Chapter 256

Chapter 256: Three Immortals of Eastern Ling

Almost simultaneously, Lou Yun himself sensed three powerful surges of energy rapidly approaching him. So, he simply stopped walking, standing where he was, quietly waiting for the other party to arrive.

In an instant, three figures materialized before Lou Yun. Neither side spoke immediately; instead, they scrutinized each other.

At first glance, it was obvious these three were brothers, sharing remarkably similar features. They were unremarkable-looking little old men of about fifty years, yet their eyes sparkled with intense vitality.

After thoroughly examining Lou Yun head to toe, the three exchanged glances. Then, suddenly, they performed an action that left Lou Yun utterly dumbfounded!

They knelt down together right in front of him!

Lou Yun had steeled himself for all sorts of possibilities, even considering they might suddenly attack. But he was stunned speechless; it had never crossed his mind that they would kneel to him. Shock rendered him incapable of any immediate reaction, and he could only stare with mouth agape at them.

Likely because they were brothers, their movements and speech were almost perfectly synchronized. After kneeling, they bowed their heads in unison towards Lou Yun: "Venerable master, please accept the three of us as your disciples!"

This statement almost made Lou Yun faint from fright. Judging by their age, they seemed nearly contemporary with his own father, yet they were asking him to take them as disciples? What on earth was happening?

Seeing Lou Yun remain silent, the three burst into cheerful cries: "Excellent! The master’s silence means tacit approval! Tacit approval equals consent!"

These words finally jolted Lou Yun back from his shock. He frantically waved a hand, exclaiming loudly, "Wait! When did I ever say I agreed?"

Instantly, the joyous expressions faded from the three faces, replaced by utter bewilderment and a pitiful look: "Master, you clearly consented! How can you go back on your word now? You can’t do this!"

"That’s right! As the proverb goes, ‘A teacher for a day is a father for life.’ Rest assured, we will treat you just as we would honor a father!"

"Yes, Master! Our talents are quite substantial. Taking us on won’t disappoint you; we will bring you credit!"

Listening to these three chattering away one after another, Lou Yun felt his head was about to explode. Their words were utterly nonsensical and divorced from reality!

"Enough! All of you, shut up!" Lou Yun’s patience finally snapped, and he roared abruptly.

The three proved surprisingly obedient and immediately snapped their mouths shut.

Lou Yun frowned, looking down at the three little old men still kneeling on the ground, their faces wearing unbearably pitiful expressions. He truly could neither laugh nor cry!

Could these three possibly be the masters of Carefree Island—the very "Three Immortals of Eastern Ling" whom even someone like Mo Linsheng deeply revered and feared?

They didn’t resemble immortals in the slightest! They seemed more like three oversized children!

"You three, get up first! I have questions!" Lou Yun barked sternly.

The three exchanged glances, first with Lou Yun, then amongst themselves, clearly reluctant. Slowly, they rose to their feet.

"What are your names? Are you the Three Immortals of Eastern Ling who live on this island?"

"We are brothers. I’m Lu Da. These two are my younger brothers, Lu Er and Lu San! We’ve lived on this island for a long time. But ‘Three Immortals of Eastern Ling’? We’ve never heard of that!" declared the foremost old man loudly.

Lou Yun realized immediately: "Three Immortals of Eastern Ling" was undoubtedly the title bestowed upon them by residents of other islands in the Eastern Ling Sea Area. They themselves were unaware of it.

Lou Yun pressed on: "Why do you want to become my disciples?"

At this question, the three became instantly animated, starting their overlapping chatter again. Clearly, this manner of speaking was habitual for them, though it gave Lou Yun a headache. He pointed specifically at Lu Da to speak.

The three Lu brothers had arrived on Carefree Island over a century ago. By chance, they discovered a set of cultivation techniques focused on arrays, left behind by some unknown party. Despite their seemingly childlike personalities, they possessed an intense fascination for the relatively dry subject of arrays. Thus, they settled on the island, dedicating themselves to cultivation and the in-depth study of array techniques.

Over the many years of research, while they wouldn’t claim to fully master arrays, they had built a solid foundation. Gradually, they began setting up various arrays across Carefree Island. Firstly, this allowed them to spar and practice with each other in their spare time. Secondly, it served as a deterrent against outsiders who might come seeking trouble or provoking a fight.

However, the deeper their understanding of arrays grew, the more profound their confusion became. To put it simply, while their study had progressed smoothly so far, reaching a higher level of mastery had become increasingly difficult. About a decade ago, their progress had slammed into a dead end, utterly stalling.

