Ning Zhongzi's attempt to shield her with her own body was futile.
Before the full force of a half-step Immortal Sect Master's sword strike, the power of a five-star Immortal Master was like dust.
But as she gazed at Liu Xuanye's profile, poised like a figure standing in the snow, she seemed to see the dying infant girl she had once found frozen in the snow. She had watched her grow up, step by step, enduring agony no ordinary person could bear. She had been her physician, then her mother, then her master, and now she was her senior sister...
Three thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye!
She couldn't save her, but at that life-or-death moment, she had still foolishly rushed forward.
Ning Zhongzi leapt into the air, and instead of being run through the heart by the sword, she was swept past like a gust of wind.
She landed and looked down. There was no sword wound in her chest.
She knew her actions had been meaningless.
But she had never imagined they could be this meaningless!
Where was the Lotus Pattern Sword?
Hadn't she just blocked the sword for nothing?
She turned around.
The sword had stopped.
In a daze, the entire Sword Terrace seemed to freeze.
The Lotus Pattern Sword hovered in front of Liu Xuanye's chest, trembling with a ringing hum, its low whistle like the sound of Song Ming.
Liu Xuanye frowned slightly.
The surging power in her Immortal Platform, which should have been roused, seemed to be pressed down by a hand that was at once utterly cold and utterly gentle.
Her picturesque eyes slowly opened. She turned her face slightly, her sidelong glance as sharp as a sword's gleam, and looked toward Lu Ya.
Even someone as powerful as Lu Ya, with his maxed-out level, couldn't read her emotions.
All he could sense was a hint of destiny, standing above the firmament and the stars.
Meanwhile,
the seven members of Black Lotus were scattered across the Sword Terrace, healing their wounds while seated on the ground. They had no idea what had happened.
They all looked up in confusion, stared at the night sky, and, trying to endure the pain, called out:
"Senior Brother, why did you suddenly stop?"
"She's proved herself a demoness. Everyone has the right to kill her! Senior Brother, you mustn't let compassion sway you!"
"We can't waste any more time. The nearby Immortal Court officials will be here soon!"
"..."
In the night sky ahead of Bamboo Spring Mountain,
within a thick bank of clouds,
Yunzhongzi, a half-step Immortal Sect Master, was already drenched in sweat.
I understand everything you're saying, but the problem is...
I wasn't the one who stopped!
The Lotus Pattern Sword was Yunzhongzi's life-bound sword, a practical weapon given to him by Yun Zhonghe, the former sect leader of the White Lotus Sect.
Immortals used spiritual power to control objects, and they had far greater control over their life-bound artifacts than ordinary ones.
Even when facing an immortal of a higher rank, it was difficult to wrest control of a life-bound sword from its owner.
The Lotus Pattern Sword had been unleashed to kill Liu Xuanye in a single strike, secure victory at once, prevent any surprises, ensure absolute success, and take down the Bamboo Spring Sect in the shortest possible time.
But what Yunzhongzi had never expected was—
Someone had taken control of his life-bound sword!
Who?
There was no Immortal Sect Master or anyone above that rank among his enemies. There wasn't even an Immortal Sect Master. Ning Zhongzi was a five-star Immortal Master, and Liu Xuanye was a nine-star Immortal Master. Even together, they wouldn't be enough to take him on.
Who could it be?
There was no trace of dark power coming from Liu Xuanye.
Ning Zhongzi hadn't taken any blood-burning black pills, either.
The two Tiger Immortals had already passed out.
A mortal was eating a pastry and praising how pretty the Lotus Pattern Sword was.
Wait!
Why was that guy still standing?
Even the two Tiger Immortals at the Immortal Monarch realm had collapsed. Why was a mere Immortal Commoner still on his feet?
Could it be...
At that moment,
Lu Ya finished his food and tea, then set down his teacup.
He brushed the pastry crumbs from his clothes and strolled out of the bamboo grove toward the Sword Terrace.
He looked at Ning Zhongzi, who had failed to save anyone and instead been swept past Liu Xuanye like a gust of wind.
Holding back a laugh, he patted her shoulder, then pointed at the Lotus Pattern Sword hovering in midair.
"You two are going to end up skewered and roasted like chicken wings."
His voice seemed to carry the weary weakness of someone who still hadn't eaten his fill.
Skewered and roasted like chicken wings?
A bizarre image appeared in Ning Zhongzi's mind. Her solemn face flushed for a long moment before she said in a half-cold, half-teasing tone,
"You're still thinking about food at a time like this?"
She had already guessed that Lu Ya might be behind it, but she simply couldn't believe it.
Liu Xuanye, however, was already certain. Though she couldn't sense Lu Ya's spiritual pressure either,
she believed in destiny.
She closed her picturesque eyes again and focused on restoring her Immortal Platform. She said nothing more.
She always did the right thing at the right time, never swayed by emotion or outside influences.
This was a woman of unremarkable cultivation, yet possessed of a grand bearing!
That was what Lu Ya thought.
He had a vague feeling that one day, this woman would bring him an unforeseen surprise beyond anything he could imagine.
Among the clouds,
Yunzhongzi felt slighted.
He was used to being ignored, and even enjoyed it, but this time, they had gone too far!
Someone had halted his strongest sword strike. He couldn't even sense the enemy's spiritual pressure. All he could see was an idle mortal, ignoring his Immortal Sect Master-level Lotus Pattern Sword while flirting with a fairy.
His gaze fixed on Lu Ya.
Though he still couldn't see anything, he had already made up his mind—
This man was the one who had taken his sword!
