However, upon seeing how Nan Ling and Chang Dou were suppressing the entire human civilization, and hearing their shrieks that sounded like declarations of victory, Yue Lu could not resist poking its head out. It also wanted to shriek at the sky, venting the humiliation that it had suffered at the hands of this civilization.
"Found it," Green Lotus suddenly muttered softly. His expression did not change at all, and he made no extra movement. "Back and to the left, half a year’s travel away."
Lu Yin vanished. At last, they had found it.
In fact, earlier in the battle, while Lu Yin had been searching for Nan Ling, he had caught a single glimpse of Yue Lu. However, the bird had instantly vanished and had not lingered at all. Lu Yin had not been able to find it again after that.
However, upon hearing the victorious cries of Nan Ling and Chang Dou, Yue Lu could not resist showing itself.
Targeting Chang Dou was only a pretense. That Plume Immortal also resonated with two cosmic laws, and it was no weaker than Ming Yu. It would be extremely difficult to kill.
Green Lotus and Lu Yin were actually targeting Yue Lu. The more that humanity appeared to be on the back foot, the more likely it was that Yue Lu would reveal itself.
When Nan Ling and Chang Dou saw Lu Yin vanish with the others, neither cared at all. They would absolutely win this battle. Humans had never been equal to the Plume Immortals. All that restrained them was the increase to their karmic chains, the pleasure of the hunt itself, and their desire for revenge after Nan Ling had been wounded by that one finger strike.
But the next instant, Nan Ling's expression changed. Not good!
Far away, Yue Lu stared blankly at Lu Yin, who had suddenly appeared in front of the bird. It wanted to escape by teleporting, but it found that it could not move. It had been watching Lu Yin's group the whole time, so when Lu Yin suddenly appeared, Yue Lu reflexively looked at him. Having never encountered Crow Immobilization before, it was instantly frozen in place.
Lu Yin reached out and seized Yue Lu by the neck. "Got you, you mongrel bird!"
Nan Ling then appeared and swung down its talons.
Lu Yin retreated, still tightly holding onto Yue Lu.
"Human, you are seeking death!" Nan Ling screamed in a rage. It had not expected Yue Lu to be discovered. Fool! I told it to stay hidden and just watch! Not even the war with Obscura forced it out, and yet it was still found.
From another direction, Chang Dou fired a Godplume Spear in an attempt to force Lu Yin to release Yue Lu.
In Lu Yin’s hand, Yue Lu had already broken free of Crow Immobilization, so it immediately used Thousand Feathers, Thousand Changes, splitting into a thousand images.
Green Lotus unleashed his Lotus Cannon at the same instant, forming 1,000 fingers. Those thousand fingers shattered the thousand forms, but at that moment, Nan Ling descended, its talons curling to grasp the void and press down upon Green Lotus, buying a chance for Yue Lu to escape.
Green Lotus exhaled. His Lotus Cannon suddenly contracted, forming a green lotus around them both. The lotus was no longer formed from Karmic Heavenwheels, but rather from condensed karma itself. The void was sliced apart as a field of green took form.
Whether Yue Lu lived or died had never been important. What mattered was Nan Ling. Yue Lu could escape, but Nan Ling could not.
Yue Lu was the bait to trap Nan Ling. It was also a trap laid for Green Lotus himself.
Yue Lu teleported to escape into the distance, fleeing for its life.
Green Lotus closed the lotus. Red, lava-like power surged over the lotus, transforming the green lotus into a red-green one, as though it had been born from a volcano.
Lu Yin stared at the scene. Why did this feel so familiar?
The sky turned dark red as Green Lotus closed his palms. "Crimson Lotus Tomb."
Lu Yin went wide-eyed. Crimson Lotus Tomb?
He remembered. When seeing Senior Jiu Wen's memories through karma, Lu Yin had witnessed a scene of someone sealing himself, his beloved, and three Plume Immortals with the Path of Dispassion. That was the Crimson Lotus Tomb, the grave of the Path of Dispassion.
But what was this?
"This was created after I learned of the Crimson Lotus Tomb in Jiu Wen's past. This was never intended to kill enemies, but rather to fight for a single thread of survival.
"Lu Yin, Hong Xia is entrusted to you. Human civilization is entrusted to you." Greater Sancte Green Lotus stared at Nan Ling. It tried to teleport away, but the void had already been sealed. It tried Thousand Feathers, Thousand Changes, but all 1,000 forms were also trapped within the crimson lotus. There was no connection to the Aevum Inch.
You mock us joyfully? The backbone of humanity will never bend. Even in death, we will drag you down
Lu Yin's heart trembled as he shouted anxiously, "Senior, you said that you wouldn’t die together with it! It’s not worth it!"
Green Lotus smiled. "This is not mutual destruction. When the day comes that you are confident you can kill Nan Ling, go to the Sea of Karma and comprehend karma. I am not dead, and neither is it. This merely ensures a thread of survival. Do not hand us over to Obscura. Remember that!"
When he finished speaking, the Crimson Lotus Tomb fully closed, and it instantly turned into a dark red stone that fell through the starry sky to land on a barren planet.
Lu Yin stared blankly for a moment, but he was still on a battlefield, and there was no room for hesitation.
After one long look at the Crimson Lotus Tomb, he felt a bit of relief. As long as Green Lotus was not dead, it was enough. Lu Yin could sense that this was not some move that erased life, but rather something that merely prevented Nan Ling taking further action.