The young couple of '82 come out.

Luo Li said, “It doesn’t matter what it is! As long as it helps big brother make a space, that’s enough!”

The group, still in high spirits, continued sorting through the treasures. Luo Yu found a substance in the box with potent hallucinogenic properties—he surmised that the illusion array with the Kui beast had been crafted using this very material.

Luo Yu snickered, “I’ll use this to forge a magical artifact! I’ll make sure my enemies die in ecstasy!”

Luo Li rebuked him sternly, “Don’t laugh so lewdly!”

Qin Yue examined the storied treasures of the Ascendant cultivator, box by box. Each item was as precious as the Void Stone. Delighted, he said, “I’ve always wanted to forge a material that could complement the Yang Extreme True Flame for artifact crafting. Looks like there’s finally hope.”

Luo Li’s current weapon, the “Rainbow Staff,” had been forged by Qin Yue, using his own researched materials and a tail hair from Huang Xuan. As expected, it possessed the five-colored divine light technique, and Luo Li adored it.

They finished looking at the raw materials and moved on to the finished magical artifacts, but none felt quite right—nothing suited their preferences. To match their strengths and tastes, they’d have to craft their own; with so many materials at hand, why not?

Once bonded with a cultivator’s spiritual energy, a magical artifact not only merges with its owner’s spirit, but over time, nourished by the dantian, it can evolve, even giving birth to its own artifact spirit, capable of acting independently to protect its master. Since such a treasure could last a lifetime, they naturally wanted only the best, so neither was in any rush.

After these, only a few scrolls remained.

They unrolled them for a look. One was the “Unified Myriad Arts Sutra,” a rare and advanced foundational technique. Although one could improve their cultivation simply by meditating and circulating spiritual energy, the difference between that and following a systematic technique was vast. This sutra detailed every method for circulating spiritual and magical power: which meridians to channel through for the strongest, fastest strike; how to cycle spiritual energy in meditation to accelerate one’s progress; how to compress energy to fit more into the dantian; it even offered tips for expanding the meridians with spiritual power.

Another scroll, titled “Naluo Jupoba Golden Body Forge,” focused on defensive cultivation. Unlike the Heavenly Dragon’s Golden Scripture, it emphasized internal soul refinement, creating a spiritual barrier that could externally shield the cultivator. At its peak, the technique could form a tangible, innate suit of armor.

After discussion, they agreed to make the “Unified Myriad Arts Sutra” their compulsory foundational technique. The “Naluo Jupoba Golden Body Forge” was set aside—Luo Yu declared, “My wife and the cat can learn that one—no time for me! Besides, with teleportation, who can catch me? I need to work on the teleportation array. If I link our home to the ancient formation, it’ll be so convenient! Everyone could come and go as they please, that’s important!”

Qin Yue and Luo Li looked down on Luo Yu’s laziness, but didn’t press him.

Once they’d finished sorting, Qin Yue and Luo Yu headed home.

They handed the Kui beast’s corpse to the vampire, then rushed to their father’s room and moved the “Rootless Spirit Grass” to the living room for inspection. The spiritual energy at home couldn’t compare to the formation, so they worried it might have wilted. But on the table, it looked quite lively, even sprouting new shoots from its base—astonishingly, it had grown more!

Father Chu sat on the sofa, one leg crossed, and said, “Are you doubting my gardening skills?”

Luo Yu grinned obsequiously, “Wouldn’t dare! But why is it sprouting now? It didn’t change in the formation, and there was less spiritual energy here, but it’s doing better… Heh, let’s plant the other ones too!”

Father Chu perked up when he saw Luo Yu produce three more, each a different color. “Where did you get so many? These are great! Lampes always says the guest room is more comfortable than sleeping at night… Ahem, I mean, it seems to purify the air… Lampes only occasionally… He just thinks my room is uncomfortable, so he hardly ever comes in.” He quickly buried himself in his book, feigning indifference.

Seeing his father’s flushed face, Luo Yu felt awkward—clearly, something slipped out. He turned to Qin Yue, “Wife, let’s go downstairs and get some soil!”

Qin Yue replied, “Alright.”

They took out a few white jade pots, gathered some nourishing earth, and prepared to go downstairs for soil. Suddenly, Father Chu called out, “Xiao Yu, what did you just call Xiao Yue?”

Luo Yu looked up in a daze: called him “wife”… Wife? Did I just say “wife”?

He was instantly mortified!

Father Chu’s face turned all shades of color as he slammed his book on the table, “Just what exactly is going on between you two?”

Qin Yue met his gaze calmly, “The magistrate can set fires, but the common folk may not light lamps—no need to be agitated, Uncle Luo.”

Luo Yu tried to hide behind Qin Yue, shrinking away, unable to meet his father’s eyes or say a word.

Qin Yue faced Uncle Luo with an unperturbed expression.

Uncle Luo was left speechless, his chest heaving for a long while before he calmed down. With a frosty tone, he demanded, “How far has your relationship gone? Speak honestly.”

Luo Yu was about to confess when Qin Yue cut in smoothly, “Everything that could and couldn’t be done has been done.”

Luo Yu was thunderstruck: What did that mean? Wouldn’t Dad go crazy hearing this? Isn’t that too much of a shock?

Luo Yu stammered, “You—”

Qin Yue interrupted again, “Be good, don’t hide anything. Uncle Luo will understand us.”

He turned to Uncle Luo, “Xiao Yu and I are united in body and soul, devoted to one another, supporting each other for life. Who could take better care of Xiao Yu than me?”

Uncle Luo was silent for a long time, then suddenly shouted, “Lampes! Get up here right now!”

The vampire, who had been studying the Kui beast in the courtyard, appeared instantly, trying to please him, “Dear, what can I do for you?”

Uncle Luo grabbed the book and began thwacking him, “This is all your fault, you scoundrel!”

The vampire dodged and protested, “Oh, my dear! What did I do wrong now?”

Uncle Luo roared, “Don’t run! If it weren’t for your bad influence, would the two of them have ended up together?”

The vampire was stunned, “They finally told you? Oh, my dear! They were already… the day we met again, Xiao Yu confessed to me they were a couple! This really has nothing to do with me!”

Uncle Luo was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue: It’s been that long? If it’s been that much time, surely everything’s happened by now… All that vigilance, and still the house thief prevails!

Qin Yue shot the vampire a look and made a secret gesture behind his back. The vampire immediately caught on, carefully approaching Uncle Luo and coaxing gently, “Dear, they’re both good kids… Isn’t this nice? Xiao Yu found his partner, just like us, and he’ll be happy… Remember the pressure you felt, worrying your father would find out? We shouldn’t let Xiao Yu suffer through that too…”

While the vampire worked his charm, Luo Yu looked at his father pitifully, big eyes pleading.

Father Chu felt a flood of emotions, slumping helplessly against the vampire, filled with resignation.

After a while, he suddenly said, “All of you out, Xiao Yu stays.”

Luo Yu cast a terrified look at Qin Yue, seeking help, and Qin Yue calmly whispered, “Just say what I told you—don’t tell the whole truth. It’s already a fact, Uncle Luo has no choice but to accept it.”

Luo Yu watched the vampire and Qin Yue go downstairs, slumped on the sofa, bracing himself for the coming storm.

Father Chu sipped his tea. “How long have you two been together?”

Luo Yu thought carefully, then lowered his head and said, “Since we met Gong Jingqian… it started then… after that, we lived together.”

Father Chu’s hand trembled. “You two should break up.”

Luo Yu was stunned: Break up? What did that mean? That would mean sending Qin Yue away—how could that be allowed?

He blurted out, “No! Last time, I almost died… Qin Yue wanted to die with me. I… I can’t abandon him.”

Father Chu asked, “When did this happen?”

So Luo Yu truthfully recounted their recent adventure.

Father Chu was silent for a long while, then rubbed his forehead: This really can’t be undone. With Xiao Yue’s personality, even if I disagreed… he’d be another Lampes, refusing to leave no matter what. Last time, he even helped Lampes—most likely, they’ve made a secret alliance to support each other! Lampes’s behavior earlier proves it! Those two rascals! Thankless wretches!

The more Father Chu thought, the angrier he got. He barked, “Between you two, who’s the initiator?”

Luo Yu pondered: though he often teased Qin Yue, in the end, it was always Qin Yue who took the initiative.

He answered, “Qin Yue…”

Father Chu instantly lost it, railing, “I knew it! Are you content to just let things be? Useless! Since your feelings are so deep, I won’t interfere—but as a man, you should be fair in these things. Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of. If he doesn’t experience it for himself, he’ll never know how it feels! You have to take the initiative sometimes! Understand?”

Luo Yu listened, blinking, and finally understood what his father meant. In surprise, he blurted out, “Dad… have you ever put Lampes on the bottom?”

Father Chu was speechless, his face turning scarlet. He snapped, “My private affairs are none of your business! Just take care of yourself!”

Luo Yu recoiled at his father’s bluster, muttering, “I wasn’t prying… I just thought Lampes seemed pretty formidable… I didn’t say anything!”

Father Chu exploded, “I’ll show you who’s more formidable—Lampes! Get up here right now!”

Luo Yu: “…”

Later, Luo Yu and Qin Yue’s coming out ended with Lampes getting thoroughly beaten by Father Chu. The poor vampire, sporting a head covered in bumps, demanded substantial compensation from Qin Yue.

Not long after, Luo Yu gained enough experience and entered the great formation to form his Golden Core. The entire Luo family came to watch. When the golden phoenix apparition unfurled its wings, it spread across the whole mountain. Father Chu took photos nonstop, eventually selecting the most beautiful one and printing it, with a line of small text beneath:

Xiao Yu’s Golden Core

Author’s note: Many thanks to everyone who sent bombs and grenades!

Yesterday I had serious writer’s block…

It’s so painful!

And thus ends the Foundation Establishment arc.

It seems to have gone pretty quickly? Please overlook that…

Book reviews very much appreciated.

Fellow Cultivator’s Immortal Tale 82: The Couple Comes Out arc has been updated!