Chapter 38: Divine Martial Sect
At dusk, within the Blood Garment Tower.
The setting sun resembled blood; as another cycle of cultivation concluded, Lü Yang slowly refined the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his dantian, transforming it into true qi that flowed through his limbs and bones.
Qi coursed through his meridians like a dragon returning to the sea.
“Soon, once I master the final Flying Fish Transformation and merge the nine transformations into one, I can fully cultivate the third-grade true qi of the 『Nine Transformations Dragon Art』—the ‘True Dragon Qi’.”
“Once I achieve the ‘True Dragon Qi’, it will coincide with the onset of the righteous and demonic war. It will be the perfect opportunity for me to compete for the Foundation Establishment opportunity at Skeleton Mountain. Only the Foundation Establishment opportunity is worth the risk and effort; everything else is illusory.”
After completing his cultivation for the day, Lü Yang exited the meditation chamber.
Outside the chamber, a woman with a proud posture and sharp brows had been waiting for some time.
Upon seeing Lü Yang, she immediately stepped forward and handed him a jade slip.
“Daoist Brother, today’s movements of the corpse tide have been delivered.”
Lü Yang accepted the jade slip with a slight smile. “Thank you, Daoist Friend Yun.”
This woman was none other than Yun Miaoqing.
She was originally a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion.
Although Lü Yang had already mastered the 『Divine Firmament Sword Control True Formula』, considering their past connection, he had purchased her.
To be fair, his intention was that since they had engaged in dual cultivation in a previous life, helping Yun Miaoqing wouldn’t hinder him. He didn’t mind doing a good deed; following him was better than being bought by other sect disciples and used as a cauldron, drained into a wretch.
Unexpectedly, this decision brought him a pleasant surprise.
Perhaps because he hadn’t engaged in dual cultivation with Yun Miaoqing in this life and instead treated her with respect, focusing solely on diligent cultivation, Yun Miaoqing’s affection for him grew significantly.
“Daoist Brother, you are a good person. Why stay in the Primordial Saint Sect?”
Yun Miaoqing approached Lü Yang and whispered, “Now that the corpse tide has erupted, why not feign death and follow me to the Sword Pavilion to embrace the righteous path?”
As she spoke, Yun Miaoqing looked at Lü Yang, her beautiful eyes filled with emotion.
At her most desperate and powerless moment, it was this man who rescued her from the sea of suffering. Not only did he not harm her, but he also provided her with a place to stay.
Though born of the Demon Sect, he was a gentleman.
Moreover, over the past ten years, she had witnessed his step-by-step growth. His cultivation was profound, his talent exceptional, and most importantly, he was very handsome.
If he could join the Sword Pavilion, perhaps they could...
As she pondered, Yun Miaoqing’s pretty face suddenly flushed, though it was unclear what she was thinking.
This demeanor reminded Lü Yang of how, in previous lives, she had defiantly called him a demon. He found it quite amusing.
Of course, he had no interest in romantic affairs.
What truly mattered to him was Yun Miaoqing’s seemingly significant status in the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion. She claimed that with her recommendation, the Sword Pavilion would surely accept him.
“Cultivating in the Holy Sect is like walking on thin ice. If possible, I’d prefer to join a sect with better conduct.”
Yun Miaoqing might be the key to his future transition to the righteous path.
“How are Senior Sister Feixia and the others?”
“Those demonic cultivators were still at Jueyin Ridge a few days ago, breaking through the corpse tide. A mysterious expert intervened, but they repelled him and pursued him afterward.”
Yun Miaoqing handed over another jade slip.
Lü Yang took the jade slip and scanned it with his spiritual sense. The events of that day immediately came to mind.
“So that’s how it is. It seems there’s indeed a mastermind behind the early eruption of the corpse tide. A disciple of the Divine Martial Sect? And the rare treasure they used to catalyze the corpse tide...”
Upon seeing this, Lü Yang suddenly froze, then abruptly stood up.
“The Mysterious Female Taiyin Treasure Jade!?”
