Chapter 460: Nothing can be changed!

After hearing this, Meng Shenji chuckled, and a deep light flashed in his eyes. "Interesting. But...how can you be sure that the old man is not an ordinary person? Or, why do you want me to help you monitor him?"

Lu Yu had expected that Meng Shen would ask this question, and immediately replied: "The old man's aura is very obscure, but the fluctuations that occasionally appear make me feel a hint of danger. Moreover, the fluctuations of his soul power give people a very strange feeling, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, as if he is deliberately hiding it. I am worried that he will pose a threat to the academy."

"Heh, you're quite observant at such a young age." Meng Shenji smiled and shook his head, then narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully: "But, Lu Yu, I'm not an old man who's bored and runs errands for others. If you want me to help, you have to show some sincerity."

Lu Yu knew that Meng Shenji was not easy to fool, so he was prepared. He took out a brocade box from his arms and handed it to Meng Shenji.

"Senior, here is a 500-year-old Yunling Orchid. I think this thing will be helpful to the mechanical puppet you are researching."

Meng Shenji's eyes lit up, he took the brocade box, opened it, and immediately a strong aroma of spiritual herbs hit him. "Yun Linglan? You've invested a lot of money. Although this thing is indeed useful to me, but... are you sure you want to use this to get me to do something?"

Lu Yu nodded, his eyes firm: "Senior, I know your ability. If it were you, you would definitely be able to find out the details of that old man. As long as you can help me with this, this Yunling Orchid will be my gift to you."

Meng Shenji smiled with satisfaction and put the box away. "Okay, you're smart. I'll help you keep an eye on that old man. But... you'd better stay in the academy and don't get involved. Don't forget, surveillance is not something that children can play with."

"I understand! Thank you, senior." Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, saluted again, and turned to leave.

After returning to the dormitory, Lu Yu closed the door and set up a soul barrier to block the outside world from prying eyes. His palm gently stroked his chest, feeling the slightly cool jade pendant inside, and his eyes became deeper.

"Leave the old man's matter to Meng Shenji. Next, it's time to improve my own strength."

Lu Yu sat cross-legged and took out another Yunlinglan from his arms. This was a treasure that he had obtained from his elders with great difficulty. It could help soul masters improve their cultivation quickly. He plucked the leaves of the Yunlinglan one by one and chewed them carefully. The rich medicinal power instantly filled his body.

"Such a strong spiritual power." Lu Yu closed his eyes and quickly circulated his soul power, guiding the power of the medicine to every part of his body.

As time went by, his body surface was gradually covered by a layer of light, and the fluctuation of soul power became more and more stable. The whole dormitory seemed to be filled with an imperceptible medicinal fragrance.

three days later.

There was a knock on the dormitory door.

"Dong dong dong."

Lu Yu opened his eyes from his training state, and his soul power had stabilized. He stood up and opened the door, and saw Meng Shenji standing outside.

"Senior?" Lu Yu was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Meng Shenji would come to him in person.

Meng Shenji chuckled and said, "How's it going, little guy? You've cultivated well, right? It seems that the Yunling Orchid was not wasted by you."

Lu Yu smiled shyly: "Thank you for the compliment, Senior. Do you have any news when you come here this time?"

Meng Shenji nodded, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. "That old man is indeed not simple. I have been keeping an eye on him these past few days and found that he often contacts some masked men late at night. Moreover, the soul power fluctuations of those masked men are at least at the level of Soul Sect or above."

Lu Yu frowned, and became more alert. "What are the origins of those people?"

Meng Shenji shook his head: "I can't find out their specific identities yet, but I can be sure that they are definitely not ordinary spirit masters. More importantly, they seem to be planning something, and the scope involved is not small."

Lu Yu was silent for a moment, feeling a little uneasy. "Senior, did the old man mention the academy?"

Meng Shenji narrowed his eyes and whispered, "He mentioned it. He seems to be planning something, and it has something to do with some people in the academy. But I haven't been able to find out the specific details yet."

Lu Yu clenched his fists, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. "It seems that this old man really has bad intentions."

Meng Shenji patted Lu Yu on the shoulder and said softly, "Little guy, don't be too anxious. This kind of thing is not that simple. What you need to do now is to improve yourself. It won't be too late to take care of these things when you have enough strength."

Lu Yu nodded, took a deep breath, and suppressed his impatience. "Senior, I understand. Thank you very much this time."

Meng Shenji smiled slightly, turned and left.

Watching his back gradually fade away, Lu Yu's eyes became more determined. He closed the door, sat cross-legged again, and continued to practice.

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

In Lu Yu's dormitory, a powerful aura suddenly erupted, like an invisible storm, shaking the furnishings in the entire room slightly.

"Level 40!" Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes, a gleam in his eyes.

After three months of seclusion, he finally broke through the bottleneck and his soul power cultivation successfully reached level 40.

He took a deep breath, felt the surging power in his body, and a confident smile appeared on his face. "Next... we should see what the old man is plotting."

"Old sir, I'm back."

Lu Yu pushed open the worn wooden door, which creaked slightly, like a sigh. In the dim light in the room, the old man sat at the table, seemingly waiting quietly.

The old man slowly raised his head and looked at Lu Yu, with a hint of relief in his eyes, but more of a sense of relieved calmness.

"It seems that you have made up your mind." The old man said lightly, his voice was vicissitudes but firm.

Lu Yu nodded, staring at the old man. "Yes, old sir. My martial soul and cultivation have reached a bottleneck. Without the fourth soul ring, I will not be able to make further progress. And you once mentioned that you are willing to sacrifice for me..."

"I did say that." The old man smiled, reached out to pick up a cup of tea on the table, took a sip, and then slowly put it down. "Boy, you chose this path yourself. After practicing to your level, you should know the price of power. For this, are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Lu Yu answered without hesitation, with a hint of firmness in his tone, but the complex emotions in the depths of his eyes could not be concealed.

The old man looked at him for a while and sighed. "You don't have to think too much. Since I proposed the sacrifice, I no longer fear life or death. In this life, everyone must end their life. You don't need to feel guilty about it."

"But, old sir..."

"No buts!" The old man suddenly interrupted Lu Yu, his voice low but full of majesty. His gaze pierced into Lu Yu's heart like a sharp blade. "You must remember that the path of cultivation is to fight for the opportunity between heaven and earth. If you can't be ruthless, how can you survive in this world where the strong prey on the weak?"

Lu Yu was silent, his fists clenched quietly. The old man was right, but the struggle in his heart still made it difficult for him to calm down when he asked a living person to be sacrificed for him.

The old man seemed to see through his heart and smiled. "Don't worry, I've lived enough. Besides, I'm not an ordinary person."

"You..." Lu Yu was stunned.

The old man did not explain, but slowly stood up, his aura slightly released at this moment, with an indescribable depth and majesty. Lu Yu had never really explored the old man's strength, but at this moment he found that he could not see through it at all.

"Kid, get out. The sacrificial ritual requires some preparation."

Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, but nodded and walked out.

As night fell, deep in the forest, the moonlight shone on the open space, shining like frost. The old man stood in the middle of the open space, his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, with a look of slight melancholy.

Lu Yu stood aside, watching the old man quietly. He could feel the old man's aura slowly rising, and a strong sense of oppression spread.

"Come on." The old man's voice sounded with a hint of calm smile. "Let's get started. Let me make one last contribution to this world."

Lu Yu took a deep breath, walked forward, knelt on his knees, and bowed respectfully to the old man.

"Thank you for your kindness, old sir. I, Lu Yu, swear that your sacrifice will not be in vain."

The old man smiled. "What oath? I'm not doing this just to hear this. Remember, you still have a long way to go, just don't let yourself down."

As the words fell, the old man closed his eyes and slowly spread his hands. A black light surged out of his body and rushed straight into the sky. At the same time, the atmosphere of the entire open space suddenly changed.

"This is..." Lu Yu's eyes suddenly widened. He clearly felt that the soul power of the old man was not that of an ordinary soul master, but was full of ancient majesty and wildness.

"Roar--!"

A deep tiger roar suddenly resounded through the heavens and the earth. Behind the old man, a huge tiger-shaped shadow emerged. The shadow emitted a black-gold light, its eyes were as blazing as flames, and its sharp fangs and mighty body brought an incomparable sense of oppression.

