Chapter 213: Immortal Lineage's Second in Command

There were two main reasons they stopped me.

The first reason is that people occupy resources, not just to survive, but to live better.

If everyone lived forever, occupying vast resources, newborns would face extreme hardship. They would have to scheme against the old monsters or beg for crumbs of resources from their grasp. The later a child was born, the harder their life would be. They wouldn't be born to enjoy life, but to suffer. In the long run, the world would become stagnant and lifeless.

The second reason is that all living beings have a limited lifespan, which can also be seen as a rule. Granting immortality to everyone would conflict with the lifespan rule, shaking the very foundation of the Immortal Dao Fruit.

Although I don't think they're as smart as I am, those two points were quite reasonable, so I adopted them.

But rest assured, Lu Yang, even though I can't grant everyone immortality, giving you a nascent Immortal Dao Fruit to ensure your eternal life is no problem at all.

The Immortal Fairy magnanimously said, "How about it? Do you want to join my Immortal lineage and follow me? I guarantee you'll have a life of luxury and get whatever you desire."

"From now on, you'll be the second-in-command of my Immortal lineage!"

"First, may I ask, how many people are there in the Immortal lineage?"

"Three people: me, you, and Bu Yaolian. Your status is even higher than Bu Yaolian's, and you'll be immortal. Hehe, now you understand how precious this spot is, don't you?" The Immortal Fairy giggled foolishly.

The Five Ancient Immortals all had their trusted confidantes and successors; though their numbers weren't large, a lineage would never consist of just one immortal.

The Immortal Fairy was an exception.

Her Immortal lineage actually only had her. Bu Yaolian was, for some unknown reason, manipulated and forcibly assigned to the Immortal Fairy's side.

As for Lu Yang, he had just been recruited by the Immortal Fairy.

Lu Yang was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head firmly. "I'll rely on my own efforts."

"Hmph, how boring," the Immortal Fairy pouted, a little disappointed by Lu Yang's choice.

She genuinely wanted to give Lu Yang a nascent Immortal Dao Fruit and have him join her.

In ancient times, countless individuals wished to be accepted into the Immortal Fairy's lineage, but she refused them all. As for those with ulterior motives, she wouldn't even acknowledge their presence.

From ancient times until now, Lu Yang was the most agreeable cultivator she had ever met; this was her first time actively inviting someone to join her lineage.

Unfortunately, she was rejected.

"Fairy, can you tell if Li Haoran possesses a Reincarnation Dao Fruit? Or perhaps a nascent Reincarnation Dao Fruit?" This was Lu Yang's most pressing question.

The Immortal Fairy shook her head. "I can't tell; that's beyond my domain."

"Alright."

Although Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy's conversation seemed to take a long time, communication in the spiritual space was much faster than in reality.

In reality, Li Haoran still firmly believed he had no connection to Qin Haoran.

"Just think, what would happen if I admitted I was Qin Haoran's reincarnation?"

"I'd gain a beautiful, celestial-like wife at the Integration stage."

"I'd gain a lively and adorable daughter."

"I'd have an endless supply of resources. Spirit stones, elixirs, weapons, and rare treasures would no longer be an issue."

"I'd have an Integration stage Dharma Protector."

"...It seems there's no problem at all in admitting I'm Qin Haoran's reincarnation?"

"No, no, I can't think like that. I need to consider what the disadvantages would be."

Li Haoran pondered for a long time but couldn't find any drawbacks.

"That demonic woman is corrupting my Dao heart! My goal is to become a cultivation genius like Senior Brother Lu, relying solely on my talent and innate abilities to reach the highest realm, without external aid!"

"Look at Senior Brother Lu; he's around my age and already holds the position of acting sect master. Meanwhile, all I do is rely on others."

"Alright, alright, we've been at this all day, everyone should rest first." Seeing no immediate resolution, Li Haoran's parents decided to postpone the discussion.

"We have plenty of guest rooms. Little Lu and Little Meng have come all the way from Wendao Sect, so please stay and enjoy Luofeng Commandery for a few more days."

"And Yiren and Yan Yan, don't bother with the inn. Stay here for now."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou naturally accepted the parents' kind offer. Qin Yanyan, persuaded by Su Yiren, also agreed to stay.

After half a day of commotion, it was now dinner time. If the topic of Qin Haoran wasn't brought up, everyone got along quite well.

"Oh no, we've been talking all this time and haven't even prepared dinner yet!" Li Haoran's mother exclaimed, flustered.

Lu Yang stopped her. "Please leave the cooking to us. Meng Jingzhou and I are famously good cooks at Wendao Sect!"

Li Haoran's mother was still hesitant, but Li Haoran, knowing Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's capabilities, convinced her to agree.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou skillfully pulled out their equipment from their identity jade tokens: a barbecue grill, brushes, fans, skewers, meat, seasonings... and most importantly, an automatic skewer-threading array.

This was the latest research achievement of Masters Liu and Gao. Responding to the Immortal's call, they were striving to open barbecue restaurants beyond Wendao Sect, spanning the entire continent.

What's most important for a chain restaurant? Of course, it's standardization and consistency.

And the starting point for standardization and consistency was this automatic skewer-threading array.

Qin Yanyan watched from the side, her mouth twitching. She had long heard that Wendao Sect disciples were multi-talented, but she had assumed that referred to the myriad arts of cultivation.

How did barbecue get included?

And according to Li Haoran's previous introduction, one of them was the Wendao Sect Master's direct disciple, and the other was the eldest son of the Meng family – both of extraordinary status. Were they really this down-to-earth in their actions?

"True Fire?!" Qin Yanyan exclaimed in surprise when she saw Lu Yang conjure True Fire.

What was True Fire? It was a flame even Golden Core stage cultivators found difficult to master, its cultivation as hard as ascending to the heavens.

Li Haoran scoffed lightly. "Not just True Fire, that's Samadhi True Fire, which ranks very high among True Fires!"

"Do you know who Senior Brother Lu and Senior Brother Meng are? They're the first and second place in our graduating class!"

Qin Yanyan's eyes widened. She had previously heard that Li Haoran ranked fifth in his cohort and had assumed it meant he wasn't very capable.

After their exchange, she had to admit that even if Li Haoran wasn't wearing a wig, she couldn't defeat him.

At that point, she had wondered what kind of monsters the top four were if Li Haoran, capable as he was, only ranked fifth.

Now she knew.

Li Haoran's mother hadn't expected Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to be her son's cohort's first and second place. No wonder she found them so agreeable.

"Haoran, look at how they cultivate! Lu Yang must get up before dawn every day to practice. Then look at you, constantly neglecting your studies and cultivation. When I'm not around, you must sleep until the sun hits your backside every day. What if you just put in half the effort Lu Yang does?"

Li Haoran's face darkened slightly. He regretted bringing Senior Brothers Lu and Meng along.

Besides, what kind of diligent cultivation were Senior Brothers Lu and Meng doing? They were all peers; everyone knew each other, and their routines were pretty much the same.