Chapter 2179.1: Terra Demon Takes a Disciple
Terra Demon had been the remains of a tattered will at the time, so he hadn’t sensed the abnormalities beneath the sword pagoda. And being a vaunted immortal king, he didn’t look twice at a dao weapon. Thus, he didn’t mention anything beneath the mountain.
Yet when Celestial Empress Myrtlestar’s Cosmic Banner shot out of the crater, he realized how serious the matter at hand was.
Lu Yun didn’t mind, the truth would always come out in the end. He was too weak at the moment, so the investigation could wait until he grew stronger.
Sorrow shone in Terra Demon’s eyes.
“Don’t worry, we can always bring it back to what it once was.” Lu Yun clapped his shoulder. The young man nodded in response.
“Young master, Ouyang Shengtian has come.” A seemingly reborn Lu Xuan set foot through the day. Eyes as radiant as the stars, he now practiced the Sword of Slaughter Record. His cultivation had grown to initial nascent soul and he brimmed with a dashing air. Although he tread the path of slaughter, he didn’t walk around with a bloodthirsty presence.
The true sword of slaughter didn’t reveal itself before it was deployed. It was meant to kill, not to intimidate.
“Ouyang Shengtian? Let him in.” Lu Yun nodded.
The Ouyang alliance with the Lus after Ouyang Shengtian’s possession completely upended everyone’s worldview. Of the three families that were set against the Lu Clan, the Ling Clan was completely nullified, the Ouyang Clan was now friends with them, which left only the Yuwens still holding on for dear life.
But the Yuwens had received support from the Nineheavens Pagoda and thus seen their strength leap forward. They showed signs of eclipsing the greatest family in the capital—the Mo Clan—and replacing them as the foremost faction beneath the royal family.
Lu Yun ignored the Yuwens and Ouyang Shengtian couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to them either.
“Hahaha, young master Lu, it’s been a while. You look as wonderful as ever!” Ouyang Shengtian entered the yard alone, wariness flashing through his eyes when he saw Terra Demon sitting with Lu Yun.
“Out with your shit, I don’t have time for this.” Lu Yun couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries since he knew Ouyang Shengtian was a wily old fox.
The young man chuckled and sat next to the two. Lan’er brought over more dough sticks and soy milk, but Ouyang Shengtian didn’t eat them. He didn’t know Lu Yun’s temper like Terra Demon did and he’d long forgone food thanks to his accomplishments in cultivation. It’d be one thing if it was legendary spirit grains and cuisines, but the soybean milk and dough sticks were just ordinary items.
“The Yuwen Clan’s opened a new pill storefront and taken over the entire Vermilion Avenue in the southern quadrant. It's a clear provocation of our two families.” A solemn look was in Ouyang Shengtian’s eyes.
With the decline of the Ling Clan, the Ouyang and Lu Clans jointly split it up. Its businesses became the property of the two clans. Given its weak foundations, the Lu Clan would face tremendous pressure if it took over the Ling Clan by itself. Things were immensely different, however, if the Ouyang Clan was involved—they were much more established in Darklake. Additionally, the Ouyangs and Lings had shared an underground alliance.
Most important was that Lu Yun knew the ins and outs of Ouyang Shengtian’s background. The young man was just resting in the Ouyang Clan for the moment. He wasn’t actually interested in a third rank cultivation empire.
He hadn’t been willing to have further doings with the Lu Clan, but didn’t have a choice after Lu Yun came calling one day with Terra Demon.
These days, the Ouyangs and Lus exercised a monopoly over the pill and medicine markets in Dark City. The Ouyang Clan was the market leader on the surface while the Lu Clan collected its profits in the dark.
The joint collective between the two clans immediately cornered the pill and medicine markets in Darklake Empire and created massive profits.
This time, the Yuwen Clan occupied the most prosperous Vermilion Avenue and opened a grand shop. Their prices were thirty percent lower than the Ouyangs and Lus, and their supply steady and significant. Their quality was even slightly better, so there was a drastic drop in business at the Ouyang stores just after three days.
Ouyang Shengtian was no ordinary person. He knew a little about the Yuwens and that they had secret backers, so he immediately rushed to discuss things with Lu Yun. There was no denying it—he’d been forced to join Lu Yun’s side. While he didn’t fear the Nineheavens Pagoda, their backer was someone he couldn’t afford to offend even before he’d taken possession of Ouyang Shengtian.
“Let the Yuwens and Nineheavens Pagoda hop around since they want to. The only thing they’re doing is helping Darklake reap more taxes.” Lu Yun didn’t mind. He’d gained a very competent helper after finding Terra Demon; the family had advanced at an astounding pace over the past year. He didn’t care about small fry like the Yuwen Clan and Nineheavens Pagoda.
