In this world where strength reigns supreme, only possessing great power allows one to live freely and protect oneself from the oppression of various forces.
Just then, Lu Liang’s voice rang out again.
“Fellow Daoists, my daughter has arrived.”
To Wu Tao, it sounded like the voice of salvation. Lu Liang’s daughter, naturally, was Lu Yuehua, with whom Wu Tao shared a complex relationship.
…
After Lu Yuehua personally threw Wu Tao into prison, she then personally rescued him from it. Finally, Wu Tao became her teammate. Their intertwined fates made it impossible to describe their relationship as anything less than extremely complicated.
The next second, the door was pushed open, and a tall, slender figure slowly emerged.
Wearing a white dress, with a delicate face and a pair of bright, endearing eyes, it was indeed Lu Yuehua.
Upon her arrival, Lu Yuehua first surveyed the surroundings, her gaze lingering on Wu Tao for a moment. She then immediately turned her attention to her father, Deputy City Lord Lu Liang, and then noticed City Lord Xie Yunsheng. She quickly bowed respectfully, her clear voice, like a mountain spring, echoing in the ears of everyone in the main hall.
“Lu Yuehua greets all elders…”
With Lu Yuehua’s appearance, all eyes fell upon her, including Wu Tao’s.
…
As if guided by a subtle connection, Wu Tao and Lu Yuehua exchanged smiles the moment they saw each other.
“Yuehua, you arranged this boy’s identity, didn’t you? You even staked your own reputation to vouch for him…”
“Now, tell your father and the elders, who exactly is this boy? How did you meet him? And how did he get in here?”
Although Lu Liang’s words were stern, to Wu Tao, each sentence felt like guidance for his daughter on what to say.
Hearing Lu Liang’s words, Wu Tao’s sense of crisis diminished considerably. At this moment, a speculative thought arose in his mind.
Lu Yuehua was asking her daughter to reveal his origins in front of the high-ranking officials of Tongguan City…
If he were a traitor and spy of the human race, he would surely perish, but Lu Yuehua, who had vouched for him, would not escape unscathed.
At best, she would be labeled as someone who misjudged people.
“As the Deputy City Lord of Tongguan City, Deputy City Lord Lu Liang would naturally consider these possibilities. Since he knows this, yet still has Lu Yuehua speak here, he must have spoken with her beforehand and is aware that I am not a traitor or spy of the human race…”
“Having Lu Yuehua explain again is merely to prove to everyone that there are no issues with me, to finalize my background, and prevent any future disturbances caused by certain individuals.”
Once this thought crossed Wu Tao’s mind, he immediately understood the underlying logic. His worries at this moment were largely alleviated.
He wasn't worried about his own identity; what concerned him were the many spiritual treasures within his body that could lead to his demise.
As someone from a top sect, he was well aware of the value of spiritual treasures. If these dozen or so individuals knew he possessed several spiritual treasures, even if he were an unparalleled prodigy, Wu Tao was certain they would seize them.
However, why Lu Liang would help him, even risking his daughter's reputation as collateral, remained a puzzle he couldn't fathom, no matter how hard he tried.
…
One year ago.
In the main hall of the Lu residence.
A tall and robust middle-aged man slowly rose from his chair.
The man had a bronze complexion, and beneath his thick eyebrows, his eyes emanated an incredibly domineering aura that was very striking.
As he stood up, an aura of inherent authority spread outwards.
He was dressed in a plain black outfit without any adornments.
…
“Father!” Lu Yuehua’s usually cold face showed a hint of familial affection as she called out to the middle-aged man.
This man was Lu Yuehua’s father, Lu Liang, one of the most powerful figures in Tongguan City, the Deputy City Lord.
Seeing his daughter’s demeanor, the once resolute Lu Liang sighed and reached out to affectionately stroke her hair.
However, his expression remained extremely grave, his brow furrowed. Before he could say anything…
Lu Yuehua suddenly spoke first, “If Father does not agree to daughter’s request, then I will not leave today!”
Her tone was incredibly resolute, her gaze as unyielding as fine steel, her eyes fixed on her father.
Lu Liang was slightly taken aback. He narrowed his eyes, sizing up his daughter’s serious face, remaining silent for a long time.
Seeing this, Lu Yuehua said no more, continuing to stare intently at her father’s face, stubbornly remaining silent.
