Chapter 99: Martial Arts Tournament Host Duan Zhengfei

"It is not just Duan Zhengfei!"

"There is also the Sunset Blade Sovereign and Duan Tianhe. Moreover, Duan Tianhe has already ascended to the rank of Grandmaster. From now on—"

"He must be addressed as Venerable Tianhe!"

Mentioning this, Lu Chunyuan spoke with a mixture of envy and melancholy. He and Duan Tianhe were of the same age. Though one resided in the Central Province and the other in the Desolate Province, they had frequently clashed ever since they first made their names in the martial arts world. The two had been rivals for nearly their entire lives, with victory and defeat shifting between them over the years.

Although Duan Tianhe had previously been ranked third on the Heaven Ranking, higher than his own sixth-place position, Lu Chunyuan had never believed himself to be significantly weaker. He reasoned that his lower ranking was largely due to the fact that Duan Tianhe wielded the ancestral profound weapon of the Mountain and River Sect, while he had been preoccupied with managing the Martial Academy instead of competing for rankings. Furthermore, Lu Chunyuan had always been confident that if either of them were to become a Grandmaster, it would surely be himself, given his broader knowledge and deeper understanding of the martial path. Thus, seeing Duan Tianhe achieve the rank of Grandmaster left him both envious and despondent.

However, these feelings did not sink Lu Chunyuan into despair; if anything, they stoked his ambition. If Duan Tianhe could become a Grandmaster, why couldn't he, someone at least his equal? In particular, upon learning that Duan Tianhe had found the opportunity to ascend only after receiving guidance from Duan Zhengfei, his determination to cultivate Lu Sheng grew even stronger—perhaps his own opportunity to become a Grandmaster lay with this young man! This was likely one of the reasons why Lu Wanshan still insisted that he mentor Lu Sheng.

***

"Duan Zhengfei, he has actually defected to us at a time like this?"

"What exactly is he planning? Does he intend to sow discord between us and the King of Cloud Desolation?"

Nearby, Lu Hongjin, having caught the gist of the conversation between Lu Sheng and Lu Chunyuan, spoke in shock, connecting the news to what he already knew. Unlike what most might expect—joy at such a gain—Lu Hongjin, who understood the precarious state of the world, immediately recognized the dangers that Duan Zhengfei’s arrival posed to the Great Jing Lu Clan.

Even after the departure of the King of Hun Tian, the Great Jing Lu Clan remained the most powerful faction in the world. However, internally, it was already becoming unstable. Currently, the clan boasted six Grandmasters. Lu Wanshan and Lu Yuanlin were blood descendants of the clan, their loyalties unquestionable. Lü Wu, though bearing the surname Lü, was actually a descendant of the Sixth Prince of the Jing Emperor, Prince Wei Lu Xiaozong; his ancestor had merely changed his name after being adopted into the Lü family of Lu Xiaozong’s wife. In terms of lineage, he was as reliable as Qian Baozhen, a disciple of Lu Wanshan.

However, Feng Yixuan, the Pavilion Master of the Spring and Autumn Pavilion who relied on the Great Jing court, and Xia Mingye, the King of Cloud Desolation in the Desolate Province, were not figures one could entirely trust. The Spring and Autumn Pavilion was a different matter; since their predecessor, the Heavenly Secret Gate, was destroyed by the Qin Emperor, they had always latched onto the most powerful Grandmasters. As long as a new supreme Grandmaster did not emerge, Feng Yixuan would remain attached to the Great Jing court, albeit without putting forth his full effort.

But the King of Cloud Desolation, Xia Mingye, was a different story. As the King of Cloud Desolation, Xia Mingye had long desired to unify the Desolate Province, held back only by the Mountain and River Sect’s ties to the Great Jing Lu Clan. If he had tolerated the sect before, the situation would surely explode into intense conflict now that Duan Tianhe had become a Grandmaster. Under these circumstances, it was hard to believe that the complete defection of Duan Tianhe and Duan Zhengfei to the Great Jing Lu Clan was motivated by good intentions.

Pondering this, Lu Hongjin continued:

"On the surface, we have gained another Grandmaster with Duan Tianhe’s arrival—but he and Xia Mingye will effectively act as checks on each other. From now on, the court will not only have to mediate their conflicts, but our own usable strength will actually diminish! Not to mention that the Sunset Blade Sovereign, who came with them, will surely force us to mediate the conflict between the Blade King Pass and the Fire God Sect."

The arrival of two Grandmasters, the Sunset Blade Sovereign and Venerable Tianhe, accompanied by the current top-ranked individual on the Heaven Ranking, Duan Zhengfei—who possessed the potential of a supreme—was a spectacle of immense prestige. Yet, their arrival brought no benefit to the Great Jing Lu Clan; instead, it subtly weakened the clan's standing. The momentum of these three would likely heighten the wariness of other factions across the world. For one, the Fire Heaven Sovereign, whose relationship with the Lu Clan had been decent due to the Four Seas Firm, might now grow suspicious. Moreover, with seven or even eight Grandmasters present, anyone looking to shift the world's power balance would undoubtedly place the Great Jing Lu Clan at the top of their target list.

"Like pouring oil on flames, like adorning flowers with brocade—this is essentially placing the Great Jing Lu Clan on a roasting spit!" Lu Hongjin said, filled with worry.

***

"It cannot be helped!"

"If Duan Zhengfei wants to survive, he must defect to the Great Jing Lu Clan!"

Though he shared the same concerns, Lu Chunyuan was far calmer than Lu Hongjin. He explained:

"Because of the rumors regarding his potential to become a supreme, combined with the prophecy of 'The Dragon Rising in the Great Desolation'—the higher Duan Zhengfei’s cultivation goes, the more dangerous his situation becomes! Originally, once he or his grandfather became a Grandmaster and gained the ability to vanish into the void, most of his danger would have faded. But after the appearance of the 'Night Emperor,' everything changed."

Although it had long been speculated that Lu Wanshan and Venerable Lingxu had reached the Void-Shattering stage and possessed the power to kill other Grandmasters, both men had significant factions behind them. As long as Duan Zhengfei did not provoke them, they would not move against him; instead, they might even invest in him to maintain a positive relationship. Therefore, Duan Zhengfei had no need to fear them. The greatest threat to him now was the mysterious "Night Emperor."

Lu Sheng had already realized this when Lu Chunyuan first mentioned Duan Zhengfei. Now, hearing Lu Chunyuan’s words, he added:

"While Ancestor Wanshan and Venerable Lingxu are at the Void-Shattering stage, they pose little threat to Duan Zhengfei. His crisis would have been resolved once he or Venerable Tianhe ascended to the rank of Grandmaster. But after the emergence of the Night Emperor—a figure of unknown identity who has undoubtedly reached the Void-Shattering stage—he faces a lethal threat! Given Duan Zhengfei’s character, he would certainly not wait for his own demise."

In truth, once Lu Sheng learned of the crisis Duan Zhengfei faced, he had anticipated that he might defect to the Great Jing Lu Clan. What surprised him was that the man had acted so decisively, bringing two Grandmasters with him.

"Indeed," Lu Chunyuan confirmed, agreeing with Lu Sheng’s deduction. "The 'Night Emperor'—the very name reveals his ambition to become the supreme Grandmaster. It is hard to believe he would sit idly by while facing someone like Duan Zhengfei, who also possesses the potential of a supreme. If he had refrained from taking action before the Snow Mountain battle to keep his movements hidden, he no longer has such constraints."

Lu Chunyuan paused, and Lu Hongjin continued:

"So, Duan Tianhe becoming a Grandmaster actually deepened the crisis Duan Zhengfei faces. His defection to the Great Jing Lu Clan was a necessity!"

The affairs of the world were interconnected; the ripples of yesterday’s brief battle at the Snow Mountain were only just beginning. The arrival of Duan Zhengfei and the two Grandmasters was merely one of those aftershocks.

***

After clarifying this, Lu Chunyuan revealed one more piece of news:

"To deepen his understanding of the 'Way of Right and Wrong' and ascend to the rank of Grandmaster as quickly as possible, Duan Zhengfei has requested the position of Minister of Justice while paying his respects to Ancestor Wanshan. The Ancestor has already granted this request and has specially permitted him to preside over the upcoming Central Province Martial Assembly—allowing him to recruit anyone he deems worthy."

The Minister of Justice held authority over the world's prisons and legal system; for someone seeking to comprehend the Way of Right and Wrong and judge the world, this was indeed a fitting choice. As for the Central Province Martial Assembly, although it had gradually become a stage for the top talents of the Hero Ranking to compete, its primary purpose remained the recruitment of martial artists for the Great Jing court. By letting Duan Zhengfei host it, the court was clearly allowing him to build his own faction of direct subordinates within the Ministry of Justice.