Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-194

They sat around a wooden table in the middle of the small garden. Although the fruits and melons on the table were ordinary, they were fresh and tasty. Second senior martial sister probably placed them there herself.

Lu Ping picked up a fruit and took a bite, it was delicious.

When the senior martial sisters saw Lu Ping eating the fruit without asking, they smiled warmly. They knew that Lu Ping didn’t treat them as outsiders, and wasn’t pretentious.

Li Xuan-Ru continued, "I suppose you have all already learned about the battle at Golden Jiao Island. Teacher's husband, Enlightened Master Jiang Xuan-Lin, advancing into the Avatar Realm and becoming Great Ancestor Jiang Tian-Lin, was shocking news. Moreover, he defeated the Golden Jiao Lord."

Lu Ping only knew that Jiang Tian-Lin and the Golden Jiao Lord battled, but he only found out the outcome of the battle right now.

"Second Senior Sister, how come we didn’t hear anything about the breakthrough before? Isn’t it said that the advancement to the Avatar Realm triggers a heavenly phenomenon?"

Seventh Senior Martial Sister Hua Zi-Fang couldn’t help but ask.

Li Xuan-Ru smiled mysteriously, "Who says a heavenly phenomenon didn’t happen? Have you forgotten about the huge vortex of spiritual energy at the summit of Tian Ling Mountain a few months ago?"

Seventh Sister covered her mouth with her hand in surprise, "Didn't the sect say that was one of our Great Ancestors experimenting with a new spell? So, was it actually the heavenly phenomenon triggered by Teacher Jiang?"

Li Xuan-Ru nodded slightly.

Lu Ping noticed that his third and fourth senior sister were calm when they heard the news, indicating that they probably knew about it already.

Sure enough, Li Xuan-Ru explained, "The advancement was also what initiated the sect to start planning the attack on Golden Jiao Island. Only Core Forging Realm Enlightened Masters were told about the advancement, with the sect covering it up from the rest of the disciples."

Lu Ping recalled Enlightened Master Liu's expression at the time when the vortex of spiritual energy happened. It seemed that she already knew it was the heavenly phenomenon triggered by Enlightened Master Jiang Xuan-Lin's advancement.

Li Xuan-Ru said, "The Avatar Realm is the ceiling of the cultivation world. A Great Ancestor appears once every few decades or even a century. Therefore, whenever someone enters the Avatar Realm, the sect makes use of the opportunity to raise it’s repetition and promote the Great Ancestor's prestige."

At this point, Lu Ping could already guess the reason why Li Xuan-Ru gathered them together.

Li Xuan-Ru continued, "The sect is now organizing an Avatar forum for Teacher Jiang. The disciples under his Xiao Yao Palace have already been preparing for it, sending invitations to the other forces in the North Ocean. Given that Teacher Jiang has also defeated the Golden Jiao Lord, I believe this Avatar forum will be unprecedented."

As Li Xuan-Ru spoke, she noticed that Hua Zi-Fang wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Li Xuan-Ru smiled and explained, "Although our Zhong Hua Palace and Teacher Jiang's Xiao Yao Palace are said to be two separate palaces, we are actually the same force."

"Seventh, I know what you want to ask. But even third, fourth, and I, did not know much about the matter between Teacher and Teacher Jiang. All I can tell you is that before you, eighth, and ninth joined us, we were all disciples under Xiao Yao Palace."

After listening to Li Xuan-Ru, Lu Ping now knew a little bit more about Zhong Hua Palace. But Li Xuan-Ru didn’t explain further and stopped there. So, Lu Ping knew that his second, third, and fourth senior sister definitely knew something else about the teachers, but they just couldn't say it.

Lu Ping also knew that Li Xuan-Ru was explaining it mainly for him and the seventh senior sister as they had joined later and weren’t clear about the relationship between Zhong Hua Palace and Xiao Yao Palace.

Then, Li Xuan-Ru finally told them the reason she gathered them here today, "After the forum, the forces that take part will have to present a congratulatory gift. Even the Enlightened Masters within the sect will also have to present their gifts. Although our Teacher will obviously not join the forum, as her disciples, we still have to keep our courtesy.

"Although the two teachers have stopped interacting, Zhong Hua and Xiao Yao disciples are still close and have always viewed each other as siblings. Hence, I have gathered you all here today to discuss what congratulatory gift we can present to Teacher Jiang."