“I’m just concerned that the Origin Sect doesn’t think the same way,” Ouyang Shengtian sighed. “They haven’t been able to sit still with the emergence of Immortal Burial Valley. They’re using the Yuwen Clan and Nineheavens Pagoda to control Darklake and Dark Orchid.”
Lu Yun tilted his head and looked at Ouyang Shengtian.
“I know what young master Lu’s ambitions are,” the Ouyang young master chuckled. “You want to be the master of the Jade Ruins Realm, don’t you?”
Terra Demon curled his lip. Master of the Jade Ruins Realm? Was that supposed to be viewed as ambition? When His Grace roamed the land, he had innumerable dynasties such as Great Xia beneath his banner. What would he do with a Jade Ruins Realm?
But the current high lord was a tiger down in the plains, removed from his mountain. He was a dragon in shallow waters… Ai. All the same, if someone wanted to bully the high lord, they did so with a death wish!
Ouyang Shengtian continued when Lu Yun remained silent, “The Jade Ruins Realm is now famous throughout the realms because of Immortal Burial Valley. The aura of an immortal treasure is emanating from the bottom. It will likely be ejected in the coming days.”
“So you’re saying that the Origin Sect will start with Darklake and Dark Orchid to control the entire realm?” Lu Yun naturally grasped Ouyang Shengtian’s meaning.
“The rules in the worlds of cultivation are so powerful that immortals tread lightly here. But it’s also an easy task for the Origin Sect to take control of the realm. Once it does, both you and I will be in deep water,” Ouyang Shengtian sighed.
“There’s nothing to worry about as long as immortals stay away. They can conquer the realm if they want, it’ll make things easier for us.” Lu Yun still didn’t care.
Ouyang Shengtian was speechless and had no idea where the young man’s confidence stemmed from. But since this was Lu Yun’s final word, there was nothing else he could say.
“Hahahaha!!” Overjoyed laughter traveled in from the distance as Lu Tianling kicked open Lu Yun’s door. “Yun’er, wonderful news, wonderful news!”
Ordinarily a genteel and refined man, Lu Tianling could be the coarsest of them all when the mood seized him. His laughter could be heard through most of the capital.
“What are you so happy about, grandfather?” Lu Yun asked curiously.
Lu Tianling had returned after half a year of absence and didn’t give an explanation of where he’d gone. Lu Yun didn’t ask, and Terra Demon performed the bow of a junior when he greeted the Lu patriarch.
“Senior Helian Shan has finally agreed to take your second uncle as his disciple, hahaha!!” Lu Tianling continued roaring with laughter.
“Eh… what did you say?” Lu Yun asked stiltedly.
“Senior Helian Shan, the law enforcer from the Xuanhuang Empire, has agreed to take your second uncle as a disciple! He is an awakened cultivator! The Lus only had three of them back in the day!” Lu Tianling clapped his hands happily. “Senior Helian Shan has come, so hurry and welcome him, Yun’er! We are going to set a magnificent banquet and celebrate for three days straight!”
“Long time no see, little friend Lu Yun.” Helian Shan’s voice echoed behind Lu Tianling. He was dressed in his usual black and the typical remote expression on his face.
One year ago, Lu Xiaochi joined ninth rank empire Xuanhuang through Fengxian Wu’s introduction and became one of their very important members. He gained the right to enter the Celestial Realm Battlefront and advanced rapidly in his cultivation. Now latter nascent soul, there were few opponents of his caliber in his cultivation level.
Helian Shan had paid extra attention to Lu Xiaochi on account of Fengxian Wu, then discovered that the man’s foundations ran deep and his powers of comprehension were astounding. The urge to take a disciple struck him and he visited Darklake this time to officially take Lu Xiaochi. He would join the law enforcers.
Lu Tianling was extraordinarily delighted—he wouldn’t pay attention to Helian Shan if the latter was a regular awakened cultivator, but the law enforcer had been specially nurtured by Great Xia royalty. He would be a preeminent personage even in Great Xia, and there’d been only three awakened cultivators when the Lu Clan had been in its prime!
Lu Xiaochi becoming a law enforcer’s disciple also meant that Lu Tianling had the chance of returning to Great Xia through legitimate means and rebuilding the family.
A beaming Lu Xiaochi followed Helian Shan. Although Lu Tianling had once taught him cultivation, the Lu patriarch paled far in comparison to the law enforcer.
Ouyang Shengtian sighed inwardly at the Lu Clan’s good fortune. They had a law enforcer for a backer now! That meant that the Origin Sect would no longer dare openly investigate Lu Tianling.
“You are Helian Shan?” Terra Demon frowned with arctic air.
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