While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 157 First Encounter with Venerable Wind, Breakthrough to the Spirit Realm!

"Damn it, what the hell are you pretending for..."

"Breaking through to the fourth-star Dou Zun is quite impressive..."

Venerable Huangquan cursed inwardly.

He forced a smile, somewhat awkwardly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said in a flattering tone, "Congratulations, Brother Lei, on your remarkable progress in cultivation. Truly... a cause for celebration!"

His voice was hoarse and dry, as if it were being forced out of his throat.

Lei Zun Zhe seemed quite pleased with his reaction. He laughed loudly and waved his sleeve, causing thunder to roar outside the hall: "Hahaha, it's all thanks to Master Lu's help."

"Please follow me, everyone. The master is waiting inside the hall."

After saying this, he turned and led the way. Silver lightning automatically paved a dazzling passage under his feet, and lightning snakes slithered all the way to the main hall at the top of the mountain.

Upon entering the magnificent hall, one sees a young man in black robes seated in the main seat. As the group enters, he calmly rises, flanked by two stunningly beautiful women.

The woman on the left is dressed in white, with a cool and aloof temperament like the moon; the girl on the right, dressed in purple, has bright eyes and white teeth, and her long purple hair is casually tied up with a ribbon. She is idly playing with a pill.

It was Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan.

“This is…” Venerable Lei was about to introduce him.

The young man in black robes stepped forward and bowed slightly, saying, "My name is Lu Yu."

His gaze swept over the three venerable ones in turn, his voice gentle yet firm: "I have long admired the names of the three venerable ones. It is an honor to meet you today."

Lei Zun Zhe laughed loudly and gestured with his right hand, saying, "The three of you, this is Master Lu Yu whom I just mentioned."

His tone carried a hint of pride, as if it were his honor to introduce Lu Yu.

“Master Lu.” Lei Zun Zhe turned to Lu Yu and introduced them one by one: “These three are the other three pavilion masters of the Four Directions Pavilion.”

He first pointed to the pale-faced old man: "This is Venerable Huangquan of Huangquan Pavilion."

The Venerable Huangquan nodded slightly, a strange light flashing in his yin-yang eyes, and his hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing: "I have long admired your name."

As he spoke, his strange eyes scanned Lu Yu up and down. When he noticed the faint aura flowing around Lu Yu, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He thought to himself, "Such a solid foundation..."

Lei Zunzhe then led the old man in hemp robes: "This is the Sword Venerable of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion."

A glint of light flashed in the Sword Venerable's cloudy old eyes, and he clasped his hands in a salute: "Master Lu."

The voice was soft, yet it carried a sharp edge.

Finally, pointing to the old man in the green robe, he said, "This is Venerable Feng of the Starfall Pavilion."

Venerable Feng smiled nonchalantly, cupped his hands, and said, "Young friend Lu."

His gaze was gentle, but he paused slightly when he saw Zi Yan behind Lu Yu, as if he had sensed something.

Lu Yu returned the greeting calmly: "Greetings, three venerable ones."

His voice was steady and powerful, and his gaze met the eyes of Venerable Huangquan, Venerable Jian, and Venerable Feng in turn, neither humble nor arrogant, but maintaining just the right amount of respect.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone sat around a round stone table in the center of the hall. The stone table was entirely white, with faintly visible cloud patterns, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary object.

"I've heard that young friend Lu is searching for the Eternal Green Spirit Vine and the Blood Essence Demon Fruit?"

The Venerable Yellow Springs spoke first, his hoarse voice like a dull knife scraping bone. A glint of light flashed in his jet-black right eye, "Unfortunately, my Yellow Springs Pavilion is located in the Western Regions, where resources are scarce, and these two medicinal herbs are not commonly found..."

He shook his head as he spoke, and with a flick of his sleeve, several seventh-tier medicinal herbs gleaming with a faint light appeared in mid-air.

"However, I did bring some other treasures. I wonder if the master would like them?"

Lu Yu glanced around and shook his head slightly, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Venerable One, but these... are not what I need."

The Yellow Springs Venerable's expression stiffened, a shadow flashed in his yin-yang eyes, but he quickly returned to normal, chuckled twice, and put away the medicinal herbs.

He had hoped to take this opportunity to befriend the alchemist who could help Lei Zun Zhe break through, but now it seems that the chance is gone.

"I do have a treasured ancient green spirit vine."

Sword Master stroked his beard and smiled, then suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned his gaze to the Sword Venerable, asking, "Senior, is there any pill you would like to refine?"

Sword Master shook his head slightly, and Lu Yu immediately showed a look of disappointment.

But then the other party paused meaningfully, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy old eyes, and continued, "Although I do not have any pills that need to be refined at the moment, I would like to exchange them for a promise from you to refine pills. Is that possible?"

"can."

Lu Yu agreed without hesitation, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, making a crisp sound. "As long as the materials are ready, I'll start the furnace for you anytime, senior."

Having said that, he raised his hand and waved it, and a contract appeared. With the gathering of his soul power, he had already written the contract and respectfully handed it to the Sword Venerable: "This is my promise."

Sword Master chuckled with satisfaction, put the contract into his sleeve, and then took out an exquisite jade box.

The moment the box was opened, a rich sense of vitality rushed out. Inside lay a section of emerald green withered vine, one of the main ingredients for refining the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill, the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Spirit Vine.

Lu Yu carefully accepted the jade box, a huge weight lifted from his heart. He took a deep breath and turned his expectant gaze to Venerable Feng. Now, only the final ingredient was missing from the three main components of the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill.

"What a coincidence."

Venerable Feng laughed and said, "Although my Starfall Pavilion does not have Blood Essence Demon Fruit, it does have a Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Green Spirit Vine."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Venerable unconsciously tightened his grip on the contract, secretly rejoicing that he had acted first. After all, obtaining a promise from a high-level alchemist in exchange for such rare medicinal herbs was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lu Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll take this one too. What would Senior Feng like to exchange it for?"

Venerable Wind stroked his long beard, a gentle smile on his face, and slowly said, "Venerable Thunder mentioned that one of your elders has a close relationship with me. I wonder..."

Before he could finish speaking, Venerable Feng's expression suddenly changed. Lu Yu took out a letter with flowing silver light from his storage ring, the white flame mark on the sealing wax particularly eye-catching.

"This is……?"

The moment Venerable Feng received the letter, his body visibly trembled. He abruptly looked up, his usually composed voice trembling slightly: "Young friend Lu... may we speak alone?"

Lu Yu understood and bowed to Venerable Lei.

Lei Zun Zhe quickly returned the greeting: "Please go ahead, Master."

As the two left their seats, Sword Master and Yellow Springs Master exchanged a meaningful glance.

The Venerable Yellow Springs narrowed his Yin-Yang eyes slightly and transmitted his voice, "It seems that this Master Lu has quite a background..."

The Sword Master calmly sipped his tea, but a question arose in his mind.

"Do you even need to say this?"

"Have you ever seen a seventh-grade peak alchemist emerge from the wild?"

Inside the side hall, the door had just closed when Venerable Feng raised his hand to set up a barrier. He could no longer contain himself and asked urgently, "This letter... it's Yao Chen's mark! He... he's still alive?"

The usually carefree venerable man in the green robe was now somewhat out of control, his hands trembling slightly in his sleeves.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Senior Yao is indeed still alive."

"However, her condition isn't very good..."

He paused, his tone turning heavy, "Now only a soul remains, residing within the Bone Flame Ring."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng swayed, nearly losing his footing. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "No wonder... no wonder we've been out of touch all these years..."

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he asked urgently, "Are you collecting these medicinal herbs to rebuild Yao Chen's physical body?"

"Yes."

Lu Yu nodded readily in agreement, but then hesitated slightly before continuing, "However... besides Senior Yao, there is another senior who also urgently needs this Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill. Therefore, I plan to prepare two sets of the necessary materials at once."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he exclaimed loudly, "So that's how it is!"

He paced back and forth a few times, his green robe fluttering even without wind. "Two sets of materials... Good! Starfall Pavilion will certainly provide full assistance!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, staring intently at Lu Yu, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Yao Chen now? May I see him?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu pondered for a moment and felt that the character of Venerable Feng had already been tested by Brother Yan, so there was no need to doubt him further.

Moreover, the fact that Elder Yao asked him to deliver the letter to Venerable Feng might mean that he intended to use him to inform his old friend about his own situation.

Thinking of this, Lu Yu raised his hand and said in a steady voice, "Senior Feng, please don't be impatient. This matter is a long story, please let me explain in detail..."

He organized his thoughts and slowly began, "It all started in the Gama Empire of the Northwest Continent, in a small city called Wutan..."

As Lu Yu recounted the story, Venerable Feng's expression shifted continuously. When he heard that Yao Chen had to absorb three years' worth of Dou Qi from his disciple Xiao Yan in order to restore his soul power, his brows furrowed.

Upon learning that Xiao Yan had fulfilled the three-year agreement with his unwavering will, Feng Zun Zhe nodded slightly. When he heard that Xiao Yan had fought Han Feng, and then Yao Lao appeared and killed the traitorous disciple Han Feng, Feng Zun Zhe clenched his fists, and his green robes fluttered even without wind.

