Read My Disciples Are All Villains - Chapter 881 - Heaven Helps The Worthy online free - Light Novel Full
When Si Wuya saw the valiant Li Yunzheng, he asked, "Are you Li Yunzheng?"
A hint of pride could be seen on Li Yunzheng's face as he said, "Yes. Your student, Li Yunzheng, grew up in the royal palace. I've read a few superficial poems and books. I have some insights and achievements in the areas of astronomy and geography. I heard from grandmaster that teacher is wise and knowledgeable and that you're the only one who's qualified to be my teacher."
Although Li Yunzheng was speaking the truth, it did not sound like it when one listened to it.
Si Wuya brought out the difficult riddles he had prepared from his sleeve and handed them to Li Yunzheng. Then, he said, "It's said that preaching comes before teaching. These riddles were left behind by your grandmaster. Take them with you. After you've solved them, you can come and acknowledge me as your teacher. I'll give you half a month to solve the riddles."
Li Yunzheng accepted them with both hands. Before he even looked at them, he said confidently, "Rest assured, teacher. I don't need half a month; they'll be done by tomorrow morning."
After Li Yunzheng finished speaking, he flipped through the pages as he walked away.
Si Wuya sighed softly and shook his head. He felt as though he could see a shadow of his former self in Li Yunzheng at this moment. In hindsight, he was truly fearless and ignorant. As the saying went, 'A newborn calf isn't afraid of tigers'.
At this moment, Nie Qingyun said, "Senior Lu is resting in the Literary Hall. Please follow me, everyone."
...
Soon enough, the members of the Evil Sky Pavilion made their way into the Literary Star Hall. As soon as they walked into the hall, they saw Lu Zhou, who looked like a sage, sitting in the hall while the others stood at the side.
Si Wuya led the others and kneeled on the ground. "Disciple greets master."
Duanmu Sheng and Mingshi Yin kneeled and greeted their master as well.
On the other hand, the four elders of the Evil Sky Pavilion only bowed. "Greetings, Pavilion Master."
Jiang Aijian felt a little out of place as he greeted Lu Zhou sheepishly, "Senior Ji, we meet again."
Lu Zhou slowly rose to his feet as he swept his eyes across the newly arrived people. As he walked down the steps, he said, "Alright, all of you, rise."
"Yes." The three disciples rose to their feet before they greeted their fellow disciples. "Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother..."
"No need for formalities." Yu Zhenghai and Yu Shangrong waved their hands.
Little Yuan 'er simply said, "Greetings, all my senior brothers!"
Greetings between fellow disciples were much simpler and casual.
"Eh? Where is Little Junior Sister?" Ming Shiyin was puzzled. Naturally, he was talking about Conch.
Little Yuan'er moved to Mingshi Yin's side and shushed him before she said, "Master just punished her to stay in her room to meditate. He's not happy."
Ming Shiyin was startled. Then, he nodded. "I understand, I understand..."
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou looked at the four elders and calmly said, "Elders, the journey has been hard on you."
"Pavilion Master, you're too kind. It's our duty," Pan Litian said with a smile.
"How's your cultivation going?"
Pan Litian laughed. "Nine leaves aren't worth mentioning."
Everyone nodded inwardly.
Leng Luo said, "It was only due to luck that I sprouted the ninth leaf…"
Zuo Yushu cupped her fists together and said hands, "I'm embarrassed to say although I reached the Nine-leaf stage first, I'm not as good as Miss Sixth."
Hua Wudao felt even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Pavilion Master. Although I've reached the Nine-leaf stage, I'm the weakest member of the Evil Sky Pavilion!"
Meng Changdong. "..."
All of them were Nine-leaf cultivators.
In the past, the Flying Star House only had two strong Nine-leaf cultivators: Meng Changdong and Ye Zhen. However, in the Evil Sky Pavilion, not only the elders had nine leaves, all the disciples seemed to have nine leaves as well. In fact, the youngest disciple had ten leaves!
Lu Zhou nodded. "Hua Wudao."
Hua Wudao was slightly confused. "Pavilion Master, please instruct me."
"When I was in the Evil Sky Pavilion, I didn't give you a weapon because I didn't have anything suitable on me. Now, I'll bestow to you the Square Box. I hope you'll put it to good use," Lu Zhou said before he waved his sleeve.
The Square Box flew out toward Hua Wudao who quickly caught it. His heart was moved by this.
"The desolate-grade Square Box," Sikong Beichen said with a smile, "This item was originally given to Elder Zhu Xuan by me. It's a pity that Zhu Xuan's character isn't stable enough to bring out its full potential. It's a blessing that the Square Box had found its true owner."
Hua Wudao grew even more excited when he learned that it was a desolate-grade weapon. Previously, everyone in the Evil Sky Pavilion, except for him, had a weapon. He was, in fact, rather depressed because of this matter. How could he not be ecstatic and excited now that he received a weapon? Moreover, it was a desolate-grade weapon! He immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Pavilion Master!"
"The Sky Martial Court has talented blacksmiths so all of your weapons can be reforged," Lu Zhou said. Then, he looked at Qiu He who was standing nearby and asked, "Elder Qiu, do you have any objections?"
Qiu He hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I don't dare. The Sky Martial Court doesn't lack the forging materials. However, fire spirit stones and purple spirit stones are rare. I hope Senior Lu understands this..."
"I've always been reasonable, and I've always appreciated those who are tactful and know what's good for them. You're very smart... After this matter is over, the feud between the Evil Sky Pavilion and the Sky Martial Court will be considered resolved."
Qiu He was overjoyed upon hearing this. He bowed immediately. "Thank you, Senior Lu!"
How could Qiu He not be happy? Lu Zhou's words just proved that all his actions were right! With these words, no one thought of the demand as unreasonable.
Following that, Lu Zhou turned to Si Wuya and asked, "Si Wuya, have you met Li Yunzheng?"
"Yes," Si Wuya replied.
Upon seeing Li Yunzheng's absence, Lu Zhou asked, "What do you think?"
Si Wuya replied honestly, "He's too arrogant."
"I'll leave him to you," Lu Zhou said as he stroked his beard.
"Understood."
Then, Lu Zhou looked at the sky outside and said, "It's late now. If there's nothing else, all of you can go ahead and rest."
Everyone bowed before they left.
...
In the sky above the Endless Ocean.
Zhu Honggong was still flying against the strong wind. Fortunately, he did not encounter any sea beasts so far.
Dang Kang's speed had decreased by now. In order to lighten Dang Kang's burden, Zhu Honggong flew on its own and let Dang Kang carry Lu Li.
They flew for countless days and nights. It felt as though they would never be able to stop flying.
There were times when Zhu Honggong wanted to give up, but when he thought about his fellow disciples and his father, he persevered.
At this moment, Lu Li suddenly started coughing. After he inhaled deeply, he slowly opened his eyes.
Zhu Honggong was overjoyed when he saw this. He flew next to Dang Kang and asked, "You're awake?!"
"Where are we?" Lu Li's mind was a little muddled at this moment.
"We're still above the Endless Ocean," Zhu Honggong said with a sigh, "However, I don't think I'll be able to hold on for long…"
Lu Li sat up slowly before he surveyed his surroundings. The scenery that consisted only of the endless sea and the endless sky could easily make one fall into despair. Then, he looked at Zhu Honggong and said with a sad smile on his face, "As long you're alive, there's always hope."
"Senior, are we moving in the direction? I think I'm lost..." Zhu Honggong said.
Lu Li looked at the space between Dangkang's eyebrows. "Previously, I left a guiding mark on its body. The mark will light up when you're going in the right direction. Remember not to make too much of a commotion or manifest your avatar. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to save you even if I was at my peak."
Zhu Honggong nodded and said, "Understood."
"Why do you want to cross the Endless Sea?" Lu Li recalled the Sky Shuttle.
"Don't ask me! I have a headache!" Zhu Honggong hurriedly said. Then, he asked curiously, "I was going to ask you the same question. Why did you go to the Endless Ocean to kill the sea beasts?"
The sea breeze blew against them.
"That sea beast is the king of sea beasts. It was leading a large number of sea beasts to invade the land. I was ordered to intercept it and kill it," Lu Li replied.
"Okay," Zhu Honggong gave him a thumbs up and said, "Nipping the problem in the bud before it blooms! Impressive!"
"I didn't expect the king of the sea beast to have grown stronger. Even after I burned my sea of Qi, I almost failed to kill it," Lu Li said.
"The life heart you gave me… is from the king of the sea beasts?"
"That's right. Not only is it the king of the sea beasts, but it's also a Birth Chart beast," Lu Li said.
"A Birth Chart Beast?"
"After reaching the Ten-leaf stage, you can use the life heart of a Birth Chart Beast to activate your Birth Chart and form the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar," Lu Li said.
"You're giving me such a valuable thing?" Zhu Honggong asked in shock.
"The Birth Chart Beast's life heart is useless to me…" Lu Li said. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but in the end, he only sighed.
"You said it yourself earlier; as long as you're alive, there's always hope!" Zhu Honggong patted his chest and said, "Don't worry! I'll bring you out of the Endless Ocean!"
At this moment, the mark on Dang Kang's forehead lit up.
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"The mark," Lu Li reminded Zhu Honggong.
"Oh." Zhu Hong patted Dang Kang's back. Then, he bowed and said, "Old friend, let me know if you're tired."
Dang Kang snorted in response to Zhu Honggong's words.
Lu Li said, "A cultivator who has entered the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm can go without eating or drinking for a long time. This beast is still young. If you're willing, you can give some of the life heart's energy to it."
"That's possible?" Zhu Honggong did not hesitate and brought out the life heart he kept near his chest.
The life heart glowed dazzlingly like a pearl on Zhu Honggong's palm. Then, he handed the life heart to Lu Li as he said, "Senior, why don't you do it?"
Lu Li coughed again and shook his head.
Zhu Honggong smiled in embarrassment. He had forgotten that Lu Li had burned his sea of Qi. If Lu Li were not treated in time, Lu Li would be crippled in the future.
Lu Li gestured with his hands as he said, "Put the life heart on the beast's back, and draw out its energy."
"Okay."
Zhu Honggong followed Lu Li's instructions and put the life heart Dangkang's back. Subsequently, he extended his arm before vitality energy began to surge out.
Dang Kang seemed to instinctively know what to do as it absorbed the energy.
After roughly 15 minutes, Lu Li said, "It's enough. Since it's still young, 100 years of life is enough for it."
"100 years?!" Zhu Honggong exclaimed in surprise.
"This life heart holds 2,000 years of life," Lu Li calmly explained, "After you sprout your tenth leaf, you can use it to activate your Birth Chart and form the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar."
"Me?" Zhu Hong pointed at himself with an apprehensive expression on his face. The sea breeze was rather loud so he thought he must have misheard Lu Li's words.
On the other hand, there were no changes in Lu Li's expression as he said, "You have the aura of the Great Void. Your future is better than mine."
"The Great Void?"
"You don't seem to know anything about yourself," Lu Li said.
Zhu Hong cleared his throat and straightened his back before he said with a smile, "I didn't expect that not only do you have a cultivation base, but you're sincere as well. I like sincere and honest people like you."
Upon hearing Zhu Honggong's words, Lu Li furrowed his brows slightly. He felt rather strange when he heard those words. In the end, he did not respond to those words. Instead, seeing as Zhu Honggong knew nothing, he decided to explain. "It's said that those who have been to the Great Void might obtain the qi and energy from the Great Void. Such people are highly coveted by major sects. Those who possess qi and energy from the Great Void are said to have eight lives, at least."
Zhu Honggong said in confusion, "But… I've never been to the Great Void..."
"In any case, that's all I know about the Great Void," Lu Li said.
Zhu Honggong nodded before he said, "Actually, I've never thought about forming the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. I'll be satisfied if I can sprout nine leaves!"
"..." Lu Li felt his eyelids twitching when he heard Zhu Honggong's words.
At this moment...
Buzz!
The mark on Dang Kang's forehead lit up again.
"Senior!" Zhu Honggong pointed at Dang Kang's head.
After Dang Kang had absorbed some of the vitality energy from the life heart, its strength and speed were much better than before.
