Chapter 20: The Purple Sky Dao Physique

Lu An stepped into the courtyard, immediately hearing the sound of crying from inside the house. His heart tightened, and he hurried inside. Uncle Zhao's family had always treated him like one of their own, and he prayed nothing terrible had happened.

Inside, Aunt Zhao was holding Zhao Wenyiao, both of them sobbing, while Zhao Zhijiu sat in a corner, smoking a dry tobacco pipe. Lu An frowned. If he recalled correctly, Uncle Zhao had quit smoking long ago. Why had he taken it up again today?

Looking around, Lu An noticed a cold-looking woman standing on the other side of the room, watching him with a curious gaze. Could she be the cause of all this?

Lu An refrained from acting rashly. He set down the items he had brought and walked over to Zhao Zhijiu. "Uncle Zhao, what's going on? Why are Aunt Zhao and Wenyiao crying?"

Hearing his voice, Zhao Zhijiu quickly stood up. He extinguished his pipe and replied, "It's nothing serious. Wenyiao has been granted an immortal opportunity and will be leaving to cultivate far away. Your aunt is just upset to see her go."

Lu An sighed with relief. As long as it wasn't something tragic.

He glanced at the cold-looking woman again. Could she be the one offering this "immortal opportunity"?

"Senior, may I ask where you're taking Wenyiao to cultivate?" he inquired cautiously.

"There's no need to pry into my affairs," the woman replied coldly. "Our Yuqing Sect is a reputable and righteous place. We mean no harm to her. Wenyiao possesses the once-in-a-millennium Purple Sky Dao Physique, and I intend to guide her properly. You needn't worry."

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have bothered explaining herself to a stranger. But seeing the connection between this man and her new disciple, she made an exception.

Lu An wasn't embarrassed by her bluntness. Since Wenyiao was leaving for a distant place, he had to make sure everything was in order.

Purple Sky Dao Physique? Lu An had never heard of such a thing, nor had he heard of the Yuqing Sect. Could it be from another region?

Sensing his thoughts, the woman continued, "This small country of Qi is far too insignificant for a sect like the Yuqing Sect. One day, if you can leave this backwater, you'll understand the weight of the Yuqing Sect's name."

Her tone shifted slightly. "I've said enough. The farewells should be over by now. Mortal attachments should be severed to avoid hindering future cultivation. Disciple, it's time to leave."

Lu An's frown deepened. The Yuqing Sect wasn't even within the borders of Qi? And Qi was enormous, spanning thirteen provinces, each subdivided into nine counties. Guyang County, where they lived, was just a small corner of Yongning County. Even a single county contained millions of people. How vast was the world beyond?

Before he could think further, Zhao Wenyiao approached him. "Big Brother Lu, I'm going with my master to cultivate. Please take care of yourself. When I succeed in my cultivation, I'll return to visit you."

Her eyes reddened as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

Lu An gently patted her head. "Focus on your cultivation. Don't worry about home. Who knows, maybe I'll visit you first."

Zhao Wenyiao nodded earnestly. As she turned to leave, she looked back at him with every step.

Suddenly, Lu An remembered something. "Wait!"

He pulled a jade hairpin from his sleeve and handed it to her. "This is for you."

Zhao Wenyiao's face flushed red. Though still young, she was already blossoming into a beauty.

This is Big Brother Lu's first gift to me, she thought, her heart fluttering.

"Disciple, we must go," the cold-looking woman called, frowning in impatience.

Zhao Wenyiao hurriedly inserted the hairpin into her hair, waved to Lu An with a sweet smile, and rejoined her master.

The woman formed a hand seal, and suddenly, a small boat appeared in midair, hovering as it expanded to comfortably fit two people.

With a flick of her hand, the woman and Zhao Wenyiao floated onto the boat. In the blink of an eye, the boat shot off like a rainbow streaking across the sky, disappearing from sight.

Zhao Wenyiao's parting words lingered in the air: "Big Brother Lu, I'll wait for you to visit me! Mom, Dad, take care…"

Hearing this, Aunt Zhao started crying again, and Uncle Zhao's face also clouded with sadness. Zhao Wenyiao had never been away from home before. Who knew when they would see her again?

Lu An shared their melancholy, though he also felt a surge of yearning. To soar through the sky—such a power was only attained by those at the Foundation Establishment stage. And the boat itself was clearly a flying magic treasure. Judging by the woman's speed, her cultivation must far surpass the Foundation Establishment stage.

When would he reach such heights?

Seeing the two elders still grieving, Lu An approached them. "Wenyiao has been given an immortal opportunity. It's a great fortune, so try not to worry too much. Just imagine how proud you'll be when she returns as a powerful cultivator."

They understood but found it hard to let go at the moment.

They all returned to the house, and Lu An brought out the food and wine, placing them on the table. "Today, Wenyiao was accepted into a prestigious sect. We should celebrate. I brought food and drink—let's have a toast, Uncle Zhao."

Zhao Zhijiu's sadness lessened, and he managed a smile. "Alright, let's drink to our heart's content today."

As the wine flowed, the atmosphere became livelier, and even Aunt Zhao stopped crying and began chatting with Lu An.

"I don't understand," Aunt Zhao said. "Why was Wenyiao chosen all of a sudden?"

Uncle Zhao took another sip of wine and explained slowly. "I didn't go to work today and decided to spend time with the family. So I took your aunt and Wenyiao to Wanfo Temple for the festival. We arrived just as the abbot was giving a sermon, so we stayed to listen. But while listening, Wenyiao suddenly started glowing with purple light and floated off the ground."

"That frightened your aunt and me. Then, out of nowhere, the woman descended from the sky and said Wenyiao had the Purple Sky Dao Physique. She insisted on taking her as a disciple."

"We refused at first. How could we just hand Wenyiao over to a stranger? But the abbot of Wanfo Temple came out and vouched for her. He said it was Wenyiao's great fortune, so we reluctantly agreed."

"And the rest, you already know. Wenyiao left, and your aunt and I have been feeling down ever since."

He sighed deeply and drained his cup.

Lu An nodded, finally understanding.

It turned out Wenyiao possessed this "Purple Sky Dao Physique" all along. If it hadn't been for the temple fair, they might never have known.

After dinner, Lu An left two hundred spirit stones behind and bid farewell. This time, Uncle Zhao didn't refuse. He had already promised to save them for Lu An, so he simply accepted the offer.

As Lu An made his way home, he spotted a figure pacing near his doorstep.

"Lei Er? What's he doing here?"