Chapter 1351 - The Equalizer
Chapter 1351: The Equalizer
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Everyone exchanged a look of confusion. What are the four elders of Mount Li trying to do now?
“The four of us are not leaving,” Cui Mingguang said.
During the journey here, the four of them had been making faces at each other and winking, clearly not in agreement with each other’s actions. It was rare to see them agree on one thing.
Lu Zhou looked at the four of them and said, “A mausoleum isn’t a place for the living.”
The four elders kowtowed at the same time.
“The late Emperor Emeritus had been kind to the four of us. If it weren’t for His Majesty, there would be no four elders of Mount Li. I hope senior will acquiesce to our wishes,” Cui Mingguang said.
In fact, Lu Zhou did not hold a grudge against the four elders of Mount Li. They were just on different sides. Moreover, they were manipulated by Meng Mingshi and had already been punished accordingly; they had lost many Birth Charts.
Ji Shi said, “We kept our words and led you to the mausoleum. I hope you’ll keep your word as well.”
A hint of disapproval flashed in Qin Renyue’s eyes as he said, “What right do you have to say that? Even without the four of you, we could still find our way here with Young Master Zhao’s help. Moreover, Brother Lu is so powerful that even Ying Gou is afraid of him. Do you think you’d be able to stop Brother Lu from coming to this shabby tomb even if you didn’t help?” Inwardly, he added, ‘Moreover, Brother Lu has a group of disciples with karmic fire and Great Void Seeds who will become supreme beings in the future…’
A hint of sorrow could be seen flashing in the eyes of the four elders of Mount Li.
Lu Zhou said, “I’ve always kept my words. Since you want to stay, then stay.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Renyue said, “Brother Lu, this is the royal mausoleum. Ying Gou is still here. If they somehow managed to use Ying Gou…”
As a Venerable Master, Qin Renyue was naturally not naively optimistic. Human hearts were unpredictable, and it was necessary to guard against them sometimes.
Ji Shi hastily said, “Venerable Master, you’re over-worrying. First of all, once the stone door closes, we won’t be able to open them again. Even if we can leave, we don’t dare to go near Ying Gou at all. Second, Ying Gou is frightened of the old senior. If we do try anything funny with him, aren’t we just shooting our own feet? Finally, we’re staying here because we don’t intend to live anymore. With that, is there a point in us playing tricks?”
Qin Renyue nodded and said, “You have a point. However, I really don’t understand. The late Emperor Emeritus’ body isn’t even here. What’s the point of guarding an empty tomb?”
Cui Mingguang sighed and said, “Even if we leave this place, what can we do now?”
Cui Mingguang’s words stopped Qin Renyue from questioning them any further. He could no longer be bothered with them. He turned around and said, “Let’s go.”
The 49 swordsmen replied in unison, “Yes!”
Swoosh!
Qin Renyue and the 49 swordsmen flew out of the tomb.
Lu Zhou looked at the light shining down from above and the two sarcophagi as a question arose in his mind: Have I been here before?
“Master?”
Little Yuan’er’s voice pulled Lu Zhou back to his senses. He tapped his toes lightly and flew out of the tomb.
The people of the Evil Sky Pavilion followed closely behind him.
After landing outside of the stone door, Lu Zhou waved his sleeve.
The White Tiger Dragon Jade flew off the stone door and crumbled into pieces as it fell.
Buzz!
As the door slid close, everyone looked at the four elders of Mount Li through the crack in the door. They remained kneeling on the ground, facing the sarcophagi and kowtowing at the same time.
After the stone door finally closed, everyone peeked at Ying Gou. He was in the same position.
Subsequently, Lu Zhou and Qin Renyue led the others out of the mausoleum.
…
Not long after Lu Zhou and the others left.
The four elders of Mount Li heard a noise in the tomb.
Then, they watched as the tens of thousands of sacrificial warriors came to life, thrusting their halberds out in unison as pieces of clay began to fall off them.
Following that, a mournful cry rang in the air.
“The Unholy One has come! The world is coming to an end!”
The four elders of Mount Li rose to their feet in shock and hurriedly gathered back-to-back, looking at the sacrificial warriors as though they were facing a great enemy.
These were soldiers who once followed the late Emperor Emeritus to conquer the land. They were brave, fearless, and skilled in fighting. However, all of them wore terrified expressions on their faces at this moment, and their bodies were trembling.
Following that, they began to crumble like the clay that had encased them in life and in death. In just a moment, tens of thousands of sacrificial warriors were reduced to a pile of rubble.
…
With Lu Zhou and Qin Renyue in the lead, everyone exited the mausoleum safely.
Everyone greedily inhaled the fresh air as soon as they stepped out of the mausoleum, enjoying the brightness of the sun. It felt as though they had been reborn and that their time in the mausoleum was a different lifetime.
“It’s so nice outside!” Little Yuan’er said with a smile.
“I agree!” Conch chimed in.
