Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

The Thief King’s inner turmoil finally ended, and he decided to act against his intentions to assist Lu Yang.

“Let me help you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, a thunderous explosion erupted behind him, unleashing a towering shockwave that sent him flying, leaving him unable to keep his footing.

The Thief King spun around and saw two figures facing off, both radiating terrifying auras. The ground beneath them was reduced to rubble.

Things didn’t end there. Their auras grew increasingly fearsome, spreading outward in a circle. As far as the eye could see, Zhongshan Commandery lay in ruins.

The Thief King stood frozen in place, buffeted by the frigid gale, his heart sinking into despair.

What use is my Speed Incipient Dao Fruit I’ve just condensed?

“Midheaven Emperor-Lord?”

“Qilin Immortal?”

Lu Yang and the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord stared in astonishment at the two combatants. With tacit agreement, they ceased their fighting, and the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord’s yin and yang bodies merged back into one.

Watching the clash between the two immortals, Lu Yang was utterly flummoxed. I can understand why the Midheaven Emperor-Lord is here. After all, he is a cautious person. He likely sent the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord to test the waters while he waited outside for good news.

But the question is, where did the Qilin Immortal pop up from? And what sparked their battle?

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy was sprawled on her bed in the mental space, her legs propped up and swaying lazily as she coached Lu Yang on how to handle the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord. “Lu Yang, you should strike like this... Hmm? Why is the Qilin Immortal here?”

As soon as she spotted the Qilin Immortal engaged in combat, she sprang out of bed. Brimming with energy, she studied the battle between the two immortals with rapt attention.

“He’s fighting all wrong! Why is he defending now? He should be trading blow for blow! Xiao Yangzi, go over there and tell him how he should fight!”

Lu Yang cast a glance toward the epicenter of the battlefield, where everything seemed to turn into nothingness, and quietly retracted his gaze.

Immortal Fairy, please let me live.

“You must be Lu Yang.” The Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord flew over—or rather, was blown over by the battle’s shockwaves.

“I’m the Survival of the Fittest Divine Lord. If you find that too much of a mouthful, you can call me the Fittest Divine Lord.” He introduced himself as though they were old acquaintances.

Having captured so many Great Qian prisoners, Lu Yang naturally recognized the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord. “What are you doing here?!” Lu Yang looked at him warily. A Great Qian divine lord should be my enemy, but why does his attitude seem off?

“My teacher said that if he and the Midheaven Emperor-Lord came to blows, I should stand beside you. Your good luck can keep me alive.”

“Who is your teacher?” Lu Yang was befuddled, though it could be a result of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s incessant chattering in his mental space clouding his ability to think properly.

“Fittest Arbiter, why are you standing with the enemy?!” the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord bellowed in fury.

The Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? I’ve defected.”

“You—!” The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord was so furious that he couldn’t get another word out.

“I’d advise you to come over here too. It’s safe here.” The Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord kindly offered his former colleague a suggestion. Watching a battle between two immortals at close range is an extraordinarily perilous affair.

Despite not being well-read, the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord was no fool. Seeing through the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord’s intentions, he snorted coldly. “You think I’d trust the words of a traitor? I saw through your scheme long ago. You must be trying to lure me over so that you and Lu Yang can catch me together. That way, you can offer me up as a token of sincerity to pledge your allegiance!”

Just then, Lu Yang shifted two steps to the side without the slightest warning, and the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord hurriedly followed.

The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord watched, perplexed. Suddenly, a stray attack came hurtling from the heart of the immortals’ battlefield. It passed through where Lu Yang had been standing moments earlier and crashed straight into the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord, leaving him battered and scorched.

“Cough, cough, cough—” The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord healed with remarkable speed.

All living beings were composed of yin and yang. As long as one maintained the balance within, disease wouldn’t take hold, and wounds would mend on their own.

Suddenly, another shockwave came hurtling toward them. The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord failed to dodge in time and was blasted straight in the face, his features mangled. On the other hand, Lu Yang seemed clairvoyant. He could foresee where each shockwave would land and sidestepped it with ease.

The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord ultimately chose to trust the words of a traitor. He approached Lu Yang gingerly. Only when he saw that neither Lu Yang nor the Fittest Divine Lord made any move against him did he feel slightly relieved.

In truth, it was the Everlasting Immortal Fairy who had anticipated the incoming attacks and told him to step aside.

“Why are you all together?” After the Thief King snapped out of his daze, he found Lu Yang standing with two of the Great Qian’s divine lords, chatting and laughing. Feeling as though he had missed something, he flew over in curiosity.

“Senior Thief King,” Lu Yang greeted courteously.

The Thief King waved his hands frantically. “No, no. Don’t call me senior. You are the senior.”

The few palm strikes that Lu Yang had unleashed at the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord had nearly frightened the Thief King out of his wits. He had been silently praying that Balance Arbiter Divine Lord would hold on.

Luckily, the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord didn’t let me down. But from the looks of things now, that’s no use at all.

As the four spoke, a black vortex from the Midheaven Emperor-Lord shot past them. Although none of them were injured, the close shave sent a chill down their spines.

A massive crater remained where the black vortex landed. The buildings and earth had all vanished.

The Devouring Dao Fruit could devour all things.

“Teacher is right—sticking close to Fellow Daoist Lu Yang can keep me alive.” The Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord chuckled. If I had been alone, I would have been severely wounded long ago.

“You’re Lu Yang?” The Thief King was taken aback.

“Yes. Why?” Lu Yang wiped his face and reverted to his original appearance. Ever since entering the Fengdu City space, he had taken on the appearance of Young Creed Leader Lu. Before that, when he had served as a constable, he had used yet another appearance. It was perfectly normal that the Thief King didn’t recognize him.

The Thief King’s expression grew increasingly peculiar. “My shifu is the Thief Ancestor.”

The Thief King had only become the Thief Ancestor’s disciple after being captured by him. All his knowledge about condensing a Speed Incipient Dao Fruit had also come from the Thief Ancestor. However, at the final step, his shifu stopped teaching him, leaving the Thief King to comprehend it on his own.

“Your shifu is the Thief Ancestor?” Lu Yang caught the implication in the Thief King’s words. The Thief King and the Taciturn Daoist Priest were close friends despite the difference in their age, and by extension, the two of them could be considered to be of the same generation.

The Thief King nodded. He adopted a casual tone as he probed for information. “By the way, I heard from Lord Man that Zhongshan Commandery has bought insurance. Are you aware of that?”

“Yes, I’m aware. I was the one who suggested it to Junior Brother Man.”

The Thief King racked his memory for all the major contracts the merchant guild had signed. In his recollection, Zhongshan Commandery had never purchased any insurance. “When did you buy it?”

“Seven days ago.”

The Thief King... “...”

So you lot arrested me and threw me in jail, only to turn around and insure Zhongshan Commandery?! If Lu Yang hadn’t been unacquainted with the Midheaven Emperor-Lord and the Qilin Immortal, I would have suspected him of conspiring with these two immortals long ago.

Wait, did the Great Qian divine lord address Lu Yang as “Fellow Daoist?” What is Lu Yang’s relationship with the Great Qian faction?

“Who is this teacher you keep mentioning?” Lu Yang turned to ask the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord.

“The Qilin Immortal. My teacher said you know him.”

I naturally know the Qilin Immortal. Although we haven’t met in person, I’m still very familiar with him. Lu Yang nodded and asked, “Did Senior Qilin Immortal say anything else?”

“He said you should be quite acquainted with his wives as well.”

Lu Yang’s face turned ashen.

Listening from the side, the Thief King grew increasingly convinced that Lu Yang was far from ordinary.