Now that Lu Xuan had agreed, the three cultivators grew even more cordial.

After all, anyone who dared to walk alone in front of the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land had to have some sort of backing. This was especially true for a young man who looked to be twenty at most… He was very likely a prodigy.

“My name is Chen Wang. This is my eldest daughter, Chen Xue, and my youngest son, Chen Mountain,” the middle-aged Grandmaster leading them said with a hearty laugh. Lu Xuan gave them a polite nod.

“I’m Lu Xuan, from East Sea City.”

“Oh?” The young woman, who appeared to be a Bone Marrow Refining Martial Master, asked curiously, “So, Brother Lu, you’re from East Sea City too? Then you must know Grandmaster Chu, right?”

“I do.” Lu Xuan smiled gently. “Elder Chu once helped me avert a disaster. I am indebted to him.”

“What a coincidence?” All three were taken aback, but their smiles quickly grew wider. ‘To receive a favor from Grandmaster Chu himself… it seems this young man is truly remarkable.’

Lu Xuan simply smiled without elaborating.

Chu Shuangtian had indeed helped him avert a calamity back then by taking the blame for the massacre at the White Elephant Martial Arts Hall, which saved Lu Xuan from a great deal of trouble.

He suspected this was also a result of being entangled in his Karma Tribulation. A debt of gratitude was, after all, a form of Cause and Effect.

The fifth tribulation for an Earth Immortal was the Karma Tribulation. While the Supreme Tribulation Chapter didn’t elaborate much on this trial, Lu Xuan himself was proficient in the Path of Cause and Effect. He cultivated the Primordial Body and Dao Generating One, and even wielded the Jade Void Glazed Lamp.

Even without actively investigating, he could naturally grasp the intricacies of the Karma Tribulation.

It was simply a matter of a cultivator being entangled by Cause and Effect, which stained their body and soul with mortal dust. One only had to resolve these karmic ties to break through… but resolving them was far easier said than done. In truth, it was incredibly difficult.

At least, for others, it was incredibly difficult.

But for Lu Xuan… well… while resolving his karmic ties, the Karma Tribulation’s interference might bring about an external calamity powerful enough to threaten an Earth Immortal Level existence, but…

As for why the Karma Tribulation hadn’t targeted Lu Xuan’s greatest karmic ties—such as the master-disciple bond with his three masters, the debt for being raised by Grandpa Chu, or the enmity from the city-wide massacre seven years ago…

‘If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably because this Karma Tribulation isn’t worthy. Or maybe… it just doesn’t dare.’

Shaking his head, Lu Xuan pushed the thoughts aside and followed the family toward the camp situated next to the dangerous area.

As they walked, the young man named Chen Mountain was taciturn. Chen Wang, though amiable, was a Grandmaster after all; he possessed his own sense of dignity and reserve, and thus didn’t say much either.

Only Chen Xue chattered away, asking a barrage of questions. She was the type to warm up to people quickly, but Lu Xuan didn’t find it bothersome at all. He just happily answered her questions one by one.

For him, battling immortals and plotting across ages was sometimes truly exhausting. This was an excellent opportunity to relax.

“Brother Lu, how old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“That young? So, Brother Lu, how did you and Elder Chu get to know each other?”

“Well, it’s a long story. I can’t really explain it in a short time.”

“Oh… oh, and, Brother Lu, you must still be a student, right? At seventeen… high school?”

“No, I’m at Langya University.”

“What a coincidence?” Chen Xue said, surprised. “I’m at Langya University too! But I’m a senior doing my internship. I haven’t been back to campus in six months…”

“Then I suppose I should call you ‘senior’,” Lu Xuan said with a gentle smile. Inwardly, however, he felt a strange sense of emotion. ‘Even though I’m younger than Chen Xue, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m talking to someone from a younger generation.’

Chen Xue waved her hand.

“My talent is nothing special. Even though I’m a few years older, I have a feeling your cultivation is higher than mine, Brother Lu…”

She sighed wistfully as she continued.

“I suppose you’re a prodigy, Brother Lu, just like Wang Zhiyao and Zhang Jifeng at the university. I’m not on that level. I only reached Marrow Cultivation in my senior year, so I’ll barely manage to graduate. After that, I’ll see if I can get a job with the Federation…”

Lu Xuan smiled but didn’t reply, though he felt a touch of emotion.

‘Chen Xue’s situation is probably a reflection of most people’s lives…’

‘To be more precise, a reflection of the lives of most ordinary geniuses who have some talent.’

