Chapter 439 – Lu Lingfeng, Passing the Test, Game Pod

A silver-gray hover car silently stopped in front of a modern manor.

The car door automatically opened upwards, and a figure stepped out from inside.

It was a tall and slender teenager, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with dark brown hair, fair skin, and rather handsome features.

As he glanced around, he exuded an aura of cold detachment.

It was Lu Yuan, who had just returned home from the hospital.

“Young Master.”

As soon as Lu Yuan got out of the car, he saw a fair-skinned, blond man quickly approaching from the manor gate.

Victor, the housekeeper, was not of pure Duoling blood and had a…

At the sight of the man, memories about him immediately flooded Lu Yuan’s mind.

The man greeted Lu Yuan respectfully and proactively picked up his personal luggage.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly at Housekeeper Victor before turning his attention to take in this… “home.”

In front of Lu Yuan was a grand entrance made of glass and metal, flanked by tall stone pillars adorned with intricate bronze decorations and traditional Duoling patterns, giving off an imposing and solemn feeling.

Following the smooth gray-white stone path inside, the road was lined with lush trees and colorful flowers. Occasionally, the figure of a gardening robot would flash by, creating a clean and fresh blend of nature and technology.

After walking for about five or six minutes, Lu Yuan finally saw a beautiful white stone fountain from a distance. Behind the fountain was the entrance to the main house of the manor.

“Where are Mother and Elder Sister?”

Lu Yuan casually asked Housekeeper Victor beside him, who immediately responded, “They are both here.”

Then quickly added, “Young Master, Master instructed that you see him first upon arrival.”

Lu Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, and he responded with a flat “hmm.”

Entering through the main house door, the interior decor was still grand and luxurious, showcasing the dignified and elegant traditional style of Duoling.

As soon as Lu Yuan walked in, he saw the beautiful woman and Lu Qiyuan, who had previously visited him at the hospital, sitting on the sofa.

Seeing him enter, the beautiful woman immediately stood up to greet him, while Lu Qiyuan only glanced at him before continuing to focus on the virtual screen in front of her.

“Mom.”

Lu Yuan proactively greeted the beautiful woman in front of him, showing a “close” smile on his face.

The beautiful woman affectionately grasped his hand and, after a moment, leaned in to whisper, “When you go in, just apologize honestly to your father, say a few nice things, and his anger will dissipate… Remember, you must be sincere…”

Lu Yuan nodded as he listened to the beautiful woman. “Got it.”

After reminding him, the beautiful woman gently patted Lu Yuan’s hair. “Go on.”

Housekeeper Victor appeared at just the right moment, respectfully guiding Lu Yuan towards the interior of the house.

As Lu Yuan walked through the dark corridor lined with oil paintings, he faintly heard the beautiful woman and Lu Qiyuan speaking behind him.

“Your brother comes home, and you don’t say a word. Is that how an Elder Sister acts?”

“What do you want me to say to him? Does he ever listen to anything I say? Don’t you know what your own son’s like…?”

“You…”

Lu Yuan shook his head slightly, withdrawing his mental power and choosing not to focus on that.

He continued walking, contemplating in his mind the matters he was about to face.

This test was one he had to pass.

Whether it was for himself or for the identity of “Lu Qiyuan” on the surface, gaining the approval of Lu Lingfeng, the head of the Lu family, was essential for many of his plans to proceed smoothly.

As he thought about this.

Unconsciously, he found himself in front of a door.

Housekeeper Victor’s footsteps had also stopped behind him, as if quietly waiting for him to open the door and enter.

The image of a person flashed through Lu Yuan’s mind, and without hesitation, he pushed the door open with a calm expression.

“Boom-“

The heavy solid wood door closed firmly behind Lu Yuan, revealing a large room before him.

The first thing that caught his eye was an extremely tall and massive bronze bookshelf, filled with countless large tomes.

In the center of the bookshelf, an area was left open, where two oversized black-golden one-handed swords were crossed and suspended.

Before Lu Yuan could take a closer look at the swords, a cold, low voice rang in his ear.

