There had been no news from Zhao Yue after her first letter, and Lu Zhou knew that she was most likely not coming back. Like the few other disciples, she chose to leave the sect.
Lu Zhou tried to figure out the reason for her defection but failed, for a great part of Ji Tiandao’s memory was lost. However, Mingshi Yin had only gone out once and his loyalty was reduced to below the passing level, so Zhao Yue should have been also persuaded by someone to defect, he reckoned.
Anyhow, he stopped thinking about it after a moment. After all, it was not an overnight project to discipline and tame these disciples. His priority now was to restore his life force and increase his cultivation base as quickly as possible.
He did not say anything, but Little Yuan’er felt that her master was unfairly treated, so she said angrily, “I can’t believe Senior Sister Zhao Yue is also like that!”
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, “Just ignore her.”
“Master, she betrayed you and the sect! How can we simply ignore her?” Little Yuan’er got angrier.
Lu Zhou found her angry look rather cute, and he said, “In this case, you will also find out news about Zhao Yue at the station for the next few days.”
“I understand, Master!”
“Leave me alone. You may cultivate on your own.”
“Yes!”
Thinking that Lu Zhou was sulking, Little Yuan’er obediently left the gazebo.
Meanwhile…
Mingshi Yin, who got the final part of his cultivation technique, met with Duanmu Sheng at the foot of the mountain.
“Old Fourth, you are really lucky this time,” said Duanmu Sheng with an envious look. “Master not only didn’t blame you, but also gave you the final part of the Bluewood Technique.”
With his arms folded over his chest, Mingshi Yin said, “I have no idea what Master was thinking. Maybe…I really thought too much.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve completed the task, so it is reasonable for Master to reward me. However, Old Seventh said that Master possessed a secret drug that can temporarily conceal his injury, so I thought of testing him…” Mingshi Yin did not hide it from his senior brother.
Duanmu Sheng’s expression changed slightly when he heard that. “You really have the nerve!”
“Aye, but it’s too late to regret now.”
“Among the fellow disciples who are still on Golden Court Mountain now, you are the cleverest. I can’t believe you would do such a stupid thing!” said Duanmu Sheng in a stern voice. “Even I could figure it out myself without being told by Old Seventh. If Master were not wounded and his cultivation base were at its peak, why would he stay on the mountain?”
Mingshi Yin nodded repeatedly. With their master’s temper, he would have gone out to finish the enemies if he were healthy and in his peak form. During the last fierce battle with the top ten experts, he had used many ultimate skills, and yet he was perfectly fine. No ordinary cultivator would dare to waste energy like that.
“Senior Brother, I’ve always wanted the complete Bluewood Technique. With it, I believe it won’t take me long to reach the perfected level of the Divine Court realm. Maybe…I can even step into the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm, just like Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother. Now that I have finally got it, however, I feel somewhat lost…”
“Ever since Junior Sister Tianxin deserted the sect, Master stopped teaching the final part of all the cultivation techniques and giving out heaven-grade treasures. But, he made an exception for you this time…You are afraid that Master has other thoughts, aren’t you?” said Duanmu Sheng.
“Indeed! What do you think it is?” Mingshi Yin asked.
“My advice is to faithfully complete the tasks assigned to us by Master. Think about it, Master is wounded now, and he is approaching the end of his life, so he won’t harm us. Also, the top ten sects have suffered heavy losses, and they won’t dare to attack Golden Court Mountain rashly. I believe that Golden Court Mountain will still be our protective shield for a long time to come.”
“That makes sense. Senior Brother, you are a man of great wisdom, and your words have enlightened me.” Mingshi Yin bowed toward Duanmu Sheng. If he deserted the sect after taking the script, he would not only infuriate his master, but also face the pursuit of orthodox cultivators. At the moment, when they still lacked the courage to establish their own sect like their eldest senior brother, staying on Golden Court Mountain was their best choice.
…
“Ding! You are rewarded with 200 merit points from disciplining Mingshi Yin. Mingshi Yin’s loyalty increases by 5%. Duanmu Sheng’s loyalty increases by 5%.”
Sitting in the gazebo, Lu Zhou opened his eyes slightly as he smiled and nodded.
Ji Tiandao did not dare to give them the final part of their cultivation techniques, but Lu Zhou did, because his journey had just begun. The old villain had reached the end of his life, and therefore he needed to control his disciples with such a method.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhou had no need for it.
Name: Lu Zhou
Race: Human
Cultivation base: The Eye Aperture stage of the Mystic Enlightening realm
Avatar: Two Transformed Powers
Merit points: 1,004
Remaining life: 1,509 days
Items: Ji Tiandao Peak Form Card x 2, Critical Block Card (passive) x 5
…
“A Three Condensing Flowers avatar costs three thousand merit points, but I only have one thousand points. It is far from enough. Should I wait a little longer?
“No, I can’t afford to wait. My health is too poor, and I don’t want to repeat Ji Tiandao’s mistake. It is because of old age that his cultivation base gradually reduced.
“But, a reversal card costs five hundred merit points, which is too expensive…
“Well, I think I’ll try my luck first.
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
…
He tried five times in a row and spent two hundred and fifty merit points, and yet all he got was a bunch of ‘thank you for trying’.
Lu Zhou’s brow frowned slightly as he said in a not so happy voice, “System, you have given me twenty-three times of ‘thank you for trying’ in a row, including the eighteen times before this. Is there any problem with the probability of your lucky draw?”
Of course, the system did not answer, and he barely restrained himself from swearing.
“I still have seven hundred and fifty-four merit points…I will try two more times and then use the balance to buy a reversal card!”
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
‘F*ck!” Lu Zhou cursed in his mind.
“Lucky draw!”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
“…”
“I’ll try just one more time, and if it still gives me nothing this time, I’ll stop!”
“Lucky draw!”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
“One more time!”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
…
In the blink of an eye, his merit points were almost gone. He got nothing but ‘thank you for trying’, while he had accumulated a total of 33 luck points.
“I think I understand now…these are not luck points, but bad luck points, right?”
Looking at the merit points on the interface, which showed 104, Lu Zhou said, “Fine, I admit defeat…”
But, since there was nothing he could do or buy with so little merit points…
“Lucky draw!”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points and 33 luck points. You have received a cultivation technique: ‘Three Scrolls of Heaven Writing’, an avatar: Three Condensing Flowers, reversal cards x 10.”
“???????”