Chapter 1395: Gra.s.s Swords
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lu Zhou was still not very familiar with the green lotus domain. After all, he had only been to Xiangyang City and the Sky Hook Ropeway. Hence, he still needed Qin Naihe to lead the way.
During the journey, Qin Naihe followed closely behind Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou glanced at Qin Naihe before he asked, “Did Qin Renyue lecture you?”
Qin Naihe shook his head and said, “Venerable Master Qin is still the respectable Venerable Master Qin of the past. He didn’t say anything out of line. It’s a pity that we can’t change the past.”
Lu Zhou said, “Do you want to return to the Qin clan?”
Qin Naihe was stunned by this question. When he regained his senses, he hastily shook his head and said, “No. I’m loyal to the Evil Sky Pavilion. I have no other intentions.”
Lu Zhou did not continue speaking. He accelerated Whitzard’s speed and flew forward.
The duo, one in front and one at the back, flew through the sea of clouds and above countless mountains and rivers. Then, they flew past human cities.
Although the green lotus domain was also affected by the imbalance, it was much more stable compared to the golden lotus domain. If it weren’t for the Black Tower Council and the White Lotus Council helping Great Yan’s nine provinces to resist the fierce beasts, the humans at the golden lotus domain would have been annihilated.
Lu Zhou recalled Yue Qi’s words about the sea beasts’ attacks being manipulated by the beast tamers from the Great Void, and the implication that the Halcyon Bird belonged to Lan Xihe.
Why did Lan Xihe do such a thing? Lu Zhou could not figure it out. Ye Tianxin was the Tower Master of the White Tower Council now. If Lan Xihe was truly such a vicious person, did that mean Ye Tianxin was now in danger?
With this thought in mind, he activated his power of sight to observe Ye Tianxin.
…
Ye Tianxin was in the training hall at this moment. She looked at an elder of the White Tower Council and asked, “Have you confirmed the information you obtained?”
“Yes. Mr. First and Mr. Second of the Evil Sky Pavilion brought the corpse back to the golden lotus domain.”
“Corpse?” Ye Tianxin’s expression was a little unnatural when she heard these words.
The elder immediately corrected himself. “I didn’t mean that. What I mean is that from the perspective of an ordinary person, there’s nothing else that could be done. However, I heard that the Pavilion Master is seeking the method of resurrection.”
Ye Tianxin was not angered by the elder’s choice of words. Instead, she rose to her feet and shook her head before she said with a sigh, “I’m going to the Evil Sky Pavilion tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
…
Lu Zhou cut off the power of sight after determining Ye Tianxin should be safe for the time being. However, to be even safer, he used a talisman to send Ye Tianxin a message, telling her to stay in the Evil Sky Pavilion and not to return to the White Tower Council for the time being.
…
After three days of flying, Lu Zhou and Qin Naihe finally arrived at the extreme west. It was spa.r.s.ely populated and desolate.
Qin Naihe pointed at a nearby mountain and said, “This mountain is called the Lost Mountain. In the past, Venerable Master Qin and Venerable Master Ye used to discuss the Dao here and spar. Since this place is far from human cities, it’s a good place for Venerable Masters to spar.”
“Spar?” Lu Zhou did not think they were sparring.
Qin Naihe said awkwardly, “Something like that. I guess you can say they were mostly competing. Later, when the environment here got worse, they moved to Clear Sky Mountain.” After a pause, he said, “I haven’t been to the golden lotus domain in a long time. If I have to pick, I’d say I prefer the peace and quietness of the golden lotus domain.
“Why do you say that?” Lu Zhou asked. He did not expect this from Qin Naihe. After all, Qin Naihe was from the green lotus domain.
Qin Naihe said with a smile, “I had a dream. In the dream, I told the frog at the bottom of the well that the world is very vast. I said that it would not be able to see anything if it stayed at the bottom of the well so it would be better for it to leave the well. With that, it could broaden its horizon and see the world. Then, the frog said that I was lying. It said that it was living comfortably and happily at the bottom of the well; why would it leave the well and face the unknown?” Then, he sighed before he continued to say, “The unknown brings uneasiness and fear. I can’t refute the frog.”
Lu Zhou said, “You have a point, but you made a huge mistake.”
“What is it?” Qin Naihe asked as he scratched his head.
“You didn’t kill the frog.” With that, Lu Zhuo swooped down on Whitzard’s back.
Qin Naihe was stunned. For a moment, he could not figure out Lu Zhou’s meaning. After a moment, realization dawned on him. He looked at Lu Zhou’s back and muttered to himself, “The Pavilion Master has a point.”
…
In the Lost Forest.
Lu Zhou, Qin Naihe, and Whitzard flew at a low alt.i.tude.
The rugged terrain and harsh environment made Lu Zhou frown.
“There should’ve been a large-scale battle in the past, resulting in the destruction of the land here,” Qin Naihe said.
