Chapter 265

Chapter 265: Clan Head of the Tu Family

Chang Xiang eagerly followed Lou Yun’s words, “So, this means your body can now generate and absorb spiritual energy entirely on its own?”

“Yes. Although the amount might not be large, it’s better than none. And I believe the Heavenly Flame, much like us, possesses potential for further advancement. As its power grows, its ability to produce spiritual energy will naturally increase too!”

For any cultivator, the ability to generate spiritual energy within their own body without relying on the outside world was simply an incredible boon!

If Lou Yun encountered a situation like today again, he wouldn’t have to worry about insufficient spiritual energy. While he expended it, his body would continuously produce more. Though the rates might not match perfectly, he’d never again risk being exhausted completely.

Releasing a long breath, Lou Yun finally opened his eyes. Nearby, Tu Wa hadn’t dared to blink his eyes, gazing fixedly. Seeing Lou Yun awake, he immediately asked quietly, “Uncle, how’s my father?”

Though the middle-aged man remained unconscious, the contract within his body had been completely burned away by Lou Yun’s Fusang Fire. He was physically unharmed now; ample rest was all he needed to fully recover. Moreover, upon waking, he would cease to be an ordinary man. Instead, he would become another formidable individual possessing the power to control earth!

Lou Yun had initially considered refining the earth contract on Tu Wa’s chest too, but decided he would wait for the father to awaken and seek his opinion first. After all, he was the boy’s blood relative.

“Tu Wa, your father is fine. He’ll be completely well once he wakes. Don’t worry, go to sleep now!” Lou Yun reassured, smiling at Tu Wa’s bloodshot eyes.

Tu Wa stubbornly shook his head. “I’m not sleepy. I’m waiting here for Father to wake up!”

“Alright!” Lou Yun reached out and gently stroked Tu Wa’s head. At the same time, a surge of potent spiritual energy flowed from his palm, steadily transmitting into Tu Wa’s body.

The influx of energy instantly invigorated Tu Wa. His previous drowsiness vanished entirely, replaced by a sense of alertness he’d never experienced before.

Tu Wa was a clever child. Looking up at Lou Yun’s kind smile, he understood it was his uncle’s doing. Gratitude welled within him once more.

And so, Lou Yun sat with Tu Wa in the room, patiently waiting for the middle-aged man to awaken.

A full day later, the middle-aged man finally opened his eyes slowly. His first sight was his son, Tu Wa, followed quickly by Lou Yun.

Seeing his father wake, Tu Wa exclaimed excitedly, “Father! You’re awake!”

The man shook his head slightly and sat up. Just as he was about to speak, he froze completely as if struck by a petrification spell, utterly motionless.

Tu Wa panicked, fearing something else had gone wrong. He shook his father’s arm urgently. “Father! What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

Lou Yun knew the discovery upon waking – the removal of the earth contract – was stunning the man. He was currently sensing the profound changes within his own body.

However, a sudden doubt assailed Lou Yun. When Shui Lingluo’s water contract was removed, she’d needed immediate immersion in water. But this earth contract bearer showed no signs of distress. Logically, shouldn’t he be buried in earth?

Hearing Lou Yun’s question, Chang Xiang chuckled. “What are you imagining? He’s not a corpse; why bury him? Don’t forget, he possesses the earth contract itself. Look at what’s beneath us: earth. Although he’s lying on a bed, it’s still close to the ground. Surely while unconscious, his body was already influenced by the soil, gradually transforming. It’s just something we couldn’t perceive.”

“Ah!” Lou Yun conceded the point made sense. He now regarded those who could control the Five Elements with heightened respect. Shui Lingluo’s ability to control water had far surpassed his expectations, her progress alarmingly fast, leaving cultivators like himself who struggled to absorb spiritual energy far behind.

Lou Yun’s self-deprecating thoughts about his own training speed would have earned him a scolding from Chang Xiang. “Struggled”? Starting his practice at fifteen, he’d vaulted from someone unable to even condense a magical weapon to a cultivator practicing both magical and ordinary skills at the Mystery Rank in less than five years. His true strength might even rival an earth-level magical weapons master! He had no room to complain!

The middle-aged man remained transfixed for several moments, then suddenly snapped his gaze towards Lou Yun. Lou Yun, just about to greet him, felt the ground soften beneath his feet. Reacting instantly, he stomped heavily, using the recoil to somersault backward in mid-air.

In mid-air, the Dream Emperor Sword appeared beneath him, preventing a fall. As he glanced down at the ground, relief washed over him at his swift reflexes.

