When Fu Changsheng returned to Supreme Profound Peak from Pingshan County, Chen Yunrui awoke. After being imprisoned without seeing daylight for ten years, he had regained his freedom. Though he had experienced many trials, he remained curious about everything outside and cautiously examined the surroundings.

Fu Changsheng instructed the attendants to prepare bathing supplies, and only after Chen Yunrui had cleaned himself did he apply medicine to the other man's wounds.

The Clearing Medicine, when applied to wounds, creates a burning and tearing pain that causes many people to grimace. However, Chen Yunrui didn't furrow his brows even once during the entire process.

Ten years of torment.

This pain seemed to mean nothing to him.

Yet being personally treated by Fu Changsheng left him overwhelmed, gesturing to express his gratitude.

Fu Changsheng used up two bottles of Clearing Medicine to apply to the other's wounds. After pondering for a while, he spoke:

"Yunrui, our encounter is fate. As of now, I only have three sons under my care. Would you be willing to take on the surname Fu and become my adopted son?"

Adopted son?!

Chen Yunrui was stunned for a moment.

He was merely a slave. How could he have the fortune to become the adopted son of the Quasi-Ninth-Grade Family Head?

Chen Yunrui thought Fu Changsheng was joking.

But seeing the solemn expression on the other man's face, he was clearly sincere. His eyes reddened and he immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Fu Changsheng.

Fu Changsheng waved his sleeve.

A stream of Spiritual Power lifted him to his feet, and smiling, he said:

"Rui'er, since you have acknowledged me as your father, your name must follow suit. If you discover you possess a Spiritual Root, your name will belong to the Yong Generation. We will retain the 'Rui' character from your original name, so in the future, you shall be Fu Yongrui. Does this name suit you?"

Upon hearing that he might have the opportunity to become a cultivator, Fu Yongrui became even more excited and wanted to bow again, but was stopped by Fu Changsheng:

"Between father and son, there's no need for such formalities. Come, I will take you to the back mountain to test your Spiritual Root."

Fu Yongrui was visibly nervous and uneasy when he heard this.

He was afraid that if he didn't possess a Spiritual Root, it would disappoint his adoptive father.

They arrived at the Immortal Ascension Platform in the back mountain.

After Fu Changsheng deactivated the Array, he said to Fu Yongrui:

"Yongrui, place your hands on the Spirit Testing Platform. Don't be nervous."

Fu Yongrui nodded slightly.

He placed his scarred hands on the Spirit Testing Platform with trepidation, and after a moment, he felt his vision blur and found himself in a pitch-black abyss where he couldn't see his hands.

In this dark abyss.

His instincts made him feel a sense of closeness.

Here.

No one can see his appearance; no one knows what he has experienced.

He liked the darkness.

....

On the Immortal Ascension Platform.

As Fu Yongrui placed his hands on the Spirit Testing Platform.

Fu Changsheng felt a mix of nervousness and curiosity, not knowing what Spiritual Root attribute the other might possess.

After a while.

The Spirit Testing Platform trembled slightly.

Then.

The originally bright Immortal Ascension Platform was instantly tainted black, and the surrounding environment turned utterly dark, like an abyss. Even his Divine Sense couldn't penetrate this darkness.

Fu Changsheng was both amazed and fearful.

This unusual phenomenon quickly dissipated, and the surroundings returned to normal.

Fu Changsheng looked at the newly opened eyes of Fu Yongrui and saw a hint of incredulity in them. Fu Yongrui, however, gestured with some apprehension:

"Adoptive Father, do I have a Spiritual Root? Can I cultivate?"

"Hmm, you possess a mutated Dark Spiritual Root. Remember, only you and I know your Spiritual Root attribute. Do not reveal this to anyone else, understand?"

"Yes, Adoptive Father."

Fu Yongrui gestured happily.

For the first time, a joyous smile appeared on his face. Being able to step into cultivation meant he would have the strength to protect himself and those family members he wished to safeguard in the future.

Fu Yongrui was imprisoned when he was five years old.

He couldn't recognize a single character.

Everything had to start from scratch.

Due to his unique experiences, he was unable to adjust to having too many people around him at once. So, after a moment of consideration, Fu Changsheng took him to the Water Curtain Cave Mansion.

He instructed Jade Lotus:

"Jade Lotus, this is my newly adopted son, named Yongrui. From now on, you'll teach him to read and write. After he learns to recognize characters, you can then pass on cultivation techniques to him, alright?"

Both Jade Lotus and Fu Yongrui were individuals who had little interaction with others from an early age.

Their energies harmonized well.

Jade Lotus nodded slightly:

"Patriarch, rest assured."

Fu Yongrui looked up at Jade Lotus for a glance, then quickly lowered his head.

Fu Changsheng then gave a few words of instruction to Fu Yongrui:

"I will be returning to Nanyang County in Anyang County soon. Stay close to Jade Lotus, and if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to speak up. Don't hide them, understood?"

Fu Yongrui, hearing that Fu Changsheng was about to leave, felt a full wave of reluctance and unease. However, he obediently nodded.

Fu Changsheng went up to the second floor of the wooden pavilion.

He knocked on Shi Shutong's door. Shi Shutong had been recovering in seclusion for two years, and now his injuries were mostly healed. Upon meeting, Shi Shutong began:

"Patriarch, given my current cultivation level, without the assistance of the Earth Fire Room, the success rate of refining a Tier Two Spirit Pill would likely be low. If the Ghost Cherry Pill is extremely important to you, then it must be refined in the Earth Fire Room. Furthermore, it would be best to have a Tier One Top-Grade Alchemist assisting as well."

Fu Changsheng intended precisely this.

He replied with a smile:

"Master Shi, I plan to take you back to our clan at Luofeng Mountain. There, we've set up an Earth Fire Room. Furthermore, my wife is already a Tier One Top-Grade Alchemist, and I will have her assist you during alchemy."

Shi Shutong's cultivation level has already fallen to the Qi Refining Stage.

Fu Changsheng's aim was clear: he hoped to have Shi Shutong advise Meizhen, so that Meizhen could advance her alchemy skills and become a Tier Two Alchemist.

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