Chapter 837: Lotus Pavilion

: xshuquge

Once more, the Immortal Fairy summoned the Invincible Nascent Soul into the mental realm.

Defeated by the Immortal Fairy, the Invincible Nascent Soul would no longer strike the moment it laid eyes on Lu Yang, appearing visibly more subdued.

"Little Ying, you are to listen to Little Yang for the time being; whatever he bids you do, you shall do."

"Little Yang, you must train more with the Invincible Nascent Soul; after all, this concerns your ascension to the Soul Formation Stage."

"It is best not to command the Invincible Nascent Soul to throw the match. In the path of cultivation, it is wiser not to take shortcuts; a grounded foundation is preferred, lest hidden perils manifest later when you attain higher realms."

For a grand founding emperor to concern herself with the cultivation of a subordinate spoke volumes of the position that subordinate held in the sovereign's heart.

Lu Yang nodded, signaling his understanding.

Seeing Lu Yang so compliant, the Immortal Fairy felt a swell of satisfaction, as though she were a master molding a fine pupil.

Having settled matters on Lu Yang’s end, the Immortal Fairy prepared to experience life within the Imperial Capital.

Meng Jingzhou was the first to arrive at Lu Yang’s quarters. He regarded Lu Yang with a peculiar gaze, hesitating briefly before calling out tentatively, "Immortal Senior?"

The Immortal Fairy gasped in surprise. "How on earth did you tell?"

Her disguise was nigh flawless; how had this lad from the Meng Clan seen through it?

Promptly, she whispered a stern reminder: "Keep your voice down. This immortal is currently the Acting Sect Master, and utilizing the authority vested in that position, I have temporarily possessed Lu Yang to come out and amuse myself."

Meng Jingzhou felt a wave of profound satisfaction. *Lu Yang, you rascal, when you wielded power as Acting Sect Master, you were quite the force to be reckoned with; did you ever foresee such a day?*

"This junior understands and shall remain silent."

"Brother Lu Yang, are you alright?" Meng Jingyu rushed over in a flurry, clutching Lu Yang’s sleeve in deep concern.

"Brother Lu Yang, the way you battled in all directions just now was so magnificent."

"Who would have thought you little girl actually possess quite an eye for talent," the Immortal Fairy remarked, utterly delighted to hear Meng Jingyu praise her magnificence.

"Should you encounter any trouble in the future, this... I shall protect you!" The Immortal Fairy had originally intended to style herself "This Immortal," but on second thought, she realized she was currently presenting as Lu Yang and needed to exercise caution to avoid exposing her identity.

If Girl Yun were to learn that she had compromised her cover, a relentless nagging would surely follow.

Having endured several rounds of combat, the ancient trees of the Luotian Forest stood skewed and broken, and the earth resembled a terrain overturned by an earth dragon, filthy and chaotic. Upon returning to the Meng Estate, Meng Jingzhou requested an elder of the clan to take action, restoring the Luotian Forest to its original splendor.

"Father, as for that Lu Yang, I truly could not best him," a noble heir confessed to his sire upon returning home to report the outcome of the battle.

"And it wasn't as though I fought alone; dozens of us besieged him, yet none could overcome him. His Nascent Soul is absurdly powerful—even a uniquely gifted Soul Formation cultivator could not sever such sword qi!"

"I know not whether Lu Yang can split his mind to dual purposes or if his Nascent Soul possesses some distinct attribute, but it behaves exactly like a second Lu Yang. Moreover, its fighting methods are exceedingly wicked, constantly launching sneak attacks."

"To think such a Nascent Soul exists?"

"Indeed, I have never even heard of a Nascent Soul like Lu Yang's; it is likely one of his own creation."

Hearing this, the noble heir's father stroked his beard in deep contemplation. "The youngest disciple of that old rogue Buyu truly possesses remarkable skill; to think even his Nascent Soul is self-created."

Though he had failed to defeat Lu Yang, the heir felt that fighting Meng Jingzhou in the Luotian Forest had still yielded considerable harvest.

However, this sense of fulfilling harvest was something the older generation could not truly appreciate, so there was no need to voice it aloud.

"What nonsense is this? Lu Yang thrashed your entire crowd?" The Minister of Works was greatly shocked upon hearing the news. His own son was renowned for his martial prowess; even if he wasn't invincible among his peers, he should have been close. How could the gap be so vast?

Disappointed by his son's failure to live up to expectations, the Minister of Works poked Sun Chuanxian’s forehead. "Look at you, always boasting about how strong you are on ordinary days. Why do you fall short at the critical moment?"

