novelraw Chapter 46 – To plot in secret
Chapter 46 – To plot in secret
"Clang!"
At the moment Zhang Lüliang's palm wind struck, the Shadow Sword behind Luo Xiu unsheathed once more.
The black sword light was like a bolt of lightning, slicing through the palm wind. However, the powerful force unleashed by the Innate Martial Master was still as vast and overwhelming as the ocean.
And Luo Xiu, like a lone boat in a storm, capsized in an instant.
"Ugh!"
A mouthful of blood spewed out as Luo Xiu felt as if all the bones in his body had shattered. A cold force penetrated his bones, invading his meridians.
"Zhang Lüliang, how dare you!"
The Master of Qingyun Hall appeared on the dueling platform, catching Luo Xiu, only to find that he had already lost consciousness, with multiple meridians in his body shattered.
"Master of Qingyun Hall, what do you mean by this? I intervened to prevent any fatal injuries between the two, separating them." Zhang Lüliang snorted coldly, unfazed by the threat from the Master of Qingyun Hall. "With the Sect Master present, how dare you disrupt the entry assessment here?"
Not only was he unafraid, but Zhang Lüliang also turned the accusation back on the Master of Qingyun Hall.
The Master of Qingyun Hall's face turned ashen, and he immediately knelt on one knee before the Outer Sect Master, Lu Feichen, loudly declaring, "Luo Xiu's meridians are severely damaged. Zhang Lüliang, as the chief examiner, abused his power for personal vendetta. I implore the Sect Master to see the truth!"
"Multiple meridians shattered?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Mengyao was the first to react, standing up abruptly.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, Luo Xiu's injuries were not caused by me but were sustained during his fight with Wang Can," Zhang Lüliang immediately defended himself.
"Zhang Lüliang, you're full of crap!" the Master of Qingyun Hall roared in anger.
Facing the furious Master of Qingyun Hall, Zhang Lüliang sneered, "Think about it, he, at the second layer of the Qi Sea Realm, defeated Wang Can, who was at the third layer and practiced a fifth-grade martial art, in one move. He must have used some desperate forbidden technique!"
"It's understandable for young people to be eager to win, but using forbidden techniques that harm oneself and others is their own fault. Why blame it on me?"
Zhang Lüliang put on an aggrieved expression. He dared to harm Luo Xiu, having already prepared an excuse.
Lu Feichen's face remained expressionless as his gaze fell on Zhang Lüliang, causing him to tremble and lower his head, not daring to meet the Sect Master's eyes.
"Guards!" Lu Feichen spoke softly.
Immediately, two figures appeared like phantoms, dressed in black, exuding a sinister aura.
"Black-clad Protectors, seize Zhang Lüliang!"
"Yes!"
Without a word, the two black-clad Protectors leaped onto the dueling platform and restrained Zhang Lüliang from both sides.
Seeing this, Zhang Lüliang's expression changed drastically, "Sect Master, I'm innocent!"
Lu Feichen's face turned cold, "Do you take me for a blind man? With me personally overseeing, you dare to play tricks in the dark and still claim innocence?"
"Throw him into the water dungeon, cripple his cultivation, and pierce his pipa bone with iron chains!" Lu Feichen ordered coldly.
No matter how much Zhang Lüliang shouted his innocence, the two black-clad Protectors dragged him away. It was only then that Zhang Lüliang realized he had been too clever for his own good.
If Lu Feichen, the Outer Sect Master, hadn't been present, no one would have noticed his underhanded actions.
But Lu Feichen, a Spirit Refining Realm, Ninth Layer expert, had a soul perception as clear as day, seeing through Zhang Lüliang's tricks.
In any case, Luo Xiu was his daughter's savior and had shown remarkable talent. Both publicly and privately, he had to severely punish Zhang Lüliang.
...
When Luo Xiu awoke from his coma, he found himself in a simple, clean room.
Recalling how Zhang Lüliang's palm wind had severely injured him, his first instinct was to activate the Pure Yang Technique, circulating True Qi throughout his body to assess his condition.
"What a vicious old man!"
After examining his internal state, a murderous intent flashed in Luo Xiu's eyes.
He had twenty-one meridians broken, making it impossible for his True Qi to circulate through the Greater Circulation. For an ordinary martial artist, without finding heavenly materials and earthly treasures to repair the meridians, they would be crippled for life, unable to continue cultivating internal arts.
When he had crippled Zhang Hai's cultivation, he had used this very method.
Besides the broken meridians, Luo Xiu also had a cold force left by the Cold Yin Palm roaming inside him, continuously eroding his intact meridians. If he couldn't expel this force, all his meridians would eventually break, leaving him a cripple, bedridden for life!
On the dueling platform, Zhang Lüliang dared not kill, but for a martial artist, becoming a cripple was worse than death.
"Creak."
At that moment, the door slowly opened, and Lu Mengyao, dressed in a white dress, ethereal and otherworldly like a celestial maiden, walked in.
"Luo Xiu, you're awake?"
Seeing Luo Xiu open his eyes on the bed, Lu Mengyao's face lit up with joy.
Through Lu Mengyao, Luo Xiu learned that he had been unconscious for a day.
The entry assessment had concluded, and unsurprisingly, he, Wang Can, and Xu Ping had become Outer Sect Disciples of the Free Spirit Sect.
"Luo Xiu is awake?"
Another voice came from outside the door as Lu Feichen, the Outer Sect Master, strode in.
"Father."
"Sect Master."
Luo Xiu and Lu Mengyao spoke simultaneously.
Lu Feichen nodded, producing an azure jade bottle and handing it to Luo Xiu.
"This azure jade bottle contains a Tiger Marrow Pill, a Grade-Four Pill. Consuming it will quickly reconnect your broken meridians."