Indeed, the intelligence indicated that the mastermind behind the corpse tide’s eruption, a disciple of the Divine Martial Sect, possessed a thumb-sized Mysterious Female Taiyin Treasure Jade!
“If I can obtain this treasure jade, I can immediately cultivate the Profound Yin Form-Capturing Grand Art. Given time, even the 『Taiyin Body-Shedding Corpse Liberation True Method』 wouldn’t be a dream. Considering the rarity of this treasure jade, this might be my only chance in this life. If I miss it, I might never get another opportunity.”
“However... if not in this life, then in the next. Missing it is missing it!”
Lü Yang’s expression turned grim as he sat back down.
Despite unexpectedly discovering the coveted Taiyin Treasure Jade, he felt no joy.
He only felt a bone-chilling cold and was filled with vigilance.
“Whatever I desire seems to come to me... How could there be such luck in the world? After all, I’m not someone like Xiao Shiye, a child of destiny.”
Moreover, Xiao Shiye’s luck was bestowed by others!
“Could it be that Daoist Hong Yun is behind this again?”
The thought that a Foundation Establishment True Person might be manipulating karma and scheming in the shadows made Lü Yang immediately decide.
“I won’t go out!”
The current situation at Skeleton Mountain was treacherous.
It was safest to stay within the market city and manage the formation.
As long as a Foundation Establishment True Person didn’t intervene, he would remain unshaken.
“Besides, even if I don’t go out, it doesn’t mean I have no chance to obtain the treasure jade.”
After all, there were still Fairy Feixia and the others.
According to the intelligence, they had pursued the enemy. If they could seize the treasure jade and escape back to the market city, wouldn’t that be his opportunity?
Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but sincerely cheer for Fairy Feixia.
Time flew by.
Another day, within the Blood Garment Tower.
While Lü Yang was meditating and refining qi, he suddenly sensed something and immediately rose into the air, flying outside the tower to gaze into the distance toward the outskirts of the market city.
“Boom!”
In the distant sky, thunderous explosions accompanied by expanding clouds of blasts rapidly spread from the horizon toward the market city. It was clearly a chase involving flying lights. Leading the charge was Fairy Feixia’s distinctive multicolored flying light.
“One is missing?”
Lü Yang raised an eyebrow.
Including himself, there were four late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in Skeleton Mountain’s market city: Fairy Feixia, Lu Yuanchun, and an unnamed senior brother.
However, at this moment, Lü Yang only saw Fairy Feixia and Lu Yuanchun.
“Activate the formation.”
Unperturbed, Lü Yang issued a command. The Saint Sect disciples within the market city immediately took their positions, banners fluttering as a grand formation was erected in an instant.
The Hundred Bones True Grand Formation!
This formation ranked as a seventh-grade formation, the pinnacle of Qi Refining level formations.
With Lü Yang overseeing it, he could even contend with cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining.
However, in the next moment, an unexpected change occurred!
Lu Yuanchun suddenly produced a token and, forming a seal, activated it, directly opening a gap in the originally sealed formation.
“Now!”
Almost simultaneously, an extremely excited shout echoed from outside the market city.
Several beams of spiritual light shot out, transforming into formation banners that spread in all directions.
Immediately afterward, a miniature formation appeared at the gap Lu Yuanchun had opened, stabilizing it so that even Lü Yang couldn’t close it!
“Divine Martial Sect.”
Lü Yang’s brows furrowed slightly as he instantly recognized the attackers.
Clearly, the Divine Martial Sect had been lying in ambush outside the market city for some time, waiting for such an opportunity.
Now that the formation had been forcibly opened, the Divine Martial Sect could fully exploit this breach to invade the market city!
As for the culprit behind all this, Lu Yuanchun merely cast a cold glance at the market city before soaring away in the opposite direction!
He clearly understood what he had done, but he didn’t care.
In fact, he had done it deliberately, treating the market city as a discarded piece to secure his own escape.
After all, for the Divine Martial Sect, it was more advantageous to annihilate the Skeleton Mountain market city than to continue pursuing him.
As for the Saint Sect disciples within the market city?
They were just unlucky!