Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 128 Call Me Master (Please Subscribe)
The prototype of the Rooster is the mythical bird Junyi.

—The Book of Lost Tales records: "During the reign of King Mu of Zhou, a five-colored bird named Junyi was presented from the westernmost point. Its cry could shatter metal and stone. The king rode eight steeds to pursue it, and the bird flapped its wings and cried out, causing the jade peak of Kunlun to collapse."

It has extremely strong sonic power and is very sensitive to sound.

Kui Yuanchen possesses Junyi's innate supernatural abilities, and like Junyi, he is the most easily "awakened" mechanical puppet.

To protect her and prevent her from waking up unexpectedly and becoming unable to move, Gu Yunsheng specially set up a soundproof barrier underground, using the power of the Hundred Flowers Valley's earth veins to isolate all sounds in the space so as not to disturb her slumber.

This wouldn't have been a problem in the first place. If Hua Jianying was just participating in the General's Platform test, no matter how many times she went in and out each day, it wouldn't have disturbed Youji. However, she discovered that Baihua Valley was full of vital energy and began to use the earth's energy to cultivate herbs, and in considerable quantities. This weakened the supply of earth's energy and reduced the effectiveness of the soundproof barrier.

In the end, the Rooster woke up ahead of schedule.

Once she woke up, there was no need to disturb her anymore. At that time, Chenlong had already awakened and started to reverse the route Gu Yunsheng took before he went to sea. He had also discovered the anomaly in Baihua Valley in Xiaohan Land. So he used Yuanlong Divine Power to break through space unnoticed and came to the foot of General's Platform to meet Youji.

The Rooster (酉) is not the Sheep (未).

What she heard after she awoke was Hua Jianying's earnest teachings to her disciples within the Hundred Flowers Valley Wood Armor Sect.

Hua Jianying admonished her disciples: Know what to do and what not to do; distinguish right from wrong; make wise choices; cultivate virtue and integrity; and be honest and introspective…

Having been influenced by what she saw and heard, she did not resent Gu Yunsheng.

Some even believe that the appearance of Chenlong was a backup plan devised by Gu Yunsheng to prevent the mechanical armor from ever being born.

Therefore, she made the opposite decision as Wei Yang—she followed Chen Long away from General's Platform.

Before leaving, she left behind her outer armor, the mechanical steed.

It is both a mount and a siege weapon like the Taiyi.

As its magnificent plumage soared into the air, and the [Heavenly Sound Glazed Bead] in its throat suddenly shone brightly, its clear cry pierced the sky. At first, it sounded like the cry of a phoenix in the heavens, but in an instant, it transformed into divine punishment. The bricks and stones on the city wall resonated and collapsed with a deafening roar, shattering into dust. Soldiers' eardrums ruptured, and blood flowed from their seven orifices. Martial artists' true energy was disrupted, and their meridians were severed.

As the echoes faded, the battlefield transformed into a living hell.

The corpses scattered on the ground showed no external injuries, except for blood seeping from their eyes and ears, and their faces were distorted.

This is Junyi!
This is the Rooster!
"Cong Kui? Running away from home is not the behavior of a good child..."

After Lu Chenyuan finished speaking, the token suddenly became hot in his palm, and a questioning voice came from it: "Lu Chenyuan?"

The sound was melodious and clear, very pleasant to hear.

Lu Chenyuan was not surprised. When their eyes met, Junyi had already recognized its master. He and the mechanical Junyi were connected by their consciousness, and Junyi was connected by its consciousness with the Rooster. The moment the connection was established, the Rooster already sensed who its master was.

Lu Chenyuan smiled and said, "Call me master."

"...You actually found Hundred Flowers Valley and even cracked the General's Platform..."

"Call Master."

"……you……"

"Call Master."

"I heard!"

The token shimmered with light, and the faint sound of something being slapped could be heard. The Rooster, with a hint of helplessness, murmured, "Master..."

The word "person" was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say it.

She sighed softly, her voice still clear but now more earnest: "Now that you have cracked the General's Platform and obtained the Divine Talisman Scroll, I should naturally acknowledge you as my master and become your protector... However, I have an appointment with Chenlong right now, and there are still important matters to be completed. I will come to find you after this matter is settled..."

