Xia Zhengrong was puzzled. There were still people from the black lotus domain who dared to challenge him? The collective demotion of the Black Tower Council was undoubtedly damaging, but as long as he did not foolishly pursue the matter, the Evil Sky Pavilion would not interfere in the Black Tower Council’s affairs in the future. Apart from that, although it would take some time for him to recover the two Birth Charts he had lost and the difficulty was high, he was not without hope. When all was said and done, not only would the Black Tower Council’s strength in the black lotus domain not weaken, but the Black Tower Council would also be able to maintain their power for a long time.
When the black lotus cultivators stopped a few hundred meters away and hovered in the air before one of them asked, “May I ask where Brother Lu is?”
‘Brother Lu?’
Everyone was shocked.
Lan Xihe asked with a smile, “Are you referring to the Pavilion Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion?”
“That’s right.”
“He is right in front of you,” Lan Xihe replied.
The black lotus cultivator swept his gaze across everyone.
Apart from Xia Zhengrong and the others, there were Lan Xihe, Ning Wanqing, the blue-clad female attendant, and the imposing Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou found the voice somewhat familiar. He looked over carefully at the man in the lead; he found the man’s appearance familiar as well. After a while, he said, “Xiao Yunhe?”
If one did not look carefully, it would be difficult to recognize Xiao Yunhe. Xiao Yunhe had changed a lot compared to before. The scars on his face had faded significantly, and his temperament and aura seemed to have undergone a huge change.
Xiao Yunhe was taken aback when he heard Lu Zhou’s voice. Then, he hurriedly said, “Brother Lu, long time no see!”
Ning Wanqing frowned. The situation was not favorable to them. If Xiao Yunhe and Xia Zhengrong were in cahoots and decided to attack them, it would be troublesome. There were no such things as eternal enemies in the face of benefits. Moreover, Lan Xihe was like an arrow at the end of its flight. On the surface, she seemed fine, but during the fight with Lu Wu, the beast emperor, she had used her life-threatening grand technique several times. Moreover, she had not recovered from her old injuries. He could only imagine the state she was in now.
Xiao Yunhe said, “Ever since we parted, I have been missing you, Brother Lu. When I returned, I heard that Great Tang is in trouble so I brought my brothers to support Great Tang.” He paused for a moment and waved his hand before he continued to say, “This is a meeting gift…”
The former captain of the blackguards, Wu Chao, stepped forward. He used his energy and threw two corpses to the ground.
Thump! Thump!
The two corpses belonged to two men.
Wu Chao said, “This is Bo Yan, one of the Five Tigers of the Dark and Light Alliance. We ran into him while he was massacring people near Jiangdong Circuit. The body next to his is a member of the Dark and Light Alliance as well.”
Lu Zhou nodded and asked, “Where did you go before this?”
Xiao Yunhe replied, “I went to the Endless Ocean, the Dark Soul Sect, and the Southern Kingdom’s Land of Chaos. I’ve just been wandering aimlessly. If Brother Lu didn’t help me recover two of my Birth Charts, I wouldn’t have been able to travel to the depths of the Land of Chaos. I’ve always kept your grace in mind…”
Lu Zhou wanted to ask about the blue crystal, but he knew now was not the right time.
At this time, Xia Zhengrong who was hovering finally regained his senses. “Xiao Yunhe? It’s you?”
Xiao Yunhe did not seem angry at all. He smiled as he said to Xia Zhengrong, “Xia Zhengrong, back then, I painstakingly nurtured you and gave you all of the best resources in the Black Tower Council. Who knew you have a wicked heart and coveted the position of Tower Master and framed me to achieve your goal. It’s time we settle this debt…”
Wu Chao chimed in with a smile, “During our travels, I heard people talking about how the Black Tower Council was disrespectful to Pavilion Master Lu. As a result, many members lost their Birth Charts?”
There were many ways to anger someone without getting physical. One of the best ways to anger someone was to touch their sore spots.
As expected, Xia Zhengrong said, slightly angered, “That was just a misunderstanding; there was no disrespect. Moreover, the misunderstanding between the Black Tower Council and the Evil Sky Pavilion has already been resolved. What right do you have to speak about this when you’re not involved?!”
Xiao Yunhe said, “Brother Lu is here today so I won’t argue with you. I’ll return to the Black Tower Council and take back what belongs to me…”
Xia Zhengrong retorted icily, “If I can destroy five of your Birth Charts then, I can destroy them again now…”
At this time, Lu Zhou said in a dark voice, “Do you treat me as the air?”
