My disciples are all villains.

"I… would like to rejoin the Evil Sky Pavilion… I have nowhere else to go… Please grant me this request, master!" Ye Tianxin struggled to get up on the Fiend Monk's Hand Seal before she kneeled. Her injuries and swaying body did not hamper her determination.

People kneel at the heavens, the earth, and their parents. A master for a day, a father forever. Kneeling at her master was akin to kneeling at her father.

Lu Zhou had every right to accept this gesture.

Everyone in the Evil Sky Pavilion was watching this intently. They looked at Lu Zhou expectantly. Who could remain unmoved by this? A person's heart was made of flesh, after all.

A master and a disciple; an old man and a young lady; one kneeling, and the other standing.

After what seemed like hours, Lu Zhou finally said, "Alright." His reply was concise and to the point.

Ye Tianxin smiled before she closed her eyes and fell backward.

Lu Zhou waved his sleeve. The energy seal carried her into the barrier like a boat.

The four elders circulated their Primal Qi at the same time and caught Ye Tianxin in the air.

Ye Tianxin was finally back.

Lu Zhou shifted his gaze away from Ye Tianxin and looked at Liu Ge and Su Sheng in the distance.

Su Sheng was heavily injured, but he could still fight. His eyes brimming with horror.

Liu Ge, on the other hand, seemed unaffected. Apart from his slightly disheveled hair, he seemed uninjured.

Lu Zhou rose slowly into the air. His expression grew extremely frosty. He stared at the duo motionlessly. Liu Ge and Su Sheng did not flee, seemingly confident about going against him. However, he did not care about their reasons at all. Then, he looked at the sword in Liu Ge's hand, High Void, before he stared at Liu Ge.

Liu Ge met Lu Zhou's gaze. At this juncture, there was no turning back.

Liu Ge was about to speak when Lu Zhou said, "I gave you a chance…" His anger was palpable despite his calm voice. He dove without warning.

The others exclaimed in shock. Their eyes were glued to the pavilion master as he showcased his wondrous might. When the pavilion master flew down, they could hardly contain their awe and excitement.

"I spared your lives, but you're insistent about them throwing away… Seems like you no longer want it!" Lu Zhou raised his fist and charged toward Liu Ge and Su Sheng.

Su Sheng's face flushed red as his battle spirit rose. He had spent many years on the battlefield. He was not afraid of death. He pounded his chest like a gorilla before energy surged out of his body. He cried out, "Your Majesty, stand back! I'll fight him!" Then, he flew to meet Lu Zhou like a fired arrow.

Fist against fist!

Lu Zhou's right fist was wrapped in an energy seal that glowed with a blue light.

Bam!

The blue and golden lights collided! A vertical blast of energy exploded.

The outcome was just as expected…

Crack!

A crisp sound rang in the air, Su Sheng's right arm was severed as he flew back. He had no time to react at all. He flew back the same way he came.

Boom!

Su Sheng shot past Liu Ge and crashed heavily onto the ground, spraying dirt everywhere.

Liu Ge did not catch Su Sheng. Instead, he was shocked by the power packed in Lu Zhou's punch. A person who cultivated an energy to its extreme had to put in painstaking effort during the Body Tempering stage and cultivate their bodies to the extreme. The Ji Tiandao he knew was not a person who was skilled in energy fists. How could that punch be so powerful?

As the dust settled, Su Sheng's vision cleared. He was in a pit. Coughing violently, he pressed his hand to the stump on his shoulder. He crawled out of the pit before he spat out blood due to his heavy injuries. Blood spilled on his chest and stained the ground red.

Lu Zhou said tonelessly, "It seems like you enjoy bullying my disciples?"

Su Sheng felt stabbing pain all over his body. He felt life draining from his body. "…"

"Weak," Lu Zhou said ruthlessly.

Su Sheng looked at the skies. His breathing was shallow now. He could no longer move.

'Still alive? What a good punching bag.'

Liu Ge frowned deeply. He clenched his fist and raised High Void. "Brother… Ji…"

"You're unworthy!" Lu Zhou moved swiftly toward Liu Ge and cut him short. He flipped his palm. Unnamed materialized in his hand.

An energy sword swirled around Unnamed.

