Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 249 - 165: Entry to the Cyan Wood Fire Technique

Chapter 249: Chapter 165: Entry to the Cyan Wood Fire Technique

Lu Chang’sheng sat steadily at his seat, writing his answers slowly and calmly, while the other two were already sweating, brow furrowed in deep thought.

Logically, Lu Chang’sheng had been here longer than the other two, so it was understandable that he remembered more, but the four of them knew that’s not the issue.

Lin Yan always had a fixed number of questions for his exams: sixty-nine. Now, they were in the middle section.

Back when they had returned here, the other two had looked just like this.

"Exceptional memory, remarkable comprehension."

The four all felt a chill inside, and when they looked at Lu Chang’sheng again, their expressions had already changed.

Their judgment was also Lin Yan’s inner judgment.

Having taken in disciples many times, Lin Yan had his own methods and experience in examination, and these questions were tailored based on his lectures.

According to his thinking, at this stage, the three of them ought to find things difficult. Unexpectedly, the other two did, while Lu Chang’sheng seemed perfectly at ease.

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"Standing out above the rest, that’s enough."

Lu Chang’sheng also sensed his teacher and several senior brothers’ gaze changing, so he pretended to look thoughtful.

It was good to be excellent, but being too excellent would only put him in a potentially dangerous spot.

So, he slowly started to put down his pen, answering about ten more questions than the other two.

Half an hour later, the examination was over.

Lu Chang’sheng and the other two stood before Lin Yan.

He vaguely noticed the two glancing at him, their looks tinged with respect.

Anyone able to enter White Cloud Pharmacy as Lin Yan’s student was no fool—they clearly understood the gap between themselves and Lu Chang’ssheng.

At least when it came to memory and comprehension, they were far behind.

"Chang’sheng, not bad. You two still have a long way to go; you need to try much harder. If you fail two more assessments, I’ll have no choice but to send you home."

Lin Yan glanced at Lu Chang’ssheng first, then looked at the other two; his expression shifting drastically between them.

He gazed at Lu Chang’ssheng with a hint of appreciation, but looked at the other two with visible severity.

"Senior Brother Lu, is there any trick for improving memory?"

After Lin Yan left, the two newcomers immediately moved closer, sounding eager for advice.

Lu Chang’ssheng shook his head slightly. "This just takes hard work. After every class, I go back to my courtyard and write down everything the teacher said, then go over it again and again."

The two instantly looked a little defeated.

Because, honestly, they couldn’t always recall what the teacher had said.

Seeing that the two seemed poised to ask something but held back, Lu Chang’ssheng knew exactly what they wanted—just a peek at his records.

"If you two can get the teacher’s approval, I wouldn’t mind giving you my notebooks."

That instantly dashed their hopes.

Nearby, Wang Li—just about to leave—gave Lu Chang’ssheng a look full of admiration: "This Junior Brother Lu is careful and sharp."

Lending out his notebooks would have given the two a handle on him. If they ever passed those notes around, Lu Chang’sheng himself would be implicated.

Even if Lin Yan didn’t make trouble for him, he sure wouldn’t be happy about it.

Just like most alchemists, Lin Yan was highly protective of the knowledge he’d learned.

Yet, to refuse outright would be rude, and risk offending the two junior brothers, so Lu Chang’ssheng cleverly deferred the matter to Master Lin Yan.

Too bad everyone knew Lin Yan would never agree to such a request.

"Junior Brother Lu, got time for tea tonight? I’ve got a jar of top-grade spirit tea saved up; trust me, the flavor’s pure." Wang Li called out.

"Thanks, Senior Brother. I have something to do later—let’s do it another day." Lu Chang’ssheng replied with a smile.

This wasn’t just an excuse.

"It’s about that time, isn’t it?"

Back in his courtyard, Lu Chang’ssheng took out the sound transmission shell, placed it solemnly on the table, and looked at it expectantly.

By sundown, finally, the light he’d been longing for appeared.

Inside, Nangua’s voice came through.

