If Zuo Yushu had any doubts and questions before this, they had completely been dispelled by the Nine-leaf avatar. In truth, she was already convinced by Lu Zhou when she stepped onto the flying chariot. The attitude of the disciples from the Three Sects had confirmed the fact that the seven great sects had attacked Golden Court Mountain. However, when she saw the Nine-leaf Golden Lotus with her own eyes, she was still amazed.
The disciples of the Three Sects stared at the Golden Lotus with its nine leaves. Before this, the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm cultivators were hesitating and wondering if they should try severing their Golden Lotuses. If they acted fast enough, they would be ahead of their peers. Nonetheless, faced with uncertainties, the danger was much greater as well.
“Leaves can be formed after severing the Golden Lotus. The Golden Lotus can be formed again as well!”
“So that’s what a Nine-leaf Golden Lotus looks like!”
“How did the Evil Sky Pavilion achieve this so soon? The others haven’t even started severing their Golden Lotuses yet!”
They could hardly remain calm. This was the equivalent to finding out that a player had already cleared all the stages before the game went into beta testing. Everyone, naturally, had a tough time coming to terms with it.
Ten quiet seconds passed by in just a blink of an eye. It was too short a time for the people present to admire the unique avatar. They felt as though they were looking at the finest sculpture in the world. Before they could have their fill looking at it, it had disappeared.
After the avatar vanished, Lu Zhou stood with his hands on his back and looked at Yun Tianluo who was sitting in the wooden chair.
Yun Tianluo’s exhaustion seemed to have vanished. He looked spry at this moment, and his eyes were brimming with excitement. Even his wizened face was flushed with a healthy color. It seemed like he had regressed ten years younger just from looking at the Nine-leaf avatar.
After a long moment of silence, Lu Zhou finally said, “What do you think?”
Lu Zhou’s words pulled everyone back to their senses.
Yun Tianluo said, “It’s worth it.”
“Truly?”
“If I can see it once more, I’ll be able to die in peace,” Yun Tianluo praised.
‘This old thing. Give him an inch, and he asks for a foot! I’m already doing you a great service by showing it to you once. Do you think that merit points fall from the skies?’ Despite Lu Zhou’s inner thoughts, he stroked his beard and said with a neutral expression, “Don’t be greedy.”
Yun Tianluo sighed. He raised his hands slightly and said, “In any case, thank you, Brother Ji.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“May I ask you something? It’s about the method to attain the Nine-leaf stage…” Yun Tianluo was about to return to dust anyway. With one leg in the coffin, he only wanted this information for his disciples. Therefore, he mustered his courage to ask this question. After all, if he did not ask, nobody would dare to ask this question.
Upon hearing Yun Tianluo’s question, an eager and excited expression appeared on Nan Gongwei and Feng Yizhi’s faces.
Similarly, the core disciples of the Three Sects looked at Lu Zhou expectantly as well.
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded. “The method of severing the Golden Lotus is not a lie.”
Upon hearing this, the others grew emotional. As expected, the method is real. However, the mortality rate of severing one’s Golden Lotus was too high. Due to this, many were discouraged and did not dare to try it. However, as more and more people experimented, the survival rates rose as well. Apart from the, without the Golden Lotus, sprouting leaves might be a problem. Moreover, they did not know if they could form another Golden Lotus as well. However, with Lu Zhou’s affirmation, it had given them a boost of courage.
Apart from that, Lu Zhou seemed to have set a new standard in the cultivation world. Who would be willing to share their method of reaching the Nine-leaf stage with others? Ordinary individuals would not be so magnanimous to do such a thing.
“Nan Gongwei, Feng Yizhi,” Yun Tianluo said in a deep voice.
“Yes!” Both of them responded in unison.
“Why aren’t you thanking the senior?”
Upon hearing Yun Tianluo’s words, Nan Gongwei and Feng Yizhi realized their transgression in the midst of their excitement.
Nan Gongwei did not bow at once. Instead, he took a few steps backward, circulated his Primal Qi, and projected his voice so it resounded through the ten holy lands. “Thank you, Old Senior Ji.”
Feng Yizhi did the same.
The disciples of the Three Sects who left Heaven’s Virtue were not too far away. When they heard their sect masters’ words, they knew what it meant. They hovered around the 20 peaks, formed several square formations, and followed their sect masters’ cue in thanking Lu Zhou.
“Thank you, Old Senior Ji!”
The soundwaves overlapped as everyone expressed their gratitude to Lu Zhou.
Upon seeing this, Mingshi Yin felt pride swell in his chest.
“Ding! Worshipped by 3,500 individuals and 1,500 pious individuals. Reward: 18,500 merit points.” (Note: Deliberate and contrived worshiping will not be rewarded.)
