Chapter Bonanza (5/10)

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In response to Zhanyu’s concerns, Qin Zhou remained unflappable as he reassured him, “Lu Yi is at least at the Great Perfection Realm; cultivators at the Union Realm pose no threat to him.”

No threat?

“Under normal circumstances, no one could lay a finger on my uncle.” Zhanyu cleared his throat and continued, “You haven’t been back long, have you? I’m afraid you might not know that my uncle is imprisoned in the Immortal Restraint Prison.”

“My uncle used the Galaxy to shatter a corner of the heavens. The Heavenly Dao was enraged and imprisoned him in the Immortal Restraint Prison. To this day, it has been several decades, perhaps even a century.”

“The Sect Master of the Guiyuan Sect, who died in the secret realm, dared to rush there without forming an alliance with the Cangyun Sword Sect. It was likely because my uncle was trapped in prison and couldn’t break free. With only his spiritual body, even a demon lord reputed to be number one on the Heaven-Reaching Rankings couldn’t fight off four opponents with just two fists.”

Qin Zhou:?

The Immortal Restraint Prison, imprisoned.

Qin Zhou’s expression darkened. “Wasn’t he released?”

While in the secret realm, Qin Zhou had indeed heard Lu Yi mention something about being imprisoned in the Immortal Restraint Prison during his standoff with the Alliance of the Righteous. He had also heard rumors about Lu Yi smashing the sky with the Galaxy.

But back in the secret realm, Lu Yi had already been in his true form. So he hadn’t given it much thought.

“Released?” Zhanyu also looked surprised. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

Indeed, no one had ever mentioned that Wen Jue had been released.

Qin Zhou suddenly recalled that Zhanyu had said Lu Yi had been imprisoned by the Heavenly Dao. And the opening of the Secret Realm was for him to fulfill his deal with the Heavenly Dao—to replenish the spiritual energy within the barrier stones.

So, had he been temporarily released while in the Secret Realm?

After a moment’s thought, Qin Zhou asked, “Where is the Immortal Restraint Prison?”

“East of Immortal-Demon City, on the highest peak of Immortal-Binding Mountain.”

“I see.”

“If you need help,” Zhanyu said, his eyes darkening, “the thousand city guards of Immortal-Demon City are at your disposal.”

“Mm.” Qin Zhou agreed casually.

Yin Lifeng, who had been listening quietly the whole time, shrank his neck slightly, trying to make himself even less noticeable.

No one had told him that his Junior Master’s eldest uncle was that demonic fiend in the Immortal Restraint Prison!

If Qin Zhou truly wanted to save Wen Jue, he wouldn’t need anyone’s help.

If the Galaxy could shatter the heavens, it certainly wouldn’t be unable to break open that prison.

After leaving the Immortal-Demon City, he opened the villager roster.

Sure enough, Lu Yi’s “Summon” button was grayed out.

So the reason he hadn’t been able to summon him before was that Lu Yi was locked up in the Immortal Restraint Prison. And during their time in the secret realm, Lu Yi had been released from prison to fulfill his deal with the Heavenly Dao.

He’d been locked up for tens, even hundreds of years.

After figuring all this out, Qin Zhou wasn’t in the best of moods.

It seemed that several villagers were tacitly keeping many things from him.

They might each have their own reasons, and Qin Zhou didn’t press the matter. But when he thought of how Lu Yi had been by his side for so long since his return, yet was the one who had kept the most secrets from him, his mood couldn’t be described as good.

It wasn’t exactly storm clouds gathering, but a dark shadow certainly hung over him.

Over thirty villagers had died, and he’d been secretly nurturing their souls—yet he wouldn’t say a word.

He’d been locked away by the Heavenly Dao in that place called the Immortal Restraint Prison for decades, perhaps even a century, suffering injustices—yet he wouldn’t say a word.

If only his summons hadn’t failed, otherwise…

He would have truly taught that disobedient person a lesson today.

“It’s just a hole in the sky—I’ll patch it up. Locking someone away for so long… the Heavenly Dao is truly unreasonable.” Qin Zhou’s eyes grew dark as he muttered under his breath, clearly displeased.

“Master, let’s smash it! Let’s rescue Lu Yi!” Galaxy’s voice echoed in his mind, brimming with excitement.

