Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family Chapter 1942: 507: How Did It End Up Like This? (part 2)

...

Several days passed.

"Ying’er?"

With a gentle call, Lu Changsheng gazed upon Ying’er standing before him, her hair disheveled, face blushing deeply, complete with twitching cat ears and a swaying long tail.

Having finished the last phase of the Goddess Furnace ritual, he sensed a profound, unspoken bond linking him directly to Ying’er.

The feline girl, sprawled weakly on the floor with saliva trickling from her lips, perked up her head at once, her gaze fixed on Lu Changsheng, brimming with deep, affectionate longing.

"What brought you to White Tiger Mountain?"

While caressing her cat ears, Lu Changsheng inquired.

Those ears appeared to be Ying’er’s most vulnerable area; her frail form softened instantly like warm butter under his touch, eliciting a soft whimper before she panted out her response: "On... the Holy Maiden’s command, I arrived to assess Jiuyou’s reversion to ancestry, stir the Heavenly Wolf bloodline... and probe the methods the master used to elevate the Nether Moon Wolf to third rank."

"Can you tell me about Beast God Mountain?"

Lu Changsheng fixed his eyes on Ying’er and pressed on.

Even though a soul seal from Beast God Mountain lingered in Ying’er’s mind, blocking her from revealing the deepest mysteries of the Nether Moon Saintess or the sect itself.

Still, the Desire Law from the Goddess Furnace had seeped into her soul, allowing her to share details without fully activating the seal.

That said, as merely a close subordinate to the Nether Moon Saintess, Ying’er possessed only surface-level insights into Beast God Mountain’s higher ranks.

"The Nether Moon Saintess, apart from her spirit beast the Nether Moon Heavenly Wolf, has bound a supreme Lifebound Beast Soul as well..."

Lifebound Beast Souls form the heart of Beast God Mountain’s legacy, merging demonic creatures right into one’s being!

Ying’er’s own Lifebound Beast Soul takes the form of the [Nether Cat].

Thus, her abilities and sacred arts lean heavily toward strikes, stealth kills, hiding, and similar tactics.

Yet Ying’er falls short of the pure bloodline held by the Nether Moon Saintess.

The latter practices the true arts of Beast God Mountain, holding promise to ascend to Nascent Soul someday.

Meanwhile, Ying’er’s cultivation path is chained by the Nether Moon Saintess, steadily draining her Lifebound Beast Soul’s potential and her vital years as the cost.

"This approach to forging death warriors echoes the ways of taming demon beasts and Dao Soldiers."

With eyes half-closed, Lu Changsheng observed the cat-like Ying’er.

It resembled the hidden methods Hong Lian wielded, which burned through demon beasts’ lifespans and futures to boost their advancement.

"After your long absence, might the Nether Moon Saintess launch any pursuits?"

This question weighed heaviest on Lu Changsheng’s mind as he voiced it.

"The Saintess... she’ll likely dispatch cultivators to gather news on me... beyond that, Ying’er remains unaware..."

Regaining a bit of her vigor, Ying’er pressed herself against Lu Changsheng, nuzzling her face repeatedly on him, her small tongue darting out for tender licks.

Due to her Lifebound Beast Soul’s sway, her instincts carried traces of the Nether Cat’s behaviors, though she typically kept them in check.

But now, with the Goddess Furnace’s Desire Law gnawing at her, those cat-like impulses surged wildly.

"Would she venture here personally?"

Breathing steadily, Lu Changsheng ran his fingers over her head, brushing the soft ears, and posed the question.

"Amid the Liangyue War, the Saintess... likely lacks the leisure to come alone, hmm... her position draws eyes from countless powers, making a covert trip to Jiang Country far too risky..."

Ying’er’s words came in halting bursts.

"Is there a means to steady or draw forth the Nether Moon Saintess?"

His eyes narrowing faintly, Lu Changsheng uttered.

At the mere notion of her past lord, Ying’er’s warped mind and spirit froze momentarily, caught in fierce turmoil and agony.

Soon after, tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "After being gone this long, the Saintess won’t readily believe my reports... yet leaving traces of peril from earlier could perhaps calm her suspicions..."

"Very well."

Lu Changsheng gave a subtle nod, noting how Ying’er, despite the Desire Law’s corrosion, clung to threads of clear thought.

Next, he led Ying’er from the Mount Sumeru Cave Heaven, placing signals across White Tiger Mountain and nearby sites, while shattering several transmission talismans.

With these tasks done, Lu Changsheng intended to refine Ying’er’s training over time, priming her as a tool against the Nether Moon Saintess and Beast God Mountain!

Returning her as a spy carried excessive peril.

She hadn’t fully surrendered her will just yet.

As a veteran Nascent Soul force, Beast God Mountain could potentially detect her alterations.

Thus, the sharpest strategy lay in deploying Ying’er to entice the Nether Moon Saintess out.

Should the foe move without backup, he felt assured of capturing her!

...

Returning to Bi Lake Mountain, Lu Changsheng sought updates on family affairs from Lu Miaoyun.

"The Xu Family’s Elder Ancestor has departed?"

An eyebrow arched in surprise on Lu Changsheng’s face.

Though the elder’s years neared their close, based on the recent battles, his end shouldn’t have arrived quite so abruptly.

"The Xu Family made the announcement and began the rites..."

Lu Miaoyun murmured gently, confirming the Elder Ancestor’s demise as unexpectedly swift.

For events like these, prying deeper proves fruitless, with scant details available to outsiders.

Lu Changsheng tried divining some answers.

Yet lacking solid hints or strong ties to the Elder Ancestor, the divination met heavy barriers.

"If he’s gone, then he’s gone."

Lu Changsheng abandoned the effort, seeing no point in futile strain.

The demise of aged cultivators often hides layers of complexity.

In their twilight years, even minor flaws in cultivation arts can spark deviations, throwing qi and blood into chaos, harming the physical form.

"Yet whispers among cultivators suggest the Elder Ancestor may have staged his death to secure the family’s future."

Lu Miaoyun’s voice carried a grave edge as she shared this.

Such deceptions have historical echoes; even the Beast Taming Xu Family and various Foundation Establishment clans have resorted to them.

"That possibility exists."

Lu Changsheng agreed with a nod, urging the family to exercise vigilance.