Chapter 484: Lu Shao the Cult Leader

“Heavenly Court Sect?!”

The guests were all startled when the young man announced his affiliation. For low-level cultivators, the most exciting topic in the past two months had been discussing who would stand out in the competition. However, for high-level cultivators, the most frequently discussed figure was Daoist Dou Tianzun, who appeared in the Battle of Hanshui City and proclaimed himself the Supreme Heavenly Venerate of the Heavenly Court Sect.

Aside from the Four Ancient Immortals, this was the first immortal to openly appear. Both the Great Qian and Great Yu dynasties were rumored to have immortals, and the Great Xia dynasty was no different, with legends of immortals residing in the imperial palace's forbidden grounds, though no one had ever seen them. Daoist Dou Tianzun's appearance caused a huge stir in the outside world. Cultivators at both the Integration and Tribulation Transcension stages debated who Daoist Dou Tianzun was and what the Heavenly Court Sect represented. Opinions varied widely regarding Daoist Dou Tianzun and the Heavenly Court Sect, with no definitive conclusion reached.

Some claimed the Heavenly Court Sect was an ancient organization that had only recently awakened, while others believed it had existed since ancient times, operating in the shadows and orchestrating the rise and fall of dynasties as the true power behind the scenes. It was inconceivable that today, during the grand competition organized by the court and the Dao Seeking Sect's 120,000-year celebration, the Heavenly Court Sect would brazenly appear without an invitation! What audacity! Those with keen minds already detected a strong scent of impending conflict from this action. The Heavenly Court Sect's intentions were clearly hostile.

"Who are you?" Immortal Fairy, acting as the interim sect master and controlling Lu Yang's body, sternly demanded. Her tone faintly revealed a decisive killing intent.

The young man from the Heavenly Court Sect stood on the stage, facing the surrounding multitude without the slightest fear. Instead, he cupped his fists and declared loudly, "You must be Sect Master Lu Yang, whose fame is currently soaring. Sect Master Lu, you achieved renown at a young age with a solid foundation. If you were to participate in this competition, I fear you would easily take first place. Coincidentally, we share the same surname; I am also Lu, and I am the Young Master of this sect."

Immortal Fairy narrowed her eyes, ignoring his flattery. Her voice turned slightly cold: "So it is Young Master Lu. May I ask why Young Master Lu has come to my Dao Seeking Sect to disrupt the competition, and what business do these individuals in the sky have here?"

Dark clouds hovered above the stage, and five solemn figures stood atop them, like deities or demons.

"I am the Heavenly Court Sect's Guardian, Nether King." An ominous black aura emanated from the Nether King, as if he had awakened from an ancient tomb, resurrected with the grievances of the dead, bringing endless disaster to the world.

"I am the Heavenly Court Sect's Guardian, Myriad Medicine King." The scent of medicinal herbs wafted from the Myriad Medicine King. One sniff was enough to know these scents were extraordinary; only long-term contact with the Little Medicine King could produce such an aroma.

"I am the Heavenly Court Sect's Guardian, Indestructible King." The Indestructible King resembled the Golden-Bodied Arhat from Buddhist legends, or perhaps he was the original form of the Golden-Bodied Arhat himself! His physique was robust and powerful, with no discernible weak points, representing the pinnacle of body cultivation.

"I am the Heavenly Court Sect's Guardian, Many Treasures King." The Many Treasures King wore a string of magical artifacts at his waist. The most striking among them was a top-tier artifact that even Tribulation Transcension stage cultivators would covet. It had already developed a spirit, obtained by refining the soul of a Tribulation Transcension cultivator—truly terrifying!

"I am the Heavenly Court Sect's Guardian, Golden Flame King." A wisp of golden flame occasionally flickered from the Golden Flame King. This flame was not among the 108 true fires; it seemed more like all 108 true fires combined and evolved to a completely new realm!

