Lu Qingshan was not without enemies. He had lived for ninety thousand years, and in his early days, he had fought countless battles to secure the resources needed to break through to Domain Master.
Naturally, he had accumulated grudges with many factions along the way.
However, those were matters from his time as a Cosmic Level cultivator. Back then, those people could not even touch him at the Cosmic Level, let alone now...
If they knew his true strength today, they would probably be losing sleep out of sheer dread, let alone dreaming of revenge.
As for who possessed the reach to extend their hand into Qianwu Dojo, Lu Qingshan had only one suspect in mind: Treasure Pavilion.
A company capable of running a shop in the very heart of Qianwu City wielded tremendous influence, and it was said to have an Undying Deity backing it.
Lu Qingshan had chosen Treasure Pavilion for his recent transactions, inevitably exposing his wealth and drawing greedy eyes...
In particular, he had already mentally prepared himself before taking out the Luoke God Water—something even Undying Deities craved.
Initially, he had assumed that as a large, reputable establishment with decent reviews, Treasure Pavilion would not stoop to such filthy tactics. It appeared he had distinctly overestimated their moral baseline.
Or perhaps it was his apparent lack of background and strength that caused them to lower their standards.
"Treasure Pavilion could be trouble. They likely already know I'm an instructor at the Qianwu Dojo. Let's see what they choose to do next."
Lu Qingshan was not afraid.
Inside the Qianwu Secret Realm, no one could touch him. Murdering a Special-Class Instructor within the secret realm was an outright slap in the face of the Qianwu Country Master. Not even an Undying King would have the audacity to do that, let alone whatever figure backed Treasure Pavilion—in all probability, just an ordinary Undying Military Lord.
Even if he left the secret realm in the future, he would be completely safe as long as he stayed within Qianwu City. Furthermore, with his elevated bank privileges, he could use the Universe Star River Bank or the Qianwu Auction for future sales. He was not short on resources and could easily bide his time until he possessed the strength to contend with an Undying.
"The priority is still comprehending origin laws. Only with true strength can I stand fearless against greedy schemers. Otherwise, trouble like this will never stop at just once..."
Lu Qingshan intended to elevate his comprehension of the Time Origin Law. At present, the best way to do so was to guide Ling Yu, his convenient disciple, across the threshold into the Time Law.
Ling Yu grasped both the Lightning and Wind Origin Laws—both of which were Lower Laws subordinate to Time—and she was a genius blessed with a rare bloodline. The difficulty of comprehending the Time Law would be far lower for her than for him.
With just a bit of proper guidance... perhaps...
Lu Qingshan felt a flicker of anticipation in his heart.
A disciple mastering the Time Law was something he had long dreamed of, and perhaps he could cultivate one with his own hands.
***
Meanwhile, on the top floor of Treasure Pavilion.
Upon receiving the message transmitted back by his living AI, the Demonic World Master wore a look of utter disbelief.
"That Domain Master named Lu Qingshan was actually transferred into the Qianwu Secret Realm by Silver Moon Marquis?"
He paced restlessly across the hall, irritation gnawing at him.
He had thought the man was merely a lucky young fellow who had stumbled upon some treasure, someone he could easily squeeze for profit with a few underhanded tricks. Yet contrary to his expectations, this man was far from a simple Two-Leaf Qianwu Practitioner... He actually had Silver Moon Marquis behind him.
That was a mighty figure even his elder brother treated with profound deference!
This matter had become exceptionally thorny.
After deliberating for a long time, the Demonic World Master finally decided to give up. "Sally, halt all operations and erase every trace of our prior moves. Don't let anyone suspect Treasure Pavilion. Furthermore... we will act as if we never knew about this in the first place."
He acted decisively.
Because they had underestimated their mark, the whole scheme had been executed rather crudely. If that Domain Master had any wits about him, he was likely already suspicious of them.
Fortunately, they had not actually struck yet, so everything could still be treated as though nothing had happened.
Even if the matter were brought before Silver Moon Marquis, it would be hard to pin any real liability on them. Could they truly be convicted merely for probing a customer's privacy? Besides, his elder brother was hardly someone to be trifled with.
Just as he was about to give the order, a call suddenly came through.
The Demonic World Master glanced at the caller ID and hastily answered.
From the other end came an androgynous voice, dripping with intense fury.
