drum, but he had to steel himself.

“This disciple does not know.”

“You don’t know?”

Hu Wei snorted lightly.

“That demoness from the Hehuan Sect said that within our Xuantian Sect, there are those with inextricable ties to that mysterious man.”

“What do you think about this?”

Sweat beaded on Lu Chen’s forehead.

Yu Ning, who was holding a baby nearby, keenly noticed his unease.

Just then, a gentle voice rang out.

“Husband, let him sit down and speak first.”

“Hmph!”

“You’re always protecting him!”

Hu Wei sneered.

At these words, Chen Xuejiao’s forehead also broke out in a light sweat.

She didn’t respond, only reached out to refill her husband’s tea.

The elegance in her movements made Lu Chen dare not look a second time.

Hu Wei took a sip of tea, then looked back at Lu Chen, his eyes carrying a hint of frustration.

“Tell me, what is your current cultivation level?”

Lu Chen was startled, then relaxed.

“This disciple cultivates day and night.”

“My current cultivation is… the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment!”

For someone with the hardest-to-cultivate Five Elements Spiritual Root, this speed was not slow!

In fact, two days ago he was only at the fifth layer, but after Zhuang Jingbai attached herself to him, his cultivation had soared, breaking through to the seventh layer in just a few days.

“The seventh layer of Foundation Establishment?”

“Given the difficulty of your Five Elements Spiritual Root, you’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Master!”

“What compliment?”

“I’m complimenting you for being close to the Golden Core realm without a Dao partner!”

“Don’t you know that once you reach Golden Core, having children becomes much harder than at Foundation Establishment!”

The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the harder it was to bear offspring.

Therefore, in the cultivation world, cultivators usually married early to quickly produce children and continue the family line.

“Master, what do you mean?”

“Look at your junior brother, Zhang Fan.”

“He’s two years younger than you, and he’s already holding a child!”

“What do you think I mean?”

Zhang Fan scratched his head sheepishly, a bashful smile on his honest face.

“Senior brother… he might be focused on cultivation…”

“Focused on cultivation?”

Hu Wei glared at him.

“You’re focused too, but you still had a child, didn’t you?”

Zhang Fan shut up awkwardly.

Yu Ning, sitting beside him, blushed deeply.

She lowered her head, even her ears turning pink.

She was naturally beautiful, with apricot eyes that held shyness and skin like congealed fat.

Now her face was flushed, making her even more charming.

The baby in her arms gave her a gentle maternal aura that was truly captivating.

Lu Chen stole a glance but quickly looked away.

“What that demoness from the Hehuan Sect said has been a warning to me.”

“Now it’s also a chance for you to avoid that pitfall.”

“Quickly find a good girl and stay with her day and night to bear your child!”

Lu Chen was speechless.

So this big fuss was just to pressure him into marriage.

“Don’t stay silent!”

“Look at your mistress!”

Hu Wei continued.

“When your mistress joined me, I was already at the Golden Core.”

“Do you know how many remedies I had to take to continue our lineage?”

Chen Xuejiao shot her husband a reproachful glance.

“Why say these things in front of your disciples?”

“I’m speaking the truth!”

Hu Wei said with righteous indignation.

“The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the harder it is to have children.”

“While Lu Chen is still at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, we need to quickly find him a good girl.”

“If he waits until he forms his Golden Core, it’ll be too late for children!”

“Then he’ll cry before he can even regret!”

Lu Chen was scolded so much that he couldn’t lift his head, only nodding repeatedly.

“Master is right.”

“This disciple will remember…”

“You remember?”

“You always remember!”

“But what’s the result?”

“Do you think I’m easy to fool?”

Lu Chen opened his mouth but dared not retort.

He himself didn’t know how many children he had now.

According to that demoness, across the entire righteous alliance, he might have around five hundred.

And that was only because cultivators were scarce…

Lin Tian couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.

“Uncle-master, don’t pressure him.”

“With junior brother’s personality, he blushes at the sight of a girl.”

“You could introduce him to a hundred, and it would all be for nothing!”

“You still have the nerve to laugh?”

Hu Wei glared at Lin Tian.

“Look at what you’ve done!”

“That girl Zhuang Jingbai went back to complain.”

“On your wedding night, you actually ran away!”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“When your master comes out, you can be sure I’ll have a good talk with her!”

Lin Tian instantly wilted.

“Don’t, uncle-master!”

“I… I didn’t…”

“Explaining to me is useless.”

“Miss Zhuang’s father is the master of Moonlight Palace, and Miss Zhuang married below her station.”

“She’ll probably come here in a day or two to demand an explanation.”

“When that happens, what will you do?”

“What?”

“It’s that serious?”

“I… No, I have to go back and prepare properly!”

Lin Tian ran off in a panic.

Lu Chen was also stunned.

In the original story, there was no scene of Zhuang Jingbai returning home.

“You get out too.”

“When you’ve found someone you like, then come see me!”

“Now, I want to see my good grand-disciple!”

Hu Wei casually dismissed Lu Chen and turned his gaze to the three-year-old child in Yu Ning’s arms.

Instantly, his expression shifted from stern to kind, shocking Lu Chen.

But he said nothing, bowed, and left.