Lu Li looked at the mark and murmured, "I hope we're not too far away..."
Zhu Honggong was overjoyed. He said excitedly, "Dang Kang, speed up!"
The two people and one wild boar soon vanished into the horizon.
…
Zhu Honggong had wished they were close to their destination after the mark lit up for the second time. However, since that time, they had been flying above the Endless Ocean for almost half a month now.
…
After another six days had passed.
Early in the morning.
When the sun rose above the horizon, the coastline appeared before their eyes.
Dang Kang grunted and snorted excitedly.
Meanwhile, Zhu Honggong was stunned. He rubbed his eyes as though he could not believe what he was seeing. Then, he pointed at the coastline and said excitedly, "We're here! We're really here! Senior, we're safe!"
There were no changes in Lu Li's expression as usual.
After a brief moment, the duo finally arrived at the shore. There was no one on the beach; only a few weak birds and beasts could be seen in a forest of towering trees that could be seen in all directions.
After they landed, Zhu Honggong lay on the beach, facing the sky. Then, he began to inhale deeply.
Even a powerful black lotus expert like Lu Li who had activated five Birth Charts sat down as well. Although he was calm, a hint of mixed feelings could be seen on his face as he surveyed his surroundings.
In the end, Zhu Honggong rested for an hour before he sat up. He looked at the quiet forest warily and said, "Be careful, senior, The red lotus domain is fraught with dangers. We should find my master as soon as possible. Moreover, he's a skilled healer. He might be able to heal your sea of Qi."
Lu Li did not respond to Zhu Honggong's words. Instead, he rose to his feet and patted the sand off his robes.
Zhu Honggong asked curiously, "What the hell is this place?"
Lu Li faced the direction where the sea breeze was blowing and rested his hands on his back before he asked, "What's your name?"
Zhu Honggong replied, "Zhu Honggong!"
Lu Li said, "I haven't formally introduced myself so I'll do so now. My name is Lu Li. I'm from the black lotus domain, and I'm a member of the Black Tower Council. Although I've burned my sea of Qi, I'm more than capable of teaching you. If you're willing, you can take me as your master."
Was there anyone in the world who did not want a disciple with energy from the Great Void?
Upon hearing Lu Li's words, Zhu Honggong shook his head and said, "No, I already have a master…"
Lu Li did not seem discouraged when he heard Zhu Honggong's refusal. He said, "That's not a big problem. As long as you're willing, we'll look for your master, and I'll personally explain the matter to him."
Zhu Honggong hastily waved his hands as he said, "No, no, no. The sun and the moon can be my witnesses; I'm loyal to my master!"
Lu Li frowned slightly as he asked, "I'm an expert who has activated five Birth Charts and formed the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. How am I inferior to your master?"
Zhu Honggong shook his head and said with a sigh, "Master treats me like I'm family. How can I abandon him? Senior, please don't insist on this matter…"
Lu Li, naturally, would not force Zhu Honggong, seeing as Zhu Honggong was unwilling. He only said with a sigh, "Forget it then."
In Lu Li's eyes, Zhu Honggong was like a treasure with both talent and character. It was a pity he could not get Zhu Honggong to become his disciple.
Zhu Honggong said with a smile, "Thank you for your understanding, senior."
Lu Li returned Zhu Honggong's smile as he said, "Although you can't accept me as your master, it doesn't mean I can teach you. My cultivation base is as good as destroyed so I can only rely on you now."
"Rely on me?" Zhu Honggong was startled. At this moment, his hair suddenly stood on its end.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A rustling noise rang from the forest.
Zhu Honggong said anxiously, "Oh, no! Senior, let's go!"
Dang Kang got up at this moment as well.
On the other hand, Lu Li only frowned and said, "Don't be nervous. Calm down, and deal with it."
"Senior Lu, you overestimate me. I only had six leaves before this! Even after receiving your energy and cultivation, at most, I'd have eight leaves now!" Zhu Honggong said as he dragged Lu Li away. Alas, when he turned around, he discovered it was too late.
More than a dozen cultivators flew out into the open.
One of the cultivators hovered in the air as he looked at Zhu Honggong and Lu Li. "Gentlemen, don't you think it's rude to trespass on the Flood Sect's Howling Wind Island?"
Zhu Hong waved his hand and hastily said, "It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! We will leave immediately!" Following that, he turned and called out, "Dang Kang!"
Dang Kang snorted lazily in response as though it wanted to continue sleeping.
"Please wait a moment," the man said, "If you have no ill intentions, you can stay as a guest on the island. As long as you're a friend of the Hong Sect, the sect will definitely welcome you…"
Zhu Honggong was startled by the man's words. He hastily waved his hands again as he said, "Truly, there's no need for that!"
Only a fool would stay on the island as a guest!
The man nodded and said, "In that case, I'll see you out."
"No need. We can leave on our own," Zhu Honggong said awkwardly.
When the man saw how nervous Zhu Honggong was, he said, "I don't mean any harm. I see that your robes are in tatters. You must have been attacked by sea beasts while you were on the island. I'll escort you out…"
Zhu Honggong said with a sigh, "Senior, you have good eyesight. We've suffered a lot during our journey here."
Meanwhile, Lu Li remained silent as he observed the situation. His Dantian's sea of Qi was still; there was no movement at all.
The man nodded and said, "If both of you plan to go to Great Qing, you must head to the north island. However, the sea there is extremely treacherous."
Great Qing?
Zhu Honggong was confused.
At this time, another cultivator suddenly said, "Hey, my eldest brother is trying to help you! Why aren't you thanking him? You're lucky that my eldest brother is kind and not petty."
Zhu Honggong cupped his fists together and said, "Thank you, senior. I really didn't intentionally trespass."
"It's a small matter," the man said before he turned around to say to his comrades, "All of you, return. I'll be back in a while."
"Farewell, Eldest Senior Brother."
Meanwhile, Zhu Honggong thought he was rather lucky to have met another kind person.
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The man took the lead and flew up into the air.
Zhu Honggong called out to Dang Kang, and he and Lu Li leaped onto Dang Kang's back.
At this moment, Lu Li patted Zhu Honggong's shoulder and said, "Act according to the situation."
"Alright."
Zhu Honggong and Lu Li rode on Dang Kang's back as they followed the man, flying to the north coast.
Zhu Honggong observed the man in front of him. The man had an extraordinary bearing and did not seem to harbor any ill intentions. Nevertheless, he was still wary so he did not follow the man too closely. Moreover, he could not sense the man's cultivation base; this meant that the man was incredibly powerful.
At this time, the man said as he flew, "My name's Xu Wanqing. I'm the eldest disciple in the Flood Sect. I don't think I've seen both of you in the area before."
"My name's Zhu Honggong." Zhu Honggong's reply was simple without any unnecessary words.
Lu Li replied, "Lu Li."
Xu Wanqing looked at the duo and asked, "Both of you aren't from around here, right?"
"Senior Lu and I flew a long way here..." Zhu Honggong answered noncommittally.
Xu Wanqing nodded before he asked nonchalantly, "Have both of you heard of my name before?"
Zhu Honggong shook his head honestly.
'What a waste…' Xu Wanqing thought to himself as his eyes landed briefly on Dang Kang. Since the stranger before him owned a mount, the stranger should have an extraordinary background. In any case, he decided to find out the purpose of their visit first. If they truly did unintentionally trespass on the island, then he would let this matter go. Then, he asked again, "Where did both of you come from?"
"A very distant place. I don't think you've heard of it," Zhu Honggong replied truthfully.
Xu Wanqing smiled as he said, "My friends, things don't look like they went well for you."
At this moment, Lu Li suddenly began to cough violently. He was about to say something when he inhaled the sea breeze, causing him to cough. All of a sudden, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Xu Wanqing exclaimed in shock, "He's seriously injured!"
At this moment, Zhu Honggong grabbed Lu Li's arm and tightened his grip. If things went south, he would flee with Lu Li immediately. At the same time, he looked at Xu Wanqing warily.
Xu Wanqing said, "It's not suitable for him to travel in this state. If you don't mind, you can stay in the Flood Sect."
Lu Li endured the pain in his abdomen and said, "It's just a minor injury."
At this moment, Xu Wanqing was convinced the two people in front of him really did unwittingly stumble onto the Howling Wind Island. If they were spies, they would not bring an injured person along nor would they own a mount. Spies were not treated so well where they would be given a mount, after all. After a moment, he said, "The north island is just up ahead. After we fly past this area, it'll be safe."
"Thank you."
The trio continued flying in silence.
When they finally arrived in the sky above the seawater between two islands, Xu Wanqing lowered his head to have a look.
At the same time, Dang Kang began to grunt and growl.
A black shadow could be seen moving under the surface of the sea.
Xu Wanqing frowned. "It seems like we're unlucky. Hurry up and hide!"
Splash!
A flounder that resembled a palm-leaf fan leaped out of the sea toward the trio at this moment.
Xu Wanqing tapped his toes in the air, sending a surge of energy down immediately.
Bang!
Then, Xu Wanqing rose higher into the air. When he turned to look at Zhu Honggong and Lu Li, he exclaimed in surprise, "Why aren't both of you dodging the sea beast?'
Zhu Honggong scratched his head. "There's... There's no need to dodge it, right?"
Xu Wanqing frowned, but he only said, "Be careful."
The flounder broke the surface of the sea again. This time, its target seemed to be Dang Kang's underbelly.
Zhu Honggong frowned as he cursed, "D*mn it! Dodge!" He quickly clamped his legs on Dang Kang's flanks, urging it to fly.
Dang Kang did not need a reminder and flew away swiftly.
After missing its target, the flounder-like sea beast fell back into the sea and swam toward the horizon.
Upon seeing this, Xu Wanqing heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Kid, you really know how to dodge... Hurry up, let's leave!"
Alas, at this moment, four or five flounder-like sea beasts suddenly leaped out of the sea, making a perfect arc in the air, before they dove back into the sea with a splash.
When Xu Wanqing looked behind him, he saw another three or four flounders. His expression turned solemn as he said, "We're really unlucky…"
Upon seeing the solemn expression on Xu Wanqing's face, Zhu Honggong grew nervous. "Senior Xu, what should we do?"
"We can only try to rush to the north island... I'll lead the way," Xu Wanqing said before he leaped up in the air.
Buzz!
An avatar appeared in the air.
As soon as the avatar appeared, Zhu Honggong's eyes widened in shock.
The avatar… the avatar had a yellow lotus! It was a yellow lotus avatar!
"How... is this possible?" Zhu Honggong was still in shock.
Lu Li was surprised as well. "I didn't expect... the mark to lead us to the yellow lotus domain."
Meanwhile, Xu Wanqing's avatar repelled two of the flounder-like sea beasts.
When Xu Wanqing turned around and saw the expression on Zhu Honggong's face, he said with a hint of pride, "That's right. I'm the number one prodigy of the Flood Sect. In less than two years, I'll be able to sprout the sixth leaf!"
"..."
Zhu Honggong still had not recovered from his shock. 'A yellow lotus avatar? Where the hell is this place? Can someone tell me what's going on?'
After Xu Wanqing drove the two flounders away, he flew forward again. Then, he turned around and said, "Don't just stand there. Follow me!"
"Oh!" Zhu Honggong directed Dang Kang to follow Xu Wanqing. Then, he said loudly, "Senior Xu, there's no need for you to hide. We really don't have any ill intentions."
"Hide?" Xu Wanqing was confused. He did not what Zhu Honggong meant.
Xu Wanqing who was briefly distracted suddenly cried out, "Oh, no!"
A bigger, and clearly more powerful, flounder-like sea beast had appeared below them. It was roughly eight to nine feet long, and it was about three to four feet wide. Its entire body was glowing with a dim light at this moment.
Bang!
The flounder bit down on the yellow lotus avatar's body with its sharp fangs, causing Xu Wanqing to spit out a large mouthful of blood.
Frightened, Xu Wanqing hurriedly retreated. "How can a giant sea beast appear in this place?!"
Zhu Honggong was confused. He did not understand why Xu Wanqing was still hiding his cultivation base.
