Xia Changqiu hastily said, “That’s not what I meant… If we know ourselves and our enemies, we can avoid losing battles. I know you have an unfathomable cultivation base, old senior, and that it far surpasses the two sirs, but… we mustn’t underestimate the Ninth Temple as well.”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded. He looked at Xia Changqiu and said, “Let’s hear it.”
Xia Changqiu nodded and said, “The Ninth Temple is in Jiannan Circuit. It’s the only major sect that has dominion over one location. The minor sects in Jiannan Circuit submit to the Ninth Temple. There are nine main halls, and each main hall spans 1,000 feet. They’re the Skyward Hall, the Crape Myrtle Hall, the Eastern Plain Hall, the Supreme Harmony Hall, the Peace Hall, the Truce Hall, the Unending Hall, the Prisoner Dragon Hall, and the Mystery Hall… When the Ninth Temple was at its peak, all nine of its First Seats were an elite in their own right. Then, when it waned, the first four First Seats passed away, leaving four vacant spots. Even so… the remaining five First Seats kept the Ninth Temple standing to this day.”
Little Yuan’er counted her fingers and said, “That’s amazing. We only have four pavilions in the Evil Sky Pavilion… That’s too few.”
“…”
Xia Changqiu nodded and said, “They’re indeed amazing. The Thousand Willow Monastery is like a mantis compared to the tree that is the Ninth Temple.”
Lu Zhou asked in confusion, “They passed away? People in the red lotus domain die from old age as well?
Xia Changqiu replied awkwardly, “This is normal in the course of life. In the red lotus domain, even the greatest cultivator could not overcome the great limit of 3,000 years.”
Something stirred in Lu Zhou. ‘Is this the same great limit the golden lotus domain has? If that’s the case, will the golden lotus domain face the same great limit in the future as well? Even so, the red lotus domain is far too advanced compared to the golden lotus domain.’ In the end, he said honestly, “I thought the red lotus cultivators have long lives…”
Xia Changqiu was shocked. He wondered inwardly, ‘The old senior doesn’t even think much of 3,000 years. Looks like the cultivation advancement in the golden lotus domain far surpasses that of the red lotus domain. Even his two disciples are so powerful. Is the old mister beyond the Ten-leaf stage? The madmen at the Sky Martial Court are known to lie. They said the golden lotus wants to invade, but it’s clear that it’s the red lotus domain that’s doing the invading. Now that the men they sent had been defeated, the golden lotus domain has come for a reckoning.’ With this thought in mind, he was determined to cling on to this powerful potential backer.
“Continue.” Lu Zhou gestured for Xia Changqiu to carry on.
“Apart from the five First Seats, there are also 18 elders. Every three years, a First Seat will be selected among the elders to take charge of one hall. Zhu Xuan broke through to the Nine-leaf stage mid-battle the other day. My guess is he’s planning to capture your capable disciple to claim merit and secure his bid for the position of a First Seat. As for the cooperation…” Xia Changqiu shook his head and did not finish his sentence.
“Master… We must force our way in! Things don’t look good for Eldest Senior Brother!” Little Yuan’er exclaimed anxiously.
Conch chimed in as she nodded like a chick pecking grains from the ground, “Ninth Senior Sister is right. We must force our way in!”
The elders looked at the two young ladies helplessly.
Lu Zhou ignored Little Yuan’er and Conch as he asked, “Who’s the Master of the Ninth Temple?”
“The King of Jiannan, Sikong Beichen…”
Little Yuan’er sounded curious as she said, “He sounds strong. How many leaves does he have?”
“Sikong Beichen has never shown his strength for many years now. 1,500 years ago, he fought the eight First Seats and won, successfully becoming the new hall master. At that time, he was already a Ten-leaf cultivator. 1,000 years ago was the last time he showed his strength. He repelled an army of 300,000 foreign tribesmen. His name became renowned in Great Tang after that,” Xia Changqiu said.
Little Yuan’er. “…”
The elders behind Xia Changqiu sighed. They were all elders, but the other side’s elders were elephants while they were just ants. They could not be compared at all.