"This...what is this?" Lu Yu looked at the scene in shock.

The old man opened his eyes, his gaze deep and far-reaching. "It seems that this is the first time you have seen a real soul beast transform."

"Soul beasts transforming into human form?" Lu Yu was stunned, and quickly reviewed the knowledge he had learned in his mind. Soul beasts transforming into human form, according to legend, only soul beasts of 100,000 years can transform into human form and live with humans.

"you are……"

The old man smiled faintly. "That's right, I'm not a real human. To be precise, I'm a transformed soul beast. My true form is the Black Gold Holy Tiger."

"Black Gold Holy Tiger!" Lu Yu took a breath. He had seen records of this kind of soul beast in ancient books. It was said that the Black Gold Holy Tiger not only had a powerful attack ability, but also had the power to control darkness and metal. It was one of the extremely rare soul beasts.

"Didn't expect that?" The old man smiled. "In fact, I've long been tired of fighting. After I transformed, I lived in this forest for decades. I wanted to spend the rest of my life in peace. But since I met you, it can be considered fate."

Lu Yu opened his mouth, but couldn't speak. He had never expected that the old man in front of him was actually a transformed 100,000-year-old soul beast.

"What are you still standing there for?" The old man said with a smile, "Since you know my identity, there is no need to worry about it. The transformation of a soul beast means that one day it will sacrifice itself for something more important. Now, I am just fulfilling my mission."

"No, old man!" Lu Yu knelt down suddenly, with a look of reluctance in his eyes. "I didn't know you were a soul beast! If I knew, I would never accept your sacrifice!"

The old man looked at him and shook his head. "Boy, stop talking nonsense. I don't have much time. Besides, do you think I'm here today to give you a choice?"

Before he finished speaking, the shadow of the black-gold holy tiger behind the old man suddenly roared, and a huge breath rushed straight into the sky. Lu Yu felt as if his body was firmly pressed down by an invisible force, unable to move.

"Don't blame me for being cruel." The old man's voice was low and calm. "Remember, power always comes at a price. Your future requires this power."

Lu Yu watched the old man slowly raise his hand, and the shadow of the black-gold holy tiger gradually turned into a brilliant light, enveloping the old man. The rich soul power began to spread around, and Lu Yu's martial soul was instantly stimulated. The soul ring rotated in his body, absorbing the powerful energy.

"Old man!" Lu Yu yelled, his eyes red. But no matter how he struggled, he couldn't change anything.

The light gradually faded, and the old man's figure gradually blurred, and finally disappeared completely under the moonlight. Instead, a soul ring emitting a deep black light was suspended in front of Lu Yu.

Lu Yu knelt on the ground and remained silent for a long time.

"Old man...I will not let your sacrifice go to waste."

He slowly stretched out his hand and absorbed the soul ring.

The night wind blew, and the forest was silent. Only the moonlight was shining on the ground, reflecting the traces of the black gold holy tiger's existence.

Deep in the dark forest, the wind was blowing and the chill was biting.

Lu Yu slowly stood up from the ground and looked around with a cold gaze. He could feel that an evil aura was gradually approaching, and the heart-pounding pressure enveloped the entire area, making it hard to breathe.

"Haha, kid, I didn't expect you to make it this far." A hoarse voice suddenly sounded, as if coming from all directions, mixed with a sinister smile. Then, a white-haired old man, holding a black bead, slowly emerged from the darkness.

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes, his soul power circulated quietly, and the Fantian Seal in his body trembled slightly, as if he sensed something.

"Who are you?" Lu Yu asked in a deep voice, with a hint of vigilance in his tone.

The old man sneered: "You don't need to know who I am. Just hand over your martial spirit and body obediently, and I can let you die more easily."

"Hand over my martial soul and body?" Lu Yu raised his eyebrows, but a hint of sarcasm appeared on his face, "It seems that you are quite courageous. You actually dare to take my martial soul."

“Haha, you ignorant youngster! Your martial soul, Fantian Seal, is not simple. Although it has not been fully awakened, I can feel its powerful potential. If you take it for yourself, I will reach the peak again!” The old man grinned, the black beads in his hand flashing with strange light.