[The Nobleman Pleads for rcy; Lu Zi Departs in Disgust.]
.......
The incident had ruined any interest Lu Xuan had in exploring Luoyang City, and he returned to the Guardian Storage Room in silence.
First, he wiped down every book in the room, one by one. Most of the scrolls contained the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and now, it seed he himself had joined the ranks of those masters, with a few new scrolls added to the collection.
Once he finished wiping the scrolls, Lu Xuan sat cross-legged on a ditation cushion. He poured a cup of hot tea, lit a stick of Sandalwood Incense, and was lost in thought amidst the swirling fragrance.
’The massacre in the Sui Region... Senior Brother Zhang would never do sothing like that. It’s not in his character.’
’And I haven’t received a letter from Senior Brother Zhang in a long ti...’
A sudden anxiety gripped him, and he downed three cups of hot tea before he finally cald down.
"It can’t be..."
Lu Xuan muttered to himself, his focus sharpening:
"Senior Brother Zhang’s power is practically world-shaking. He’ll be fine... Sothing strange must have happened. I should just wait a few more days for news..."
As he spoke, he let out a soft sigh. ’It’s been so long since I’ve seen Senior Brother Zhang...’
At that thought, Lu Xuan started to laugh, muttering to himself as he did:
"Senior Brother Zhang, I outdid you this ti. I made a na for myself in Luoyang before you could..."
As he continued to speak, his mind settled, and his consciousness gradually withdrew. Like waking from a grand dream, his form slowly faded from the Guardian Storage Room.
Just as Lu Xuan awoke from his dream, a retinue of a hundred horsen galloped toward the Guardian Storage Room. Their leader rode a black steed, carried a black banner, and was dressed in black robes adorned with Profound Jade. He exuded an imnse aura of majesty, yet his hair was disheveled, cutting a sorry figure.
He roared:
"I have co to the Guardian Storage Room at another’s behest! I must see Lu Zi!"
The Eighty-One Armors blocked his path. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, and though gripped by fear, not a single one retreated.
The nobleman in black robes and Profound Jade roared again:
"Relay my ssage at once! I have co at another’s behest and must see Lu Zi!"
A terrified handmaiden entered the Guardian Storage Room, only to erge monts later, trembling in fear.
"The Keeper of the Records... he is not here..."
As she spoke, an Official rushed over and perford a grand salute.
"Greetings, Duke Mu of Qin. Why have you barged into Luoyang...?"
In this era, the Dukes ran rampant. The Celestial Son of Zhou had beco a re figurehead, his decrees barely reaching beyond the walls of Luoyang.
The middle-aged man revered as Duke Mu of Qin glanced sideways, his aura of authority imnse.
"I have co at another’s behest to find Lu Zi..."
As he spoke, his chest heaved, and he said with trembling fury:
"The Qi Kingdom massacred a hundred cities in the Sui Region! This deed has angered both Heaven and man, so why does the Celestial Son not punish them?"
His voice thundered through the sky, shaking the entirety of Luoyang City.
After a long while, a vast voice emanated from the very center of Luoyang City, from within the great hall, from the high court:
"It is beyond our control."
Duke Mu of Qin was crestfallen.
After a mont, he waved his hand at the Official and said calmly:
"I have already given my word to another, so I shall wait here for Lu Zi to return. When he cos back, I will leave."
The Official dared not say another word. He bowed with the utmost respect and took his leave.
.......
「Current World.」
By the ti Lu Xuan had completely finished his cultivation, three days had already passed.
’The Third-Layer Supre Jade Steps... I’m just missing one final catalyst...’
As he muttered to himself, he slowly opened his eyes. A divine light flashed within them, and a vast Dao Rhy emanated from his being. For a mont, an image of infinite height flickered across his body, accompanied by a dim, shadowy aspect.
But these visions imdiately subsided.
Lu Xuan gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, which swirled upward. He then solemnly extended his hands, cupping the Cyan Lamp in his palms to observe it in silence.
’The Jade Void Glazed Lamp...’
The fla on this Cyan Lamp seed eternal, as if it could never be extinguished. It appeared to reflect scenes from all the Celestial Realms, from past, present, and future, yet looking closely revealed nothing at all.
After a long mont, Lu Xuan retracted the Jade Void Glazed Lamp into his Spiritual World, then turned and gently pushed open the Heaven-Reaching Gate.