“Kneel!”

He turned his head in the direction of the voice.

A middle-aged man with an imposing aura stood with his hands behind his back, staring coldly at Lu Yuan from the study’s floor-to-ceiling window.

Lu Lingfeng.

The moment he saw Lu Lingfeng, Lu Yuan’s knees instinctively weakened, wanting to kneel, but he forcefully stopped himself.

Lu Yuan was thoughtful.

His current body was still primarily led by the flesh and blood of Lu Qiyuan, so some cellular instincts belonging to Lu Qiyuan hadn’t been completely eradicated.

This wasn’t particularly strange.

What truly left Lu Yuan speechless was how deeply Lu Qiyuan feared his father, Lu Lingfeng.

How many times had he faced such “intimidation” for a single command to almost make him kneel?

“Did you not hear me tell you to kneel?!”

Seeing that Lu Yuan remained motionless, Lu Lingfeng’s brows furrowed. Coldly, he began to walk slowly toward Lu Yuan.

“Is this the attitude your mother said shows you’ve realized your mistake?”

Lu Lingfeng’s cold snort was accompanied by a subtle release of mental power, which spread from his body, making the room’s atmosphere oppressive. Even the light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to dim.

To use mental pressure on his own son-what an oddity…

Although Lu Yuan was inwardly mocking, his face remained expressionless.

He met Lu Lingfeng’s gaze without any hint of fear and said calmly, “Sincerely admitting one’s mistake doesn’t require kneeling. Kneeling doesn’t necessarily mean sincerity. These two concepts have no intrinsic connection, my respected father.”

“Hmm?!”

Lu Lingfeng was visibly taken aback by Lu Yuan’s words.

He scrutinized Lu Yuan up and down again, seemingly unable to believe that such words would come from his typically cowardly son.

“It seems you’re not here to apologize…”

After a brief silence, Lu Lingfeng said lightly.

The room’s atmosphere seemed to grow even more oppressive.

In the face of Lu Lingfeng’s questioning, Lu Yuan shook his head.

“No, quite the opposite.”

Lu Yuan spoke earnestly, enunciating each word, “I’ve never seen so clearly how foolish and incompetent I once was. That’s precisely why I feel these superficial gestures have no real significance.”

“Oh?”

Lu Lingfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly, the surprise in his gaze deepened, and he seemed somewhat intrigued by what Lu Yuan would say next.

“So what do you intend to do?”

Lu Lingfeng circled around the long table and sat down in a chair.

Above him were those two eye-catching oversized black one-handed swords.

“I would like you to agree to two things, Father,” Lu Yuan said.

“Hmm?”

Lu Lingfeng glanced at him but remained silent.

“First, please give me some time-not much, just a year. During this period, I hope you will support any decisions I make. Simply not opposing or obstructing them would be the greatest support.”

Lu Yuan continued calmly, “Second, I would like to have my Mecha back.”

Before Lu Yuan even finished speaking, Lu Lingfeng’s eyebrows furrowed.

Nonetheless, he let Lu Yuan finish both points before responding coldly, “I expected you might make some promises to me, but instead, you are making demands.”

“Having the determination to change is the only reason I dare to make demands of you, right?”

Lu Yuan met Lu Lingfeng’s gaze calmly, unfazed by the sharp and scrutinizing look aimed at him.

After pondering for a while, Lu Lingfeng spoke in a deep voice, “Reason.”

Lu Yuan smiled slightly and replied, “The reason is simple. I know you’ve always wanted to mold me into a qualified family heir, pushing me to do things I dislike…”

“Dislike? Huh, those are things you ought to do and must do.”

Lu Lingfeng’s cold snort interrupted Lu Yuan.

“Indeed.”

Lu Yuan nodded.

“Indeed, it is what I should do. Having been born into the Lu family, becoming your son, and enjoying everything that the Lu family and you have provided, I have the responsibility and obligation to accept the fate tied to these things.”