The earth below now bristled with countless yellow earth palms, all clenching and unclenching, grasping empty air. Had Lou Yun reacted even a fraction slower, they would have seized his ankles; escaping their grip then would have proved difficult.

The ground didn’t shift on its own. Undoubtedly, the newly conscious man was responsible. Lou Yun silently marveled; the man had barely shed the earth contract yet could already command earth power seemingly effectively!

However, the unprovoked attack also angered Lou Yun. He stared coldly at the middle-aged man. “I saved you out of goodwill, only for you to attack me without hearing a word once awake! Performing a good deed truly yields nothing these days. Perhaps I should have just let you perish to the contract’s backlash!”

Tu Wa remained utterly dumbstruck, speechless at Lou Yun’s near-divine movements. Hearing this, a flush crept onto the middle-aged man’s face, yet his gaze remained locked on Lou Yun with deep suspicion. “Who are you? Did you remove my earth contract? And… how do you even know about earth contracts?”

Tu Wa finally came to his senses. Without waiting for Lou Yun to reply, he called out first, "Dad, uncle is a good person. He cured your illness and even bought delicious food for me!"

Lou Yun continued, "My name is Lou Yun. Don’t mind how I knew about the earth contract. Anyway, I dissolved the Contract Symbol on your body. Otherwise, by now, you would have already been killed by the backlash!"

"Then, why did you help remove the Contract Symbol for me?"

That question made Lou Yun both amused and annoyed. "Why? Tu Wa knelt in the city to save you, wanting to sell himself to treat your illness. I couldn’t stand watching, so I intervened and saved you. Are you satisfied with that answer?"

The middle-aged man was slightly stunned. He couldn’t help but look at his son, and at that moment, his face filled with affection. "Tu Wa, you’ve toiled hard!"

Tu Wa shook his head repeatedly. "Dad, it wasn’t hard. What uncle said is all true. He pitied me and agreed to help cure your illness for me!"

The middle-aged man smiled warmly. "Okay, dad knows."

After speaking, the middle-aged man got off the bed and stood on the floor. He bowed deeply to Lou Yun. "Just now, I was too rash and offended you, my benefactor. I hope you won’t hold a grudge and can forgive my rudeness. I apologize!"

Lou Yun was the type who yielded to kindness but resisted force. Seeing how sincerely the other apologized, he naturally couldn’t stay harsh. Waving his hand, he said, "Forget it, I never intended to quarrel with you!"

"Then, benefactor, please accept a bow from us father and son to thank you for saving our lives!"

Lou Yun flashed and moved from mid-air to the ground. By then, the muddy earth hands that had formed on the floor had vanished.

"No need for thanks. I saved you for Tu Wa’s sake, not related to you at all. If you really want to thank me, I have a few questions I want to ask you."

The middle-aged man nodded. "Benefactor, if you have any doubts, speak them out. Whatever Tu Qingtian knows, he will surely tell you."

"Tu Qingtian!"

Lou Yun murmured the name, scrutinizing the middle-aged man before him again. He found that after the earth contract was lifted, Tu Qingtian looked majestic and imposing, truly not like a common person.

"What an imposing name, and it fits you perfectly!"

"Hehe, you flatter me, benefactor!"

Lou Yun waved a hand and sat down in front of Tu Qingtian. After reflecting briefly, he asked, "Aren’t you the Tu family clan head?"

Tu Qingtian hesitated momentarily, a trace of caution on his face, yet nodded emphatically. "Benefactor, good eye. Right, I am the Tu family clan head!"

"Then, has your Tu family dwindled to just you father and son by now?"

"Not at all! Though our Tu family is small in number, we have nearly a hundred tribesmen. They all live in other places now!"

Pausing, Tu Qingtian continued, "To be honest, I left the clan with Tu Wa to find a way to lift the earth contract from our bodies. In our Tu family, every generation’s bearer of the earth contract ends up dying from the backlash. I refused to sit idle and wait for death. So I ventured out to try my luck. Heaven took pity, and I truly met you, benefactor."

As he spoke, Tu Qingtian’s emotions ran high. He nearly knelt to thank Lou Yun again. Lou Yun hastily reached out to stop him. "Don’t thank me. I don’t know much about your Tu family, but I know there should be five families like yours who made contracts with the five elements. I recently helped the Shui family lift their contract, which is why I could help you lift yours today."

"Five families?" Tu Qingtian froze slightly; clearly, he hadn’t known this.

Since Tu Qingtian was unaware, Lou Yun naturally didn’t elaborate further—a hint was enough. He then turned to Tu Wa and said, "Tu Wa, let me remove the earth contract from your body too!"