Lu Ping knew this discussion was in fact mainly between the three Core Forging Realm senior sisters, with the second senior sister being the decision maker. The seventh senior sister and Lu Ping were only here because they were also part of Zhong Hua Palace, their knowledge and experience weren’t enough to help at the moment.

Hua Zi-Fang also involved herself in the discussion, but was mostly just asking questions. The senior sisters were friendly, and gladly answered any questions, whilst also asking Hua Zi-Fang's and Lu Ping's thoughts from time to time.

Half a day later, the three senior sisters had finally decided on two congratulatory gifts. The first was five 3000-year spirit herbs, and the second was a Grade 2 top-grade spirit material, Void Sound Stone."

Fourth Senior Martial Sister Wang Xuan-Jing said helplessly, "Although our gifts are good, it's the Avatar forum, meaning there will be many gifts that are of equivalent value. I'm worried that others will make malicious rumors if our gifts are 'ordinary'."

Hua Zi-Fang and Lu Ping looked at the gifts covetously.

Lu Ping thought for a moment, before taking out the remaining six Golden Nuts he had and said, "Senior Sisters, will this be alright as a congratulatory gift?"

Third Senior Sister Zhao Xuan-Ji looked at the golden fruit in the box. Her eyes lit up and she asked with some uncertainty, "Are they… Golden Nuts? The nuts that can be used to enhance a cultivators' body?"

"Yes, they are Golden Nuts. I was fortunate enough to find some in the Heaven of Seven Stars. I contributed a few of them to the sect, and another six to Teacher. Since I have already presented some to Teacher, I must also present some to Teacher Jiang as well. Not to mention Teacher Jiang has taken care of me several times before."

Lu Ping smiled and explained to the senior martial sisters.

Li Xuan-Ru looked at Lu Ping's Golden Nuts and nodded slightly, "Although the Golden Nuts are not as valuable as the 3000-year spirit herbs, they are rare and valuable enough to be used as a congratulatory gift. With these three gifts, our Zhong Hua Palace will definitely not embarrass Teacher."

Fourth Senior Martial Sister Wang Xuan-Jing always liked to tease Lu Ping. So, when she saw Lu Ping taking out the Golden Nuts, she giggled and said, "No wonder there are certain people spreading rumors around that you are a 'moneybag', so it's really not a rumor after all."

Lu Ping knew that his fourth sister was cautioning him, and so he was grateful. He said, "I am definitely not a 'moneybag'. Those people should already know that I have offered most of my gains to the sect, I don't have much left."

Wang Xuan-Jing also clearly knew about this matter, and said, "Those people are always jealous of others' hard-earned gains."

After leaving second senior sister's cave-dwelling, Lu Ping went to Zhong Hua Palace to visit Enlightened Master Liu, to ask some questions about his cultivation. Especially regarding the nascent mystic instrument and the twelve Nascent Primordial Star Pearls, that Lu Ping was about to start refining. He didn’t dare be careless at all and wanted his Teachers’ advice.

However, Enlightened Master Liu Xuan-Ling was not in Zhong Hua Palace, and was not even on Tian Ling Mountain. Lu Ping asked the palace servants, but they didn’t know her whereabouts. They only knew that Enlightened Master Liu left yesterday morning after receiving a message sword. She gave a cold sneer and shook the entire cultivation chamber, before leaving with a somber expression.

Lu Ping was puzzled. What matter could make the calm Enlightened Master Liu leave her palace in anger? However, if she didn’t inform the three Core Forging Realm senior martial sisters, it was probably just a trivial matter.

So, Lu Ping returned back to Huang Li Island.

When he arrived, he immediately asked Fang Tao if Liu Zi-Yuan and the others had returned. He learned that the six teams of cultivators, who had gone to the sea from Huang Li Island, did not come back at the same time. The cultivators had been separated and came back on their own, all with exhaustion and some with injuries.

Lu Ping was alarmed, and immediately headed for the island's council chamber.

When he arrived, Lu Ping received news that angered and frightened him.

Huang Li Island's six patrol teams had been ambushed by the monster race in the buffer sea, whilst on their way back.

In the ambush, there was a monster Enlightened Master who severely injured Enlightened Master Yang Xuan-Mu.

The monster beasts then charged in and separated the patrol teams apart. In the end, Patrol Team One had gone missing!