Martial Saint!

Whoosh—

The lake breeze blew, and after the mysterious Buddha dissipated, Master Golden Light also turned into a pile of bones. His bewildered soul paused in the human world, looking at Lu Chenzhou, then turned back to gaze at the Plum Blossom Fairy.

He clasped his hands, lowered his eyes, and calmly said:

"I was too attached to appearances. I don't have the same talent as you. Each time I broke through the limits, it was as though I was wandering at the Ghost Gate before my lifespan ran out. During my Breakthrough Fifth to Breakthrough Sixth, I encountered an invasion by the Greed Spirit and Fear Spirit. I thought I was going to fail, but I didn't want to die. I wanted to borrow another five hundred years from heaven, so I forcibly passed the threshold with my own invented secret technique, the 'Burning Lamp Buddha Fire.' Though I succeeded, I went into a state of demonization, and the Heart Demon Seed left by the Ghost Mother took root in me, turning me into a shell..."

The Plum Blossom Fairy pointed her longsword at Master Golden Light. Her eyes were slightly red as she coldly asked, "How could you have been planted with the Heart Demon Seed by the Old Mother? Exactly what went wrong?"

Lu Chenzhou was also curious because he too had been implanted with a Heart Demon Seed, which erupted during his Unity of Heaven and Man, suspected to have been planted by a Witch while invading the Water Mansion.

Heart Demon Seeds are extremely difficult to detect and usually harmless but emerge during critical moments like breakthroughs, epiphanies, or demonization, seizing the opportunity to invade the host's mind.

However, he could rely on the Martial Arts Tree, the World Tree, and other means to always narrowly escape danger.

But for others, encountering such a thing, even a Great Grandmaster, there is a risk of being corrupted, especially since Mother Forget Sorrow is suspected to be a first-tier existence within the Forbidden Zone's Evil Gods.

Mr. Turtle had also explained these things to him.

Master Golden Light's eyes were filled with recollection.

"When Master Golden Cicada and I were young, we explored an ancient Buddha relic in the Void Realm and received the legacy of a Nameless Buddhist Dao Great Grandmaster of the Great Ling Dynasty. During it, we were attacked by a Ghost King and narrowly escaped, but we didn't pay attention at the time. We never imagined that we had already been infiltrated by the Evil God. Wait, everyone, quickly go check on Golden Cicada at Shaolin..."

Master Golden Light hadn't finished speaking when his soul seemed to suffer from a curse. Spots emerged one after another, turning into flowers covering his face and spiritual body. His expression was pained, his voice shrill, and finally, his Three Souls and Seven Spirits were completely obliterated.

...

Shaolin Temple.

Abbot Hui Fa frowned deeply. A golden-haired lion followed like a shadow behind him as he strode into the meditation room of Master Golden Light, looking at the fallen monk's corpse, blood flowing into a river, spelling out eight twisted, curved characters in blood.

"Mother Forget Sorrow, Nirvana!"

Master Golden Light was also dead.

The golden-haired lion let out a low roar. Abbot Hui Kong remained calm, but the fury of his Dharma Form soared like a towering golden flame lotus amidst the peaks of Songshan.

"Ghost Mother!"

...

Eye of Truth.

The leader of the Ming Sect looked coldly composed.

"Even this failed. I thought at least Lu Chenzhou would be seriously injured. Who would have thought he seems to have a Death Replacement card or an Undying Body, resurrecting in a short period."

The Witch God Sect Hierarch said:

"Failure is normal. Witch foretold long ago that assassinating Lu Chenzhou requires being prepared to act ten thousand times and fail ten thousand times. We only need to succeed once to deliver a heavy blow to humanity. Heh, a Four Emperor Level seed, in the Three Thousand Worlds, is a rare sight even across a millennium or ten millennia. By the time another Four Emperor Seed emerges, this human world will have long been trampled by us."

The leader of the Ming Sect said:

"The contingency left by the Old Mother has also been removed. However, based on the Old Mother's probing, it seems Lu Chenzhou indeed acquired the legacy of the Candle Dragon. His understanding of time is not deep, but he can cause those touched by his spear skill to wither and age rapidly, just like that Priest's technique."

"Candle Dragon... indeed brings us a lot of trouble, but it's also convenient that those Divine Court folks are betting everything on one person, which makes it easier for us to target our prey. We just need to continue targeting Lu Chenzhou. As for those contingencies bet on by the Great Powers, we can dispose of them as an afterthought, without expending much effort, for they are unlikely to succeed."

...

Su City, Wanxiang Dao.

"Plum Blossom Fairy, please take Master Golden Light's relics back to the Wanbang Council, and be cautious on your way."

"Thanks to Mr. Lu's vast divine skills, otherwise, I fear I would not have been able to complete this Elder Council trial."

Lu Chenzhou and the Plum Blossom Fairy had finished tidying the battlefield and returned to Wanxiang Dao, meeting with Old Man Hanshan. Sample from My Virtual Library Empire—read more on M&VLEMPY&R.

The Plum Blossom Fairy was secretly amazed.

In just one battle, she gained quite a bit of insight.

An Undying Body, a spear skill able to fiercely clash with the Tathagata Divine Palm, and that time-accelerating, lifespan-reducing strange move... Who would have thought these seemingly divine methods were researched by a Great Grandmaster.

Originally, she was rather pleased with achieving a small success in the 'Heavenly Chopping Nine Swords,' but after seeing Lu Chenzhou, she understood under the fame, there were no mediocrities. True top-level geniuses had already begun studying supreme martial arts on their own.

However, she also agreed to keep the details of this battle confidential for Lu Chenzhou. Although the Evil Gods might have means to understand, considering there are quite many internal enemies among humans, to prevent targeting, the less known about something like an Undying Body, the better. If everyone knew he had an Undying Body, surprise tactics like today would be meaningless.