Qin Renyue felt really envious when he looked at Lu Zhou’s disciples who possessed karmic fire. If he also had a few disciples with karmic fire, he would not have to worry about the Qin clan. Prodigies with their domineering talent were really hard to come by. With these thoughts in his mind, he was reminded of Qin Moshang, causing him to sigh.
Qin Renyue looked at the sky for a moment before he asked, “Brother Lu, why don’t you visit my training hall?”
Lu Zhou did not respond immediately. He looked up at the sky and thought to himself, ‘There were no clouds in the sky when we came, but now there are so many clouds gathering… The weather is quite strange…’
A cool breeze blew past at this moment.
“The weather is really fickle! Master, let’s hurry up and leave this place,” Little Yuan’er said after running over to Lu Zhou’s side. Then, she waved Whitzard over.
Whitzard obediently flew over.
Lu Zhou nodded. “That’s my intention as well.”
Whoosh!
Another cool breeze blew past.
Mingshi Yin shivered. “What’s wrong with the d*mn weather?”
Everyone could clearly feel that something was amiss. They were all cultivators; they should be impervious to the cold. However, after surveying the surroundings, they discovered no abnormality. In the end, they left and went to the Qin clan.
…
At the same time, in the sky thousands of miles away.
A white-clad cultivator wielding a long halberd flew through the clouds like a meteor. When the white-clad cultivator finally came to a stop, he swept his bright eyes across the land.
When the white-clad cultivator looked at Mount Li, a frown appeared on his face. He brought out a talisman and ignited it before he said, “The imbalance in the green lotus domain has worsened. I’m afraid it’ll bring about the destruction of the world. Please instruct me on what I should do next.”
After a moment, the fire burning the talisman burned brighter as a voice rang in the air.
“Check the ten Pillars of Destruction. If you find abnormalities, report back immediately.”
With that, the white-clad cultivator extinguished the fire and swooped down. In just a few breaths, he landed on Mount Li and entered the royal mausoleum. After looking around for a moment, he sensed something, and his eyes widened slightly. “A zombie king?” His expression grew solemn as he muttered to himself, “I didn’t expect to find a zombie king here…”
He flashed a few times, and in just a moment, he arrived above the wooden bridge. When he looked down and saw Ying Gou who was restrained by four chains, he exclaimed, “Ying Gou!”
At this moment, Ying Gou’s eyes snapped open. He glared at the white-clad cultivator and bared his fangs as he roared, “Human!”
“Do you know your sins?”
Ying Gou shot up like an arrow, baring its teeth and brandishing its claws. Alas, it was firmly restrained by the four chains and did not go far.
The white-clad cultivator said in a low voice, “So it’s restrained…”
Ying Gou was enraged after being woken from his slumber again. He snarled and struggled against the chains, trying to charge at the white-clad cultivator.
The white-clad cultivator did not expect Ying Gou to be so aggressive. In any case, he had gotten over his curiosity and no longer bothered with Ying Gou. Instead, he flew forward, intending to enter the tomb.
Bang!
The white tiger and coiling dragon carving on the stone door lit up, preventing him from entering.
The white tiger and dragon lines on the stone door lit up and blocked it.
The white-clad cultivator frowned. “An isolated space formation?”
Despite trying various methods, he could not enter. After flying back and forth a few times, he had no choice but to give up. When he looked down, he saw the fragments of the White Tiger Dragon Jade on the ground. At this time, he finally noticed the charred corpses of the monsters as well. These traces were new; clearly, someone had just come and left.
The white-clad cultivator flashed toward Ying Gou again. “Let me ask you…”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Ying Gou roared and rushed out.
He lifted his halberd to block the attack. “You don’t know what’s good for you!”
He brandished his halberd, releasing countless energy seals that fell on Ying Gou like torrential rain.
After a few waves of attacks, not only was Ying Gou unharmed, but it grew even more agitated.
He frowned and reported the matter to the Sacred Hall. After he received the reply from the Sacred Hall telling him to put the matter of Ying Gou aside and check on the Pillars of Destruction first, he scoffed. “If it weren’t for the Sacred Hall’s order, I would’ve killed you!”
At this moment, Ying Gou suddenly spat out two words, “Supreme… being…”
“There’s no point trying to scare me with your master!”
Then, Ying Gou spat out another two words, “Unholy… One…”
“Nonsense! Ying Gou, your duty is to guard the tomb, not to confuse people with your words. If you dare spout nonsense again, I’ll ask the Sacred Hall to refine your body!” the white-clad cultivator said angrily.
Ying Gou was not frightened at all. He grew even more enraged. He flew up all the way to the top, pulling the chains taut.
The white-clad cultivator. “…”
If he were to fight now, he really had no way to kill Ying Gou. After a moment, he scoffed and flashed away with great fanfare.
…
In the evening.
In the Qin clan’s training hall.
Qin Renyue raised his wine cup and said to Lu Zou, “It’s a rare occasion for Brother Lu to visit. I apologize for our previous misunderstandings. Please..”