Though they appeared eccentric, the trio weren’t fools. After some discussion, they realized they had hit a bottleneck. Relying solely on their own strength to overcome this barrier seemed nearly impossible. The best solution would be to find an outsider knowledgeable in arrays to provide guidance!

Thus, they left Carefree Island and traveled to other islands in search of such a person. Their quest lasted years, only to result in deep disappointment. Astonishingly, across the vast sea area, not a single soul skilled in arrays was found!

Helpless, the three returned to Carefree Island. They continued attempting to break through the bottleneck while simultaneously hoping a grandmaster proficient in arrays might one day visit. To this end, they deliberately transformed the entire Carefree Island into a massive, integrated array formation. This way, anyone with knowledge of arrays could detect it immediately upon observing the island from above.

Like this, the three brothers waited for almost ten years. While people often intruded upon the island and stumbled into their arrays, the longed-for grandmaster of arrays never arrived. That is, until today. To their astonishment, the combined array painstakingly constructed by all three of them was shattered—completely, thoroughly dismantled—in an instant!

It’s easy to imagine their elation and excitement. This array represented centuries of their collective research, experience, and lifeblood. Yet someone had dismantled it so swiftly! Not only must this individual possess deep understanding of arrays, they were likely a true grandmaster! Hence, the three rushed out without delay, determined to apprentice themselves to this supreme expert!

Naturally, that supreme expert was Lou Yun.

As Lu Da finished his story, Lou Yun’s expression was a mix of bitter amusement and helplessness. Internally, he debated whether to reveal the truth. Seeing the eager hope shining on their faces, he genuinely felt reluctant to shatter the wish they had nurtured for over a decade.

However, Lou Yun was entirely ignorant when it came to arrays. Deceiving them was impossible. He managed a cough and said, "Actually, there’s been a misunderstanding. Concerning arrays… I truly know very little."

"Master, no need for modesty! Talented array masters on Spirit Weapon Star are already scarce. Based on your insights, you absolutely deserve the title ‘Grandmaster’!"

"Yes, Master! Please, do a good deed! Accept us three as your disciples!"

Lou Yun smiled bitterly. "Let’s set aside becoming disciples for now. Personally, I truly wish to help you, but I genuinely know nothing about arrays!"

Despite Lou Yun’s earnest explanations, the expressions on the Lu brothers’ faces clearly screamed disbelief. Honestly, it wasn’t their fault. Who would believe it? Someone had dismantled the array they poured their hearts into, soundlessly and tracelessly! How could that be possible without profound array knowledge?

Finally pushed to his limit, Lou Yun threw up his hands in exasperation. "Alright then, you tell me. How can I make you believe I know nothing about arrays?"

His question made the three exchange bewildered looks. But after a moment’s thought, they shook their heads firmly. "There’s no way we’ll believe it, regardless!"

Lou Yun understood. This was a knot impossible to untangle. There was simply no way to verify the truth. He decided it was pointless to keep wrestling with this issue. His primary reason for coming was to find his elder brother; he resolved to locate him and leave swiftly once done.

However, Chang Xiang spoke up with an unexpected suggestion, "Kid, weren’t you worried about the security of your Divine Weapon Island? If you could bring these three back with you and have them set up some arrays on the island, its safety would be virtually guaranteed!"

These words illuminated an idea in Lou Yun’s mind. Right! That actually seemed like a brilliant solution. Skilled magical weapons masters proficient in arrays were exceedingly rare. If arrays were deployed on Divine Weapon Island, anyone uninvited would find it easy to enter but impossible to leave!

Just then, Lu Da spoke up again, unable to hold back: "Master, please let us follow you! We promise not to cause any trouble!" Lu Da’s words hit precisely what Lou Yun desired. Lying wasn’t his preference, but for the sake of Divine Weapon Island, he felt he had to stretch the truth. He also consoled himself that he would definitely find a way to help the Lu brothers overcome their bottleneck in the future. This counted as a future repayment.

After this self-justification, Lou Yun nodded. "Alright. The three of you may follow me for now. However, I must stress one rule: you are not to call me ‘Master’!"

"If not ‘Master’, then what should we call you?"

"Hmm… How about ‘Island Master’?"

The three brothers exchanged glances, then immediately nodded in enthusiastic unison. "Understood, Island Master! We swear to obey your commands!"

Lou Yun finally let out a long, deep sigh of relief, a satisfied smile gracing his face. Ignoring their array skills, the three brothers’ cultivation alone—all at the King rank magical weapons master level—marked them as absolute elite martial masters. With their help, his strength had just received a monumental boost!