"..."

Lu Chenyuan raised an eyebrow and nodded secretly.

The Rooster's lessons from Huajianying were not in vain.

She felt grateful to Gu Yunsheng for his kindness and would not disobey his orders. At the same time, she was also grateful to Chenlong for taking her out of General's Platform and saving her from decades of loneliness.

She was loyal and devoted to her friends. It wasn't that she didn't want to call him "master," but rather that she had made a promise to Chenlong beforehand. Calling him "master" would prevent her from fulfilling the promise, so it was better not to call him "master" in the first place. This could be considered as "not making promises lightly, but always keeping them."

Lu Chenyuan thought to himself that at least he wasn't a problem child like Wei Yang anymore.

Of course.

He understood, but he wasn't going to play along. While keeping an eye on the battle outside, he lazily said, "Rules are rules. Anyway, I'll have to call him 'master' sooner or later, so I might as well do it now and save myself the trouble later."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the token.

The Rooster's voice carried a hint of helpless laughter: "You... why are you so persistent? I always keep my word. Since I promised, I naturally won't go back on my word. It's just that I'm temporarily..."

Lu Chenyuan suddenly interrupted her: "I didn't tell you to come back now. Even if you call me master, you can still go and do things with Chenlong. Are these two things in conflict?"

The light on the token flickered slightly, and the Rooster seemed to be confused by this logic.

After a long pause, a soft sigh came: "You certainly know how to find loopholes..."

"That's called being reasonable."

Lu Chenyuan laughed and said, "Come on, say it and let me hear it."

The token suddenly fell silent.

Just as Lu Chenyuan thought she was about to cut off the connection, a very soft voice came: "...Master."

The address was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet every word was clear.

Comfortable!

The goddess couldn't bear to bully him, and since the Goat was sick, he finally got the better of the Rooster.

Lu Chenyuan smiled with satisfaction: "Very good. Now you can go and fulfill your promise to Chenlong with peace of mind."

The Rooster's voice held a hint of amusement and exasperation: "You... really..." She paused, then her tone suddenly softened: "Thank you for your understanding. Once this matter is settled, I will definitely come back to help you."

"Not urgent."

Lu Chenyuan stroked the token and said calmly, "She's looking for Gu Yunsheng, isn't she? Once she really finds a way, I'm afraid you might not be willing to come back."

"I……"

"No need to explain."

Lu Chenyuan looked towards the cave entrance, where the battle was becoming increasingly intense. He put away his joking tone and said, "Go ahead, but be careful."

"Ah."

The rooster's voice was warm: "You too."

"Oh, by the way, please tell Chenlong as well."

Lu Chenyuan added, "I'll go to Bashu sooner or later, and I hope she'll keep her promise then!"

"you!"

Upon hearing this, the Rooster was startled and blurted out, "How did you know...?"

Before she could finish speaking, she realized what she was saying and quickly shut up.

Lu Chenyuan had already confirmed his guess from her reaction and laughed, "We were able to find the Mechanized City, Mount Song, and now we've found Hundred Flowers Valley... The Mechanized City is hidden in Luoyang, the Hundred Ghosts Painting is hidden in one of the seventy-two peaks of Mount Song, and Hundred Flowers Valley is vast and open, and all of them are hidden by mechanical barriers. These are not places that can be found by just wandering around. Among the ten divine arts, only two have the ability to pinpoint locations precisely—[Qimen] and [Dunjia]."

The Rooster was quite surprised.

Lu Chenyuan said, "The 'Dunjia Scroll' can be used for divination and prophecy, while the 'Qimen Scroll' can bring good fortune and avoid misfortune. Now that the 'Dunjia Scroll' has appeared in the Northeast, given the nature of the Dragon, it shouldn't reveal itself on its own. That leaves only the 'Qimen Scroll'... Dunjia has three wonders, and Qimen also has three escapes. They can change the terrain, reverse good and bad fortune, and determine cause and effect... Those who possess Qimen can naturally see clues from the feng shui layout and the flow of vital energy. Am I right?"

"..."

The Rooster fell silent, its heart filled with shock.

Is this what they mean by seeing the big picture from small details?
"As for why it's Sichuan and Chongqing..."

