Chapter 773: Underground

Chapter 773: Underground

"You and I are fated to meet," said the man before him, yet Lü Xiucai still could not fathom what these people truly intended.

Yet he recognized the *Great Thousand Records* in their hands, and from that, he had already guessed most of their identities. After all, Lü Xiucai was no longer the reckless youth he once was. "You... are you followers of the Aojing Sect?"

"Pleasure to meet you, elder. I am Zu Yi," replied the man as he introduced himself. Lü Xiucai frowned slightly, raised his hand in a bow, and then lowered it again.

"I am Lü Xiucai. What business do you have with me, elders? And what do you mean by 'fated to meet'?"

Zu Yi smiled faintly, seated himself across from Lü Xiucai, and looked at his missing limbs with a slight nod. "The *Great Thousand Records* is not meant to be used like this. But you have great talent. Has anyone ever taught you?"

"My master."

"From what I see, your master is not an Aojing disciple, is he?"

Lü Xiucai kept silent, revealing nothing. He still couldn’t quite grasp what these people were up to.

"You’ve used the *Great Thousand Records*, and yet you haven’t stopped using it—this shows your spiritual root is strong. Today, I’m here to bring you into our sect. That’s what I meant by ‘fated to meet’."

To offer such a gift so directly made Lü Xiucai feel something was off. "I deeply appreciate your kindness, but I must decline—I am now a disciple of the White Lotus Sect."

"So what if you are? You may continue to worship your White Lotus. The gods of the cult do not rely on mortal offerings; suffering is the only path to them."

Seeing Lü Xiucai remain silent, Zu Yi decided to offer something tangible.

"What? Even now, with your condition, you fear others might take advantage of you? Do you know why, despite both of us using the *Great Thousand Records*, I still have my limbs intact while you’ve lost one arm?"

"Do you remember what I said earlier? The *Great Thousand Records* isn’t meant to be used like this. Of course, within our sect there are ways to restore the body. Have you ever seen Aojing disciples with missing limbs?"

Those words made Lü Xiucai’s eyes widen. He vaguely recalled how his master, no matter how many wounds he suffered, would always recover swiftly. Now, it seemed this was indeed a power of the Aojing Sect.

"Then, elder, might you enlighten me?"

If he could heal his injuries as quickly as his master, his strength would rise dramatically—and he’d be far more effective in slaying the cultists.

Hearing the emotion in Zu Yi’s voice, the elder chuckled softly. "You need to ascend. The *Great Thousand Records* is a divine art. If you don’t ascend, remaining bound by mortal nature, the spells within will deplete with each use."

"Ascend? Are you referring to the Cangqiang Ascension in the *Great Thousand Records*?" Lü Xiucai’s expression turned serious. He had read about it, of course, but the conditions were extremely harsh.

"Not just that. The Cangqiang Ascension does work—but you may not be able to perform it. Ascension comes in different forms. Though the *Great Thousand Records* is the most widely used, our sect has more than just that." Zu Yi shook his head.

"Oh? Then, elder, what else do you have?" Lü Xiucai’s attention was instantly drawn. He knew little about this.

All he knew was that the Aojing Sect was unlike other sects—it required neither insight nor literacy. For his own goals, that was the greatest help.

But just when he thought they'd go further, the man stopped speaking. "Once you join the Aojing Sect, we’ll be fellow disciples. It won’t be difficult for me to give you guidance. Naturally, I’ll tell you everything."

Hearing this, Lü Xiucai frowned and pondered. But when he looked down at his current state, he immediately decided to join.

He was already in such a state—what could anyone possibly gain from him? As long as he could kill more cultists, he’d do anything. “Fine! I join the Aojing Sect!”

"It's not convenient to talk here. Let’s go to the Crossroads Temple in the east of the city."

Lü Xiucai reached for his halberd with one hand and tried to stand up, but Zu Yi stopped him. "Since you’ve decided to join the Aojing Sect, you can’t leave like this. You’ve used the *Great Thousand Records*. Surely you know how we Aojing Sect members act?"

"Elder, I’ve lost both legs. How else should I walk?"

A sharp wooden stake was thrust into his wound, piercing through his severed leg.

After inserting it into his left leg, it was done to his right.

Soon, Lü Xiucai, now without legs, stood up supported by two wooden stakes. His whole body trembled in pain, his face pale.

As he felt their scrutinizing gaze, Lü Xiucai gritted his teeth. "You... you go ahead! I’ll follow shortly!" With his right foot, he pushed forward, driving the stake deeper into his body. Blood slowly trickled down the bark.

The pain didn’t deter him—he saw it instead as a test.

"Very well, we’ll wait for you inside the temple," Zu Yi said without hesitation, leading the others out behind the screen, leaving the Bureau of Heavenly Observance.

At that moment, someone behind Zu Yi spoke, "Elder, though this man is Li Huo Wang’s disciple, he may not care much for him."

Zu Yi glanced coldly at him. "Do your job. The Great Elders’ intentions are none of your concern."

The man immediately lowered his head, saying nothing more.

Meanwhile, five zhang below, beneath them, Li Huo Wang was walking along a narrow corridor, heading deeper into the core of the Bureau of Heavenly Observance.

Though the area was empty, Li Huo Wang could sense many eyes watching him. This place was the heart of the Bureau, and though the defenses were unseen, they were certainly there.

When he reached a bamboo door, it creaked open, revealing a vast underground hall lit by torches on all sides.

In the center of the hall stood the person he sought—the temporary leader of the sect, who had taken over the duties of the Xuanpin.

Four long bamboo poles wrapped in red cloth were carried by men and crossed to form a large cross, three zhang wide.

The leader was dancing or kneeling on the poles, following the rhythm of the music in a kind of Nuo opera.

Li Huo Wang had watched many performances with the Lü family troupe, but this scene defied categorization.

The leader, half-covered by a massive wooden mask, twisted his body, bouncing rhythmically on the flexible bamboo poles, performing movements impossible for ordinary people.

Sometimes his arms folded behind his back, sometimes his right foot hooked around the pole, his neck twisting three times as he pressed against the ground.

Suddenly, the gongs and drums grew louder. Two figures—one black, one white—leaped onto the poles.

Li Huo Wang stared closely and was stunned to find that he had seen these creatures before—they were the lions from the Dance Lion Palace!

(End of Chapter)