Chapter 294

Chapter 294: Loss of a Son

After leaving Maple Leaf City, Zhou Luo did not choose to ride a spiritual steed; instead, he stood on a flying shuttle and flew towards that spiritual mine.

This flying shuttle required the injection of spiritual energy; as Zhou Luo was now a Foundation Establishment strong person, his speed was extremely fast.

In the air, the flying shuttle transformed into a long rainbow, piercing through the sky and attracting the attention of some loose cultivators, but no one dared to provoke him.

By the time it was nearing noon on the second day, he had already reached the vicinity of that new spiritual mine.

"Who dares to trespass through the spiritual mine of our Lu Family!"

As soon as he appeared, a harsh shout came from below.

Zhou Luo casually glanced down; the pressure from his Foundation Establishment instantly erupted, instantly enveloping the entire area.

That mountain-like pressure immediately overwhelmed all Qi Refinement cultivators on the ground; those members of the Lu Family, who had been fierce just moments before, were now terrified, prostrate and trembling uncontrollably.

The Foundation Establishment pressure caused all the Qi Refinement cultivators present to feel great dread.

Zhou Luo drifted down and stood before that pavilion.

"Who is in charge of the Lu Family? Get out here and see me."

The next second, an elderly man rushed out frantically and clumsily from upstairs, kneeling reverently before him.

"Esteemed One, this humble one has eyes but can’t see; please do not take offense."

In the face of a Foundation Establishment strong person, even though this old man was a cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Refinement, he did not dare to show any arrogance.

"I ask you, what happened to the original members of the Lin Family here?" Zhou Luo asked.

The old man tensed up inwardly.

He wondered if this was someone from the Immortal Sect.

This made him even more fearful, and he quickly said, "Reporting to you, Esteemed One, they fled three days ago; however, rest assured that the two Immortal Sect disciples are safe and sound."

Earlier, he had heard that the ones stationed here were two Immortal Sect disciples, who were even the disciples of a Golden Core master, so he now assumed that the other party was their Senior Brother coming to search for them.

A long time passed, and there was no response from the other party.

The old man felt suspicious; when he lifted his head dazedly, he realized the other had vanished without a trace.

He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Boom——

But at that very moment, a tremendous sword beam suddenly descended from the horizon.

That sword beam surged boundlessly, carrying endless flames; everywhere it passed, countless cultivators were struck with terror.

The old man looked despairing; under the Foundation Establishment pressure, he was completely unable to dodge.

Bang——

With a loud blast, the entire pavilion was flattened to the ground, and all the strong persons of the Lu Family inside were killed.

At that moment, Zhou Luo was already a hundred li away, walking in the direction of Jiang City to search for traces of his children.

In the future, he would definitely take control of the Lin Family, so if there was a chance to casually weaken the strength of the Lu Family, it was extremely good.

Several hours later, Zhou Luo, who was steering the flying shuttle, appeared before a stretch of forested mountain.

Here, he discovered a group of people engaged in combat.

Releasing his mental strength, he immediately spotted the figures of Xu Changsheng and the others, then flew downward.

Deep in the mountainous forest, Xu Changsheng’s group was locked in fierce combat against pursuers from the Lu Family.

Zhou Chang Le and Zhou Shiling fought particularly ferociously, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Lu Family cultivators in this pursuit, quickly leading them into a stalemate.

Just then, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended.

All their faces paled.

They saw a figure descend from high above, unleashing boundless sword energy that shot straight towards the Lu Family’s elite pursuers.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

Wherever the sword energy reached, those strong individuals had no chance to resist. Even those at the ninth level of Qi Refinement were struck down by a single stroke.

Zhou Luo landed on the ground, now littered with corpses from the Lu Family.

Recognizing the newcomer, Zhou Chang Le rejoiced.

"Father!"

Zhou Luo’s arrival instantly shattered the stalemate. The entire group of Lu Family strong persons was completely wiped out.

Zhou Chang Le and his siblings were overjoyed and quickly rushed forward, gathering around him.

"Father, have you reached Foundation Establishment?" Zhou Shiling exclaimed in delight, her beautiful eyes wide as she blinked.

