How did a bastard like him become an immortal?

Li Muyun's calm face froze slightly. His nominal father had never met him in private before. This was the first time in more than ten years that he had been summoned alone. He gave a wry smile and said, "Okay, I'll go over now."

Yuan Wuji saw through Li Muyun's thoughts and comforted him, "Young Master Yun, the Marquis is busy with many affairs and needs to avoid suspicion. He has been somewhat neglectful of you over the years. Some things are just out of necessity. You must understand."

His expression returned to calm, and Li Muyun said indifferently, "I am born out of wedlock, and my mother is of lowly status. I dare not presume to be worthy of the title of Marquis. I am already content to have survived until now."

Shaking his head helplessly, Yuan Wuji knew that so many years of resentment couldn't be resolved with just a few words. He led Li Muyun to the study and said, "The Marquis is already waiting for you inside. Go in."

Li Muyun pushed open the door to the study. In the center of the room was a large sandalwood desk, and several rows of antique bookshelves were filled with martial arts documents. The room was solemn and grand, exuding a kingly aura. Behind the desk, a sharp sword with dragon and tiger carvings hung on the wall. Its bloodthirsty and murderous aura was overwhelming and intimidating, befitting its reputation as a butcher.

Li Rentu sat upright before the large table, gently stroking the exquisitely framed ancient painting placed on it.

Li Muyun knelt down and bowed, saying, "Li Muyun pays respects to Marquis Tiantu."

Li Rentu raised his eyes, a rare gentleness appearing on his face. "You and she look a lot alike. Seeing you today is like seeing her from back then."

Hearing his mother's name from Li Rentu, Li Muyun's body trembled, his handsome face lowered, and he took a deep breath.

Li Rentu hung the ancient painting on the wall, and Li Muyun glanced at its contents out of the corner of his eye.

The painting depicts a stunningly beautiful fairy, with black hair, white robes, and a face as white as frost, possessing an otherworldly and unparalleled elegance.

Even if he only caught a glimpse of her from afar, Li Muyun was absolutely certain that she was his mother.

Li Rentu glanced at Li Muyun and said, "I know you have a lot of resentment towards me over the years, but only if I ignore it can you survive in the Marquis's mansion. If I get close to you, you will surely die."

Li Muyun looked up and gazed into Li Rentu's deep, lake-like eyes. The resentment he had harbored for years unconsciously dissipated. Was this familiar yet unfamiliar father really neglecting him to protect him?

Li Rentu said slowly and deliberately, "Now that you have embarked on the path of immortality, then cultivate diligently and serve the Tang Dynasty when you have achieved mastery."

As he spoke, Li Rentu's voice remained calm, but Li Muyun could clearly feel the sudden, bone-chilling coldness that emanated from him. "If you dare to do anything to betray the Tang Dynasty, I will kill you with my own hands."

"I cultivate immortality and seek the Dao, only to pass the martial arts examination and obtain the title of Lady for my mother, so that she may have the dignity to stand in this Marquis's mansion." Li Muyun said firmly, feeling the cold indifference of the other.

Li Rentu said in a deep voice, "A true man's ambition lies in the world. Why bother with such a meaningless reputation for a dead man?"

Li Muyun's gaze was firm as he raised his head and looked directly into Tian Tu Hou's eyes. "Tian Tu Hou is high above and doesn't know what it's like to be insulted. If I can't even protect my mother's reputation after her death, how can I talk about the world?"

"presumptuous!"

Li Rentu's eyes were icy cold, and the murderous intent emanating from his body was like a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, impacting Li Muyun. However, Li Muyun remained unmoved, his small face resolute.

The murderous aura suddenly dissipated, and Li Rentu slowly leaned back in his chair, saying leisurely, "Even this bad temper is exactly the same as hers. Fine, do whatever you want. I haven't cared about you for so many years, but today you embark on the path of cultivation, and with the Golden Light Mantra of Longhu Mountain, I will also give you the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. Go back and cultivate diligently. Go."

A magic tablet was casually tossed to Li Rentu. Li Muyun caught it, looked up, and sure enough, the four mysterious characters "Five Thunder Orthodox Method" were written on it. He bowed slightly, said stiffly, "This child takes his leave," and left the study to return to the courtyard.

On his way back, Li Muyun was drenched in cold sweat. He kept recalling everything that had happened in the study, and his heart was filled with lingering fear.

"I'm afraid everything is just as you imagine. Your father, the Heavenly Slaughter Marquis, is terrifying." The Long-Eared Immortal materialized beside Li Muyun. "He is a genuine Martial Saint, and the killing intent he just displayed was genuine. If your answer was even slightly wrong, you would already be dead."

Li Muyun sat down on the bed with a thud. Everything that had just happened felt like a play. From the portrait of his mother deliberately lowering his guard, to the father and son having a heart-to-heart talk pretending to be affectionate, to the verbal threats revealing their murderous intent, and finally the bestowal of a cultivation technique using both kindness and severity, every step was meticulously planned, with danger lurking at every turn.

"Is he really my father?"

Li Muyun smiled bitterly. All he felt in all of this was exploitation and coldness. He had once been a useless piece of trash, so he could be ignored and left unattended; now he was a cultivator with a promising future, so they were trying to win him over and control him. Was there any real kinship in this cold mansion?

Long-eared Immortal sneered, "Boy, this world is far more cruel than you imagine. If you want to change all this, you have to be strong enough!"

Li Muyun nodded heavily, clenching his fist. "I will definitely work hard in my cultivation."

The long-eared immortal nodded in satisfaction, "You are a promising student. However, it's not a complete loss. The thunder magic of Longhu Mountain is a good immortal technique. In the future, when combined with your magic weapon, you can unleash extremely powerful formations."

Li Muyun suddenly remembered the Explosive Yuan Talisman Array that Li Tianci had used today, which could instantly elevate him to the Earthly Yuan Realm. He asked, "Rabbit Lord, Li Tianci is a martial artist, not an immortal. Why can he use arrays?"

Long-eared Immortal curled his lip in disdain, "That's what you call an array? It's just a talisman array that's been downgraded to the lowest level. It's child's play. A true array can only unleash its true power when a magic weapon is used as the array's core. The stronger the magic weapon, the stronger the array. Back in the day, I used the Six Souls Divine Banner Sword, one of the Twenty-Four Creation Divine Swords, to activate the Myriad Immortals Array. Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could only wait to be slaughtered."

Li Muyun listened with great interest, and couldn't help but swallow hard. "I've heard you mention the Twenty-Four Creation Divine Swords of Heavenly Dao twice. What exactly is this magical treasure?"

As the Long-Eared Immortal clenched his fist, the temperature in the entire room plummeted instantly. A chilling, bone-piercing, terrifying, and horrifying aura emanated from his hand, and a strangely shaped short sword appeared in his grasp.

The short sword was pitch black, with a triangular tail and six banner tails fluttering gently. It was surrounded by incredibly mysterious Dao patterns, like a soul-swapping shore connecting the human world to hell.

The long-eared immortal's lips curled slightly upwards, his gaze burning, as he slowly displayed the Six Souls Divine Banner Sword to Li Muyun. "Back then, the immortal Pangu sacrificed himself to create heaven and earth and create all races. His axe, used to create heaven and earth, became tainted with supreme karma, thus transforming into the laws of heaven and earth, and ultimately condensing into the Twenty-Four Divine Swords of Heaven. This is the Six Souls Divine Banner Sword, ranked sixteenth..."