Chapter 153: Karma Fully Settled

Moral coercion.

It will never disappear.

But if you have no morals, then no one can ever coerce you!

The YinYang Law Sect was annihilated.

Countless handsome men and beautiful women entered the Human Emperor Banner. Lu Ye mused that since the Joyous Union Sect had spread across the Great Wasteland, it was only fitting to open a branch inside the Human Emperor Banner as well!

And with such high quality, surely many souls would willingly enter.

Just thinking about it made Lu Ye unable to suppress a faint smile.

This time, no one helped clean up the battlefield, so Lu Ye had to put in the effort himself.

Next stop—the Heavenly Pavilion!

The Heavenly Pavilion was located in a minor world atop the Celestial Mountain, usually elusive and hard to find.

Lu Ye had no intention of destroying the Heavenly Pavilion. Originally, he should have maintained a somewhat friendly relationship with them.

In his past life, it was within the Heavenly Pavilion that he obtained the Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus.

Back when he was besieged, the Heavenly Pavilion hadn’t joined in.

It was just that one fool from the Heavenly Pavilion had been too eager to watch the spectacle and ended up getting himself killed.

The fall of the YinYang Law Sect spread rapidly across the First Heaven.

All the cultivators of the Great Wasteland felt numb to it.

The Eternal Sect had already been wiped out—what was the big deal about a mere YinYang Law Sect?

As long as the Joyous Union Sect didn’t collapse, they could accept it.

Lu Ye’s figure appeared outside the Heavenly Pavilion.

An old man and a youth had been waiting for some time.

"This humble Daoist is Wangyou. Greetings, young friend Lu Ye." Daoist Wangyou bowed to Lu Ye.

"This junior is Li Huaiyu. Greetings, Daoist Lu."

Lu Ye smiled and returned the courtesy.

"Might I ask the purpose of your visit to the Heavenly Pavilion, Daoist Lu?" Daoist Wangyou asked with a smile, showing no trace of tension.

Li Huaiyu, however, was somewhat nervous. He held an extremely favorable impression of Lu Ye, believing him to be a good person and incomparably powerful—worthy of being called the foremost among the younger generation.

After returning, he couldn’t help but boast about Lu Ye to his senior brother.

Who would have thought his senior brother would grow resentful and go challenge Lu Ye…

Li Huaiyu worried this incident might make Lu Ye bear a grudge against the Heavenly Pavilion.

"There’s no need to be nervous, Daoist Li. I’ve come to the Heavenly Pavilion not for bloodshed, but to request a Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus for cultivation. Daoist Wangyou, does the Heavenly Pavilion still have one?" Lu Ye asked with a smile.

"The Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus… there is indeed one left. If the young friend needs it, it shall be gifted to you," Daoist Wangyou replied cheerfully.

"That won't do. I, Lu Ye, have never been one to take things for free. Having now collected treasures from the Eternal Sect and the YinYang Law Sect, Fellow Daoist Wangyou, name what you need. As long as I have it on hand, we can exchange."

Fellow Daoist Wangyou pondered for a moment.

"You are quite skilled in arrays?"

"Somewhat."

"If Fellow Daoist could instruct my disciple, I would offer the Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus as compensation. What do you think?" Fellow Daoist Wangyou said with a smile.

Lu Ye glanced at Li Huaiyu—he hadn’t expected this child to be so doted upon.

"Agreed!"

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!"

Without further ado, Lu Ye took out a blank jade slip and, using his divine sense as a brush, inscribed roughly one percent of his array insights into it.

Fellow Daoist Wangyou couldn’t help but be stunned.

Crafting it on the spot?

No need for deliberation?

But then again, being first on the Eternal Prodigy Leaderboard, such prodigious talent was only to be expected.

After a quarter of an hour, Lu Ye finished the inscription.

"Done. Fellow Daoist, see if this meets your expectations?" He handed the jade slip to Fellow Daoist Wangyou.

"Let my disciple judge. I won’t hide it from you—I’m utterly clueless about arrays. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so vexed about his studies," Fellow Daoist Wangyou admitted helplessly.

Lu Ye couldn’t help but laugh.

"Indeed, an outsider teaching an insider is truly painful."

Strangely enough, conversing with Fellow Daoist Wangyou felt remarkably relaxing.

His entire demeanor had softened.

He smiled more than usual.

Perhaps it was Fellow Daoist Wangyou’s extraordinarily serene state of mind—unmoved by external gains or personal losses—that had drawn Lu Ye into the same tranquility.

"Come inside the Heavenly Pavilion for a chat. I won’t lie—it’s likely been centuries since an outsider last entered."

"Fellow Daoist truly lives as a recluse."

"Hahaha, what recluse? I merely dwell in a quiet corner. At my age, the struggles of the cultivation world no longer stir me. Contentment lies in observing the Avenue, reflecting on oneself—simple yet endlessly fulfilling."

"Wisely spoken. Mountains and rivers, the battles of mortals, the rise and fall of storms—all fleeting. Only by contemplating the eternal Avenue and the true self can one find joy and freedom."

Fellow Daoist Wangyou looked at Lu Ye in surprise.

By all reasoning, at Lu Ye’s age, one should itch for battle if not fighting today, and ache all over if not fighting tomorrow.

Yet unexpectedly, he possessed such profound insight.

Li Huaiyu listened to their conversation, feeling somewhat baffled, but soon he became completely immersed in the jade slip given by Lu Ye.

Array!

Endless mysteries of array techniques.

If his own array knowledge was like a single bright star, then with just a casual stroke, Lu Ye had placed an entire vast galaxy before him in merely a quarter of an hour.

Lu Ye and the Carefree Taoist chatted so pleasantly that they couldn’t resist sharing tea in the Heavenly Pavilion.

After obtaining the Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus, Lu Ye took his leave.

“Are you planning to seek out the Netherworld next?” the Carefree Taoist asked curiously.

“Indeed. There remains unresolved karma between the Netherworld and me. This journey is to settle that debt.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. The entire Netherworld fled the very day you defeated the Allied Races,” the Carefree Taoist said with a laugh.

“They ran that fast?”

“The Netherworld once had dealings with the Buddhist sects.”

Hearing this, Lu Ye immediately understood.

Such haste was only natural.

“Then I shall take my leave now.”

Without further ado, Lu Ye decided to investigate the fleeing Netherworld. His conversation with Daoist Wangyou wasn’t an intentional delay on the latter’s part.

The two simply spoke freely, carried away by their shared sentiments.

Engaging in philosophical discourse brings a touch of joy to life.

Arriving at the former site of the Netherworld,

as expected, the place had been completely emptied—not a single stone remained.

Lu Ye closed his eyes and traced a finger through the air, summoning a glimpse of destiny’s threads.

They had indeed fled long ago.

Then let it be.

Lu Ye couldn’t be bothered to pursue them.

At this point, it seemed all his karmic ties in the First Heaven had been resolved.

As for those matters involving certain women, those were remnants of his past life. In this lifetime, Lu Ye had truly formed no karmic bonds with them.

The three divine artifacts needed to condense his fourth life had all been obtained: the Divine-Sealing Jade Tree, acquired from the Eternal Sect’s treasury;

the Supreme Golden Sky Stone, retrieved from the YinYang Law Sect’s vault;

and the Seven-Colored Heavenly Lotus, obtained through an exchange with the Heavenly Pavilion.

Now, he could focus entirely on cultivation, transcend tribulations, condense his fate, ascend to the Second Heaven—and kill!

*Ding!* "Divination complete! Host may now review the contents of the Deception Dao Art!"

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