Read My Disciples Are All Villains - Chapter 1071 - Secrets of the Blue Crystals online free - Light Novel Full
Chapter 1071: Secrets of the Blue Crystals
Gongsun Yuanxuan's expression was even more unsightly than before. He hemmed and hawed before he finally said, "Pavilion Master Lu, I don't even have 100 obsidian essences; how can I possibly have the blue crystals?"
Lu Zhou said, "Since you don't have them, you can leave your life here."
"…"
Lan Xihe said with a faint smile, "Grand Tutor, it's not good to lie. You don't have them, but the royal family has them, right? If I'm not mistaken, I remember the royal family obtained a blue crystal as well…"
Gongsun Yuanxuan knew Lan Xihe was trying to push him to his death. After all, during their earlier sparring session, they were fighting to the death. On the surface, the White Tower Council and Great Ming's royal court seemed to have an amicable relationship, but the royal court had long wanted to destroy the White Tower Council.
"The royal family's blue crystal is useless; it has been depleted of its Great Void energy. Isn't the one in Pavilion Master Lu's possession better?" Gongsun Yuanxuan asked, puzzled.
"Do I need to explain to you why I want the blue crystals? I've already made myself clear. Gongsun Yuanxuan, don't step on my bottom line," Lu Zhou said.
Gongsun Yuanxuan frowned. He was only left with 11 Birth Charts now. There was no doubt his status would decline when he returned to the royal court. Moreover, now that he was defeated, what right did he have to negotiate? After mulling over it for a moment, he said decisively, "Alright, I agree to Pavilion Master Lu's request. However, I ask that word of what happened today be kept a secret. Otherwise, I won't be able to get the blue crystal if the royal family finds out about this."
"Very good." Lu Zhou looked at Gongsun Yuanxuan and said, "Don't try to play tricks. Otherwise, what happened to the Black Tower Council will happen to you."
"…"
Gongsun Yuanxuan had long heard about the collective demotion of the Black Tower Council; it left a deep impression on him. Initially, he did not believe anyone was capable of defeating the Black Tower Council in such a thorough manner. However, after his sparring session with Lu Zhou, he knew now it was true. It was true that there was always someone stronger and better in the world. He knew very well if he did not agree to this request, he would not be able to leave the white tower today.
Lu Zhou waved his hand, signaling Gongsun Yuanxuan to leave.
When Gongsun Yuanxuan was walking out, he walked past the bag of obsidian essences.
Just when Gongsun Yuanxuan was about to bend down to pick it up, Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Gongsun Yuanxuan stiffened and laughed awkwardly before he left in a hurry.
Lu Zhou allowed Gongsun Yuanxuan to live because there was more value to letting Gongsun Yuanxuan live compared to killing him. Moreover, he would not allow Lan Xihe to succeed in her plan. Great Ming could restrain Lan Xihe who had been invincible for such a long time. Apart from that, he wanted to use this chance to obtain blue crystals and strike at Great Ming.
Lu Zhou turned around and looked at Lan Xihe, "Did you obtain the blue crystal from the Great Void?"
Since there was no reason for Lan Xihe to hide this, she said, "Over 300 years ago, many cultivators went to the Unknown Land together. The environment in Unknown Land was very harsh and inhabitable. However, there were many treasures there. Some lucky cultivators had fortuitous encounters while others tried to look for the Great Void Seed. When the Great Void Seeds disappeared for unknown reasons, leaving only soil in the place where they grew. The 'soil' was the blue crystals. When the soil was brought out of the Unknown Land, they solidified into blue crystals. Only those who had seen this knew this secret."
This was not the first time Lu Zhou heard about the Great Void Expedition from 300 years ago. Every time he heard about it, there would be new information, stirring up new feelings within him. He recalled the memory crystal; was it really a coincidence that the damaged part contained Ji Tiandao's memories in the Great Void?
Ji Tiandao wanted the limits of the eight leaves. How could he contend with that group of people at the Thousand Realms Whirling stage for the Great Void Seeds? Moreover, when he went to the Unknown Land, his cultivation base was not even at the Eight-leaf stage. When he returned, even Luo Xuan was capable of stealing one of the Great Void Seeds from him.
After a moment, Lu Zhou asked, "Did you obtain the Great Void energy from the blue crystal?"
Lan Xihe nodded slightly. Then, she straightened her back before she asked, "Pavilion Master Lu, you won't be angry because of this matter, right? I have no choice. I could only attract your attention in that manner…"
Lu Zhou asked, "You only have one blue crystal?"
"That's right," Lan Xihe replied, "However, it was the only one that contained the most Great Void energy. The others are almost useless and the improvements they provided were limited."
"Where are the others?" Lu Zhou asked.
Lan Xihe asked curiously, "Pavilion Master Lu, are you looking for the blue crystals to obtain the Great Void energy?"
"Is there anyone who doesn't want it?"
Lan Xihe smiled and nodded before she said, "In the past 3,000 years, there were five Great Void Expeditions. The first and second time, humans suffered heavy losses and only managed to return with a few rare treasures. The remaining three times, humans brought back six blue crystals. I only know the location of three blue crystals. One is with the emperor of Great Ming; one is in the possession of Great Yuan's Lu Qianshan; the final one is in Pavilion Master Lu's possession."
"Only six?" Lu Zhou frowned. The quest was to collect nine blue crystals. Only six were brought out of the Unknowland, and out of the six, three were missing. Was this the system's way of pushing him to go to the Unknown Land?
"Only?" Lan Xihe caught the peculiarity of Lu Zhou's choice of words.
Lu Zhou casually came up with an excuse. "What I mean is that it's a pity that after five expeditions, humans only managed to obtain six blue crystals."
"The Unknown Land is too dangerous. Three hundred years ago, I was already invincible in the white lotus domain. Even then, it was difficult for me to contend with those beasts in the Unknown Land," Lan Xihe said.
Lu Zhou thought of Qin Moshang whom he met by the Cold Pond at the peak of the snowy mountain in Cloud Mountain. "Perhaps, there are stronger cultivators in the Four Great Uncharted Lands…"
Lan Xihe did seem surprised by Lu Zhou's words. "There have always been stronger cultivators, but they've long isolated themselves…"
"Isolated themselves?" Si Wuya asked curiously.
Lan Xihe nodded and said, "Yes. I don't know if it's their own decision or a shackle by heaven and earth. Think about the Kun in the Endless Ocean; no one has been able to kill it until now. The entrances to the Unknown Land are all littered with incredibly deadly fierce beasts or separated by moats or oceans that are impossible for humans to cross. However, there's a place…"
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya looked at Lan Xihe, waiting for her to reveal the answer.
Lan Xihe smiled as her eyes moved between Lu Zhou and Si Wuya before resting on Lu Zhou. "The purple lotus domain…"
"The purple lotus domain?" Lu Zhou was not surprised.
"Strictly speaking, it's not one of the Four Great Uncharted Lands. It's not powerful. It's also the first place the Black Tower Council and Great Yuan implemented the captive plan. They implemented the same plan in the red lotus domain and had planned to implement it in the golden lotus domain. The plan is the reason there are so many Thousand Realms Whirling cultivators in the Black Tower Council," Lan Xihe said.
"What about the White Tower Council?"
"Originally, the White Tower Council wanted to monopolize the golden lotus domain but eventually gave up. Great Ming's resources are bountiful, and there are many fierce beasts so there's no need for us to monopolize another domain's fierce beasts. Moreover, what's the point when, at most, one would get one or two intermediate life hearts in a year? They're not useful at all for cultivators above the level of a judge. Those who are truly strong and smart know the proper way to subjugate the weak…"
Lu Zhou did not expect these words from Lan Xihe. He remained silent. This reminded him of the ancient emperor on earth, the Emperor of Qin, who burned the works of scholars to make the common folk stay ignorant, destroyed city walls, killed heroes, and confiscated weapons to weaken the people's resistance against the emperor. In any case, there was no point in talking about this matter.
Lu Zhou picked the blue crystal up and said, "Let's talk about the blue crystal. Where's Lu Qianshan now?"
He would obtain the blue crystals with known locations first.
"Pavilion Master Lu, you can go to Great Yuan and ask around. The Lu clan and the emperor of Great Yuan have a close relationship; I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to obtain the blue crystal. Why don't you stay in the white tower? When I recover, I'll go to the black lotus domain with you. In order to thank you for your help today, I'll help you obtain Lu Qianshan's blue crystal."
At this moment, Lu Zhou stood up and said, "There's no need for that…"
When Lan Xihe saw that Lu Zhou was about to leave, she hastily said, "Pavilion Master Lu, I have a question I'd like to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Which one is the real Pavilion Master Lu?" Lan Xihe asked.
Lu Zhou did not answer her immediately. He continued walking out of the training hall. Only when he reached the entrance of the training hall did he say, "Both are real."
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Chapter 1072: A Good Card
"All of them are the same?" Lan Xihe muttered to herself.
In the first place, cultivation was going against the order of nature. After cultivating, one's lifespan would increase, the aging process would slow down, one would become impervious to illnesses, and one's body would grow stronger. Every breakthrough was heaven-defying.
"Did he disguise himself previously?" Although Lan Xihe managed to maintain her youth for so long, it was done over a period of time, and despite her appearance, she could not return to her youth. For Lu Zhou to revert to his youth in such a short time, it seemed rather impossible.
"Pavilion Master Lu…" Lan Xihe called out again, planning to ask more questions. However, when she looked up, Lu Zhou had already vanished from sight. Not even Si Wuya could be seen. The duo had long left the white tower.
She sighed lightly and said, "Tell Ning Wanqing to send them off."
"Understood."
…
North of the White Tower Council, on miles of snow-capped mountain ranges.
Ning Wanqing said, "Pavilion Master Lu's strength seemed to have increased again…"
Lu Zhou was puzzled. Previously, when he came, he had five Birth Charts. Now, he had six Birth Charts. Indeed, he had gotten stronger, but it was still far from possessing 12 Birth Charts. Where did Ning Wanqing get this feeling from? He asked curiously, "You can sense my strength ?"
Ning Wanqing pointed at his nose and ears as he said, "These are probably God's gift to the blind. I can't see but I can hear and smell very well. Pavilion Master Lu's aura seemed smoother, more stable, and filled with vitality. Although Pavilion Master Lu has hidden his strength, you can't hide your aura and bearing much…"
Lu Zhou nodded and said, "You're much smarter than Nangong Yutian."
"Thank you for your praise, Pavilion Master Lu." Ning Wanqing bowed. After he straightened his back, he looked at Lu Zhou with his lifeless eyes and said, "Pavilion Master Lu, I have a clue about the blue crystals you're looking for…"
Lu Zhou did not pay much attention to their conversation until this moment. He turned around immediately to look at Ning Wanqing.
Ning Wanqing smiled. "Pavilion Master Lu, you must be very curious. I'm from the White Tower Council, but why didn't I inform the Tower Master about the clues I have and choose to reveal them to you instead…"
"I'm not curious," Lu Zhou replied.
"…" Ning Wanqing felt as though he had been dealt a heavy blow. In the end, he only said helplessly, "One of the blue crystals is in the possession of Xiao Yunhe, the former Tower Master of the Black Tower Council."
"Xiao Yunhe?" Lu Zhou frowned.
"He's been searching everywhere for ways to recover his destroyed Birth Charts. It's not surprising that he wants the Great Void energy that can change one's fate. Xiao Yunhe is incredibly cunning; I won't be surprised if he has found all six of the blue crystals. However, I heard later that the blue crystals were useless in helping him to recover his destroyed Birth Charts."
At this moment, Si Wuya said, "Thank you for providing us with such an important clue. In return, I will give you a piece of information."
"Please speak."
"Tower Master Lan has experienced the vicissitudes of life and has met many people. In my opinion, she has long seen through your petty tricks," Si Wuya said.
Ning Wanqing was stunned.
Si Wuya did not continue speaking and walked up the snowy mountain with his master. When they arrived at the runic passage, he activated the runic passage.
Lu Zhou asked, "Are you deliberately trying to sow discord between them?"
"Master, I'm not that idle. There's something wrong with Ning Wanqing. When Lan Xihe and Gongsun Yuanxuan were sparring earlier, anyone who isn't a fool can tell it's a life-or-death battle. However, Ning Wanqing didn't seem to care at all nor did he try to intervene. I have enough reasons to suspect he's the spy that Great Ming's royal court planted in the White Tower Council," Si Wuya replied.
Lu Zhou nodded slightly; his disciple's analysis was very reasonable.
"Master, where are we going?"
"Let's return to the Preservation Hall first. We'll look for Lu Qianshan another day."
"Understood."
…
In the evening.
In the Preservation Hall.
Lu Zhou was sitting cross-legged, thinking about the day's events.
"Why did my Dantian's sea of Qi suddenly get blocked?"
Why is there a blockage in my Dantian Qi Sea?"
Due to the momentary blockage, Gongsun Yuanxuan could act pretentiously for a while longer. Otherwise, he was confident he could Gongsun Yuanxuan behave with just a slap. In fact, even an ordinary Deadly Strike Card would be able to deter Gongsun Yuanxuan from acting recklessly.
Lu Zhou tried to mobilize the Primal Qi in his Dantian's sea of Qi again. Once again, the feeling like his Dantian's sea of Qi was blocked appeared again. It seemed like the process was a beat slower; only after the second try would he be able to mobilize his Primal Qi again.
This was an extremely terrifying thing for a cultivator. Let alone half a beat, even the delay of half a breath could be fatal.
"Is it related to the 'Price of Youth'? Is this the price of youth? If it is, then the price is really too high…"
Lu Zhou looked at the quest panel on the system interface again.
"Second Avatar: collecting blue crystals (1/9)."
He had triggered this quest after declining the Price of Youth quest. It seemed like to solve this problem, he had to collect all nine blue crystals first.
"Lu Qianshan… His surname is Lu as well…" Lu Zhou muttered to himself.
Currently, there was a slight problem with his Dantian's sea of Qi. If he wanted to go to Great Yuan now, he would have to make sufficient preparations.
He looked at his items on the system interface.
Merit points: 781,610
Items: Enhanced Deadly Strike Card x1, Impeccable Card x1, Critical Block Card x133(passive), Golden Taixu Mirror, Disguise Card x2, Synthesis Card x2, Deconstruction Card card x4
Apart from the Peak Trial Card that was missing, he felt his item cards were rather complete.
"What will happen if I synthesize the Deconstruction Cards?" Following that, he looked at the Reduction Card on the system panel for ten seconds. He felt like it was not too useful now. Fortunately, its price was quite low. Since that was the case, there was no need to waste time thinking about it; he could just directly buy the cards.
Lu Zhou bought three Reduction Cards. After buying the first card, the price of the second one did not increase. When he bought the third one, the price increased by 1,000 merit points, which was not too bad.
Following that, he brought out a Synthesis Card and stacked it with the three Reduction Cards. He said silently, "Synthesize."
"Ding! Synthesis successful. Obtained: Enhanced Reduction Card."
"Ding! Enhanced Reduction Card: Can permanently reduce the target's Birth Charts by one. Note: it's different from destroying a Birth Chart. It can be understood as lowering the number of Birth Charts the target can activate."
Upon reading the effect of the card, Lu Zhou nodded in satisfaction. He recalled when he helped Xiao Yunhe recover his Birth Charts. There was no doubt that one could restore one's damaged Birth Chart even if it was difficult. To be able to directly lower the number of Birth Charts his opponents were able to activate was like nipping the problem in the bud.
"Hmm… It seems like just one card is too little…"
"Purchase six Reduction Cards and two Synthesis Cards."
After synthesizing the six Reduction Cards into two enhanced Reductions Cards, Lu Zhou used his final Synthesis Card to synthesize the three enhanced Reduction Cards.
"I wonder if it'll be a success. Synthesize."
"Ding! Synthesis successfully. Obtained: advanced enhanced Reduction Card. Additional effect: Life Heart Extraction."
"Ding! Advanced enhanced Reduction Card: the target's Birth Charts will be permanently reduced by five. Out of the five Birth Charts, there's a chance you might be able to extract the highest level life heart."
"Not bad." Lu Zhou was very satisfied with this additional effect. He was as satisfied with it as he was with the enhanced Deadly Strike Card. However, it might seem cheap in the beginning, in fact, the actual cost was not low. He had spent quite a bit synthesizing the cards.
If he wanted to quickly kill his enemy, he could combine the Reduction Card with the Deadly Strike card. He nodded again in satisfaction.
Following that, he closed the system panel and brought the Purple Glazed Ceramic out. He gauged it and found that half of its energy had been recovered. After that, he mobilized his Primal Qi and activated the Purple Glazed Ceramic. Its speed was slower than when it had full energy.
With that, Lu Zhou entered his meditative state and began to meditate on the Heavenly Writing.
…
Three days later.
In the morning.
The sun shone into the hall through the window.
At this time, Si Wuya was already in the Preservation Hall.
The pair of master and disciple was ready to leave for the black lotus domain's Great Yuan.
Si Wuya said, "Master, the runic passage is ready. I've made sure we won't run into anyone during our journey there…"
Lu Zhou nodded and asked, "I heard Old Fourth is back?"
"Fourth Senior Brother has been sleeping since he returned. Should I ask him to come and pay respect to you?" Si Wuya asked.
"No need. Let's go," Lu Zhou said.
Si Wuya was slightly startled. His master had always been strict and hated his disciples sleeping in or being lazy. Why was his master not angry this time?
The duo had walked out and had just reached the entrance of the hall when Lu Zhou suddenly came to a halt. His ears twitched slightly before he said, "Someone's here…"
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Chapter 1073: Lu Li's Ancestor
When Si Wuya saw his master suddenly stop moving, he followed suit and surveyed his surroundings. At the same time, he used his cultivation to sense for movements around him.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou silently chanted the incantation for the power of hearing. In a moment, the range of his hearing covered thousands of meters in the royal palace. The sound of every movement of the eunuchs, palace maids, officials, and cultivators entered his ear immediately. Following that, he concentrated on the creaking noises from the roof 300 meters to the back of the Preservation Hall. After a moment, the noises were 200 meters away.
Soon enough, a familiar voice rang in Lu Zhou and Si Wuya's ears.
"Mister Seventh! Mister Seventh! Did you take advantage of Senior Ji's absence to hide a man? I didn't know you swing that way!"
Lu Zhou called out with the power of speech, "Jiang Aijian."
The words rolled out like a clap of thunder toward the back of the Preservation Hall. All the buildings within 200 meters were instantly destroyed by the sound technique.
When the soundwave rolled over Jiang Aijian, he was still holding a blade of grass in his mouth and Dragonsong in his arms. His eardrums felt as though they were being pierced, and he felt a stinging pain on his cheeks.
Boom!
Jiang Aijian was sent flying back before he fell to the ground. After a while, he finally sat up after much difficulty. His ears were still ringing, causing him extreme discomfort. Based on the sound technique, it seemed like Si Wuya not hiding his lover. There was no doubt the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion had returned!
Lu Zhou transmitted his voice. "The runic passage between the red lotus domain and the golden lotus domain has been opened. You should return to Penglai Sect. The island is very good; there'll definitely be a lot of fierce beasts. Your cultivation is so weak; you return and reflect on yourself."
"…"
Jiang Aijian nodded repeatedly and said, "Senior Ji is wise. In fact, I came here to bid you farewell…"
Following that, Lu Zhou no longer paid attention to Jiang Aijian and left the Preservation Hall with Si Wuya.
After Lu Zhou left, Jiang Aijian scratched his head and muttered to himself, "He can hear me from so far away… I better go and look for Zhao Hongfu. Nothing's more important than preserving one's life! Moreover, staying in the red lotus domain isn't conducive to my cultivation."
…
It did not take long for Lu Zhou and Si Wuya to arrive at the Hall of Runes.
After stepping into the runic passage, Lu Zhou turned around and asked, "Old Seventh, what's your current cultivation base?"
An embarrassed expression appeared on Si Wuya's face as he said, "I'm sorry for letting you down, master. I'm still looking for a chance to break through to the Ten-leaf stage."
Lu Zhou nodded. "It's not easy for you to find time to cultivate amidst your busy schedule…"
Since Si Wuya was with him, he could take advantage of the effects from 'Eternal Paragon' and 'Mentor'.
After Si Wuya placed his palm on the ground, the runic passage lit up before a pillar of light shot into the sky.
Soon enough, the duo disappeared.
…
15 minutes later.
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya appeared at the entrance of the capital of Great Yuan.
Si Wuya said, "Master, we've arrived. This is the capital of Great Yuan. Zhao Hongfu is very familiar with this place. Since I handed her the Magistrate Brush, her ability has more than doubled. Just by relying on her memory, she found the Runic Academy's runic passage and snuck here to make the runic passage ours…"
Lu Zhou looked at the capital as he said, "Pay attention to her loyalty…"
"Understood."
The importance of a runemaster was obvious. Proportionate to the importance of a runemaster, the consequences would be disastrous if they were betrayed by a runemaster. It would mean all their runic passages would become someone else's runic passages.
After entering the capital, Si Wuya said, "Shen Xi had enquired about Lu Qianshan two days ago. He's original a capable officer and general of Great Yuan. He managed to fend off the foreign tribes and had many outstanding military achievements. However, his achievements were too much for the emperor. In order to weaken his military power, the Black Emperor summoned him back to the capital and demoted him. In less than 500 years, he became a general whom no one cared about…"
Lu Zhou did not care about anything else but the blue crystals. He asked, "The Black Emperor didn't confiscate his blue crystal?"