Even more people struggled just to become Martial Artists. Although the world had recently experienced another spiritual resurgence, ordinary people still comprised the vast majority. They lived for a century, and after that, they returned to dust.

Lu Xuan sighed softly.

Seeing that he was a fellow student of Chen Xue’s, Chen Wang and Chen Mountain’s attitudes toward him grew warmer. Chen Wang offered a rare smile and said:

“We’re almost at the camp. Xiaolu, this must be your first time at the Immortal Pit, right? Once we’re inside, you must be careful with your words and actions. There are a few Celestial Humans here.”

His expression grew solemn as he warned:

“Although those Celestial Humans are unlikely to interact with us, if you were to accidentally provoke them… it would be an absolute disaster!”

Lu Xuan didn’t say much, merely nodding gently.

“Alright, I understand.”

As he chatted idly with the three members of the Chen Family, his state of mind opened up. With his body and mind relaxed, the circulation speed of his internal Primordial Qi actually quickened slightly.

Before long, the four of them entered the camp. Lu Xuan scanned the area; the camp was vast, filled with simple, makeshift houses. Cultivators lived and moved about, and everything seemed quite orderly.

Inside the camp, there was not only a Marketplace for trade and a pharmacy set up by a Medical Practitioner, but Lu Xuan even spotted a Small Tavern.

Chen Xue noticed Lu Xuan’s gaze linger on the Small Tavern and smiled.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you enjoy a drink, Brother Lu. After we meet Elder Chu and the others, I’ll take you for a round. The tavern hasn’t been open for long, but I have to admit, the owner is a real character—very amusing!”

Lu Xuan just smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Following the trio, they soon reached the center of the camp, where a small, three-story building stood. It looked strikingly out of place compared to the simple wooden huts surrounding it.

“Hmm, looks like Elder Chu and Elder Wu aren’t back yet. They must still be in the Immortal Pit,” Chen Wang said with a smile, hearing no sound from within the building.

“Looks like we’re a bit early. Why don’t we head to that tavern for a few drinks?”

“Sounds good!” Chen Xue chirped, then looked over at Lu Xuan. “What do you think, Brother Lu?”

“I’m fine with whatever,” Lu Xuan said with a calm smile. “Let’s go check out the tavern then. To be honest, I’ve never been to a place like that before.”

‘For me now, walking the Red Dust is all about experiencing things I’ve never experienced and seeing sights I’ve never seen. Only then can I bring my state of mind to Perfection.’

This was also why many sect disciples periodically descended from their mountains to temper themselves in the world. To live secluded in a sect, far from the Red Dust, brought a kind of clarity, but also a kind of unclearness.

Beside him, Chen Xue spoke up in surprise.

“You’ve never even been to a tavern, Brother Lu? You must be one of those fanatics completely obsessed with cultivation, huh? In that case, you really have to see it…”

And so, the three of them led Lu Xuan toward the Small Tavern, chatting and laughing along the way.

When they reached the Small Tavern, Chen Wang pushed open the door and went in first. Lu Xuan, Chen Xue, and Chen Mountain followed slowly behind him.

The moment they stepped inside, they were met with a bustling, lively scene. Cultivators with formidable auras sat in small groups, drinking and laughing boisterously. The atmosphere was fantastic.

They found an empty table and sat down. Seemingly infected by the tavern’s lively mood, Chen Wang became more talkative and chuckled.

“A baleful, bloody aura often surges through the Immortal Pit, so the cultivators who explore it tend to help each other out. There are very few disputes, which is how this wonderful atmosphere in the camp came to be.”

Lu Xuan listened intently, nodding slightly. “That’s very good,” he said earnestly.

“It is,” Chen Wang said, feeling emotional. “It really is… There isn’t much intrigue or backstabbing here, which is why I brought Xiaoxue and Chen Mountain with me.”

As they spoke, a short, chubby old man came waddling over, panting slightly. His voice was oddly musical as he called out:

“Four more honored guests!”

Though he was round as a ball, he moved with surprising nimbleness. In just a few flashes, he was beside them, chuckling happily.

“Well now, if it isn’t Grandmaster Chen! Your presence brightens my humble establishment, it truly does!”

Chen Wang laughed and returned the greeting. Beside him, Chen Xue covered her mouth to stifle a giggle and whispered to Lu Xuan:

“That’s the owner I was telling you about… See? Wasn’t I right? He’s a real character!”