After saying that, Qin Renyue finished the wine in his cup in one go.
When cultivators reached the stage of a Venerable Master, they no longer had the desire for worldly things like wine and such. However, some traditions were so deeply ingrained that they were hard to dismiss.
Lu Zhou took a perfunctory sip from the cup. Then, he asked without beating around the bush, “Humans have been cultivating and fighting fierce beasts for so long. Doesn’t anyone know where the Great Void is?”
Qin Renyue was slightly startled by the abrupt change of subject. When he regained his composure, he said, “No. However, there’s no doubt it exists. There are people who have seen the Equalizers with their own eyes. It’s said that Venerable Master Duanmu from the purple lotus domain was taken away to the Great Void, but that was 30,000 years ago. Rumor has it that the Great Void is located somewhere in the Unknown Land.”
Lu Zhou nodded. Up until now, his activities were limited to the periphery of the Unknown Land. The closest he had been to the heart of the Unknown Land was when he went to Yu Zhong.
According to the map, the Unknown Land was divided into three major regions: the outer region, the middle region, and the core region. There were three Pillars of Destruction in each of the regions with the tenth one being located directly in the heart of the Unknown Land.
“Have you been to the core region?” Lu Zhou asked.
Qin Renyue nodded. “I’ve been there, but I didn’t stay for long. In the core regions, there are divine beasts with keen senses. Moreover, there are also divine beasts comparable to supreme beings there. The zombie kings and sacred relics from the Great Void can also be found in the core region. In any case, there’s only death waiting for those who go there.”
Yu Zhenghai asked curiously, “So far, as far as we know, in all the domains, Venerable Masters are the strongest. Isn’t the difference in strength between humans and fierce beasts too vast? Where’s the balance?”
Qin Renyue chuckled. “That’s what you think. Humans reign in the Great Void. Human beings are strange creatures. We talk about balance and whatnot, but we’re ultimately biased toward our species. If I were a supreme being, I definitely wouldn’t allow fierce beasts to attack humans indiscriminately. What do you think?”
According to the rumors in the cultivation world, once a cultivator reached a certain realm, he or she would be taken away by the Equalizer. If humans suffered a catastrophe, did it not mean that there would be no more new blood in the Great Void?
Yu Zhenghai nodded and said, “You have a point.”
At this moment, Lu Zhou suddenly asked, “Do you know Lu Tiantong?”
Lu Li, who was sitting at the side, felt speechless. ‘Ancestor, what are you doing? Are you trying to trick others again?’
Outwardly, Lu Li looked calm and dignified as usual. Inwardly, many strange thoughts were racing in his mind. He picked up his wine cup and took a sip, enjoying the fragrance of the wine spreading on his taste buds.
‘If the ancestor wants to put on a show, I should just enjoy the show.’
Qin Renyue was slightly surprised. “Venerable Master Lu? The one from the black lotus domain 30,000 years ago.”
“That’s right.”
“I’ve heard of him. Perhaps, if it weren’t for the Red Line, I’d be friends with him. I heard he dominated the black lotus domain, garnered everyone’s respect, and shocked the future generations. He’s a legend in the cultivation world. It’s a pity I don’t know much about him. I hope Brother Lu won’t disdain me for my ignorance.”
Lu Li gave Qin Renyue a thumbs-up. As expected of a Venerable Master, even his flattery skills were worthy of being an example for the younger generation.
Qin Renyu looked at Lu Li’s thumbs-up in confusion. However, since Lu Li was a guest, he just smiled in response.
Lu Li nodded and smiled before he continued to drink.
Qin Renyue also nodded and smiled.
Lu Li thought to himself, ‘Indeed, smart people speak differently, and their words are pleasant to the ears.’
At this moment, Lu Zhou said, “Lu Tiantong is indeed a rare legend. When I was in the black lotus domain, I often heard about his heroic deeds. When I was in his Nine Twists Illusory Formation, I read his notes and gained an understanding of the power of the Dao.”
“Is that so? For Brother Lu to be able to benefit from that formation, Venerable Master Lu’s cultivation base must be very close to a Saint,” Qin Renyue said.
Once again, Lu Li raised his hand and gave Qin Renyue a thumbs-up.
Qin Renyue. “?”
Nevertheless, Qin Renyue remained polite and smiled at Lu Li in response.
Luzhou said, “This man is indeed close to becoming a Saint. Based on his notes, he was only a step away from becoming a Saint.”
“What a pity. I’m afraid he was likely targeted by the people from the Great Void,” Qin Renyue said with a sigh.
Yu Zhenghai did not have a good impression of the Great Void. He asked, “Does this mean that no one from any of the domains is allowed to become a Saint?”
“Not really,” Qin Renyue said, “In the twin lotus domain, there’s a Saint. The only Saint in all the domains.”
Lu Zhou’s heart moved upon hearing this. “Is what you said true?”
“Yes.” Qin Renyue smiled. “Not many people know about this.. As it happens, I’m one of the few who knows about this.”