Outside the gate, Qing Xuan Daoist stood at the lead, with Qing He and Qing Ping a step behind. All of them bowed at once.
"Greetings, Honored Ancestor!"
And behind them, the hundreds upon thousands of Daoists—young and old alike, ranging from mortals with no cultivation to Daoists at the Earth Immortal Level—also bowed.
"Greetings, Honored Ancestor!!"
The sound of their voices was like rolling thunder.
Lu Xuan accepted their reverence with composure.
A short ti later, Qing Xuan Daoist, his body shrouded in a mist of Chaos, waved his hand and dismissed the crowd of Daoists. He then turned back to Lu Xuan and offered another salute.
"Lu Ancestor, have you...?"
Lu Xuan nodded lightly.
"I have been accepted as a disciple."
Qing Xuan Daoist smiled.
"Then Lu Ancestor is truly the patriarch of our Guangcheng Palace... If you have any orders, Guangcheng Palace will spare no effort to carry them out."
Then, he added reservedly:
"However, I beg Lu Ancestor’s pardon, but for certain reasons, I, Qing Xuan, cannot leave Guangcheng Palace."
Lu Xuan gave a steady nod, not showing any surprise or joy at having such a colossal power now at his disposal. He replied evenly,
"For now, there is nothing that requires Guangcheng Palace’s assistance. But that may not be the case in the future..."
"Is this about Sakata Heavy Industries?" Qing Xuan Daoist smiled. "Lu Ancestor’s cultivation is still in its early stages. There is no need to rush. We should wait for a suitable opportunity..."
Lu Xuan’s heart stirred. The mysterious Qing Xuan Daoist seed to be alluding to sothing. He considered this for a mont, but didn’t say anything more, simply giving a decisive nod.
"I don’t intend to stay long in Guangcheng Palace. I may have to leave in a little while..."
"Let Qing He and Qing Ping escort you," Qing Xuan Daoist said softly. "It was already ti for Guangcheng Palace to enter the world. The ti is now right."
After a pause, he continued:
"Qing He is an Eight Tribulations Earth Immortal, but he is currently undergoing the Plague Tribulation. In terms of combat ability, he’s probably about as strong as a Two or Three Tribulation Earth Immortal. Qing Ping is a Ninth Grade True Immortal. In the outside world, he would be considered at the very peak."
Lu Xuan swallowed, his heart rate quickening slightly. He cleared his throat with a soft cough.
"Well... I won’t decline, then."
’An Earth Immortal and a True Immortal as my escorts...’
’Unless I run head-on into the top brass of Sakata Heavy Industries or the Evil Cult, with a detail like this... can’t I pretty much go wherever I please?’
At this, Qing Xuan Daoist nodded and stepped aside, then turned to instruct Qing He and Qing Ping.
"While you are out in the world, make Lu Ancestor your highest priority."
After a pause, he turned his head to look at Lu Xuan with a aningful expression and added,
"Oh, right, there is one more thing... If Lu Ancestor has the ti, you might want to visit Gouxian Town on the edge of the mountain range again. Walk around, take a good look. You might gain sothing from it. Perhaps..."
"...you will find the answers you seek."
Lu Xuan paused, his curiosity piqued. ’Gouxian Town?’
He suddenly recalled the strangely-acting townspeople. Lost in thought, he gave a slight nod and said solemnly,
"I’ll head there next. Thank you for the guidance."
"It is rely what I ought to do." Qing Xuan Daoist perford another salute, then took his leave, retreating into the Ming Dynasty room behind the Heaven-Reaching Gate. Seemingly unfazed by the vanished Cyan Lamp, he simply sat quietly on the ditation cushion, his form becoming hazy and indistinct as Chaos Qi flowed slowly around him.
Lu Xuan gave the Daoist one last, deep look, but said nothing more. Instead, he nodded to Qing He and Qing Ping.
Then, accompanied by one True Immortal and one Earth Immortal, he walked out of Guangcheng Palace.
"Gouxian Town... Langya Province Governnt... Sakata Heavy Industries... the Evil Cult..."
Lu Xuan muttered to himself, the light in his eyes gradually brightening. He didn’t grow arrogant just because he now had a True Immortal by his side; instead, he remained as calm and composed as ever.
"Let’s go, both of you. First, we’ll check out Gouxian Town."
Qing Ping and Qing He exchanged a glance and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Lu Ancestor."
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