Lu Chenyuan smiled and narrowed his eyes: "'Listening to the tortoise's language on the celestial raft beyond the clouds,' isn't that obvious?"

The Book of Documents states: "Heaven gave Yu a book that appeared in the Luo River. It was said that a divine tortoise carried the writing on its back."

The so-called tortoise language refers to the tortoise script, also known as the "Luoshu," which is the origin of Qimen Dunjia.

—The Book of Natural History states: The Milky Way connects with the sea, and in recent times, some people have lived on the seashore... and sailed away on rafts.

The so-called "fairy raft" refers to the story of Zhang Qian meeting the Weaver Girl on his raft and receiving a loom stone as a gift on his way back to Shu, which is naturally the Shu region.

"..."

The Rooster is truly breathtaking.

She remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed softly, her voice filled with genuine admiration: "No wonder you were able to solve the General's Platform test..."

Lu Chenyuan accepted the praise without hesitation, but he could only speculate to this extent. The rest would be difficult to find. The Shu region was so vast, and the Zhiji Stone was just a metaphor. Finding the "Qimen Scroll" would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

As the two were chatting, they suddenly heard a rapid roar from the direction of the Rooster, sounding like a dragon or an elephant, like rolling thunder!

The Rooster's voice grew tense: "Something's happened to the Dragon, I have to rush over to help."

Lu Chenyuan didn't say much: "Be careful."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the token, followed by a solemn voice from the Rooster: "Take care, Master."

The word "master" was uttered crisply and without the slightest hesitation. Lu Chenyuan's lips curled up slightly, and he was about to respond when the token dimmed, and the connection was lost.

"It seems the East China Sea holds quite a secret..."

Lu Chenyuan sighed, put away the token, and looked toward the secret chamber in the cold pool, where the fighting was becoming increasingly intense.

……

At the entrance to the secret room.

Twelve black iron puppets formed a net that stretched across the land, their blades flashing like silk, completely surrounding the Earthly Fiends.

These puppets gleamed with a cold, metallic light, their joints operated with precise mechanisms, and their movements were perfectly synchronized, moving with the precision of living people. They were none other than the Xuanbing Valley's secret [Ten Directions Calamity Killing Formation]!
The Earthly Fiend's crimson eyes flickered, and its figure moved as elusive as a ghost. But no matter how it moved, the Human Puppet Blade always blocked all escape routes, forcing the Earthly Fiend to use arrows.

"Whoosh-"

The first pair of Crimson Dust Arrows shot through the air, their shafts wreathed in red and black poisonous mist, piercing precisely through the head of a human puppet. The puppet's head exploded with a deafening roar, yet its headless body still swung its blade at the Earthly Fiend, the blade grazing its shoulder armor and sending sparks flying.

Zong Chuke sneered: "Continue."

The remaining puppets attacked even more fiercely. They felt no pain and were unafraid of death. Their blades fell like a storm, and the Earthly Fiends dodged and their quivers vibrated.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three pairs of arrows were fired simultaneously, shooting out in a triangular pattern, but the puppet neither dodged nor avoided them, allowing the arrows to pierce its body.

They were originally soulless puppets, and the Seven Emotions Poison of the Red Dust Arrow had no effect on inanimate objects!

The arrow pierced through his body and embedded itself in the stone wall, its fletching still trembling violently.

"Five pairs remain."

Zong Chuke slowly rubbed his thumb ring: "Keep at it."

The Earthly Fiend seemed to sense the danger, its body suddenly accelerating, turning into a black afterimage in the narrow secret passage. It no longer fired arrows blindly, but looked for the best opportunity.

"Whoosh!"

The fifth arrow was fired, and a human puppet was hit in the knee and instantly knelt down. But suddenly, a chain popped out from its arm and tightly wrapped around the right leg of the Earthly Fiend!
The three puppets pounced at the same time, their blades slashing at the arm of the Earthly Fiend holding the quiver.

At the critical moment, Di Sha suddenly spun around and unleashed the sixth arrow at close range. The red and black poisonous mist exploded like fireworks, and the heads of the three puppets pierced by the arrow exploded at the same time. Their metal bodies began to corrode, emitting wisps of blue smoke!
Zong Chuke narrowed his eyes: "What a potent poison..."