"Very few people know that he has a blue crystal in his possession. Moreover, he has made great military achievements. Although he's now a shadow of his former self, the Black Emperor wouldn't be able to truly harm him if push comes to shove. According to Shen Xi, in order to show his loyalty, 500 years ago, Lu Qianshan donated all his family assets to Great Yuan. There was nothing said about a blue crystal…"
Somehow, Lu Zhou was reminded of the historical figure on earth, Zhang Liang. He felt there were similarities between the two.
…
At the Lu clan's estate in the capital.
Si Wuya stepped forward and said, "My master wishes to see General Lu. Please inform him of this." As he spoke, he stuffed a gold ingot into the gatekeeper's hands.
For a cultivator like Si Wuya, gold, silver, and money were no longer useful.
The gatekeeper's eyes lit up as he said, "Please wait for a moment."
Soon enough, the gatekeeper returned with an old butler with a big belly.
It had to be said that the Lu clan was not ordinary despite losing much of its prestige. Its estate was not like those of ordinary people; it occupied a prime area in the capital. The buildings in the estate were magnificent and huge. Most importantly, there were many steps in the estate. In the capital, the number of steps was a symbol of status.
The old butler asked, "Who wants to see the master?"
Si Wuya shook his head. It seemed like there was an extra person to bribe.
Unexpectedly, the old butler stood at the entrance and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Si Wuya and Lu Zhou. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. 'He looks familiar…'
The old butler was a cultivator and one of the top experts in the Lu clan's estate. He had followed Lu Qianshan for many years and had learned to be cautious. He felt the young man in front of him look very familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen the young man before.
At this moment, the gatekeeper asked, "Sir, should I send them away?"
The old butler waved his hand, dismissing the gatekeeper and the other servants. Then, he quickly walked down the steps. When he came to a stop a few meters in front of Lu Zhou, he muttered, "How familiar…"
"Do you know me?" Lu Zhou asked curiously.
The old butler scratched his head. For the sake of being cautious, he asked, "May I ask for your name, sir?"
"My surname is Lu," Lu Zhou replied.
Upon hearing these words, it seemed like a bolt of lightning had hit the old butler. He seemed to have vaguely thought of something before he said, "Please come in. I'll inform my master of your visit…"
With that, the old butler led the duo into the Lu clan's estate. The corridor alone stretched hundreds of meters long; it was comparable to those in the royal palace.
…
After leading the duo to a hall, the old butler left in a hurry to Lu Qianshan's study. However, when he pushed the door to the study open, he discovered Lu Qianshan was nowhere to be found.
Although Lu Qianshan had repeatedly stressed that his study was an important place and outsiders were not allowed to enter without permission, the old butler felt the current situation warrant for the breaking of the rule this one time. He gritted his teeth and entered the study.
When he lifted his head, his eyes coincidentally fell on the portrait of a handsome young man with an aloof air about him. He was painted standing with his hands resting on his back, and even through the portrait, one could see his bearing was extraordinary.
The old butler trembled before he fell limply to the ground. "This… How's this possible?!"
…
In the spacious and bright hall.
Si Wuya said thoughtfully, "Master, I suspect there's a trap here."
"A trap?"
"With Lu Qianshan's identity, it goes without saying it's difficult to meet him. Therefore, I've come up with three ways to ensure master will be able to meet him. However, so far, I only spent one gold ingot to meet him. Something doesn't feel right…" Si Wuya said.
"It doesn't matter. I'm only here to get the blue crystal," Lu Zhou said.
"You're right, master. Petty tricks and schemes are useless in front of you," Si Wuya said with a smile.
With that, the duo continued to wait. However, after waiting for a long time, the old butler still did not return to the hall.
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Chapter 1074: Pavilion Master Lu, Can You Show Me Your True Appearance?
Lu Zhou sat with his back straight and his eyes closed while Si Wuya paced back and forth in the hall, waiting for the old butler and Lu Qianshan's arrival.
After surveying the hall, Si Wuya discovered the pillars in the hall were all red. There were all kinds of distinct engraving on them. Apart from that, the paintings and the calligraphy hung in the hall were all rather exquisite. After a moment, he said with a smile, "Master, Lu Qianshan is quite interesting…"
"What do you mean?"
"He's clearly a martial artist, but he decorated this place according to the preference of scholars. The decoration is romantic and sentimental. He uses a lot of plums, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums as motifs in the paintings…"
Lu Zhou opened his eyes and took a casual glance at the things Si Wuya pointed out. He said in an even tone, "They're only mediocre decorations…"
"They're only ordinary mortal objects. It's only natural they can't catch master's attention," Si Wuya said with a bow.
The cultivation world did not place much importance on mortal objects. Lu Qianshan's cultivation base was not low; it was indeed strange that he collected these things.
Meanwhile, the servants of a wealthy family were rather obedient. Moreover, with the old butler personally leading the duo into the hall, they wisely remained silent. The most they would do was serve tea to the duo as instructed by the old butler before he left.
…
In the study in the Lu clan's estate.
The old butler suppressed his excitement and struggled to his feet shakily. Then, he studied the painting in front of him again.
This was a portrait that Lu Qianshan deeply cherished. He had served Lu Qianshan for hundreds of years so he was familiar with Lu Qianshan's habits. He knew whenever Lu Qianshan encountered difficulties, Lu Qianshan would look at this painting.
How could the old butler not feel shocked now that it seemed like the person in the painting had come to life?
Bang!
The doors to study suddenly slammed open.
"Old Jiang, how dare you!"
The old butler turned around and saw Lu Qianshan walking into the study with his hands on his back, looking at him angrily. He said incoherently as he pointed at the painting, "Mas… M-master… He… H-he…"
Lu Qianshan said angrily, "Didn't I tell you before that no one's allowed to enter my study without permission? Do my words mean nothing now? I know the Lu clan is no longer what it once was; Old Jiang, after being my confidant for so long, are you going to betray me as well?"
The old butler waved his hand and hastily said, "Master, it's… it's not like that. T-that person in the painting… He… He's here!" He did not know how to address the person in the painting so he could only use the word 'he'.
After saying this, the old Butler let out a long breath. He felt much more comfortable after saying those words.
Lu Qianshan did not take the old butler's words seriously. "Old Jiang, do you think I'm foolish or old?"
The old butler had calmed down so he was able to speak coherently now. "Master, I'm not lying. That person is waiting in the hall now. It's really strange… Master, after so many years, this is the first time I've entered your study without permission. I needed to confirm my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. I've been with you for such a long time, don't tell me you don't know my character, master?" He fell to his knees as he spoke; his eyes reddened as well.
Lu Qianshan was slightly taken aback. He admitted he had overreacted earlier; he was not in a good mood after encountering a troublesome matter. He planned to return to his study to calm down when he discovered the old butler in the study and lost his temper. The old butler had been with him for so many years; if the old butler wanted to betray him, the old butler would have done so a long time ago. There was no need to wait until now. Finally, he asked, "Is it true?"
"Master, why don't you go and have a look?"
Lu Qianshan nodded as he glanced at the painting on the wall.
The master and servant hurried out of the study to the hall. When they arrived outside of the hall, Lu Qianshan came to a halt. He tidied his hair, his long robes, and cleared his throat before he finally entered the hall. At the same time, he tamped down his expectations. After all, it was likely it was just someone who shared the same resemblance, and there was no other meaning.
After entering the hall, Lu Qianshan saw two people. One was Si Wuya, and the other person was Lu Zhou who resembled the person in the painting. He was shocked that he almost lost his footing.
The old butler's reflexes were quick as he reached out to support Lu Qianshan.
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya looked over and Lu Qianshan.
Lu Qianshan was tall, and his body looked strong. He had a valiant air about him, befitting of a general.
Lu Qianshan broke the silence first. "It's really you?"
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya were puzzled.
"Do you know me?" Lu Zhou asked.
When Lu Zhou spoke, Lu Qianshan trembled and looked as though he was going to burst into tears. He mumbled to himself excitedly, "So similar… So similar?"
"Similar to who?"
It took a while for Lu Qianshan to calm down before he finally greeted the two guests. "Sorry, I'm really sorry for losing my composure…"
After all, Lu Qianshan was an old general who had spent many years on the battlefield. He naturally regained his composure quickly. Moreover, after a brief moment, he still maintained his rationality and did not jump to conclusions. Just because the person in front of him resembled the person in the painting, he would not treat the person in front of him as though he was the person in the painting.
Lu Qianshan asked, "May I know your names?"
Lu Zhou replied, "My surname is Lu."
Despite his calm exterior, Lu Qianshan's heart stirred upon hearing these words. Then, he asked, "May I know the purpose of your visit?"
Lu Zhou bluntly replied, "I heard you have a blue crystal in your possession."
Lu Qianshan exclaimed in shock, "How do you know that?"
Only a few select people knew Lu Qianshan had a blue crystal.
Lu Zhou did not answer Lu Qianshan's question. Instead, he said, "The blue crystal is useless to you. Why don't you give it to me? To express my gratitude, I'll compensate you in return."
Lu Qianshan looked at the young man in front of him with a complex expression as his heart raced in his chest.
Meanwhile, upon seeing the strange expression on Lu Qianshan's face, Lu Zhou asked, "Are you unwilling?"
Lu Qianshan asked, "Can I ask two questions?"
"Go ahead."
"Where did both of you come from? What do you want the crystal for?" Lu Qianshan asked. If it were not for the fact that Lu Zhou resembled the person in the painting and carried the surname Lu, he would have driven the two guests out as soon as they brought up the blue crystal.
Si Wuya replied, "I come from the Evil Sky Pavilion. I'm Si Wuya, the seventh disciple of the Evil Sky Pavilion. This is my teacher."
"…"
Lu Qianshan was stunned. "Both of you are from the Evil Sky Pavilion? Do you have any proof?"
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya looked at Lu Qianshan silently.
Lu Qianshan immediately said, "Don't misunderstand. I, Lu Qianshan, have always done things openly and honestly. If it's not the right person, even if they kill me, I won't hand over the blue crystal. If you're really from the Evil Sky Pavilion, I'll naturally hand it over."
"As you wish." Lu Zhou suddenly pushed his hand out.
A blue lotus shot out immediately.
Lu Qianshan's eyes burned with enthusiasm when he saw the blue lotus shooting toward him. When he finally realized the blue lotus was aimed at him, he hurriedly lifted his arms to block the blue lotus.
Bang!
A huge energy seal appeared. Even so, Lu Qianshan's arms trembled from the impact and grew numb. He was pushed back until he hit one of the red pillars in the hall. At this time, he gulped when he recalled the collective demotion of the Black Tower Council and Lan Xihe's defeat. The young man was undoubtedly the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion; he had made the mistake of judging a book by its cover. The young appearance should be a disguise.