Lu Zhou looked at the ground. “Then, where did the destroyed land go?”
“Perhaps, it drifted out to the Endless Ocean..,” Qin Naihe replied.
There was no meaning to this conversation. Lu Zhou’s goal was to find the runic pa.s.sage.
The duo flew deeper into the forest.
During this time, they had encountered a few fierce beasts. However, Qin Naihe easily dealt with all of them. There was no challenge at all. In this regard, the Lost Land was not like the Unknown Land; there were not many powerful fierce beasts here.
“It should be up ahead,” Qin Naihe said as he pointed ahead.
Soon enough, the duo landed near the Lost Mountain Stream.
Qin Naihe used his energy swords and slashed at a patch of vines, revealing the runic pa.s.sage.
Lu Zhou asked, perplexed, “Since they decided to isolate themselves, what’s the point of having a runic pa.s.sage?”
Qin Naihe smiled as he replied, “People like holding onto things, after all. Just like some men who claim they’re loyal, but they’re secretly thinking about the girl next door.”
Lu Zhou nodded. “You seem to have a deep understanding of yourself.”
Qin Naihe: “…”
It took a while to clear the fallen leaves and dirt from the runic pa.s.sage. When it was done, Lu Zhou walked ahead and said, “You don’t have to come with me.”
“It’s not very… appropriate, right?”
“It’s not convenient for you to come with me,” Lu Zhou said as he waved his hand.
Qin Naihe nodded helplessly and said, “Alright, I’ll wait for Pavilion Master’s return.”
After Whitzard walked into the runic pa.s.sage, Lu Zhou activated it.
A beam of light shot up into the sky, and when the light disappeared, Lu Zhou and Whitzard were nowhere to be seen.
…
About 15 minutes later.
A beam of light shot up into the sky from a pile of leaves.
Whitzard let out a cry as it shook its body to get rid of the leaves on its body.
Lu Zhou flew up into the sky on Whitzard’s back and muttered under his breath, “So this is the twin green lotus domain?”
He hovered above a forest and surveyed his surroundings before he said, “A little higher.”
Whitzard flew higher into the sky. When they were above 1,000 meters high, Lu Zhou frowned when he saw the seemingly boundless forest. How was he going to find Chen Fu? He was surrounded by forest in all directions, and he had no one to ask for directions from.
“Whitzard, which way do you want to go? You choose,” Lu Zhou said.
Whitzard let out a bleat.
“Alright. Since your head is pointing in this direction, let’s go this way. If you’re wrong, I won’t forgive you,” Lu Zhou said.
Whitzard: “?”
Whitzard flew forward, obeying Lu Zhou’s order. After consuming two beast essences, its speed had increased by leaps and bounds. When it flew with all its might, its speed was not inferior to a Free Man’s. Most importantly, it did not need to expend vitality energy to fly.
…
Lu Zhou and Whitzard continued flying for another two hours before Lu Zhou finally saw a village. He lowered his alt.i.tude. As long as he found someone, he would be able to ask for directions or something.
At the entrance of the village, an old man leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.
Lu Zhou flashed and appeared in front of the old man. He called out, “Old man.”
The old man opened his eyes, a little nervous and scared. He stammered, “C-cultivator?”
“You don’t have to be afraid. I don’t have any ill intentions. Do you know where Chen Fu is?”
“Ah?” The old man’s face turned pale. “How can you address the Saint by his name?!”
Lu Zhou had forgotten Chen Fu was a Saint in the twin lotus domain. Naturally, Chen Fu was a prominent figure here; someone whom everyone respected. Hence, he asked, “Where is the Saint now?”
“I-I don’t know…”
“…”
It seemed like he had asked this question in vain.
Lu Zhou asked again, “Are there any cultivators here?”
It was better to speak to cultivators than ordinary folks. Ordinary folks knew very little about the cultivation world, after all. Moreover, their lifespans were short so even the news they had was stale.
The old man pointed to a mountain in the north of the village said, “There should be one there.”
“Thank you,” Lu Zhou said before flas.h.i.+ng away, vanis.h.i.+ng into thin air.
With that, the old man’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
…
At the foot of the mountain.
Two cultivators were practicing with their swords.
“Senior brother, I’m on the brink of breaking through to the Nascent Divinity Tribulation Realm. You better watch out!”
“I’ve already sprouted the third leaf in the Nascent Divinity Tribulation Realm! Junior brother, you better work hard!”
The two continued to spar as energy swords sailed in the air.
Looking down from the sky, the twin green lotus domain was incredibly vast. It should be the vastest among all the domains. With this, Lu Zhou knew it would not be easy to find Chen Fu in a short time.
It was no wonder the Great Void could not find the Great Void Seeds. If his disciples were exposed and went into hiding, even if the twelve Saints of the Great Void made a move, it would be difficult to find them.
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Lu Zhou appeared near the two cultivators. He called out, “Young men.”