A palpable, oppressive atmosphere suddenly filled the main hall.
After a long while, Lu Liang finally couldn't withstand his daughter’s gaze. He murmured, “This matter requires careful handling. Helping that小子 is not an issue, but doing so involves your reputation…”
Lu Yuehua’s legs were firmly planted on the ground, her bright eyes still fixed on her father, unmoving, showing no sign of compromise.
Lu Liang’s brow furrowed even deeper. Angrily, he said, “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“I heard it, but daughter wants to know how Father intends to help Wu Tao?”
Lu Yuehua’s tone remained cold.
…
Hearing this, Lu Liang replied displeased, “What is a girl doing caring so much about a strange man?”
“In your heart, is Yuehua’s happiness not important? Even if daughter sheds tears in the future, you won’t be heartbroken, right?”
Seeing that Lu Liang was unmoved, Lu Yuehua resorted to provocation, her tone a mixture of grievance, sorrow, and self-pity.
Lu Liang’s body flashed with spiritual light, and his eyes blazed with coldness, an astonishing aura surging forth.
He exclaimed loudly, “Nonsense! You are my daughter, my only kin in this world. Your happiness is more important than anything else in my heart!”
…
“Since that is the case, daughter thanks Father in advance!”
Lu Yuehua’s face, as cold as ice water, suddenly broke into a smile. She bowed to her father.
The aura emanating from Lu Liang abruptly stopped. Realizing he had fallen into his daughter’s trap, he sighed heavily and said solemnly, “I will ask you one last time, daughter. Are you willing to stake your reputation for that小子 without regret…”
“This daughter will never regret any decision she makes in life,” Lu Yuehua declared.
Lu Liang’s heart trembled. A surge of inexplicable anger rose within him: Damn it, what kind of scoundrel is that小子 named Wu Tao, to make his precious daughter act like this…
If Wu Tao were not absent, he would have truly wanted to have a word with him.
Lu Liang grudgingly looked at his daughter, then solemnly made a promise, “Wu Tao is a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage from Dahe City. This is his identity!”
…
The Deputy City Lord of Tongguan City indeed made a remarkable move, instantly assigning Wu Tao an origin.
This way, even if someone tried to exploit Wu Tao’s status as an outsider, he would have the upper hand and be in the right.
Hearing her father’s promise, Lu Yuehua stepped forward and gently comforted the still seething Lu Liang.
She knew that from this moment on, Wu Tao would be safe in Tongguan City.
After all, Wu Tao was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Despite his membership in Team 36 of Class A, he had no foundation. He had injured the son of a Nascent Soul stage Grand Elder, which was no small matter. He would surely face retaliation in the future.
Therefore, for Wu Tao’s safety, Lu Yuehua devised this plan.
…
“I report to all elders, his name is Wu Tao. He is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the great city of Dahe. His background…”
“I request all elders to not blame me.”
A large portion of what Lu Yuehua said was fabricated.
Wu Tao, who had been somewhat nervous, finally relaxed after hearing Lu Yuehua’s words. He lowered his head, feigning embarrassment.
As for these Nascent Soul cultivators, after hearing Lu Yuehua’s statement, they all showed looks of curiosity. With their wisdom, they could easily discern that Wu Tao’s words were false, but that was not the main point.
What caused the attitudes of these dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators to change drastically was not this point, but rather the fear that this unparalleled prodigy, Wu Tao, might be a traitor and spy sent by an alien race to the human race.
Now, it seemed that Wu Tao’s identity and background had no issues, and were unrelated to alien races.
The City Lord seemed to have a favorable impression of this newly emerged unparalleled prodigy of the human race, uttering such words.
“Dahe City, I remember now. A few years ago, news came from there saying a group of cultivators would settle here?”
The City Lord Xie Yunsheng’s words, in effect, further confirmed Wu Tao’s identity, solidifying the matter as a settled fact.
“Hahahaha… Don’t worry, kid, this is no big deal… Become my personal disciple…”
Once Wu Tao’s identity was confirmed without any issues, the powerful killing intent radiating from Tuobaye immediately vanished. A gentle smile returned to his face.
After the commotion, his enthusiasm for Wu Tao had not diminished, it had even intensified.
However, he now had more rivals. The moment his words fell, almost simultaneously, another voice spoke.