Lu Xuan gave a placid smile and nodded slightly.

The portly owner’s gaze shifted. He cheerfully slapped his large belly, producing a sound like a muffled drum, and chuckled, “And Xiaoxue and Chen Mountain are here too? This honored guest, however, looks unfamiliar…”

“It’s my first time here,” Lu Xuan said with a smile.

“Well now, that’s a special occasion!” the portly owner exclaimed. “A first-timer is the most honored guest of all! Mr. Lu, your first drink is on the house!”

Chen Xue was a little confused. ‘Huh?’

‘Brother Lu hasn’t told him his name, has he? How does the owner know his surname is Lu?’

Just as she was about to ask, she saw the portly owner look as though he were about to make a run for it, wobbling as he prepared to scurry back to the bar.

“Uncle Zhu,” Lu Xuan said, his smile widening slightly, “it’s been a while since we parted ways in Gouxian Town. There’s no need to run off, is there?”

The portly owner froze mid-step, his face twisting into a bitter expression.

“You two… know each other?” Chen Wang asked, curious.

The portly owner spun around with surprising agility and said sullenly:

“We do, we do. I just didn’t expect that Mr. Lu would still recognize me, even after I’ve changed my appearance so drastically.”

Chen Xue blinked in confusion. ‘Drastically changed his appearance?’

She was surprised and about to ask, but then she saw the faint, unreadable smile on Brother Lu’s face.

“Uncle Zhu, since you know my tutelage comes from Jade Void, you must also know which Path my master excels in, right?”

“Yes, yes, of course. I’d forgotten about that…” The portly owner’s expression soured as he remembered. The ancestor of Jade Void was the Cause of All Fruits, and his greatest expertise lay in Cause and Effect.

‘He must have recognized me through the threads of Cause and Effect…’

‘Dammit! It’s all that bastard Yang Jian’s fault. He’s a Jade Void Disciple too, but all he knows is how to brandish his weapons. He doesn’t understand the heavens or calculate karmic threads. Bah!’

Meanwhile, Chen Wang, Chen Xue, and Chen Mountain were completely bewildered. It seemed the young man they had just met was indeed acquainted with the tavern owner, but their relationship didn’t appear to be a friendly one…

‘And what in the world is Jade Void?’

The three of them exchanged glances but didn’t ask any questions, choosing to watch quietly instead.

The smile on Lu Xuan’s face grew even wider. He asked, as if casually:

“Uncle Zhu, didn’t you say you never left town? What brings you out and about, running a Small Tavern all the way out here?”

“Ahem…” Zhu Wuneng coughed twice, staring straight ahead. “A while back, the world had another resurgence, didn’t it? After the resurgence, I figured I could come out, take a stroll, see the sights…”

“Oh?” Lu Xuan asked, his smile beaming. “Then why were you trying to avoid me, Uncle Zhu?”

Zhu Wuneng seemed to have given up all resistance, answering every question asked, though his voice was completely listless.

“I’m not afraid of *you*,” he said. “I’m afraid of that face of yours… it’s identical. The mere sight of it makes me tremble in fear!”

Lu Xuan knew he was talking about his resemblance to the ‘Supreme Emperor Profound Yellow.’ ‘Well, we’re the same person, so of course we look identical!’

This exchange left the three members of the Chen family utterly baffled as they looked at each other in confusion.

Just then, Zhu Wuneng gave a dry laugh.

“I’ve still got other customers to tend to, Mr. Lu. How about we catch up later? I’ll call Old Yang and the others over, too. Joy is better when shared, as they say. I’ll get them to come reminisce with us!”

As he said this, he added a line in his head: ‘And be terrified together!’

“Oh? That sounds wonderful.” Lu Xuan’s smile widened even more. “You’re not planning on running off, are you, Uncle Zhu?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it! Old Zhu is a man of his word. My word is my bond!” he declared, chopping the air for emphasis.

“Good enough for me,” Lu Xuan said cheerfully. “In that case, just bring me whatever drink you recommend. I’ll come back to reminisce with you, Uncle Zhu, after I’ve met with another old acquaintance.”

“Right, right, of course…” The portly old man scurried to the bar, returning a moment later with four drinks. Then, just as quickly, he scurried off into the back room.

“All four drinks are on the house!” His voice floated out from the back.

“Alright,” Lu Xuan called back cheerfully. “And don’t forget to call Old Yang and the others!”

“Will do!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep