[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-629":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347644,4587,"Chapter 629: Lu Hua Meets the Demon Master, Together They Slay the Second Master? Su Jing","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-629",629,"\u003Cp>In a private room at Qiyi Springfang, only Lu Hua remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned by the window, chin propped on her palm, gazing down at the Qunfang Banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qunfang Banquet was built atop a bridge spanning Zhi River, where crowds on both banks had gathered to watch, the scene bustling and lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight spilled like water over the shimmering Zhi River; men on the flower boats beat drums to stir the mood, while courtesans sang melodious tunes, pushing the festive atmosphere to its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheers rose in waves from both shores, the scene growing even more lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, ten flower queens had taken the stage to perform, yet Lu Hua showed little interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a small yawn, her gaze sweeping past the glittering Qunfang Banquet—until she noticed three of the recited poems were written by Xie Guan, at which her eyes flickered with faint interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Guan really is something—showing off so much today, unlike his usual self.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. After today, I’ll be leaving Bianjing anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder if I’ll even see Xie Guan before I go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should see him—otherwise, he’ll say I, the Heavenly Master of Sanzhen Church, left without a word, and that would be a loss of face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her feelings toward this younger son of the Xie family were complex: she marveled at his cultivation talent, yet lamented he was not a disciple of Sanzhen Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze drifted toward the buildings of Bianjing beneath the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ten thousand lanterns reflected in Zhi River rippled in her eyes, as if she saw celestial palaces in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bianjing’s moonlight, ten Battalion Commander pounding clothes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She murmured softly, her heart stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bianjing’s splendor far surpassed the capital of the Great Sui—it was truly the richest city under heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua suddenly remembered: had “Long Yi” been away too long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A frown creased her brow—had he met with some misfortune?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Qunfang Banquet gathered many ninth-rank martial experts and those with profound Primordial Spirit cultivation, including figures like the Third Master and Su Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she shook her head lightly, thinking to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Yi, as a dragon of Dezehu, already possessed a half-dragon body; even if he faced the Third Master, he was not far from the turbulent waters of Zhi River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he couldn’t win, he could escape unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew this “dragon” had learned a “Water Escape” technique from some unknown source—anywhere within a hundred li with water—river, lake, or pond—he could instantly appear upon its surface and vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua didn’t care whether the dragon lived or died—if killed, so be it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, without Long Yi, today’s Qunfang Banquet lacked certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she pondered, her gaze suddenly sharpened, turning toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft knock echoed on the carved wooden door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua’s heart tightened—two qi signatures had appeared outside the door without a sound, undetected even by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A refined, resonant voice came through the door: “Heavenly Master Lu, long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua’s heart sank—the visitor knew her identity, clearly prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no desire to meet; her form floated like a feather, ready to slip out the window and vanish with the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visitor had malicious intent; she was alone—she must avoid his sharp edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another voice, gentle and solemn, followed, carrying Buddhist inner power:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Lu, it has been five years since our parting at Mount Zhongnan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua halted her step, her form gliding back from the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door to the private room swung open under invisible force, and two figures entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left stood a middle-aged, refined man, tall and slender, clad in a white robe beneath a costly sable fur coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snowy sable collar accentuated his pale, handsome features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His temples were streaked with gray, the mix of black and white adding a touch of weariness; his originally stern demeanor was softened by slightly curved brows and eyes tinged with fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the right stood an elderly monk in gray robes, his face kind, his bearing solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One middle-aged, one old monk—their temperaments could not have been more different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monk radiated the solemn dignity of a high Buddhist master, while the middle-aged man, though refined, carried a faint aura of malice in his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two were the Demon Master Xu Jiangxian and the Lotus Pool Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lotus Pool Master smiled, clasped his palms: “Lady Lu, you still trust the old monk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua studied the two before her, startled—when had the Demon Master and the Lotus Pool Master become close friends?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had met the Lotus Pool Master once on Mount Zhongnan; she knew him to be upright, devoted to the world, a true enlightened master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not been, she would not have stayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as her gaze turned to the smiling Demon Master, Lu Hua felt a surge of caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua could not fathom their relationship, so she probed cautiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lotus Pool Master, why have you come to Bianjing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Master Xu Jiangxian chuckled lightly: “Lady Heavenly Master, why did you come? That’s why we came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua raised an eyebrow: “To see the Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian did not answer directly, only smiled more deeply: “Lady Heavenly Master came to Bianjing at Xie Hong’s invitation, didn’t you? Or perhaps to seek the Second Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua smirked—luckily, her hat concealed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She disliked dealing with old foxes like the Demon Master—she couldn’t beat him, and he always spoke and acted with perfect precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered inwardly: how had the Demon Master learned all this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lotus Pool Master answered plainly: “We came to the Qunfang Banquet to board a painted boat, and saw a dragon lurking beneath the water, drifting downstream. We couldn’t intercept it in the water—it was too noisy and difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the dragon’s qi was too strong—we followed it with Xu Shi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian picked up: “Unexpectedly, we met Lady Heavenly Master here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian had visited Sanzhen Church before, but Lu Hua was still young then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua cursed inwardly: dead monk, not my problem—this dragon stirred up trouble outside and dragged her into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua sensed no malice from the Demon Master, and the Lotus Pool Master had always been friendly toward Sanzhen Church—no need for excessive caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian gazed toward the opposite Yaoxian Tower, speaking calmly: “Lady Lu, are you planning to join forces with Da Qi’s Divine Concealment, the Demon-Slaying Bureau, and Su Xiang after the Qunfang Banquet—pretending to hunt the Third Master, actually luring the Second Master downstairs to kill him together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua, her plan exposed, said nothing—this was indeed Xie Hong’s original plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly recalled: this Demon Master was a close friend of the Third Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian seemed to read her thoughts, stepping to the window, hands behind his back, facing the river wind, his tone calm: “Though I am close to Master An, if I may glimpse the fifth floor of the Academy and uncover the secret of Ascension, such friendship must be set aside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Third Master’s courtesy name was An Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian turned, his gaze deep as a pool: “But I suspect Master An already foresaw your plan—he’s likely waiting for you to walk into his trap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, with Su Jing’s talent, he knows this too—that’s why he lets you act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, his tone tinged with amusement: “The Fourth Master, Su Jing, is cunning—he always lays traps a thousand li ahead. Perhaps he anticipated our arrival in Bianjing and set this very scheme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze settled on Lu Hua, his words laden with meaning: “We are merely his pawns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that the pawns are in place, we still don’t know how to move.” Xu Jiangxian smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lotus Pool Master murmured: “Amitabha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hua caught the Demon Master’s implication, her heart trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Jiangxian spoke again: “If so, why not storm the Academy and go see this Second Master’s sword?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shatter this chessboard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1347,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3418f9b02279bd62d989e75aad6ce7ae03f366943a50c1a23c87ad1eb470a400","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-630","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-628",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]