The seventh and eighth arrows were fired in succession, and two more puppets fell.

However, the Earthly Fiends' quiver only has one pair of Red Dust Arrows left.

Just then, the red light in the eyes of the Earthly Fiend suddenly surged. It abandoned its defense, took a blow head-on, and its figure passed through the gap between the puppets like a ghost, rushing straight at Zong Chuke!

"Whoosh-"

The ninth arrow was released, its red and black shadows aimed straight for Zong Chuke's brow!
Zong Chuke's pupils contracted sharply; before the arrow even arrived, the illusion had already begun.

He watched the two arrows streak across the sky, his gaze wandering, as if he had returned to that rainy night when he was a boy.

Assassins stormed into the house, and the younger sister was hacked to pieces...

Blood, rain, and my sister's screams
All the pain he had deliberately forgotten was magnified infinitely at this moment!

This is the [Red Dust Arrow].

The eighty-one kinds of the most potent poisons in the world are not the most terrifying aspect of the Red Dust Arrow. No matter how much poison is used, it is useless if the arrow cannot hit the target. What is most frightening about the Red Dust Arrow is the power of the arrow itself that can stir up emotions. The black and red arrows can make people see the most unforgettable and memorable things in the depths of their consciousness. Then, they will lose their senses upon seeing them and die upon seeing them again!

The arrow is already upon us!

At the critical moment.

His mind stirred, and Pei Moxuan suddenly looked blank, stepping aside to block him.

There was a pop.

The arrow pierced deep into his chest.

Pei Moxuan snapped out of his daze, looked down in disbelief at the arrow in his chest, then turned to Zong Chuke: "You..."

Zong Chuke waved his hand expressionlessly, and Pei Moxuan's clothes ripped open, revealing a [Puppet Talisman] that had been stuck to his chest at some point, and it was slowly burning.

"It's your honor to have taken an arrow for me!"

The light in Pei Moxuan's eyes dimmed rapidly, and his body went limp like a rag doll.

The Earthly Fiend's quiver was also empty.

Zong Chuke drew his sword, pointing the blade at Di Sha: "Now, it's time to end this."

The Earthly Fiend stood silently in place, the red light in his eyes flickering.

Suddenly, it raised its arm, and the quiver "cracked" and transformed back into a short blade!
Zong Chuke raised an eyebrow: "Interesting."

He assumed the starting stance of the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Sword" and was about to step forward when a clear and melodious phoenix cry suddenly came from the secret passage behind him.

"Wow—"

The sound waves surged in like a tidal wave, and the remaining puppets froze. Their metal joints creaked and groaned in the resonance before exploding with a deafening roar!
"what?!"

Zong Chuke suddenly looked up.

Inside the secret chamber of the cold pool, at the end of the passage, the unremarkable landscape painting hanging in front of the door suddenly moved without any wind, and strange ripples appeared on the surface of the scroll, with the ink spreading out.

The once tranquil mountains and rivers began to twist and deform—the verdant mountains turned into hideous ghost faces, and the babbling streams became winding rivers of blood!
"This is……"

Zong Chuke's pupils constricted sharply, and he retreated hastily: "The 'Azure Netherworld Hundred Ghosts Painting'?!"

"Wow!"

The scroll spread rapidly as if it were alive, the ink spreading and blurring, and in an instant, the entire floor of the secret room transformed into a secluded painting world!
Zong Chuke lowered his head again, and the blue bricks beneath his feet had turned into a flowing ink pool.

Dozens of jet-black lines, like deadly ghostly hands, emerged from the painting, aiming straight for his vital points!

"Stealing the sky and changing the sun!"

Zong Chuke swiftly turned his sword, his black robe billowing as the sword light slashed towards the ink lines like a bolt of lightning. However, the moment the sword energy touched the ink lines, it was as if the ink lines had vanished into thin air – instead of being severed, the ink lines wrapped around the sword and climbed upwards!

Zong Chuke panicked, wildly brandishing his sword to block the dark waves, roaring, "Lu Chenyuan! You dare kill me!!"

Before the words were even finished, the art world suddenly erupted in excitement!
A surge of ink rose into the sky, and a ghostly figure enveloped in ink rushed out of the scroll, striking Zong Chuke in the chest with a palm!
Zong Chuke hastily parried with his sword, but was so shocked by the blow that he staggered back seven steps, his back slamming heavily against the stone wall.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, and Zong Chuke's face turned pale instantly.

"enough."

The sound of steady footsteps came from behind the painting.

The ink-black clouds parted, and Lu Chenyuan slowly stepped out. A miniature mechanical steed stood on his shoulder, its magnificent metal wings reflecting a cold light.

Lu Chenyuan glanced at the palm print on Zong Chuke's chest, then looked at the ghostly figure: "Step back."

"Humph!"

The ghostly figure snorted coldly and re-entered the world of the painting.

Zong Chuke staggered to his feet, his black robe soaked in blood. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes still filled with disbelief and fury—Lu Chenyuan actually dared to attack him?!

"you……"

His voice trembled slightly with rage, his fingertips gripping the sword hilt tightly, his knuckles white: "Lu Chenyuan! Do you know who I am?!"

Lu Chenyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his steed on his shoulder gently flapping its wings, not even bothering to give him a glance.

This indifferent attitude thoroughly enraged Zong Chuke.

"I am Zong Chuke, the nephew of Emperor Wu! Even Princess Taiping would address me as cousin!" He suddenly raised his sword, pointing it directly at Lu Chenyuan: "Who do you think you are? How dare you injure—"

"Sect Master Zong is joking."

Lu Chenyuan raised his hand to interrupt, and said with a half-smile, "Just now it was clearly the ghost in the painting causing trouble, what does it have to do with me?"

"you!"

Zong Chuke stared at the surging scrolls on the ground and the mechanical bird on Lu Chenyuan's shoulder, suppressing his anger: "Today's humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold in the future! Hand over the Earthly Fiend and the [Red Dust Arrow]!"

"Earthly Fiends?"

Lu Chenyuan looked around, puzzled. "What Earthly Fiends?"

Zong Chuke, enraged, laughed coldly and pointed his sword at Lu Chenyuan: "Stop pretending to be confused! That mechanical puppet and the quiver are clearly..."

The words stopped abruptly.

He then discovered that the Earthly Fiend he had painstakingly plotted against had vanished without a trace, with only a faint red and black streak of light visible in the ink of the painting.

"It seems that Pavilion Master Zong is seriously injured; he's even hallucinating."

Lu Chenyuan chuckled and said, "Would you like me to call a doctor for you?"

"Lu! Chen! Yuan!"

Zong Chuke roared in fury, unable to bear it any longer. Just as he was about to circulate his qi, he suddenly felt dizzy. The stinging pain at the palm print on his chest turned into a burning sensation, spreading along his meridians.

He was secretly alarmed, knowing his injuries were serious, but he didn't show it on his face: "Stop pretending! I will remember what happened today!"

As he turned to leave, he added menacingly, "I'll report this to the Emperor and see how long you can remain so arrogant!"

Lu Chenyuan stood with his hands behind his back, smiling but saying nothing.

After the figure in black robes disappeared at the end of the secret passage, Lu Chenyuan looked at the painting and frowned, saying, "Are you sure those physicians can't tell? Don't let the tiger return to the mountain. Although I'm not afraid, I find it troublesome!"

A sneer came from within the painting: "If you don't trust me, then don't make me do it!"

Lu Chenyuan pretended not to hear and asked again, "You won't suspect anything, will you?"

Wei Yang coldly said, "The [Nether Spring Miasma] can only remain dormant in a person's body for a maximum of fifteen days, during which time one is no different from an ordinary person. Once it erupts, death is certain! Don't underestimate the Corpse Beard's supernatural power!"

"That's good."

Lu Chenyuan waved his hand to put away the scroll and said with a faint smile, "It's a pity I won't be able to see him die suddenly; it must have been quite a sight."

In the Valley of a Hundred Flowers, Zong Chuke was staggering forward. He took out his jade pendant and crushed it. A golden light enveloped his entire body, temporarily suppressing his injuries.

“Lu Chenyuan…”

He gritted his teeth and swore, "Once I recover from my injuries, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Little did he know, with each step he took, the toxins moved one step closer to his heart...

(End of this chapter)