Lu smiled.

  This was the first time someone had tried to poach his people so brazenly, right in front of him.

  And the very corner they were trying to steal? The foundation of the Five Phoenixes—the cornerstone that had elevated it to a high martial world.

  No wonder the moment he laid eyes on this Judicial Venerable, Lu had taken an instant dislike to the man. He looked exactly like a thief sneaking into an orchard to swipe peaches.

  His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair.

  What comforted him was that Overlord, Nie Changqing, Ni Chunqiu, and the others had not wavored. None of them had accepted the Judicial Venerable’s offer, even when tempted with entry into a Yan Six high martial Buddhist realm.

  Lu’s brows drew together slightly as he sank into thought.

  “Overlord, Du Longyang… their Dao intents were all comprehended from the Dao stele…”

  “Could the quality of their intents be so extraordinary that it shocked even this Judicial Venerable?”

  He narrowed his eyes.

  His mind delved deep into his soul, where a vortex swirled. At its center stood the Dao stele, silent and majestic, radiating profound Dao resonance.

  “This is only a broken stele. It can only grant comprehension of third-sequence intents and below…”

  Yet even with a damaged stele, the intents Overlord and the others had grasped were treasures in the Judicial Venerable’s eyes. Clearly, in the high martial worlds, comprehending third- or fourth-sequence Dao intents was far rarer and more difficult than he had imagined.

  “Looks like I need to start hunting for the remaining pieces of the stele.”

  A faint smile curved Lu’s lips.

  With a thought, he summoned the system panel.

  Host: Lu

  Title: Qi Refiner (Permanent)

  Qi Refinement Level: 6

  Spiritual Energy Reserves: 3,756,000 / 10,000,000 strands

  Primordial Spirit Strength: 99 (Yuan)

  Chaos Energy: 30 (He)

  He had been at the sixth level of Qi Refinement for some time, yet his primordial spirit strength had barely budged. That surprised him.

  He could feel it—he was at a bottleneck. Once he broke past 100 Yuan, a qualitative leap would follow.

  As for Chaos Energy, growth depended entirely on the Dao intents he comprehended and engraved onto his high martial origin.

  His spiritual energy reserves, however, had skyrocketed—thanks to the Five Phoenixes’ ascension to high martial status and the opening of that mysterious general’s tomb. Many cultivators had reaped benefits there, and Lu, as the world’s core, had naturally received the greatest share.

  In the coming days, the growth would only accelerate.

  Soon, he would have what it took to step into the seventh level.

  Lu withdrew his gaze from the panel.

  He picked up a chess piece, rolled up his sleeve, and placed it on the board. The Heaven-Asking Game took shape; each falling piece rang like a question hurled at the firmament.

  After a few more moves, his figure began to blur.

  The wheelchair swayed gently, his white robes fluttering. Atop the tower of White Jade Capital, he gradually faded into nothingness.

  …

  “Refuse?”

  The smile on the Judicial Venerable’s face vanished bit by bit.

  He genuinely could not comprehend it. Overlord and the others had actually turned him down.

  People climbed upward—anyone with half a brain would know to seize the chance.

  A Yan Six high martial world versus a Yan Nine stranded in the void… was there even a choice?

  Even a blind man would pick Yan Six!

  Especially a Yan Nine floating in the void, liable to be annihilated at any moment by the wrath of a supreme being.

  There was no comparison.

  “Fools.”

  The Judicial Venerable’s kasaya fluttered as he spoke. His words boomed like thunder across the blood-colored battlefield.

  “You clearly do not understand what a Yan Six high martial world truly is.”

  He swept his gaze over Overlord and the rest.

  “Think of a towering mountain and an ant beneath it. A Yan Six is the mountain; a Yan Nine is the ant. The gulf between them is a chasm no bridge can span.”

  “In the Pingyang Sky, millions of Yan Nine worlds exist. Countless geniuses spill blood for a single slot in a Yan Six. Yet here you are, handed the opportunity on a silver platter—and you reject it.”

  “Fools.”

  “Utter fools.”

  He fixed his eyes on Overlord.

  “This monk will give you one last chance…”

  Deep down, the Judicial Venerable burned for Overlord’s talent.

  But before he could finish, Overlord shook his head.

  “No.”

  Nie Changqing, Ni Chunqiu, Du Longyang—each of them refused in turn.

  Their resolve was iron.

  They had lived through every catastrophe the Five Phoenixes had endured. They had shared its glory and its near-destruction. How could they abandon it now?

  Far off, Liu Yuanhao’s eyes flickered with hesitation.

  He was different from the others. As the leader of a demonic cult, he had spent his life hiding, always looking over his shoulder.

  In the Five Phoenixes, safe havens for someone like him were few.

  Perhaps leaving for a Yan Six world really would be the smarter choice…

  A sudden chill ran through him. He hurriedly crushed the treacherous thought.

  “A bunch of shortsighted fools…”

  “Born in a Yan Nine world—naturally narrow-minded!”

  The Judicial Venerable pressed his palms together and shook his head in disappointment.

  From delight to ecstasy to this crushing letdown, anger now simmered within him.

  Beside him, Venerable Joyful beamed like a simpleton.

  Good. Refusal was perfect.

  Qi Liujia’s expression remained cold and stern.

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  Hearing the Judicial Venerable hurl insult after insult, he finally spoke, voice hoarse. “Sir, your words are a little ugly, aren’t they? Each person follows their own heart—whether to stay or go is their choice.”

  The Judicial Venerable’s gaze sliced toward him.

  “And who the hell are you to question this monk?”

  Boom!

  Terrifying aura exploded from him, as though it would tear the entire blood-colored battlefield apart.

  “Judicial Venerable, calm yourself, calm yourself…”

  Venerable Joyful stepped in front of Qi Liujia at just the right moment. His chubby body swelled, blocking the pressure.

  Qi Liujia staggered back several steps, face pale.

  Though Venerable Joyful had absorbed most of the oppressive might, Qi Liujia still felt his blood churn.

  “Master!”

  Li Sansui’s daoist robe flared as his eyes narrowed.

  He raised a hand; formation runes rippled outward like waves.

  But Qi Liujia lifted a hand to stop him.

  The boy’s concern warmed his heart.

  In his long life, most disciples had come to him with ulterior motives. To finally have one who genuinely cared… it lifted his spirits.

  But he would not let Li Sansui throw his life away.

  This Judicial Venerable was a second-realm tribulation-transcending powerhouse. Li Sansui stood no chance.

  In the entire Five Phoenixes, only the Young Master could suppress him.

  Still, Qi Liujia did not want Lu to intervene. Right now, the Five Phoenixes needed to keep a low profile.

  Blocked by Venerable Joyful, the Judicial Venerable gradually calmed.

  He gave the beaming monk a long look, then swept his gaze over Overlord and the others, a cold smile spreading across his face.

  “Refuse?”

  “Do you really think you have the right to refuse? I tried speaking nicely, but since kindness is wasted on you, I’ll stop pretending.”

  His voice rang out.

  “This world wants a place on the High Martial Registry? That depends entirely on one word from me. Refuse—and the Five Phoenixes will never be registered.”

  Qi Liujia’s weathered face twitched.

  He stared at the Judicial Venerable with undisguised loathing.

  He had thought such abuse of power and bullying only happened among mortal officials.

  He never imagined a tribulation-transcending venerable would stoop to something so despicable.

  Yet it also clarified something for him: even tribulation transcendents were still human.

  “How can you act like this, Judicial Venerable?”

  Venerable Joyful spoke up, clearly displeased.

  “If the Great Venerable learns of this, he will be furious.”

  The Judicial Venerable glanced at him but said nothing.

  Below, fury blazed across Overlord and the others’ faces.

  Clearly, entry into the High Martial Registry was a matter of enormous consequence.

  And this bald donkey was using it to threaten them.

  Mo Tianyu stood bare-chested, fingers forming divination seals, grinning widely at the Judicial Venerable.

  “Monk, remember the fortune I read for you.”

  His words carried deep meaning.

  “Will you come with this monk to the Yan Six high martial world?”

  The Judicial Venerable looked at Mo Tianyu, a faint smile returning. He had taken a liking to this silver-tongued genius.

  “No.”

  Mo Tianyu shook his head, refusal crisp and immediate.

  Rejected again and again, the Judicial Venerable’s expression finally turned ugly.

  Venerable Joyful sighed theatrically, clearly enjoying the show.

  Boom!

  Terrifying aura erupted once more, shaking the blood-colored battlefield.

  “I gave you a choice.”

  “Did you truly think I was negotiating?”

  He raised a hand.

  Brilliant Buddhist light poured down like golden chains, wrapping around Overlord and the others, sealing their movements.

  Overlord roared in rage, struggling to break free—but could not.

  Nie Changqing, Ni Chunqiu, Li Sansui—all the same.

  Everyone’s faces changed.

  He planned to abduct them by force?!

  Qi Liujia’s anger exploded.

  He raised a hand; formation runes surged and intertwined.

  “Stop!”

  His coarse robes flapped wildly.

  Seeing the Judicial Venerable bully them like this—even the ever-patient Qi Liujia could no longer hold back.

  “Not only will you come with me,” the Judicial Venerable declared, kasaya fluttering as he stood atop a golden lotus, solemn and sacred, “this world will never enter the High Martial Registry.”

  One sentence decided the fate of an entire world.

  His Buddhist light shone everywhere, yet his words ignited pure fury.

  Suddenly—

  The void rippled.

  “Oh?”

  A voice drifted through the emptiness.

  “In that case… we don’t need your damn registry.”

  The Judicial Venerable’s expression shifted.

  Venerable Joyful’s smile deepened.

  He adjusted his sleeves and stood motionless atop his lotus platform, watching the void twist and distort.

  The next instant, silver light blazed.

  A silver wheelchair emerged from nothingness.

  Seated upon it was a white-robed youth, one hand propping his chin, the other idly turning a ring.

  Before him hovered a chessboard glowing softly, pieces scattered like stars.

  “Greetings, Lord Lu.”

  Venerable Joyful bowed.

  Lu glanced at him, said nothing, and returned his attention to the board.

  The Judicial Venerable narrowed his eyes.

  “So the lord of this world finally shows himself.”

  He smiled, rising on his lotus until he met Lu eye-to-eye.

  “So many heavenly geniuses—keeping them in a mere Yan Nine world is a waste. Let them follow this monk to a Yan Six world. In the future, they may even ascend to the upper realm.”

  “That would be a supreme opportunity—and it could feed blessings back to your world.”

  Sensing Lu’s aura, the Judicial Venerable softened his tone slightly.

  He could not see through Lu’s cultivation.

  Lu ignored him, studying the game.

  His fingers paused their turning of the ring.

  He picked up a piece, rolled it between his fingers, and placed it.

  “Are you trying to throw your weight around? Bullying the people of my Five Phoenixes?”

  He never even looked up.

  Being ignored like this, anger flashed in the Judicial Venerable’s eyes.

  “This monk was merely reasoning with them.”

  “Reasoning, huh.”

  Lu laughed.

  “I, Lu Ping’an, may have a good temper, but even I won’t let you trample over us.”

  “You sneak into someone’s orchard to steal fruit and still expect the farmer to thank you?”

  He lifted another piece from the box; it sparkled like crystal.

  Plop.

  The piece fell.

  Boom!

  The void seemed to solidify, turning into a vast mountain that crashed down.

  Thud!

  The earth quaked as though the planet itself were splitting.

  The Judicial Venerable’s face changed.

  With his tribulation-transcending strength, he suddenly felt crushing pressure.

  It was as if an ocean of spiritual energy had condensed into a spirit mountain and slammed onto his back.

  The lotus beneath his feet exploded.

  His body smashed into the blood-colored ground, as though carrying an actual mountain.

  Lu hovered in the void and placed another piece.

  Plop.

  Ripples of spiritual pressure spread outward; endless waves of energy detonated.

  The pressure on the Judicial Venerable’s back grew unbearable; his knees began to buckle.

  Horror flooded his heart.

  A mere Yan Nine world—how could its lord be this strong?

  What was this overwhelming, invincible sensation?

  Venerable Joyful’s heart skipped when Lu glanced his way.

  “Lord Lu, the Judicial Venerable represents the upper realm. The Great Venerable did not send him here on purpose.”

  He knew Lu was terrifying—after all, one Buddhist venerable had already perished, and the Black-and-White Holy Lords had been nailed into the void.

  This man’s strength was unfathomable.

  Still, he was only the lord of a Yan Nine world. Surely he would feel some restraint.

  The Great Venerable had sent the Judicial Venerable just to take a beating, to be humbled by Lu’s hand.

  Yet now, Venerable Joyful’s cheek twitched.

  Somehow… things seemed to be spiraling beyond even the Great Venerable’s control.

  As if reading his thoughts, Lu smiled.

  He turned to Mo Tianyu below.

  “If someone tried to steal something precious from you, what would you do?”

  Mo Tianyu laughed heartily, cupping his hands toward Lu. “That kind of thief is the most hateful. Naturally—beat him to death.”

  “Hmm.”

  Lu nodded, satisfied.

  The next instant, he reached out.

  Terrifying spiritual energy converged into a colossal palm, every line and crease perfectly formed.

  The giant hand descended from the heavens; the blood-colored battlefield groaned beneath its pressure.

  A suffocating oppression settled over everyone’s hearts.

  The Judicial Venerable roared in fury.

  But the moment he opened his mouth, the palm—infused with thirty He of Chaos Energy—slammed him into the ground.

  The battlefield caved in, earth splitting, mountains crumbling.

  A massive handprint scarred the land.

  The Judicial Venerable lay blood-soaked, his monk robes shredded.

  The palm closed into a fist, seized him, and hurled him into the Heaven-Covering Formation.

  The grand array rumbled, swallowing him whole.

  “Lord Lu—no, you mustn’t!”

  Venerable Joyful’s perpetual smile vanished.

  The Great Venerable only wanted the Judicial Venerable humbled, not killed!

  Yet Lu’s figure had already faded away.

  Only churning clouds remained above the blood-colored battlefield.

  Overlord stared at the array, blood surging in his veins.

  Young Master Lu of White Jade Capital… had grown stronger again!

  What domineering might!

  The monk who had suppressed them for so long was nothing but a dead dog before the Young Master!

  This was true power!

  Empress Ni Chunqiu’s beautiful eyes sparkled.

  As expected of Brother Lu!

  Still as domineering as ever!

  Qi Liujia let out a long breath, exhilaration flooding him, though he knew trouble would follow.

  “Sect Leader Qi, quickly劝劝 Lord Lu—the Judicial Venerable cannot die!”

  Venerable Joyful urged frantically.

  Qi Liujia merely shook his head.

  “He brought this upon himself.”

  “You do not provoke the Young Master’s temper.”

  …

  Inside the Heaven-Covering Formation.

  As a tribulation-transcending venerable, the Judicial Venerable was powerful, yet every attempt to break the array felt like punching cotton.

  The white-robed youth appeared seated in his wheelchair.

  The Judicial Venerable understood: there was nothing left but to fight.

  He also realized—he had been set up.

  The Great Venerable and Venerable Joyful had schemed against him!

  They knew how strong Lu was, yet never warned him.

  Otherwise, he would have shown more restraint.

  He pressed his palms together.

  Still, he was not worried Lu would kill him. He represented the upper realm—he decided the High Martial Registry.

  No lord of a Yan Nine world would dare slay him.

  The Great Venerable and Venerable Joyful only wanted him humiliated.

  “What are you staring at?”

  Lu frowned.

  The next moment, he tapped the armrest.

  Crimson light flared.

  The Phoenix Plume Sword Soul shrieked with excitement and transformed into a blazing fire phoenix that streaked across the sky.

  The Judicial Venerable’s body suddenly went rigid.

  …

  The blood-colored battlefield fell deathly silent.

  Smoke drifted above.

  Everyone looked up.

  Venerable Joyful waited, heart pounding.

  Suddenly—

  A wretched scream tore through the smoky array, followed by a rain of blood.

  Boom!

  The smoke parted as if cleaved by a blade.

  A figure plummeted, smashing into the ground.

  Thud…

  It was the Judicial Venerable’s corpse.

  His primordial spirit extinguished, his golden Buddhist body cracked and bleeding, eyes still wide with terror.

  He knelt on the blood-colored earth, all life gone.

  As though he had glimpsed something unspeakable in his final moment.

  Venerable Joyful felt ice flood his veins.

  Staring at the corpse, his mind reeled.

  From within the rolling smoke came a faint, indifferent voice.

  “Go back and tell the Great Venerable—”

  “Even if it brings down every thunder tribulation in existence, so be it.”

  “The Five Phoenixes will not join your High Martial Registry.”