It sensed the malevolence bubbling up from its master’s heart! It was practically spewing out in bursts!

“Mm.”

For the first time, Qin Zhou didn’t say, “No need to rush,” and for the first time, he didn’t devise any elaborate plan.

Qin Zhou pulled out the Whirlwind Whistle and blew it without a word.

No detailed plan was needed; the matter, after all, was quite simple.

First, smash open the prison and rescue the person.

Second, if the opportunity arose, he’d very much like to ask the Heavenly Dao what exactly constitutes “heavenly justice.” On the one hand, it burdens his ward with karmic debts, forcing him to slaughter cultivators to lighten the world’s burden; on the other, it demands the Heavenly Authority’s face—yet for merely shattering a corner of the heavens, it locks people away for hundreds of years.

This attitude of wanting both things at once is truly unpleasant.

Finally, of course, he’d have to teach a certain someone a lesson.

He certainly never taught him to stay silent when bullied.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

A fleeting afterimage of Tunfeng swept past the Immortal-Demon City

Zhanyu stood on the city wall, watching, a faint smile rippling in his eyes. Just as he’d expected, Grandpa Village Chief couldn’t let go of Uncle.

That tendency to be overly protective—he’d learned it from his eldest uncle. And his eldest uncle, naturally, had learned it from the village elder.

Zhanyu raised his right hand slightly.

A messenger bird silently landed, its claws gently hooking his index finger.

“Deliver this letter to the Immortal Restraint Prison.”

That bunch of grasshoppers from the Guiyuan Sect—always jumping around… time and again, trying to kill his eldest uncle. It’s truly annoying. Thankfully, after this, he won’t have to see them again.

The messenger snatched up the letter, flapped its wings, and flew off into the distance.

Zhanyu clasped his hands behind his back, a hint of brightness appearing on his pale face.

With Grandfather, the Village Chief, personally going to rescue his eldest uncle, his uncle must be very happy.

Next…

Zhanyu turned around. Yin Lifeng was standing behind him. Zhanyu cleared his throat. “Why are you still here?”

Yin Lifeng: “…Where else would I go?”

Lu Zhanyu: “Lifeng.”

Yin Lifeng flinched. “Junior… Junior Master Uncle?”

“What do you think about me being the Demon Lord’s nephew?”

“I won’t say a word!” Yin Lifeng waved his hands and took a step back. He knew his Junior Master Uncle’s methods all too well. Though he looked frail and weak, his mind was full of cunning schemes. Anyone who thought of his Junior Master Uncle as a pushover was asking for trouble.

Yin Lifeng was now deeply regretting it—why had he overheard so many secrets?

“It’s fine if you tell me,” Lu Zhanyu shook his head. “The Young City Lord of Immortal-Demon City belongs to the pro-demon faction—it’s no big deal.”

“If this news leaks out, it’s your Haoqi Sect and Cangyun Sword Sect that should be worried.”

Huh?

Yin Lifeng paused, raising his hand to stop his junior master from speaking. “Let me sort this out.”

Junior Uncle Zhanyu’s third uncle is his Great-Grandmaster, so Junior Uncle Zhanyu’s eldest uncle must be his Great-Great-Uncle?

The Demon Lord is his Great-Great-Uncle!

So what does the Cangyun Sword Sect have to do with this?

Oh, the Cangyun Sword Immortal is also his Great-Grandmaster’s fellow disciple, so…

“Stop sorting it out.” Lu Zhanyu waved his hand.

All these famous figures in the cultivation world come from the same lineage.

Whether it’s the righteous path or the Demon Sect.

Nine times out of ten, there’s a Lu in the family name.

If you trace it back, you’ll find that everyone comes from the same village.

Yin Lifeng didn’t feel afraid; on the contrary, he was full of energy, his face flushed with excitement. “I knew it! I knew the Great-Great-Grandmaster was that person!”

That’s right, there’s no mistake!

The Great-Great-Grandmaster is the Lord of All Heavens!

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Qin Zhou had barely left when Lu San finally arrived at Yuanqing Mountain.

Yuanqing Mountain was even more bustling than when Qin Zhou had arrived.

The commotion caused by the secret realm had not yet subsided, and a long line still stretched at the foot of the mountain. The appearance of a seventh-tier spirit artifact had added fuel to the fire at Yuanqing Mountain.