‘Eh?’ Xia Zhengrong’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at Lu Zhou. “Pavilion Master Lu, do you plan to interfere in this matter?”
Xiao Yunhe cupped his fists together and bowed before he said, “Brother Lu, there’s no need for you to intervene. I’ll deal with this on my own…”
Following that, the men standing behind Xiao Yunhe bowed as well.
‘What kind of trick is this?’ Xia Zhengrong frowned. ‘Isn’t he like a fox borrowing the tiger’s might?’
Seeing Xiao Yunhe’s determination, Lu Zhou did not insist. Moreover, he had more important matters to attend to. Hence, he said, “As you wish.”
“Thank you, Brother Lu,” Xiao Yunhe said to Lu Zhou. Then, he turned to Xiao Yunhe again and said, “If you have the guts, meet me at the Black Wind Cliffs north of the Black Tower Council in a month.”
Xia Zhengrong frowned when he saw Xiao Yunhe’s eyes that burned with determination. He recalled scenes of them fighting side by side, and he saw the hatred that grew into a wedge between them. They were once brothers who fought side by side, but now, they were enemies. There were things that did not need an explanation; there were cause and effect for every action. In the end, he only said indifferently, “I’ll see you there.”
After Xia Zhengrong left with the other members of the Black Tower Council, Xiao Yunhe descended with his men.
“Tower Master Lan?”
Lan Xihe rarely met outsiders so there were very few people who had seen her face.
When Xiao Yunhe saw her cold and elegant appearance, he was taken aback. When he recalled the descriptions he had heard about Lan Xihe’s appearance in the past, he managed to put the puzzle together.
Lan Xihe ignored Xiao Yunhe and said to Lu Zhou, “Pavilion Master Lu, I’m sorry about Duanmu Sheng. I’ll see you again.”
Following that, Lan Xihe flew into the sky.
Ning Wanqing and the blue-clad female attendant cupped their fists at Lu Zhou before they quickly left with Lan Xihe.
After Lan Xihe left, Lu Zhou said to Xiao Yunhe, “Follow me to Jianbei Circuit.”
“Alright.”
Everyone followed Lu Zhou and flew toward Jianbei Circuit.
Those who were not present earlier were shocked by the sea of bones and the marks that the huge battle left on the bloodstained land.
“The great art of blood sacrifice?” Xiao Yunhe looked at the bones on the ground. “The beast emperor is really cunning…”
Lu Zhou asked, “You know about the beast emperor?”
Xiao Yunhe said, “Not only did my brothers and I go to the Land of Chaos, but we went to the Unknown Land as well. We found mystic microstones and mystic life grass there. I managed to repair my weapons and recover a Birth Chart there. When we returned, we encountered a beast tide. When I saw how abnormally organized the fierce beasts were, I knew only a beast emperor could make them so obedient. When I arrived at Great Tang and saw the fierce beasts carrying human corpses in their mouths, I guessed that they must be for the great art of blood sacrifice.”
“In any case, the Black Emperor is dead,” Lu Zhou said.
Xiao Yunhe was not surprised at all. He smiled and said, “It’s only right that Brother Lu killed him. However, how did the beast emperor get the Black Emperor to become its pawn?”
“Pawn?”
“Even if the blood sacrifice was a success, the Black Emperor would be neither dead nor alive; he wouldn’t be human. To maintain the power and suppress the pain, he would need a continuous supply of the Li Lis’ evil energy. However, since Li Lis are from the Unknown Land, they can only reproduce there. With that, the beast emperor would have control over the Black Emperor forever…” Xiao Yunhe explained.
Humans claimed to be at the top of the food chain. Even if they did not have the strength to truss a chicken, they could rely on their intelligence to defeat fierce beasts. However, it seemed like humans had been fooled all this time.
…
After traveling a short while, a barrier appeared in front of their eyes.
Xiao Yunhe recognized it immediately. “The Star Gathering Formation.”
Everyone rushed over to have a look.
When Xiao Yunhe saw the runic passage and the corpses strewn on the ground, he said with a sigh, “As expected, it’s a runic passage leading to the Unknown Land.”
Lu Zhou waved his hand casually, gathering the Li Lis’ corpses before burning them with karmic fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A thunderous noise rang from the depths of the Star Gathering Formation at this moment.
Lu Zhou said, “Save them.”
Xiao Yunhe smiled and said, “As it turns out, Brother Lu came here to rescue people. Leave it to me!”
Xiao Yunhe raised his hand with his palm facing upward. The hexagonal weapon that glowed with a black and green light appeared, spinning as it slowly grew in size.
