Chapter 364

Chapter 364: First Battle, Then Courtesy?

“We greet the Lord of the Gate!”

“We greet the Lord of the Gate!”

One by one, the people of the Heavenly Gate addressed Lu Ye.

Their attitude was quite respectful; no kidding, the Celestial Lord has been reborn, how could they not show respect?

There are certainly those who act high and mighty towards a new gate master in the cultivation world, but it’s practically impossible to find such behavior here at the Heavenly Gate.

The Heavenly Gate is all about elite members.

Lu Ye nodded, observing the familiar yet strange faces surrounding him.

This one seems like the person I killed with a sword.

That one appears to be someone I knocked out with my fists.

This one seems to have been refined to death by a formation.

And this one…

Lu Ye gently shook his head, trying to cast aside the chaotic thoughts from his past life.

“Thank you all for your assistance; Lu Ye will remember this.” Lu Ye said with a smile.

“Hahaha, Lord of the Gate is too polite; we’re all family. If there’s trouble for the Lord, we must naturally step up!” Ning Tianming laughed.

Ning Tianming is the current gate master of the Fifth Heaven’s Heavenly Gate; he’s incredibly strong and smart, with the brilliant ‘Ming Guang Wu Liang’ body technique, making him a force to be reckoned with.

In his previous life, Lu Ye managed to refine him to death with a formation.

Of course, back then, Lu Ye was still weak.

“Now, let me see whose dead soldiers these are.”

Lu Ye approached the rapidly rotting corpses, hands forming seals, and soon a hazy glow emerged from the decaying bodies.

“From Ming Fo Temple!”

“One from the Eternal Order Sect!”

“Another from the Ocean Sky Sect!”

“This one’s from the Ling Lang Demon Cliff!”

“And this one’s from Mo City!”

…

The names of various factions flowed from Lu Ye’s mouth.

The members of the Heavenly Gate exchanged glances; if they had any doubts about Lu Ye being the former Celestial Lord, those doubts vanished completely now.

How could he know so many factions just after ascending to the Fifth Heaven?

The fact that he could tell their affiliations simply from a trace of special aura proved his deep familiarity with them.

“Got it. Let’s leave for now.”

Lu Ye was certainly going to retaliate against those who sent these dead soldiers after him, but not just yet; his strength was still too weak.

“Then let’s head back to the Heavenly Gate?”

Lu Ye nodded.

Upon reaching the Fifth Heaven, the Grand Dao Sect has practically disappeared.

Even if Lu Ye went to the Grand Dao Sect, it would only bring disaster to them; it’s better to return to the Heavenly Gate.

After all, the Heavenly Gate is formidable.

The Buddha Sect, which is effectively nonexistent in the first four heavens, becomes one of the top factions in the Fifth Heaven, with the Imperishable Realm regarded as Arhats—rumor has it, they boast about having three thousand Arhats.

What kind of concept is that?

Three thousand Imperishable Realms!

Of course, there’s bound to be some exaggeration in that claim, but it certainly illustrates the Buddha Sect’s power.

A group of people flew away from the Ascending Star.

The Heavenly Gate also possesses its own unique star, called the Heavenly Gate Star.

However, as they exited the Ascending Star, a bunch of strong figures awaited them in the void outside. Unlike those dead soldiers, each wore a friendly smile.

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

The people from the Heavenly Gate went on alert.

“Fellow Daoists need not be tense; we mean no harm. We merely heard that Fellow Daoist Lu Ye has ascended, so we awaited your arrival here.”

Lu Ye recognized the speaker.

The Mediocre Daoist from the Eternal Order Sect—his name suggests mediocrity, but he’s anything but that.

The Mediocre Daoist is the deputy master of the Eternal Order Sect, and the others are all notable figures from various sects.

Lu Ye stepped forward.

“What’s the wait for?” Lu Ye asked.

“We want to make it clear that the Eternal Order Sect from the Three Heavens and the one from the Four Heavens, while they share some connections with the Fifth Heaven’s Eternal Order Sect, are certainly not one and the same.”

“The Eternal Order Sect in the lower realms is greedy and evil, opposing you, Fellow Daoist. We have tried to advise them, but they refuse to listen, and we are powerless to help.”

“During the time when the lower realm’s Eternal Order Sect was pursuing you, we in the Fifth Heaven offered no assistance. Now, we do not wish to be enemies, but rather friends. We hope you understand!”

“This is our apology for the recklessness of the lower realm forces. Please accept it!”

They’ve come to declare their stance.

Lu Ye couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

It was truly a novelty.

He heard about ‘first courtesy, then battle’ before, but this ‘first battle, then courtesy’ was a first for him.

Had he not found ties to the Eternal Order Sect among the dead soldiers, he might have seriously thought they were actually trying to change their ways.

Thank goodness! The Eternal Order Sect is still the same old reckless bunch!

If they actually didn’t want to die, Lu Ye would have been a bit disappointed.

Yet a smile emerged on his face.

It seemed he was quite pleased with the Eternal Order Sect’s actions.

“I noticed you didn’t assist the Eternal Order Sect from the Four Heavens. It appears you genuinely wish to avoid being my enemies. We were never enemies to begin with.”

“Then I won’t turn down the gifts you’ve presented.”

Who would refuse something offered so kindly?

The Mediocre Daoist couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

“Fellow Daoist is very discerning; may the Eternal Order Sect and you coexist harmoniously in the future!”

Lu Ye nodded.

Besides the Eternal Order Sect, others who came were similarly conciliatory.

Many factions span over several heavens.

If the lower-level members stir up trouble, the higher-ups share some responsibility. Some truly didn’t want to provoke Lu Ye; their traditional paths were hard-earned, and they genuinely didn’t want to make an enemy of a reborn Celestial Lord.

Others were a bit different.

So, this time around, unlike the previous chaotic ascent filled with fights, this time Lu Ye encountered a bit of turbulence but also gained a whole bunch of resources immediately after arriving.

Whether enemies or friends, Lu Ye accepted what was offered without hesitation.

Everyone wore a cheerful demeanor.

Lu Ye continued following the Heavenly Gate away.

The starry sky of the Fifth Heaven was immensely vast, and as he traversed through the star river, he felt so small in comparison.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had witnessed such sights before, this would undoubtedly lead to some profound realizations.

Unfortunately, Lu Ye had grown accustomed to it.

No more mishaps occurred along the way.

They returned to Heavenly Gate Star.

Everyone from the Heavenly Gate came to pay their respects.

Among them was the Drunken Sword Daoist.

The strength of the Heavenly Gate had dramatically increased in the Fifth Heaven, now boasting over a hundred members, most of whom were powerful warriors.

Seeing one familiar face after another, Lu Ye felt a bit awkward.

Well, let’s just compensate them.

“Since today is free of troubles, and everyone is here, if you’re willing, I’ll share some insights into the Dao. Would you all care to listen?”

Lu Ye sat at the main seat, a faint smile gracing his lips.

The crowd instantly buzzed with excitement.

The Celestial Lord is preaching!

They had heard Emperor Dao Hen say that Lu Ye’s Dao was even more formidable than his.

An emperor’s words!

“We’re willing!”

Lu Ye nodded. The Tree of Enlightenment shot upward, blossoming in the wind, directly enveloping the entire palace.