Lu Jiulian was about to break through!

  On that blood-soaked battlefield, he had perfected his Body Storage realm. Every ounce of potential had been honed to its limit. Now he would shatter the shackles of mortality and charge into the Heavenly Lock realm!

  All the students from the Great Xuan Academy had fallen.

  Even someone as strong as Lu Jiulian could barely hold on. Among the second wave of scarlet-robed monks, one in particular gave him crushing pressure—like facing not a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but a Golden Core, or something even higher.

  He wasn’t completely confident he could win.

  So Lu Jiulian chose to breakthrough right there and then.

  The wind moaned across the crimson plain.

  He stood motionless, his green-lotus-embroidered robes soaked in blood, the lotus pattern now looking strangely demonic.

  Gravel rolled across the ground. All around lay the corpses of monks and academy disciples.

  Silence blanketed the world.

  Lu Jiulian stared at the young monk opposite him. His aura kept climbing, his spine roaring like a dragon.

  “Amitabha.”

  The monk gazed at him with odd, almost pitying eyes.

  “Almsgiver, give up.”

  “Why should I?” Lu Jiulian asked calmly.

  “This poor monk entered the mortal world to ferry all beings across the sea of suffering. The sea of suffering has no shore—only I can provide the boat.”

  The monk spoke with absolute certainty.

  Lu Jiulian’s robes still fluttered in the wind.

  He slowly raised the plain refined-iron sword in his hand—no spirit tool, just ordinary steel.

  He swept the tip in a slow circle, pointing at every fallen academy student.

  His eyes were deep and tranquil, yet something burned beneath.

  “This is the boat you offered?”

  “Amitabha. For the greater harmony of all under heaven, sacrifices are necessary.”

  The monk pressed his palms together.

  Lu Jiulian let out a soft laugh.

  “These are my brothers from the academy. They may not be the strongest, but they are the ones I trust most. They gave their lives to buy me this chance. They sacrificed themselves so I could live.”

  “And you want me to climb into your boat?”

  “Ridiculous.”

  His voice grew colder.

  “The sea of suffering has no shore? Then I’ll cut it in half with one stroke.”

  The moment the words left his mouth, his cultivation finally reached its peak.

  Rumble!

  Thunder rolled in the distance.

  The monk’s gaze grew stranger.

  “What a peculiar world, to birth such a heaven-defying genius… What a pity. This world is doomed to perish, and a prodigy like you will only watch helplessly as all life falls.”

  “Amitabha. The heavens are unjust. What a pity…”

  BOOM!

  Lu Jiulian moved.

  Spine like a dragon, blood like molten mercury—he charged with terrifying momentum.

  His sword flashed, becoming countless lotus-shaped sword shadows, nine petals unfurling.

  “Nine-Petal Sword Lotus!”

  A low shout.

  A single sword-lotus bloomed silently, then shot forward.

  The monk’s eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth and chanted.

  Though only Golden Core level, he was the divine-sense avatar of a supreme Mid-Tier Martial world lord. Why would he fear this?

  Golden scriptures formed a circular shield around him.

  The sword-lotus drifted forward like a leaf on the wind and crashed into the shield.

  BOOM!

  Invisible shockwaves exploded.

  On the blood-colored plain, a colossal green lotus suddenly appeared, cracking the earth.

  Dust and smoke billowed.

  Lu Jiulian gripped his sword. His body began to blur at the edges.

  Yet he remained perfectly calm.

  He looked toward the monk who had taken the full brunt of his strike.

  When the smoke cleared—

  The monk still stood, robes shredded, a lotus-shaped wound blooming across his chest, blood pouring out.

  He looked wretched, yet his expression remained serene.

  “Amitabha. Almsgiver, this poor monk will find you one day and ferry you across the sea of suffering.”

  A breeze blew.

  Gravel rolled.

  The corpses of the academy students vanished.

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  Lu Jiulian turned into green smoke and scattered.

  The monk glanced down at the bleeding lotus on his chest.

  He took one step forward. A scarlet kasaya flew toward him, landing at his feet.

  But the moment his foot touched the cloth, blood gushed from the wound. His body went limp and collapsed onto the robe.

  …

  CRACK!

  Beside Ni Yu, the very last jade talisman shattered.

  The fragments rose into the air and formed glowing numbers.

  Western Liang Xiang Family Army: 20 enemies slain.

  Great Xuan Academy: 20 enemies slain.

  A stunned hush fell over the entire martial arena.

  A tie?

  How were they supposed to judge a winner?

