On the third day.

Lu Xuan straightened his attire and said with a faint smile,

“So, it seems the other cities have all decided the news is fake?”

Fa Zi spoke carefully and respectfully.

“It is, after all, quite unbelievable. If I hadn’t seen you with my own eyes, Lu Zi, I wouldn’t have believed it either… I hope you can forgive them.”

“What wrong have they done?”

Lu Xuan gave a calm smile, but his expression immediately grew distant. He straightened his robes, feeling the Virtue woven through his skin, bones, and even his internal organs, and gracefully stood up from his wheelchair.

With the complete Unity of Virtue and Conduct, Virtue itself acted as an anchor, causing the Physical Tribulation to naturally recede.

“It’s about time.” Lu Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and said nonchalantly, “Let’s go. Accompany me to Luocheng. I’m quite curious to meet this Ghost Valley Master and see what kind of person he really is.”

Fa Zi nodded, but large beads of sweat were already trickling down his forehead. A terrible premonition bloomed in his heart.

‘Lu Zi and the Venerable… they aren’t going to come to blows, are they?!’

He lamented his fate inwardly, then watched as this Lu Zi ascended to the Celestial Vault in a single step. With his next, a path of countless Cyan Lotuses unfurled behind him, accompanied by a hymn from heaven and earth.

Fa Zi took a deep breath and summoned the academy disciples who had been arranged in advance. They formed an honor guard in front while he followed behind, accompanying this ancient Great Virtue as they traversed the heavens toward Luocheng.

…….

At that moment, in the center of Luocheng, a vast plaza lay outside the Hall of the Hundred Schools.

The Celestial Humans and Earth Immortals were all imprisoned here. The only ones receiving decent treatment were Xiaoyan and her group; instead of being confined, they sat cross-legged in a side chamber, answering questions from the Masters of the Academy.

After more than two days of questioning, they had a rough understanding of this world. It was indeed a fragment torn from the Ancient Times.

Unfortunately, it had been separated far too early, before the Zhou Dynasty had even collapsed. While it preserved a relatively complete history, most of it concerned the Masters of the Hundred Schools, and early ones at that.

The black-robed elder stroked his long beard and remarked with a sigh,

“To think that of all the Ancient Sons, it was Kongzi who achieved sainthood… I never would have imagined it, never…”

Nearby, a Confucian Scholar curled his lip and said, displeased,

“Kongzi founded Confucianism, and his Seventy-two Disciples were all virtuous men. Wasn’t it only natural for him to achieve sainthood?”

“I know that!” the black-robed elder snapped. “What I’m marveling at is that Lu Zi never achieved sainthood…”

At this, the Master of the Mo School chimed in with a smile,

“That’s not necessarily true. The history from the outside world is also incomplete, and records concerning Lu Zi are exceedingly rare. It’s entirely possible he did achieve sainthood…”

His expression turned serious as he continued,

“Speaking of Lu Zi, isn’t that arrogant fool who calls himself Lu Zi supposed to arrive today?”

The faces of the various Masters of the Academy grew solemn. Beside them, Xiaoyan asked curiously,

“Who is this arrogant fool you’re talking about? And what’s this about someone impersonating Lu Zi?”

Marquis Zhuge, Wang Zhiyao, and the others also looked over, curious. Seated beside Marquis Zhuge, Zhuge Ke was fidgeting, looking like she wanted to perform a Divination, but a stern glance from the Marquis stopped her.

She pouted and sullenly gave up the idea.

The dozen or so Masters of the Academy exchanged glances. After a moment’s thought, the black-robed elder decided to give them a brief explanation.

“That arrogant fool took Fa Zi hostage and claims to be Lu Zi. Such audacity… Hmph. If he truly dares to come, the Venerable will deal with him…”

Xiaoyan asked curiously,

“Who is this ‘Venerable’? Your leader?”

The black-robed elder said with exasperation,

“You little girl, how do you have even more questions than we do? You are all prisoners, and we still haven’t decided what to do with you. Aren’t you afraid?”