Liu Ge's face fell. He raised High Void and moved to parry the blow.

There was a flash of cold light!

Bam!

Unnamed and High Void collided!

After this exchange, both opponents' backs were facing each other.

"This sword is High Void, a super heaven-grade weapon… There are Nine-leaf Formation veins on it, which is supposed to be a bane for Nine-leaf cultivators… You've lost." As soon as Liu Ge finished speaking...

Crack!

A crack appeared on High Void before it broke.

"Hm?"

The crisp sound made Liu Ge's heart shudder. He turned to look, and his eyes widened. What happened? His heart sank to the depths of the valley at once. He pulled his arm back and studied his weapon. The other half of the blade had fallen, only half of High Void remained in his hand.

Liu Ge looked at Lu Zhou…

Lu Zhou held Unnamed in his right hand; his back was still facing Liu Ge. The delicate-looking Unnamed was exuding a black runic aura at this moment.

"What's that weapon?" Liu Ge exclaimed in shock.

Lu Zhou did not answer him. Instead, he flipped his palm and aimed it at the ground.

Unnamed fell, wrapped in a blue light. It shone like a torch in winter. Its speed increased!

Liu Ge looked down before realization dawned on him. He dove. "Stop!"

Lu Zhou raised his palm and launched a palm seal.

Bam!

Liu Ge was sent flying.

Unnamed, shrouded in a blue radiance, descended from the skies. The energy sword suddenly expanded and stabbed Su Sheng!

Bam!

Su Sheng was already heavily wounded to begin with. There was no way he could have withstood this blow.

Unnamed pinned Su Sheng firmly onto the ground like a nail.

"I'll have Su Sheng's life!"

"Ding! Killed a target. Reward: 1,500 merit points."

At this moment, Liu Ge realized he had severely underestimated Lu Zhou's strength. His eyes were brimming with disbelief as he was sent flying back. He gripped what remained of High Void tightly to stabilize himself. He glanced at Su Sheng who was impaled by Unnamed. "Why? I've done everything for the people, for Great Yan… Why must you attain the Nine-leaf stage?" He fired one question after another; his emotions were clearly in turmoil.

Lu Zhou looked at Liu Ge indifferently. "You keep spouting nonsense. I'll have your life!"

He flipped his palm.

Whizz!

With a zing, Unnamed dislodged itself from Su Sheng's chest and flew back into Lu Zhou's hand. The energy sword elongated as he charged toward Liu Ge in the air.

The sword vibrated.

Liu Ge tapped his dantian's sea of Qi. There was a surge of rich Primal Qi as his sea of Qi began to burn. The red veins on High Void's blade burned as well. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the veins. High Void was now gleaming with a peculiar scarlet glow. "I didn't want to do this. Since you've forced my hand, Brother Ji, I'll fight you to death." He swung his sword.

The scene from moments ago was reenacted.

Both opponents passed each other.

At this moment, A rich blue Mudra Ward appeared on Lu Zhou.

A clear heart would show one's nature and free one's mind. A heart set like a stone would be as immovable as a mountain.

Bam!

High Void drew across the Ward Mudra.

Unnamed drew across Liu Ge's protective energy.

Another round ended right after the opening.

Liu Ge lowered his head and saw his punctured protective energy that now resembled a deflated balloon as his Primal Qi escaped. Then, he turned to look at Lu Zhou's Mudra Ward… There was only a scratch on the Mudra Ward that was fast healing. He was stunned. He had lost again. His fingers trembled. He was too careless. His knuckles whitened around High Void's hilt.

Lu Zhou's voice rang in the air. "You dare challenge me with that strength?"

"Open the box," Liu Ge said. His voice reverberated in the skies.

"Understood!"

The two remaining Imperial bodyguards hastily opened the second box.

"Hm?"

When the box was opened, a stack of talismans flew out toward Liu Ge. They moved at a speed greater than grand techniques.

Liu Ge was covered in talismans in just a blink of an eye. The talismans wrapped around him tightly and seemed to be dissolving into his flesh and blood. The red runes on High Void's broken blade flew toward Liu Ge as well and merged with him. He looked somewhat like a mummy now.

The red tunes shone.

Lu Zhou looked at the red talismans and said indifferently, "You're finally willing to use it."