Chapter 33: The Emergence of the Black Lotus (Part 1)

Chapter Thirty-Three: Emergence of the Black Lotus (Part 2)

As the evening sky darkened, Danqing Sword Master Xu Canghai from Confucian Garden paid a visit. Upon entering the cave, he greeted with a loud laugh, "Brother Ziyang, I came specifically to congratulate you. This time, it's a joyous occasion. Land Yun defeated the third strongest of Tianjian Institute, Leng Jiahao, which was unexpected by everyone. Truly a refreshing turn of events. Finally, it suppressed the prestige of Tianjian Institute."

Ziyang True Man welcomed him with joy and said, "You flatter us. Please have a seat. Why have you come to visit us when you seem to have some free time? You should be well aware of the situations in the other institutes. Tell us."

Danqing Sword Master Xu Canghai glanced at everyone, noticed Xuan Yu was absent, and didn't mind. He smiled and said, "I came mainly to congratulate the great victory of Lu Yun and bring greetings from my disciple, Li Ming. As for the situation in the six institutes this time, your Easy Heaven is the most imposing. Only your institute has three disciples entering the top twelve, while Phoenix Academy has only Cangyue for now, falling behind. The other four institutes have two disciples each, maintaining balance."

Lu Yun asked, "Master Xu, do you know who from the other four institutes entered the top twelve? Can you share that with us, so we can be mentally prepared?"

Danqing Sword Master Xu Canghai pondered for a moment and said, "In our Confucian Garden, it's Bi Tian and Du Li. In Dao Garden, it's Wu Wang and Yun Hua. In Bodhi Academy, it's Ben Yi and Jie Chan. As for Tianjian Institute, it's Jian Wuchen and Zhan Yu. Tomorrow's final battle is the most crucial. Whoever wins in that battle will enter the top six. So, tomorrow's fight is also the most dangerous. To compete for the top six, every disciple will give their all, and no one will take it lightly."

Lu Yun, Zhang Aoxue, and Li Hongfei exchanged glances, and no one said anything. Ziyang True Man looked at Lu Yun and said softly, "In this competition, no matter what, we have done our best. As long as we are worthy in our hearts and to the heavens and earth, it is enough. As for the final results, let it be fate." Then everyone talked for a while, and Danqing Sword Master Xu Canghai took Ziyang away.

Under the moonlight, a slender figure extended into the cave entrance. The delicate silhouette stood quietly at the entrance. Lu Yun looked at her back, the enchanting figure that perhaps only Cangyue could match. Quietly walking to her side, Lu Yun whispered, "The moonlight is beautiful tonight, just like last night. It's worth cherishing. Would you like to go out and see the Yellow River, and listen to that mysterious sound? Is it still there?"

Zhang Aoxue looked at him, nodded slightly, and floated like a fairy. Lu Yun turned his head and glanced at the cave, then soared into the sky with the wind. At the entrance, a tall figure quietly watched the disappearing silhouettes in the night, letting out a soft sigh. After a long time, he turned and left. Just after he left, another figure appeared at the entrance, looking at the slightly melancholic figure. With a faint smile, he said, "In this life, perhaps you won't be able to compete with Lu Yun. Because you are too indifferent, and Aoxue has become colder. You two cannot come together." After speaking, he looked at the sky, a faint and beautiful smile under the moonlight.

Lu Yun quickened his pace, walking alongside Zhang Aoxue. In the night wind, her charming fragrance deeply attracted Lu Yun's senses, making him focus all his thoughts on that alluring figure. Suddenly, Zhang Aoxue turned to look at him, and with a cold tone, she said, "Do you think any of us three can enter the top six tomorrow?"

Lu Yun looked at her misty eyes and whispered, "Tomorrow's affairs are uncertain. Regardless, I believe that at least one of us three can enter the top six. Tonight, the moonlight is as beautiful as water. Let's talk about other things. Shall we?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Aoxue remained calm. She glanced at the moon above and said softly, "Cultivation days are very quiet and plain. What is there worth talking about? Perhaps, in gaining strength and longevity, cultivators lose many joys that ordinary people should have."

Lu Yun, hearing her words, whispered, "If that's the case, then what is the purpose of longevity? Are we alive to survive or to live happily? As long as we are happy, why bother too much about longevity? Cultivators are also human. If a person loses the seven emotions and six desires, can they still be considered human? Perhaps, they sound like immortals, but what would be the less pleasant term for them? We are still young and in the stage of making choices. Once we choose the wrong path, we cannot turn back. Isn't that right?"

Zhang Aoxue remained silent, only gazing at the bright moon. After a while, she spoke softly, "In this cultivation life, it's very calm and plain. Is there anything worth discussing? Perhaps, in gaining strength and longevity, cultivators lose many joys that ordinary people should have."

Lu Yun whispered, "If that's the case, then what is the purpose of longevity? Are we alive to survive or to live happily? As long as we are happy, why bother too much about longevity? Cultivators are also human. If a person loses the seven emotions and six desires, can they still be considered human? Perhaps, they sound like immortals, but what would be the less pleasant term for them? We are still young and in the stage of making choices. Once we choose the wrong path, we cannot turn back. Isn't that right?"