Old Man Hanshan sighed, "Anyway, eliminating one of the five elders of the Blood Shadow Building is a major victory. Additionally, the incidents with Masters Golden Light and Golden Cicada serve as a warning to us. Those cunning Evil Gods are pervasive beyond belief, and there are certainly still those within our organization who have been corrupted. Everyone should act in teams henceforth; vigilance is a must."

...

The next day.

Wanbang Council Headquarters.

Lamp Master Department.

The Northern Guardian King, Abbot Hui Fa, Yue Pingsheng, Li Jin, and other Lamp Master Heavenly Kings gathered to discuss important matters.

First, Plum Blossom Fairy passed the examination and became a member of the Elder Council. Secondly, the Northern Guardian King proposed making Lu Chenzhou a substitute elder, allowing him to participate in major discussions of the Elder Council and enjoy elder privileges.

All four of them had witnessed Lu Chenzhou's skills through this task and felt that he could be treated as a Heavenly King, and the breakthrough to Breakthrough Sixth was only a matter of time for him.

After discussions, the Northern Guardian King sent a request for opinions to the current 360 Heavenly Kings of the Wanbang Council.

Next, they would state their positions on the matter.

After all, elders are the highest authority in the Wanbang Council, and there has never been a case of a Grandmaster becoming a substitute elder.

...

Three days later.

Elder meeting.

"Lu Chenzhou may have some skills, but a Grandmaster becoming an elder is too rushed, isn't it?"

"Indeed, there are some principles that must be adhered to. Even if Lu Chenzhou has the combat strength of a Heavenly King, he is ultimately not a Heavenly King and finds it difficult to carry the responsibilities of an elder."

"Yes, it's not that I look down on the younger generation. But as an elder, one must enjoy rights while also fulfilling obligations. Whenever enemies like a Demon Emperor create chaos, they must lead by example. Lu Chenzhou's strength can occasionally fight a Demon Emperor, but if it happens too often, he's bound to be plotted against by adversaries, and his safety becomes a concern. Rescuing him would be laborious and costly, similar to last time's small realm trial..."

"Let's wait until he becomes a Heavenly King."

Most Heavenly Kings did not agree, and many of them were not malicious but rather showed genuine concern.

Seeing this, the Northern Guardian King did not insist and smiled, saying: "Alright, I've received everyone's opinions."

Ultimately, the proposal to let Lu Chenzhou enter the Elder Council early was rejected with a 70% majority against it.

...

Su City.

Wanxiang Dao.

The Northern Guardian King informed Lu Chenzhou of this news, to which Lu Chenzhou was indifferent. He smiled and said: "The chasm between Grandmaster and Heavenly King is indeed deeply ingrained."

The Northern Guardian King said: "I wanted you to join the Elder Council earlier mainly to train you, to have you engage more in high-level strategic battles. Since it didn't go through, continue your cultivation at ease. If there are suitable opportunities, I'll provide them to you. After this battle, you've successfully ranked 568th on the Heavenly Person List, above two legitimate Heavenly Kings, far exceeding my expectations."

"Thank you, senior."

Soon after, Lu Chenzhou's Lighting Order received another 1000 Candle Fires, but the biggest gain from this trip was the spoils from the Heart Piercing Needle, all of which belonged to him.

The details of this covert operation were not disclosed by the Wanbang Council, only known to some high-level members.

...

A month later.

Primordial Mountain Cave Heaven.

Lu Chenzhou inwardly viewed the skull of glazed glass. The hole had already healed, and the intense headache had disappeared.

"If the force of the Hidden Weapon had been slightly stronger, piercing through the brain instantly, even I would have gone to meet the King of Hell. Truly, those capable of becoming Heavenly Kings are extraordinary."

In Lu Chenzhou's palm lay a Seven-Colored Embroidery Needle, swirling with potent poison power, which at a glance made one feel dizzy, their spirit stagnating.

Mr. Turtle chuckled: "You truly have great fortune. This Spiritual Weapon is quite renowned even in the Great Wilderness. The wandering cultivator who once wielded this item had used it to kill a strong person of the Heavenly Realm. This object is named [Shocking Heart Needle], made from Nightmare Snake's Tooth. It primarily attacks the Divine Soul; theoretically, if it hits the Divine Soul in the same realm, one would either die or be seriously injured.

However, it's damaged and its power has diminished significantly. Even the person who obtained it is a bit mediocre, unable to wield its true power. It benefits you. Since it's a damaged Spiritual Weapon, the Artifact Spirit might have vanished or is dormant. You can try refining it. As a Flying Sword, it's much better than what you have at your waist."

Lu Chenzhou glanced at the [Mystic Sky River-breaking Sword], an embryo of a Top Class Divine Weapon, which was useless to him now. Since it hadn't developed spirituality, better to replace it. The only irreplaceable Divine Weapon for him was the Tiger Spirit.

Everything else should be refreshed.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

"Mm, I'll protect you."

Lu Chenzhou tried to attach his spiritual power to the Shocking Heart Needle, immediately it surged uncontrollably into it. Before being drained dry, he finally saw a control array in the core of the Shocking Heart Needle. On its surface, coiled a tailless black snake whose eyes opened and looked at him.

[It seems the previous person is already dead.]

The black snake weakly said.

"Yes, would you be willing to recognize me as your master?"

[You? Your spiritual power is too weak, not even a third of that person's. Do you think you're qualified?]

The black snake calmly replied, disrespectful in tone.

Lu Chenzhou didn't bother to argue with the Artifact Spirit.

"That person has cultivated for three hundred years, and I've cultivated for forty years... Do you think I'm not qualified?"

This time, the black snake fell silent.