As though he could read Zhu Honggong's mind, Lu Li whispered to him, 'He's not hiding his cultivation base. He really only has five leaves."
"F-five… Five leaves?" Zhu Honggong said in disbelief, "No, don't fall for his trick. We can't trust him."
Lu Li said, "There's no mistake… He only has five leaves..."
"..."
Splash!
At this moment, an even bigger flounder that was about 30 feet long leaped up and attacked Zhu Honggong.
Xu Wanqing placed a hand on his chest as he said with a sigh, "I'm sorry! I've already done my best. Do take care." With that, he turned around and prepared to flee.
Zhu Honggong dismounted from Dang Kang and patted its back.
After Dang Kang flew to the side with Lu Li on its back, Zhu Honggong manifested his avatar.
Buzz!
A 120-foot avatar appeared in front of Zhu Honggong immediately.
Xu Wanqing who was about to leave stopped in his tracks and turned to look when he heard the sound of energy resonance. His eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets when he saw the scene before his eyes. "What?!"
Xu Wanqing wondered if he was hallucinating or dreaming. He did not hold back his strength as he pinched himself. The scene before his eyes stung his nerves and overturned everything he knew!
At this time, the 120-foot avatar wielded an energy sword with two hands and brought it down on the monstrous flounder.
Swoosh!
The energy sword landed on the flounder's head.
Following that, Zhu Honggong brought his Tearstain Boxing Glove out.
Bang!
Zhu Honggong punched the monstrous flounder's head, splitting its head open.
In Lu Li's eyes, this kind of fight was no different from chickens pecking at each other. Therefore, he was indifferent and calm, not feeling any sense of crisis at all.
After a moment, Lu Li was almost 100% certain that this place was… even weaker than the golden lotus domain. Perhaps, this was their fate. Perhaps, this was part of Zhu Honggong's destiny.
Zhu Honggong punched the sea beast again. This time, he completely destroyed its head.
Soon enough, a crystal-clear life heart shot out of the flounder-like sea beast, and Zhu Honggong caught it in his hand. Although it was nowhere near the league of the life heart of the king of the sea beasts, as the saying went, 'Something is better than nothing.'
Xu Wanqing who was watching in the distance. "..."
Zhu Honggong withdrew his 120-foot avatar before he flashed back onto Dang Kang's back and continued flying forward.
Xu Wanqing was frozen with a dumbfounded expression on his face. His body was stiff, only his fingers were trembling.
After Zhu Honggong put his boxing gloves away, he called out, "Senior Xu?"
Still in a daze, Xu Wanqing did not respond. It was as though he did not hear Zhu Honggong.
Zhu Honggong waved his hand and called out again, "Hey, Senior Xu?"
With this, Xu Wanqing jolted and returned to his senses. He endured the pain as he bowed and said, "S-senior? No, no, I daren't accept this form of address."
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Xu Wanqing tried his best to maintain his flight so he would not plunge into the sea. At this moment, a storm was raging in his heart.
Before Zhu Honggong could speak, Lu Li said, "I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to answer honestly."
"I… y-yes, yes..." Xu Wanqing said somewhat incoherently.
Lu Li asked, "Who has the highest cultivation base in your Flood Sect?"
Xu Wanqing said, "It's... It's my teacher, Tao Jing... He's in the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm. H-he… he's at the p-peak of the Six-leaf stage..."
Lu Li asked, "How can a mere Six-leaf cultivator be the strongest?"
Xu Wanqing's expression was one of confusion. "S-senior, isn't… isn't six leaves the highest number of leaves?"
Lu Li said curtly, "Ignorant."
Xu Wanqing's face flushed red, but he could not and dare not refute Lu Li's words. He had seen Zhu Honggong's display of strength earlier; how could he ask such a stupid question? He had seen with his own eyes that Zhu Honggong had almost nine leaves!
At this moment, Zhu Honggong did not find the situation comedic at all. This is because he saw a shadow of the people from the golden lotus domain in Xu Wanqing at this moment. He sighed, thinking that being weak was the original sin.
Lu Li continued to ask, "Which force is the strongest in this world?"
Xu Wanqing stammered, "G-great… G-great Qing."
Lu Li asked, "Great Qing?"
Xu Wanqing said, "Great Qing's royal court has many six-leaf experts capable of unifying the lands. Every year, they would recruit prodigies from various forces and sects. It's said that Great Qing's royal court has more than 10 Six-leaf experts. 10!"
Zhu Honggong and Lu Li. "..."
Zhu Honggong wore an unnatural expression on his face. This was reminiscent of the time when the people from the golden lotus domain bragged about the many Eight-leaf experts in Great Yan.
Lu Li asked, "Up until now, there's no Seven-leaf cultivator at all?"
Xu Wanqing shook his head quickly before he asked in confusion, "No. It's just... I don't understand. Seniors... How? 120 feet? Why isn't there a lotus? A-and why's the color darker?"
Upon hearing Xu Wanqing's question, Zhu Honggong suddenly remembered that gold and yellow were rather similar. It was understandable that Xu Wanqing mistook his golden avatar for a yellow one. Moreover, Xu Wanqing was probably too shocked by the seven leaves to notice the difference.
Lu Li said, "Take us to your sect master."
Xu Wanqing was shocked. "Seniors, aren't you going to Great Qing?"
Lu Li said, "We've never said we're going to Great Qing. Let's go to Howling Wind Island first."
Xu Wanqing was confused.
Zhu Honggong was similarly confused. He could not figure out what Lu Li was planning.
Xu Wanqing, naturally, did not dare to be presumptuous. He could only
Xu Wanqing didn't dare to be presumptuous. He could only turn around and fly to Howling Wind Island.
Zhu Hongchang asked Lu Lin in a hushed tone, "What are you trying to do, senior?"
Lu Li said, "The limit in the yellow lotus domain is six leaves. You've sprouted more than six leaves; this means you're not restricted by the limit here. If we gather all the resources in the yellow lotus domain, I should be able to help you form your Thousand Realms Whirling avatar."
Zhu Honggong was in shock. "The resources from… from the entire yellow lotus domain?"
"Have some confidence," Lu Li said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to commit a massacre. There are darker things out there that you can't even imagine. The yellow lotus domain is weak so it didn't attract the attention of the beasts or experts from other worlds. This is an opportunity for you…"
"..."
Opportunity?
Suddenly, Zhu Hong felt that he did not have enough brain cells. He asked again, "Then, what should we do?"
Lu Li said, "We'll become their religion."
…
The Howling Wind Island in the yellow lotus domain.
As soon as Xu Wanqing landed on the island, a few cultivators rushed up to him.
"Eldest Senior Brother is back!"
"Eldest Senior Brother, are those two spies? Did you give them a good beating? Teach them a lesson so they know not to carelessly provoke our Flood Sect!"
Xu Wanqing quickly raised his finger and loudly shushed them.
"Eldest Senior Brother, what's wrong?"
In just a blink of an eye, a crowd had already gathered in front of Xu Wanqing. All of them were looking at him in confusion. Apart from when he was with the sect master, he had never been so flustered and afraid as he was today.
Xu Wanqing could not figure it out. The two experts clearly intended to leave. Why did they suddenly change their minds and decide to return to the island? He also could not comprehend why they pretended to be weak? Was that a form of bullying? Or, perhaps, they liked pretending to be weak?
After a beat, Xu Wanqing chided his comrades, "Without my order, no one's allowed to make a move!"
At this moment, Zhu Honggong and Lu Li descended from the sky.
The disciples were about to speak again when Xu Wanqing turned around and glared at them. They shut their mouths immediately and no longer dared to speak.
Xu Wanqing bowed and said, "Seniors."
Lu Li said, "Lead the way."
Zhu Honggong and Lu Li followed Xu Wanqing toward the center of the island. In the beginning, they passed through the dense forest. Then, they had to cross a rugged mountain road before they finally saw a settlement. They could see disciples guarding the entrance of the settlement as well!
"Eldest Senior Brother!"
"Open the gates!"
"Yes."
Two disciples opened the gates immediately.
Zhu Hong Gong felt the place was like a mountain stronghold. He had to admit it looked better than his Tigerridge Gang's mountain stronghold.
Zhu Honggong and Lu Li followed Xu Wanqing into the settlement. As soon as they entered, many disciples gathered around them. There were hundreds of them! All of them stopped what they were doing and rushed over immediately.
"Eldest Senior Brother is back!"
"Who are these two people?"
"There's a wild boar as well!"
Xu Wanqing said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense. These two are distinguished guests from afar. Don't be rude."
Fortunately, it was Xu Wanqing whom Zhu Honggong and Lu Li met. Otherwise, the people of the Flood Sect would have gotten into trouble today.
As the Eldest Senior Brother, the disciples naturally did not dare to disobey Xu Wanqing. All of them turned to Zhu Honggong and Lu Li before they bowed.
Although Lu Li's sea of Qi had been destroyed, his views did not change. In his eyes, these people were even more insignificant than ants. Therefore, he remained indifferent and did not pay attention to them.
Xu Wanqing asked, "Where's the sect master?"
"The sect master is resting. He said it was time for his nap and that no one's allowed to disturb him," a disciple replied.
"Go and invite the sect master here!"
"Huh?"
"Did you not understand what I said?" Xu Wanqing said in a low voice.
"B-but… the sect master said..."
Xu Wanqing pushed the disciple away.
At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe appeared on top of a tall building in the center of the settlement. He asked in a displeased tone, "Xu Wanqing, what's wrong? Why are you making a racket?"
Xu Wanqing hurriedly said, stumbling over his words, "M-master! M-master, these… t-these two are distinguished guests from..."
"Distinguished guests?"
The middle-aged man standing at the top of the tall building was none other than Tao Jing, the Sect Master of the Flood Sect. He asked in a tone that was a mixture of confusion and ire, "Who allowed you to bring strangers onto the island?"
Lu Li looked at the middle-aged man indifferently. Then, he turned to Zhu Honggong and said, "Manifest your avatar."
"Alright."
Zhu Honggong widened his stance and turned his feet out like the letter 'V'.
Buzz!
A 120-foot lotus-less golden avatar shot up into the sky.
The hundreds of disciples watched with their mouths agape. Their mouths were so wide open that they could fit a foot in it.
Meanwhile, Tao Jing was about to continue rebuking Xu Wanqing when he saw the avatar that suddenly shot up into the air. It hovered slightly above him and looked down at him.
The entire Flood Sect was as silent as a graveyard.
Lu Li did not like scheming nor did he like to pretend to be a wolf dressed in sheep's skin. His approach was simple and direct: manifest the avatar to quickly subdue the opponent! Needless to say, his approach was effective.
When had any of them seen such a tall avatar? Based on their knowledge and years of cultivating, six leaves were the limit, and the tallest avatar was 70 feet tall. There was no doubt the appearance of the 120-foot avatar had shattered their worldviews.
Indeed. Schemes and tricks were useless when faced with absolute strength.
Lu Li broke the silence first. "I have three things to say to you. First, we came here with no ill intentions, and we don't wish to kill anyone." Then, he pointed at Zhu Honggong before he continued to say, "Second, Zhu Honggong will now take over the position of the Sect Master of the Flood Sect. Please think things through before you voice your objections. Third, Zhu Honggong will support the Flood Sect and raise its status to the strongest sect in Great Qing. After five years, both of us will leave."
Lu Li paused for a moment before he said in a menacing tone, "Our time is precious. You have ten breaths to make up your minds."
Until today, the people of the Flood Sect had never felt that the wind on Howling Wind Island was so biting and cold like a knife as it blew against their faces. There was no wound to be seen but it stung before it gradually faded to numbness.
Smart people could always figure out advantages and disadvantages and weigh the pros and cons in the shortest time possible.
How could Tao Jing, a sect master, be a fool? In just a second, he made a few snap judgments.
First, these two experts were way beyond what he could comprehend. The duo had no interest in killing anyone here because it was too easy, and the duo was too lazy, to kill them.
Second, the duo was telling the truth. After all, with such profound strength, was there a need for them to lie?