"As for the cold force in your body, it was caused by Zhang Lüliang's Cold Yin Palm. Once your meridians are reconnected, I'll have someone help you expel it."
Clearly, Lu Feichen had already examined Luo Xiu's injuries and prepared a recovery plan for him.
"Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master."
Luo Xiu immediately expressed his gratitude, accepting the azure jade bottle.
For Luo Xiu, the broken meridians weren't a major issue. With his ability to repair vital meridians, he could recover from even more severe injuries.
The only troublesome part was the cold force left by the Cold Yin Palm, which was difficult for him to expel with his current cultivation.
"You don't need to thank me. You cured Mengyao's Severed Fire Yang Meridian, making you her savior. As her father, it's only right for me to offer some help."
Lu Feichen smiled, saying no more, only instructing Luo Xiu to rest and recover before leaving.
Lu Mengyao left with Lu Feichen. She was no longer just a teacher at Qingyun Martial Hall but the daughter of the Outer Sect Master of the Free Spirit Sect, a position second only to one.
Luo Xiu could tell that Lu Feichen seemed unwilling to let Lu Mengyao be alone with him, likely due to their difference in status.
Moreover, for Lu Feichen, a Grade-Four Pill capable of reconnecting meridians was invaluable, enough to repay Luo Xiu for curing the Severed Fire Yang Meridian.
Luo Xiu didn't mind this. He never expected any reward for curing Lu Mengyao's Severed Fire Yang Meridian.
He came to the Free Spirit Outer Sect to pursue his martial path and fulfill his promise to Lu Mengyao.
In the quiet room, Luo Xiu took out the Grade-Four Tiger Marrow Pill. Made from the marrow of a fourth-tier tiger demon, it contained abundant and gentle essence, capable of reconnecting meridians for martial artists below the Spirit Refining Realm and healing most injuries for Spirit Refining experts.
For a Qi Sea Martial Artist or an Innate Martial Master, such a Grade-Four Pill was a precious life-saving treasure. However, Luo Xiu had even better Grade-Five healing pills than the Tiger Marrow Pill.
Thus, for Luo Xiu, the Tiger Marrow Pill wasn't particularly valuable, and he didn't need any healing pills to restore his damaged meridians.
Three days later, Luo Xiu stepped out of his residence for the first time, with all twenty-one broken meridians fully healed.
During these three days, Lu Mengyao visited him daily, but each time she couldn't stay long before her father, the Sect Master, called her away with various excuses.
Upon hearing that Luo Xiu had recovered, Lu Mengyao immediately came over, accompanied by an Outer Sect Elder, a Martial Grandmaster in the Spirit Refining Realm.
This elder, named Zhao Qiyuan, was sent by the Sect Master to help expel the cold force from Luo Xiu's body.
With his cultivation as a Martial Grandmaster, expelling the Cold Yin Palm's force was naturally easy.
"Young man, though your talent is commendable, your cultivation time is still short. I advise you not to get too close to Mengyao," Elder Zhao Qiyuan said meaningfully before leaving.
During the healing process, to avoid disturbance, Lu Mengyao was outside and unaware of their conversation.
"Are you saying my strength is too weak, Elder?" Luo Xiu replied with a smile.
Zhao Qiyuan was momentarily stunned, frowning slightly, "You're right. If you had great strength, you could do as you please. Perhaps you believe your talent will make you strong in the future, but that's the future, not now."
With his experience, he could easily see through Luo Xiu's intentions, though he didn't speak too bluntly, hoping Luo Xiu would understand and retreat.
"The Sect Master asked me to convey a message to you."
"Please, Elder," Luo Xiu said curiously.
"If you can become the top of the Outer Sect before the age of eighteen, you might barely be qualified to match my daughter."
Zhao Qiyuan relayed Lu Feichen's words and then stood up, leaving the room.
"Become the top of the Outer Sect before eighteen?" Luo Xiu pondered the meaning behind these words.
As far as he knew, many in the Free Spirit Outer Sect had already reached the peak of the Qi Sea Realm, Ninth Layer. This meant Lu Feichen's requirement was for him to reach the Qi Sea Realm, Ninth Layer, within four years.
In the Eighteen Cities Martial Hall of Yunlong Prefecture, reaching the Qi Sea Realm before eighteen was already considered genius. Yet, Lu Feichen demanded he reach the Qi Sea Realm, Ninth Layer, before eighteen?
"Luo Xiu!"
A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts as Lu Mengyao entered, smiling, "Did Elder Zhao help you expel the cold force? What are you daydreaming about?"
Luo Xiu snapped back to reality, smiling slightly, meeting Lu Mengyao's gaze, "I was thinking about how I can be worthy of you, the daughter of the Outer Sect Master."
Though reaching the Qi Sea Realm, Ninth Layer, before eighteen seemed impossible, Luo Xiu was confident he could achieve it.
Hearing Luo Xiu's near-confession, Lu Mengyao was stunned, feeling her heart race, her cheeks flushing red.
"Luo Xiu, you... I..." For a moment, Lu Mengyao was at a loss for words.
Seeing her shy demeanor, Luo Xiu couldn't help but take her hand, "Mengyao, you said you'd wait for me at the Free Spirit Sect. Now that I'm here, I'll achieve greatness and be worthy of your status and position!"
Though they had been intimately close before, it was for curing the Severed Fire Yang Meridian. Now, with Luo Xiu holding her hand, Lu Mengyao was flustered.
Watching Lu Mengyao's blushing retreat, Luo Xiu's calm gaze turned resolute.
He understood that in this world, strength spoke the loudest. Only with great strength could one have high status and position.
Luo Xiu didn't want Lu Feichen to think he was qualified to be with Lu Mengyao. He wanted Lu Feichen to realize that Mengyao being with him was the best choice!