After a moment, Lu Qianshan collected his emotions and endured the pain before he lowered his head and said, "Lu Qianshan greets Pavilion Master Lu."
"Have I met you before?" Lu Zhou asked.
Lu Qianshan replied, "Pavilion Master Lu and I have never met, but Pavilion Master Lu has met my nephew."
"Your nephew?"
"My nephew's name is Lu Li," Lu Qianshan said.
"…"
Lu Qianshan continued, "Lu Li lost his parents when he was young. He stayed in the Lu clan's estate before he was sent to the Land of Shu to cultivate. Later on, he joined the Black Tower Council."
Lu Zhou nodded and asked, "Did you send Zhao Hongfu from the Runic Academy to me?"
Lu Qianshan said immediately, "No…" However, he turned to the old butler and said, "Old Jiang, close the doors. No one is allowed to come close or enter…"
"Understood." The old butler left the hall and drove everyone away before he stood guard outside.
Then, Lu Qianshan said, "After Lu Li went missing, I began to investigate in secret. At first, I thought it was Pavilion Master Lu who killed him. Later, I found out from people in the Black Tower Council that Lu Li's life stone was still intact. I got in touch with Yan Zhenluo since I knew he had a close relationship with my nephew. I learned from Yan Zhenluo that Pavilion Master Lu had saved Lu Li. Therefore, I sent Zhao Hongfu to you as a gesture of appreciation."
Lu Zhou felt very at ease now that he discovered Lu Qianshan was Lu Li's uncle; everything would be much easier now. It seemed like fate with so many coincidences.
At this moment, Lu Qianshan asked, "Pavilion Master Lu, can you show me your true appearance?"
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Chapter 1075: Standing at the Peak in the Black Lotus Domain
After all, it felt strange for Lu Qianshan to face someone whom he had been worshipping.
"This is my true appearance," Lu Zhou said. His back was straight and his expression was as calm as always.
Lu Qianshan. "…"
Si Wuya smiled and said, "General Lu, you already know my master's identity. Why bother beating around the bush?"
Lu Qianshan was taken aback; these words made sense
Lu Zhou noticed Lu Qianshan's awkward expression and asked, "Who did you say I look like?"
"Well…" Lu Qianshan hesitated. On second thought, if the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion harbored ill intentions, Lu Li would have died a long time ago. What's more, with Lu Zhou's cultivation base, there was no need for him to waste his breath talking if he truly wanted to act. Finally, he turned toward the entrance and said, "Old Jiang, bring the painting here."
"Understood."
Soon after, the old butler returned to the hall with the painting.
Lu Qianshan took the painting and unrolled it in front of Lu Zhou, holding it in the air.
When Lu Zhou and Si Wuya saw the painting, they were both taken aback.
Lu Zhou. "???"
Si Wuya. "???"
It was already a huge coincidence that they resembled each other so much, but they even shared the same surname.
Si Wuya, being the rational person he was, had already begun to analyze the situation. Did someone see his master and fake the painting? However, the ink of the painting did not seem fresh. Or, perhaps, this branch of the Lu family came from his master when his master was young? However, that seemed unlikely as well; this was the black lotus domain after all. When his master was young, his cultivation base was unlikely to be high enough to survive in the black lotus domain. After thinking for a long time, he still could not come up with a plausible theory.
"He is?"
"He's the ancestor of the Lu clan. His name is Lu Tiantong, and he's known as Daoist Master Lu," Lu Qianshan replied.
"…" Lu Zhou felt this matter was too bizarre as well; it was too difficult to understand. Moreover, the surname of the body he had transmigrated was Ji, not Lu. So what was this situation? At this moment, he recalled the memory crystals that had 26 scripts. What was that so?
Si Wuya asked, "So my master looks like your ancestor?"
Lu Qianshan said, "Strictly speaking, he's not my ancestor…"
"Tell me." Lu Zhou did not have any important matters to attend to at the moment, and he was curious.
"Patriarch Lu was born 30,000 years ago when the world was in turmoil and chaotic. He was from an ordinary family but was extraordinarily talented in cultivation. In less than 1,000 years, he shook the world and crushed countless enemies. Cultivators who shared the same ideals with him worked with him to bring the chaos and turmoil to an end, garnering them the worship of the following generations. He was a person who stood at the peak. That's all I know. My ancestors, the children, and grandchildren have all worshiped him since a long time ago. In my generation, he was highly revered as well. It was only about 10,000 years ago that the world gradually forgot about his achievements. Some people even covet the things he left behind. For the sake of the future generations' protection, we took on the surname Lu and regard him as our ancestor." As he spoke, he raised his hand in a gesture of reverence.
Lu Zhou asked, "So you're not real descendants of the Lu clan?"
Lu Qianshan shook his head and said frankly, "He is an old man who cultivated and wandered the world. How could he have useless descendants like me? On the contrary, the Patriarch has blessed and protected us; we need not worry about a roof over our heads, food, or clothing…"
Silence descended briefly in the hall.
After a moment, Lu Qianshan looked at Lu Zhou and said, "I was really shocked when I first saw Pavilion Master Lu earlier. To think there's another person who resembled him so much; that's why I lost my composure…"
"It's alright," Lu Zhou waved his hand and said, "There are all kinds of strange things in this world."
30,000 years ago was a long time. Perhaps, it was truly a coincidence. This kind of thing should only be treated as an anecdote.
At this time, Si Wuya asked, "What do you mean by the protection of the future generation? What are you protecting?"
"Faith," Lu Qianshan replied with his bright eyes, "One's life can't be without faith. The faith of the Lu clan is the Patriarch. Just like how ordinary families worship their respective ancestors, not everything has to be about benefits. Faith serves as a kind of spiritual comfort as well when times are tough…"
As though he realized he had spoken too fervently, Lu Qianshan smiled sheepishly before he said, "I apologize for getting carried away…" Following that, he waved his hand, indicating to Old Jiang to bring the painting back to the study.
Lu Zhou said, "There's nothing wrong with having faith or worshipping one's ancestors. Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, where's the blue crystal?"
This time, Lu Qianshan did not ask the old butler to retrieve it. Instead, he excused himself and told Lu Zhou to wait for a moment. He went to the back of the mountain and dove to the bottom of a lake to retrieve a specially-made brocade box. When he returned to the hall, he was still drenched from the lake water. He did not use Primal Qi to dry himself to show his sincerity.
Upon seeing the brocade box, Lu Zhou nodded slightly. "You're very cautious. Where did you find it?"
"300 years ago, I was lucky enough to encounter it when I was up north…" Lu Qianshan said.
"You participated in the Great Void Expedition?"
"No, I didn't go to the Unknown Land; I was only outside of it. At that time, cultivators were warring with the fierce beasts, and the casualties were high. My ambitions weren't that high; I only wanted to obtain life hearts. Who knew I'd encounter such a thing? I managed to obtain the blue crystal from a fierce beast. It was later on that I found out the blue crystal was once the soil from where the Great Void Seeds grew. Alas, as time passed, the Great Void energy in it depleted as well. Currently, there's not much value to it," Lu Qianshan explained.
"Why didn't you absorb the Great Void energy in it?" Lu Zhou asked.
Lu Qianshan laughed and said, "In fact, I originally planned to offer it to the Black Emperor, but…" He shook his head before he said, "In any case, it's not easy to absorb the energy in the blue crystal. I thought it was best to seal it…"
Lu Zhou nodded in satisfaction. He opened the box.
Clack!
A blue crystal lay quietly inside the brocade box. It was crystal clear like the cloudless sky.
After he picked the blue crystal up, the quest on the system panel registered a change immediately.
"Second avatar: Collecting all the blue crystals (2/9)."
This time, everything went smoothly. Lu Zhou thought he would have to use force; he had even prepared an advanced enhanced Reduction Card. To think Lu Qianshan and Lu Li were so closely related as well.
After putting the blue crystal away, Lu Zhou asked, "Are you willing to give this to me?"
"I have no use for it. The Lu clan has lost power. It's not impossible that one day the Lu clan would be seized. I'll give this to Pavilion Master Lu as a way to repay you for saving Lu Li's life…"
"I've always appreciated tactful people. I won't just take without giving in return; this is my principle. Just leave the matter regarding the Black Emperor to me…"
Lu Qianshan was overjoyed. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Pavilion Master Lu."
Lu Zhou added, "Do you know where the other blue crystals are?"
Lu Qianshan said, "There are six blue crystals altogether. Lan Xihe has one; Great Ming's royal family has one. As for the other three, we'll have to speak to Xiao Yunhe, the former Tower Master of the BTC."
Lu Zhou cocked an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "The remaining three blue crystals are in his possession?"
Lu Zhou felt like he had really underestimated Xiao Yunhe. Even after losing five Birth Charts, Xiao Yunhe still managed to secure three blue crystals.
"He's the only one left whom I could think of. After all, he's one of the few survivors from the Great Void Expedition," Lu Qianshan replied.
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Chapter 1076: Disobeying the Imperial Edict
One should not judge a book by its cover. When Lu Zhou first met Xiao Yunhe, outwardly, Xiao Yunhe was rather ordinary. However, Xiao Yunhe's formerly undamaged 12 Birth Charts and his hexagonal weapon spoke of his past glory.
The problem now was Lu Zhou did not know where Xiao Yunhe had gone. Since the time they parted, he had not heard any news of Xiao Yunhe.
"Do you know of Xiao Yunhe's current location?" Lu Zhou asked.
Lu Qianshan shook his head, indicating that he did not know.
At this moment, Si Wuya said, "Master, Tower Master Xiao will return to the Black Tower Council sooner or later."
Lu Zhou nodded. "Send a message to Jiang Jiuli and ask him to pay attention to this matter."
Si Wuya said, "Jiang Jiuli is just a judge. It's likely he's not privy to many matters in the Upper Tower. Apart from that, the Black Tower Council knows of master and Tower Master Xiao's good relationship, and they probably wish that isn't the case. I think we can directly approach the Fourth Elder of the Black Tower Council, Lu Si, and ask him to pay attention to this matter. Lu Si was unharmed during the collective demotion of the Black Tower Council. He's cunning and a notorious conservative. I think he's the easiest to manipulate…"
"Alright, I'll leave this matter to you…" Lu Zhou said.
"Understood."
The collective demotion of the Black Tower Council was all thanks to the Supreme Mystic Card. Now that Lu Zhou did not have the card, he did not feel safe dealing with the Black Tower Council. It was best to let his seventh disciple use his wits to deal with the Black Tower Council.
Lu Zhou looked at the sky outside.
Just as Lu Zhou Was about to rise to his feet and leave, the old butler suddenly rushed into the hall. "Master, someone from the palace is here!"
Lu Qianshan stood up and said angrily, "They're going too far!"
