Chapter 150: Lu Bu's Wandering Half a Life…
After piecing together Xiao Yan and Yao Lao's general intentions, Lu Bu decided to simply ignore them.
To be honest… it was a bit amateurish.
To Lu Bu, Xiao Yan and Yao Lao were like transparent glass. Figuring out their schemes was far too easy.
If his guess was correct, due to his interference, they likely couldn't gather all the ingredients needed for the Earth Spirit Pill. As a result, Yao Lao and Xiao Yan's target had shifted from the Fallen Heart Flame to the Sea Heart Flame. Meanwhile, Yao Lao also wanted to clean up his old betrayal.
"Ah… was it really necessary?" Lu Bu sighed, shaking his head in amusement. "Why not just pay me? Save the time and effort… What a poor attempt."
Shrugging it off, Lu Bu stopped thinking about it and used his movement technique to head toward the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. However, as soon as he arrived at the tower entrance, his face contorted in frustration.
He was too early. A massive crowd had gathered outside the tower practically a sea of people.
While the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower allowed overnight stays, most students didn't choose to stay inside for too long. Prolonged cultivation led to fire poison accumulating in their bodies. Generally, students would train for a full day before exiting.
Of course, there were exceptions. Lin Yan was one, and the various detoxifying pills sold by the Sacred Gate were another factor.
Especially the latter thanks to the availability of these pills, students could now extend their training time, accelerate their cultivation progress, and worry less about fire poison.
The Inner Academy welcomed this virtuous cycle and had even introduced a fire energy subsidy to help students purchase fire poison cleansing pills.
Of course, the subsidy only applied to fire poison cleansing pills.
As Lu Bu pondered this, a sweet looking female student in the crowd noticed him it was Liu Fei.
"So many people… maybe I shouldn't approach him now," Liu Fei thought, her bright eyes glancing around. She decided to wait until she entered the tower to talk to him. However, her gaze paused on a silver haired figure ahead.
Han Yue?
Liu Fei raised her eyebrows slightly, then bit her lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Taking a deep breath, she decided to act and walked toward Lu Bu.
"Oh my, Lu Bu, it's been so long since I last saw you!" Liu Fei called out sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward slightly. Her smile was gentle and warm.
Her voice wasn't loud, but nearby, Han Yue's ears twitched slightly.
Lu Bu? It's been a while since I've seen him too.
Han Yue felt a sudden urge to turn around and chat with him. But… that voice just now it was Liu Fei's, wasn't it?
At that thought, Han Yue suppressed her impulse.
"So it's Senior Liu Fei. Long time no see." Lu Bu smiled politely, his tone warm and welcoming.
Liu Fei had helped him a lot in the past. Even though he hadn't needed her assistance, she had still been there for him.
"Are you here to cultivate?" Liu Fei giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. But before Lu Bu could reply, the tower gates opened.
"Let's go, Senior. Let's head in." Lu Bu smiled, taking the lead toward the entrance.
"Ah? Wait for me, Lu Bu! What did you just say?" Liu Fei called out, catching up to him.
"I said, let's hurry inside," Lu Bu replied, leaning toward her slightly to speak closer to her ear.
"I can't hear you clearly with all these people around. Say it again," Liu Fei said with a smile, leaning closer to him as well.
Without thinking, Lu Bu bent down to repeat himself, while Liu Fei subtly moved even closer. The two were practically pressed against each other when suddenly, a voice interrupted them.
"Oh… Lu Bu, you and Liu Fei seem to have a really close relationship."
Lu Bu's face froze in embarrassment. Without even turning, he already knew who it was Han Yue.
At that moment, everything clicked in Lu Bu's mind. I knew it! We're all cultivators with sharp senses, so how could she not notice me earlier? Liu Fei was deliberately waiting for me here!
As expected of Liu Fei, my considerate and understanding Senior!
Hearing Han Yue's comment, Liu Fei's smile grew even brighter. Covering her mouth, she chuckled softly. "Oh my, Senior Han Yue, I didn't notice you earlier while talking to Lu Bu. I'm so sorry…"
Han Yue's eyes twitched slightly. Liu Fei… you're pushing it. Time for a little lesson.
"Liu Fei and Lu Bu really do seem close. Have you two… made things official yet?" Han Yue asked, her expression calm, but a faint smile played on her lips as they walked.
"Not at all," Lu Bu interjected with a chuckle before Liu Fei could respond.
"Oh, what a pity…" Han Yue continued before Liu Fei could speak again. Feigning concern, she added, "I thought you had. If Senior Liu Qing knew his cousin had a boyfriend, he'd be so… ah, happy. Very happy."
For a brief moment, Han Yue's face showed a fleeting expression of "surprise," as if she had accidentally misspoken.
Ah, my lovely seniors… Lu Bu sighed inwardly, marveling at their thoughtfulness.
Liu Fei's eyelid twitched slightly, cursing Han Yue inwardly for going too far.
Han Yue simply smiled, saying no more. She had made her point without being too direct. Some things were better left for the individuals involved to figure out.