The duo’s reaction was no different from that ordinary old man. They were shocked by Lu Zhou’s sudden appearance.
Lu Zhou sensed their cultivation bases. With such a big gap between their cultivation bases, unless they had a sacred relic, it would be difficult for them to hide from him.
“Y-you… Who are you?” The older cultivator asked.
“Where’s Saint Chen?”
Upon hearing that, the cultivator said, “Are you joking? How would people like us know where the Saint is?”
“Then, do you know where he usually frequents?” Lu Zhou asked.
The cultivator shook his head and said, “I’m sorry. I really don’t know. However, you can go to Feng’an in the eastern capital or Luo Yang in the western capital. There are many important people there so you might find out a thing or two.”
Lu Zhou nodded. “Alright.”
“If I may ask, are you an admirer of Saint Chen?” the cultivator asked.
“Hm?”
“I heard from a senior that there are many people who want to see Saint Chen. You’re wasting your time looking for him.”
Lu Zhou naturally did not take those words to heart. He looked at the sword in the older cultivator’s hand and said, “There are three types of swords: the commoner’s sword, the lord’s sword, and the son of heaven’s sword. Your basic skills are relatively shallow. You’ll need to work harder.”
Then, Lu Zhou pointed at the other cultivator and said, “As for you, your basic skills are pa.s.sable, and you can start learning advanced sword skills. However, you still need to work on your temperament. Your weaknesses are obvious, and you’re not flexible enough.”
The two cultivators were stunned.
Lu Zhou continued to say, “You can start by practicing your control over energy swords. If you practice for six hours every day, you’ll definitely see results in six years. I hope both of you will remember my words. If you do, you’ll definitely become experts of a generation. Farewell.”
With that, Lu Zhou stomped his feet and flew up into the sky and vanished in a blink of an eye.
Whitzard waited high up in the sky for him.
The two cultivators scratched their heads in confusion
“Who’s he? He really knows how to act important.”
“However, his words make sense…”
“You only think so because his words to you are favorable. How can I not know what your basic skills are like?”
At this moment, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a long robe rushed over from afar and landed next to the two cultivators. “Why are both of you arguing again?”
“Master, a lunatic showed up earlier. He even gave us a few pointers and said that we’ll be experts of a generation if we follow his advice.”
“Hm?”
Then, the older cultivator repeated Lu Zhou’s words to his master.
After listening to his disciple, the middle-aged man’s eyes widened slightly as he cursed, “Lunatic! In the future, if you encounter such people, don’t bother with them!”
“Understood!”
The world was as such. It was almost impossible for people to believe that there were others who knew what was good for them.
…
Lu Zhou, who thought he had put on a good show, flew forward happily.
After a moment, he seemed to have recalled something. “Whitzard, I seemed to have forgotten to ask for directions to the eastern and western capitals.”
Whitzard: “???”
Lu Zhou turned back again.
…
The two cultivators were still practicing with their swords.
Lu Zhou leaped down and called out again, “Young men.”
The two leaped back in shock. They pointed at Lu Zhou and asked, “Y-you… You… W-why are you here again?”
“Where’s the eastern capital?” Lu Zhou asked.
“In the east.” The older cultivator pointed east angrily.
Lu Zhou nodded. Then, he said, “Let me tell you about my sword path…”
“No, no, no. It’s best you don’t blindly give us pointers. If my master finds out, he’ll beat us to death. You better leave.”
Lu Zhou: “…”
He sighed helplessly and shook his head.
The younger cultivator said, “Senior, why don’t you show us your move?”
At this time, the middle-aged cultivator rushed over again from the mountainside. “Take this!”
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The middle-aged cultivator’s sword technique was rather sharp.
However, Lu Zhou remained standing with his hands on his back. He was able to dodge at just the right time.
The middle-aged cultivator struck more than 100 times in a row, but none of his strikes landed. He was fl.u.s.tered and exasperated. As soon as he released his energy swords…
Lu Zhou moved as fast as lightning as he reached out and held the middle-aged man’s sword with two fingers. With a flick of his wrist…
Crack!
The sword broke.
Then, Lu Zhou pushed his hand out, launching a palm seal that hit the middle-aged cultivator’s chest.
“Master!”
The two cultivators paled with fright.
Lu Zhou only pushed the middle-aged cultivator back and did not attack mercilessly. Then, he lifted his hand.
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At this time, every blade of gra.s.s flew up, looking like swords. However, not a single energy sword could be seen.
The gra.s.s swords that seemed to cover the sky flew out in all directions.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The trees in the surroundings were all pierced by the gra.s.s swords.
“Many people dream of me giving them pointers, but the two of you don’t know how to appreciate such a favor. Some people are just beyond help.”
Lu Zhou’s voice echoed in the air long after he vanished from sight.
The trio sat on the ground dumbfounded as they looked at the trees that were riddled with holes and recalled the gra.s.s swords.