Lu Zhou did not show it, but he was inwardly surprised. He did not expect Hua Yuexing to kill an elite from the ten great sects just to get into the Evil Sky Pavilion. He also did not expect her to pick an elite from the Heavenly Sword Sect. “Are you unhappy?” Lu Zhou looked at Zhou Jifeng. Zhou Jifeng shuddered. He hastily kneeled and said, “I dare not! I would’ve given anything to kill Luo Changfeng with my own hands. Alas, Luo Changfeng has already been killed by you, old senior. I’ve long lost any ties I had with the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
Duanmu Sheng said, “That’d be the best. Don’t ever forget how you survived the ordeal back then.”
“Yes, Mister Third,” Zhou Jifeng said.
“The Heavenly Sword Sect has been quiet for quite some time ever since they attacked the Evil Sky Pavilion. Luo Changfeng’s death was a great blow to them. I heard that Luo Xingkong had gone into seclusion to cultivate before he gave the position of sect master to his son, Luo Changfeng. We have to guard against Luo Xingkong since he has experienced the pain of losing a son.” Hua Wudao cupped his fists.
Lu Zhou turned to look at Zhao Yue and asked, “Any news from the station?”
Zhao Yue replied, “Currently, the word outside is that…” She swallowed her words, afraid to speak.
“Continue.”
“They’re saying that you absorbed the barrier’s power to maintain your cultivation base that’s declining.” Zhao Yue lowered her head. After saying this, she hastily said, “I’m willing to mend the barrier.”
Lu Zhou waved his hand. “It’s meaningless.” It was only natural to mend the barrier, but that would not erase the fact that the barrier had been disturbed.
After all, the outside world was convinced that Lu Zhou’s cultivation base was rapidly declining. Even if the barrier was mended, it would not change their minds.
As they spoke, two female disciples brought Hua Yuexing in.
Hua Yuexing seemed battered and looked as though she had not slept for days on end. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy while her hair was disheveled. She held a green bow in her hand, it did not seem like it was made out of good materials. It should be a yellow-grade weapon. In her other hand, she carried a sack. The base of the sack was dark with bloodstain. The blood had turned crusty after being exposed to the air for a long time.
Since Zhou Jifeng had already informed them beforehand, it was not difficult to guess that a head was in the sack.
Hua Wudao looked on incredulously as Hua Yuexing kneeled on the floor.
Hua Yuexing cupped her fists and said, “Hua Yuexing didn’t betray everyone’s expectations. I’ve killed a Two-leaf Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm elite, Elder Ye Chengzhi from the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
“Ye Chengzhi?”
“You’ll know it once you open the sack.”
“There’s no need for that.” Lu Zhou did not have a habit of looking at decapitated heads. He waved his arm and said, “Take care of it.”
“Understood.” Two female cultivators carefully took the sack away.
Lu Zhou’s gaze fell on Hua Yuexing as he asked, “With your strength and cultivation base, you barely pass by killing a Two-leaf cultivator…”
Hua Yuexing blushed from embarrassment. She said sheepishly, “I know that my strength is far from enough… The people from the Heavenly Sword Sect are too cunning. I didn’t get the chance to attack them.”
“Why did you pick the Heavenly Sword Sect?”
Upon hearing Lu Zhou’s question, Zhou Jifeng turned to look at Hua Yuexing as well.
Hua Yuexing said, “I heard that the Heavenly Sword Sect has been itching to do something. Luo Xingkong has been searching for a way to exact revenge on the Evil Sky Pavilion… I thought that it’s better to strike first before they could do anything. I wanted to show them that the Evil Sky Pavilion isn’t a force to be messed with!”
‘Listen to that! Such determination! This method… This is how an Evil Sky Pavilion’s disciple should act!’
Hua Yuexing sounded more like a disciple than the real disciples of the Evil Sky Pavilion yet. This certainly warmed the hearts of the others. Moreover, the Evil Sky Pavilion needed an archer as well.
At this moment, Hua Wudao said, “Pavilion Master… Hua Yuexing has passed the test. If you’d allow me, I’d like to instruct her in her cultivation from now on.”
Hua Yuexing was elated when she heard this. She was about to bow her head in gratitude when…
“Wait.”
