novelraw Chapter 81 Lu Jin, who has a bad temper
Chapter 81 Lu Jin, who has a bad temper
Chapter 81 Lu Jin, who has a bad temper
In North China, there are underground training rooms everywhere.
Summer sunlight streamed in through the high ventilation window, casting narrow patches of light onto the rune-covered meditation table.
The air was filled with the distinctive bitter scent of the evaporating medicinal liquid, as well as the lingering tranquility left after a long period of meditation.
Lu Linglong sat cross-legged at the edge of the light spot, her eyes slightly closed, her breathing long and deep.
A faint golden light swirled around her, a manifestation of her minor supernatural body stabilizing and resonating with the natural world.
The past six months have passed like still waters running deep.
She did not return to the Lu family during the summer vacation, but chose to stay in North China to focus on her cultivation.
Her foundation as a Dharma body grew increasingly solid, and her mastery of the golden sword and coin talismans became ever more refined and agile. She even began to attempt to comprehend the more profound talismans recorded in the inheritance, such as the Penglai Seizing Second Talisman and the Abbot's Transformation Talisman—
As for magical artifacts, she originally intended to refine the Three True Lesser Myriad Laws Sword, but on Zhou Yi's advice, she chose another magical artifact.
In her spare time, she would occasionally accept Xu San's invitation to go out with him and Feng Baobao to handle some tasks assigned by the company, which was a way to broaden her practical experience and temper her character.
But she never officially joined "NaDuTong" and only held the title of senior consultant (assistant) on an unofficial basis.
Xu Xiang seemed unsurprised by this, nor did he force her. He simply gave her more freedom and opened up the information and intelligence the company had collected to her.
Life was busy and fulfilling, but the world of supernatural beings was also in turmoil during the past six months.
The most eye-catching of all is the reappearance of the Quanxing demons, who had disappeared for many years. They have a new leader and their actions are becoming increasingly mysterious and unpredictable, with undercurrents running deep.
Secondly, there was the sworn brotherhood of the Thirty-Six Thieves, which affected half of the sects in the world of supernatural beings. The identity of the inheritor of "Body Source Flow," one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, was finally revealed—a young man named Zhang Chulan.
And surrounding this suddenly appearing successor, and the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion connected to the Golden Light Mantra on his body, a grand event destined to shake the entire world of supernatural beings—the "Luo Tian Grand Ceremony"—is about to begin.
Jiangxi, Longhu Mountain.
The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the damp stone steps wound upwards, disappearing into the depths of the lush green forest.
Two figures walked unhurriedly along the mountain path.
One of the elderly men, tall and upright with white hair and beard and a gaunt face, was none other than the current Heavenly Master, Zhang Zhiwei.
Walking alongside him was Lu Jin, dressed in a plain white Taoist robe, with an elegant demeanor.
"Senior Brother Zhang, I am truly impressed by your cultivation of inner strength—" Lu Jin said, his voice particularly clear in the quiet mountain air. "It's one thing for the elders in the sect to have some concerns, but if it were me, I couldn't stand those outsiders interfering in the affairs of the Celestial Master's Mansion."
"Brother Lu," Zhang Zhiwei said with steady steps and gentle voice, "it is indeed a bit puzzling to allow Chu Lan, a complete outsider, to be eligible to participate in the selection of the Celestial Master's successor. It is understandable that the other fellow Daoists have this reaction."
"Senior Brother Zhang, I don't believe you can't see it." Lu Jin frowned slightly. "They don't really care about the rules. They simply don't want Zhang Chulan to step into your Celestial Master's Mansion. What they truly care about is the Qi Source Flow within him." That's why they've joined forces to force you to expand the selection scope to the entire world of supernatural beings. In this way, Zhang Chulan's opponents have increased countless times out of thin air, and his chances of entering Longhu Mountain have naturally become slim."
"The 'Qi Body Source Flow'—what a grand title." Zhang Zhiwei smiled noncommittally, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "Back in Huaiyi's time—alas, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Lu. However, before the truth comes out, Chu Lan was indeed not a disciple of my Celestial Master's Mansion. On the surface, they did have the advantage of 'fairness' based on this."
"But the problem is," Lu Jin's tone became more serious, "how many of the other extraordinary individuals outside truly dare to covet the position of Celestial Master? Even if they did come, they probably wouldn't go all out. In the end, aren't Zhang Chulan's real opponents the disciples that these families have carefully nurtured? I dare say they've already secretly reached an agreement to eliminate Zhang Chulan first. As long as Zhang Chulan can't join your sect, their goal will be achieved."
"Even if what you say is true, Brother Lu, what can I do?" Zhang Zhiwei stopped and looked at the distant, mist-shrouded mountain peaks with a calm expression.
