Chapter 47: Chapter 47: What to Do When You’re Too Popular?
Translator: 549690339
“Lu, I didn’t expect you to hide your cultivation level, making us worry needlessly.”
After Lu Changsheng stepped off the stage, Zhao Wuyan was the first to greet him.
Lu Changsheng had won his approval.
“Haha, I thought for a moment that our Mount Shu was going to temporarily lose its top ranking.”
“If it weren’t for Lu, our Mount Shu would have dropped from first to chasing second, behind the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.”
“Lu will surely be given important responsibilities by the Sect in the future.”
“Congratulations, Lu.”
One after another, the elders of Mount Shu congratulated Lu Changsheng.
“A century of seclusion, and an epiphany in a single day, that’s all.”
Lu Changsheng humbly returned the gesture.
His rapid progress in cultivation was not without an excuse.
For one thing, the former Lu Changsheng had been in seclusion for a century, and no one knew what had happened to the deeply hidden Lu during that time.
Secondly, the possibility of sudden enlightenment exists in this world; hearing the Dao in the morning and becoming an immortal by evening is not impossible. The swift advance in Lu Changsheng’s cultivation could be fully explained as an epiphany.
“An epiphany is a chance that most people never encounter. Lu is indeed fortunate to have such an experience,” Song Wuchuan remarked with emotion. All the elders nodded in agreement.
Most of the elders present had never had an epiphany themselves; they could only rely on arduous cultivation to gradually increase their levels of cultivation.
“Big Brother, I’ve offended the Pavilion Master of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, you’ll back me up, right?”
What Lu Changsheng feared the most was the possibility of the Pavilion Master seeking retribution.
With Lu Changsheng’s current level of cultivation, it was naturally not possible for him to contend with the six great Sect Leaders who had lived for thousands of years.
Li Changye spoke with profound meaning, “Although the Pavilion Master of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion does not get along with our Sect Leader, that is only superficial… In reality, the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion is our closest collaborator, so you need not worry that the Pavilion Master will seek revenge…”
Lu Changsheng felt completely relieved.
So, the Pavilion Master of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion was just a tsundere.
No wonder, during the last mission in Huang State, Inquiry Immortal Pavilion insisted that Mount Shu contribute manpower.
“The Taiqing Wuji Technique is the Sect-Defending skill created by our Mount Shu’s Ancestor. Lu, when did you learn it?”
The voice of Daoist Taiqing rang in Lu Changsheng’s ear, startling him.
The Taiqing Wuji Technique was actually a skill created by the Mount Shu Ancestor!
Lu Changsheng hesitated only slightly before replying, “During my seclusion, the Ancestral Master came to me in a dream and imparted the Taiqing Wuji Technique to me.”
“It seems you truly have a celestial fate with our Mount Shu.”
Daoist Taiqing did not doubt his words and asked no further.
Lu Changsheng had been cultivating in Mount Shu all along. Apart from the Ancestor coming to him in a dream, what other ways could he have learned the Taiqing Wuji Technique?
Ancestor Daoist Taiqing of Mount Shu is a legendary Immortal who is said to have attained Dao and became an immortal tens of thousands of years ago, and he was also the first Sect Leader of Mount Shu. The Ancestor appearing in a dream is recorded in the Mount Shu scriptures.
Lu Changsheng had seen similar legends while perusing the Mount Shu scriptures, so he used one casually.
“You all go rest first. The other Sect Leaders and I need to discuss how to deal with the impending catastrophe.”
“Yes.”
Li Changye, Song Wuchuan, Zhao Wuyan, Lu Changsheng, and the other elders of Mount Shu headed to the dwellings prepared for them by Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, leaving only the six great Sect Leaders.
“This catastrophe is not just a grudge between the Huang Tribe and the Demon Race; it also involves old grievances that must be settled once and for all,” Daoist Taiyuan slowly said after the elders had left.
Accompanied by the elders of Mount Shu, Lu Changsheng arrived at their temporary residence.
Misty Peak was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, shrouded in mist, like a paradise on earth, with spiritual energy as dense as that of Mount Shu.
All six Orthodox Sects chose the earth’s spirit veins as the site for establishing their Sects, a genuine Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
Lu Changsheng immediately began to meditate, digesting the enlightenment gained during his fight with Xia Ningxue.
Having spent a long time in secluded cultivation on Mount Shu, Lu Changsheng had limited practical experience. Competing with a peerless genius like Xia Ningxue was a rare opportunity from which Lu Changsheng benefitted greatly.
Without realizing how the time had passed, when Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, it was already nighttime.
But outside the house, it was far from peaceful.
Lu Changsheng extended his Divine Sense to perceive the situation outside the house.
He saw a group of elders and disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion gathered outside the houses where the people of Mount Shu were staying, chattering ceaselessly.
A few elders, including Zhao Wuyan, were holding them back.
