The second day, the torrential rain had passed, and the sky was cloudless. Lu Yu gently inhaled the air of the earth washed by the rain, filled with the fragrance of soil.
Now, with the vast sky above, he could leisurely explore this magical world. Feeling relaxed and curious, Lu Yu embarked on his heart's journey. His next destination was Yunzhou, where it was rumored that Immortals resided; he hoped to visit, and if he could enter an Immortal Sect, that would be even better.
Yunzhou, in the eastern part of Great Chen, was famed for its beautiful mountains, clear waters, and spiritually gifted individuals, especially the area around Mount Tianmu, which was teemed with legends of Immortals, with many swearing they had seen one.
As a result, many people came to Yunzhou seeking immortality, making it a distinctive trait of the region.
In recent days, Lu Yu had been deeply affected; in just a few days, he saw at least four groups of people all coming to Yunzhou in search of fate with the Immortals. Their minds filled with thoughts of glory and riches after learning the Immortal Law, and some even harbored ill intents to commit wrongdoings once they gained abilities. Seeing this, Lu Yu shook his head and chose to deviate from the main path, instead walking the less traveled country lanes.
Confident in the protection of his Flying Sword and Dharma Protector Spirit, he disregarded day and night. Whenever he felt like walking, he walked; and when he didn't, he would find a place to lie down, using the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, somewhat mimicking the lifestyle of an Immortal.
That day, Lu Yu was in high spirits and, despite it being deep into the night, he continued his unhurried pace towards Mount Tianmu.
The distant fire halfway up the mountain reminded Lu Yu of the day he first transmigrated into this world. A similar fire had warmed him, providing him the ability to survive in this dangerous world. Laughing lightly, he felt a bit nostalgic, though it hadn't been many days since. He wondered how his good friend was faring in their Sect now.
So, Lu Yu decided to change his plans, intending to rest by the fire for the night as a reminiscence of the past.
Upon reaching his destination, he found it to be a Mountain God Temple, not large but well-maintained, clearly attended to regularly by villagers nearby.
The red temple doors were flanked by paintings of two small demons, presumably the Mountain God's gate-keeping demons. Lu Yu gently pushed open the temple door and saw a young man and woman sitting around the fire inside. They looked about his age and seemed to be siblings, watching him enter with faces full of caution.
"Apologies for the intrusion, friends. May I humble request shelter for the night?" Lu Yu said, bowing as he remembered people in this world did.
His scholarly appearance was convincing to the people of this world. Seeing Lu Yu's attire, the siblings lowered their guard and introduced themselves.
The elder brother was named He Yingchao, and the sister was He Yinglian. They were from a Martial Arts Family and had recently ventured into the martial arts world.
As newcomers to the martial arts world, their hearts were not yet tainted by the tumultuous human world, and they still upheld a pure heart of integrity.
They had been sent by their parents to wish a revered elder a happy birthday. Unexpectedly, on their way home, they encountered a group of human traffickers. Known for abhorring evil, they could not let these malefactors go unpunished.
However, these traffickers had notable skills, and the siblings barely managed to eliminate them.
But their troubles had only just begun. Within a few days, a demon started hunting them down. It seemed to possess immortality, reviving a few days after each death despite its mediocre skills.
Having never witnessed such bizarre events, the siblings, tormented over the days, lost their will to fight and could only flee.
Lu Yu listened with great interest to the siblings recounting their experiences, feeling as if he had opened his eyes to a new world.
So, this was what the martial arts world was like—he felt as if the scenes of blades and swordfights that he had read about in books had come alive, vividly unfolding before him.
Just then, a strange cry came from above: "Hehe, can't the little ones run anymore? You've killed me so many times, it's only fair for your grandpa to kill you once!"
Hearing this voice, the siblings seemed to recall something terrifying and instantly turned pale.
"Don't worry, I am quite merciful to the fairer sex. After I kill them, I'll take good care of you, miss," the voice continued.
"Stop your tricks and come down here!" Lu Yu shouted loudly at that moment.
Despite his commanding voice, to the demon, it sounded like thunder from the Nine Heavens, rendering him completely immobile and overwhelmed by fear.
With a loud smack, a figure fell from the roof to the ground—a man wearing a blood-red robe, his face pale as paper.
The man, looking terrified, stared at Lu Yu. He had never imagined there could be someone in the world who could produce such a sound, realizing he had encountered a true master.
Lu Yu also felt a surge of pride, having slowly deduced this use of the Flying Sword over the past few days. He embedded Sword Qi within the sound, and although it did not harm the enemy, its deterrent effect was first-rate. He had named it: Sword Qi Thunder Sound.
The siblings had been tormented by this immortal monster for days. Seeing the demon naturally infuriated He Yinglian, who drew her sword and immediately stabbed the demon to death.
Just then, the person suddenly transformed into a pool of flowing blood, swiftly slithering towards the temple gate like a giant red python, leaving behind only a shriveled husk of skin.
As it left, it didn't forget to threaten them, "Dare to spoil our Blood Cult's plans, and you all shall await your deaths!"
A bright sword light suddenly appeared, streaking like lightning to the side of the red python in an instant. With a scream, the red python was pinned to the ground.
A sizzling sound followed, and the volume of the blood visibly diminished rapidly, disappearing completely within moments.
Lu Yu frowned as he watched his Flying Sword return, realizing the loss to its spiritual nature was much greater than he had anticipated.
"Yan Dan once said that some techniques excel in corrupting magical treasures; could this be one of them?" Lu Yu muttered to himself.
Unsure of what exactly the Blood Cult was, the nature of their techniques suggested they were far from benign.
"Thank you for saving our lives, senior!" The siblings' voices of gratitude pulled Lu Yu from his thoughts, and he saw them looking at him with admiration.
"No need for formalities. Since you siblings uphold justice, I could not stand by and watch you be harmed by an evil technique." Lu Yu waved his hand.
The siblings were exceedingly excited, feeling completely satisfied with their adventure in the martial arts world. They had completed their family's mission, acted righteously, escaped after being chased, and even met such a remarkable senior. It truly made their trip worthwhile.
"May I ask where you plan to go next, senior?" He Yingchao asked, eager to accompany such a master, hoping to learn a few moves if possible, which would be enormously beneficial.
"Stop with the senior. I merely learned some minor and deceptive skills. If you don't mind, you can just call me Big Brother Lu!"
After chatting for a few moments, Lu Yu noticed He Yinglian looking anxious, as though she had something to say but dared not speak, her fair face flushing red.
"What's the matter? Is there something else you want to say?"
"Big Brother Lu, could you perhaps escort us for a part of the way? Those demons surely won't let this matter rest easily!"
Seeing that Lu Yu did not oppose, He Yinglian gathered her courage and started recounting their ordeal.
It turned out that during their mission to eradicate some human traffickers, they had encountered a Taoist Priest near death who, before dying, had tasked the siblings with passing information about the traffickers to a master at the Xuantian Temple in Yunzhou.
Ever since they accepted this task, the sinister demon began pursuing them, and only then did they realize that they had stumbled into a grave conspiracy.
"Treading on thin ice all the way, even passing by The gates of hell, have you ever regretted it?" Lu Yu asked with a smile.
"There's fear, but no regrets. Upholding righteousness has been our father's teaching since we were young. If we cowered from death, we wouldn't have the face to return home to meet our parents," He Yingchao said decisively, his eyes firm and gleaming with an unusual light.
"Very well, since you are so determined, I will accompany you through fire and sword." Lu Yu saw the light of humanity in them and felt a surge of boldness in his heart.