Chapter 164: Nine Lotus Temple

Cao Fu's words left Lu Xin stunned. The name "Lü Bu" is a household name, whether in the Tang dynasty or modern times. He was the God of War during the Three Kingdoms period; when it came to single combat, none could surpass him, making him the strongest warrior of that era. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Lü Bu was one of the earliest military commanders to appear, fighting fiercely against Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei at Hulao Pass, which instantly made him famous and turned into a legendary tale. Yet, Lü Bu was also one of the first fierce generals of the Three Kingdoms to die in battle. Lu Xin did not understand what this person had to do with the Wu clan bloodline flowing through Cao Fu's veins.

Seeing Lu Xin's shocked expression, Cao Fu seemed to have expected it. He grinned and then turned around. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked up and gazed at the distant battlefield, seemingly waiting for a favorable opportunity.

"People in this world only know that General Lü Bu possessed unrivaled martial prowess and boundless strength, comparable to the Hegemon-King Xiang Yu. But few ever ponder why Lü Bu was able to become the strongest warrior of the Three Kingdoms. Since Daoist Brother has ventured into the Fengdu Ghost Realm, you should know the origin between the ancient ghost clan and the Wu clan, right? The Wu were the race with the most powerful physical bodies in the three realms during the ancient era. Among them, some Great Wus who survived from the primordial chaos possessed physical strength that had reached almost an undying and indestructible realm."

"Are you saying that Lü Bu flowed with the bloodline of the Wu clan?"

"Correct, and it is not just as simple as the Wu clan bloodline. Lü Bu was the reincarnation of an ancient Great Wu. It's just that his bloodline power and memories had not yet fully awakened before Prime Minister Cao orchestrated his execution."

Cao Fu spoke calmly, but Lu Xin gasped inwardly. This was a monumental secret, and his reaction was definitely not feigned. The Wu clan had once been the rulers of the netherworld, and their status in the ancient era far surpassed that of the human race. The Great Wus ruled everything under heaven, feeding upon all living things. At that time, all living beings in the netherworld paid an unimaginably heavy price just to break that deadlock, shattering the entire expanse of the Nine Provinces. The Wu were a nightmare that no living creature was willing to mention. Yet at this moment, Cao Fu claimed that Lü Bu flowed with the bloodline of a Great Wu.

"Actually, you don't need to be too surprised. The Wu clan originated from the primordial world, as ancient as the demon gods. Such a clan once trembled the entire three realms with its might; how could it be completely annihilated? It is not difficult for some Great Wus to retain their bloodline power before death. To my knowledge, Nangong Changwan, the God of Killing Bai Qi, and the Western Chu Hegemon-King were all awakened individuals of the Wu clan bloodline. Therefore, their strength could look down upon heroes across the world in their respective eras. Especially Xiang Yu—I don't even need to say much about him, right? Even Sima Qian called him the peerless supreme powerhouse of all ages. Xiang Yu's internal power of the Great Wu bloodline should have been the most awakened. In front of him, Lü Bu actually fell somewhat short."

Cao Fu's voice remained calm, but every word and sentence he spoke was hard not to find convincing. Although Lu Xin said nothing outwardly upon hearing this, deep down he truly believed it. Cao Fu had no reason to deceive him with such matters. Moreover, Lu Xin could already vaguely guess how Cao Fu's Wu clan bloodline came to be.

"You mean... the reason Cao Cao killed Lü Bu was to acquire the Great Wu bloodline within him? Heh, no wonder... No wonder Lü Bu served three adoptive fathers and no one else could bear to kill him, yet Cao Cao alone showed no intention of recruiting him and immediately beheaded him."

"Hahahaha, who said there was no intention of recruitment? Prime Minister Cao was a man who cherished talent, otherwise he could not have made the heroes of the world bow and serve under his command. He could tolerate even proud and unruly people like Mi Heng, let alone Lü Bu? Your understanding of that history should also stem from *The Book of Wei* authored by Shou Chen, right? But in truth, the chaos of that era far exceeded the imagination of later generations, nor could it be explained clearly by one or two tattered books. I can only tell you now that it was Guan Lu who sealed the Great Wu bloodline within Lü Bu into Cao Cao's body. By doing so, many catastrophes were averted. And we, the Cao family, lived up to expectations, winning the entire realm and pacifying the century-long turmoil at the end of the Han dynasty."

"Guan Lu? The Probing Heaven Inkstone... Master said that this person was the founding ancestor of star-plucking and divination arts. His cultivation was so profound, thoroughly versed in yin and yang, that it was even above Zhuge Liang's. It was precisely with the assistance of this divine person that Cao Wei was able to almost unify the realm in the late Three Kingdoms period!"