Lu Ya continued to ignore him. He strolled over to the hovering Lotus Pattern Sword, examined it closely, and felt the sharpness and resilience of its blade, as well as the patterns of its runes. Then he slowly spoke:
"Your sword is beautiful, but in the next second..."
No, wait. Why would a maxed-out expert like me care about your shabby sword?
"Ahem. I mean, your swordsmanship still has plenty of room for improvement. If you make it out of here alive tonight, you should refine your technique by focusing on resonance with your sword spirit."
As he gave the swordsmanship advice, Lu Ya hung the Lotus Pattern Sword from his waist.
Yunzhongzi gaped at him.
Resonance with the sword spirit?
You took my Lotus Pattern Sword just by using that?
You've been pretending to be weak and taking advantage of me, you bastard?
Yunzhongzi hated nothing more than hypocrites who pretended to be weak. Killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he shouted—
"Immortal Release!"
Boundless spiritual pressure instantly blanketed Little Bamboo Spring Mountain. The stream stopped flowing, the bamboo leaves ceased to sway, and the insects and butterflies could no longer crawl or fly. But a fierce wind howled and roared, as if it would tear everyone to pieces.
At the same time,
countless golden rays burst from the clouds.
A dark silhouette swelled within them, then transformed in the blink of an eye into a dazzling golden giant, standing unmistakably among the clouds.
Lu Ya was familiar with this.
It was the Immortal Release mode available only to Immortal Sect Masters. It was more or less like Susanoo or Sage Mode from Naruto—burning the Immortal Platform to unleash a full-power rampage.
Golden light blazed above the clouds, illuminating the entire night sky and the Floating Mountain, as bright as the midday sun and impossible to look at directly.
"Going to use your big move?"
Lu Ya raised his eyes slightly.
The next second—
A flash of golden light, and in an instant, it shot away at breakneck speed, vanishing into the darkness.
Only specks of starlight remained, scattered across the Sword Terrace...
Not a sound could be heard.
Then again, not a sound could be heard.
Lu Ya:
"..."
Liu Xuanye:
"..."
Ning Zhongzi:
"..."
The seven members of Black Lotus spat out mouthfuls of blood!
"Senior Brother, you—"
Lu Ya had spent five years dominating the gaming world.
What kind of scene hadn't he seen?
Someone using their ultimate move to run for their life?
That was a first!
In the blink of an eye, Yunzhongzi had flown a hundred miles away. He showed no sign of slowing down. Even at the risk of severe injury, he kept up his Immortal Liberation Golden Body mode and raced off at top speed.
He understood that whoever could take his Lotus Pattern Sword so easily was at least one major realm above him.
He didn't want the sword anymore.
He didn't want the ship anymore.
He didn't want his teammates anymore.
He didn't want to think about anything.
He didn't want to do anything.
All he wanted was to live!
The Sword Terrace was silent.
Lu Ya had never seen anyone this cautious.
That survival instinct was far too strong!
As he remembered it, the Immortal Realm was far more harmonious than the dark cultivation worlds in novels, thanks to the Immortal Court's official presence. It wasn't nearly so perilous. The Immortal Commoners down the mountain even made fun of immortals all the time...
What on earth had this guy been through?
Why had he put on such a fearsome front before running away?
Lu Ya was truly impressed. He couldn't help sighing to the seven members of Black Lotus:
"Your senior brother sure is cautious."
"Senior Brother's gone to bring back reinforcements!"
The seven kept calm on the surface, but inside, they were on the verge of tears as they cursed Yunzhongzi and every ancestor he had.
They trembled with fear, their minds in a panic, and didn't dare look at Lu Ya again.
This was the first time they had ever seen their senior brother use his big move to flee.
That meant their senior brother was afraid of this mortal standing before them!
Was this man a hidden expert?
They had seen plenty of masters who concealed their strength, but once those masters made a move, their boundless spiritual pressure and piercing aura shone like fireflies in the dark night. They could never stay hidden.
Why had this man taken the Lotus Pattern Sword without showing any spiritual pressure?
While the seven wondered,
Ning Zhongzi suddenly walked over, flicked her sleeve, and tossed out seven black pills, popping one into each of their mouths.
The pills dissolved as soon as they entered their mouths. Their medicinal power quickly spread to their dantians and soon sealed their Immortal Platforms.
"Senior, hear us out—"
The seven hurriedly begged Lu Ya for mercy.
"Tonight was all a misunderstanding. We're not like those rogue immortals who act like thugs. We were disciples of the White Lotus Sect once, too. We were only expelled over a few minor matters."
"We wanted to represent the White Lotus Sect and rid the Immortal Realm of demons, so we could earn merit and return to the sect. That's why we kept watch over this place. Now that we've figured things out, Sect Master Liu isn't a demoness. It was all a misunderstanding."
"If you like collecting immortal swords, we have plenty more in our spatial rings. Take whatever you want."
"Right, and there's the ship, too. This Black Lotus Ship is incredibly fast, and it can never capsize, no matter how you steer it."
Lu Ya smiled.
"Didn't it capsize just now?"
The seven were on the verge of tears. Then one of them said:
"All the treasures Black Lotus has plundered over the years are with Senior Brother. They're worth far more than the Lotus Pattern Sword."
The other six hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Lu Ya narrowed his eyes slightly and saw that Yunzhongzi had already run three hundred miles away...
How could a half-step Immortal Sect Master run so fast?
Lu Ya asked again, just to be sure:
"You're certain he has a treasure worth more than the Lotus Pattern Sword?"
After Yunzhongzi had swindled them, the seven no longer cared about loyalty.
"Absolutely certain!"
Lu Ya nodded, then raised his right foot to the height of his head and called out lazily:
"Birds... no, wait."
"Come Here—"
Before you continue