Third, there were clear benefits for them if they submitted themselves to the duo. Regardless of why there were such experts or how they obtained such strength, there was no doubt they were capable of making the Flood Sect the greatest sect in Great Qing!
After ten breaths, Tao Jing suppressed his shock and fear before he unhesitatingly jumped off the building. He kneeled on one knee and placed his right hand on the ground as he said, "I'm willing to give up the position of sect master. Greetings, Sect Master!"
All of the disciples in the surroundings followed suit and fell to their knees immediately.
"Greetings, Sect Master."
However, there would always be dissension when there was a large group of people. It was impossible to make everyone submit and obey in such a short time. There was nothing absolute in the world, after all.
Two people glared at Zhu Honggong and Lu Li as they charged over.
"It must be fake! Don't be fooled by him!"
Tao Jing barked, "Stand down!"
At the same time, Xu Wanqing cried out, "No!"
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Lu Li shook his head.
No matter how stupid Zhu Honggong might be, he was not going to stand still if someone attacked him. In just an instant, he released his energy.
Bang! Bang!
The two people were sent flying back, spitting out blood in the air.
Zhu Honggong did not kill the two people from the Flood Sect. It was good enough to kill their hopes. Moreover, these two were only a Three-leaf cultivator and a Four-leaf cultivator. Even if they were considered experts in the Flood Sect, in his eyes, they were so weak that they were not even worth mentioning.
…
Literary Star Hall in the red lotus domain.
"Ding! Worshiped by 210 people. Reward: 210 merit points."
"Ding! Worshiped by 350 people. Reward: 0 merit points."
Red Lotus World, inside the Wen Xing Palace.
Lu Zhou opened his eyes as soon as he heard the system notifications.
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Lu Zhou was puzzled when he received the system notifications. Although this was not the first time he had been worshipped, the world is vast, and it was understandable that there were people who did not sincerely worship him.
These worshippers should not have come from the golden lotus domain. The Evil Sky Pavilion was far more revered in the golden lotus domain than in the red lotus domain. He had been worshipped so many times that he could no longer get merit points out of them, and his worshippers there were likely to be sincere.
So where did all these worshippers come from?
If it was not the golden lotus domain, then, could it be the red lotus domain?
Lu Zhou looked outside and wondered which of his disciples was causing trouble again.
Yu Shangrong and Yu Zhenghai did not have the leisure to do such a thing.
Conch was still in closed-door cultivation. During this time, she had been studying the Pilgrim Song and did not leave the room.
Lu Zhou thought to himself, 'The culprit should be either Old Fourth or Old Seventh…'
With this thought in mind, Lu Zhou sent someone to summon Mingshi Yin over to ask him what he had done.
After Mingshi Yin arrived, he was confused when he heard his master's question. He said innocently, "Master, I haven't done anything during this time. I've been cultivating most of the time. I realized how weak I am since I arrived in the red lotus domain!"
Lu Zhou asked, "What about the others?"
"Third Senior Brother is practicing with his spear; Seventh Junior Brother is teaching Li Yunzheng and also studying some things on his own," Mingshi Yin replied. After a brief pause, he continued to say, "Li Yunzheng has been miserable lately. His face is sallow and sunken; there are dark circles around his eyes; his hair is messy. He doesn't look like an emperor at all."
Lu Zhou asked, slightly puzzled, "Li Yunzheng is quite well-read. Why is he in such a miserable state?"
"I don't know about that. I went to have a look yesterday. Old Seventh said that master's method is the most effective, and it's capable of putting him in his place and making him obedient," Mingshi Yin replied.
"My method?" Lu Zhou was further confused. He was not particularly outstanding in regard to educating a student. He had handed Li Yunzheng to Si Wuya not only because he trusted and valued Si Wuya's ability, but it was also because he did not have the energy or a good plan to educate Li Yunzheng.
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded. 'It seems like Old Seventh really didn't let me down…'
Following that, Lu Zhou continued to ask about his other disciples. He learned that over the past few days, apart from resting due to the long journey, they only discussed the red lotus domain and cultivated. Moreover, since they were not familiar with the red lotus domain, there were not many places they could go or things they could do.
Finally, Lu Zhou dismissed Mingshi Yin. "You may leave."
"Understood."
"By the way, tell Old Seventh to study more about Birth Chart Beasts," Lu Zhou added.
"Understood," Mingshi Yin said before leaving the Literary Star Hall.
In the past, the problem that stood in the way of the cultivators in the golden lotus domain was the limit of eight leaves. No one could sprout the ninth leaf because the process of sprouting the ninth leaf would consume 1,200 years of a person's life. If there were no Eight-leaf cultivators who managed to break the limit of eight leaves, it would become a vicious cycle that could not be broken. However, for example, if a Nine-leaf cultivator or someone stronger appeared, they could easily obtain life hearts to help Eight-leaf cultivators sprout the ninth leaf, in turn, breaking the vicious cycle.
The point was, if the vicious cycles everywhere kept getting broken, it would not be long before the entire human race would advance together as a whole.
The problem that stood in the way of the cultivators in the red lotus domain was the Birth Chart Beasts. To solve the problem, the Sky Martial Court had already come up with means to deal with the Birth Chart Beasts. The current problem was Birth Chart Beasts were incredibly rare and difficult to find.
Compared to the golden lotus realm, the red lotus domain's problem was more troublesome.
Lu Zhou also had another question; why did he attract the Birth Chart Beast when he was sprouting the tenth leaf when no one else did?
After a moment, Lu Zhou shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. He would solve these problems in the future. At the very least, the Sky Wheel Rift Valley had given him a breakthrough.
In the end, Lu Zhou's mind returned to the earlier matter; from whom did he get those worshippers?
Zhao Yue?
Ye Tianxin?
Or, perhaps, Zhu Honggong?
At the thought of his eighth disciple, Lu Zhou could not help but feel slightly worried. He would look in on Zhu Honggong every two days. The last time he had checked in, Zhu Honggong was still flying. He did not know if Zhu Honggong had flown out of the Endless Ocean yet.
Lu Zhou silently recited the mantra for the Heavenly Writing Power and closed his eyes.
After his eyes glowed with a blue light, he saw Zhu Honggong… and a group of people kneeling around him.
Zhu Honggong stood in the center while Lu Li stood next to him.
Lu Zhou was both surprised and relieved that his eighth disciple had arrived on land. No matter what, it was definitely a good thing that his eighth disciple had escaped from the Endless Ocean.
Needless to say, after seeing the group of people kneeling around Zhu Honggong, Lu Zhou knew he had found the source of his recent merit points. It was a pity that more than half of these people were not sincere and harbored ulterior motives.
Lu Zhou continued to watch Zhu Honggong...
Zhu Hong looked at the two seriously injured cultivators and said, "This is a lesson for you. You better think carefully about Senior Lu's words carefully."
Lu Li added, "You should feel lucky that Zhu Honggong chose all of you. With his cultivation base, it's easy for him to destroy your Flood Sect. Even Great Qing's royal court is nothing to him."
Everyone did not dare to lift their heads.
On the other hand, Tao Jing's heart moved when he saw Zhu Honggong injuring two experts from the Flood Sect with just a raise of his hand. Even his eldest disciple, Xu Wanqing, had been subdued. Such a person could be an overlord wherever he went. It was clear to him that this was not some illusory trick.
Soon after, hundreds of people flew over from afar and landed one after another.
Tao Jing did not want them to make a futile struggle so he quickly said in a stern voice, "Why aren't all of you greeting the new sect master?"
Despite the confused expressions on their faces, the hundreds of newcomers kneeled immediately.
"Greetings, Sect Master… Sect Master?!"
"Ding! Worshiped by 30 people. Reward: 30 merit points."
"Ding! Worshiped by 250 people. Reward: 0 merit points."
Lu Zhou was very confused when he received the system notifications again. Why was his eighth disciple using his strength to pressure others? Moreover, why were there so many people who did not sincerely submit to him?
He channeled his extraordinary energy to maintain the Heavenly Writing Power and looked at Lu Li. In fact, he was rather surprised earlier when he saw Lu Li was still alive.
At this moment, Lu Li said, "Tao Jing, from now on, you'll be the first elder of the Flood Sect. When both of us leave, the position of sect master will be returned to you. Are you willing?"
Tao Jing suppressed the shock and confusion in his heart after having his worldview shattered. Then, he lowered his head and said, "I'm willing. Tank and the confusion after his understanding was broken. He lowered his head and said, "I'm willing. Thank you!"
"Good." Lu Li nodded. Then, he turned to look at Xu Wanqing and asked, "Xu Wanqing, are you willing to become the second elder of the Flood Sect?"
Xu Wanqing had witnessed Zhu Honggong killing the monstrous flounder earlier so he did not doubt Zhu Honggong's strength. He said without hesitating, "I'm willing!"
Even their former sect master, Tao Jing, and their eldest senior brother, Xu Wanqing, had submitted to the two newcomers. How could they not follow suit?
At this moment, Zhu Honggong pulled Lu Li to the side. Then, he waved his hand and erected an energy barrier around himself and Lu Li to prevent others from eavesdropping on their conversation.
…
At this point, Lu Zhou had to use more of his extraordinary power so he could listen in on Zhu Honggong and Lu Li's conversation in the barrier.
The consumption rate of the Heavenly Writing Power was rather fast even if it was slower compared to before. Almost half of his extraordinary power had been depleted so far. Apart from that, his skill was still not high enough where he could do as he pleased.
He shook his head and focused his attention on Zhu Honggong and Lu Li.
Zhu Honggong said, "Senior Lu, we can't do things this way. it's clear that they're unwilling and disgruntled! My master used to do things this way in the past. Over time, the resentment grew, and my fellow disciples rebelled, betrayed my master, and renounced the sect!"
Lu Li smiled and said, "This is the quickest way to get results in a short time. It doesn't matter if they're willing or not, we'll deal with the problem later. First, we have to put on a show of strength to intimidate them. Following that, we'll show kindness and grace by bestowing them with prestige and power. With this, sooner or later, they will all submit to us."
After a brief pause, Lu Li continued to say, "What your master did has nothing to do with me. Since your master is like that, all the more reason for you to accept me as your master instead!"
"No, no, no… My master used to have a bad temper, but he has gotten better over the years. No matter what, I can't disappoint or abandon my master," Zhu Honggong hurriedly said.
…
Upon seeing this, Lu Zhou thought to himself, 'At least, he still has some conscience…'
Then, he looked around Zhu Honggong's surroundings.
'Where's this place? What's Lu Li trying to do?'
He observed for a little longer. When he could see anything of importance, he finally stopped the Heavenly Writing Power. Moreover, it was best his conserve one-third of his extraordinary power for a rainy day.
…
The Flood Sect on Howling Wind Island in the yellow lotus domain.
Lu Li asked, "Do you want to enter the Thousand Realms Whirling before we leave this place?"
"Of course."
"Then, do as I say, and do it well. This is your chance. If you miss it, it won't come by again," Lu Li said.
"This is my chance? Why don't I feel that way?"
"The yellow lotus domain is weak. Fierce beasts and Birth Chart Beasts aren't attracted to this place. Therefore, this is a good cultivation place for you. Moreover, you don't have to worry about obtaining a life heart since you have the life heart of the king of the sea beasts. Most importantly, I will think of a way to utilize the resources here to activate the Great Void energy in your body," Lu Li said.
Zhu Honggong had mixed feelings as he looked at Lu Li. He asked, "Why are you helping me?"
Zhu Honggong recalled that his fourth senior brother had once told him that there was no such thing as free lunch in the world.
Lu Li looked at Zhu Honggong and solemnly said, "You returned for me and risked your life to save me. Don't worry. If I wanted something from you, why would I risk my life to save you? You would've died in the Endless Ocean if that was the case."
Zhu Honggong scratched his head, feeling embarrassed for doubting Lu Li's sincerity. After a moment, he dispelled the energy barrier. Following that, he turned around and faced the crowd.
With the image of his master in his mind, Zhu Honggong cleared his throat and walked forward with his hands on his back. Then, he said, "Rise to your feet and speak.'
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
The crowd rose to their feet after thanking Zhu Honggong.
