Chapter 824, Who’s for It and Who’s Against It?
Chapter 824, Who’s for It and Who’s Against It?
Translator: Jon
Translation Checker: Silavin
Purple Star Palace was the only place where they could seek help from. If even those people couldn’t make up their minds, the crisis in the Peerless Continent could never be resolved.
It wasn’t like the nine of them could slowly destroy the Corpse Race, for that would take them ages.
Lu Ye returned to the Spirit Peak where the people from Purple Star Palace had arranged for him. Upon his arrival, he felt an anomaly.
Anyway, he had already expected it. When he landed on the ground, he saw Lu Qing at the head while Lan Zi Yi, Feng Rulie, and Ying Wuji stood beside him. They were waiting for Lu Ye’s return.
On the other hand, there were Mu Qingyun and Hua Ci. Both sides were clearly divided.
“What’s the matter?” Lu Ye swept a glance over the four of them from Thousand Demon Ridge.
Lu Qing stepped forward and said, “Lu Yi Ye, things have come to a point where you’re supposed to make everything clear to us.”
Lu Ye glanced at Ying Wuji and replied impassively, “Don’t you already know everything?”
He never intended to hide the fact that he had the sealed Divine Opportunity Columns. If that were his intention, he wouldn’t have taken Ying Wuji with him and even asked him to do such a task.
It was just that he had never bothered to explain anything to them. Since Mu Qingyun had asked him about it while on their way back, he told him everything without any reservation.
Ying Wuji had tagged along this time, so it was expected that Lu Qing and Feng Rulie would ask him about it upon his return. He was from Thousand Demon Ridge, so he wasn’t supposed to hide anything from them.
As such, Lu Ye had already expected this to happen. Faced with his stare, Ying Wuji flinched.
Lu Qing shook his head. “Although we know some things, we’re still bewildered. Lu Yi Ye, since the Heavens have sent the nine of us here, irrespective of the reason, we’re supposed to set aside our differences. There are no Grand Sky Coalition and Thousand Demon Ridge in this world. All of us are cultivators from Jiu Zhou!”
Feng Rulie nodded repeatedly. “That’s right.”
Lu Qing went on to say, “You’re the most powerful among us, so you call yourself the ‘Eldest Senior Brother’, and we’re fine with that. In that case, you’re supposed to take good care of the rest of us. However, as the Eldest Senior Brother, you haven’t been generous with the sharing of information.”
Until now, they only knew that they were in the Peerless Continent to deal with the Corpse Race. As for how to destroy them, they had no idea.
After they probed Ying Wuji about what he had done with Lu Ye, they knew that Lu Ye must be trying to carry out a plan.
The people at the scene were the most brilliant disciples in their respective Sects. In Jiu Zhou, they were among the strongest Cloud River Realm Masters. Usually, they were the ones who could call the shots in front of their Junior Brothers and Sisters. But in this place, they knew nothing about what they should do to move forward, and that was a terrible feeling.
Therefore, before Lu Ye’s return, they had decided that they would glean some information from him.
They didn’t flare up. Instead, they were trying to reason with him. The main reason was that Lu Ye was too powerful, so it wouldn’t bring them any benefits by falling out with him.
“I was about to tell you about it. There isn’t a need to confront me like this,” Lu Ye replied impassively.
It was the final step of the plan. Regardless of the decision Pang Huanyin would make, they had to storm into the Muddy Sky Temple. In that case, all nine of them were indispensable. If Lu Ye hid anything from these core disciples from various Sects, they would be disunited. As such, he had to make things clear to them.
Lu Qing sported a milder expression and said with a smile, “That’s for the best. We’re sorry for being rude.”
Lu Ye then narrated to them what he had told Mu Qingyun while on their way back. They all listened attentively without interrupting him.
“That’s all I know. There’s nothing more I can tell you. We have to get inside the Muddy Sky Temple, and we must plant the last Divine Opportunity Column. Who’s for it and who’s against it?”
Lu Ye wrapped his hand around the hilt and swept a glance over them. No one spoke a word.
“I suppose no one is against the plan, then.”
Lu Qing said, “There’s something I need to say.”
Lu Ye shifted his attention to him.
Lu Qing continued, “You’ve deduced that four Divine Opportunity Columns are supposed to be planted in the four Hidden Realms. I agree with that. Now that three Divine Opportunity Columns have been planted, only the Muddy Sky Temple is left.”
Deep within, he was bitter. He had asked Lu Ye before if the latter had received any instructions from the Heavens, and Lu Ye had told him there were none.
Now, it seemed that he not only had received instructions that weren’t given to the others, but he had even acquired four Divine Opportunity Columns before their departure. They were oblivious to all of that. Lu Qing couldn’t help but think that the Heavens were biased.
“That’s right.”
“You’ve barged into the Muddy Sky Temple before. Do you think we’ll be able to achieve our goal, considering our powers?”
“No.”
Upon hearing that, Lu Qing said, “So, we definitely have to make use of Purple Star Palace’s power. Were you talking to Pang Huanyin about it?”
Lu Ye’s silence showed that it was indeed the case.
“What’s their stance? Has Pang Huanyin given you any response?”
“It’s an important matter, so she needs one night to think it over. She’ll tell me her decision tomorrow,” Lu Ye replied.
