Born to be a hero, died to be a phantom king!
Under the thunderous roar, the Old Heavenly Master breathed his last. Yu Luming held his cold, lifeless body, sobbing uncontrollably.
He remembered his master’s teachings, the kindness of his master’s education, and all the words his master had spoken before.
And everything his master had done for him.
The Old Heavenly Master’s life was filled with countless glories; his deeds, if written down, could likely pile as high as the Heavenly Master Hall itself.
But what Yu Luming thought of at this moment was only the path his master had paved for him.
Those past glories were not what the Old Heavenly Master cared about. What he cared about was Yu Luming, wishing for Yu Luming to be even more outstanding than himself and to shoulder the great responsibility of the Heavenly Master lineage.
"Master... I understand..."
Yu Luming choked back his tears, wiped them away with his sleeve, and slowly raised his head.
He stared at Li Genmiao, who had been watching the entire spectacle.
A trace of sorrow flickered across Li Genmiao’s face. He took three steps back and bowed thrice to the Old Heavenly Master’s corpse:
"The integrity of the Old Heavenly Master, Li Genmiao sincerely admires. May the Old Heavenly Master journey well!"
Seeing Li Genmiao’s charade, anger flashed in Yu Luming’s eyes:
"Shut up!"
Boom!
A bolt of heavenly thunder struck the Heavenly Master Hall. Yu Luming seized the opportunity to unleash the Five Thunder Heaven’s Justice Technique, its immense power causing even the Heavenly Master Hall to tremble. Li Genmiao was forced to retreat, leaping onto the hall’s beams.
Yu Luming roared, "Li Genmiao, you are not worthy to mention my master!"
Li Genmiao was the one who had forced his master to his death, yet here he was, feigning grief.
Zhang Wuma seemed to have an idea. He silently picked up the dagger that had been used to assassinate the Old Heavenly Master and moved behind Yu Luming.
Few people knew he was a spy. If he killed Yu Luming and then pledged his loyalty to Li Genmiao, he might still have a chance to ascend to the position of Heavenly Master!
After all, compared to Yu Luming and Liu Yiren, he, the eldest disciple who had grown up on Dragon Tiger Mountain and made many friends, was the most respected and admired by everyone!
Li Genmiao saw Zhang Wuma’s actions but did not intervene.
Suddenly, Zhang Wuma lunged, his dagger aimed straight for Yu Luming’s heart!
But Yu Luming was already prepared for Zhang Wuma. He spun around sharply, grabbed Zhang Wuma’s wrist, his eyes filled with a ruthless glint!
This fierce look truly startled Zhang Wuma.
In Zhang Wuma’s eyes, Yu Luming had always been a symbol of humility and kindness. Zhang Wuma had never seen Yu Luming angry in all these years.
But this time, it was truly different.
He was no longer the Yu Luming who only knew how to study!
Yu Luming struck Zhang Wuma’s crown with a palm. Zhang Wuma’s eyes widened, and his entire body was engulfed by lightning.
He convulsed uncontrollably, trying to resist but utterly powerless!
Bang!
Yu Luming kicked Zhang Wuma away. His body slammed heavily against a pillar of the Heavenly Master Hall. Upon landing, he was already on the verge of death.
He never expected Yu Luming’s cultivation to be so profound!
That was merely the most common Five Thunder Heaven’s Justice Technique, yet Zhang Wuma had no ability to fight back!
Yu Luming’s final kick had broken Zhang Wuma’s ribs, and the fractured bones had pierced his heart!
"Zhang Wuma, you, a disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain, failed to uphold the righteous law and instead served an evil Taoist. The Heavenly Master spared your life just now, yet you show no shame, no remorse! … Today, I shall act on behalf of heaven and cleanse Dragon Tiger Mountain of a spy like you!"
Zhang Wuma’s eyes were bloodshot. Through his blurred vision, he saw a completely different Yu Luming from before.
The Yu Luming of the past was frail and carefree, as if the world’s affairs had nothing to do with him.
But the Yu Luming of today bore a trace of the Old Heavenly Master’s demeanor.
“In the end, I lost…”
Zhang Wuma died with a heart full of resentment.
Yu Luming didn’t even spare him another glance.
He turned to face Li Genmiao.
Li Genmiao smiled, "The Old Heavenly Master is dead. Do you know what I plan to do next?"
Yu Luming, with a somber expression, shook his head.
"I came today to kill the Heavenly Master, but I never specified *which* Heavenly Master I intended to kill..." Li Genmiao’s smile turned sinister, "What I want is to kill all Heavenly Masters, not just the Old Heavenly Master Zhang Yin, but also you, the successor Heavenly Master Yu Luming!"
Yu Luming gritted his teeth, "What benefit do you gain by killing us?"
"Benefits? Many!"
Li Genmiao waved his hand and said, "Weng Jiuming, come out!"
From a corner of the Heavenly Master Hall, a man slowly emerged.
To Yu Luming’s surprise, this person had no facial features, only an empty human skin pasted onto his face!
"Let me introduce you, this is Weng Jiuming, a successor from the folk sects known for his ‘Painted Skin’ technique. I have been cultivating him for some time. After I kill you, Weng Jiuming will assume your appearance and take your place as Heavenly Master. Then, the power of the Taoist lineage throughout the world will naturally fall into the hands of our Xuan Shan sect!"
Li Genmiao leaned forward, a wicked smile spreading across his face, "Actually, the Old Heavenly Master and I have some similarities: we both don't easily trust others. The Old Heavenly Master, because he didn't trust others, preferred to use secret arts to prolong his life rather than abandon his position. As for me, because I don't trust the Old Heavenly Master, I don't believe he can make this world better, nor do I believe fate is determined by heaven. Therefore, I intend to seize the position of Heavenly Master myself and thoroughly reform the Taoist sect!"
"For this plan, Yu Luming, you must die!"
With that, Li Genmiao leaped down from the hall beams.
He spread his arms, with a Taoist charm pasted on each palm. The charms ignited spontaneously, eventually transforming into two colored banners.
Li Genmiao planted the banners behind him and suddenly began to sing a masked opera.
One by one, Taoist charms burned in Li Genmiao’s hands. He donned various items step by step, moving with strange footwork towards Yu Luming.
By the time Li Genmiao reached Yu Luming, he had changed his attire.
A white robe, a black tall hat, banners attached to his back, cloud boots on his feet, and even stage makeup on his face.
Finally, he picked up a silver spear, stood firm, and assumed a stance.
"Yu Luming, die!"
Li Genmiao thrust his spear, aiming directly for Yu Luming's throat!
Yu Luming dodged quickly, but he now discovered that the Heavenly Master Hall was covered in strange threads, which blocked his escape routes and confined him at every turn!
Moreover, destroying these threads was no easy task!
Just as Yu Luming was about to be wounded, the Old Heavenly Master's corpse suddenly emitted a brilliant golden light!
The dazzling radiance instantly broke through the threads that bound Yu Luming and entered his glabella!
At the same time, five golden characters slowly appeared around Yu Luming!
Tai, Hua, Heng, Heng, Song!
"This is... the Five Peaks of Fate?!"
Yu Luming’s eyes widened. He truly hadn't expected his master to intend to pass on his entire cultivation to him after death!
This was the power accumulated over the Old Heavenly Master’s 130 years of life, a power that even made Li Genmiao momentarily wary.
Li Genmiao retreated, his expression grim, "Old Heavenly Master, you truly don’t let me rest, even in death!"
Yu Luming felt the Old Heavenly Master’s power surging into his body. While grateful, he was also somewhat concerned.
Hadn't his master once said that using the Five Peaks of Fate to transfer power would suppress the recipient's potential?
But upon closer inspection, he found his master’s power to be incredibly pure and clean, integrating perfectly with his meridians, with no perceived limitations!
Yu Luming’s cultivation soared rapidly. Although the Old Heavenly Master’s power was gentle, its sheer volume caused Yu Luming’s blood vessels and meridians to swell!
The once slender Yu Luming now looked two sizes larger, his human form obscured, his identity unrecognizable!
Li Genmiao gritted his teeth, deciding not to give Yu Luming any more time.
He intended to kill Yu Luming and seize the position of Heavenly Master!
Li Genmiao reversed his grip on the spear, stepped forward a few paces, and hurled the spear fiercely at Yu Luming!
As the spear left his hand, three ghostly figures appeared behind it. The figures simultaneously grabbed the spear shaft and propelled it towards Yu Luming!
Yu Luming watched the approaching spear helplessly, but due to his suddenly surging cultivation, he found it difficult to control his body!
Clang!
Suddenly, a golden light flashed, and Yan Shouyi’s figure appeared abruptly in front of Yu Luming!
Holding the Zanpakuto, he swung it horizontally, deflecting Li Genmiao’s thrown spear to the side!
"Luming, I'm here!" Yan Shouyi shouted back.
Seeing Yan Shouyi, Yu Luming felt a significant sense of relief.
This was one of the few people in this world he could truly trust.