"Now, Elder Yao's soul has recovered to the Spirit Realm level."

Lu Yu continued, "I'm currently leading Brother Yan in searching for traces of Yin Fire at some ruins in the Northwest."

Upon hearing this story, Venerable Wind's eyes welled up with tears. He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, "My old friend... your life has been far too arduous..."

The words caught in his throat, and he could only shake his head and sigh softly.

Suddenly, he looked up sharply, his gaze like lightning: "Since you want to collect two portions of the ingredients for the Bone Regeneration and Blood Fusion Pill, there's no time to lose. Let's set off immediately!"

Lu Yu was taken aback, then asked, "Now?"

"Exactly!"

Venerable Wind said decisively, and with a wave of his sleeve, several jade boxes appeared out of thin air.

"I happen to possess the complete remains of a four-star Dou Zun, a powerful body; and the Starfall Pavilion's treasure trove is not lacking in the essence blood of a seventh-tier magical beast. Now, all I need is a Bone-Regenerating Blood-Melting Pill!"

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, "Once the elixir is refined, I will personally go to the Northwest to revive my old friend!"

Seeing this, Lu Yu said no more and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "In that case, this junior will set off with senior."

The two returned to the main hall, and Venerable Feng bid a brief farewell to Venerable Lei and the others. Although Venerable Lei was reluctant to part, seeing Venerable Feng's anxious expression, he did not try to stop him, but repeatedly urged Lu Yu to visit Fenglei Pavilion again in the future.

……

Soon after,

The back cliff of Leishan.

Venerable Wind bowed to Venerable Thunder with clasped hands and said, "Brother Thunder, I'm sorry to have bothered you today. I'll visit you another day."

Lei Zun Zhe laughed heartily, and with a wave of his hand, a lightning token flew toward Feng Zun Zhe: "Brother Feng, you are too kind. With this token, you can access the space wormhole of my Feng Lei Pavilion."

Then he turned to Lu Yu and said, "Master Lu, you are welcome to visit my Fenglei Pavilion anytime you have free time in the future."

Lu Yu returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said, "Thank you for your kindness, senior."

The group arrived at the edge of the cliff, where a magnificent silver portal stood majestically. Within the portal, a spatial vortex slowly rotated, and spatial fluctuations continuously spread outwards.

This is the spatial wormhole that Fenglei Pavilion has painstakingly created over hundreds of years; it is a crucial location within the pavilion.

"What a wonderful spatial wormhole!"

Venerable Feng exclaimed, "Compared to the last time we met, the spatial fluctuations have become even more stable."

Lei Zun Zhe looked smug and stroked his beard, saying, "We've added quite a few more space stones over the years."

The Wind Venerable said no more, and a flash of green light appeared in his sleeve. In an instant, a flying boat, entirely emerald green, swelled in the wind and transformed into a giant ship over ten zhang long. The hull was carved with lifelike blue phoenix patterns, and every feather gleamed with a metallic luster.

"Please board the ship, everyone." Venerable Wind gestured.

Lu Yu led Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan onto the flying boat. Zi Yan looked around curiously: "Can this shabby boat withstand the spatial turbulence?"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng laughed and said loudly, "Don't worry, little girl, this Azure Phoenix Boat is made from the skeleton of an eighth-order magical beast. It can easily withstand mere spatial turbulence."

With a clear, melodious cry, the flying boat slowly entered the silver vortex. The figures of Lu Yu and the others gradually blurred, and were finally completely swallowed up by the spatial fluctuations.

Inside the boat, Venerable Wind manipulated a magic seal, instantly accelerating the flying vessel. The surrounding scenery distorted and shifted, with countless streams of spatial light flashing past the portholes. Little Fairy Doctor sat quietly inside the cabin, while Zi Yan excitedly pressed her face against the window, curiously gazing outside.

"At this speed, we can reach the Pill Domain in about a month."

Venerable Feng stared intently at Lu Yu and asked in a deep voice, "May I ask, young friend, how confident are you in refining this Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill?"

Before Lu Yu could answer, Zi Yan, who was standing to the side, turned her head away in dissatisfaction.

Her purple eyes widened, and she pouted, saying somewhat unhappily, "Hey, old man! If you don't trust my Lu Yu's abilities, why did you come here so eagerly begging for pills?"

She put her hands on her hips, her ponytail flying in the air, and said, "Even the old medicine master praised Lu Yu's alchemy skills!"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng was taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Little girl, you've misunderstood."

He stroked his long beard, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It's not that I don't believe it, it's just..." His tone suddenly turned heavy. "The matter of Yao Chen is far too important to me."

Lu Yu gently pressed Zi Yan's shoulder and said in a gentle voice, "I understand your concerns, senior."

He looked calmly at Venerable Feng and said firmly, "As for the certainty... ninety percent."

"Ninety percent?!"

Venerable Feng's pupils contracted slightly, and his green robe fluttered even without wind. This number far exceeded his expectations. It should be noted that even the most experienced seventh-grade alchemists in the Pill Tower would never achieve a success rate of more than 50% for the Bone Regeneration and Blood Fusion Pill.

"Good! Good! Good! I can rest assured now."

He turned around abruptly, flicked his sleeve, and channeled a stream of pure battle qi into the Azure Phoenix statue at the bow of the ship: "In that case, I will fully activate this Azure Phoenix Ship!"

In an instant, the ship's hull blazed with a bright blue light, and a clear, melodious cry of a phoenix echoed through the passage, instantly increasing the speed of the flying boat several times over.

"Everyone, please be seated!"

With his green robes fluttering, Venerable Feng declared loudly, "At this speed, we will surely arrive at the Pill Domain in less than a month!"

In the days that followed, Venerable Wind worked tirelessly to maintain the speed of the flying boat. At first, Zi Yan complained that the speed was too fast and made her dizzy, but later she simply went back to her room and fell fast asleep.

Little Fairy Doctor stayed quietly by Lu Yu's side, occasionally offering him elixirs to nourish his soul.

A month later, as the flying boat broke through the last silver spatial vortex, a huge white stone platform came into view. People came and went on the platform, and figures dressed in alchemist robes could be seen everywhere, with a rich medicinal fragrance permeating the air.

"arrive."

Venerable Feng let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is the Pill Domain!"

"This is a peripheral city in the Pill Domain. The Pill Tower is located in the center of the entire Pill Domain, in the Holy Pill City. To get there, we need to go through another spatial wormhole..."

"Young friend Lu, you..."

Venerable Wind turned around, about to discuss the upcoming itinerary.

Inside the cabin, Lu Yu sat cross-legged, his body radiating strange soul fluctuations. His eyes were closed, and an invisible soul power spread out like ripples, penetrating the barrier of the Azure Phoenix Boat and swirling across the entire stone platform.

"This is...?" Venerable Feng frowned slightly, immediately noticing the abnormality.

Suddenly, strange energy fluctuations appeared between heaven and earth, and wisps of extremely faint, unusual air currents seeped out from the void, as if summoned, and gathered towards Lu Yu's body.

The moment these streams of energy touched his body, they transformed into specks of starlight and merged into the space between his eyebrows.

"It's spiritual energy!"

"Someone is breaking through to the Spirit Realm!"

The alchemists on the stone platform exclaimed in surprise, and countless shocked gazes were cast toward the Azure Phoenix Boat.

Venerable Feng's expression darkened, and with a sudden wave of his sleeve, a cyan barrier instantly enveloped the entire flying boat, blocking any prying eyes from the outside. He said in a deep voice to Zi Yan and Little Fairy Doctor, "Protect us!"

At this moment, Lu Yu's consciousness was completely immersed in his mind.

The black flame longsword, suspended deep within the soul, trembled violently, its blade covered in spiderweb-like cracks. As external spiritual energy continued to pour in, these cracks deepened, until finally—

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the black longsword shattered, turning into countless black sparks. But these sparks did not dissipate; instead, nourished by spiritual energy, they began to recombine, gradually outlining the shape of a more solid longsword.

The sword was as black as ink, yet it gleamed with a metallic sheen, and the flames dancing at the blade's edge shifted from illusory to real, emanating a chilling aura.

"The second level of the Soul-Slaying Sword Scripture, the Sword Soul Realm, is complete!"

Lu Yu silently chanted in his heart, and the newly formed black flame longsword suddenly trembled, erupting with astonishing soul fluctuations. His eyes snapped open, and two tangible sword lights shot out!

"Bang!" The cyan barrier set up by Venerable Wind trembled violently, rippling outwards.

An uproar erupted on the stone platform: "Such power comes from breaking through to the Spirit Realm!"

"Quickly notify the family elders!"

"Immediately inform our sect's Holy Maiden that we must win this person over..."

Just as the crowd was in an uproar, Lu Yu withdrew his gaze, a black flame seemingly flickering in his eyes before returning to normal in an instant. He stood up, and his aura had undergone a dramatic transformation.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, senior." Lu Yu bowed and apologized, his voice carrying a hint of etherealness.

Venerable Feng gave him a deep look, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Young friend, your methods are truly impressive! It seems that this trip to the Pill Tower will surely be a resounding success!"

……

(End of this chapter)