By now, the three had entered the tower side by side.
From the treetops outside, Elder Su Qian emerged, his black robes blending into the shadows. Watching the three disappear into the tower, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ah… youth is truly wonderful."
Su Qian had always kept an eye on Lu Bu, not only because of Zi Yan but also because of the Heavenly Flame within him.
Having dealt with the Fallen Heart Flame for half his life, Su Qian knew well that the best way to counter a Heavenly Flame was with another Heavenly Flame.
"Forget it, no need to think about this…" A faint smile appeared on Su Qian's aged face. Today was his day off, and he'd much rather go home and relax. As for the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, he didn't have to think about it today.
With that thought, Su Qian's figure blurred and gradually disappeared.
Inside the tower, Lu Bu and his two companions headed toward the staircase. However, as they walked, Lu Bu's brows furrowed slightly. His heightened spiritual sense had detected someone quietly approaching the center of the tower.
The approach was slow, almost as if accidental, but Lu Bu's incredible spiritual perception instantly revealed the truth.
The center of the tower was strictly off limits to students.
The Heavenly Flame Refining Tower was circular, deeply embedded underground, with ten levels stacked like rings of a giant donut. Each floor was circular, with an open core running straight down to the molten lava below.
As the tower suppressed the Fallen Heart Flame, the central hollow area was extremely dangerous and strictly forbidden for students. Furthermore, the array formations on each floor were deliberately weaker near the central core to allow the flame to release its heat.
If someone tampered with the core, the consequences would be disastrous. That's why Su Qian had appeared immediately the last time Lu Bu had touched the tower wall.
But now, someone was approaching the center again?
"Reina, are you heading to the second floor?" Liu Fei suddenly called out.
"Huh… Oh, it's you, Fei'er," the person looked up and smiled. But when his gaze fell on Lu Bu beside her, his expression darkened slightly, though he said nothing.
"Oh, so this is Senior Reina. I'm Lu Bu," Lu Bu said with a faint smile. He immediately remembered the character from the original story Liu Fei's admirer, who had once fought Xiao Yan and nearly been destroyed by Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus, only to be saved by the Tower Guardian Elder.
"So, you're Lu Bu…" Reina forced a smile. "I'm off to train. You two enjoy yourselves."
With that, he quickly walked away.
Lu Bu watched him leave, a glimmer flashing in his eyes. That guy… what's he trying to do near the Fallen Heart Flame?
As thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Bu descended to the sixth floor. Liu Fei had left him on the third floor to train alone, and Han Yue had excused herself to find a different training room.
"Reina might be up to something…" Lu Bu's eyes flickered as he mulled over the situation.
…
By evening, Lu Bu left the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower and returned to the Sacred Gate. The reason? He was out of money.
Having used fire energy sparingly over the past few days, Lu Bu hadn't noticed that his Fire Crystal Card balance was nearly empty. By the time he finished training, he realized he didn't have enough fire energy to continue the next day's training, so he had to leave.
"This is annoying…" Lu Bu muttered, borrowing some fire energy from Hu Jia. However, by then, the tower had already closed for the night. Those inside could continue training, but no one else was allowed to enter.
Left with no choice, Lu Bu sighed and returned to his room to continue his cultivation.
But just as he settled down, the moonlight outside his window dimmed slightly, and a graceful figure floated in through the window.
It was Xiao Xun'er.
"What are you doing here again?" Lu Bu frowned. This woman had barged into his room multiple times already. If word got out, would he have any reputation left?
A young man traveling alone… truly, he needed to protect himself!
Seeing the disdain on Lu Bu's face, Xiao Xun'er rolled her eyes. She couldn't understand his attitude toward her.
She considered herself decent looking. While she might not charm everyone in the world, she certainly didn't deserve this treatment, right?
"Do you need something?" Lu Bu asked impatiently.
"I'm leaving soon, so I came to give you something," Xiao Xun'er said calmly. She raised her jade like hand and tossed a black object toward him.
Lu Bu waved his sleeve, his soul force surging outward to carefully inspect the item. After confirming it was safe, he caught it in his hand.
Seeing Lu Bu's cautious demeanor, Xiao Xun'er clenched her teeth in frustration. This guy… always managed to make people angry!
"A Black Annihilation Army token?" Lu Bu inspected the object, raising an eyebrow.
It was a black jade token. On the front, the word "Annihilation" was carved in an elegant script, along with the image of a majestic four winged unicorn. On the back, a simple "8" was engraved.
"Eighth Commander of the Black Annihilation Army?" Lu Bu asked, puzzled. What was this girl trying to do?
"Exactly," Xiao Xun'er nodded, her expression serious.
"This lady is about to assume the role of Commander of the Black Annihilation Army. I am recruiting you as the Eighth Commander. Of course… there's no time limit. You can assume the position whenever you like. If you're not interested, I'll find someone else. As for the token… consider it a gift."
Lu Bu: (ˇˇ)
To have wandered half a life… and never to have met a wise ruler… This is the first time someone has tried to recruit me without fearing betrayal.
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