  Even Ni Yu was dumbfounded. Young Master had never told her what to do in case of a draw.

  Even Zhao Zixu, who had been gathering energy for his own breakthrough, couldn’t help glancing at the numbers.

  Whoosh.

  A figure slowly walked out of the misty array.

  Bloodstained green-lotus robes fluttered around him like a demon.

  “It’s Lu Jiulian!”

  The academy students who had been waiting anxiously finally exhaled in relief.

  Lu Jiulian himself paused—he hadn’t expected everyone to still be alive.

  “Illusion?” he murmured, frowning.

  “No… it was too real.”

  Suddenly he looked up.

  His aura surged like a dragon uncoiling from his spine, roaring through his body.

  Heavenly Lock Tribulation!

  Gasps rose around the arena.

  Another one—just like Zhao Zixu—stepping into Heavenly Lock!

  “So it wasn’t an illusion. I was ejected because I broke through?”

  Lu Jiulian pondered.

  This array must truly connect to some corner of the world.

  And the legendary Young Master Lu had used these jade talismans to give them an extra life.

  Perhaps his original intent was to let them taste death.

  But since this was only a competition, he had granted them a chance to live again.

  Lu Jiulian’s gaze swept across his surviving classmates, complicated emotions flickering in his eyes.

  Being alive felt pretty good.

  BOOM!

  Black thunderclouds crashed down from the sky.

  Lu Jiulian drew his sword. A sword-lotus bloomed.

  Three swings—three bolts of lightning shattered.

  He stepped into Heavenly Lock with effortless grace.

  Even Overlord was stunned by how casually he treated the tribulation.

  The geniuses from the Tianyuan foreign domain were equally shocked.

  Another monster from Five Phoenixes.

  The future Human List would definitely have his name.

  Zhao Zixu’s heart trembled. Lu Jiulian had crossed the tribulation like it was nothing.

  Was this guy even human?

  Overlord and Tantai Xuan exchanged glances, minds returning to the issue of victory.

  Both sides had killed twenty. Both sides had won one of the first two rounds.

  So how would this round be judged?

  Their gazes fell on Ni Yu.

  She was the host, and more importantly, Young Master Lu’s personal attendant. Her word carried his authority.

  It was only fair for her to decide.

  Under thousands of stares, Ni Yu’s chubby cheeks scrunched up in distress.

  This was too hard!

  They were exactly even—how was she supposed to choose?

  Suddenly, the embroidered pouch at her waist trembled.

  Her eyes lit up—Young Master!

  She reached in and pulled out a jade talisman, crushing it without hesitation.

  Crack.

  White light shot into the sky.

  Everyone’s pupils shrank.

  The light condensed into a young man in white, calmly seated in a wheelchair.

  “Young Master Lu!”

  “It’s an incarnation of Young Master Lu!”

  “To think we’d be blessed to see the Lord of the White Jade Capital in our lifetime!”

  Excited whispers erupted.

  Tantai Xuan and Overlord rose and cupped their fists toward the illusion.

  Luo Cheng and Luo Yue led the Dragon Blood Army to one knee.

  “We greet the Young Master!”

  Five Phoenixes cultivators followed suit, shouting in unison.

  Even the Tianyuan cultivators bowed respectfully, including the Nascent Soul experts from the holy lands.

  The illusionary Lu inclined his head slightly.

  Then he flicked a finger.

  White light formed a screen in midair, projecting scenes from the blood-colored battlefield.

  Finally, everyone could see what had happened inside the array.

  First came the Xiang Family Army against the bronze warships—brutal, bloody, soldiers trading their lives without hesitation.

  Xu Chu’s eyes turned red. No wonder the eliminated soldiers had seemed so shaken.

  Zhao Zixu had been the last man standing, facing the third warship alone.

  He fell in a single move to an overwhelmingly strong opponent.

  Overlord watched, entranced, and slapped his armrest so hard the chair exploded into splinters.

  Zhao Zixu clenched his fists in frustration. That foe had only been Foundation Establishment, yet impossibly strong.

  Gasps and exclamations filled the arena.

  What was that blood-colored battlefield?

  Who were those warriors?

  Lu offered no explanation. He flicked his finger again.

  The screen changed—now the academy students against the scarlet-robed monks.

  Equally brutal.

  The final scene: Lu Jiulian breaking through and carving a bloody lotus into the chest of the monk who had crushed Zhao Zixu.

  Many spectators cheered aloud.

  The screen vanished.

  Lu’s incarnation swept his calm gaze across the crowd.

  “From my perspective, Western Liang won this round. But by the numbers… call it a draw.”