"I don't understand," Lu Jin stopped and looked directly at Zhang Zhiwei. "If you just wanted to take Zhang Chulan under the protection of Longhu Mountain, those people would have no reason to stop you. But you insist on letting him inherit the position of Celestial Master? This is really too much." He shook his head, not saying the rest of the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Zhang Zhiwei remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "As for why I did this—Brother Lu, I really can't explain the reasons to you right now. Everything—let fate decide. Where things go from here depends on Chu Lan's own destiny."
"Let it be?" Lu Jin's voice suddenly rose. "If things continue like this, it will never go as you wish! It will only allow those guys to succeed in their schemes! I simply can't stand by and watch!"
Over the years, the Three Truths Sect has been secretly targeted and hampered by those few families using various underhanded methods. However, the other party has been discreet, always walking on the edge of the rules, so even though Lu Jin is resentful, he finds it difficult to openly retaliate.
"No, Brother Lu," Zhang Zhiwei turned his head, a playful smile on his face, "You claim to have lived a flawless life, and of all these old fellows now, you are the one I admire most."
He patted Lu Jin on the shoulder, his tone seemingly comforting, "You're over a hundred years old, take it easy, everything is predestined—"
"Senior Brother Zhang! I've already said, I don't have your level of self-control!" Lu Jin flicked his sleeve, clearly still angry.
"So, if you can't bear it, what can you do?" Zhang Zhiwei glanced at him sideways, a barely perceptible glint of something like fanning the flames in his eyes, and asked softly.
Lu Jin paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, as if those words had awakened a certain thought within him.
He remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly snorted coldly: "Simple! They think that Zhang Chulan is the only target in this tournament, and that the other extraordinary individuals either won't come or won't contribute—then I'll find Zhang Chulan a protector, and give all the extraordinary individuals in the world—a reason to give their all!"
The two exchanged a glance, and Zhang Zhiwei's smile deepened. He nodded slightly, said nothing more, and continued walking up the mountain.
Before long, the two arrived at an elegant pavilion located halfway up the mountain with a wide view.
Several people were already waiting in the pavilion.
"Master Celestial!" "Master Lu!"
Chen Jinkui, one of the younger members of the Ten Elders, Mu You, the innkeeper, and Feng Zhenghao of the World Society, all stood up to greet the two men upon their arrival, displaying respectful attitudes.
Wang Ai and Lü Ci, the two most senior members, simply sat on the stone bench and nodded slightly to the two men as a greeting.
"Sit down, everyone, please sit down. There's no need for formalities." Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand with a smile and took the lead in sitting down in the main seat. "Hehe, it was Brother Lu who gathered everyone here. What's the matter? Listen to what he has to say."
"Brother Lu," Wang Ai said with a smile on his chubby face, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, "weren't the specific details of this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony all discussed and agreed upon in the previous discussions? Is there anything else so important that it's worth gathering us old bones together again?"
Lu Jin sat down on the other side of the main seat, his expression calm and unreadable: "Hehe, it's nothing. It's just that after I went back, I kept thinking about it and I felt a little uneasy. You see, at this grand gathering, the Old Master is undoubtedly the leader. And everyone gave the Old Master so many—good—suggestions." He deliberately emphasized the word "good."
"Ahem! Brother Lu, you're too kind, too kind—" Wang Ai's smile froze. How could he not hear the sarcasm in Lu Jin's words? He quickly laughed it off, but his eyes signaled to Lu Jin that they could talk about it privately, trying to stop him from continuing.
Lu Jin, however, acted as if he hadn't seen anything and continued speaking to himself: "But what about me, Lu Jin? What have I done for this grand event? If I don't add some luster to this event, do something, I really won't feel at ease!"
"Hey! Lao Lu, what are you saying!" Wang Ai's ominous premonition grew stronger, and her voice involuntarily rose a few decibels.
Lu Jin completely ignored him, her gaze sweeping over the crowd in the pavilion, and said loudly, "I think that although we have summoned extraordinary people from all over the world to participate in the selection of the Celestial Master's successor, even if they really come, they will most likely only be doing so to give us and the Celestial Master's Mansion face. Those who truly intend to inherit the position of Celestial Master are probably very few and far between. Wouldn't it be a waste of time for these friends who have come from afar? It would make us seem inconsiderate."
"Oh? Master Lu—" Feng Zhenghao pushed up his glasses, his eyes flashing behind the lenses.
He had never wanted to associate with Wang Ai, Lü Ci, and the others, so he seized the opportunity to take over the conversation, showing great interest, "You mean—"
Lu Jin said no more.
He raised his left hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and used them as a pen to quickly draw lines in the air in front of him!
Wherever the fingertips passed, they left behind streaks of blue light that lingered and flowed, forming complex and mysterious runes!
By imperial decree, open the Feng Palace!
Inside the pavilion, a violent whirlwind suddenly arose from the flat ground!