‘Hm?’ When Lu Zhou heard this notification, he was initially surprised. Then, he made some quick calculations in his heart. There were many disciples in the Three Sects. However, those who could freely enter and leave the holy land merely numbered around 5,000. This meant the ratio of those who were piously worshipping him was even lower. Although this was a quicker way of earning merit points, there was still the risk of having his merit points deducted if he was not careful about the way he went about things. He would be in great trouble if that were to happen. The negative 100,000 merit points he received when he had just transmigrated here were still fresh in his mind.
At this moment, Yun Tianluo said, “What do you plan to do now that you’ve attained the Nine-leaf stage, Brother Ji?”
“Move on to the Ten-leaf stage, of course,” Lu Zhou replied casually.
“…”
Yun Tianluo seemed to have remembered something. He said, “Brother Ji… have you really come to…”
“That’s right. There are two reasons why I came to see you. Indeed, I wanted to pay you a final visit before your passing. Nobody in this world can escape from that shackle. Your passing will mean that I’ve lost yet another acquaintance.”
The others sighed in despair upon hearing these words. Although their expressions were appropriate, it felt insincere.
Yun Tianluo was unlike the disciples of the Three Sects. He said in a deep voice, “Hearing your words, I feel that my time in this world has been worthwhile.”
Mingshi Yin wanted to make a vomiting gesture again, but he resisted that urge when he saw Yun Tianluo’s changes. Yun Tianluo’s breathing had become shallow, and he was losing vitality.
“There’s no need to tell me the second reason, Brother Ji… I… I know it. Hah, you finally believe me, Brother Ji.” Yun Tianluo remembered something in the past.
“Yes.”
“It’s been 300 years… If she didn’t leave behind that cultivation method, I wouldn’t have been able to conquer the Three Sects. The world thinks that I’m some genius, but I’m only an average man,” Yun Tianluo said as he shook his head before laughing in a self-deprecating manner.
The others were shocked and perplexed when they heard Yun Tianluo’s words. Who was the ‘she’ that Yun Tianluo mentioned? What was their patriarch hiding? Did someone support the Three Sects until it reached its height today?
This was the main reason Lu Zhou came to Heaven’s Virtue today.
Back then, Yun Tianluo’s cultivation talent was nothing out of the ordinary, but he suddenly improved by leaps and bounds. He and Ji Tiandao were old acquaintances. Although the paths they took were different, there was no conflict of interest. The world wanted to know why Yun Tianluo’s cultivation base improved drastically. Yun Tianluo said that he met an elite who told him the Eight-leaf stage was not the end. The Nine-leaf and Ten-leaf stages were attainable. However, nobody believed him then. They took him as a joke.
Lu Zhou nodded, stroked his beard, and said, “Back then, I thought you were bluffing.”
“Time will tell. The Nine-leaf stage is the greatest proof.” Yun Tianluo seemed content and triumphant. When he recalled everything that he had done, he felt no remorse. When he saw the hard truth of the cultivation world crumble with his own eyes, he felt that he had lived a good life.
Yun Tianluo’s thoughts wandered back to 300 years ago. Unfortunately, things have changed, and the people were long gone.
“She left the cultivation method behind, and you cultivated it. Your cultivation base improved greatly, and you became the chief of the Three Sects. Back then, nobody would’ve thought this was possible,” Lu Zhou said.
“Yes.” Yun Tianluo nodded in agreement.
“What’s her name?” Lu Zhou asked.
Yun Tianluo looked remorseful. He shook his head and said, “A person like her can hardly be tracked down. I don’t know her name. Perhaps, she has already attained the Ten-leaf stage a long time ago and is now living in seclusion.”
“Ten-leaf stage?”
The others were thoroughly shocked and frightened when they heard this.
The Nine-leaf stage was enough to cause one to feel amazed. To think that there was someone at the Ten-leaf stage. Was their patriarch spouting nonsense before his death?
“That’s what I gather from her words. I don’t know if she’s actually at the Ten-leaf stage… Perhaps not…” Yun Tianluo seemed tired and launched into a coughing fit after he spoke.
“What does she look like?”
“She’s young…” Yun Tianluo answered weakly.
At this moment, Zuo Yushu, who stood beside Lu Zhou, shook her head and said, “I’m afraid she must be a bag of old bones now, like me.”
Yun Tianluo glanced at Zuo Yushu. He managed a chuckle but did not say anything.
Mingshi Yin said, “No matter how old she is, she helped Senior Yun rise to prominence from the dust. There’s no doubt she’s extraordinary.”
This was the truth. Zuo Yushu could not refute these words. She had always prided herself on being a genius. From the moment she stepped into the Confucian sect, the Confucian sect disciples called her a rare cultivation genius who would only show up once every few hundred years. Unfortunately, she was born female. If she was allowed to climb her way up to the highest position in the Confucian sect back then, perhaps, she could also peek into the world of the Nine-leaf stage. Perhaps, she could be a Nine-leaf cultivator now, or perhaps, she could have died trying.
In any case, there was no point dwelling on it. Humans were faced with countless choices in life. No matter which path they chose, they would still wonder about the path not taken. Regrets could never change the outcome. They could only briefly entertain their fantasies.
