I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Xie Family Mansion.

Xie Jingshan stood in the courtyard, absentmindedly practicing sword techniques, occasionally glancing towards the sky.

Today is the day when the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Heavenly Interence Sect take all the disciples through the Transmission Array back to Fengxian Domain, but he decided to stay at home.

"Jingshan, come in and have some soup."

Ding Lanzhi’s voice was heard, and Xie Jingshan felt warmth in his heart.

In the spacious hall, there was no one else, only Xie Jingshan sitting face to face with his father Xie Guihong, with his mother Ding Lanzhi standing beside them serving the soup.

Xie Guihong watched eagerly, raising his hand to receive the soup even before it was served.

"Lanzhi, you are truly kind. Even while so busy, you still make time to cook soup for me. I’m truly flattered as your husband."

"Get away, this is for your son."

Ding Lanzhi slapped Xie Guihong’s hand away and placed the sweet soup in front of Xie Jingshan.

"Your mother’s cooking isn’t good, just make do with it."

"Thanks, Mom."

This moment was exactly what Xie Jingshan had longed for since childhood, the simplicity of the family sitting together having a simple meal.

Xie Jingshan suddenly felt a sourness in his nose and lifted the sweet soup, taking a sip.

As he swallowed, he barely managed to avoid spitting it out. His father kicked him under the table, and Xie Jingshan kept his composure and swallowed it.

Did his mom mistake salt for sugar? It tasted awful!

"Lanzhi, the soup you made is exceptional, much better than the skills of the Jinshui Building Spiritual Chef, truly delicious."

Ding Lanzhi glanced at Xie Guihong, "You might as well lose your tongue. I put salt instead of sugar, yet you still find it tasty?"

Xie Guihong replied seriously, "I’d find it delicious even if you put yellow lotus."

At these words, Xie Jingshan and Ding Lanzhi both rolled their eyes in perfect unity, unmistakably revealing their mother-son resemblance.

Ding Lanzhi sat down, looking at Xie Jingshan, and said, "Do you know why your mom made this soup for you?"

Xie Jingshan shook his head.

Ding Lanzhi said, "Mom just wants you to know that what you imagine isn’t necessarily aligned with reality. You’ve always wanted the family to be reunited, envisioning warm scenes of motherly care and filial piety, but let me tell you, in three days I’ll be finding faults with your every move and even have you bouncing around."

Xie Jingshan: ......

"So it’s better to keep the beauty in your heart, don’t make yourself unhappy. Mom knows these years have been lacking for you, you’ve dreamed of family reunions, but Jingshan, you must understand that from the moment you were born, you’re an independent person, no longer a lump of flesh on mom."

"One cannot have everything. If you want to be a Sword Immortal and a filial son at the same time, when you can’t do both, you must let go of one side. Right now, with us whole and healthy, we don’t need your care or company. You should focus on yourself first, asking yourself what you really want."

Xie Jingshan lowered his eyes, fingers clenching into fists, memories of the Heavenly Interence Sect flashing through his mind.

Ding Lanzhi reached out and ruffled Xie Jingshan’s hair, "Silly son, I know you can’t bear to leave me, but let’s be honest, if you don’t go back to cultivate properly now, when you die, dad and I might still live for hundreds of years. By the time we both enter Nascent Soul, a forest will grow over your tomb while we’re still full of vitality."

"Mom! How can you curse your son like that!"

Xie Jingshan almost cried, but... it’s true!

Xie Guihong nodded, "Exactly, besides being a family, we’re independent individuals. Your mother and I have our own paths to pursue as well. We can’t always be together, and we can’t bind each other out of selfish desires."

"Since you were born, your mom put aside her cultivation and everything for four years to accompany you wholeheartedly. Later, when your mom went out traveling, dad and your grandfather took care of you for two years. Afterwards, you went to the Heavenly Interence Sect on your own. As your father, I believe we haven’t really owed you anything."

Xie Jingshan frowned, "I know, but I’m worried about you..."

Ding Lanzhi and Xie Guihong exchanged a smile.

Ding Lanzhi said, "You child, if you have something you want to ask, why don’t you ask directly? Isn’t it exhausting to keep everything to yourself? We’re a family, there’s nothing mom wouldn’t tell you. Do you want to know, if on the day of the Secret Realm incident, the person you saw was me?"

Xie Jingshan glanced quietly at Ding Lanzhi, "I know it was you, and I also know that behind the Fang Family incident, it was the Feiyan Pavilion Master controlling the situation, and I also know..."

Xie Jingshan slowly began to explain, essentially piecing together the entire sequence of events, while Xie Guihong gradually revealed a satisfied smile.

"Hmm, looking at it now, you indeed are truly our son."

Xie Jingshan and Ding Lanzhi both rolled their eyes again at Xie Guihong.

Ding Lanzhi said, "So you’re worried about a fight breaking out between Baishui Domain and Pingjiang Domain which might involve us, that’s why you insisted on staying?"