Lu Zhou had just taken the blue crystal from Lu Qianshan. Most importantly, Lu Qianshan had been extremely cooperative about it. It would be too cruel for him to ignore this matter. Moreover, this was Lu Li's family, and the Lu clan's ancestor and he shared a resemblance. It was fate. Therefore, he asked, "What's going on?"
Lu Qianshan said angrily, "Back in the day, I led an army to the west and fought against the foreign tribes. In those days, I traveled far and wide and subdued many barbarians! Now that the country is peaceful, they want to get rid of me!" After a moment of silence, he calmed down and said with a sigh, "It's all my fault that the Lu clan didn't live up to expectations; I can't blame anyone…"
At this moment, a group of people forced their way into the spacious yard outside the hall.
A eunuch's loud voice rang in the air soon after.
"General Lu, come out and receive the Imperial edict."
Lu Qianshan ignored the eunuch. He only placed his hands on his back as he looked outside.
On the other hand, the old butler was so anxious that his face grew red. He looked to the left and the right, not knowing what to do.
"General Lu, come out and receive the Imperial edict."
This time, the voice reverberated through the Lu clan's estate after being infused with energy.
With this, the guards in the Lu clan's estate rushed over.
Following that, the members of the Lu clan arrived one after another as well.
When the eunuch saw the elegant and graceful Madam Lu, he said, "Madam Lu, where is General Lu? It's time for him to come out and receive the Imperial edict."
Lu Qianshan's wife, naturally, did not dare to speak on behalf of her husband.
At the same time, the other members of the Lu Clan began to persuade Lu Qianshan's wife with troubled and anxious expressions on their faces.
"Madam Lu, hurry up and persuade Master to receive the Imperial edict!"
"Our Lu clan can't afford to offend the royal family. Refusing to receive the Imperial edict is a great crime."
The members of the Lu clan knew the clan's status was declining day by day and had already foreseen this situation. However, they did not expect it to come so early.
In the end, Madam Lu looked at the women of the Lu clan and said, "All of you, come with me."
"Understood."
With that, the women from the Lu clan began to make their way to the hall. However, before they could enter the hall, a voice rang from inside.
"No one's allowed to enter the hall."
Madam Lu and the other women came to a halt immediately.
Following that, Lu Qianshan said, "Eunuch Zhang, you can leave the Imperial edict behind and take your leave."
"If I don't witness General Lu personally receiving the Imperial edict, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain myself. I hope General Lu won't make things difficult for me," Eunuch Zhang said rather defiantly despite being just a eunuch.
After a moment, Lu Qianshan walked out of the hall. When Eunuch Zhang was about to read the Imperial edict, he grabbed the Imperial edict and said, "There's no need for you to read it. I've already received the Imperial edict. You can leave now."
Eunuch Zhang did not get angry. Instead, he chuckled and said, "The Imperial edict represents the emperor. If it weren't because we have such a good relationship, just this act of yours is enough to sentence you to death."
Lu Qianshan said, "Eunuch Zhang, do you think I am scared? Are you fiercer than the barbarians I'd faced?"
"…"
"When I roamed the battlefield, you didn't even have the right to speak…"
Eunuch Zhang said nonchalantly, "General Lu, what's the point of venting your anger on me? Fine, I'll leave. It doesn't matter that I don't read the Imperial edict as long as you've received it. Let's go!" Then, he waved the horsetail whisk in his hand and turned to this troubled place.
Although Eunuch Zhang was just a eunuch, he would sometimes use his power to bully those below him. However, no matter how the Lu clan had declined, he still did not dare to bully the Lu clan. It would be the end of him if word spread that he had bullied the Lu clan.
At this moment, Lu Zhou's calm voice rang from the hall.
"Wait."
Eunuch Zhang was stunned. He was a cultivator as well so he could tell the voice that was laced with slight energy was directed at him. He spun around instinctively and looked at the hall. He watched as two young men emerged from the hall.
The young man on the left walked out with his hands resting on his back while the young man on the right seemed rather respectful of the person next to him when he walked out.
The members of the Lu clan looked at each other in confusion.
"Who are these people?"
"I didn't know we have guests…"
"They're both young. Could one of them be a young master of a wealthy family in the capital?"
Fortunately, not many of the members of the Lu clan had seen the portrait of their ancestor. Hence, they did not think anything was strange.
Lu Qianshan turned around and bowed. "Pavilion Master Lu."
Eunuch Zhang was dumbfounded. There was actually a young man in this world who could make Lu Qianshan act so respectfully? He shifted his eyes to Lu Zhou and wondered about Lu Zhou's identity.
At this moment, Lu Zhou raised his hand casually. The Imperial edict flew out of Lu Qianshan's hand into his hand. He unrolled it to have a look.
The words were euphemistic, but the message was simple. To sum it up, Lu Qianshan was being ordered to retire, leave the capital, and return to his hometown. The Lu clan's estate in the capital was to be returned, or more truthfully, confiscated, to the royal family in exchange for a comfortable courtyard in the Annan Province.
After reading the Imperial edict, Lu Zhou casually tossed it into the air and reduced it to ashes with his karmic fire.
Eunuch Zhang was shocked. He wondered what kind of background the young man in front of him possessed that he was so bold as to knowingly destroy the Imperial edict. For a moment, he wondered if the young man was from the white lotus domain.
Eunuch Zhang who was by the emperor's side all year round knew that cultivators could not be judged by their appearances. The stronger they were, the easier it was for them to disguise themselves. For this reason, he did not dare to underestimate the seemingly young man in front of him.
Lu Zhou said with a hint of haughtiness that was engraved into his bones, "Return and tell your emperor that this old man had received the Imperial edict on Lu Qianshan's behalf."
'This old man?' Eunuch Zhang was slightly stunned. Was the young man a monstrous cultivator like Lan Xihe?
Alas, the eunuch next to Eunuch Zhang was not as wise as Eunuch Zhang. He said, "Young man, you really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. You dare to treat the Imperial edict in such a manner!"
Lu Zhou glanced at the eunuch briefly and called out tonelessly, "Lu Qianshan."
"Your orders?" Lu Qianshan straightened his back before he faced Lu Zhou.
"Slap," Lu Zhou said curtly, true to his style of speaking.
'Slap? Slap what?' Lu Qianshan was confused. Perhaps, he was so used to enduring that he had yet to adapt to Lu Zhou's bold style of doing things. However, when he saw the direction of Lu Zhou's gaze, realization dawned on him immediately.
Swoosh!
Without any more words, Lu Qianshan flashed in front of the eunuch next to Eunuch Zhang and slapped him.
Smack!
The eunuch was sent flying back. The pain on his cheek was unbearable as he rolled on the ground after landing. Before he could even scream in pain, he had already fainted. Alas, this slap probably cost him half his life.
Lu Qianshan was a martial artist, not a civil servant. He had dreamed countless times about beating up the cunning officials. Therefore, he felt rather moved after slapping the eunuch.
"Lu Qianshan, you…" Eunuch Zhang did not dare to speak to Lu Zhou. However, he knew Lu Qianshan very well. He directed his words at Lu Qianshan and angrily said, "Lu Qianshan, this is His Majesty's decree. Nothing will change even if you kill all of us! You can't change the result."
Lu Qianshan felt as though he had been doused with a bucket of ice water after listening to these words.
At this time, Lu Zhou, who was standing on the steps, said, "I can change it."
"What?"
Lu Zhou said, "Are you returning to the palace?"
"Now that I've passed on the Imperial edict, I naturally have to return to the palace," Eunuch Zhang said.
"Alright, let's go together."
Lu Qianshan and Eunuch Zhang. "…"
They both thought, 'What a direct person!'
"Lu Qianshan, come with me," Lu Zhou said.
Lu Qianshan was stunned.
When Lu Zhou saw Lu Qianshan hesitating, he asked, "Are you afraid?"
Upon hearing these words, Lu Qianshan said, "Who's afraid? Let's go then!"
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Chapter 1077: The Strongest Expert in Great Yuan's Royal Palace
Originally, Lu Zhou only planned to visit Great Yuan's royal palace after he had seven or eight Birth Charts. However, today's incident called for a change of plan. Currently, he already activated six Birth Charts; coupled with his Deadly Strike Card and the Reduction Card, even a 12 Chart expert would not be a match for him. Apart from that, he still had quite a lot of merit points. Finally, there were not many 12 Chart experts around. For all these reasons, he decided to visit Great Yuan's royal palace today.
Meanwhile, Lu Qianshan's blood was boiling; his fighting spirit had been reignited.
On the contrary, Eunuch Zhang was dumbfounded. He stammered, "N-not… Not… n-not everyone… not everyone's allowed to meet His Majesty…"
Lu Qianshan said with a touch of arrogance, "Will His Majesty refuse to meet me, General Lu?"
"Yes, yes, yes…" Eunuch Zhang was flustered; he was no longer arrogant. He was rather certain Lu Qianshan had lost his mind; it was best not to provoke a madman. He would be done for if Lu Qianshan acted recklessly in a moment of insanity.
Lu Qianshan turned around and said to his clan members, "Stay in the estate. No one's to leave without permission."
…
After walking out of the Lu clan's estate, Lu Zhou, Si Wuya, and Lu Qianshan rode in Eunuch Zhang's carriage back to the royal palace.
Meanwhile, the members of the Lu clan who had gathered at the entrance of the estate discussed among themselves.
One of the concubines asked in a low voice, "Old Jiang, who's that young man?"
"It's best not to ask too many questions," Old Jiang said in a low voice.
Madam Lu said, "At this time, you're still being so secretive. He's handsome and possesses an extraordinary bearing. It's clear he's not from an ordinary family. Even Master was respectful toward him. Perhaps, we can form a marriage alliance with him. Yu'er is 28 years old and is compatible with him…"
"…"
Madam Lu's train of thoughts was truly admirable. Even at such a time, she could miss the main point.
The old butler wished he could tell these people that the young man was the ancestor of the Lu clan. However, he remembered his master's words and could only say with a bow, "Madam Lu, I'm afraid that's inappropriate…"
"Why is it inappropriate? Is the Young Miss of the Lu clan not worthy of him?"
"Uh…" The old butler looked troubled. He said in an increasingly soft voice, afraid of angering Madam Lu, "In fact, t-that… that's truly the case…" He forced himself to say these words; some things had to be nipped in the bud before they became troubles.
Madam Lu was taken aback by those words. After a while, realization seemed to dawn on her. She looked at the carriage that was getting further and further away as she said, "What a pity!"
…
Meanwhile, in a forest in the red lotus domain.
Yu Shangrong had been testing the height and limits of his avatar for a few days now after sprouting the eleventh leaf.
He let his avatar grow to 450 feet tall, which was equivalent to the height of the avatar of a Four Chart cultivator.
When he increased his avatar's height to 500 feet, he discovered he had the strength of a Five Chart Thousand Realms Whirling cultivator.
When it grew to 550 feet tall, he found that it was getting difficult to control his avatar. In other words, after sprouting the eleventh leaf, his strength was roughly around that of a Four Chart cultivator to a Six Chart cultivator.