“Rebellion and avoidance don’t solve the problem. I’ve figured it out. Instead of living in frustration and unhappiness, it’s better to choose to embrace it willingly. Given time, when I inherit the position of head of the family, you won’t be able to stop me from doing what I want, right?”

As Lu Yuan finished speaking, Lu Lingfeng’s eyebrows seemed to furrow even tighter.

He regarded Lu Yuan with an expression that turned somewhat peculiar.

“Is that really what you think?” he inquired.

“Of course,” Lu Yuan nodded candidly.

The message Lu Yuan conveyed to Lu Lingfeng was simple: I used to make mistakes and oppose you because you always forced me to do things I didn’t like.

Now I’ve realized that only by first accepting what I dislike, can I eventually discuss what I do like.

This was the more reasonable “attitude change” explanation Lu Yuan thought of.

For someone like “Lu Qiyuan,” a sudden transformation, a complete change of heart, and turning from a laid-back attitude to an actively engaged one without any prior inclination would be unrealistic.

It’s more about understanding.

My essence hasn’t changed; only the methods I use to achieve my goals have.

This shift, sparked by the recent “meteorite incident,” seemed more reasonable and not too abrupt.

Sure enough, Lu Lingfeng remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

“There is no issue with your second request.

As for the first one…

I’ll give you six months.

You have six months to plan your life, and I will have someone monitor you and report back to me in real-time.

If it turns out that you’re not doing well, or if six months later you haven’t achieved the changes I expect, then you’ll have to come back obediently and follow all the arrangements I have for you.

From then on, don’t talk to me about what you like or dislike.”

“Alright.”

Lu Yuan nodded, satisfied that he had achieved his purpose with Lu Lingfeng’s agreement.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you should leave.”

With those words, Lu Lingfeng waved his hand dismissively, withdrawing his gaze from Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan nodded and turned towards the study door.

Just as he was about to reach for the doorknob, he suddenly turned back to look at Lu Lingfeng.

“Is there something else?” Lu Lingfeng asked calmly.

Lu Yuan spoke with a peculiar expression, “Father, you must have been waiting for this day to come, haven’t you?”

Lu Lingfeng’s face remained expressionless as he let out a slight hum.

With a smile, Lu Yuan turned and pushed the door open, leaving the room.

After Lu Yuan left, Lu Lingfeng sat quietly in his chair, speechless.

Moments later, a shadowy figure emerged silently from the corner of the study, like a phantom.

“From today onwards, follow Qiyuan, ensure his safety, and keep an eye on him for me. I don’t want another incident like this to happen again,” Lu Lingfeng said flatly.

“Yes,” the figure nodded.

After giving the instructions, Lu Lingfeng suddenly asked, “Do you think Qiyuan is serious this time?”

The figure silently shook their head. “I don’t know, but the Young Master doesn’t seem the same as before.”

“Hmm…” Lu Lingfeng chuckled.

“What do you think, Master?” the figure asked in return.

Lu Lingfeng looked calmly out the floor-to-ceiling window at the sky and replied, “Me? Qiyuan is my son, whether he’s acting on a whim or truly determined to change. As his father, what choice do I have but to believe in him? At worst… it would just mean being disappointed again and having to clean up his mess a few more times.”

The figure nodded and said nothing more, retreating into the corner and disappearing into the shadows.

The room returned to complete silence, leaving Lu Lingfeng alone with his thoughts.

…

Once outside Lu Lingfeng’s study, Lu Yuan had barely taken a few steps when a figure blocked his path.

He stopped and quietly regarded the indifferent-looking girl in front of him.

“I thought I’d be hearing the sound of your trembling and begging,” Lu Qiyuan said, arms crossed, clicking her tongue in surprise as she looked at Lu Yuan. “I can’t believe you got out so quickly and without a scratch.”

“What trick did you learn to get Dad to let you off so easily? I’ve heard you’ve really embarrassed yourself this time…”

Faced with Lu Qiyuan’s sarcastic remarks, Lu Yuan showed no sign of irritation. Instead, he chuckled.

“Do you want to know?”