"I know you're only surrendering out of fear. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Time will tell." After saying this, he said in a dismissive tone, "I'm tired."
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Lu Li was confused when he saw the abrupt change in Zhu Honggong's disposition.
Zhu Honggong transmitted his voice to Lu Li at this moment, "Senior, don't underestimate me. In the past, I was a leader of a gang of more than 100,000 members. I even helped Eldest Senior Brother to take down the Divine Capital in the past. If it weren't because my interest lies in cultivating, I could've easily gotten a post in the Divine Capital."
Lu Li nodded and said, "It's good you decided to focus on cultivating…"
Meanwhile, Tao Jing, the new first elder of the Flood Sect, straightened his back and ordered his disciples to tidy up the best residence on Howling Wind Island for Zhu Honggong and Lu Li.
The duo did not stand on ceremony either and stayed in the center of the island.
…
In the evening.
Lu Li and Zhu Honggong gathered the core disciples from the Flood Sect on Howling Wind Island to discuss their next move.
The difference between their strength and ideas led to visions that were as different as heaven and earth.
"I summoned all of you here because I have a few simple missions for you. If you complete your missions well, it'll take less than five years to make the Flood Sect the number one sect in Great Qing. It might take three years, maybe two years, and who knows, maybe even one month?" Lu Li said with a straight face.
"..."
Tao Jing bowed and took the initiative to say, "Senior, Great Qing is vast, and there are many sects. To become the number one sect, we… we would need some time. However, please feel free to tell me what I can do for you..."
As long as they cooperated, Lu Li would not make things difficult for them. He said, "First, list down all the forces in Great Qing. Second, list all the top cultivators in Great Qing whom you know of. Third, recruit more experts by promising to pay them handsomely."
Tao Jing nodded. "No problem."
Xu Wanqing asked in confusion, "Senior, are you planning to defeat them one by one?"
Everyone had seen Zhu Honggong's cultivation earlier. They had no doubt he would be able to defeat all the experts in the world. However, the world was vast, would it not be slow if they challenged the forces and experts one by one? Apart from that, cultivators who did not see Zhu Honggong's 120-foot avatar with their own eyes, naturally, would doubt his strength.
Lu Li shook his head and said, "In Great Qing, which forces are trying to attempt the Seven-leaf stage? Spread the news that the Hong Sect on Howling Wind Island has found a way to do that…"
Upon hearing this, Tao Jing bowed immediately as he said, "Senior, you're wise."
Subsequently, Lu Li dismissed everyone. "All of you can leave."
Tao Jing and the others left immediately.
Once everyone had left, Zhu Honggong said, "I'm a little weak for this…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Although I have close to nine leaves, what if there's a hidden master here? What if he's unreasonable like my master and can kill with just a slap?" Zhu Honggong made a slapping motion with his hand.
Lu Li looked at Zhu Honggong with a complicated expression on his face. He could no longer count the number of times Zhu Honggong had mentioned his master. He asked, "How many leaves does your master have?"
Zhu Hong touched his chin. He recalled his master's demonstration in the Evil Sky Pavilion and said, "Nine leaves. He's a karmic fire user as well."
Lu Li shook his head. "When I meet your master, he'll realize the huge chasm between us. Naturally, at that time, you'll understand as well."
…
Two days later.
Lu Zhou did not check in on Zhu Honggong after he replenished his extraordinary power. With Lu Li by Zhu Honggong's side, Zhu Honggong should be safe. At the very least, Zhu Honggong was currently much safer than when he was flying above the Endless Ocean.
"The first Birth Chart has already stabilized. I should get started on the second one..." Lu Zhou muttered to himself as he brought out the life heart of the ferocious beast and put it in front of him.
"Birth Chart Heart. Ability: Fire resistance, Assault."
Following that, he brought out the piece of cloth Lu Li had given him that contained the layout of the 36 Birth Charts.
The 36 Birth Charts were divided into three grades: heaven, earth, and human. Each category had 12 Birth Charts.
"This Birth Chart is human grade..."
According to the ancient books, one could only activate human-grade Birth Charts first. If one activated the wrong Birth Chart, there was a possibility of damaging one's Birth Palace. Without the piece of cloth to consult, was there anyone bold enough to try and activate their Birth Charts?
There were names, explanations, and directions on the cloth. To put it bluntly, the cloth's role was to help one locate the correct position in the Birth Palace.
If the life heart was placed in the wrong position in the Birth Palace, the effect would naturally be greatly reduced.
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and wondered out loud, "Why is there a limit on the number of Birth Charts each person can activate?"
Theoretically speaking, as long as there were enough Birth Chart Hearts, one should be able to activate all of the Birth Charts.
However, even Lu Li could only activate five Birth Charts.
Would it be difficult to activate a higher number of Birth Charts than that?
"Does it have something to do with the size of the lotus seat and the Birth Palace?"
Lu Zhou waved his sleeve and manifested the miniature version of the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. Then, he increased its size until it was the size of an adult.
Following that, he picked up the life heart of the ferocious beast and looked at the positions of the Birth Chart on the cloth.
He muttered to himself, "This life heart that has offensive and killing attributes is compatible with the Seven Killing Techniques."
Now that Lu Zhou had decided on activating this Birth Chart, he looked at the Birth Palace on the lotus seat again before he finally placed the ferocious beast's life heart in the compatible position.
Swoosh!
As soon as the ferocious beast's life heart touched the Birth Palace, a wave of fierce killing intent surged out immediately.
Soon enough, the energy from the life heart surged out. Subsequently, a distinct Birth Zone appeared.
"As expected of an offensive-type Birth Chart Heart."
After a moment, the Birth Palace seemed to expand like the sea encroaching on the beach during high tide.
"Huh?" Realization dawned on Lu Zhou at this moment. "So the surface area of the Birth Palace determines the number of Birth Charts one can activate?"
He looked at the surface area of his Birth Palace. Based on his calculations, it seemed like he should be able to activate more than eight Birth Charts. However, after activating the second Birth Chart, the Birth Palace looked like it could accommodate roughly nine Birth Charts.
"Does this mean that I have a chance to expand the Birth Palace every time I activate a Birth Chart?"
At the same time, when vitality energy entered the life heart, the lotus seat would expand as well to accommodate the Birth Palace. After that, the avatar would gain 50 feet in height.
Lu Zhou nodded in satisfaction now that some of his questions were answered. 'As it turns out, it's like this…"
As Lu Zhou looked at the spinning lotus, Lu Zhou's mind began to stray to other matters.
Now that the Sky Martial Court had been dealt with, the next order of business was Great Tang's royal court.
He wondered why Xiahou Sheng had yet to show up?
Apart from that, it was still uncertain if Great Tang's Ten Path Great Generals would listen to Li Yunzheng and the four Grand Dukes.
Fortunately, Si Wuya was already in the red lotus domain. Lu Zhou wanted to see how he would deal with the palace affairs.
Soon after, Lu Zhou's thoughts strayed again.
The black lotus domain was hidden in the shadows while the golden lotus domain and the red lotus domain were out in the open. If the golden lotus domain and the red lotus domain went to war, it would only benefit the black lotus domain.
The supreme art of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting, after all.
Time continued to fly by as Lu Zhou fell deep into his thoughts.
…
About an hour later.
The surface area of the Birth Palace seemed to have calmed down and stabilized.
Without the need to manifest his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar, he could sense that it had grown taller. To be precise, his avatar had already reached 350 feet.
It seemed like activating a Birth Chart was much less chaotic compared to sprouting leaves. It did not cause any disturbance in the world.
In the Birth Palace, two distinct areas flashed with light.
This meant that Lu Zhou was now a Thousand Realms Whirling cultivator who had activated two Birth Charts.
After a while, he looked at the system interface.
Remaining lifespan: 961,410 days
916, 410 days equaled to 2,634 years, out of which 110 years came from the Reversal Cards.
This was within his expectations. Sprouting the tenth leaf increased one's life by 1,000 years; activating a Birth Chart increased one's life by 500 years.
Now that Lu Zhou had used up two Birth Chart Hearts, he was faced with another problem. "Where do I find more Birth Chart Beasts? The Sky Wheel Rift Canyon? The Black Mystic Water Cave?"
When he recalled the lava in the valley and the dark water in the cave, he thought it was highly likely that there were Birth Chart Beasts there. As for the other known areas, there was no need for him to investigatethem. He believed that Yu Chenshu must have searched even more meticulously than he did.
Previously, he was in a rush, and his cultivation base was not high enough. Perhaps, he should explore those two places again.
With this thought in mind, Lu Zhou rose to his feet and put the Purple Glazed Ceramic away. Then, he left Literary Star Hall in just a flash.
His body was as light as a swallow as he flew past the Literary Star Gate toward the semicircular pool.
At this moment, under the evening light, a melodious tune played in the air. The surroundings of the semicircular pool were peaceful and tranquil.
Lu Zhou was about to leave when the tune sped up; it was as though the person playing the instrument was impatient or angry. The longer it continued, the more erratic the tune became. It sounded like thousands of horses stampeding across a plain or the raging waves of the sea.
Splash!
The water from the pool splashed out suddenly, startling the Sky Martial Court female disciples in the surroundings. They were frightened out of their wits.
"Miss Tenth, please calm down!"The female disciples were scared out of their wits.
"I'm fine." The person who replied to these female disciples was none other than Lu Zhou's youngest disciple, Conch.
During this time, Conch had been practicing the Pilgrim Song. However, no matter how much she practiced, her progress was slow. For this reason, she had been feeling frustrated.
Conch rose to her feet and raised her head to look at the setting sun.
Lit by the gradually disappearing sunlight, Conch saw an old man standing in the air with one hand resting on his back while he used his other hand to stroke his beard.
Conch turned pale in fright when she saw her master looking at her. She fell to one knee immediately and greeted her master. "Disciple greets master."
With just a flash, Lu Zhou appeared in front of Conch. Then, he looked at the Nine String Zither and the Pilgrim Song's music score on the table.
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Lu Zhou sighed before he asked, "Is the song very difficult to master?"
"This song is even more difficult than what I've learned before," Conch replied timidly.
"Play it." Lu Zhou stroked his beard as he walked toward the semicircular pool and looked up at the sky.
"Understood," Conch replied softly before she sat down in front of the Nine String Zither. She raised her jade-like hands slightly; her movements gentle and elegant.
Lu Zhou was still unused to the Conch who had grown up overnight. Perhaps, the current Conch had many thoughts and ideas of her own. He felt like parents who suddenly realized their child had grown up and had many rebellious thoughts.
The sound of the zither rippled out like a tide and permeated the area around the semicircular pool.
A hint of reverence could be seen on the faces of the Sky Martial Court female disciples as they listened to the tune quietly.
Conch's slender fingers danced back and forth on the strings like the spirits of the night.
The flow of the tune was sometimes smooth like a running spring, and sometimes it was as fast as rapids leading to a waterfall. Sometimes, the tune sounded clear like pearls falling on a jade plate; other times, it sounded as soft as a whisper.
At dusk, the tune from the zither rose and fell unhurriedly.
Music was probably the only kind of art that did not need people to understand it for it to be able to reach their souls.
When the tune ended, the female disciples standing respectfully near the pool fell into a daze. They felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment and dissatisfaction. It was not enough; they wanted to continue listening to the tune.
It was silent as the evening breeze blew on the pool, creating ripples on the surface that pulled everyone back from their thoughts.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou nodded repeatedly.
Conch was taken aback by her perfect playing of the tune. In the past, even after she practiced for a long time, she had not been able to play it so perfectly. However, as soon as her master came, she actually succeeded?
Conch looked down at her jade-like fingers before she raised her head to look at the fading twilight and sighed. "Master… I..."
"Alright." Lu Zhou asked tonelessly, "You should now know where the problem lies, right?"
Conch thought about it before she replied, "Yes."
Previously, when she was learning the Pilgrim Song, she had always practiced with a sense of impatience. How could she master the Pilgrim Song with such an attitude? However, her master's arrival today managed to tamp down her impatience, and in turn, it allowed her to master the Pilgrim Song perfectly. She was gifted in music, to begin with. It was not surprising she could master the Pilgrim Song.