"Idiot!"
Listening to the berating from the other side, the Demonic World Master's lips twitched, but he dared not talk back.
"Rules? What do you call rules? Whoever has the bigger fist sets the rules! All these years, as I cultivated my way to the Undying realm, how many people did I slaughter? How many families did I annihilate? How many resources did I plunder? And yet, who—who has ever dared to point a finger at me?!"
"A petty Domain Master who merely had the dumb luck to become an instructor to Silver Moon Marquis's disciple, and that scared you out of your wits?!"
"If you're this cowardly, stop dreaming about breaking through to Undying and scurry back to your backwater homeworld to wither away into retirement!"
"That is Luoke God Water! Luoke God Water, where a single drop is worth a fortune! Who knows how much of it that lucky bastard has? If there's enough to nurture my Moyun Vine to the Undying stage, what could Silver Moon Marquis do to me? Even if the Qianwu Universe Kingdom issues a bounty, we can easily flee to other universe kingdoms and live as lavishly as we please! The universe is vast, and there is refuge everywhere. As long as you have the strength, every corner of the cosmos is the same!"
"Keep a dead lock on that bastard for me! The moment... the moment he steps out of the Qianwu Secret Realm, notify me immediately!"
"Useless trash!"
The call clicked off. A cold, dangerous gleam flickered in the Demonic World Master's eyes.
Only after a long silence did he speak. "Sally, resume the assignment. Keep a close watch on him, and the instant he steps out of the Qianwu Secret Realm, notify me at once!"
***
Treasure Pavilion's machinations had no effect whatsoever on Lu Qingshan's life inside the secret realm.
As for Maple Leaf Star, the Qianwu Dojo kept his records strictly confidential, making them impossible for ordinary people to access. So long as Jimmy and Mitchell kept silent, anyone attempting an investigation would require an enormous amount of time.
There was another potential loose end: Lei Ming. Through the Virtual Universe, Lu Qingshan had explicitly instructed him not to leave the dojo for the time being, let alone disclose any details regarding Maple Leaf Star.
His second disciple, Paris, knew nothing of his background, so there was no need to worry on that front.
Moreover, Lei Ming and Paris were soon to take part in the Secret Realm Qualification Battle. Given their strength, they would before long be reunited with him inside the Qianwu Secret Realm.
There was even less reason to fret over the outside world.
A tranquil half year passed in this manner. Over these six months, he and White Eyebrow World Master took turns instructing Ling Yu in fifteen-day shifts, and her strength progressed by leaps and bounds.
Even White Eyebrow could not help but admire Lu Qingshan's teaching methods. In particular, *Thunderlight Flash*, the technique Lu Qingshan had created, made up for Ling Yu's shortcomings in footwork and was worth its weight in gold.
After six months together, no one doubted Lu Qingshan's ability any longer.
Half a year later, on the training grounds of Ling Yu's manor.
Ling Yu's figure darted swiftly among nine illusion bodies. While her movements were nowhere near as fluid as Lu Qingshan's, she had essentially attained the stage of nine illusion bodies. The only thing she lacked now was sheer proficiency.
Lu Qingshan corrected several flaws on the spot before concluding, "Ling Yu, did you know that the *Thunderlight Flash* manual I created actually possesses a third layer?"
"A third layer?"
A trace of astonishment appeared in Ling Yu's brown eyes.
"Indeed." With a slight shift of his body, thirty-six illusion bodies appeared all around him. Thirty-six Lu Qingshans spoke in unison: "The third layer touches upon the Time Origin Law. Originally, I refrained from telling you out of fear that it might distract you. But you managed to cultivate nine illusion bodies in merely half a year, which proves you have the talent for it... Thus, I intend to let you give the third layer a try..."
Lu Qingshan paused briefly. "You should understand what this signifies. Once you cross the threshold into the third layer of *Thunderlight Flash* and grasp even a sliver of the Time Origin Law, your strength will surge a hundredfold, even a thousandfold... For now, cultivate diligently and strive to master the nine illusion bodies completely..."
Ling Yu's expression practically froze as she stared in disbelief at Lu Qingshan's illusion bodies. She drew a deep breath, her heaving chest betraying the turmoil within.
Teacher Lu Qingshan had actually dabbled in the Time Origin Law as well...
Chapter 45