Xie Jingshan did not deny it, he was indeed concerned about that point. Grandfather has gone to prepare for Divinity Transformation, dad and mom are still just at Late-Stage Golden Core, not yet reached Nascent Soul.

"Don’t worry, there won’t be a fight!"

Ding Lanzhi looked at Xie Jingshan and said, "The Pavilion Master does not wish for devastation. She merely wants to reform the current Fang Family. And as for Lu Nanzhi, you need not worry; the Pavilion Master has made the best arrangements for her."

Xie Jingshan said, "But the current situation feels like the calm before the storm. Even if the Fang Family doesn’t go to war, other families won’t spare the Lu Family, unless..."

In a flash of insight, Xie Jingshan thought of a possibility, his eyes widening abruptly.

Unless the Feiyan Pavilion Master becomes the Family Head of the Fang Family, commanding the other families.

If that happens, wouldn’t the Fang Family become a backing for our Xie Family as well? Solving the issue that grandfather was most worried about!

So all these years, mother has been toiling outside just for this matter!

Ding Lanzhi nodded in acknowledgment, "So you have nothing to worry about. Your mother won’t be going anywhere for now; she’ll stay in Kongfang City, and you can come back anytime if you wish."

"The family is your support, not a burden. Your father and I are in our prime, and the two of us are enough to manage this household. You can safely go out and explore, live your life to the fullest. Think carefully, will you stay, or..."

*

Ruins in the deep mountains outside Kongfang City.

Jiang Yuebai stood among the crowd, watching as his master and other Nascent Soul True Monarchs embedded a large number of top-grade spirit stones throughout the ancient teleportation array, then arranged the Heavenly Interence Sect disciples into groups of ten for sequential transmission.

"Junior Brother Xie still hasn’t come?" Hee Wangchen walked over and asked.

Jiang Yuebai shook his head, "He hasn’t come. After twenty years apart from his mother, it’s likely hard for him to part so soon."

"Yuebai, it’s your turn now."

Lii Jiuchuan shouted from a distance, prompting Jiang Yuebai to look away and join Hee Wangchen, Yun Shang, Ge Yuchan, and a few others on the transmission array.

They were the last batch of Foundation Establishment Stage disciples, only nine in total.

"Wait! Wait for me!"

Just as Zhao Fuyi was about to activate the transmission array, a tunneling light swiftly approached from afar. Riding the wind at great speed on a flying sword was none other than Xie Jingshan.

"Junior Brother Xie!"

Hee Wangchen, Song Zhi’ang, and the others couldn’t help but smile, feeling that without him, the atmosphere just wouldn’t be as lively.

Xie Jingshan dismounted from the flying sword, feeling happier to see these companions of his age, who had grown up with him, than he would at home.

"I truly apologize for being late, True Monarchs."

Xie Jingshan quickly ran to the transmission array, intentionally bumping Jiang Yuebai aside to stand at the center.

Zhao Fuyi chuckled and shook his head, beginning to activate the transmission array.

As light burst forth underfoot, Jiang Yuebai cast an annoyed glance at the grinning Xie Jingshan.

"You can cultivate at home too, so why insist on returning to the Heavenly Interence Sect?"

Xie Jingshan was suddenly struck, "Oh, right~"

In that instant, Xie Jingshan suddenly understood.

The light of the transmission array flared up, sweeping everyone into the vortex in an instant, hurling them towards the distant Fengxian Domain, leaving only Xie Jingshan’s angry shouting behind.

"Xie Guihong, you old bastard!!"

Within the Xie Mansion, Xie Guihong scratched his ear, held Ding Lanzhi in the swinging chair in the courtyard, enjoying the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, feeling content.

"Finally got that foolish boy out of here. Now that my father has gone overseas, it’s just the two of us left in this house, no one to disturb us. How delightful, how delightful~"

Ding Lanzhi pinched his waist, "Stop delighting yourself. The Fang Family has already promised the position of Fang Clan Leader to the Pavilion Master. It’s time for our Mountain and Sea Building and Hongyan Building to take action!"

"Once everything calms down early, Jingshan can focus on his cultivation in peace. Also, recall those people your father arranged around Jingshan; without letting him face blood and hardship, how can he become strong?"

"As you command, my dear Family Head!"

*

Meanwhile, Pingjiang Domain, Lu Family Ancestral Hall.

The aging Lu Clan Patriarch gazed at the tablets of the Lu Family Ancestors, filled with pain and regret. Never could he have imagined that the Lu Family would be destroyed by Lu Nanzhi’s hand.

He took a breath and personally activated the mechanism of the ancestral hall, retrieving three ancient, yellowed, elongated jade tablets from beneath the Lu Family Ancestor’s tablet, then turned to face the three kneeling Lu Family disciples outside the hall.

"These are the jade tablets of the Lu Family heritage. Today, I entrust them to you three. You three are the last hope of the Lu Family. From this day forth, you shall abandon the Lu surname, live in anonymity away from here, and devote yourselves to cultivation. One day, you must revive the Lu Family and execute Lu Nanzhi!!"

"Yes!"

"Revive the Lu Family, execute Lu Nanzhi!"