Lu Changzhi's Plan

"No, no."

Hearing this, Lu Changzhi hurriedly waved his hands.

What a joke. He couldn't possibly accept such a grand gesture.

But seeing how highly Xu Kun regarded Luo Zhen,

Lu Changzhi couldn't shake the vague feeling that Xu Kun's brow was turning dark.

Looks like I have to deal with this.

Lu Changzhi spoke softly to himself.

Luo Ling'er had already shown him how powerful a talent could be.

If he really waited until Xu Kun made an exception and accepted Luo Zhen as a true disciple,

he might just get to see the Heavenly Sha Lone Star unleash its power.

But this wasn't a simple matter.

Luo Zhen was an inner disciple, after all, and Xu Kun paid close attention to him.

The best way to deal with a harbinger of calamity like this was to destroy him.

But that wasn't a feasible solution.

Never mind that the Five Symbols Sect punished disciples killing one another severely.

Nor that inner disciples usually had elders protecting them in secret.

Putting him to death merely because of a so-called Heavenly Sha Lone Star fate wouldn't be easy to justify, either.

After all, he couldn't prove the system's existence to outsiders.

As for hoping for an accident...

Lu Changzhi ruled that possibility out too.

Calamity most likely wouldn't befall Luo Zhen.

It would probably just bounce off Luo Zhen and smash the people around him to death.

"Changzhi, if you aren't taking him as your disciple, why did you come to ask about him?"

Seeing that Lu Changzhi wasn't speaking, Xu Kun asked.

Lu Changzhi came back to his senses.

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he asked:

"Peak Master Xu, a question just occurred to me."

"Do the major sects ever poach people from one another?"

Xu Kun was taken aback, then nodded. "Of course they do."

"Although the vast majority of disciples and geniuses are fairly steadfast, there are always some whose resolve isn't firm."

"Some are steadfast at first, but if you keep trying to dig them out, you can still succeed."

After a pause, he looked at Lu Changzhi in puzzlement:

"Why did you suddenly ask about that?"

Lu Changzhi smiled and was about to explain when Xu Kun answered his own question:

"Is it because of Luo Zhen?"

"A little, but not much," Lu Changzhi said, shaking his head.

It was a plan that had just occurred to him.

Since there was no suitable way to deal with the trouble of the Heavenly Sha Lone Star,

he might as well find a way to send Luo Zhen elsewhere.

He just hadn't figured out exactly how to do it yet.

Xu Kun was about to ask another question when Lu Changzhi said, "Let's talk another day," then got up and left.

Xu Kun was left utterly baffled.

"Changzhi has always done things that leave people scratching their heads."

"But is there really something wrong with Luo Zhen?"

"Master."

When Lu Changzhi returned to Hidden Origin Peak, he happened to run into Gu Chen.

Gu Chen's body was now packed with full muscles, giving off a faint glow in the sunlight. Up close, one could sense the explosive power within them and hear his powerful heartbeat, thumping like muffled thunder.

"Looks like your secluded cultivation paid off."

Lu Changzhi nodded appreciatively, then said:

"By the way, you'll be going to the sect's Spirit-Gathering Pool to cultivate before long. I agreed to it for you. Ask the sect master about the details later."

"Thank you, Master," Gu Chen said. He had come out this time precisely to check in at the Spirit-Gathering Pool.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you've finally come out of seclusion!"

Luo Ling'er ran over, full of anticipation, and said excitedly:

"Can you spar with me?"

Gu Chen looked at Luo Ling'er, a smile appearing on his face, and said:

"You're still too young, little girl. Wait until you grow... g... that big?!"

He suddenly stopped before he could finish.

Then Gu Chen's jaw stayed where it was as he stared at the door-sized greatsword Luo Ling'er had pulled out, his face gradually filling with disbelief.

That disbelief soon turned to disarray.

What on earth had happened while he'd been in seclusion?

How had his petite, adorable junior sister, who cooked such delicious food, ended up like this?!

For a moment, Gu Chen suddenly began to doubt his own judgment.

Surely she didn't need that much strength to stir-fry...

"That wasn't easy."

Mu Fan had come out at some point, and at the sight, he said with feeling:

"Great, now the two who like sparring have found each other. I can finally get some rest in peace."

Over the next few days,

Lu Changzhi kept pondering Luo Zhen's situation.

One day, he went out to see Cang Wenyu.

After hearing Lu Changzhi's plan, Cang Wenyu hesitated.

"He's an inner disciple of the sect, after all, and he's been here for years. How certain are you about your feeling concerning him?"

Lu Changzhi nodded.

"Then we'll have to discuss this with Peak Master Xu. He is a disciple of Xu's Dharma Form Peak, after all," Cang Wenyu said.

"About that feeling," Lu Changzhi reminded him.

"Don't worry, I know what to say."

Afterward, the two went to see Xu Kun and explained why they had come.

"Make Luo Zhen a true disciple right away? Let some news out? Sect Master, are you planning to go fishing?"

After hearing them out, Xu Kun asked directly.

"More or less." Cang Wenyu nodded. "We'll also test Luo Zhen's character. If he passes, he can naturally become a true disciple."

Xu Kun nodded:

"I have no objections."

Soon, word spread through the Five Symbols Sect that Luo Zhen had been made a true disciple as an exception.

For a time, many disciples envied him and paid close attention to him.

"It's been a long time since anyone was made a true disciple as an exception. Does anyone know what this Luo Zhen did to become one?"

"I don't know, but anyone who gets an exception must have something extraordinary about them. I heard Peak Master Xu had some contact with him before, so there must be something exceptional about him."

"I'm so envious. When will something like that happen to me?"

"You know too little. I heard from a reliable rumor that Luo Zhen might also be qualified to cultivate on Hidden Origin Peak, and he's considering it now."

Such things were rare, and it soon became a hot topic.

Luo Zhen became known to everyone.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, many eyes were watching it all.

Not long afterward, more news spread.

The peak master of Hidden Origin Peak would personally meet Luo Zhen in three days.

As soon as this news came out, it stirred up another great storm.

Lu Changzhi, who had started it all, was waiting.

He was waiting for people from other sects to come poaching.

However, according to Cang Wenyu, the other sects' undercover agents were all extremely cautious.

At midnight one day, Lu Changzhi suddenly heard a notification from the system.

"Congratulations, Host, on idling for one month. You have received an extra reward: saint-tier low-grade item, Blood Soul False Body ×1."