Yan Jiangxue thought for a moment, then shook her head and answered honestly,

“Not really.”

The Masters of the Academy were left speechless. But after two days of conversation, they had formed a decent impression of these visitors from beyond the heavens. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed them to sit there peacefully, let alone served them tea.

After all, the other hundred or so off-worlders were all imprisoned in the open plaza, forced to endure the scorching sun for two days.

The black-robed elder exhaled slowly, then said with a hint of pride,

“I won’t hide it from you. The Venerable is one of the Ancient Sons. He is also Lu Zi’s senior brother and the founder of the School of Diplomacy!”

Marquis Zhuge and the others gasped, a chill running down their spines. ‘A living… a living Ancient Son?!’

‘The founder of the School of Diplomacy…’

Yan Jiangxue’s eyes lit up.

“This Venerable you speak of… he couldn’t be the Ghost Valley Master, could he?”

“The very same!”

Understanding dawned on Xiaoyan, and she muttered to herself,

“The Ghost Valley Master is actually Lu Zi’s senior brother…”

She was fine, her curiosity outweighing her fear. But the others, like Zhang Jifeng, all swallowed hard, their hearts trembling.

‘A living Ancient Son…’

Suddenly, to the astonishment of Xiaoyan and her companions, the Masters of the Academy—each capable of turning Words into Law—all turned as one and bowed deeply toward the rear of the hall.

They followed the Masters’ gazes and heard footsteps echoing from the back of the hall. The steps drew closer, and an old man who seemed to be on the verge of death emerged, shuffling forward so slowly that his long beard dragged on the floor.

‘This is…’

Yan Jiangxue’s heart pounded. To her and the others, this terrifyingly decrepit old man, his body reeking of decay, also seemed as vast as the Celestial Vault itself.

To look at him was to gaze upon this entire world!

“Greetings, Venerable!” the Masters of the Academy announced in loud, respectful voices.

‘The Venerable?’

‘That… that Sage from the Ancient Times?!’

Everyone’s eyes widened. The Ghost Valley Master strolled forward, his gaze lowered. His voice was laced with exhaustion, yet it also carried an immense majesty.

“I have sensed it.”

he said indifferently.

“The arrogant fool from Qin City has set out and is on his way here.”

The expressions of the Masters of the Academy shifted. ‘He actually dares to come?’

The Ghost Valley Master then raised his head, his ancient face covered with a chilling frost.

“Although that man impersonates my junior brother, I can sense that he is also a Great Virtue of this era. All of you, be prepared. There may be a brutal battle ahead.”

“Yes, Venerable,” the Masters of the Academy replied, bowing their heads in unison. Then, to the dumbfounded stares of Yan Jiangxue and the others, they sprang into action. Light bloomed from their hands, activating the huge and magnificent hall!

The Hall of the Hundred Schools trembled, then… it lifted off the ground!

Marquis Zhuge was stunned. ‘This hall… it’s a giant Divine Treasure?!’

Just then, the Ghost Valley Master’s gaze swept over the “off-worlders.” He said calmly,

“You can all rest assured. You have committed no crime. When the passage between worlds reopens, I will release you.”

He spoke calmly, yet his words were wreathed in the vast sound of the Dharma, with phenomena like Golden Lotuses and Immortal Flowers materializing around them!

The Chen Family Siblings swallowed nervously, their hearts pounding. Wang Zhiyao and Zhang Jifeng exchanged a terrified glance. ‘Is this one of the Ancient Sons?’

‘His gentle words carry the might of the heavens!’

‘But…’

Worry crept onto their faces. After two days of conversation with the Masters of the Academy, they all understood what being a Great Virtue signified.

Even in the Ancient Times, such a person was an extraordinary figure. With no Cultivation whatsoever, relying solely on their Position of Great Virtue, they could suppress and kill a True Immortal, or even crush a Grand Grade existence with Virtue alone!

And according to this Ghost Valley Master, who had lived for over a hundred thousand years, the person about to arrive was precisely such a Great Virtue…

The atmosphere grew tense. The entire Hall of the Hundred Schools now hung suspended in mid-air. Outside, the imprisoned Celestial Humans and Earth Immortals were terrified and restless.