"Ding! Obtained 1,000 merit points for teaching Luo Shiyin. Ding, you have received 1,000 merit points for teaching Luo Shiyin. Mentor Card bonus: 200 merit points."
As it turned out, it was the effect of the Mentor Card.
Lu Zhou stroked his beard as he said, "The road of cultivation is long. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. Although you're a Ten-leaf karmic fire user and a top expert in the red lotus domain, you're still a little weak compared to Yu Chenshu."
Lu Zhou continued to say, "Yu Chenshu imprisoned Luo Xuan because of the Great Void Seed. If he could have gone to the Great Void or the unknown place, he would have done so a long time ago. Why do you think he didn't dare to do so?"
Upon hearing this, Conch bowed and said, "I understand."
"Being a Ten-leaf karmic fire user isn't anything to be proud of. Although your Eldest and Second Senior Brother have nine leaves, their strength is that of a Ten-leaf cultivator. You should learn more from them," Lu Zhou said.
"Understood."
"Ding! Instructed Luo Shiyin. Reward: 1,000 merit points."
Lu Zhou did not speak again. He leaped into the air and flew north of Sky Martial Mountain. In just a blink of an eye, he had disappeared into the night sky.
Everything returned to the way it was by the semicircular pool.
…
Lu Zhou did not ride his mount as he flew across the mountains and the rivers. With his current cultivation base, if he unleashed his grand technique, the mount's speed would not be able to compare to his. Perhaps, the advantage of riding his mount was that it would not deplete his energy.
Halfway through his journey, he received another system notification.
"Ding! Worshiped by 330 people. Reward: 330 merit points."
"Ding! Worshiped by 150 people. Reward: 0 merit points."
Lu Zhou halted his flight. He thought about checking in on his eighth disciple, but in the end, he thought it was unnecessary. Since Zhu Honggong was able to make others worship him, Zhu Honggong should not be in any danger.
With this thought in mind, he continued his flight toward the Sky Wheel Mountain Range.
...
Two hours later.
Lu Zhou finally arrived above the Sky Wheel Mountain Range. He hovered in the air as he looked at the valley.
The valley was in ruins due to the previous battle. The stench of blood and rotting corpses still permeated the air here.
The corpses on and around the mountains had been disposed of by someone. It was likely the work of greedy cultivators who robbed the corpses in hopes of finding treasure. On the other hand, due to the incredibly high temperature in the valley, the corpses in the valley were untouched. Those with lower cultivation bases did not dare to get close to the valley at all.
Lu Zhou flew toward the valley and came to a halt above the lava. A wave of scorching heat assaulted his face immediately. As he mobilized his protective energy to keep the heat at bay, a refreshing feeling could be felt in his Dantian's sea of Qi.
"Hmm?"
Lu Zhou lifted his hand and manifested his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. He looked at the Birth Chart in his Birth Palace. The Seven Killing Techniques position had indeed boosted his combat strength. It would flash with light from time to time.
"The life heart of that ferocious beast has fire-resistance ability…" Lu Zhou muttered to himself. He withdrew his avatar and flew closer to the lava below him.
The cave under the rift had already collapsed.
Lu Zhou launched a few palm strikes to move the rocks that blocked the entrance of the cave. Soon though, he saw the bottom of the cave was almost entirely covered by lava.
Lu Zhou did not hesitate and flew into the ruins of the cave. The ferocious beasts should be in there. He discovered the scorching heat did not bother him like the first time he was here. Apart from the rise of his cultivation base, it was also because of the Birth Chart Heart that granted him the fire-resistance ability.
Following that, he flew down a fissure in the ruins of the cave. It was not as dark as the Black Water Mystic Cave. Perhaps, it was because it was filled with lava. After a brief moment, he realized that this place was a replica of the Black Water Mystic Cave. The differences were the dark water and the darkness in the Black Water Mystic Cave were replaced by lava that cast a red light into the surroundings.
'The Black Water Mystic Cave links the golden lotus domain and the red lotus domain together. So, where does this place link to? The black lotus domain?' Lu Zhou wondered to himself. After all, he had seen Lu Li emerging from this place at that time.
At that time, many cultivators from the red lotus domain had seen the black lotus Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. When word spread, it caused panic to descend on the red lotus domain. However, as time passed, nothing happened so the rumors gradually died down until not many people spoke about it anymore.
Lu Zhuo dove, moving closer to the bubbling river of lava. After he studied it for a long time, he decided not to find out where the lava flowed. Instead, he decided to focus his effort on searching for Birth Chart Beasts.
Lu Zhou searched every nook and cranny in the ruins of the cave, places where Birth Chart Beasts might be hiding. He even flew deeper into the ruins, following the flow of the lava. Alas, he searched for a long time, but it bore no fruit.
Lu Zhou was about to turn around when he saw a flash of light near the cliff-like top of the ruins. "What's that?"
Lu Zhou flew over curiously. He saw a circle that was drawn on the wall of the cliff, and it was flashing with light. "A guiding mark?"
Someone had left a guiding mark here. Lu Zhou grew even more certain that this place was a passage that linked the red lotus domain to another place.
"Was it Lu Li?" Lu Zhou furrowed his brows. With Lu Li's cultivation base, it would be easy for him to flatten the red lotus domain if he so wished. Why would he leave a guiding mark here? Something was amiss.
Lu Zhou hovered in the air as he studied the guiding mark, lost in his thoughts.
At this moment…
Buzz!
A buzzing noise rang from the guiding mark.
"Someone's coming?" Lu Zhou looked to the left and the right, but he did not see anyone. However, the guiding mark could not lie.
He closed his eyes and chanted the mantra for the Heavenly Writing Power.
To gain the power to hear everything so that one can hear voices in all realms at will.
In just a moment, sounds, loud and soft, rushed to his ears from all directions.
He heard a gurgling sound.
"It's the lava?" Lu Zhou stopped the Heavenly Writing Power and opened his eyes to look at the lava.
Then, he flew away from the guiding mark and hid behind a huge rock nearby. He used the Purple Glazed Ceramic to conceal his qi and energy.
The lava continued to bubble and roil violently. It grew more and more intense until…
Boom!
The lava surged and splashed in the air as a black lotus Thousand Realms Whirling avatar broke out of its surface. It towered above the bubbling lava, occupying a vast area.
"Black lotus?"
The black lotus avatar was 500 feet tall. This meant the person who owned the avatar was as strong as Lu Li.
Soon enough, Lu Zhou saw a man dressed in black robes. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and the skin on his face looked like tree bark.
After emerging from the lava, the man withdrew his avatar and flew up into the air. He turned around and looked at the guiding mark indifferently before he pushed his hand out.
A black seal shot out toward the guiding mark, and the guiding mark flashed once before it stopped buzzing.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou continued observing the black lotus cultivator from his hiding place.
What was this man doing here? Was he a friend or a foe?
Lu Zhou was not naive and did not think that everyone in the black lotus domain would be like Lu Li.
As long as the enemy did not make a move, he would not make a move.
Therefore, Lu Zhou continued to observe the black lotus cultivator.
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With the Purple Glazed Ceramic, Lu Zhou's qi and energy were undetectable. At this moment, he was inwardly calculating the difference between his and his opponent's strength.
The black lotus cultivator had a Five Chart Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. He had three Birth Charts more than Lu Zhou. Just the number of Birth Charts would give his opponent 12 additional attacks. However, he had the Deadly Strike Card that would add a lot of uncertainties to the battle.
At this moment, the black lotus cultivator was hovering in front of the guiding mark. No one knew what he was doing. It seemed as though he was waiting for something.
Lu Zhou opened the system interface and looked at his remaining points.
Merit points: 27,130
The price of a Deadly Strike Card was 25,000 merit points.
Lu Zhou closed the system interface with a calm expression on his face. He could afford another Deadly Strike Card.
…
After an hour.
A figure suddenly flew in from outside. As soon as the figure appeared, he immediately kneeled in the air and said, "I'm late. Please forgive me, Lord Yi!"
The name of the expert with the Five Chart Thousand Realms Whirling avatar was Yi Yao.
Yi Yao looked at the young man in front of him and asked, "How's the investigation coming along?"
"Lord Yi, can we speak somewhere else?" the young man asked tentatively.
"Hmm?"
"When I came in, I noticed someone had moved the rocks blocking the entrance. I suspect someone has come in," the young man replied.
Yi Yao did not say anything. Instead, he closed his eyes and spread his arms open. Black energy surged out of his body and spread in all directions immediately. Like black smoke, it covered a radius of several hundred meters.
Lu Zhou frowned upon seeing this. He made sure his energy and qi in his Dantian's sea of Qi were hidden before he channeled his extraordinary power into the Purple Glazed Ceramic.
The Purple Glazed Ceramic was a good treasure. However, if Lu Zhou powered it with Primal Qi, there was a possibility that an expert might discover him, especially when they were in close proximity. Moreover, Lu Zhou was not certain if the black lotus cultivator with five Birth Charts possessed some strange weapons. Therefore, he decided to power the Purple Glazed Ceramic with his extraordinary power.
At this moment, the black energy swept past Lu Zhou quietly before it quickly withdrew.
Finally, Yi Yao opened his eyes and said, "There's no one here. Speak."
The young man said, "With Lord Yi here, I feel relieved." After a beat, he continued to say, "I've investigated the matter you entrusted to me. Not long ago, there was, indeed, a black lotus expert who traveled from here to the Endless Ocean. Great Tang has sent someone to the Endless Ocean to investigate the matter as well. I'm afraid that the black lotus expert has died along with the king of the sea beasts."
Yi Yao shook his head indifferently and muttered to himself, "Lu Li, you're a member of the Black Tower Council; how could you be so stupid?" After a brief moment, he continued to ask the young man, "What about the Birth Chart Beasts I asked you to investigate?"
After learning Lu Li's name, the young man put that information aside in his mind and continued to report to Yi Yao. "The Birth Chart Beasts that were lured out by a red lotus cultivator sprouting his tenth leaf have all been located. We found out that the Yong came out because an old man with the surname Lu was sprouting his tenth leaf on Cloud Mountain. He killed the Yong as well. Meanwhile, Lord Lu Li killed the ferocious beast so its life heart should be with him."
Yi Yao frowned slightly. "The old man's surname is Lu?"
"That's right. He happens to share the same surname as Lord Lu Li," the young man said. Then, he mustered up his courage and looked up at Yi Yao before he said, "Lord Yi, please help me seek justice!"
Yi Yao looked at the young man and said, "Jiang Xiaosheng, are you playing tricks on me?"
"I… I dare not!" Jiang Xiaosheng fell to his knees again. "After my master was killed, I've been trying to avenge him. However, I didn't expect the disciple of the old man with the surname Lu would have such a profound cultivation base. I even lost my extra life because of him. If I'm lying, I'm willing to be struck by lightning!"
Yi Yao's expression and tone were cold and indifferent as he said, "Ye Zhen had always been meticulous when doing things. It's a pity he had too many ideas he shouldn't have. In fact, the Black Tower Council wasn't very pleased with him as well. Since he's dead, let the matter go. The Black Tower Council has no intention of investigating this matter. If you want to take over Ye Zhen's position, it's best if you stay obedient."
Jiang Xiaosheng continued to say, undeterred, "Lord Yi, that person with the surname Lu isn't simple. He killed Yu Chenshu and seized control of the Sky Martial Court. He's also the one who killed my master. After this, I'm sure he plans to seize control of Great Tang's royal court next. When my master was around, he could help you keep an eye on the Birth Chart Beasts in various places. But now… Although I have the heart to help you, my strength is insufficient."
Yi Yao remained silent.
When Ye Zhen was alive, his strength and status allowed him to extend his hand into the royal court and even place spies in the royal palace. Now that Ye Zhen was dead, the most suitable person to work for the Black Tower Council was Jiang Xiaosheng.
With this, Yi Yao said in a deep voice, "The Black Tower Council will find a way to deal with the person who killed your master. They will avenge you and bestow you with a fitting position. However, before all that, it's imperative that you keep an eye on all the formations in various places. Don't make any mistakes. If you lose another Birth Chart Beast like the Yong again, you'll be held responsible."
Jiang Xiaosheng hurriedly said, "My lord, please listen to my explanation. The incident with Yong happened because someone broke the stone forest formation located southeast of Cloud Mountain. Therefore, when the Yong appeared, the formation didn't respond to it."
Upon hearing this, Yi Yao was slightly surprised. He asked, puzzled, "There's someone in the red lotus domain who's capable of breaking that formation?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. That person is Yu Shangrong. He's none other than the second disciple of that person with the surname Lu who killed the Yong," Jiang Xiaosheng said before he recounted that time when Yu Shangrong created more than 60,000 energy swords one after another.
Jiang Xiaosheng was afraid this was not enough to get him what he wanted so he exaggerated his story. "Yu Shangrong even boasted he's the top in regard to the Sword Path. He even took my additional life. At one point, I had a chance to kill him, but it was too unfortunate that his eldest senior brother arrived in the nick of time. Not only did those two people break free from the formation, but they even destroyed the stone forest and the formation! Most importantly, those two have only sprouted nine leaves. Lord Yi, please take action and teach them a lesson."
A hint of intrigue could be heard in Yi Yao's voice as he said, "Mere Nine-leaf cultivators like them are capable of breaking the formation in the stone forest? Interesting, truly interesting…"
Jiang Xiaosheng said with a hint of urgency and anxiety, "Ever since those people appeared, they'd disrupted many of my master's plans. Lord Yi, please try to understand…"
Yi Yao remained silent, deep in his thoughts. At the same time, his body emitted a strange energy. After a moment, he finally said, "Alright, I've heard you. These are five Primal Qi pills. Be careful when you consume them. After you return, go and cultivate in seclusion. Don't act recklessly."
A puzzled expression appeared on Jiang Xiaosheng's face. The Black Tower Council was so powerful, why did they not directly send their men here to take charge of this matter? Why did they decide to do things in such a roundabout manner instead? Yi Yao alone, a Five Chart expert, could easily wipe these people out since they had ruined so many plans. Why was he, or the Black Tower Council, hesitating?
When Jiang Xiaosheng regained his senses, he called out, "Lord Yi!"
"Shut up." Yi Yao suddenly raised his hand, and a black palm seal shot out immediately.
Bang!
Needless to say, Jiang Xiaosheng could not withstand the attack. He was sent flying back in the air as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yi Yao said in a dark voice, "Do you think you're worthy of negotiating with me?"
Jiang Xiaosheng tried to stop his body from trembling as he struggled to get up and kneel. "No. I don't have such audacious thoughts! Please forgive me. Please forgive me, Lord Yi!"
At this moment, Jiang Xiaosheng was drenched in sweat. He no longer dared to make any demands.
He controlled his body and knelt down. "I don't dare! Please forgive me, Lord Yi! Please forgive me!"
He was drenched in sweat and didn't dare to make any more demands.
"Make sure you do your job. Now scram!"
"Yes, yes, yes..." Jiang Xiaosheng hurriedly retreated and left the ruins of the cave.
Silence descended on the ruins again.
Yi Yao hovered in the same spot, lost in his thoughts. After a while, he turned to look at the guiding mark and threw a black talisman out.
As the black talisman burned, the formation lit up as well.
"There's still an hour left..." Yi Yao flashed forward. He tossed out talismans above the lava under the valley's rift.
The talismans fluttered in the air like black butterflies.
…
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou was still hiding behind the rock, watching Yi Yao. He frowned slightly. 'They're keeping track of Birth Chart Beasts?'
Although he had a lot of questions and still could not completely see the big picture, there was one thing he understood and was certain of.
For nearly 2,000 years, there were no Birth Chart Beasts in the red lotus domain that had Ten-leaf cultivators. It was not because Birth Chart Beasts were rare in the red lotus domain; it was because the black lotus domain had interfered and acted preemptively by locating the Birth Chart Beasts and monopolizing the beasts!
This was clear to Lu Zhou.
If he did not personally hear this, he would not have expected there was such a huge conspiracy behind Ye Zhen.
While Lu Zhou mulled over his thoughts, the black talismans in the air suddenly merged into one.
Following that, Yi Yao's voice rang in the air.
"Evil creature, come out and face your death!"
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Lu Zhou's heart skipped a beat. Evil creature? Had he been discovered?
At the same time, a thunderous noise rang in the air.
The lava surged up into the air like a fire dragon that broke through the sea's surface.
Even Lu Zhou who had gained the fire-resistance ability from the life heart of a ferocious beast felt the heat from the lava even after he increased his fire-resistance ability.
Like a red cresting wave, a flying beast burning in flames flapped its wings in the air, causing lava to rain down from the sky.
'Birth Chart Beast?' Lu Zhou was taken aback. Based on its aura, he speculated this behemoth was at least 1,500 years old. He had searched for a long time without finding anything; he did not expect Yi Yao to find it so quickly.
Small flames appeared on Yi Yao's energy shield as he kept the lava rain at bay. Despite the lava rain raining down on the energy shield, the shield was like a solid fortress.
It was clear now that Yi Yao did not discover Lu Zhou.
However, Lu Zhou was now presented with a new problem. To keep the lava rain at bay, he would have to use his Primal Qi. He looked up in the air and used his extraordinary power instead. Before the lava rained down on him, the extraordinary had already dispelled it.
On the other side, Yi Yao looked at the Birth Chart Beast flapping its wings and said in a deep voice, "Scarlet pheasant? Not bad."
Based on the conversation between Yi Yao and Jiang Xiaosheng, Lu Zhou had no doubt the black lotus domain was monopolizing the Birth Chart Beasts in the red lotus domain with various formations. However, why did Lu Li give him the ferocious beast's Birth Chart Heart at that time? Apart from that, was the passage to the black lotus domain really located under the lava?
At this moment, the scarlet pheasant let out a shrill cry that shook the Sky Wheel Rift Valley.
Yi Yao seemed to have a variety of ways to deal with the scarlet pheasant. At this moment, he was trying to lasso the scarlet pheasant with a glowing chain. The glowing chain sailed in the air like a swimming dragon toward the scarlet pheasant.
The scarlet pheasant was not intimidated. Instead, it flapped its wings and flew toward Yi Yao.
Buzz!
Yi Yao manifested his avatar immediately.
The Five Chart Thousand Realms Whirling avatar shook the scarlet pheasant and forced it back.
Meanwhile, rocks kept rolling off the walls in the ruins of the cave.
Lu Zhou frowned slightly. His extraordinary power could only last him for a while. After thinking about it for a moment, he retreated with the Purple Glazed Ceramic in tow.
Yi Yao was still fighting the scarlet pheasant. With his cultivation base, the scarlet pheasant probably would be able to last very long.
Lu Zhou continued watching far away from the battlefield.
The glowing chain in Yi Yao's hand glowed with a black and red light after it successfully landed on the scarlet pheasant and bound it.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The sounds of chains clanking rang in the air as the scarlet pheasant struggled and let out a shrill cry that seemed to resound in both heaven and earth.
Fortunately, Lu Zhou had obtained the power of muting from the Heavenly Writing so he could mute the scarlet pheasant's sound technique.
The black astrolabe continued to spin. On the huge astrolabe, five distinct zones lit up at this moment. The triangular patterns shone as well when the Birth Charts shone.
After looking at Yi Yao's astrolabe, Lu Zhou further confirmed that the 36 triangles formed the huge astrolabe, and each triangle represented each Birth Chart. Moreover, it was obvious from the beginning that the triangles and Birth Charts were arranged in a particular sequence.
At this moment, Lu Zhou acutely felt the importance of the piece of cloth that Lu Li gave him. If it were not for that thing, he would be flying blind. He would not be able to determine the right position to place the life heart at all.
Buzz!
A buzzing noise rang in the air when Yi Yao activated his astrolabe. The 36 triangles on the astrolabe resonated, and the distinct zones of the five Birth Charts shone brightly. In just a blink of an eye, five beams of black light shot out.
The five beams of black light merged into one before it pierced the chest of the scarlet pheasant that was tightly bound. With this, the scarlet beast was grievously injured.
Based on all the information he had gathered and what he had observed from his own avatar, Lu Zhou knew the lotus seat was called the Birth Palace. In the center of a Birth Palace, there were 36 triangles that formed a Birth Disk; this was where one would place their Birth Chart Hearts. The 36 triangles, arranged in a particular sequence, on the Birth Disk represented Birth Charts. All these would resonate before forming the astrolabe at the back of an avatar. After this process, one would be able to form the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar! When the Birth Disk resonated with the astrolabe, it would release the power of the Birth Charts.
Lu Zhou continued channeling his extraordinary power into the Purple Glazed Ceramic as he watched the scene before him. Watching Yi Yao allowed him to understand his own shortcomings.
Through reading the ancient books and listening to Li Yunzheng's explanation of Birth Charts, Lu Zhou managed to figure out the way to activate a Birth Chart. However, when it came to fighting alongside the Thousand Realms Whirling avatar or harnessing the power of the avatar, he did not have much experience so his skills were rudimentary. Therefore, his eyes had lit up earlier when he saw the energies from Yi Yao merged into one.
At this time, the commotion in the ruins of the cave was no longer as loud as before.
"Evil creature, do you still want to resist?" Yi Yao flew toward the scarlet pheasant. He raised his right hand, and a black energy sword appeared in his hand. Without wasting time, he thrust the sword into the scarlet pheasant's chest.
Blood gushed out of the wound as soon as Yi Yao's thrust the black energy sword in. The color of the blood completed the lava in the surroundings. However, the blood had only dripped half a foot in the air before it evaporated from the lava's high temperature.
The scarlet pheasant let out a final sorrowful cry before its head lolled down.
At this moment, Yi Yao pulled his black energy sword out of the scarlet pheasant's chest. However, the tip of the sword was now curved like a hook. The scarlet pheasant's life heart hung at the tip of the hook.
Yi Yao looked at the life heart with a satisfied expression as he muttered to himself, "Don't blame me for killing you. Who asked you to develop an appetite for humans first?"
Following that, Yi Yao put the life heart into his sleeve pocket and withdrew his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar. Strangely, when he turned back to look at the scarlet pheasant's corpse that was still bound in the air by his glowing chains, he continued talking to himself with a hint of smugness in his voice, "Do Birth Chart Beasts feel guilty after killing humans? No. Therefore, humans shouldn't feel guilty after killing Birth Chart Beasts either. It all boils down to one thing; one could only blame oneself for being weak, regardless if they're humans or beasts."
Clang!
Yi Yao released the glowing chain's hold on the scarlet pheasant's corpse, and it fell immediately.
Boom!
When the scarlet pheasant's corpse fell into the lava, it stirred up huge waves of lava, splashing droplets of lava everywhere.
Yi Yao manifested his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar again and used it to keep the lava at bay.
To begin with, the valley had been reduced to ruins due to Lu Zhou and Yu Chenshu's battle. With the addition of Yi Yao's fight with the scarlet pheasant, the state of the entire place worsened. It looked like it was about to collapse… again.
The entire place began to quake violently as rocks after rocks of varying sizes rolled down.
"This..." Lu Zhou was not afraid of the expert with five Birth Charts, but he felt it was unnecessary to engage with the enemy for the time being. However, he did expect the place would begin to collapse… again!
The rocks continued to fall everywhere; they made a huge splash in the lava when they fell in it.
At this moment, Lu Zhou hurriedly dodged a few falling rocks as he looked at Yi Yao.
Yi Yao did not notice Lu Zhou at all as he flew to the guiding mark. Then, he slammed his hand against the mark, causing even more rocks to fall.
Lu Zhou: "..."
Yi Yao's hand was still on the guiding mark. He pushed the mark, embedding it deeper into the stone wall.
More and more rocks continued to fall.
Yi Yao only needed to manifest his avatar to block the falling stones.
On the other hand, Lu Zhou who was trying to be stealthy could not possibly do something as ostentatious as manifesting his avatar. He could only use his movement technique and dodge left and right.
Perhaps, it was due to the huge commotion; Yi Yao still did not discover Lu Zhou.
After a while, it finally became quiet again when all the rocks seemed to have fallen down.
