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

Chapter 194 Zi Yan emerges from seclusion, the three families discuss matters.

Two months later,

The deepest part of the Blood Pool in Tianshan.

This place is no longer an ordinary amber-colored pool, but has transformed into a blood-red world, viscous like blood jade, with energy so immense it's suffocating. The scalding energy surges slowly like magma, emitting a deep rumble.

At the center of this crimson energy, a colorful lotus flower, roughly ten feet in size, floats silently. Its petals display seven colors, swirling with a dreamlike halo, rendering the surrounding crimson energy magnificent and extraordinary.

Even more miraculously, within that lotus flower, wisps of extremely pure, almost tangible, flame energy continuously rose from the openings on the lotus platform.

In the center of the lotus platform, Lu Yu sat cross-legged. His eyes were closed, and his body greedily absorbed the pure energy transformed by the lotus platform like a bottomless pit. His aura surged at an unprecedented speed, launching an attack on the barrier of a three-star Dou Zun!
Click!

With a crisp sound of energy breakthrough, Lu Yu suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a sharp light, and his aura suddenly soared to a whole new level!

Samsung Douzun!

Feeling the surging, powerful battle qi within his body, Lu Yu's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

He gently stroked the seven-colored lotus platform beneath him and exclaimed with delight, "This 'Seven Apertures Spirit Lotus' is indeed extraordinary. As a cultivation artifact, it can actually increase my cultivation speed by more than 30%. It truly lives up to its reputation as a top-grade auxiliary artifact obtained through simulation exchange."

That's right, this Seven-Aperture Divine Lotus is the treasure that Lu Yu obtained through a simulated exchange last month.

Last month, he simulated a family of weapon crafting masters and, relying on his excellent weapon crafting talent, created this top-grade spiritual weapon that can help a fire-attribute Dou Zun accelerate his cultivation.

As for this month's simulation, it hasn't started yet.

Slowly putting away the Seven Apertures Spirit Lotus, Lu Yu felt the immense power of the three-star Dou Zun within his body and left the depths of the blood pool with satisfaction.

As soon as he emerged from the pass and arrived at the summit of Tianmu Mountain, a powerful aura immediately caught his attention.

Not far away, a graceful figure in a purple-gold robe was excitedly waving her fist. The robe was well-tailored, outlining her budding curves, and the hem shimmered with light as it swayed, exuding an air of nobility.

Her once casually flowing purple hair has now grown to her waist, loosely tied back with an exquisite gold belt with a dragon pattern, revealing her smooth, full forehead and a stunningly beautiful face.

However, despite her beauty, she exuded a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation, and was none other than Zi Yan, who had successfully broken through to the Dou Zun realm!

Sensing Lu Yu's presence, she immediately turned her head, proudly raising her chin: "Hmph, Lu Yu, I'm a Dou Zun now! Don't even think about flicking my forehead again!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu couldn't help but chuckle at her adorable, smug expression. He deliberately drew out his words and cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, yes, congratulations, my little ancestor. Now you truly are the undisputed overlord of magical beasts. You can walk sideways in Tianmu Mountain from now on."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan wrinkled her small nose and snorted, but couldn't hide the smug smile on her face. She waved her little fist and said, "Good to know!"

Just then, the space beside them rippled slightly, and the towering black figure of Hei Qing appeared.

He first glanced at Zi Yan, who had successfully broken through, with satisfaction, then his expression turned serious as he said to Lu Yu in a deep voice, "Young friend Lu Yu, we just received a message from Donglong Island. The half-saint elder who was originally scheduled to come and escort Zi Yan back to her clan has been temporarily delayed due to an urgent matter within the clan and is unable to come."

"Oh? What could be so important that it could hold back a half-saint elder?" Lu Yu raised an eyebrow and asked.

Hei Qing's expression was solemn, and a hint of doubt and fierceness flashed in his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes: "This is the forbidden area of ​​my Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan—the Void Thunder Pool! Recently, an unidentified person has been discovered here! This matter is of great importance. All the major dragon islands have sent strong people to investigate. The clan's attention has been drawn to this matter, and we are temporarily unable to properly arrange Zi Yan's return."

"What Dragon Island means is... I'm afraid we'll need to trouble you for a while longer, so that Ziyan can continue to stay with you temporarily."

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of doubt flashed in Lu Yu's eyes.

A void lightning pool? An unidentified person? Could it be that person?

He clearly remembered that the Dean of Canaan Academy, Mang Tianchi, seemed to be cultivating in the Void Thunder Pool.

The lightning power there is extremely dense, making it an excellent place to temper one's battle qi and break through bottlenecks. Perhaps the person who was able to break through to the half-saint level was related to this place.

I possess the Nine Heavens Lightning Summoning Technique. If the opportunity arises in the future, perhaps I can also use the power of that lightning pool to temper my physical body...

Lu Yu's mind raced, but he remained outwardly calm, nodding and saying, "I see. It's alright, Zi Yan is with me, you can rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Hei Qing nodded solemnly, a hint of gratitude appearing on his rugged face. He said in a deep voice, "The kindness you have shown to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is deeply appreciated by everyone on Donglong Island. Once this matter is settled and the clan's half-saint elder is able to extricate himself, he will definitely come to express his gratitude in person."

"At that time, perhaps we can ask the elders to help build a spatial wormhole that leads directly to the Beast Domain for the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. This would be a token of our clan's goodwill and would facilitate future exchanges between us."

A glint flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. A spatial wormhole that could reliably connect the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and the Beast Domain, while valuable, wasn't exactly priceless. Most importantly, it allowed him to establish contact with Donglong Island and gain their support—undoubtedly the most substantial reward they could offer.

He cupped his hands and smiled, "Senior Hei Qing, you flatter me. Zi Yan and I are friends, and taking care of her is my duty. However, if the spatial wormhole can truly be built, it will be of great benefit to the Lingbao Pavilion, so I thank you in advance."

Seeing Lu Yu readily agree, Hei Qing grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, and was quite satisfied.

That's how social interactions work. If you don't accept gifts and he doesn't accept them either, and everyone is polite and keeps clear boundaries, how can the relationship truly deepen?
Only through this give-and-take, with each person owing favors to the other, can the bond be strengthened and the relationship made more stable.

Lu Yu's acceptance of this gift signifies that he truly regards the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, or at least the Donglong Island lineage, as a close ally rather than a casual acquaintance, which naturally greatly pleases Hei Qing.

Just then, a graceful, colorful figure walked slowly towards them from a distance. Cai Lin, dressed in a purple robe, arrived beside Lu Yu, her voice carrying her characteristic languidness, and reported:

"The Cao family, the Dan family, and the Ye family have arrived outside the mountain gate, saying they have come to pay a special visit."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's smile remained unchanged, as if he had expected it, and he said calmly, "They've arrived quickly. Please take them to the council hall; I'll be there shortly."

Cai Lin nodded slightly, then turned into a streak of light to make the arrangements.

Seeing this, Hei Qing's large eyes darted around, and he chuckled in a gruff voice, "It seems you have important matters to attend to, young friend. I'll take this girl to consolidate her newly broken-through realm first."

Lu Yu smiled and nodded: "Please make yourself at home, senior."

After Hei Qing and Zi Yan left, Lu Yu tidied himself up a bit before slowly stepping into the council hall.

Inside the hall, the three men were already waiting. Upon Lu Yu's arrival, they immediately stood up and were quite polite.

The first man, an elderly gentleman dressed in a magnificent robe and with a composed demeanor, cupped his hands and said with a warm smile, "Elder Cao Ping of the Cao family, I have long admired the name of Pavilion Master Lu. I have come to pay my respects today. If there is any offense, I hope you will forgive me."

Beside him, another elderly man dressed in plain robes, with wise and profound eyes, also cupped his hands and said in a calm tone: "Elder Dan Hong of the Dan family greets Pavilion Master Lu."

The last one was the sprightly old man in blue robes. He stepped forward with a warm smile and said, "I am Ye Zhong, the eldest elder of the Ye family. I have come uninvited and apologize for disturbing Pavilion Master Lu's peace and quiet."

The arrival of the three great elders of the Danta family, in such a humble manner, speaks volumes about their intentions.

Lu Yu's gaze swept over the three of them, a composed, polite smile appearing on his face as he returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute.

"The presence of the three elders is an honor to my Lingbao Pavilion. How could this be considered an intrusion? Please take a seat."

After both sides took their seats as host and guest, and exchanged pleasantries for a while,

Cao Ping, the eldest elder of the Cao family, coughed lightly and cut to the chase, saying sincerely, "Sect Master Lu, to be honest, the three of us have come here today for the refining method of 'Spirit-Nourishing Powder,' which can nourish the soul and aid in breakthroughs. I wonder what conditions you would require for you to part with it?"

Dan Hong, the eldest elder of the Dan family, nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Yu.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu showed no surprise. He tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Since the three elders have spoken, I will not beat around the bush. I can provide you with the method for refining the Spirit-Nourishing Powder."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming solemn: "But there are three conditions. First, this method requires a soul oath to guarantee it will never be passed on to outsiders, and will be limited to the use of the three core members of the family. Second,"

His gaze swept over the three of them. “From now on, 50% of the Spirit-Nourishing Powder produced by these three families each year using this method shall belong to my Spirit Treasure Pavilion.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Ping and Dan Hong exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement almost without hesitation.

For a family with such a profound heritage, obtaining the refining method and retaining 50% of the profits is already a tremendous gain.

"Thirdly," Lu Yu paused, his voice gaining an undeniable strength, "Lingbao Pavilion must formally form an alliance with the three families of Danta, and advance and retreat together in all matters concerning Danta."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ping and Dan Hong exchanged a glance, both revealing a look of "I knew it."

Even before they came to Tianmu Mountain, they had anticipated that Lu Yu might make this demand. The Soul Palace theory might have fooled some people, but it couldn't fool everyone.

Hearing this now is not entirely unexpected.

Cao Ping nodded first and calmly replied, "This is a mutually beneficial matter, and my Cao family has no objection. In the future, within the Pill Tower, the Cao family is willing to advance and retreat together with the Spirit Treasure Pavilion."

Dan Hong nodded in agreement, his tone wise and calm: "The Dan family has no objection either. It is our good fortune to be able to form an alliance with someone like Pavilion Master Lu."

(End of this chapter)