Yu Shangrong smiled faintly; he was very satisfied with this result. He murmured, "Problems will eventually resolve themselves with time…"
It did not matter to Yu Shangrong if he had Birth Charts or not. After all, the powers from the life hearts were deeply engraved in his bones and flowing through his Extraordinary Eight Meridians. Moreover, he still preferred to rely on his sword to kill people. It was not his style to kill people from afar. All in all, he was very satisfied with his current state.
He wondered out loud, "I wonder what will happen if I continue absorbing life hearts? Will I sprout the twelfth leaf?"
Swoosh!
At this moment, Ji Liang landed in the forest.
Yu Shangrong smiled. "Old friend, I knew you'd come. What do you think about returning to the royal palace with me?"
Ji Liang neighed.
"Don't worry about master. Let's go," Yu Shangrong said as he leaped onto Ji Liang's back.
…
In the Indestructible Hall of Great Yuan's royal palace.
"Your Majesty, General Lu requests an audience," a eunuch said.
A middle-aged man dressed in a casual but fine robe was playing with something in his hand at this moment. He was none other than Mu Ertie, Great Yuan's emperor. Otherwise, known to others as the Black Emperor.
"Lu Qianshan?" Mu Ertie appeared confused. "Hasn't the Imperial edict been sent out? Why is looking for me?"
"Eunuch Zhang's people had informed us that Lu Qianshan openly disobeyed the Imperial edict and destroyed the Imperial edict," the eunuch said.
Mu Ertie grew unnaturally still when he heard these words. After a moment, he slowly turned around and looked at the eunuch who had prostrated himself on the ground. He walked to the dragon throne and took a seat before he said, "Pass down my orders: punish Lu Qianshan for the crime of disobeying the Imperial edict. Due to his meritorious deeds in the past, he won't be sentenced to death. Instead, he will be exiled to the Black Sea and is prohibited from ever returning to the capital."
"Understood," the eunuch replied before respectfully leaving the hall.
…
At this time, Eunuch Zhang led the way. The royal palace was very vast after all. However, only a few guards, eunuchs, and palace maids could be seen within a few thousand meters.
Lu Qianshan said bluntly, "Eunuch Zhang, you're walking abnormally slow today. Are you stalling for time?"
"You're thinking too much. We're already in the royal palace; what's the point of stalling for time?"
As soon as Eunuch Zhang finished speaking, four figures arrived from afar in just a blink of an eye.
"His Majesty has decreed that Lu Qianshan is to be sentenced to death for disobeying the Imperial edict and insubordination."
It was normal for orders to change after it was passed down from the top.
Lu Qianshan said with a frown, "I want to see His Majesty."
The four experts swooped down.
One of them said, "You're just a condemned criminal now. Please come with us."
Before Lu Qianshan could make a move, Lu Zhou raised his left hand to stop Lu Qianshan. Then, he pushed his right hand out. To save time, he decided to act instead.
Lu Qianshan was about to make a move.
To save time, Lu Zhou raised his left arm and placed it in front of him. He raised his right palm.
The Nine Cuts Hand Seal!
The golden palm seal sent the four experts flying in the air.
Lu Qianshan was rather calm at this moment. With the help from the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sk Pavilion, everything should be fine.
After regaining their footing, the four experts stood in a row in the air and said, "This is the royal palace. It's not a place where random people can behave as they please. Senior, you've come to the wrong place."
Lu Zhou said indifferently, "I'm here to see the Black Emperor."
"You want to see His Majesty?"
The four experts did not ask any other questions and charged toward Lu Zhou again.
Lu Zhou shook his head and sighed, "You don't know what's good for you."
Lu Zhou thought it would not be difficult to meet the emperor with Lu Qianshan's status. Who knew it would be so troublesome? In the end, he still had to resort to force. He flashed forward before launching a blue palm seal. His speed, boosted by Di Jiang's life heart, was so fast that the four experts only saw his afterimages.
In fact, Lu Zhou had launched four separate palm seals. However, due to his speed, it seemed to the others that he only launched a palm seal.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The four palm seals landed on the four experts respectively, shattering their protective energies and breaking their ribs before sending them flying back.
Lu Qianshan and Eunuch Zhang. "…"
Si Wuya, who had gotten used to scenes like this, said, "Since my master dares to enter the royal palace, do you think he'd be afraid of mediocre cultivators?"
'Mediocre cultivators? Those four are expert internal guards!' Eunuch Zhang's face was drenched in sweat. He hastily said, "P-please follow me. His Majesty is waiting for you in the Indestructible Hall…"
Lu Zhou ignored the four cultivators. He placed his hand on his back and continued following Eunuch Zhang to the Indestructible Hall.
When they were just 100 meters outside of the Indestructible Hall, everyone suddenly came to a stop.
A man dressed in brown armor, wielding a longsword, hovered 10 meters above the ground. His eyes were slightly closed, and his head was lowered; it looked as though he was asleep.
Lu Qianshan said, "He's the strongest expert in the royal palace, An Se."
"Strongest expert?" Lu Zhou looked at the swordsman who was hovering motionlessly in the air.
"He's the only expert in the capital who's allowed to carry a sword. Those four earlier can't be compared to An Se at all. Even at my peak, I was no match for him," Lu Qianshan said.
Lu Zhou asked, "How strong is he at his peak?"
"At his peak, his strength should at least be that of a Ten Chart expert," Lu Qianshan said, "However, that's not the terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing is An Se went from a One Chart cultivator to a Ten Chart expert in less than 300 years. He's known as the most promising cultivator in the black lotus domain. Many predicted he'll be able to surpass the Black Tower Council's Xia Zhengrong in another 300 years."
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Chapter 1078: Striking With The Reduction Card
Xia Zhengrong was the Tower Master of the Black Tower Council. Although Lu Zhou beat him up, he could not be considered useless or weak. Even after Lu Zhou used the supreme mystic power to attack Xia Zhengrong with 20 consecutive strikes, Xia Zhengrong only lost one Birth Chart. With this, one could see how profound his cultivation base was. Not counting the 3,600 Dao inscriptions and his armor, he would need ten palm strikes with the supreme mystic power to destroy one of Xia Zhengrong's Birth Charts.
Even the Grand Tutor of Great Ming, Gongsun Yuanxuan, could not take one palm seal filled with the supreme mystic power even though he and Xia Zhengrong were both 12 Chart cultivators. The difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
To think Lu Qianshan said the so-called strongest expert in Great Yuan's royal palace would surpass Xia Zhengrong in 300 years.
Lu Qianshan said, "To be able to become a Ten Chart expert from a One Chart expert in 300 years is difficult as it is. However, he had also done a lot of research on the sword path. He even came up with a sword path called the Infinite Sword Path."
"The Infinite Sword Path?" The name sounded intimidating, and Lu Zhou thought perhaps, An Se was really an expert. Nevertheless, he did not think it was worth it to use his item cards on An Se.
At the same time, Lu Zhou was calculating how to maximize the number of merit points he could earn. He thought he would just use the Deadly Strike Card, worse come to worst.
Eunuch Zhang said with a smile, "He's the only one who mastered the Infinite Sword Path. Warrior An Se's Birth Charts are very distinct, and none of them overlapped with each other. The most impressive thing is he only has one elementary life heart. The others are all intermediate and advanced life hearts. Birth Charts and life hearts are the most important after all. His peers who are Ten Chart experts can't compare to him at all; they'll definitely be defeated by his sword!" His high-pitched voice rose and fell as he spoke like a performer; as though he was putting on a show, he would point and gesture with his hands once in a while.
Eunuch Zhang continued to say, "Three months ago, Warrior An Se went to the western grassland and killed the barbarian king there. The barbarian king was an Eleven Chart expert. He has made great contributions to Great Yuan and is His Majesty's most capable arm…"
Lu Qianshan nodded and said, "He's right. I have fought with the barbarians for many years, but I didn't expect An Se to be able to kill the barbarian king. There's no doubt An Se is a rare cultivation genius."
Eunuch Zhang raised his hand and said in a conspiratorial manner, "General Lu, you only know one part of it… The reason Warrior Anse is able to kill Eleven Chart experts and fight on even ground with Twelve Chart experts isn't because of the Infinite Sword Path alone. It's because he obtained a life heart from the Unknown Land. An Se's master, the Sect Master of the Dark Soul Sect, participated in the Great Void Expedition and obtained the life heart at that time. His master was seriously injured from the expedition and passed away when he returned. With that, the life heart from the Unknown Land was given to the disciple he was most proud of, Warrior An Se."
"…" According to Lu Zhou's established strategy, he would not waste time and would slap An Se with his absolute strength to make An Se behave. However, now that Eunuch Zhang mentioned the life heart from the Unknown Land, his interest was piqued. He asked, "What life heart was it?"
Eunuch Zhang said, "No one knows. Those who saw him used the power of that life heart had all died. Warrior An Se is smart and won't simply provoke Twelve Chart experts. Therefore, no one could do anything to him…"
Lu Qianshan scoffed. "So that's why he has the courage to challenge Pavilion Master Lu?"
"This…" Eunuch Zhang who was caught up in bragging regained his senses. Then, he bowed and said, "It should be His Majesty's decree."
Lu Qianshan glared at Eunuch Zhang before he walked forward. He only walked a few meters when An Se suddenly opened his eyes.
Primal Qi surged like a tsunami.
An Se flew forward, unmoving like a statue, for about ten meters. Then, he said in a gentle voice, "I'm following His Majesty's orders to behead you. Lu Qianshan, do you have any last words?"
In An Se's eyes, Lu Qianshan was already a dead man.
Initially, Emperor Mu Ertie had no intention of killing Lu Qianshan. He did not want Great Yan's royal family to gain the reputation of being ruthless and vicious. However, Lu Qianshan was stubborn and did not consider the dignity of the royal family. Therefore, he decided to sentence Lu Qianshan to death.
Lu Qianshan said, "I want to see His Majesty…"
A faint smile appeared on An Se's face as he said, "Since you know who I am, there's no need for us to waste time. I've heard your last words, and I'll convey them to His Majesty when I bring your head to him…"
"You…"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At this moment, hundreds of energy swords shot out of An Se's swords. They looked incredibly dazzling. Their speed and angle were rather strange as they circled around Lu Qianshan.
Lu Qianshan had no choice but to send the annoying as flies energy swords away with a few slaps. However, despite how many times he sent the energy swords away, their number kept increasing like locusts.
It had to be said that An Se's control of the energy swords was rather good.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The energy swords suddenly shot at Lu Qianshan as An Se dove.
Lu Qianshan flipped a few times to avoid the attack, causing his blood and Qi to surge. When he landed on his feet, he staggered a few steps back; his face was ashen.
The energy swords that covered the sky earlier had also disappeared.