Could it be that they were looking for trouble with me, to support Xia Ningxue?
Lu Changsheng used the “Technique of Ten Thousand Li Tracking” to send out a wisp of spiritual energy and quietly listened to what the elders from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion were discussing.
“Ahem, even though I, Zhao Wuyan, am a renowned figure who has been famous for a long time, and the number of Demon Sect elders who have fallen to my Chasing Wind Sword may not be in the double digits, there are at least seven or eight. Therefore, I’m quite charming. But men and women should be cautious. If word gets out that you fairies from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion are visiting the dwellings of us Mount Shu elders at night, it might provoke some gossip, damaging the reputation of both Mount Shu and Inquiry Immortal Pavilion…”
Zhao Wuyan faced a group of female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, talking non-stop.
Zhao Wuyan had cultivated in Mount Shu for three hundred and twenty years. He had left the mountain to gain experience many times and was one of Daoist Taiyuan’s direct disciples. He had a bit of fame among the six Orthodox Sects. Most of these female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion must have been attracted by his charm.
“Elder Zhao, we’re not here to find you.”
“That’s right, we’ve come to visit Elder Lu.”
“It’s the Elder Lu who had an exchange with our Holy Maiden during the day-”
A group of female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion spoke sweetly, like birds chirping and swallows twittering.
Inquiry Immortal Pavilion had the highest number of female disciples among the six Orthodox Sects.
There’s no need to mention Immeasurable Temple; it’s all monks and doesn’t admit female disciples.
The Martial Alliance is a group of Body Refinement fanatics. Although they also have female disciples, the number is ultimately not large.
The Refinement Sect is similar to the Martial Alliance.
Mount Shu and Hidden Dragon Temple are non-discriminatory, with similar numbers of male and female disciples.
Because all the past Pavilion Masters of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion were women, the sect has more women than men.
So this group of female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion came for me?
Could it be they were dissatisfied with the outcome from the daytime?
Zhao Wuyan, upon hearing that these fairies weren’t here to see him, suddenly felt his face flush with embarrassment, extremely awkward, “Since you are here to find Lu, I even more so cannot let you in. The competition during the day was fair and square. Our Lu excelled by a notch, and you cannot be unsatisfied and come here to trouble him again.”
Zhao Wuyan was truly a good senior brother!
Lu Changsheng, observing in secret, was deeply touched.
“Elder Zhao, who said we came to trouble Elder Lu?”
“We wish to discuss cultivation matters with Elder Lu~please don’t obstruct us, Elder Zhao-”
“Elder Lu is really so handsome-and with such high cultivation-he surely can provide us with guidance- ”
“Pfft!”
Zhao Wuyan almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
Coming here to discuss cultivation in the middle of the night?
Could it be that during the daytime competition, this group of female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion took a fancy to Lu?
Lu, having cultivated for over two hundred years, was indeed youthful and promising compared to Dao Palace practitioners whose lifespan stretched over a millennium, comparable to a mortal in their twenties.
“This… We have to see what our Lu wants. I’ll go in and ask him.”
Zhao Wuyan had no choice but to go in and inform Lu Changsheng about the situation.
Lu Changsheng, who had been observing secretly, already knew the ins and outs of the situation and indifferently said, “Please be the bad guy for me, Brother Zhao, and turn these people away.”
Lu Changsheng was not interested in the group of female elders and female disciples outside the room, so he had Zhao Wuyan send them away.
“Lu is truly a man full. He doesn’t know the hunger of the starving. The female elders from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, with their beauty that could topple cities and states, have always been considered prime candidates for Dao companions.”
Zhao Wuyan could not help but feel envious. Unfortunately, the many female elders and female disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion had their hearts set on Lu Changsheng, who had made quite the impression at the Great Dao Conference, rather than on him, Zhao Wuyan.
“Junior Brother Lu is currently in closed-door cultivation, fairies, please leave.”
“Elder Lu really is diligent; no wonder his cultivation is so high.”
“Let’s go back, sisters.”
“We’ll come again tomorrow- ”
The group of fairy-like women from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion did not linger any longer and took their leave.
It seems that being too popular isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Lu Changsheng shook his head helplessly.
That said, I wonder how Xia Ningxue, who had suffered the backlash from the Supreme Forgetting Love Art, is faring.
With the Fairy Pavilion Master around, Xia Ningxue shouldn’t incur any hidden problems because of this.
The night was deep, and Lian in the next room was fast asleep, snoring loudly, while the Martial King Divine Physique continued to devour the nature’s spiritual energy of Misty Peak even in sleep.
Lu Changsheng, having some insights, left the room and walked to a nearby bamboo forest to stroll.
The moonlight was frosty, and the bamboo shadows swayed.
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng faintly heard the sound of reading coming from hundreds of steps away.
[Ding, the system has searched and found a suitable candidate for discipleship… One has been found.]