  Another wave of shocked discussion.

  What did that mean?

  Same kill count—why did Young Master Lu think Western Liang deserved the win?

  And the academy’s final opponent had clearly been stronger.

  If anyone should be favored, it was the academy side.

  Lu did not explain. He never needed to explain himself to the world.

  Down below, Lu Jiulian stared at the illusion, dazed. It seemed his performance had swayed the Young Master’s judgment.

  “You must be wondering where that blood-colored battlefield is.”

  “You don’t need to wonder. Look up—it’s right above your heads.”

  Overlord and Tantai Xuan froze, then whipped their heads skyward.

  The clear sky had turned a vast, ominous crimson.

  Lu raised a hand and flicked.

  A beam of light pierced the heavens.

  Mist parted. Stars appeared.

  And then—

  Everyone’s blood ran cold.

  Three colossal continents hung in the void.

  One dripped with fresh blood.

  One gleamed white, inscription chains writhing like serpents.

  One blazed golden, as though a Buddha peered down.

  The oppressive weight crushed every heart.

  Five Phoenixes cultivators stood dumbstruck.

  Tianyuan cultivators went mad with recognition—the same aura of world-ending invasion their ancestors had fled from!

  Enemies from beyond the world!

  Lu waved his hand again. Stars and continents vanished.

  The terror lifted, yet everyone knew: swords hung over their heads. An unimaginable crisis loomed.

  Lu said nothing more.

  His incarnation sat alone in the wheelchair, gazing at the sky—shoulders seemingly bowed under invisible weight, loneliness and helplessness radiating from him.

  “Cultivate diligently.”

  After a long silence, he sighed.

  That one sentence carried the weight of endless hardship.

  Many felt that Young Master Lu’s back had truly bent beneath his burden.

  The incarnation faded with a final sigh.

  A heavy silence fell over the arena.

  They finally understood the pressure on Young Master Lu’s shoulders.

  So the White Jade Capital was not the carefree paradise they had imagined.

  Enemies were coming.

  Ni Yu’s eyes turned red. She covered her mouth.

  “So Young Master has been carrying all this alone…”

  “Little Huang, we have to hurry back! Young Master needs us right now!”

  The little wyrm on her head nodded solemnly.

  Ni Yu pulled out three purple spirit crystals and—after a moment’s thought—a bottle of her personally refined Body Tempering Pills, tossing them to Overlord.

  “Rewards. Plus an extra bottle from me—split them fairly.”

  She bid farewell to Nie Shuang, Jing Yue, and the others.

  The little wyrm roared, expanding into his true draconic form.

  Ni Yu leaped onto his back. With a flap of fleshy wings, they shot through the Dragon Gate and vanished.

  They were going back to share Young Master’s burden!

  Overlord and Tantai Xuan looked at each other, eyes heavy with newfound duty.

  Young Master Lu had revealed the secret of the world.

  It was time they shouldered some responsibility too.

  …

  Origin Lake, Lake Heart Island.

  Having successfully fooled the entire world, Lu lounged lazily in his Thousand Blades Chair, sipping sour-sweet plum wine, utterly relaxed.

  Where was the lonely, helpless figure from moments ago?

  “People only grow quickly under real pressure…”

  He smiled, swirling the wine in his cup.

  He wanted Five Phoenixes to fuse with these three supreme Mid-Tier Martial continents and ascend to High-Tier Martial.

  The cultivators of Five Phoenixes had to keep up with him.

  …

  Outside Five Phoenixes Continent.

  On Prajna Continent, the monk opened his eyes.

  His divine-sense avatar had been destroyed—unexpected.

  “Such a heaven-defying genius…”

  He sighed softly.

  Then he stepped into the void, turning into white light, appearing outside Tianluo Continent.

  In the distance, the burly man floated as well.

  Their eyes met. Same purpose: to check on Fu Tianluo.

  This Five Phoenixes world felt wrong.

  “The plane origin hasn’t collapsed. Fu Tianluo isn’t dead,” the burly man rumbled.

  “But the array hasn’t fallen either,” the monk replied.

  Silence.

  Meaning: someone in that world was at least Fu Tianluo’s equal, preventing him from breaking the formation and guiding them in.

  “Or… Fu Tianluo plans to swallow the world’s resources alone.”

  They spoke in unison.

  Neither said another word.

  Either way, it wasn’t good for them.

  Without discussion, they turned into streaks of light and returned to their respective continents.

  Against that array, they were helpless.

  But the Venerable One of the High-Tier Buddhist Realm… might have a solution.