Yu Shangrong frowned slightly. If things were like Xia Changqiu had said, it meant that his Eldest Senior Brother had entered the lion’s den. His Eldest Senior Brother was in danger!
Lu Zhou was inwardly shocked by this as well. ‘So, there really is a Ten-leaf cultivator in the Ninth Temple! Is he a Mysterious Heaven elite?’
Beyond the Ten-leaf stage, the cultivator would have to form a Thousand Realms Whirling avatar before entering the Mysterious Heaven realm. The Thousand Realms Whirling avatar was unique to a Mysterious Heaven elite.
“Since the Ninth Temple is so strong, why do they need my disciple for? Isn’t it better to kill them immediately?” Lu Zhou wondered out loud.
Xia Changqiu was slightly stunned. He said, “Over the past 500 years, the Ninth Temple has been declining. Four of the nine First Seats passed away, leaving five who are also in their golden years… Moreover, the Sky Martial Court and the Flying Star House are like the sun at high noon. They’re on a meteoric rise; this especially true for the Sky Martial Court. The improvement in their strength over the past 300 years was a sight to behold.”
“The Sky Martial Court…” Lu Zhou muttered under his breath, “The Sky Martial Court invented the Sky Shuttle. Indeed, they’re not to be taken lightly.”
Tian Buji added, “We must begin from that lunatic 300 years ago…”
“Lunatic?”
“More than three centuries ago, there was a lunatic in the Sky Martial Court. His name’s Luo Xuan. This person first came up with the idea of foreign worlds, which was a mad topic at that time. He was shunned and hidden by the Sky Martial Court. Eventually, he went missing. The Sky Shuttle was one of his creations.”
Lu Zhou thought about Luo Shiyin and the notes she left behind. From the handwriting, she did not seem to be someone who had lost her mind. Instead, she was a genius researcher with an adventurous spirit. However, the line between a lunatic and a genius had always been blurry. Nicolaus Copernicus who came up with heliocentrism was a good example. When his student, Giordano Bruno, published his findings, he was burned at the stake.
“Therefore, I implore you to not be reckless, old senior. I don’t think your capable disciple’s life is in danger at this moment.” Xia Changqiu looked at Yu Shangrong. “If they wanted to do something, they would’ve sent their men to look for this disciple of yours as well.”
The others nodded.
Little Yuan’er pouted before she said, “Master, are we going to save Eldest Senior Brother or not?”
Yu Shangrong frowned again. Before his master could answer, he calmly said, “Of course we must save Eldest Senior Brother… If the Ninth Temple dares to touch a single strand of hair on his head, I’ll drench the place in blood. I’ve always spoken my mind without beating around the bush. Please forgive my bluntness.”
The Thousand Willow Monastery elders shook their heads.
Something stirred in Xia Changqiu. He looked at Lu Zhou as he asked tentatively, “Old senior, are… are you confident?” He did not know how powerful the old man was. However, based on the old man’s disciples’ attitude, could the old man be… a Ten-leaf cultivator? This was also another burning question that was in the minds of the Thousand Willow Monastery members. After all, if the old man’s disciples were so powerful, how could the master be weak?
Lu Zhou stroked his beard calmly. He did not answer the question. Instead, he said, “I’m tired.”
“…” Xia Changqiu who had begun to feel excited deflated as soon as he heard Lu Zhou’s words. Naturally, he did not let his disappointment show on his face. He ordered, “Prepare the rooms for our guests.”
“Understood.” Tian Buji led the people from the Evil Sky Pavilion out of Fair Hall.
Lu Zhou stood up slowly with a straight back. His long robes fell to his feet, and his white hair rested on his shoulders. With his hands on his back, he said in a neutral tone, “I’ll visit the Ninth Temple in five days. You’ll lead the way.” After saying this, he turned around and left.
Xia Changqiu was as stunned as a wooden chicken.
The elders were similarly stunned as they watched Lu Zhou leave.
At this moment, Ji Fengxing recalled Yu Shangrong and Yu Zhenghai’s words again. He mumbled to himself, “Is he truly… unparalleled?”