An Se said tonelessly, "As it turns out, General Lu who used to rule the western region is just average…"
Lu Qianshan had an illustrious past; it was rather glorious. However, after enduring the unhappiness for such a long time after being unfairly suppressed, he was easily angered by these words. For this reason, he lost his reason; he stomped his feet like a clumsy bear and rushed out.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The commotion attracted many of the royal palace's experts. When they saw An Se, who was the Black Emperor's close confidant, they did not dare approach and only watched from afar. It would definitely be fun watching Great Yuan's royal palace's strongest expert in action.
Meanwhile, An Se suddenly flew back and brandished his longsword. He said, "General Lu's best life heart is from the black bear. Its defense is said to be astonishingly rough. Today, I'll use this sword to destroy this ability of yours…"
At this moment, Lu Zhou was silently observing from the side. He wanted to see An Se's abilities before he decided what to do. If it was not worth it, he would deal with An Se using the supreme mystic power or lower the number of his Birth Charts.
An Se's energy swords formed the eight trigrams of Yin and Yang and spun out. His control was flawless. It seemed like it was a speed-type ability.
Soon after, the energy swords glowed with a distinct light.
Lu Zhou could tell An Se had used the ability of an offense-type life heart and that An Se's weapon was at the flood grade.
Buzz!
An astrolabe that shielded An Se completely appeared. Due to shining triangles, it was difficult to see how many Birth Charts he had activated. The lights grew brighter and brighter…
At this moment, An Se suddenly rushed forward with his astrolabe.
Lu Qianshan had many experiences in combat so he was able to react quickly and manifested his astrolabe to block An Se's incoming attack.
Boom!
The two opponents collided.
The ground in front of the Indestructible Hall cracked; the cracks snaked out for thousands of meters.
Lu Qianshan was sent flying by massive force. Although he was not gravely injured, the posture was rather miserable.
An Se flashed forward and said with a faint smile on his face, "Farewell…"
At this moment, Lu Qianshan suddenly felt as though he had lost control of his body. He could feel his body grow heavier and heavier. Apart from that, his Primal Qi seemed frozen, making it difficult for him to mobilize. What was going on?
The countless energy swords that appeared at An Se's back shot out swiftly and fiercely at this moment, looking like a black dragon from afar.
Eunuch Zhang had a smile on his face when he saw this. He could not help but nod his head with a satisfied and approving expression on his face.
Si Wuya did not expect Lu Qianshan would be so easily beaten up as well.
At this moment, when the black dragon was about to land on Lu Qianshan, Lu Zhou finally made his move…
Boom!
A blue palm seal firmly blocked the path of the black dragon formed by energy swords.
The black dragon pushed against the blue palm seal, creating a sizzling noise.
"Hmm?" An Se finally noticed something was amiss. "Buddhist palm seal?"
An Se rose higher in the sky to have a look. Then, he saw the owner of the blue palm seal, a young man who looked dignified, elegant, and calm, standing with his right hand pushed outward.
The palm seal was as immovable as a mountain, perfectly blocking the black dragon.
An Se frowned. "You shouldn't have intervened."
An Se waved his hand casually. Just like before, countless energy swords appeared in the air again, forming the second black dragon. At the same time, his black astrolabe surged with the power of his Birth Charts.
Lu Zhou raised his head and said, "Ignorant." Then, he confidently tossed out the advanced enhanced Reduction Card with his left hand. When it shattered, a golden net shot out.
Anse was unmoved. He brandished his sword.
Bang!
The golden net was still there.
An Se waved his sword again.
Bang!
Just like before, the golden net was unaffected.
An Se waved his sword again and again, but it was futile.
The golden net continued to advance as though it was going to capture An Se.
At this moment, An Se finally felt a slight sense of urgency. He hurriedly withdrew the black dragons and retreated at top speed.
At this moment, the golden net suddenly increased its speed and shot toward An Se at lightning speed.
Bang!
Anser's astrolabe appeared instinctively.
The golden net suddenly transformed into five spots of light and flew into An Se's astrolabe.
Anse was shocked and let out an involuntary cry. He could sense something was very wrong with his astrolabe, and he could see a bump on it that was expanding swiftly. It looked like it was going to explode at any time.
Swoosh!
A crystal-clear life heart flew out of the astrolabe.
Lu Zhou waved his hand, and the life heart flew into his hand.
At the same time, a mysterious energy suddenly surged into five triangles on An Se's astrolabe. Just like that, they dimmed as though they had never been activated in the first place. With that, the astrolabe shrank in size as well.
"???"
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Chapter 1079: Your Majesty, This is the Ancestor of the Lu Clan
The energy in An Se's Dantian's sea of Qi dissipated and returned to the world immediately. At the same time, his cultivation base dropped rapidly. He had fallen from a Ten Chart cultivator to a Five Chart cultivator; it was not simple as just having his power halved. In fact, the mysterious power had consumed at least 80% of his strength.
Unable to adapt to the sudden change, An Se fell rapidly from the sky.
Bang!
When An Se landed, he looked at his hands in a daze. He was dumbfounded when he felt the changes in his Dantian's sea of Qi.
"How… H-how's this possible?"
Let alone Lu Qianshan and the others, even Si Wuya was baffled; they did not know what happened.
Lu Zhou did not pay attention to them. Instead, he looked at the life heart in his hand.
"Ding! The giant turtle's life heart; advanced life heart. Ability: gravity control."
"As expected, it's gravity control." While Lu Zhou was observing An Se and Lu Qianshan's fight earlier, he had found it strange. It looked to him as though Lu Qianshan weighed down by gravity.
Lu Zhou nodded. Indeed, this was a rather good life heart. He had profited by exchanging the advanced enhanced Reduction Card for the life heart. It was a pity that the life heart had already been used once so he could not give it to his disciple. In any case, he saw it as a positive thing; after all, he urgently needed to increase his lifespan.
Meanwhile, the experts gathered near the entrance of the Indestructible Hall to watch the strongest expert in Great Yuan's royal palace was puzzled. They only saw the two black dragons vanishing into thin air before five spots of light struck An Se's astrolabe. Just like that, the battle seemed to have ended; they did not even have time to enjoy the show.
Buzz!
An Se manifested his astrolabe in front of him. He studied the triangles on the Birth Disk carefully. He stroked the triangles with his fingers and felt the sharp edges and saw the brilliance.
'One, two, three, four, five… five…'
No matter how hard An Se searched he could not find his sixth and other Birth Charts! He was so engrossed in his search that he failed to notice his astrolabe was still shrinking. It continued to shrink until it was the size of a plate.
An Se's fingers trembled as he stroked his astrolabe. "No… No… Impossible! How can it be?!"
An Se began to lose his rationality; his emotions began to show themselves. How cruel was it to have one's most prized possession taken away? He turned to glare at Lu Zhou. When he saw the life heart in Lu Zhou's hand, his heart throbbed painfully and violently. With this, all he saw was red; he let anger dictate his actions. He stomped on the ground and charged at Lu Zhou with his astrolabe.
"Warrior Anse is finally making a move!"
The cultivators hovering in the distance exclaimed one after another, unaware that something was wrong. Many of them regarded An Se as their idol. Now that An Se was making a move, they felt their blood boil and their fighting spirits surge.
Bang!
When An Se's astrolabe was near Lu Zhou, Lu Zhou pushed his hand out.
Bang!
An Se did not believe his power would suddenly disappear. He mustered up all his strength and pushed forward.
Bang!
An Se flew back and landed on the ground. As he slid back, he left a long trench on the ground. After he struggled to his feet, he did not give up and charge out again, leaving afterimages in his wake.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
An Se attacked in a frenzy.
"Golden Buddha Body."
Soon after, An Se began to brandish his flood-grade sword.
Lu Zhou brought Unnamed, which was in the form of a shield, out to block An Se's flood-grade sword.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
This continued for a long time.
When An SE's speed greatly decreased, he took a step back, panting heavily. He looked at the expressionless and unaffected Lu Zhou resentfully.
Lu Zhou glanced at An Se and asked, "Are you done?"
An SE. "…"
Eunuch Zhang, Lu Qianshan, and the experts watching the fight stared at the scene in front of them incredulously.
"No! No! I'm not! Return me my Birth Charts!" An Se gritted his teeth as he attacked with his longsword again. He had let his emotions overwhelm him and was unable to think rationally at this moment.
Bang!
Lu Zhou suddenly waved his sleeve and struck with his palm. Then, he executed a series of moves that perfectly mirrored An Se's fighting style. The only difference was he was much faster than An Se could ever hope to be.
Afterimages flashed around An Se. All of a sudden, five silhouettes surrounded him and struck with their palms. Five palm seals landed on him immediately.
"Ding! Destroyed one Birth Chart. Reward: 6,000 merit points."
After the last palm seal landed, Lu Zhou received five of the same notification.
Everyone was stunned; the royal palace experts who regarded An Se as their idol were even more stunned. Where were the dazzling moves, intense fight, and the glorious defeat of An Se's opponent? Just like that, the strongest expert of Great Yuan's royal palace had fallen.
Silence descended outside of the Indestructible Hall as An Se lay unmoving on the ground.
Lu Zhou did not spare a glance at An Se and turned around to say, "Are you going to lead the way?"
Eunuch Zhang finally regained his senses. He discovered his back was drenched in sweat. "Y-y-yes…"
Lu Qianshan gulped before he inhaled deeply. It seemed like he had bet on the right horse.
With that, everyone walked toward the Indestructible Hall.
When Lu Qianshan walked past An Se, he looked at An Se and said with a sigh, "You're a genius who went from a One Chart cultivator to a Ten Chart cultivator in 300 years. Now that you went from having ten Birth Charts to zero Birth Chart, you must be regretting your actions deeply, right?"
An Se spat out a mouthful of blood before he grabbed Lu Qianshan's leg, leaving bloody handprints on Lu Qianshan's pants. He asked in a trembling voice, "W-who… Who's he?"
Lu Qianshan shook his head and sighed. "He's Pavilion Master Lu of the Evil Sky Pavilion…"
"…"
Si Wuya quickly adapted to his master's overwhelming power. He asked, "Master, why didn't you kill him?"
"He'll suffer more alive than dead," Lu Zhou said.
Si Wuya nodded. "He prided himself on being a genius. Now that he has lost everything, it's more painful than losing his life. Moreover, perhaps, we can gain information from him. After all, his master had been to the Unknown Land."
With this reminder, Lu Zhou decided he should have a good talk with the emperor.
On the other hand, Eunuch Zhang was so scared that he could not even walk steadily. He was trembling like an old man while the others followed behind him. After a while, out of habit, he came to a halt right outside of the entrance to the Indestructible Hall. He opened his mouth, getting ready to announce Lu Qianshan's arrival.
However, Lu Zhou waved his sleeve and walked into the hall with his hands on his back without waiting for Eunuch Zhang to make an announcement.