“What do you think?” Lu Qiyuan looked at him coolly.

She stood half a head taller than Lu Yuan and adopted a somewhat condescending posture.

Lu Yuan slowly walked to her side, turned his head to look at her, and spoke softly, “I could tell you, but you’ll never be able to learn it.”

“What do you mean?” Lu Qiyuan frowned.

“What I mean is… some things are innate. You won’t be able to learn them even if you try.”

“Lu Qiyuan, there’s more than just one letter differentiating us.”

With that, Lu Yuan smiled, calmly brushed past her, and walked alone toward the end of the corridor.

“One letter of difference…” Lu Qiyuan stood there, pondering for a moment before realizing that Lu Yuan was referring to the difference in their gender and the gap in succession rights for the head of the family.

Her face turned visibly irritated as she glared at Lu Yuan’s retreating figure and gritted her teeth, saying, “Lu Qiyuan, how dare you talk to me like that! You’re asking for it-come back here!”

But Lu Yuan moved quickly, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

…

“The space here is quite expansive…” Lu Yuan returned directly to his room after leaving.

The main residence where the Lu family lived resembled a castle, with the entire fourth floor serving as his territory.

Besides a bedroom for rest and living, there was a training room, a quiet room, and a mecha control room.

The training room was filled with advanced high-tech equipment for physical exercise. However, it was obvious they were rarely used, as most of the equipment looked brand new.

In Duoling, the mainstream path of cultivation focuses on mecha control and mental power cultivation.

Physical strength can be enhanced through external means, so there’s almost no need for deliberate exercise.

Before preparing to ascend to the Star Lord Realm, as long as a person’s body is sufficient, few invest much effort in physical training.

The quiet room was specially designed for the cultivation of mental power and was meticulously arranged. As soon as you stepped inside, you could immediately feel a calming Strength from an external source that settled the mind and brought peace to one’s mood. This was due to the walls being embedded with rare ore known for its mind-soothing properties. The construction of such a cultivation quiet room was quite costly.

As for the mecha control room, it occupied the largest space and was made from the most advanced materials. However, currently, there was no mecha in the control room. The Level 1 Mecha that originally belonged to Lu Qiyuan had been confiscated by Lu Lingfeng after it was damaged during a duel over a romantic rivalry with someone named Bokalye.

Lu Yuan had requested Lu Lingfeng to regain the rights to use the mecha because, without access to a real mecha, he couldn’t officially embark on the “pilot” new profession. Without a physical mecha, the mecha control room was merely an oversized activity space, but Lu Yuan did find something interesting in the corner of the room.

“A game pod?”

This was a large machine resembling a hibernation pod and was slightly larger than the single-person aircraft of the Spirit Devourer Clan that Lu Yuan had previously used. The entire pod was in a golden blue color, exuding a sense of luxurious elegance.

“Rainbow Virtual Game Cockpit, Blue Golden Version.”

Lu Yuan read the small print on the game pod, recalling from Lu Qiyuan’s memory that such a game pod had a market price exceeding ten million Duoling Coins. For an average family like that of Xu Mingguang, the total annual household income was only about one to two hundred thousand, highlighting the pod’s exorbitant price. Plus, this was just the blue golden version. Higher versions included the crimson golden version, black golden version, and purple golden version, with the most expensive surpassing a billion.

It’s something unimaginable for most people.

“Being a second-generation rich kid sure has its perks…” Lu Yuan mused as he began to remove small items from his pockets and then lay in the game pod. Only wealthy families could afford such a game pod. For ordinary people eager to experience this, their only option was to go to an Internet Cafe.

However, the game pods at Internet Cafes were not only of lower specifications but also overpriced, and their cleanliness was questionable. Occasionally, some individuals with weaker consciousness might get overwhelmed by the overly realistic visuals of virtual combat games, resulting in embarrassing incidents like incontinence.

As a result, despite thorough cleaning, some game pods in Internet Cafes would always retain a peculiar odor. Lu Qiyuan had once been caught in such a situation, and he never went back to those cafes again.