Without sound, without an answer, everything quietly disappeared into the night sky.

Suddenly, Zhang Aoxue's expression changed. The god sword Purple Shadow on her person suddenly flew out automatically, pointing directly west, towards the Yellow River. Aoxue looked at Lu Yun and said softly, "Something must have happened over there, or else my divine sword wouldn't have flown out on its own. Let's quickly go and see."

Lu Yun looked towards the west and said in a deep voice, "Remember when we were in the Yin Soul Forest, this divine sword had a very strong destructive and annihilating power against ghosts and other supernatural beings. Now that it has unsheathed itself, it's probably reminding us that there might be monsters or demons there. Lately, there have been signs of demons and monsters appearing everywhere in the world. Could it be that even Tai Xuan Mountain is not exempt? Let's go and find out." With that, the Red Radiance Sword flashed, and Lu Yun and Zhang Aoxue instantly disappeared.

The two ascended directly to a height of twenty zhang above the ground, swiftly shooting towards the direction of the Yellow River. From a distance, a flowing aura of five colors could be seen by the banks of the Yellow River, and an immensely powerful momentum instantly spread in all directions. At the same time, another silvery-yellow aura, reflecting the moonlight, shimmered with a beautiful and dazzling radiance, emanating a formidable aura.

Zhang Aoxue's expression changed slightly as her divine sword, Purple Shadow, seemed to be influenced and suddenly released a surge of purple light, spreading rapidly in all directions, filling the sky with a purple glow. Witnessing this, Lu Yun was astonished, and a clear pattern suddenly appeared in his mind. Glancing at Aoxue, Lu Yun spoke, "Those are the auras of the Roaring Moon Divine Sword and the Celestial Spirit Divine Sword. I didn't expect the legendary three major divine swords to gather at Tai Xuan Mountain. Quickly, something unusual is happening there. Let's go and check for monsters."

With that, the two instantly increased their cultivation, their bodies like shooting stars, disappearing from their original location and reappearing by the Yellow River.

In a flash, Lu Yun and Zhang Aoxue landed on a cliff by the Yellow River. Upon closer inspection, they realized that two individuals were already present. One was Jian Wuchen from Tianjian Institute, and the other was Cangyue from Phoenix Academy. Jian Wuchen had a five-colored divine sword rotating above his head, and he was currently staring at the surface of the Yellow River. On the other side, Cangyue had a silver-yellow radiant longsword continuously revolving, emitting a radiant glow that enveloped her in mid-air. Her mysterious and beautiful figure resembled an ethereal elf, appearing elegant and untainted by worldly affairs.

Aoxue gazed at Cangyue with a strange gleam in her eyes. The divine sword Purple Shadow above her head flashed, lifting Aoxue into the air. Together with Cangyue and Jian Wuchen, the three formed a triangle, silently observing the movements of the Yellow River. On the side, Lu Yun looked at the three individuals in mid-air, his eyes revealing a peculiar and subtle smile. He moved his body slightly to the edge of the cliff, carefully watching the water's surface.

Under the moonlight, three different auras stood silently by the Yellow River, one man and two women, quietly observing the river's movements. Lu Yun had roughly discerned something, noticing a faint black demonic energy diffusing over the Yellow River, not easily detectable. The roaring waves of the river, accompanied by earth-shaking roars, constantly surged. Countless water splashes formed beautiful waves on the surface, but at this moment, everything seemed a bit different. Those waves continued to increase, gradually forming nine extraordinarily large whirlpool-like waves on the river's surface, beautiful yet eerie.

Jian Wuchen glanced at Cangyue and Zhang Aoxue, his eyes showing a hint of amazement. Turning his gaze back to the Yellow River, Jian Wuchen said, "Be careful; the monster is about to appear. It dares to show itself under the presence of our three divine swords, indicating extraordinary cultivation. Be vigilant for any sinister plots; tonight, we must eliminate it to uphold the dignity of our righteous cultivation world." Cangyue and Aoxue remained silent, simply observing the water's surface, causing Jian Wuchen to feel somewhat awkward.

Suddenly, a change occurred on the water's surface. In the center of each of the nine giant waves, black smoke suddenly rose, transforming into nine black lotus flowers that hovered above the water, emitting a seductive radiance. Soon, the nine lotus flowers began to release nine black demonic auras, forming a black lotus platform in the center, rotating slowly. With time passing, the platform spun faster and gradually turned into a black column of light, shooting straight into the sky. Simultaneously, a powerful demonic energy, like a roaring wave, instantly pervaded the entire Tai Xuan Mountain.

At this moment, Jian Wuchen roared, and his divine sword, Celestial Spirit, enveloped in a five-colored radiance, formed a giant sword pillar dozens of zhang long in mid-air, fiercely slashing towards the black column of light. On the other side, Cangyue swung her divine sword horizontally, striking the nine lotus flowers. The dazzling silver-yellow radiance, like a silver dragon, instantly hit the lotus flowers. Seeing this, Aoxue, unwilling to fall behind, activated the Purple Shadow Divine Sword, transforming its radiance into a purple dragon, coiling in mid-air, firmly locking onto the demonic aura.