The Ghost Valley Master stood perfectly still, gazing toward the horizon, an icy expression forming on his face.

He could see a massive shadow in the far distance, striding through the air toward them!

‘That shadow,’ he thought, ‘is the one who stole a portion of my authority over this world and dares to impersonate my Xiaoxuan… He must die!’

Time trickled by. As the expressions of the Masters of the Academy, Yan Jiangxue, and the others grew increasingly grave, it finally happened.

A light appeared on the horizon.

Peering through the entrance of the hall, the Chen Family Siblings could see a hymn of heaven and earth emanating from the horizon. Amidst the song, all sorts of wondrous phenomena appeared.

Qingyun and auspicious omens swirled about. A road of countless Cyan Lotuses paved the clouds. An honor guard led the way, striding forward upon that lotus path!

Yan Jiangxue and the others held their breath, while the faces of the Masters of the Academy grew more solemn with the approach of the magnificent phenomena.

As for the Ghost Valley Master, the icy chill on his face suddenly intensified!

“Such nerve!”

the Ghost Valley Master roared.

“To take on the face of my Xiaoxuan… Insolent!”

His furious roar shook the heavens. In an instant, the sky turned blood-red, and the entire Little World began to tremble!

Only then did Xiaoyan, the Chen Family Siblings, and the rest finally get a clear look at the “arrogant fool” these great seniors had spoken of.

It was a young man, his body wreathed in law and principle. He strode forward with a steady gait, each footstep stirring incredible phenomena as if the entire world was celebrating his arrival!

Amidst this vast and majestic display, the young man drew closer, his face gradually coming into focus.

“B-Brother Xiaoluo??”

“Junior Lu??”

The Chen Family Siblings were dumbstruck. Zhang Huatian and the others were utterly baffled. Xiaoyan rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be mistaken.

‘No, I’m not mistaken… Is that really Xiaolu?!’

They were all at a loss, their brains short-circuiting. The one arriving amidst a thousand wondrous phenomena was, without a doubt, Lu Xuan!

The one person who should have been impossible to see here had appeared!

“How audacious!”

Enraged beyond measure, the Ghost Valley Master thrust out a hand, bringing the vast might of the entire Little World crashing down in a furious blow!

Across the sky, the young man frowned slightly and raised his own palm to meet the attack. Dense Virtue covered his hand as it collided with the heaven-toppling palm, sending out immense shockwaves!

“You must be the Ghost Valley Master?”

Lu Xuan saw Xiaoyan and the others, and a grave look flashed in his eyes. He was also confused. ‘Is there something wrong with this Ghost Valley Master? Why is he so eager to attack the moment I arrive?’

But the Ghost Valley Master didn’t respond. Standing within the Hall of the Hundred Schools, he unleashed one Killing Skill after another in a relentless tide, striking again and again with the surging primordial energy of the world!

However, Lu Xuan also possessed a portion of this world’s fundamental authority, so he was unafraid. With his Unity of Virtue and Conduct, he didn’t even need to use any Divine Techniques or Killing Skills to easily neutralize the Ghost Valley Master’s attacks one by one.

His brow furrowed even deeper, and his voice grew cold.

“I did not come to fight.”

“Thief, die!” was the only response, a furious roar from the Ghost Valley Master.

Seeing that his attacks were ineffective, a vicious glint flashed in the Ghost Valley Master’s eyes. Drawing upon the power from his hundred thousand years of cultivating this Little World, he briefly stripped Lu Xuan of his control over it!

Lu Xuan’s expression changed. Hit with an inexplicable barrage of Killing Skills, he finally felt a flicker of anger.

Instantly, he flipped his hands over. The Jade Void Glazed Lamp appeared in his left, and the Three-Five Evil-Slaying Sword in his right. He held the sword aloft, poised to strike!

“Huh??”

But upon seeing the Three-Five Evil-Slaying Sword, the enraged Ghost Valley Master froze, his expression faltering.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep