Extreme heat poured off Lu Sheng’s body.
His skin flushed red as vast quantities of liquefied Qi surged through his Yin Crane Web at a blistering pace, far faster than before. With every passing second, the circulation accelerated further, spiraling beyond restraint.
‘This is the moment that will decide everything.’
Lu Sheng was keenly aware that very few herbs still held any effect on him. Even Golden Fragrance Ointment, once invaluable, had been reduced to little more than a nutritional tonic after repeated use and the strengthening of his physique.
Medicine was always most potent at first contact.
Suppressing the searing pain raging within, he thrust the bloodied pulp in his palm into his mouth and swallowed it down in one motion.
“Szzzzz…”
Violent torrents of inner Qi burst from his skin and pores. The frigid Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi and the blazing Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill erupted together, spreading through the sanctuary and saturating every inch of space via the blood web.
The flesh pulp slid down his throat like a lump of living fire. The moment it reached his stomach, scorching heat detonated outward, racing through his limbs and meridians in a mad rush.
The transformation within his body accelerated sharply. The four-footed dragon’s flesh dissolved into pure heat, rapidly refined into inner Qi and absorbed into the cyclical flow coursing through Lu Sheng’s body.
His inner Qi grew denser, heavier, and more voluminous.
The Qi density within the sanctuary also surged. Two distinct forces of different nature clashed and intertwined in the air, grinding against each other before slowly fusing into a single, pale hue.
The Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Qi carried a faint red tint.
The Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi shimmered pale blue.
Boom. Something deep within him ruptured.
An intense chill swept through his body in an instant, only to be replaced by searing heat the very next second. Hot and cold alternated in rapid succession, tormenting his flesh as fine gray-black impurities seeped out from his skin.
At the same time, a viscous pale-yellow substance was forced out of his pores.
“It’s starting…” Excitement flickered across his face as he closed his eyes and emptied his mind, surrendering himself entirely to the transformation.
Lu Sheng did not know how long this process would last. But he knew that this period of seclusion would allow him, for the first time since he had embarked on the path of martial arts, to step into a completely new realm.
…………
In the blink of an eye, the Nine Beauty Festival arrived.
After a year of famine, the worst had finally passed for the Northern Lands. Those who lived in the countryside, landowners, villa masters, and traveling merchants, gradually became active once more. Shops reopened in succession, promotions were announced, and the festival air quietly returned alongside commerce.
Thanks to Lu Sheng’s iron-handed suppression of ghosts, much of the Northern Lands had been purged of their presence. On rare occasions when one did emerge, an expert would swiftly be dispatched to eliminate it.
The long-awaited peace rekindled the rhythms of daily life. Farmers returned to their fields, fishermen cast their nets again, and hunters ventured into the wild. As they tracked dangerous beasts, the hunters also served as an unseen shield, preserving the safety of the surrounding forests.
Meanwhile, the steady labor of farmers and the renewed activity on the rivers and lakes slowed the advance of famine, stabilizing the land bit by bit.
Scarlet District Mistress only targeted experts and never involved ordinary mortals. As such, the common folk were scarcely affected by her actions. Recently, she had even shifted her hunting grounds to other regions, allowing the major cities to settle back into peace.
Acting on their own initiative, the members of the Crimson Whale Sect organized celebrations for the Nine Beauty Festival. The Elders and Internal Affairs Emissaries not only refrained from stopping them, but joined in the festivities themselves, adding to the liveliness.
Across the land, branches affiliated with the Crimson Whale responded enthusiastically. Pink floral Nine Beauty loops were hung on both sides of their doors, fluttering gently in the wind.
They even invited instructors from nearby academies to pen celebratory couplets.
In the past, such trivial arrangements had always fallen under the purview of Jade Lotus and the other Internal Affairs Emissaries, who would discuss and decide among themselves. But this was the first major festival since the famine, and the entire sect wished for Lu Sheng to personally appear and preside over the celebration.
Pressed by the collective will of the sect, Jade Lotus had no choice but to head to the Crimson Whale and seek out Lu Sheng.
Standing in the courtyard outside the sanctuary, Jade Lotus asked, “Is Sect Master still in solitary confinement?”
Upon hearing the guard’s response, helplessness flickered across his face.
“Yes, sir. He has been in solitary confinement for several days,” the guard replied respectfully.
“Can’t he host even such an important festive celebration?” Jade Lotus sighed inwardly, unable to hide his regret.
“Er… Sect Master has instructed that none are to disturb him during his confinement,” the guard replied cautiously.
All of a sudden, a clear, deep, yet faintly frustrated voice echoed from within the sanctuary. “Is that Jade Lotus?”
“Yes, sir.” Jade Lotus straightened at once and bowed deeply.
“Just handle the celebration yourself. There’s no need to ask me. For the time being, I won’t be able to host it,” Lu Sheng said calmly.
Jade Lotus hurriedly nodded in acknowledgement.
“In that case, Jade Lotus takes his leave.” He turned and was about to depart.
“Hang on!” Lu Sheng called out. “Is Nine Beauty Festival today?”
The question caught him off guard, but Jade Lotus answered at once. “Yes, sir.”
“Today’s the blooming of the Nine Beauty Flower?” Lu Sheng asked again.
“To be precise, it’s tomorrow. When people speak of the Nine Beauty Flower’s bloom, they’re referring to the second day of the festival. Tomorrow is when it blooms at its most spectacular,” Jade Lotus replied quickly.
Silence fell.
After a moment, Lu Sheng spoke again. “Alright, I understand. You may leave.”
Still puzzled, Jade Lotus withdrew.
Inside the sanctuary, Lu Sheng sat cross-legged on a circular mat. Dense smog filled the chamber, coiling around his body without any sign of dispersing.
Nine Beauty Festival… that was when the Wandering Heart Society would make its move. During his confinement, umbrella girl had kept him informed of the outside world through the guards.
Lu Sheng reached out and touched the black envelope resting on the floor before him.
He already knew what it contained. It had been delivered to his study by the mysterious Wandering Heart Society and later discovered by his guards before being passed to him.
He had read it carefully. Only a place and a time were written within. The time was tomorrow.
Lu Sheng understood their intent. It was a request for his backing. The place and time marked their planned assassination of the Scarlet District Mistress.
Over the past few days, umbrella girl had kept him informed of Scarlet District Mistress’ movements. She and her entourage had been traveling east, following the river across the frozen plains. By now, they had long since left Mountain-Edge City behind and were drawing close to the warmer Central Plains.
To experts of their caliber, that distance amounted to no more than a few hours.
Such boldness. It seemed the clash scheduled for tomorrow could no longer be avoided.
Outwardly, Lu Sheng appeared unchanged, calm and unremarkable. Yet beneath that placid exterior lay an aura of unfathomable depth and unhurried composure. All traces of martial training had been perfectly concealed. At a glance, he looked no different from an ordinary young master who had only recently recovered from a grave illness.
In that case, preparations had to begin. He still had roughly forty units of Yin Qi at his disposal.
“Deep Blue.”
At his mental summons, a pale blue screen unfolded before his eyes.
Yang Extreme Dao… perhaps it could be extrapolated one level further.
…………
The sky narrowed into a thin slit, like a half-closed vertical eye. On both sides, sheer cliff walls rose hundreds of meters into the air, pressing inward with silent oppression.
Pillars of white sunlight pierced down from above, illuminating the jagged textures of the gray-black rock faces.
At the base of the cliffs flowed a ribbon of clear river, tranquil and unbroken, as though peace itself coursed quietly through the valley. Gentle waves rippled across its emerald surface as the river wound in from afar and continued onward toward the distant plains.
A lone boat drifted upon the water. Two women occupied it, one standing, the other seated.
The woman standing had short white hair. Her physique was taut and powerful, every muscle honed and ready, like a panther poised to strike. Explosive strength lay dormant within her long, solid limbs.
The woman seated appeared gentle and luminous by contrast. A red paper umbrella spun lazily in her hands. Her bare feet skimmed the river’s surface, splashing softly and stirring up pale foam.
“Hoo…”
A mild breeze swept through the valley, rustling the trees along both banks. Delicate petals of the Nine Beauty Flower were carried by the wind, drifting down like a soft rain toward the river.
“Sis… I really wish… that we could go on like this…” Umbrella girl caught a drifting petal between her fingers. A warm, heartfelt smile bloomed across her face.
“If you like, I’ll have the Nine Beauty Flower planted all around Scarlet District,” Scarlet District Mistress replied softly. “But whether such days can truly last…”
Her voice abruptly cut off.
Her expression hardened, eyes sharpening as she stared at the river directly ahead.
At some unknown moment, a human head had surfaced from the crystal-clear water before her.
It belonged to a grotesque man with only a single eye.
“We let you escape last time. This time, I won’t be so careless,” the bizarre man said as he slowly rose from the river. Beneath that lone-eyed head emerged a massive gray-black body, heavy and imposing.
Scarlet District Mistress tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping calmly to the left and right.
Two more heads surfaced from the river, each bearing a single eye like the first. They rose quietly from the water, smaller in stature, yet no less grotesque.
Behind them, a woman in white robes appeared, seated cross-legged atop the river’s surface itself. A black mask concealed her face, rendering her presence cold and inscrutable.
Scarlet District Mistress’ expression darkened. “How did you find me?”
The single-eyed titan before her let out a low growl. “However we found you is irrelevant. Hand over the Scarlet Dragon Tribulation shard and gouge out your own eyes. Do that, and I’ll allow you to leave.”
A faint curl of scorn touched Scarlet District Mistress’ lips. “Do you truly think that’s possible? Only four of you from Wandering Heart Society?”
“What’s wrong?” the titan sneered, lifting his massive cudgel, nearly as thick as her entire body. “You don’t think the four of us are enough to make you stay?”
“Make me stay?” Scarlet District Mistress extended her right palm. Slowly, a slender, translucent saber condensed into existence within her grasp. “You should be worrying about how to stay alive.”
SWISH!!
They struck simultaneously. Two towering waves surged forward and collided, detonating as their figures slammed together.
BAM!
The translucent saber flashed three times in rapid succession, releasing a vast, invisible surge of heat that crashed squarely into the center of the cudgel.
“CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!”
Three piercing metallic crashes rang out. The single-eyed titan bellowed and unleashed his full strength, the tremendous force hurling Scarlet District Mistress backward. Yet at the same instant, fractures raced across the cudgel before it split cleanly into two. It had shattered from a single exchange.
The remaining three single-eyed titans lunged in, encircling her. Despite their hulking builds, their movements were eerily swift. Their cudgels howled through the air as they swung toward Scarlet District Mistress.
Even the wind generated by their weapons was enough to make the river’s surface erupt into explosive sprays of water. Together, the four formed a strange formation, hemming in Scarlet District Mistress and umbrella girl alike. Moving at high speed, they continually cut off every attempt to break through the encirclement.
Watching from the side, umbrella girl could only feel anxiety tighten around her heart. The weakest among their attackers was already at the Seven-Vein Level. She would not even be able to pierce their black membrane. At this moment, she was nothing more than a burden to Scarlet District Mistress, utterly unable to help.
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