“I’ll be wonderful if they agree to it, and both parties can join forces. But what if they object to it?” Lu Qing furrowed his brows. “Things have come to such a point where we can’t pin our hopes on some other people.”
“Do you have a solution?”
Lu Qing shook his head. “What solution do I have? Perhaps you can have a ‘talk’ with Palace Master Pang by then.”
He stressed the word ‘talk’ with a grim voice, so the underlying meaning behind his words was clear.
Lu Ye shot him a glance and walked towards his bedroom before saying gently, “Don’t worry. She’ll agree to it.”
Although Pang Huanyin was a woman, she wasn’t frail or indecisive. Since she could manage the entire Purple Star Palace, it showed she was a resolute person. Even though Lu Ye hadn’t frequently come into contact with her, he could feel that the woman was in favour of working with them. Nevertheless, since she was a Palace Master, there were many things she had to consider.
Meanwhile, in the Palace Master’s bedroom on another Spirit Peak, Pang Huanyin stood there with her hands behind her back. Elder Xiao remained silent beside her, but his expression showed that he was agitated. What he had heard from Pang Huanyin earlier was inconceivable to him.
“Jiu Zhou… Is there really another world other than ours?”
“If they were not from another world, they wouldn’t have remained unknown for such a long time, and they certainly wouldn’t have appeared in a group out of nowhere. The other two Hidden Realms can’t nurture such cultivators, not to mention the bases.”
“Do you believe Little Friend Lu, Palace Master?” Elder Xiao asked.
“It’s unbelievable to me as well, but I have no choice but to believe him. You’ve seen how he managed to destroy Liu Zhenguan with only one move. He’s only an Eighth-Order Cloud River Realm Master, but his power is unimaginable. There’s no way such a person was born in the Peerless Continent. Moreover, those people have their own fortes. Although they don’t look so different from the cultivators in the Peerless Continent, they’re unique in many ways.”
“Palace Master, what’s your decision, then?”
“I don’t know.” Pang Huanyin put on a helpless smile.
Just like what Lu Ye had thought, she wasn’t an indecisive person. Usually, she was resolute and shrewd. However, the decision she was about to make was important as it would affect the survival of the entire Purple Star Palace. Therefore, she had to be cautious.
Elder Xiao let out a sigh. He had been Pang Huanyin’s protector since she was a young kid, so he understood what was on her mind.
“In the past 1,000 years, we’ve inherited the ancestors’ will to destroy the Corpse Race over the generations. However, up until now, nothing seems to have changed,” Elder Xiao muttered. “If this goes on, nothing will change in the next 1,000 years. Things might even get worse.”
Pang Huanyin’s eyes brightened. “Elder Xiao, do you mean we should seek change?”
“If things are just like what Little Friend Lu has said, they’re the variable for this world. The chance wasn’t available to us in the past. Since we have it now, why don’t we give it a try?”
“But…”
“Palace Master, none of our disciples are afraid of death. What matters is whether their death is worth it. Over the years, many of our disciples have lost their lives in the hands of the Corpse Race. As the Palace Master, you’re supposed to be concerned about their safety, but even if you let them make their own choices, I believe they won’t disappoint you. You’ve always been intelligent, so why don’t you understand it?”
Elder Xiao ran his fingers through his beard and went on to say, “In the worst-case scenario, even if Purple Star Palace is destroyed in the end, it doesn’t matter. At the very least, our sacrifices are worth it. But what if we succeed?”
“If we succeed…” Pang Huanyin fell into a reverie as her eyes were alight.
“I’m old, so I don’t have many years left to live. There’s nothing much in the world that I’d like to pursue, but before my death, I’d want to see if we can fulfil the wish of our ancestors. Those people are guests from Jiu Zhou. As outsiders, they have the courage and tenacity. On the other hand, we were born and bred in the Peerless Continent, so how can we be any less courageous? When the outsiders are risking their lives, we can’t possibly stay idly on the sidelines. Others will look down on us!”
Pang Huanyin let out a breath and turned around before saluting the elderly man. “Thanks for your guidance, Elder Xiao.”
When she straightened up, she appeared determined. It was apparent that she had made up her mind.
Elder Xiao ran his fingers through his beard and smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
At dawn, Pang Huanyin directly landed in the courtyard on a Spirit Peak without concealing her presence. The doors to the rooms were opened as the people from Jiu Zhou emerged. As their eyes met, Lu Ye slightly dipped his head.
Pang Huanyin saluted every one of them before saying solemnly, “I, Pang Huanyin, would like to ask all of you to help Purple Star Palace destroy the Corpse Race together!”
Lu Ye replied, “Don’t worry, Palace Master Pang. That’s the only goal of our trip here.”
Pang Huanyin flashed a smile at him. “We’ll need to sit down and have a talk, then.”
“Let’s discuss the matter here.” Lu Ye took a step forward and ordered, “Seventh Junior Brother, get us some chairs.”
Ying Wuji almost cursed at him for asking him to do such a thing. It was indeed an outrageous request.
He thought that they’d better settle the crisis in this world and return to Jiu Zhou as soon as they could. He was fed up with being Lu Ye’s Seventh Junior Brother.