At this moment, everyone wondered who was the person who helped Yun Tianluo defy his fate? Where did she come from?
Yun Tianluo was old. His mind was not as keen as before. He found it difficult to recall many things. Disordered fragments filled his mind. His mind seemed like the vast ocean while the scenes were like schools of fish swimming in it. They went about in no particular order. He wanted to catch the fish he needed the most but was powerless to do so. His consciousness was slipping away.
“Patriarch!”
When Nan Gongwei and Feng Yizhi saw Yun Tianluo looking lifeless, they cried out in unison, appearing worried.
Nan Gongwei stood up at once. He directed a palm at Yun Tianluo and channeled Primal Qi into him. A surge of intense Primal Qi was continuously channeled into Yun Tianluo’s body.
Perhaps, Nan Gongwei’s effort worked.
Yun Tianluo opened his eyes again, and a thought flashed in his mind. “Hah, her surname’s Luo.”
“Luo?”
Luo… what?
The others were puzzled. Was there a cultivating genius or sect in Great Yan with the surname Luo?
Lu Zhou stroked his beard as he contemplated this. He suddenly remembered what Si Wuya said; if heaven and earth formed the cage, and the Golden Lotus was the lock, who was the entity pulling the strings behind the scenes? He felt shocked when this thought appeared in his mind. He shook his head, dismissing it. It was impossible. Humans were humans. Who could turn heaven and earth into a cage? What was the answer?
“What’s her name?” Lu Zhou asked again. Perhaps, he would get an answer once he found this person.
“I… I can’t remember…”
The core disciples gathered around them on Heaven’s Virtue. Some of them were tearing up. Sobs grew louder and louder. Some of them fell to their knees.
Leng Luo and Hua Wudao shook their heads.
Hua Wudao cupped his fists and bowed at Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou knew what he meant. He waved his sleeve lightly.
Like some on the holy land, Hua Wudao fell to his knees. After all, he had been in this sect before.
“Brother Ji… do you think… that we’ll meet again, in death?” Yun Tianluo raised his hand as though he saw something and was reaching out to grasp it. Alas, his big wizened hand was only grasping at air. He did not stop his movement even as it grew slower and slower before he finally stiffened and stopped moving. His arm remained raised. The light in his eyes was snuffed out and turned lifeless.
“Patriarch!” A voice laden with grief resounded across Heaven’s Virtue.
The barriers of the ten holy lands lit up at this moment.
The thousands of disciples of the Three Sects who could fly approached the barriers and channeled their Primal Qi into them. The tidal wave of Primal Qi illuminated the dozens of barriers.
On Heaven’s Virtue, the top of the cultivation tower dimmed…
The life of a legend of the times had run its course.
Lu Zhou raised his hand. A surge of energy lifted Yun Tianluo up.
Feng Yizhi was still in pain. He was shocked when he saw this. He was about to stand up when Nan Gongwei pressed on his shoulder.
The other disciples looked up.
Lu Zhou stepped into the air. He brought Yun Tianluo up into the air above Heaven’s Virtue. He pushed with his palm.
To gain the power of immaterial existence so that we may visit many places without having to move, reaping many benefits.
A faint blue lotus emerged from his palm.
A powerful surge of vitality wrapped around Yun Tianluo like a tidal wave.
The Blue Lotus blossomed!
Everyone else held their breaths.
“What a powerful life force!”
“Healing?”
“What healing technique is this?”
Nan Gongwei and Feng Yizhi were stunned by this sight. They realized Lu Zhou was trying to save their patriarch.
The thousands of disciples stared at the blossoming blue lotus. It spread out from the center of Heaven’s Virtue. The withered and shriveled plants on the holy land began to bloom once again. They felt a power surge from this blue lotus. They thought that this was the power of the Nine-leaf stage that was shrouding Yun Tianluo’s body.
The blue lotus was now in full bloom…
Boom!
After it blossomed, everything fell silent once more.
After the dazzling blue radiance faded away, Yun Tianluo was no longer anywhere to be seen in the sky.
The glittering starlight descended upon the holy land.
Lu Zhou frowned. He hovered above the holy land, shook his head, and said with a sigh, “It’s not easy to pull someone back from death.” In other words, he had failed.
Even the fourth Heavenly Writing power coupled with half of the Heavenly Writing’s extraordinary power could not turn back the clock of a person’s life or bring a person back to life. This was how life was supposed to be.
Lu Zhou had no intention of doing this initially. He had acted on a whim. Even if he was successful in saving Yun Tianluo, he would only be able to add a few more years to Yun Tianluo’s life. Alas, he could not defy the heavens.
The barrier of Heaven’s Virtue resonated loudly.
The disciples were prostrated on the ground.
The dead were to be respected.
Even Mingshi Yin and Little Yuan’er, who were usually rather playful, were solemn.
Just when Lu Zhou was about to descend, Nan Gongwei fought back his sadness and called out, “Please guide the Three Sects, Old Senior Ji!”
“Please guide the Three Sects, Old Senior Ji!”
