Zhou Wenliang nodded and said, “You’re right. Based on our short exchange, Old Villain Ji didn’t seem as short-tempered as rumored. Also, he’s somewhat reasonable.”
“What are we going to do now?” Wang Jiangrang asked.
“It’s alright for us to stay here. Once Lin Xin is dead, Old Villain Ji should release us. Most importantly, we can’t afford to say the wrong things after this,” Zhou Wenliang said warningly.
“Understood.”
…
Meanwhile, in a certain court in the southern pavilion of the Evil Sky Pavilion.
The four elders had gathered together.
At this moment, Leng Luo, Pan Litian, Hua Wudao, and Zuo Yushu took turns to study the armor. After learning about the situation with the Taixu Academy, the four of them were lost in thought.
After a moment, Lu Zhou said, “Elders, what do you think?”
Leng Luo said, “The Formation veins on the armor are fine. I’ve never seen them before. I don’t think anyone in this world is capable of making them.”
“That’s what I thought as well.”
“I agree,” Hua Wudao chimed in.
The three elderly men exchanged a look as though commending each other for sharing the same wise opinion.
Lu Zhou looked at Zuo Yushu who remained silent.
Zuo Yushu rolled her eyes at the three old men. She muttered to herself for a brief moment before she asked, “Is this the armor really from Lin Xin, brother?”
“Of course.” Lu Zhou suddenly recalled that Zuo Yushu was originally a Confucian elite. She shared the same roots as Lin Xin.
Zuo Yushu said with a front, “To think that he has gone and colluded with the Crown Prince… I am reminded of one thing, though.”
“What is it?”
“Back when I had just attained the Eight-leaf stage, I was invited to the palace to meet His Majesty. We discussed our thoughts and experiences of being at the Eight-leaf stage. His Majesty once asked if I looked forward to the Nine-leaf stage. I smiled and said there was no such thing in the world. In hindsight, the Imperial family must’ve long known about the Nine-leaf stage a long time ago. This armor… is surely made by a Nine-leaf cultivator,” Zuo Yushu replied.
Leng Luo, Hua Wudao, and Pan Litian were inwardly shocked by Zuo Yunshu’s words. It was common knowledge that the Confucian school was adept in Formation veins. There was no reason to doubt her words.
“If my observations are correct, once these Formation veins are activated, they’ll produce a powerful surge of energy that Eight-leaf and Nine-leaf cultivators would find difficult to defend against!”
The others inhaled sharply upon hearing this.
Zhu Honggong wore an incredulous expression on his face as he asked “It’s so powerful?”
“Of course… You’re still young and inexperienced. The Confucian school is an expert in Formations. It’s nothing to be surprised about.”
“I’m enlightened.” Zhu Honggong bowed.
Lu Zhou nodded. “I see.” He raised his palm and sent a surge of energy to carry the armor over.
The four elders and Zhu Honggong retreated. They saw a faint blue light shining from between Lu Zhou’s fingers. Four huge scripts could be seen around his hand. This was the technique, Abandon Wisdom.
The palm seal struck the armor.
Lu Zhou had thought the armor’s special powers would not be triggered, but it suddenly buzzed.
“Stand back,” Lu Zhou said gruffly.
The four elders pushed away from the ground and shot out of the great hall.
“Wait, wait, wait… me… Wait for me…” Zhu Honggong turned around and ran out.
The armor unleashed a scarlet light.
Lu Zhou did not leave. He stared at the armor. What kind of power was capable of dealing with a Nine-leaf cultivator?
Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!
The armor kept vibrating. The red veins seemed to be set on fire as it spread. The veins turned into energy lines that crept into the surroundings like a spider’s web.
A slight sense of unease stirred inside Lu Zhou. ‘Should I use my Critical Block Card?’
Lu Zhou could sense the danger from the energy lines. It was strange, stranger than those on the coffins.
At this moment, realization dawned on him. The Heavenly Writing’s Human Scroll was slightly stronger than a Nine-leaf cultivator. It was the Heavenly Writing power that triggered the special power of the armor.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Pavilion Master!”
“Master!”
The powerful energy instantly enveloped the courtyard at lightning speed.
“Stand back!” Zuo Yushu grabbed Zhu Honggong and flew away.
“As expected, its power is comparable to the Nine-leaf stage!”
Leng Luo, Hua Wudao, and Pan Litian stayed as far as they could. The red web covering the air above them kept spreading. It spread toward the skies and eventually vanished.
Everything fell silent again soon after.
The four elders and Zhu Honggong stood unmoving, stunned. Although they were former Eight-leaf elites, they were still shocked by the strange power that emitted great danger. A frown could be seen on their faces as they looked at the courtyard. None of them dared to speak or move.
Zhu Honggong fell backward and sat limply on the ground. He began to cry out, “Master! Master… You can’t die! Master!”
The four elders of the Old Age Pavilion. “???”
‘Die?’
‘That’s unlikely.’
However, the elders were uncertain if Lu Zhou was completely unharmed. After all, in their eyes, Lu Zhou was a bona fide Nine-leaf cultivator. Although the armor could unleash an energy comparable to a Nine-leaf elite, surely, the pavilion master could withstand it if he went all out?
Creak! Creak! Creak!
Strange creaking noises rang from the building at this moment.
Crack!
The entire building seemed to be made of tofu as it began to fall apart in pieces. The ground was littered with debris. The red webs of energy lines had sliced through the building with their might. The cuts were smooth and even!
Boom!
More debris crashed onto the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
“Oh, master! Ah… you… that’s a… Eh? Master, it’s good to see you’re unharmed!”
The dust settled.
Their vision cleared, and they saw Lu Zhou standing in his original spot with his hands on his back. He did not move at all. He was completely shrouded by a faint blue layer of electricity, protecting him from damage.
“Ding! Obtained the Earth Scroll remnant piece. Reward: 1,000 merit points.”
Earth Scroll remnant piece?
Lu Zhou glanced at the Earth Scroll on the system dashboard. As he expected, the scripts on the scroll seemed to have been activated as they jumped about. This resembled the scene when he first read the contents of the Human Scroll. This meant that he could start meditating on the Earth Scroll. He had traveled far and wide to search for it only to find it so easily. Then, he checked his Critical Block Cards. They were not triggered at all. This meant his power to silence everything had negated the blast from the energy lines. If it were not for the Heavenly Writing scroll, he would have had no choice but to use an Impeccable Card to defend against the armor’s mysterious power. For the time being, it was a win.
“Your amazing might is astonishing, Pavilion Master!”
“I’m impressed by your technique, brother.”
“Although I don’t know what this technique is, it’s certainly more powerful than an Eight-leaf move…”
Hua Wudao was stunned speechless. Then, he quickly said, “When I first came to the Evil Sky Pavilion, I could still spar with the pavilion master even if I lost. However, now, I can’t imagine sparring with you at all. To think I’ve treated you as a rival… What a joke! Someone like you can only be admired but never surpassed.”
The four elders offered their praises.
Zhu Honggong was taken aback by this. He was about to say something as well when Lu Zhou asked, “Old Eighth, why are you sitting on the ground?”
“Huh?” Zhu Honggong immediately raised his hand to slap his face a few times. “Master, I will deeply reflect on my actions.”
“Reflect?”
Zhu Honggong continued to slap himself loudly.
“That’s enough.” Lu Zhou had just obtained the Earth Scroll and was in a good mood. He had no time to entertain Zhu Honggong. He said, “Tell Lin Xin that I’ve changed my mind. I want to see his head in seven days.”