"This… This…. T-this isn't appropriate…" Eunuch Zhang was so anxious he was about to cry.
Si Wuya pushed Eunuch Zhang out of the way and said, "Eunuch Zhang, are you really stupid or pretending to be stupid? Up until now, you still can't tell who's supposed to show respect to whom?"
Lu Qianshan nodded in agreement when he heard Si Wuya's words. Moreover, now that he had fallen out with the emperor, was there a need to adhere to etiquette? It was useless to care about status right now.
When the group entered the hall, they saw Mu Ertie playing with his antiques.
When Mu Ertie turned around, he saw Lu Zhou, Lu Qianshan, and Eunuch Zhang who was crying. He frowned and barked, "Lu Qianshan, how dare you!"
Lu Qianshan straightened his back and said without kneeling, "Your Majesty, this subordinate has something to say to you."
"So you still know to address yourself as my subject?" Mu Ertie's voice resounded thunderously in the hall. When his eyes fell on Lu Zhou, he asked, "Who's this?"
Lu Qianshan's eyes darted around as he said with a straight face, "Your Majesty, this is the ancestor of our Lu clan."
"…"
Since Lu Qianshan was planning to cling onto Lu Zhou's powerful thigh, he shamelessly declared Lu Zhou as his ancestor. Even if it was not true, he would make it true! The Lu clan was in the midst of a life-or-death struggle. If they could rely on someone powerful, all their problems would be solved. Moreover, Daoist Master Lu and Pavilion Master Lu looked like they were made from the exact same old; it was too much to acknowledge Lu Zhou as their ancestor. The descendants would worship the ancestors while the ancestors would protect their descendants!
Lu Zhou and Si Wuya frowned.
Meanwhile, Eunuch Zhang looked at Lu Qianshan with his mouth agape. This joke was too unbelievable!
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Chapter 1080: Deceiving the Emperor of Great Yuan
This joke was very exaggerated.
Lu Qianshan was Great Yuan's meritorious general; he was a great general who had fought countless battles on the battlefield. However, it was not his efforts alone that made the Lu clan a prominent clan in the capital; it was also thanks to the efforts of the clan's ancestors. Although the clan was on a decline, it did not change the clan's noble origin.
Lu Zhou understood that people placed quite a lot of importance on their origins especially if they were illustrious. He also understood Lu Qianshan was trying to seize the chance to establish a connection with him.
Meanwhile, Mu Ertie, the Black Emperor, swept his gaze across everyone before his eyes finally rested on Lu Zhou. He staggered backward a step, clearly shocked.
Upon seeing this, Eunuch Zhang was shocked and hurriedly went forward to support Mu Ertie.
Meanwhile, Si Wuya silently observed the situation. Mu Ertie's reaction did not escape his notice.
Mu Ertie, the Black Emperor, pushed Eunuch Zhang away. "I'm fine." Then, he looked at Lu Qianshan and said, "General Lu, do you think I'm a fool?"
Lu Qianshan said expressionlessly, "Why would you say that, Your Majesty?"
At this moment, all of the experts swarmed into the Indestructible Hall, blocking the entrance.
Apart from that, the palace guards had also tightly surrounded the outside of the Indestructible Hall.
Although they knew their opponent's cultivation base was incredibly high, they were forced to act since the emperor was in the Indestructible Hall.
Upon seeing this, Lu Qianshan turned and roared, "Scram!"
The soundwave swept out of the hall in just an instant.
Lu Qianshan's sound technique caused the experts and guards' eardrums to heart. All of them grew even more nervous.
Meanwhile, Mu Ertie studied the calm and unmoved Lu Zhou. After a beat, he waved his hand casually. "All of you, leave."
The experts obediently left the hall and waited outside instead, ready to act at a moment's notice. As long as the emperor gave the order, they would charge forward even if it meant they would meet their deaths.
The hall grew quiet again with the departure of the palace experts.
Mu Ertie looked at Lu Qianshan and said, "Ancestor? Even that witch, Lan Xihe, can't leave for more than 10,000 years. You're telling me that not only is your ancestor alive after 30,000 years, but he's even capable of maintaining such a youthful appearance?"
Lu Qianshan asked, "Then why was Your Majesty so shocked earlier?"
"…" Mu Ertie frowned.
Si Wuya who had been observing Mu Ertie asked Lu Qianshan, "General Lu, did His Majesty see the painting in your study?"
Lu Qianshan waved his hand and said, "No. No one has been in that study except for me and Old Jiang. Only direct descendants of the Lu clan have seen the painting. Now that my father isn't around, I'm the only one, Old Jiang notwithstanding, who has seen the painting. Everyone in the Lu clan knows about our glorious ancestor but none of them knows what he looked like. Even Lu Li hasn't seen the painting…" Following that, he shifted his gaze back to Mu Ertie again and asked, "Therefore, Your Majesty, I'm curious; why were you so surprised earlier?"
Mu Ertie frowned. "How dare you! Lu Qianshan, you're really bold! You dare to talk to me in such a tone?" Then, he turned around and called out loudly, "An Se!"
There was no reply. It was deathly quiet inside and outside of the hall.
Mu Ertie raised his voice and called out again, "An Se!"
Eunuch Zhang could no longer bear to watch this. He stepped forward and said in a low and trembling voice, "Y-your Majesty… W-warrior An Se… He… He… He's currently incapacitated…"
"Incapacitated?" Mu Ertie's frown deepened.
Eunuch Zhang inhaled deeply. He thought it was better to break the news now than later. He gestured to Lu Zhou and said, "This is Pavilion Master Lu of the Evil Sky Pavilion…"
When Lu Zhou's name began to spread, Mu Ertie had regarded Lu Zhou as one of the cultivators who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him in the black lotus domain. All the rumors had one thing in common: the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion was incredibly strong and a highly respected figure. When he looked at Lu Zhou's appearance, his thoughts wandered to Lan Xihe again. Although he had never met Lan Xihe before, he had long heard she was able to maintain her youthful appearance. He, himself, was also a cultivation expert; and his appearance was younger than his age as well even if it was not too exaggerated. With the resources from Great Yuan, he was able to sit firmly on the throne.
Lu Zhou said, "There's no need to mention this. He's just a mere Ten Chart cultivator…"
'No need to mention this? Does this mean he's the one who crippled An Se?'
Mu Ertie could tell Lu Zhou's speech and mannerisms were a result of being in a high position for a long time. It was not something that one could learn overnight. Coupled with the other factors, he did not doubt the authenticity of Lu Zhou's identity. He was slightly confused and dumbfounded. His target was the Lu clan in the capital; how did he end up offending the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion?
When Mu Ertie regained his senses, he said to Eunuch Zhang, "Why didn't you arrange a seat for Pavilion Master Lu? Get to it immediately!"
"Yes, yes, yes…" Eunuch Zhang replied hastily. He hurriedly ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to prepare a seat.
Although Mu Ertie was the emperor, he felt too embarrassed to sit on the dragon throne at this moment. Therefore, he took a seat across from Lu Zhou instead to show his respect. After all, he was aware that the etiquette between a ruler and his subject was not applicable to top cultivators.
After Lu Zhou took a seat, Mu Ertie said, "Pavilion Master Lu, I've heard a lot about you…"
Lu Zhou bluntly said, "Let's cut to the chase; you should know why I'm here…"
Mu Ertie said, slightly perplexed, "I really don't know…"
Lu Zhou continued to say without beating around the bust, "I've always been clear in my dealings. I'm not the ancestor of the Lu clan. However, since Lu Qianshan has given me the blue crystal, I won't allow him to die."
When Mu Ertie heard the words 'blue crystal', he was inwardly surprised. Then, he looked at Lu Qianshan meaningfully as he thought to himself, 'As expected of this cunning old fox! He used the blue crystal to gain the favor of the Evil Sky Pavilion!'
Outwardly, Mu Ertie said amiably, "Since Pavilion Master Lu has spoken, how can I not do Pavilion Master Lu this small favor? I will spare his life on behalf of Pavilion Master Lu."
Lu Zhou remained silent.
Upon seeing this, Mu Ertie added, "Apart from that, the Lu clan will maintain their original status, and their treatment will be the same as it was in the past…"
Finally, Lu Zhou said, "Do as you see fit."
With this, Mu Ertie could no longer plot against Lu Qianshan. Instead, he had to ensure Lu Qianshan's safety. If something were to happen to Lu Qianshan, it would only cause trouble for him. After all, the Evil Sky Pavilion had made its intention and stance very clear.
Mu Ertie said, "General Lu has served the royal court for a long time and is an important official of Great Yuan; this isn't a big deal. If there's anything else, please don't hesitate to speak to me, Pavilion Master Lu."
Lu Zhou turned to look at Lu Qianshan and asked, "Are you satisfied with this?"
Lu Qianshan bowed at Lu Zhou. "Yes, I'm satisfied. Thank you, Pavilion Master Lu." Then, he added as an afterthought, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
Lu Qianshan's gratitude toward Lu Zhou was undoubtedly sincere. However, he had only thanked Mu Ertie perfunctorily.
Mu Ertie assumed this was the end of it.
However, Lu Zhou asked, "Did you see the painting in Lu Qianshan's study? If so, what's your purpose of going into his study?"
Mu Ertie, the Black Emperor, replied honestly, "It's all to locate the blue crystal. After all, is there anyone who doesn't want such a treasure? However, now that it's in Pavilion Master Lu's possession, I can rest assured…"
"You are the ruler of a country, but you couldn't even find one blue crystal after all these years?" Lu Zhou asked curiously.
There were six blue crystals; three were supposedly with Xiao Yunhe while there were all kinds of rumors about the whereabouts of the other three. Since Mu Ertie was interested in the blue crystals and had even investigated Lu Qianshan, he should have gained some information even if he did not manage to obtain any blue crystal.
Mu Ertie shook his head. "I'm afraid I have no fate with the blue crystals that contained the Great Void energy…"
At this time, Si Wuya cupped his fists together and asked, "May I speak?"
Mu Ertie was slightly displeased by the sudden interruption when he was speaking to the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion.
However, Lu Zhou said, "Speak."
Si Wuya said, "Your Majesty, you spent 300 years searching for the blue crystals; it's impossible you didn't gain anything at all. I'm certain Your Majesty has at least one blue crystal…"
Lu Qianshan was a general and a warrior; he was naturally nowhere near as eloquent as Si Wuya. He felt really satisfied and comfortable listening to Si Wuya voice out words he could not speak. After a moment, he could not help but think of how great it would be if Lu Zhou was truly the ancestor of the Lu clan. However, 30,000 years had passed; how could it be possible?
Mu Ertie frowned slightly. He glanced at Lu Qianshan briefly before he said helplessly, "I'm the ruler of a country; why would I lie about this? Moreover, if I have a blue crystal, why would I search for such a long time?"
Si Wuya said confidently, "No, I'm certain you have at least one…"
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