My disciples are all villains.

Curiosity made Lu Zhou continue flipping through the pages.

"Many won't believe me…"

"Without passion and determination, there can never be true progress."

"I tried to tell some of them the truth behind cultivation…"

Lu Zhou felt the paper and the cover. They were clearly old. The book was not engraved with any protective mechanisms. Even its cover was simple and crude. Its corners were falling off due to the corrosion of time. Much of the text was blurred, and many pages in the middle seemed to have been torn away, for some unknown reason.

He wanted to continue reading, but he heard Zhu Tianyuan say, "This is one of the reasons why I'm in the Divine Capital… As of now, you're the only one who has reached the Nine-leaf stage. I intended to have someone present this diary to you, but I didn't expect to run into you here. If you're interested in this item, I can trade it for my son. What do you say?"

Lu Zhou stopped flipping through it. He did not answer Zhu Tianyuan's question right away. He closed the book and asked, "Why didn't you show me this before?"

Zhu Tianyuan shook his head and said with a sigh, "I never knew there was such a diary before this… It was found by a curious disciple who flipped through it while he was cleaning the archives. This book is badly damaged. I think someone vandalized it. If you didn't reveal yourself as a Nine-leaf cultivator, I think it would've been thrown away like trash."

Lu Zhou flipped to the final section of the book. He saw a line that read: Many think that the Eight-leaf stage is the limit of human cultivation, but I know otherwise. I noticed something different about the heaven-and-earth shackle… I discovered that the Golden Lotus might be what's limiting human cultivation. How should I overcome this?

Many of the pages after that were torn.

The next intact page Lu Zhou found read: Finally, someone believes me. He's an old man with the surname Yun. I pitied him and helped him complete his cultivation method. It's yet uncertain if this is a problem caused by the Golden Lotus… But, who would be willing to listen to me and try?

After reading this, Lu Zhou wondered inwardly, 'An old man with the surname Yun? Yun Tianluo?'

Lu Zhou looked at Zhu TIanyuan and asked, "Do you know the owner of this diary?" He was rather shocked; it seemed like he had stumbled on a clue regarding the Luo woman. He had been searching for a while now; he did not expect to find a clue here.

Zhu Tianyuan shook his head and said, "She left a signature on the final page. The owner of this diary is a female, a legendary one, at that."

"Legendary?" From what Lu Zhou understood about the Luo woman, and based on his 1,000-year experience, the Luo woman was, at most, mysterious, not legendary.

"Brother Ji…"

"Don't call me that," Lu Zhou interjected.

"Why do you have to hold onto past grudges? I've already presented you with my greatest treasure. You're the bigger man here. Please don't hold it against me," Zhu Tianyuan said.

Lu Zhou glanced at Zhu Honggong, who was still prostrated on the ground. 'Is this some hereditary trait?'

When the two of them met many years ago, Zhu Tianyuan's character had been like that. Now that they met again, it seemed like he did not change much.

"Have you read this diary?" After asking the question, Lu Zhou felt he was asking the obvious.

"I read it when we discovered it…"

Lu Zhou flipped to the last page. Indeed, there was a signature there: Luo (the middle word was blurred) Yin.

'Luo something Yin?" As he expected, this was the Luo woman from 300 years ago whom he had been searching for.

Based on the letter left behind by Great Yan's Imperial tutor, it was clear Great Yan's Imperial tutor was also searching for this Luo woman. However, it was also clear the two of them had starkly different views about cultivation.

Great Yan's Imperial tutor was strongly of the opinion that no one should attempt attaining the Nine-leaf stage since it would bring about a disaster.

Luo 'something' Yin, on the other hand, seemed to encourage cultivators to grow stronger so they could stand against a Nine-leaf cultivator.

The two of them had come from the same place. Why were their opinions so different?

"Do you know where this Luo woman went?" Lu Zhou asked.

Zhu Tianyuan shook his head. "The previous Holy Master has seen her, but I don't know her. Nobody knows where she is right now. She might be… dead."

"Dead?"

"The diary says that she's extremely adept at cultivation but not so skilled in controlling it," Zhu Tianyuan replied, "Since her control wasn't good, I'm afraid it must have been difficult for her to survive."

Lu Zhou frowned slightly. How confusing.

Lu Zhou had yet to read the diary, hence, he was in no hurry to ask for proof. Moreover, Zhu Tianyuan had no need to lie regarding this matter. However, if she was not skilled at control, how did she instruct Yun Tianluo? Truly, she was shrouded in mystery.

Just like Great Yan's Imperial tutor, she was extremely mysterious. In any case, Lu Zhou was rather certain the Great Yan's Imperial tutor's cultivation base was beyond the Eight-leaf stage.

Zhu Tianyuan nodded, clearly pleased, when he saw Lu Zhou deep in thought. He said with a smile, "It seems like this diary is very important to you, Brother Ji. In that case… can I take my son with me?"

Before Lu Zhou could reply, Zhu Honggong immediately kowtowed and said, "Master, the sun and moon are witnesses of my sincerity! I'll never leave you! Please have mercy!"

Zhu Tianyuan. "???" He looked at Zhu Honggong, slightly stunned.

Lu Zhou said, "Get up and talk."

"Yes, master." Zhu Honggong got to his feet with difficulty.

"You're, indeed, Zhu Tianyuan's son. You don't remember anything because you're young when I recruited you. You came into this world of your parents. How can you not acknowledge them?" Lu Zhou said as he thought back to events of the past.

"Uh…" When Zhu Tianyuan heard this, his emotions were stirred. He turned and gave Lu Zhou a complicated gaze. 'Is this still the Old Villain Ji I know?'

Jiang Pu placed a hand on his injured chest and walked over. He bowed and said, "Young master, after you left the Ancient Saint Cult, the holy master hasn't had a good night's rest or appetite. The holy mistress fell ill, distraught, and passed away in her prime…"

"Stop," Zhu Tianyuan said.

Jiang Pu immediately shut his mouth and said no more.

Zhu Tianyuan smiled and said, "That's all in the past. Don't listen to him… I'm happier than anyone else to learn that you've entered the Nascent Divinity realm."

Lu Zhou said, "You lost the bet…"

"I willingly admit that," Zhu Tianyuan said.

Lu Zhou searched his memories. It was true; Zhu Honggong's talents were terrible. How did he suddenly improve after joining the Evil Sky Pavilion? If his host, Ji Tiandao, truly had some unique method to modify one's constitutions and talents, then, it would explain why his nine disciples were so outstanding.

"Kneel," Lu Zhou said.

Zhu Honggong was taken aback. However, when he saw that his master was serious, he hastily knelt.

Lu Zhou placed his hands on his back and said, "Since time immemorial, there's no greater grace than the act of birth and the act of raising someone. You should decide for yourself."

Zhu Tianyuan was slightly taken aback. He could not believe these words spoken by the Old Villain Ji he knew. For a time, he was shocked speechless.