Yi Yao inspected the place where the guiding mark used to be before he nodded in satisfaction. Then, he turned and flew off into the distance.
Lu Zhou was confused. Was Yi Yao planning to stay in the red lotus domain or was the passage to the black lotus domain not under the lava?
Now that Yi Yao had left, Lu Zhou walked out of his hiding place and flew toward the guiding mark. The patterns on the mark were much clearer now after Yi Yao pushed it deeper into the stone wall. He was rather certain it was a guiding mark.
Lu Zhou looked at the lava under his feet and muttered to himself, "So is the entrance under the lava?"
As soon as Lu Zhou's voice fell, a calm voice that was tinged with slight confusion rang from the darkness.
"You... Who are you?"
Lu Zhou turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw Yi Yao flying back in with a smile on his face and killing intent flashing in the depths of his eyes.
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When Lu Zhou heard Yi Yao's voice, there was no huge fluctuation in his heartbeat.
Based on Yi Yao's earlier battle, Lu Zhou could tell there was a wide gap between activating two and five Birth Charts. Therefore, it would not be too surprising if his presence was discovered earlier. However, he did not expect Yi Yao to be so cautious.
Lu Zhou asked, "You've discovered my presence since earlier?"
"No," Yao Yi shook his head and replied honestly, "Guiding marks have always been important, and I've always been cautious when dealing with things."
Yi Yao really had a way of doing things.
However, this proved that the extraordinary power was really reliable.
Lu Zhou asked again, "Is Jiang Xiaosheng one of you?"
Yi Yao did not answer this question. Instead, he said, "It seems like you overheard everything. Since you're able to avoid my detection, your cultivation base must be profound."
"It's average," Lu Zhou answered frankly. In front of someone with five Birth Charts, he really had nothing to brag about.
Yi Yao asked, "What's your purpose in coming here?"
"To look for BIrth Chart Beasts."
Yi Yao nodded. "Unfortunately, I've already killed the Birth Chart Beasts."
Although Lu Zhou already knew the answer, he asked, "The Birth Chart Beasts in the red lotus domain are all monopolized by you?"
"Yes, but it's to protect the red lotus domain. When there's a certain number of Birth Chart Beasts, they'll precipitate a beast tide and the appearance of powerful beast kings. Whether it's a Birth Chart Beast or a beast king, we'll deal with it."
Lu Zhou took a deep breath before he shook his head.
Yi Yao asked, "Do you have a suggestion?"
Lu Zhou said, "There was a hunter who liked to eat wolf meat. One day, the hunter discovered that sheep could attract wolves. Therefore, he sent people to watch and protect the flock of sheep, waiting idly for the opportunity to arrive. The people didn't even need to feed the sheep; the sheep could survive very well on their own."
Yi Yao interjected, "It's an interesting metaphor, but you're not a sheep."
Lu Zhou continued to say, "One day, the flock of sheep discovered they could become wolves by eating wolves. Alas, that would pose a threat to the hunter; in the end, the hunter had no choice but to keep the wolves away from the sheep."
Yi Yao nodded. "However, there would always be a few cunning sheep that managed to turn into wolves. In the end, the hunter had to get rid of them to ensure his safety."
It was as silent as a graveyard at this moment.
Yi Yao stared unblinkingly at Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou returned Yi Yao's gaze and asked, "So... you want to get rid of me?"
"Naturally, there are exceptions to everything. Not all sheep turn into wolves. There are some that directly become… hunters…"
"Hmm?"
"Jiang Xiaosheng is too weak and stupid. He's not suitable to be our liaison in the red lotus domain," Yi Yao replied.
Lu Zhou asked skeptically, "You want me to take over Jiang Xiaosheng's position?"
"That's right."
"What are the benefits?"
"I'll allow you to be a hunter and even give you the best weapon in the world," Yi Yao said, "However, there's no free lunch in this world. You'll naturally have to give as much as you get. Before anything else, you have to take this," Yi Yao said as he brought a dark purple crystal out.
The crystal had a strange energy around it.
Lu Zhou asked, puzzled, "What's this?"
"This thing will enter your Dantian's sea of Qi. As long as you don't go against the will of the Black Tower Council, we won't trigger its effect. Otherwise, it'll make you wish you're dead," Yi Yao said before he tossed the dark purple crystal to Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou caught the dark purple crystal. As soon as his hand came in contact with it, his entire body felt boiling hot. His instincts told him the crystal must have come from some special fierce beast.
"Take it," Yi Yao said in a tone that brooked no arguments.
Lu Zhou pressed on the crystal lightly.
Crack!
The dark purple crystal was not solid; it had cracked open like an empty peanut shell. Wisps of purple smoke escaped from the broken crystal before Lu Zhou tossed the shattered crystal into the lava.
When Lu Zhou broke the crystal, he had seen the change in Yi Yao's expression. Yi Yao's face that was like tree bark had instantly twisted into an unsightly expression. Nevertheless, Lu Zhou said indifferently, "It's a pity that I'm used to being free. In this world, only others obey me; I've never obeyed anyone."
Yi Yao sensed the change in Lu Zhou's aura immediately. "It seems like the cunning sheep did not just become a cunning wolf, but it has become a cunning hunter as well! Nevertheless, you're only seeking death!"
Buzz!
A Five Chart Thousand Realms Whirling avatar towered in the air as the astrolabe spun at its back.
Lu Zhou raised his hand immediately and launched a palm seal.
The Great Seal of Fearlessness.
Lu Zhou used half of his extraordinary power in this seal.
Yi Yao's expression darkened upon seeing this. "Blue?"
Yi Yao leaped back. At the same time, his 500-foot Thousand Realms Whirling avatar suddenly did a 180-degree spin, using the astrolabe to block the blue palm seal.
Boom!
The astrolabe creaked, and it looked dented.
Yi Yao controlled his avatar and made it turn around. Alas, his astrolabe had dimmed. He asked with a frown, "You're not from the red lotus domain?"
Lu Zhou was not quite satisfied with his extraordinary power. With his Thousand Realms Whirling cultivation base and half of his extraordinary power, he could have killed Chi Yao in an instant. He did not expect Yi Yao would be unharmed even after his astrolabe was dented. He wondered if he really had to flee.
Nevertheless, despite his inner thoughts, Lu Zhou's expression was without a ripple as he asked rhetorically, "When did I say I'm from the red lotus domain?"
Yi Yao's expression turned grave immediately. "Another hunter has found the hunter and wants the flock of sheep to himself?"
Inwardly, Yi Yao thought to himself, 'This old man's cultivation base is unfathomable. Since he's able to avoid detection from me, his cultivation base is very likely higher than mine. I've been too careless; I must think of a way to escape!'
Yi Yao was vexed that he was so careless this time. He even went so far as to chat with this expert for such a long time!
Lu Zhou said, "If that's what you think, I won't refute it."
A hint of fear flitted across Yi Yao's face. He told himself not to panic. If push came to shove, he would just have to give his all in one strike and think of a way to escape after that! Subsequently, he said warily, "Senior, don't you think your actions are too unscrupulous?"
"I don't know you; why is there a need to talk about scruples?" Lu Zhou shook his head.
"Senior, are you really going to brazenly commit daylight robbery?" Yi Yao manifested his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar immediately. At the same time, he thought to himself, 'No matter what, I can't lose my momentum!'
"So what if I am?" Lu Zhou raised his voice. Inwardly, he was also thinking that he could not lose his momentum!
Buzz!
The black astrolabe lit up and spun again.
At the same time, Yi Yao seized the opportunity and suddenly mobilized the thirty-six triangles on the Birth Disk.
In just a second, the Birth Disk lit up. As a result, the five corresponding zones for the Birth Charts on the astrolabe began to flash with black light.
Lu Zhou did not say anything and pushed his hand out at top speed. The remaining half of his extraordinary power surged out immediately.
Yi Yao's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly flashed backward as beams of light from his Birth Charts shot out.
Boom!
Lu Zhou continued to advance after his extraordinary power blocked four beams of light from Yi Yao's Birth Charts. However, when he lifted his head, he saw another beam of light shooting toward him.
"Avatar!'
Buzz!
A 350-foot avatar appeared in front of Lu Zhou immediately. Following that, his astrolabe moved forward and blocked Yi Yao's Birth Chart attack.
Boom!
Lu Zhou successfully blocked Yi Yao's attack, but the impact sent him flying back dozens of feet. At the same time, he praised Yi Yao inwardly. 'As expected of an expert with five Birth Charts!'
Unfortunately, Lu Zhou had exposed his avatar. This meant that Yi Yao was likely to fight him to the end now.
On the other hand, although Yi Yao had fired four beams of light at full strength, they failed to stop the blue palm seal.
Bang!
The blue palm seal landed on Yi Yao's avatar.
A thunderous noise rang from the avatar as Yi Yao, whose face was flushed, grunted. At this time, his astrolabe had gone dark; there was no light at all. When he looked up, his eyes widened when he saw Lu Zhou's avatar.
350 feet?
Two Birth Charts?
A golden Thousand Realms Whirling avatar?
Yi Yao roared inwardly, 'What the hell is going on?! Is he posturing all this time?! Are the blue palm seals some kind of special technique?!'
Outwardly, Yi Yao did not say a word. He flew into the center of his avatar before he charged toward Lu Zhou with his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar.
Lu Zhou frowned slightly as he lifted his head to have a look. The Deadly Strike Card was already in his hand. Following that, he flashed into his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar.
The golden Birth Charts lit up immediately.
Bang! Bang!
Two beams of light landed on the body of Yi Yao's avatar.
Yi Yao grunted; his energy and blood qi roiled surged in his body. Despite that, his face lit up with joy as he exclaimed, "As expected, you only have two Birth Charts!"
All of a sudden, the black Thousand Realms Whirling avatar exploded with black energy.
Lu Zhou crushed the Deadly Strike Card without saying a word. In an instant, a vortex appeared in his palm, and he pushed it out toward Yi Yao.
"The same move is useless against me," Yi Yao said as he lifted his hand up.
Unlike the blue Great Seal of Fearlessness, this time it was a golden Seal of Fearlessness.
Crack!
It did not look powerful at all, but when the golden palm seal collided with Yi Yao's outward-facing palm, it broke his arm immediately!
Yi Yao cried out in pain. Chills ran up his spine and his hair stood on end as he saw the golden Great Seal of Fearlessness continued to advance. The palm seal pushed against his face and body.
Boom!
The destructive force from the golden palm seal tore Yi Yao's robes and shattered the bones in his body. At this time, the black Thousand Realms Whirling avatar shrank and became one with Yi Yao.
Meanwhile, the shockwave from the powerful collision destroyed one of the stone walls. The lava surged and splashed up in the air, creating a red curtain in midair.
"Despicable!" Yi Yao spat out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying backward. 'As it turns out, he tricked me into attacking him first! I was careless again!'
Yi Yao, whose robes had been torn by the force of the palm seal, could only watch helplessly as the Birth Chart Heart flew out.
Lu Zhou reached out and grabbed the Birth Chart Heart before he quickly retreated. Since he did not hear the system notify him of Yi Yao's death, the only thing left to do was run. No, he did not mean run; what he meant was the only thing left to do was to quit while he was ahead.
Yi Yao shared the same thought as Lu Zhou. Not only did the palm seal cause him to lose a life heart, but it also easily broke one of his arms and shattered the bones in his body. Faced with such a powerful opponent, the only thing left to do was run! After a beat, he rejoiced inwardly when he discovered that Lu Zhou did not chase after him. He quickly flashed away with his Thousand Realms Whirling avatar.
"Ding! Destroyed a Birth Chart. Reward: 6,000 merit points. No domain bonus for destroying Birth Charts. Thousand Realms cultivators have their own ways of killing opponents."
Upon receiving this notification, Lu Zhou instinctively raised his head. From afar, he saw the originally five Birth Charts on the black astrolabe had now turned into four Birth Charts.
'One Birth Chart equals one additional life?'
However, when he recalled Yi Yao's cautious way of doing things, he no longer dwelled on this. He hurriedly turned around and left! It was best to quit while he was ahead!
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