Chapter 27: The Astonished Zhao Yuyang

Tu Lu pondered for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he sighed and stepped out of his room.

He had not intended to see Zhao Yu Yang, but considering the purpose of the visit, he knew he could not avoid this encounter and reluctantly emerged.

"Master Zhao, I greet you. May I ask what brings you here today?"

Tu Lu entered the living room, cupping his hands in greeting.

At that moment, Zhao Yu Yang was sipping tea. Hearing Tu Lu's words, he set down his teacup, glanced at Tu Lu, and frowned slightly.

The "aura" surrounding Tu Lu was far stronger than when they last met, almost exaggerated...

"Have you been studying the art of inscribing runes these past few days?" he couldn't help but ask.

Tu Lu nodded. "I must thank you for your Minor Celestial Imagery Technique."

Zhao Yu Yang chuckled, still somewhat puzzled, but paid it no mind. He took another sip of tea and began, "I believe you know the purpose of my visit today. How is the matter you promised to handle?"

It was here.

Tu Lu had expected this. Though he had told Zhao Yu Yang to go home and wait, he had not responded for a long time; the old man surely could not wait any longer!

Thinking this, Tu Lu suddenly wore a look of distress and sighed deeply.

"What does that mean?" Zhao Yu Yang narrowed his eyes. Behind him, Hu Tu's expression grew even darker.

But Tu Lu seemed oblivious to their demeanor and sighed, "I have already spoken to my master about your request, especially regarding the inheritance of the Fire Rune's patterns. I showed it to my master."

At this point, Tu Lu deliberately revealed an awkward expression.

Zhao Yu Yang's brows knitted together. He asked gravely, "And then? What did the master say?"

"He said..." Tu Lu hesitated, pausing for some time before steeling himself and declaring with a sense of martyrdom, "He said this Fire Rune is far too basic, mere child's play. Is this really what the premier rune master of Divine Wind City can offer? It would be laughable!"

"What!" Hu Tu immediately sprang up, furious. "Are you joking? My master's Fire Rune may be a primary rune, but its value far surpasses even ordinary intermediate runes! How dare you spout such nonsense! Clearly, you never relayed our message to your master, thinking you could fool us!"

This time, even Zhao Yu Yang remained silent. He merely narrowed his eyes, his expression growing cold.

Tu Lu felt a sinking sensation within, knowing it would be hard to get out of this predicament, but his face took on an even more aggrieved look.

"I truly haven't deceived you," Tu Lu protested. "I have studied rune inscription myself and know the rarity of the Fire Rune. I conveyed this to my master, yet he claimed that a rune like this is simple for him—he even demonstrated it before me to prove it..."

Fearful Zhao Yu Yang would not believe him, Tu Lu gritted his teeth and produced a mid-grade magical artifact from his cloak.

"Look, this is the artifact my master inscribed."

"Utter nonsense! Do you think we will believe you?" Hu Tu barked coldly.

"Silence!" Zhao Yu Yang interrupted abruptly, startling Hu Tu.

Zhao Yu Yang now stared intently at the mid-grade artifact, his previously gloomy face subtly transformed.

He took the artifact, his expression shifting as he examined it closely. Only after a thorough inspection did he realize that the rune inscribed was indeed the Fire Rune he himself had developed, and his face changed completely.

The nearly flawless execution, the style approaching perfection, left him deeply shaken.

From the moment he saw the rune, he understood—even if it wasn't as exaggerated as Tu Lu described, it was not far off. The other party's mastery of runes was clearly far beyond his own!

After all, though the Fire Rune was a primary rune, it was unlike any ordinary primary rune and possessed the true skill of inscription.

It was impossible for him to master such a distinctive style of rune in just a few days, let alone attain this level of perfection in technique!

It sounded like a tale from legend, and in fact, it surpassed even the original creator—himself!

He took a deep breath and set the artifact aside, his face clouded and uncertain.

Seeing this, Tu Lu also breathed a sigh of relief, putting the artifact away, grateful he had practiced the Fire Rune ahead of time—otherwise, he would have been in serious trouble!

"May I ask your master's name?" Zhao Yu Yang suddenly inquired.

Tu Lu was startled and instinctively began to reply, but hesitated, then said, "His surname is Lu."

"Very well."

Zhao Yu Yang nodded, then, as if resolved, produced a thick tome from within his robes.

At the sight of the book, Hu Tu nearly cried out, quickly covering his mouth, his eyes wide.

If he did not know his master was shrewd and wise beyond compare, he would have thought him mad!

"Friend Lu, this is the intermediate rune—the Fire God Rune. It also contains some conjectures and thoughts on the advanced rune 'Fire Realm Rune.' It is my life's work. Please deliver this book to your master and tell him Zhao Yu Yang hopes...hopes to consult him on the art of rune inscription..."

Zhao Yu Yang seemed to want to say more, but hesitated, then sighed, "That is all."

Tu Lu swallowed hard, hesitant as he took the Fire God Rune manual, especially seeing the weariness and longing in Zhao Yu Yang's eyes. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

But even if he admitted he was the master, no one would believe him—nor could he ever reveal the truth...

After seeing Zhao Yu Yang and his apprentice out, Tu Lu clutched the Fire God Rune manual, tormented by indecision, and finally sighed.

He gave brief instructions to Xiao Dong and the others, then immediately secluded himself to study the Fire God Rune!

"So it returns to the Nine-Nine!"

Upon reading the first page, which contained conjectures about the Fire Realm Rune, Tu Lu was thoroughly astonished and could not help but cry out.

Normally, advanced runes were composed of hundreds or thousands of basic runes, but Zhao Yu Yang's theory was radically different!

He took a deep breath and continued reading.

"I didn't expect it to be like this!"

"It can be done this way?"

"This...I understand now! No wonder the Fire Rune possesses the skill of inscription. The Fire Rune is essentially a fragment of the Fire God Rune! Using nine Fire Runes as the foundation, cycling endlessly, it forms the Fire God Array equivalent to eighty-one basic runes! The Fire God Rune is more an array than a rune, yet it is manifested through runes. Zhao Yu Yang truly is a genius, able to employ runes so exquisitely!

Moreover, when facing an enemy, the Fire God Rune can instantly summon a flame avatar. As long as the weapon endures, and mana is not exhausted, it can be maintained indefinitely—this is simply incredible!"

He spent the entire night immersed in the tome.

Not until dawn did he finally take a deep breath and set the Fire God Rune manual aside.

He wondered if it was merely his lack of experience, but Zhao Yu Yang's book had truly shaken him. Depicting arrays with runes, it presented an entirely new path of inscription before him.

In his view, Zhao Yu Yang's later conjectures about the Fire Realm Rune, and even the Fire Will Rune and Fire Dao Rune, were the most valuable parts!

Thinking of this, Tu Lu gripped the manual, his expression growing ever stranger.

He could imagine how important this manual was to Zhao Yu Yang—offering it up, he must have been utterly convinced, hoping to move the nonexistent master and receive guidance.

But...

"If this old man ever learns the truth, he might die of rage..." Tu Lu suddenly felt a twinge of fear.