When Lu San arrived, the foot of Yuanqing Mountain was packed with people.

“Yuanqing Mountain is not receiving visitors at this time. Please return home.” The disciple guarding the mountain gate was surrounded by the crowd at the entrance. Braving the pressure, he raised his voice and said,

“We’re just curious. Just tell us—which Artifact Forging Master on Yuanqing Mountain is forging an artifact?”

“No one is forging artifacts on Yuanqing Mountain. Couldn’t that red cloud be from the seventh-tier elixir our Patriarch is refining?”

“That’s different. The light of a seventh-tier elixir is different from the light of artifact forging. You little disciple, don’t try to fool us.”

It is indeed different, Lu San acknowledged inwardly.

He looked up. The light emitted when a pill is refined should be brighter than that of a finished artifact, but it also fades faster. Only a seventh-tier spirit artifact could produce such an extraordinary phenomenon—one that permeates the clouds without fading, as it does now.

Lu San walked forward. Tall and burly, he stood out in the crowd like a small mountain, towering above everyone else.

Someone sensed a shadow falling over their head. Glancing back, they automatically cleared a path for Lu San.

This man’s presence is overwhelming.

Could he be here to cause trouble for Yuanqing Mountain?

Lu San walked unimpeded all the way to the disciples at the mountain gate.

The disciple looked up at him slightly. Once he saw who it was against the light, his expression changed, and he quickly stepped aside. “Please, come this way.”

Lu San nodded. Since the young disciple recognized him, he didn’t need to say a word.

Very good.

The crowd:?

Who is this guy?

……

Tunfeng galloped through the clouds, its hooves treading the void. Looking up, the vast sky stretched out, desolate and boundless.

Heading east all the way.

Tunfeng had never been to the Immortal Restraint Prison, so it wasn’t very familiar with the way.

But fortunately, according to Zhanyu, the highest mountain to the east was Kunxian Mountain.

Just head east—you can’t go wrong.

……

Since Tunfeng didn’t know the way, it couldn’t run as fast as Zhanyu’s messenger.

By the time the letter reached the Immortal Restraint Prison, Wen Jue was still carving little seedlings into the prison walls.

One little seedling represented one day.

Once ten days had passed, he would return to the village.

The messenger bird arrived at the gates of Immortal Restraint Prison, placed the envelope from its beak before the prison door, chirped twice, then turned and flew away.

“Hm? The mark of Immortal-Demon City.”

Wen Jue formed a hand seal, and a gust of wind blew the envelope toward him.

A tiny barrier stone hung from the envelope. A faint barrier shrouded the envelope—a common trick used in correspondence. It looked easy to break, but if forced open, the contents of the letter would vanish along with it.

The small barrier stone was one he had given to Zhanyu; it was also the little gadget Zhanyu had used for years to correspond with him.

Wen Jue flicked his fingertip, effortlessly dispelling the barrier.

Let’s see what Zhanyu has written to him.

“Uncle Xiao Yi, the Patriarch of the Guiyuan Sect, has broken through to the Union Realm and is gathering cultivators from the Orthodox Path and the Third Sect to head toward the Immortal Restraint Prison. There are likely three to five Union Realm cultivators participating in this ‘Demon-Slaying Operation.’ Be extremely cautious.”

“I was just worried that the spiritual energy I gained from this year’s secret realm wouldn’t be enough. It seems someone has actually come knocking on my door looking to die.”

Wen Jue held the paper, unconcerned.

After muttering to himself, Wen Jue continued reading.

“The enemy outnumbers us. Uncle Wen is trapped in prison, so I’ve invited a senior cultivator to come to our aid. Uncle Wen will surely be delighted to see him.”

Wen Jue:?

What senior cultivator? Could it be that Eleven, Sixteen, or Nineteen has emerged from seclusion?

Setting aside whether he even needed rescuing, would he really be happy to see Eleven, Sixteen, or Nineteen?

Wen Jue didn’t think that was the case.

Zhanyu was sharp-witted; there must be some other ulterior motive.

Wen Jue yawned and stared blankly at the small sprouts growing on the prison wall.

Helpers, huh? Whether they can come or not; it doesn’t matter.

He actually hoped those from the Righteous Path would arrive sooner. Once the fighting was over and they’d wiped them all out, he could finally return to the village.