Sun Chuanxian wore a bitter expression. "Father, you have no inkling of how powerful Lu Yang is. His swordplay is peerless, his fist techniques are even mightier than his swordplay, he is proficient in all manner of spells, and his Nascent Soul is exceptionally potent. I am inferior to him in every single aspect."

"Father, why don't you suppress your cultivation realm and wage a battle against him?"

The Minister of Works rolled his eyes. He was no fool; hearing of Lu Yang’s combat record, he knew he would be no match. It would only make sense if he fought without suppressing his realm.

Following the battle of Luotian Forest, the world once more felt the might of Lu Yang. This was the talent destined for immortality; he would surely claim a seat in the future struggle for supreme dominance.

Naturally, Lu Yang himself was entirely oblivious to this, as he was currently being pummeled by the Invincible Nascent Soul and had no leisure to care how the outside world evaluated him.

"Huff... huff..." Lu Yang panted heavily, watching the Invincible Nascent Soul with vigilant eyes.

He could now be considered to have indirect control over the Invincible Nascent Soul; otherwise, his beating would have been far more severe.

"As expected of my theoretically strongest state; it truly is not easy to match."

The Invincible Nascent Soul represented Lu Yang's peak form during the Nascent Soul Stage. If Lu Yang wished to conquer it, he could only hone his own techniques to their absolute zenith.

By exchanging blows with the Invincible Nascent Soul, Lu Yang experienced an immense elevation in his capabilities.

In reality, though the Immortal Fairy had temporarily claimed Lu Yang’s body, she did not spend all her time in mere amusement; during her leisure hours, she would also assist Lu Yang in his cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival arrived.

Meng Jingyu excitedly clamored to go out and play, insistently pulling Meng Jingzhou and the Immortal Fairy along.

"Brother Lu Yang, let us go out and enjoy the festivities."

"Let's move." The moment the Immortal Fairy heard of an opportunity to play, she instantly leapt from the bed, halting her cultivation.

The Lantern Festival in the Imperial Capital was exceptionally lively. Every household was adorned with lanterns and colored banners, and the pedestrians on the streets were all radiant with joy, bringing comfort to any onlooker.

"What place is that?" the Immortal Fairy suddenly asked, pointing toward a tavern illuminated by red lanterns, sensing a heavy aura of the mortal world gathering there.

Meng Jingyu shook her head, ignorant of what place it was, having never frequented such establishments.

Meng Jingzhou explained with a peculiar expression, "That is the Lotus Pavilion, a stronghold established in the Imperial Capital by the Charm Sect."

The Immortal Fairy held some memory of the Charm Sect; she had even met the Supreme Elder of the Charm Sect, Venerable Qianjiao, though she knew not whether that woman had returned to her sect or was continuing to play the pig to eat the tiger.

"And what exactly does this Lotus Pavilion do?" the Immortal Fairy pressed further.

"The Lotus Pavilion is distinct from ordinary brothels. Those within are all disciples of the Charm Sect who sell their arts rather than their bodies. The disciples of the Charm Sect are thoroughly versed in the qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song. Is Brother Lu interested in entering for a look?"

The speaker was not Meng Jingzhou, but someone else entirely.

Meng Jingzhou turned his head to find Zhong Yi standing beside them, gently swaying a paper fan, looking thoroughly elegant and poised.

Meng Jingzhou’s expression turned unfriendly. "If I remember correctly, those who frequent the Lotus Pavilion are all Confucian cultivators, are they not?"

Without a modicum of ink and poetry in one's soul, entering the Lotus Pavilion would easily result in making a fool of oneself.

Zhong Yi laughed softly, casting a slightly provocative glance at Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang.

"What? Daoist Buyu is thoroughly versed in poetry and prose; as his disciple, have you learned nothing at all?"

"That sounds rather entertaining," the Immortal Fairy remarked, her interest piqued, for this was a establishment that did not exist during the ancient era. "Little Sister Yu, shall we go inside and take a look?"

Meng Jingyu rarely had the opportunity to visit such places normally, and her interest was thoroughly aroused.

"I want to go."

"Then let us depart." The Immortal Fairy enthusiastically took Meng Jingyu’s small hand, causing the young girl’s face to flush crimson.

The Immortal Fairy, however, thought nothing amiss; she used to pull Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi along in exactly this manner.

The smile froze on Zhong Yi's face. How had he been completely ignored?

"To think he entirely disregarded my provocation; what a formidable depth of scheming."

(End of Chapter)