The power Zhou Luo just displayed was clearly that of a Foundation Establishment strong person.

Zhou Luo didn’t deny it, nodding. He then asked in confusion, "Where’s Chang An?"

He realized Zhou Chang An’s figure was unexpectedly not present among them.

"Master, this is all my fault."

At that moment, Xu Changsheng suddenly fell to his knees, his face filled with grief and despair.

The siblings present also dropped their expressions, overcome by a somber silence.

Zhou Luo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Xu Changsheng’s eyes turned red, and his voice choked with tears. "It’s all my fault for failing to keep watch over Chang An, Master. I can only atone with my life."

Saying this, he raised his sword to his throat, attempting to end his own life.

With a light flick of his index finger, Zhou Luo sent the sword clattering to the ground. Seeing Xu Changsheng utterly heartbroken, a terrible suspicion began to form in his mind.

"What happened to your elder brother?" He turned his gaze towards Zhou Chang Le, his voice low and heavy.

Eyes blazing red, Zhou Chang Le gritted his teeth so hard they might shatter. He slowly turned his head to look towards a large tree nearby.

Beneath that tree stood a simple, makeshift coffin.

Zhou Luo’s expression darkened instantly. He strode quickly to the coffin and looked inside.

Lying there was Zhou Chang An.

His eyes were tightly shut, his body rigid and cold. He had clearly been dead for some time.

A murderous aura radiated from Zhou Luo’s eyes. His fists clenched, his face turned livid. "What exactly happened?"

Zhou Chang Le stood by his side, recounting the events from start to finish.

After listening, Zhou Luo took a deep breath, his heart surging with limitless fury.

He knew the temperament of this eldest son and had deliberately left him several hidden trump cards.

But destiny is unpredictable; his son had still ended up dead at the hands of the Lu Family.

In that instant, he felt only burning rage, as immense anger surged within his heart.

The next second, a gentle force arose from within his body, beginning to soothe his emotions.

It was the effect of the Water Spirit Heart Method.

Yet even if the heart method calmed him, it couldn’t quell the agony of losing a son, nor the hatred bred by his murder.

He gazed at the body of his eldest son, memories of their time together flooding his mind unbidden.

As his first child, unlike those who came later, he had truly poured significant heart and soul into him.

Although by now his son had started his own family and career, even having children of his own.

In his eyes, the man before him remained indistinguishable from the child who, over twenty years ago, clamored in his arms to fly in the sky.

Time passed, and the big boy who willingly gave his toys to younger brothers and silently persevered in his cultivation daily to gain his father’s approval was now severed from him forever by death.

That grief was not something the Water Spirit Heart Method could soothe.

He clenched his fists, recalling his eldest son’s final words, a fire smoldering in his eyes.

"Good child, Papa is taking you home right now."

Zhou Luo stored the coffin inside a backpack, then turned his gaze toward the assembled sons and daughters behind him.

They were all downcast, their spirits low and somber.

Especially Xu Changsheng, who remained kneeling on the ground, prostrated in utter despair.

"You all must return home now," he said, his tone unnervingly calm.

"Father, what about you?" Zhou Chang Le couldn’t help but ask.

"Me?" Zhou Luo’s gaze darkened, overwhelming murderous intent rising within him.

He did not elaborate, only glancing at Xu Changsheng. "Take them back. This was not your fault."

Xu Changsheng’s heart jolted; he kowtowed heavily. "Master, even if I have to die, I will see them safely back."

"Mmm."

Zhou Luo gave a single nod, then shot up into the sky, transforming into a trail of rainbow light that vanished amidst the mountains and forests.

"Elder Brother," Zhou Shiling watched the spot where he vanished, perplexed. "Where is Father going?"

Zhou Chang Le clenched his fists. "Father is certainly going to avenge our eldest brother."

"What about us?" Zhou Shiling asked.

"Of course, we obey Father and go home. Let’s be as quick as possible. We might still catch a glimpse of father displaying his prowess."

Zhou Chang Le declared earnestly, already certain of what his father intended to do.