Chapter 923: Unlucky Chamber of Commerce

Yun Mengmeng and Bu Yaolian detonated themselves in turn, the roar of their explosions so thunderous it drowned out Lu Yang’s despairing shrieks as they blasted each other in sheer delight.

Bu Yaolian realized that learning from the Chief was far more efficient than groping blindly in the dark; just a few words from her had parted the clouds, revealing the path ahead.

Had he received the Chief's guidance earlier, he wouldn’t have resorted to a war of attrition against the second State Master of the Great Yu; he would have blown him to pieces long ago.

Yun Mengmeng was inherently playful, and since self-detonation proved so entertaining, it suited her perfectly—a true blending of education and recreation that she embraced wholeheartedly.

Boom— Boom— Boom—

As the two half-immortals gradually mastered the finer techniques of self-detonation, the continuous blasts caused the small world to tremble slightly.

This relentless bombardment lasted for a full five days.

During these five days, Lu Yang successfully used the Seven-Star Sword Formation to wear down the resistance of the Chengying Sword, imprinting his own brand upon it and becoming its rightful master.

Lu Yang cast a wooden clone, letting it hold the Chengying Sword while he held the Qingfeng Sword; together they tested the blades, their movements perfectly synchronized as he grew accustomed to the feel of his new weapon.

Compared to the Third and Fourth Chiefs who were detonating themselves fifty miles away, Lu Yang's swordplay possessed quite an aesthetic grace.

The Chengying Sword was lighter and sharper than the Mingyue Sword, and its faint spirituality proved remarkably compliant, making it a joy to wield.

"A fine sword, a truly fine sword," Lu Yang beamed with joy, for as a sword cultivator, his love for blades was profound, especially for a legendary masterpiece like the Chengying Sword.

Like the Qingfeng Sword, the Chengying Sword had been sealed layer by layer by his Eldest Senior Sister to prevent Lu Yang from growing dependent on divine weapons, making its current state perfectly suited for him.

The Third and Fourth Chiefs also returned from their training, dutifully planting trees and moving mountains to restore the small world to its original state.

Back in the secret realm, Yun Mengmeng had belonged to the mischievous faction, frequently knocking over trees by accident, which had led her to learn the Tree-Planting Incantation.

Bu Yaolian, possessing the memories of all members of the Immortal Sect, naturally knew the incantation as well.

The two required no instruction from the Immortal Fairy, saving everyone a great deal of trouble.

Restoring the small world took the better part of a day; with their cultivation, a superficial cleanup would have been swift, but under the intimidating gaze of the Second Chief, they were forced to meticulous precision.

Seeing the small world restored to its pristine state, Lu Yang finally let the two off the hook with satisfaction.

"We will stop training here for now. You are still in the introductory stage and cannot detonate at will; there is still a small interval between blasts. An experienced opponent will exploit that flaw."

"However, exploding constantly is no solution either. Rest once you go outside, and practice your self-detonations slowly when you have time," the Immortal Fairy advised, knowing cultivation required balance, lest they blow themselves simple-minded.

"Yes."

After leaving the small world of the Qingfeng Sword, Bu Yaolian remained at the barbecue shop, while Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng departed.

It was dusk, the liveliest hour for the commercial street, and Yun Mengmeng’s eyes shone with delight as she caught the drifting aromas of food.

Since Yun Mengmeng lacked contribution points, Lu Yang had no choice but to accompany her and buy her treats, just as he had done back in Shuzhou.

As Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng walked down the street, they drew countless glances—mostly because no one had ever seen Yun Mengmeng before, and the sudden appearance of a beautiful stranger naturally attracted attention.

"Old Lu, so you're here..." Meng Jingzhou walked toward them, but just as he was about to greet Lu Yang, he saw a peerless beauty walking beside his friend, laughing and talking in an aura of sheer bliss.

Hold on, why is it that I am dragged into training by my ancestor every single day, while you get to stroll around with beautiful women all the time?

