My disciples are all villains.

Merit points: 74,603.

Avatar: Hundred Tribulations Insight.

Remaining life: 40,521 days.

Item: Deadly Strike Card x1, Critical Block Card x62 (passive), Binding Cage Card x2, Whitzard (resting), Bi An, Ji Liang, Critical Heal Card x1, Thunderblast x1, Disguise Card x1, Golden Taixu Mirror, Appearance Alteration Card x3, Reversal Card x33, Shining Stone x1.

Weapon: Unnamed, Life Cutter, Jade Horsetail Whisk, Spotless Dagger, High Void (damaged).

From Lou Lan to Liang Province, he had earned close to 70,000 merit points.

The reason he did not reach 100,000 merit points was due to the lack of Nascent Divinity realm elites. The reward for killing Divine Court realm cultivators was reduced to 10 points each. Cultivators below the Brahman Sea realm were not counted. For this reason, although he had slain many of his enemies, his merit points were relatively low.

"Just as well. I'll spend 50,000 merit points, and use the rest for lucky draws and purchasing the cards," Lu Zhou said.

Lu Zhou called up the item card dashboard. Without hesitation, he purchased a Golden Lotus Leaf. Before he raised his cultivation base, he decided to stockpile Deadly Strike Cards in case its price rose in the future.

Lu Zhou checked the price for the Deadly Strike Card. It was 10,000 merit points each.

"Purchase."

After purchasing a Deadly Strike Card, Lu Zhou looked at the price and frowned despite having expected it. The price had risen to 12,000 merit points. The prices of the other item cards had risen as well.

Lu Zhou was slightly speechless.

The prices were increasing more and more frequently. The prices would go up every time he raised his cultivation base or purchased a card.

"Ding! Received genuine worship from 1,500 individuals. Reward: 15,000 merit points."

"Ding! Received genuine worship from 1,000 individuals. Reward: 10,000 merit points."

"Ding! Received genuine worship from 564 individuals. Reward: 5,640 merit points."

"Ding! Received genuine worship from 346 individuals. Reward: 3,460 merit points."

When Lu Zhou heard this notification, he was slightly stunned. After a while, he thought it was only normal. After all, there were many citizens in Liang Province City. He wondered which disciple of his was being worshipped by the civilians. He could not help but feel the numbers were too low. Perhaps, the citizens were wary about returning to the city so soon after the war ended.

Unfortunately, he could not force people to worship him. In any case, this was better than nothing.

Merit points: 99,603.

"!!!" Lu Zhou was angry when he saw his current points. If he did not purchase a Deadly Strike Card earlier, he could have purchased two Golden Lotus Leaves and return to the Eight-leaf stage.

Lu Zhou inhaled deeply to calm down; he really felt like cursing! Perhaps, he was used to his new identity, his attitude had turned calmer.

'Forget it. Being short of 400 merit points isn't a big deal.'

Creak!

At this moment, the door opened.

Zhu Honggong walked in respectfully. He prostrated himself on the floor as he said, "Greetings, master!"

Lu Zhou collected his thoughts and observed Old Eighth for a while. The gears in his mind were whirring as an idea took form.

For a time, the room was silent.

Zhu Honggong found his master's silence strange and discomfiting so he stole a glance at his master and tentatively called out, "Master?"

Lu Zhou asked, "What's your cultivation base?"

"I'm now at the Three-leaf stage after recultivating… Lately, with the help of my father, I've improved slightly."

"Oh?" Lu Zhou asked expressionlessly. "Among the Evil Sky Pavilion disciples, who's cultivation base is the lowest?"

"Naturally, it's Little Junior Sister Conch," Zhu Honggong smiled and said, "Little Junior Sister isn't at fault since she had just recently joined the Evil Sky Pavilion. It hasn't even been a year since she began to cultivate. It would not take her long to enter the Nascent Divinity realm. Even Ninth Junior Sister can't compare to her."

"Who's the second last then?" Lu Zhou asked.

"Uh…" Zhu Honggong began to guess the reason for his master's questions. Why did his master suddenly ask about his disciples' cultivation bases?

There was no need to mention his second to seventh senior brothers. Their cultivation bases were much more profound than his. His Ninth Junior Sister was a little ancestor, and he would not even compare himself to her. Since he had already mentioned Conch, his Little Junior Sister, there was only one person left.