"Chang’sheng!"

Lu Chang’ssheng sat up straight—that one word striking him like lightning.

But, thinking about the secret Nangua had kept from him for so long, he couldn’t help but fume: "Getting bolder and bolder—even hiding stuff from me now."

At the foot of Fuyun Mountain, in a modest courtyard, Nangua sat upright on a stone chair, listening to his furious voice coming out of the sound transmission shell. She couldn’t help but smile gently.

When it came to him, she understood.

The harsher his words, the more he cared.

She pouted; the head she’d kept high for decades dropped a little, her face showing a touch of hurt.

"I just didn’t want you to worry. You’re in Great Yuan, the Spirit Realm is so far away—even if you knew, what could you do?"

That only made Lu Chang’ssheng huff in exasperation. In the end, he just reminded her again—don’t be so stubborn; he’d already made it to the Spirit Realm and was now a preparatory alchemist.

Li Nangua smiled. Each time she heard Lu Chang’ssheng’s voice, she felt totally at ease, like everything finally had a center.

After a while, the thrifty Li Nangua found an excuse to end the call, then looked over at Lu Chang’an, who was half a head taller than her.

More than four months ago, Lu Chang’an had gotten in with a merchant caravan from Platinum Immortal City, followed them to Fuyun Mountain, and after months of travel had finally arrived just the other day.

Then he’d spent two days meeting up with Li Nangua.

"Haven’t seen you in all these years—you’ve grown."

Li Nangua was full of emotions.

With her husband and son now in the Spirit Realm, she felt infinitely more secure.

Hearing Lu Chang’an say that Lu Chang’sheng had already found his footing in Platinum Immortal City, she didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

"Your father is capable—no matter where he goes, whatever hardships he faces, nothing can stop him."

Rather, it was hearing Lu Chang’an recount what happened that really drew her in.

Without realizing, she listened late into the night.

Suddenly, Lu Chang’an noticed something, looked up, and saw Li Nangua had already fallen asleep in her chair.

He felt a sharp pang of tenderness, quietly stepping outside.

Looking over the tiny two-entry courtyard, he felt a tightness in his chest.

Just like Platinum Immortal City, every inch of land on Fuyun Mountain was precious—countless cultivators wanted to settle here and cultivate using the rich spiritual qi.

At dawn, Lu Chang’an got up early and walked along the road outside. The spiritual qi in the air grew noticeably thicker the closer he got to Fuyun Mountain.

Bear in mind, he was just an innate martial artist; usually not that sensitive to qi, but even he could feel the difference—clearly, this Fuyun Mountain’s reputation was well earned.

Even so early, cultivators were already starting to walk the streets.

Soon, he had wandered about and returned.

He didn’t look very happy.

Just as he suspected, his mother’s days on Fuyun Mountain were very tough. The foot of the mountain was split into several areas, and his mother’s place was on the very outskirts. Even here, she’d only barely managed to rent a four-entry courtyard.

For mortals, it was more than sufficient. But for cultivators, this kind of house wasn’t much different from the crowded residences of Platinum Immortal City.

"Mother never lost her sound transmission shell—so she’s just short of spirit stones to use it."

"All these decades, how did Mother get by?"

Lu Chang’an took a deep breath; he definitely had to tell Father about this—otherwise, he’d surely be blamed.

Soon enough, he was back at the courtyard, but as he was about to step inside, he overheard a quarrel.

Two female cultivators were arguing out front. But, being cultivators, their bickering was all sarcasm and cold words, not the shouting you’d hear from vulgar women.

At first, Lu Chang’an thought it had nothing to do with him, but then, just a few steps in, he heard one of them mention his mother, Li Nangua, by name.

A moment later, a surge of fury flooded him, and he shot a sinister glare at the slightly plump female cultivator.

She had actually suggested that his mother Li Nangua should live with another man.

Outrageous!

Lu Chang’an strode over, face cold as ice, not caring one bit that the woman’s cultivation was higher than his own.