Chapter 776
Chapter 776
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 776
>Chapter Title: Underground
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> "We're fated."
>> Hearing the other party's words, Lv Xiucai still didn't know exactly what these people in front of him wanted.
> He recognized the *Great Thousand Record* in the other's hand, and he could guess their identities more or less. After all, Lv Xiucai was no longer the naive boy he used to be.
>> "You... you're from the Ao Jing Cult?"
> "Pleased to meet you. I'm Zu Yi."
>> Hearing the introduction, Lv Xiucai cupped his fist in greeting with some confusion.
> "I'm Lv Xiucai. What might you seniors want with me? And what do you mean by 'fated'?"
> Zu Yi smiled faintly and sat down across from Lv Xiucai with the others, looking at his mutilated limbs.
>> "The *Great Thousand Record* isn't used like that. But you have talent. Has anyone taught you in the past?"
> "My master."
> "From what I see, your master wasn't an Ao Jing disciple, was he?"
> Lv Xiucai kept his mouth shut, revealing nothing. He still couldn't figure out what these people wanted.
> "You've used the *Great Thousand Record*, and you've pushed it this far without any intention of stopping. That means your spiritual root is good. Today, I'm here specifically to bring you into the cult. That's what I mean by us being fated."
> Delivered right to his door—Lv Xiucai always felt there was a catch.
>> "I'm truly sorry, but I appreciate the senior's kind intentions. However, I'm currently a White Lotus disciple."
> "So what if you're a White Lotus disciple? You can keep worshiping your White Lotus. The Buffalo God Ba Hui has never relied on mortal offerings. Suffering is the gateway to them."
> Seeing Lv Xiucai fall silent, Zu Yi decided to offer some tangible benefits.
> "What, in your current state, are you still afraid others might covet something from you? You know why, even though we both use the *Great Thousand Record*, I have all my limbs intact while you're left with only one hand?"
> "Remember what I said earlier? The *Great Thousand Record* isn't used that way. Of course, our cult has ways to restore them. Have you ever seen every Ao Jing Cult member missing arms or legs?"
> These words made Lv Xiucai's eyes widen. He vaguely remembered that back then, no matter how severe his master's injuries, he could recover in no time. Now it seemed this was the divine ability of the Ao Jing Cult.
> "Then, Senior, could you give me some pointers?"
>> If he could heal all his wounds as quickly as his master, his strength would increase greatly, and killing Fa Cult followers would be much faster.
> Hearing the emotion in the other's tone, Zu Yi chuckled.
>> "You need to ascend the steps. The *Great Thousand Record* is a divine technique. If you don't ascend and retain your mortal nature, the methods on it will diminish with each use."
> "Ascend the steps? You mean the Cang Qiang Ascension from the *Great Thousand Record*?"
>> Lv Xiucai grew serious. He'd seen it and remembered it, but the conditions were far too harsh.
> "Not just that—not just that. Cang Qiang Ascension is useful, but you might not be able to do it. There are different ascensions. The *Great Thousand Record* has the widest uses, but the cult has more than just the *Great Thousand Record*." Zu Yi shook his head.
> "Oh? Then may I ask, Senior, what else is there?"
>> Lv Xiucai's attention was immediately captured. He knew far too little about this.
> The only thing he knew was that the Ao Jing Cult differed from other sects and factions—no need for comprehension or literacy. That was the greatest help for what he wanted to do.
> But just as he got to this point, the other stopped.
>> "Once you join the Ao Jing Cult, we'll all be fellow disciples. Pointing you in the right direction would be a trivial matter. Naturally, we'll tell you."
> Hearing this, Lv Xiucai furrowed his brows in thought. But when he looked down at his current state, he immediately decided to join the Ao Jing Cult.
> He was already like this—what could anyone possibly covet from him? As long as he could kill more Fa Cult followers, he'd do anything.
>> "Good! I'll join the Ao Jing Cult!"
> "It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go to the Cross Temple in the east of the city."
> Lv Xiucai gripped his Mo Dao with one hand and tried to stand, but Zu Yi stopped his single hand.
>> "Since you've decided to join the Ao Jing Cult, you can't leave like that. You've used the *Great Thousand Record*, so you should know how we Ao Jing Cult members travel, right?"
> "Senior, I have no legs. If not like this, then how should I go?"
> The sharp end of a wooden stake was whittled to a point and directly jammed into the stump of his severed leg amid Lv Xiucai's agonized screams.
> Left leg done, next was the right.
> Soon, the legless Lv Xiucai was propped up by two wooden stakes, trembling all over in pain, his face drained of color.
> Seeing their scrutinizing gazes, Lv Xiucai gritted his teeth.
>> "You... you go first! I'll... I'll follow right behind!"
>> Lv Xiucai propped his right leg's wood forward, driving it another inch into his body as blood trickled slowly down the bark.
> The bodily pain didn't make Lv Xiucai hesitate in the slightest. Instead, he treated it as a test.
> "Good. We'll wait for you at the temple." Zu Yi had no intention of waiting and led the others out from behind the screen, leaving the Supervising Heaven Bureau's grounds.
> At that moment, someone behind Zu Yi spoke up.
>> "Elder, though this guy is Li Huowang's disciple, he might not care about this disciple."
> Zu Yi gave him a cold glance.
>> "Do your job. You have no right to question what the Grand Elders want."
> Hearing this, the man immediately lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
> And at that very moment, five zhang below them, the Li Huowang they spoke of was walking deeper along a narrow corridor.
> Though no one was visible nearby, Li Huowang clearly felt many eyes on him. This was already the core of the Supervising Heaven Bureau outpost. The defenses were just invisible, not absent.
> When Li Huowang reached a bamboo door, it creaked open on its own, revealing a vast underground hall lit by torches around the walls.
> In the center of the hall, Li Huowang found the person he was looking for—the acting Altar Leader temporarily taking over for Xuanyin.
> Four long bamboo poles wrapped in red cloth were carried by several burly men, crossed to form a massive rice character three zhang wide.
> At that moment, the Altar Leader was on these four bamboo poles, dancing the nuo play—jumping or kneeling to the accompanying music.
> Li Huowang had followed the Lv Family Troupe all the way and seen plenty of plays, but he could hardly classify this scene as one.
> The Altar Leader's upper body was covered by a massive wooden mask, twisting his body and bouncing up and down along with the highly resilient bamboo poles, performing movements no ordinary person could achieve.
> Sometimes his arms folded behind his back, sometimes his right foot hooked the pole as his neck twisted three times, slanting against the ground.
> At that moment, the gongs and drums suddenly intensified, and two shadows—one black, one white—leaped directly onto the bamboo poles.
> Li Huowang looked closely and was surprised to see they were two lions from the Lion Dance Palace, ones he'd encountered before!
(End of chapter)