The wind was not naturally generated, but carried a sharp, piercing sound and a cutting intent that seemed to tear everything apart!
The sturdy pillars, exquisite railings, and roof tiles were torn apart like paper by this sudden gust of wind!
"Master Lu!"
"Old Lu! What are you doing?!" Everyone in the pavilion paled in shock. Caught off guard, they quickly channeled their inner energy to protect themselves from the flying wood and stone fragments. They were utterly astonished and couldn't understand why Lu Jin had suddenly attacked them and destroyed the buildings of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
"Void Stroke Talisman—is this the technique passed down from that senior brother back then?" Lu Ci narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the gradually fading blue trail at Lu Jin's fingertips, his voice low and deep.
"Hmph!" Lu Jin withdrew his finger, the surging aura around him subsided, and he snorted coldly, his tone filled with disdain, "These mere Eight Extraordinary Techniques, these unorthodox methods, dare to compare themselves with the supernatural powers passed down by my senior brother?"
Feng Zhenghao stared at the whirlwind that had quickly subsided, leaving behind a mess, and, recalling a certain legendary name, exclaimed, "Could this be—what Zheng Zibu comprehended back then—?"
"Not bad." Lu Jin stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering slightly in the lingering air currents, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears, "It is indeed one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques—the Heavenly Talisman!"
His gaze, sharp as lightning, slowly swept over the diverse expressions of the crowd: "I've called you all here today to formally announce that the final winner of this grand Luo Tian ceremony, if he has no intention of inheriting the position of Celestial Master—then I, Lu Jin, will pass this 'Tongtian Lu' to him!"
The pavilion fell into a deathly silence.
Wang Ai's fat twitched, and Lü Ci's narrowed eyes widened completely, flashing with a sharp light.
Chen Jinkui, Mu You, and Feng Zhenghao all looked shocked.
"Hmph, as expected of you, Lu Jin—" Lü Ci spoke slowly, her voice hoarse and carrying a peculiar meaning, "I thought the rumors were untrue, but it turns out they are true. In the end—you still managed to save Zheng Zibu."
He paused, his gaze shifting to Lu Jin, his expression filled with undisguised scrutiny and a deeper meaning: "I remember, back then, after that person ascended, the Left Sect Master of your Three Truths Sect strictly forbade his disciples from getting involved in anything related to the 'Eight Extraordinary Techniques,' with violators facing—in severe cases—expulsion from the sect. At that time, the Three Truths Sect was the most prominent sect in the world, having just produced an ascended individual, its prestige shining brightly—who would want to be expelled from such a sect?"
He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was hard to decipher as either praise or sarcasm: "Well done, Lu Jin, you deserve the title of 'Flawless in Life'."
"Zheng Zibu could die in peace having a friend like you."
The smile that seemed to be both praise and sarcasm on Lu Ci's lips had not yet completely disappeared, but a deep sorrow had already appeared on Lu Jin's face. That sorrow was heavy and overwhelmed all the confrontation and imposing aura just now.
"A life without flaws—" Lu Jin repeated these four words in a low voice, his voice trembling slightly, as if each word weighed a ton. "I—am unworthy of such a title."
Amidst the ruins of pavilions and terraces, even the mountain breeze seemed to freeze for a moment.
When the truth about their "sworn brotherhood" was suddenly revealed, the world was in uproar, and the thirty-six men became the target of public criticism.
Upon learning that his close friend Zheng Zibu was in dire straits, Lu Jin immediately decided to go and rescue him.
Therefore, his teachers who cherished him like a precious gem, his fellow disciples who placed high hopes on him, and even his blood relatives all tried their best to persuade him, and even threatened him with circumstances, to do their utmost to stop him.
In the eyes of the Three Truths Sect and the Lu family, this matter was simply inconceivable and incomprehensible.
At that time, Lu Jin possessed exceptional talent, a pure heart, and cultivation that was among the best of his generation. He had already been designated as the only candidate to become the future sect leader. Keep in mind that this was the number one sect in the world, which had just produced an ascendant! He would one day lead the number one mystical sect in the world!
Why would he destroy his own Great Wall and lose everything within his grasp for the sake of a "sinner" who was entangled with the "Quanxing" demons?
Upon hearing this news, the head of the Lu family was so enraged that he almost vomited blood.
However, despite a thousand obstacles and countless questions, Lu Jin still went. It's just that he set off too late, hesitated for too long, and was too deeply entangled.
When he finally found Zheng Zibu, who was on the verge of death, on the edge of a desolate and dilapidated mountain village after going through many twists and turns, his dear friend had already been tortured beyond recognition and his breath was as weak as a candle in the wind.
Zheng Zibu told him that after he narrowly escaped the ambush, he found that his hometown had been razed to the ground and his relatives and neighbors had been slaughtered—all of those people were just trying to force him to show himself.
