My disciples are all villains.

If he wanted to purchase Thousand Realms Whirling avatar, he would have to wait until he had reached the Nine-leaf stage first. There was a long road ahead of him before he reached that stage.

'I should save my merit points. I can't spend them now.'

Lu Zhou closed his eyes and continued to cultivate with his legs crossed.

...

Early next morning, outside the eastern pavilion.

Zhu Honggong, Old Eighth, loitered around like he was an unemployed person.

"Morning, Fifth Senior Sister. Fifth Senior Sister… you look more beautiful than yesterday," Zhu Honggong said with an ingratiating smile on his face.

Zhao Yue frowned. "What is it, Old Eighth?"

Zhu Honggong looked around before he said in a hushed tone, "Fifth Senior Sister, have you severed your Golden Lotus?"

"I haven't, why?" Zhao Yue asked.

"Just asking."

'Nutjob.' Zhao Yue gave him a complicated look as she walked away.

Zhu Honggong continued to loiter around. When he saw Little Yuan'er and Conch strolling about, he called out to them, "Little Junior Sister…"

"Eighth Senior Brother?"

"Little Junior Sister, you look more beautiful than yesterday," Zhu Honggong said.

Little Yuan'er giggled. "Really?"

Zhu Honggong walked up to her and asked in a hushed voice, "Little Junior Sister, have you severed your lotus?"

"I haven't, why?"

"Just asking," said Zhu Honggong casually.

Little Yuan'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "You have too much time on your hands." Then, she led Conch to the back of the mountain in a run.

'I knew it. Nobody has severed their Golden Lotuses yet. They think that they can fool me into severing mine first? Fat chance of that happening! I won't sever mine until everyone has severed theirs. Wait… If I sever it first, I can cultivate earlier than everyone. I can't put it off forever….' Zhu Honggong looked at Little Yuan'er's retreating back as he stroked his chin. Finally, he made up his mind. 'I should look for Third Senior Brother and speak to him!'

Just when he was about to go to the training grounds at the halfway point of the mountain, a voice rang from behind him. "Eighth Junior Brother, come here."

"Fourth Senior Brother?"

Zhu Honggong saw Mingshi Yin waving at him nearby. His eyes brightened up as he walked over. He stood before Mingshi Yin, bowed, and asked, "Fourth Senior Brother… have you severed your lotus?"

"Why?" Mingshi Yin was not like the others. When he was asked this question, he immediately went on alert.

"Just asking…"

"Forget that. I'll help you today. You've just formed your Hundred Tribulations Insight avatar and have no leaves yet. The earlier you sever it, the better it is!"

"Huh?"

"Stop hesitating! Let's go! It's definitely more difficult for you to sever your lotus. It'll be easier with mutual help. I'll help you, and you'll help me. That's how the four Elders did it… Hey, I'm talking to you. Do you think that it makes sense?" Mingshi Yin asked.

"Yes, yes, yes…" Zhu Honggong nodded. Indeed, he could not bring himself to sever his lotus.

Then, Mingshi Yin grabbed Zhu Honggong's collar and dragged him toward the southern pavilion. When they were in the room, he said, "Show me your avatar."

"…"

"Don't worry. My Separation Hook is quick and precise. It'll be over before you know it." Mingshi Yin flipped his palm. His Separation Hook hovered above it. "A person without a heaven-grade weapon will have a hard time severing their lotuses. Lesser weapons like earth-grade and mystic-grade weapons, you'll have to hack at it a few times. Some of them had it worse. They couldn't sever it even after hacking away at it for half a day… Eh? Why are you sweating so much? Show me your avatar, quick! Don't dawdle."

Swoosh!

Zhu Honggong turned around and ran. He crashed through the door and ran out of the pavilion.

"Running away?" Mingshi Yin moved swiftly and activated his avatar.

Whizz!

Mingshi Yin and his avatar appeared in front of Zhu Honggong. He grabbed him. "I'm trying to help you. How dare you run away? What are you afraid of? Are you a man? You shouldn't be this cowardly. Look at Second Senior Brother, he's a true hero. He's so valiant! You should know that when Second Senior Brother severed his Golden Lotus, there was no such thing as a survival pill. Second Senior Brother is the true pioneer… Old Eight, have more faith in yourself. Show me your courage."

Zhu Honggong chuckled bitterly. He said through tears streaming down his face, "I… I was just warming up." Then, with utmost reluctance, he summoned his avatar. As soon as his avatar appeared, he hastily said, "Senior Brother… wait, wait up…"

Mingshi Yin's Separation Hook burst forth with golden radiance as he swung it at Zhu Honggong's Golden Lotus.

"Ahh!" A wail not dissimilar to a pig's squeal resounded through the entire southern pavilion.

The instant the Golden Lotus fell to the ground, the upper part of the avatar melted back into Zhu Honggong's body.

At this moment, Mingshi Yin scratched his head and asked, "Old Eighth, did you eat the lotus-severing survival pill?"

Zhu Honggong. "???" His eyes rolled back into their sockets, and he fainted.

Mingshi Yin was speechless. He quickly took out a survival pill and put it into Zhu Honggong's mouth. Then, he took out a leaf-sprouting pill and did the same. After all that, he carried Zhu Honggong back to the room and tossed him onto the bed.

Mingshi Yin muttered to himself, "You should thank me… The results of the Big Dipper Academy's latest research are now in you! Although this leaf-sprouting pill isn't as potent as the one Conch ate, it's of good quality as well. If you eat it with the survival pill, you'll be able to easily sprout one leaf."

Mingshi Yin waited for a while longer inside the room. When he saw that Zhu Honggong's condition was stabilizing, he turned around and left. He had barely left the room when he saw Pan Zhong and Zhou Jifeng passing, clearly trying to reduce their sense of presence.

"Hey, want to sever your lotuses? I'll help you for free," Mingshi Yin hollered at them.

"Ah… No, no, no, it's okay. We don't need that. Good day, Mister Fourth." Pan Zhong and Zhou Jifeng turned around and ran.

'Poor Mister Eighth. So, that's how painful it is to sever one's lotus. It seems even more painful than dying.' Both of them were relieved they had chosen the other alternative to cultivate.

When he saw that the duo running away, Mingshi Yin shrugged helplessly.

"Old Fourth."

"Third Senior Brother?" Mingshi Yin turned around and saw Duanmu Sheng walking toward him with the Overlord Spear in his hand. A determined expression could be seen on his face.

"Old Fourth, I've thought about it for a whole night, and I finally have an epiphany," Duanmu Sheng said.

"What epiphany, Third Senior Brother?" Mingshi Yin asked with an ingratiating smile.

"Fellow disciples should help each other out… You help me sever my lotus, and I'll help you sever yours. What do you say?" Duanmu Sheng was not someone who was afraid of pain. However, it was naturally better if someone helped him to sever his lotus. "Now that most sects in the cultivation world are actively severing their lotuses and recultivating, we can't fall behind. Otherwise, the Evil Sky Pavilion would be left in the dust."

"Uh… Third Senior Brother, I-I can help you sever your lotus… However, how do you plan to sever my lotus?" Mingshi Yin asked, feeling apprehensive.

"With my Overlord Spear, of course." Duanmu Sheng continued to say, "I've reached great heights in my spear techniques a long time ago. I can unleash 100 energy spears in a very short amount of time. That'll be enough to sever your Golden Lotus."

Mingshi Yin. "…"

"Eh? Fourth Senior Brother, why are you sweating so much? Don't worry, I won't hold back. I've been simulating various spear techniques in my mind lately. The best way…"

Before Duanmu Sheng could finish, he felt a breeze against his face. "Old Fourth… Old Fourth, I command you as your Senior Brother to get back here!"

Mingshi Yin ran down the mountain at lightning speed. Who could f*cking endure that? He decided not to sever his lotus… Being an Eight-leaf expert for life did not seem too bad. Why must he attempt to reach the Nine-leaf stage? That did not make sense, right? 'Why are there so many cultivators with impaired minds in the cultivation world? Many of them can't even reach the Eight-leaf stage until the day they die. Why would they even sever their lotuses? Isn't it enough to strive to become an Eight-leaf cultivator?'

Mingshi Yin flew toward the foot of the mountain at lightning speed. He landed on a branch and made himself comfortable before he fell soundly asleep. He was enjoying the soft caress of the wind when a deafening sound resonated in the air.

The sound was so unique, and it traveled far and wide.

Sitting on the branch, Mingshi Yin looked around. He saw a winged beast in the air speeding toward the mountain with a flying chariot in tow.

"What the… What a huge beast!"

The bird had wings that spanned 50 feet each. Its feathers were dark crimson, and its eyes were as large as fists that shone with an eerie light.

Mingshi Yin did not recognize this beast, but he was sure that it did not exist around human settlements. He was, naturally, shocked. Did it come from the Four Forests? 

Mingshi Yin leaped into the air and went to meet the flying beast with the flying chariot. As he expected, the winged beast was headed toward Golden Court Mountain.

Perhaps, it was out of courtesy, the chariot did not fly high but maintained a low altitude. It reached the foot of the mountain in no time at all and slowed to a stop.

Mingshi Yin looked at the five people on the flying chariot.

They wore scarlet clothes of foreign lands with embroidered hats and parted mustaches. The leader had a stocky build and eyes as sharp as a falcon.

The leader looked up at Mingshi Yin who was hovering in midair. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder and said with a slight bow, "My friend, I'm an envoy from Rouli. My name is Lanni, and I wish to meet the Master of the Evil Sky Pavilion."