Hua Wudao was stunned. He had spoken on the pavilion master’s behalf before the pavilion master had even said anything. He seemed to have overstepped his bounds. He hastily said, “Please forgive me for my impatience, Pavilion Master.”
Lu Zhou slowly rose to his feet. He walked down the stairs and stopped in front of Hua Yuexing.
“Raise your head.”
Hua Yuexing felt uneasy. How could she remain calm and unafraid when the world’s greatest villain was so close to her. She looked up nervously.
Lu Zhou’s expression remained unchanged. He merely glanced at her before pushing his palm forward.
“Uh…”
The others felt their hearts leaped to their throats. They could not bear to watch this. Even Hua Yuexing closed her eyes. Everyone thought Lu Zhou would hit Hua Yuexing when a light blue radiance appeared in Lu Zhou’s palm. Primal Qi fell on her body.
“The Merciful Ark of Salvation.” Hua Wudao’s cloudy eyes widened.
The light blue radiance enveloped Hua Yuexing’s body.
Hua Yuexing immediately felt a surge of Primal Qi flowing in the opposite direction of her own. Moreover, her injuries were healing at an alarming rate. A moment later, she opened her eyes and quickly kowtowed as she said, “Thank you for healing me, Pavilion Master!”
“Ding! Received one sincere kotow. Reward: 10 merit points.”
‘What a shame.’ It would have been better for Lu Zhou if he could be repeatedly rewarded for each kowtow. If that was the case, he would capture that rascal, Zhu Honggong, Old Eighth, and make him kowtow once for each passing second. That way, he would be able to earn more than 80,000 merit points in a day. He would be able to purchase all the avatars and look down on everyone from above in just a few days.
Lu Zhou sighed. Well, even a mosquito had flesh. It was better than nothing. ‘I’m letting my mind wander again.’
Lu Zhou nodded and said, “Since you’ve joined the Evil Sky Pavilion, you must abide by its rules.”
“I understand!”
“Ding! Obtained one subordinate. Reward: 1,000 merit points.”
“How many leaves do you have?” Lu Zhou asked.
Hua Yuexing said awkwardly, “Tw-two-leaf…”
‘A Two-leaf cultivator is one of the Three Godly Archers?’
It was quite… a letdown.
When Hua Yuexing felt the sidelong glances cast at her from the surroundings, she lowered her head and blushed. With her cultivation base, she would have been a prominent figure in any sect and would have been cherished as a prodigy. She had also been given much attention when she cultivated under the Luo Sect’s roof. Alas, this was the Evil Sky Pavilion.
Lu Zhou did not shun her. Instead, he said, “You have remarkable talents. To think that you’re able to kill the Two-leaf elite, Ye Chengzhi, with your Two-leaf cultivation base… It’s a commendable feat.”
“Thank you for your praise, old senior.”
“There are many books on archery in the west pavilion. Anyone from the Evil Sky Pavilion is free to go through them.”
Hua Yuexing had heard that there were many books and weapons in the Evil Sky Pavilion. Moreover, they were usually the best. She was delighted to hear this and quickly expressed her gratitude, “Thank you, old senior!”
“You’re dismissed.”
“Understood.”
Hua Wudao cupped his fists at Lu Zhou as well. He left the great hall with Hua Yuexing.
Lu Zhou returned to his throne and sat down slowly. He looked at Zhou Jifeng and said, “Zhou Jifeng.” Zhou Jifeng shuddered. He hastily bowed and said, “Pa… Pavilion Master.” He paused briefly before he said, “I’ve never regretted my decision to join the Evil Sky Pavilion. My only regret is that I couldn’t kill them with my own hands.”
“You should let bygones be bygones. What you must do now is to strengthen yourself… If you have the time to entertain meaningless thoughts, you might as well use it to go through the books in the west pavilion.”
When Zhou Jifeng heard this, he nodded and said, “I understand.”
“Everyone’s dismissed.” Lu Zhou waved his arm.
The others bowed and left the great hall.
Meanwhile, in Nether Sect on Pingdu Mountain.
Yu Zhenghai stood with his back facing the Four Great Protectors, Hua Chongyang, Bai Yuqing, Yang Yan, and Di Qing, who behaved respectfully. “Sect Master, we weren’t able to stop the old senior. Please punish us!”
“Please punish us, sect master!”
“Please punish us, sect master!”