Amidst his grief and despair, only a final bit of unwillingness sustained him: the unwillingness for the "Tongtian Lu" he had comprehended throughout his life to be lost to obscurity.
He knew Lu Jin would definitely come, even if the whole world abandoned him.
He was waiting, waiting with his last breath.
Lu Jin did not disappoint him.
He was late, but he finally arrived.
Meeting Lü Ci's scrutinizing, cold gaze, the sorrow in Lu Jin's eyes was quickly replaced by a burning rage, a rage that seemed to have been suppressed for decades, finally bursting through the dam of reason: "I still can't forget—I can't forget the resentment and hatred burning in Brother Zibu's eyes before he died!"
His voice suddenly rose, each word like iron, "With his last breath, he told me—the names of every single one of those who hunted him down to death and slaughtered his family and villagers!"
"To be honest, at that moment back then, I even considered abandoning everything and doing anything to avenge him!"
His gaze, sharp as a sword forged from ice, slowly turned to Wang Ai and Lü Ci, uttering each word slowly and deliberately: "Lü Ci, Wang Ai—would you like to hear this for yourselves? See if any of those names are familiar to you?"
"Ahem!" Wang Ai's fat face twitched unnaturally. He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip to cover up his discomfort, and coughed dryly, "That's old news—Brother Lu, why bring it up again?"
"Forget it, Brother Lu, let's not talk about it anymore!" Lu Ci waved his hand, his tone seemingly casual, but a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes, clearly unwilling to continue dwelling on the matter.
"Brother Lu..." Zhang Zhiwei, who had been sitting quietly by the sidelines, spoke up at the right time, his tone filled with a complex mix of emotions. He hadn't expected Lu Jin to stand up for him so strongly.
He originally planned to use Lu Lin to eliminate several troublesome opponents in the Luo Tian Grand Tournament, but he never expected that Lu Jin would decide to put the "Tongtian Lu" directly in front of everyone in order to break the deadlock.
However, upon hearing Zhang Zhiwei speak, Lu Jin assumed he was worried about the consequences of his actions, and his emotions surged even more. His words became increasingly resolute: "Senior Brother Zhang! Don't you understand? Prevention is worse than cure! This matter has been suppressed for so many years, and it has long become an unspoken cancer in the world of supernatural beings! Now, the mere appearance of Zhang Chulan, who possesses the 'Qi Body Source Flow,' has already stirred up all sorts of demons and monsters, demonstrating the greed in people's hearts and the depth of the hidden dangers!"
He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and his gaze swept over the various expressions on the faces of the people in the pavilion. He continued, "Quanxing? Those demons are certainly wicked and act mad, but at least they dare to take responsibility for their actions openly! The truly dangerous ones are those hypocrites who wear sanctimonious masks and lurk in the shadows, stirring up trouble and causing chaos! Back then—"
At this point, Lu Jin's words suddenly stopped, as if something had forcefully choked her.
He still cannot understand why his brilliant and insightful senior brother Zhou Yi, who had foreseen the sworn brotherhood of the "Thirty-Six Thieves," strictly ordered the entire Three Truths Sect not to interfere in the matter before ascending to immortality.
This order, like a cold shackle, bound the then-dominant Sanzhen sect, and indirectly led to the deaths of countless innocent people who had no direct connection to the sworn brotherhood, who were caught up in the sweeping hunt and purge that engulfed the world.
These doubts and regrets, buried deep in his heart for decades, were about to burst out at this moment, but he forcibly suppressed them.
Some things, concerning the sect, were ultimately difficult for Guan Ping's senior brother, who had already ascended to the immortal realm, to say to these people at this moment, in this place.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, only resolute clarity remained: "You, Longhu Mountain, and my Three Truths Sect—back then, for the sake of so-called self-preservation," stood idly by and watched that tragedy that swept the world. Was that truly innocence? Could you truly be at peace with yourselves?"
"This time," Lu Jin slowly straightened his back, his gaze burning as if he were about to unleash decades of pent-up frustration and determination, "I will no longer stand idly by!"
He raised his hand, his fingertips still seemingly glowing with the faint light left from when he drew the "Heavenly Talisman" wind-summoning talisman. His voice suddenly became incredibly clear and resolute, echoing throughout the pavilion area: "Don't people all want these Eight Extraordinary Skills?"
"No need to fight—"
"I, Lu Jin, here it is! I present it to the victor of this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony!"
"Take it!"
The last two words, spoken with resounding force, echoed like thunder in the morning mist of Longhu Mountain, and resonated in the hearts of every one of the Ten Elders present.
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This chapter is a bit boring, following the original plot. I was thinking of writing another chapter featuring Bi Lian. I can't take it anymore, it's too cold with the snow. My fingers are so swollen I can barely straighten them. I really envy northerners with central heating and southerners with air conditioning. Henan, sigh, we get nothing here, just have to tough it out.