The five figures resembled towering, insurmountable mountains, their auras ancient, as if they had come from antiquity. However, it was only their auras that were ancient; anyone could tell that these five Heavenly Kings were in their prime, far from old age, and perhaps not even at their peak strength.

"I sense these five haven't undergone tribulation. Why aren't our ancestors taking action to intercept them?" the Sect Master of the Qi Control Sect muttered softly. He was highly sensitive to auras and could tell that none of them were at the Tribulation Transcension stage.

Venerable Yiqi glared at his junior, startling the Sect Master of the Qi Control Sect into realizing his mistake and quickly falling silent. Only then did Venerable Yiqi transmit his explanation: "Are you the only clever one here? Are all these Tribulation Transcension stage cultivators present not as perceptive as you? Do you know that entering the Dao Seeking Sect requires passing through River Spirit? River Spirit's abilities rival those of Tribulation Transcension stage cultivators. To sneak past him and enter the Dao Seeking Sect is definitely not something an Integration stage cultivator could do! Do you think those who have appeared now are all of the Heavenly Court Sect's present members? In my opinion, at least one more Half-Immortal from the Heavenly Court Sect is hidden in the shadows. Furthermore, the Dao Seeking Sect has stated they possess means to counter Half-Immortals, yet they are not acting now. This likely points to the worst-case scenario: Daoist Dou Tianzun is also here, perhaps even right under our noses, yet no one has detected him!"

The Sect Master of the Qi Control Sect's heart trembled, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Our apologies for the intrusion," the Nether King said in a deep voice, appearing to be the leader among the Heavenly Kings.

The five Heavenly Kings descended from the sky. The surrounding people, scared, hastily cleared an open space and dared not approach them. Feeling their terrifying auras, some of the prodigies couldn't even stand steadily.

Young Master Lu acted as if he didn't notice the Immortal Fairy's displeasure. With a smile on his lips, he replied: "Since awakening from my slumber in ancient times, I have never encountered a match among those of the same cultivation level. I coincidentally heard that your esteemed sect is holding a competition, so I came to gather for fun. I apologize for coming uninvited, and I hope Sect Master Lu will forgive my presumption."

Slept since ancient times? Hearing Young Master Lu's introduction, the guests were once again startled. The Heavenly Court Sect indeed originated from ancient times.

Young Master Lu glanced at the two prodigies on the stage and continued: "These two are both at the Mid-Core Formation stage, and I, coincidentally, am also at the Mid-Core Formation stage. I propose to challenge both of them. If I lose, my sect will withdraw. If I win, it demonstrates my considerable strength, and I will continue to participate in the competition. What do you say?"

"One against two? Young Master Lu, you speak with great arrogance," Immortal Fairy sneered. "Not allowing you to challenge would make my Great Xia appear ungenerous. Very well, if you win this match, you will be granted a qualification to compete. If you lose, then get out of the Dao Seeking Sect!" As she spoke the last words, Immortal Fairy's tone deepened, harboring killing intent.

The prodigies below secretly praised her words, eager to applaud on the spot. Young Master Lu had been overbearing, his words showing no regard for them, yet Sect Master Lu, facing the powerful Heavenly Court Sect, showed no fear and even threatened them in return. This sheer audacity alone surpassed all of them!

"Well said, Sect Master Lu! I, Qiu Jin'an, support Sect Master Lu's stance. Since ancient times, winners become kings and losers become outlaws. If you lose, then go back to where you came from!" The sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects and the First Prince stepped forward to support Immortal Fairy. Everyone clenched their fists excitedly, watching the six righteous forces—the Five Great Immortal Sects and the imperial court—unite to face the enemy.

Only Meng Jingzhou stared at the so-called Young Master Lu with a deadpan expression throughout. The First Prince felt quite uneasy. It was his first time doing something like this; had he revealed any flaws? Why did the people from the Five Great Immortal Sects seem so skilled at this routine?