"Oh, Old Meng, you're back. Does this mean you've reached the Soul Formation stage too?" Lu Yang noticed Meng Jingzhou and waved casually.

Meng Jingzhou smiled proudly, "Reaching Soul Formation is a breeze. And who might this be?"

"Yun Mengmeng, Eldest Senior Sister's good sister."

Meng Jingzhou froze for a moment. Yun Mengmeng? So, Eldest Senior Sister, you’ve been using your friend's name whenever you go out?

"Senior Brother, who is this?"

"Meng Jingzhou, my Junior Brother."

Meng Jingzhou froze again. What did Yun Mengmeng just call him? Senior Brother? What exactly was the relationship between them?

Or was this Yun Mengmeng actually under twenty years old?

Meng Jingzhou felt as though he had only been gone a year, yet the world had completely rewritten itself in his absence.

The three of them found a place to sit at the Food Stall Association and ordered a few signature dishes, with Meng Jingzhou picking up the tab.

"I heard the Sword Pavilion collapsed. That has something to do with you, right?" Meng Jingzhou asked once they were settled.

"Don't talk nonsense. I went to the Sword Pavilion to participate in the Sword Inquiry Ceremony. The collapse was caused by fighting immortals, what does it have to do with me?" Lu Yang felt his conscience was perfectly clear.

Meng Jingzhou sneered, refusing to believe Lu Yang's words; rumors outside claimed a battle of dual immortals had erupted at the Sword Pavilion while Lu Yang placed first in the inquiry, and though the two events seemed unrelated, Meng Jingzhou knew with absolute certainty that Lu Yang was at the center of it.

Meng Jingzhou chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude, "You have no idea how miserable the Luodi Money Chamber is right now."

"The Chamber?" Lu Yang was puzzled. What did this have to do with the merchant chamber?

"You don't know, do you? Pavilion Master Guan had bought insurance for the Sword Pavilion from the chamber—full coverage."

"Now that the Sword Pavilion has collapsed, the chamber has no choice but to pay out, and the compensation is devastating. I heard the Shuzhou branch president can't eat or sleep, and has lost a significant amount of weight."

"According to the regulations, since the collapse was due to human factors, the chamber will seek compensation from the perpetrator after paying out. I'd love to see if they actually dare to go look for them."

The merchant chamber would have to be tired of living to go look for Hui Doudou.

"By the way, was the one who fought at the Sword Pavilion this Yun Mengmeng... Senior Sister?" Meng Jingzhou was somewhat uncertain how to address her.

"It was her."

Meng Jingzhou realized, "So she was the one who called herself Yun Zhi and fought Liu Ningxuan?"

"No wonder the outside world is whispering that Eldest Senior Sister is a Tribulation Transmutation expert, with some even guessing she's a half-immortal."

The battle at the Sword Pavilion had revealed a great deal of information, and by the time the various rumors reached Meng Jingzhou, they had warped considerably; clearly, only asking the instigator directly could clarify what had truly occurred.

When Lu Yang asked how Meng Jingzhou had been trained by Meng Junzi, a look of terror flashed in Meng Jingzhou’s eyes, evidently unwilling to recall that miserable past.

After chatting with Meng Jingzhou for a while, Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng returned to Tianmen Peak.

"You're back?" Yun Zhi sat upon the imperial throne, looking as though she had been waiting for them.

"Eldest Senior Sister... were you waiting for us?" Lu Yang asked hesitantly.

Yun Zhi did not answer directly, but brought up another matter instead, "Guan Shanhai has confessed how Wu Yao sealed the sun, and has also informed me of the method to break the seal."

"I intend to undo one of the seals. Do you wish to come and watch?"

After more than a year of interrogation, Guan Shanhai had finally broken down, disclosing some vital intelligence.

He felt that if he didn't reveal some key information soon, Yun Zhi would simply resort to soul-searching him directly.

Lu Yang's eyes lit up at the words; this was a spectacular sight one wouldn't encounter in hundreds of thousands of years, so of course he had to see it.

"I want to go!"

"I will do as Senior Brother does," Yun Mengmeng added.