When the name appeared in Zhu Honggong's mind, he cleared his throat before he solemnly replied, "In reply to your question, master… It's Eldest Senior Brother! However, that's not his fault as well. After all, he hasn't even regained his memories, and his cultivation base is lying dormant..."

"What about the third from the last?" Lu Zhou asked again.

"…" Zhu Honggong was taken aback. He finally saw where his master's questions were leading to. He hastily said, "I'm dumb, and I shouldn't be proud of myself. I've only improved by a single leaf, and I'm already bragging. I promise to cultivate harder after this!"

"Ding! Disciplines Zhu Honggong. Reward: 200 merit points."

"Your Eldest Senior Brother's cultivation base is much more profound than yours," Lu Zhou said.

"I know that I've made a mistake. I'm the second weakest…" Zhu Honggong suddenly felt that the comparison was not strong enough. He slapped himself with smooth movements borne from habit. "I was wrong to talk about Eldest Senior Brother behind his back! I deserve to be punished!"

"Ding! Punished Zhu Honggong. Reward: 200 merit points."

Lu Zhou felt much better after hearing the two notifications. 'Seems like I should speak with my disciples more often about their cultivation bases and their conducts…'

It was the duty of a teacher to resolve his students' confusions. There was no end to learning, and there would always be room for knowledge.

"It's good that you're aware. You may leave," Lu Zhou said as he waved his arm.

"I'll take my leave now, master." Zhu Honggong exited the room respectfully. When he was outside the room, he scratched his head. 'What's with master? Why did he suddenly ask these questions? Wait! Why did I even come here in the first place? Did I come here to get scolded?' After being scolded, he had forgotten the reason he had come looking for his master.

…

Inside the room.

Lu Zhou opened the item column. Without any hesitation, he purchased another Golden Lotus Leaf.

"Ding! Spent 100,000 merit points. Obtained Golden Lotus Leaf x2."

"Use."

One of the Golden Lotus Leaf swiftly dissolved into spots of starlight before entering Lu Zhou's dantian's sea of Qi. He manifested his avatar and shrunk it until it hovered in his palm. As the Primal Qi energy in his dantian's sea of Qi increased, he could sense that he was about to sprout a new leaf.

His eyes were focused on the rapidly spinning golden lotus under the shining golden avatar. The six leaves were spinning as well.

Shortly after, rings after rings of light began to move down from the avatar.

Lu Zhou's mind contained various techniques and experiences of sprouting leaves. However, he had no experience of using the Golden Lotus Leaf. If he did not have the system, it would have been impossible for him to sprout leaves so rapidly.

The radiant rings continued sliding down from the waist of the avatar to the feet.

Whizz!

A crisp sound rang in the air.

Lu Zhou saw a leaf sprouting from a corner of the golden lotus.

The leaf was golden and shining. Soon enough, it looked the same as the other leaves around it.

His Golden Lotus was now a Seven-leaf Golden Lotus!

....

Meanwhile, the surge of Primal Qi outside Lu Zhou's room drew his disciples' attention.

The Nether Sect disciples guarded the entrance to the courtyard. They did not allow anyone without proper business to get close.

"The patriarch is cultivating in seclusion. Guard the place well!"

"I heard that the patriarch loves to try eccentric things. No matter what happens, don't get close."

Naturally, those who had no business to be there could not get close.

The disciples of the Evil Sky Pavilion and a few others were nearby. They looked at the courtyard where Lu Zhou was staying.

Zhu Tianyuan said with a sigh, "Brother Ji is already at the Nine-leaf stage. Why is he cultivating the method to sprout leaves?"

"Maybe he's preparing for the Ten-leaf stage?" Zhu Honggong speculated wildly.

"You have a point."

Zhu Honggong was speechless.

"Old Eighth, you were in master's room earlier. Did you notice anything different?" Duanmu Sheng asked.

"Hm, not really. Everything seemed normal. Master gave me a round of compliments. That's all," Zhu Honggong said with a straight face.

Zhu Tianyuan said, "My son, did you tell him what I told you to tell him?"

"Father, would you believe me if I told you that I forgot about it?"