Mentioning Guan Lu naturally brought Lu Xin's master, Li Chunfeng, to mind. Furthermore, his initial encounter with Cao Fu was also because of the Probing Heaven Inkstone. The tomb owner, Qin Xiao, was none other than Guan Lu's primary disciple. Lu Xin had not expected that, after twisting and turning, the matter would ultimately loop back to the very beginning. From Cao Fu's words, it could be deduced that the Wu clan bloodline within the Cao family was extracted from Lü Bu by Guan Lu and sealed inside Cao Cao. But what was his purpose in doing this? If he was merely afraid that the Great Wu bloodline would wreak havoc upon the common people, why not simply execute Lü Bu once and for all? An accomplished yin-yang master proficient in numerical arts and profound in cultivation could not truly become Cao Cao's subordinate and pave a smooth path for the Cao family's descendants. This could be seen from the fact that Guan Lu did not leave the Probing Heaven Inkstone to the Cao descendants. Lu Xin concluded that a heaven-shaking secret must be hidden within this. Since Guo Pu could calculate events two hundred years later, Guan Lu, who held the Probing Heaven Inkstone, could not possibly have lacked foresight. At the very least, transferring Lü Bu's Great Wu bloodline to Cao Cao was definitely a contingency left behind by Guan Lu. It was only a pity that after finishing his sentence, Cao Fu no longer touched upon the subject, and Lu Xin naturally found it difficult to press further.

"Daoist Brother, I have spoken to you with absolute candor, and there is nothing left to hide. You and I met by chance, yet we were able to join forces to fend off enemies, and now we can be considered friends who have shared life and death. If Daoist Brother can assist me in pursuing my grand ambition, Cao Fu will certainly entrust my life to you! If we lack this affinity, I can only blame my own fortune for being too shallow."

As Cao Fu spoke, he turned around once more to gaze intently at Lu Xin. His gaze was firm and sincere, seemingly devoid of any scheming. Had Lu Xin not met him before, he truly would have found it hard not to be moved. Perhaps this was the most formidable aspect of the Cao family. The art of governing people was an ancient and profound discipline.

"Brother Cao..."

Lu Xin hesitated for two breaths, just about to refuse, when at that moment, the flame suspended in mid-air not far away suddenly contracted violently. It was as if it had escaped into the depths of the void, vanishing completely in an instant. But in the next second, while all the flames disappeared without a trace, a speck of golden light lit up from the surface of the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, growing brighter and larger. Accompanied by a roar that shook the heavens and earth, a golden dragon dozens of meters long appeared around the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, dancing and coiling with bared claws and fangs.

This scene instantly brought the various factions fighting below to a halt. Cao Fu turned to look and saw the golden dragon looking lifelike, treading auspicious clouds, radiating an indescribable nobility and majesty. Clearly, he had never seen a true dragon either; he abruptly took a step forward and began to tremble.

"The Supreme Sovereign, the True Dragon Son of Heaven! This cauldron—this cauldron is truly the orthodox artifact of the Human Emperor! With it in my possession, why should I, Cao Fu, worry that my grand ambition will not succeed, why should I worry about failing to wash away the national humiliation?"

"Brother Cao, that is likely an illusion, you..."

Roar! Roar!

Seeing Cao Fu completely lost in a trance, Lu Xin could not help but remind him. But before his words finished falling, the golden dragon in the sky circled the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron and suddenly lunged fiercely toward his direction. The massive dragon body tore through the air, carving a dazzling trail of fire in the void. As the golden dragon dive-bombed, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron also transformed into a speck of golden light, smashing downward toward the same spot. Cao Fu stared wide-eyed at everything before him, his expression stirred to the extreme of excitement.

"Hahahaha, come, come... You are an ancient ghost clan divine artifact! And I flow with the Great Wu bloodline; I am your true master, I am the true ruler of the netherworld, hahahahaha..."

Cao Fu spread his arms, laughing with utter madness. As the golden dragon and red light drew closer and closer, Lu Xin felt an overwhelmingly supreme impact, one capable of destroying everything. Without time to make any judgment, Lu Xin instinctively retreated, putting distance between himself and Cao Fu at maximum speed.

"The ghost clan was born from the union of the Wu clan and the human race, and similarly possesses the Wu bloodline within its body. Perhaps it sensed the bloodline power within Cao Fu's body, which is why they resonated like this."

Lu Xin retreated while pondering the unfolding events. From his perspective, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron was clearly heading toward Cao Fu. But two seconds later, Lu Xin realized his judgment was wrong. The speeding golden dragon actually bypassed Cao Fu's head and charged straight at him.

This shock was truly no small matter!

The lightning-fast golden dragon plunged fiercely into Lu Xin's body, disappearing from outside his crown. Meanwhile, the ancient divine artifact, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, shrank to the size of a palm, circling around the youth's body. Upon seeing this, Cao Fu's expression changed drastically, and he clenched his fists tightly. Lu Xin took a long breath in response, feeling a turbulent current of formidable power inside his body, crashing through his meridians and viscera like a breached flood. That power was simply too immense; even though his physical body had long since cleared all channels, it still could not withstand this inexplicable impact. After merely three breaths, Lu Xin spat out a large mouthful of blood.

"Why, why did the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron choose you, why?!"

Cao Fu roared, summoning the Halberd of Heavenly Guidance from the void. Lu Xin was in no mood to argue with him at the moment; he hurriedly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bolted toward the exit of the Fengdu Ghost Realm.

"Brother Cao, this matter is bizarre; the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron can be yours. But I need to stay alive to leave."

Seeing Lu Xin running away without looking back, Cao Fu knitted his brows tightly and turned around to look. The various factions, dozens of yin-yang masters, were all running in the direction where he stood. Gasping inwardly, he finally snapped back to his senses. By then, Lu Xin had already run hundreds of meters away.

"Hahahaha... The Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron actually delivered itself to my doorstep? Immortal, you truly have great fortune!"