Skull Mountain Market

With his understanding of Zhao Xuhe across several lifetimes, Lu Yang quickly grew familiar with him, making Zhao Xuhe feel the respect of an outsider again after so long.

To be honest, he had not felt this way for many years.

Ever since the price of Death Substitute Puppets had catastrophically collapsed, Coiling Dragon Island had mysteriously vanished, and even his master, the Peak Master of Heaven Mending, had been unable to calculate the Karma involved, his life had only grown harder and harder.

First, his master became increasingly disappointed in him. Second, his cultivation had been unable to advance an inch. A full ten years had passed, yet he remained stuck at the middle Qi Refining Stage, unable to break through the bottleneck. If there was any good news, it was that his master had seen him decline with each passing day and canceled his engagement to his junior sister.

The impermanence of worldly affairs and the warmth and coldness of human feelings—Zhao Xuhe had tasted them all over these ten years.

Thus, when he heard that Lu Yang had exited at the peak price of Death Substitute Puppets and thereby achieved Wealth Freedom, Zhao Xuhe's eyes reddened with envy.

"Ah, Junior Brother, your Dao Heart is steadfast. You were not harmed by wealth, and your future accomplishments will be boundless. It is only a pity that I did not possess a Dao Heart like yours back then."

"Senior Brother, you must not belittle yourself."

Lu Yang comforted him softly. "Fortune does not rest on a single day or moment. So long as Senior Brother remains resolute on the immortal path, what do a few temporary setbacks amount to?"

"You're right."

Zhao Xuhe nodded, seeming to recover somewhat. Then he cast Lu Yang a probing glance, opened his mouth, yet ultimately said nothing.

To Lu Yang, his intentions were already as plain as day.

He wanted to borrow money.

Lu Yang smiled faintly. Since Zhao Xuhe did not say it, he naturally would not bring it up himself. After all, if something came too easily, one would not know how to cherish it.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from the flying vessel:

"Skull Mountain is here!"

Northern Border, Skull Mountain.

Though called a mountain, it was actually a vast mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles. Peaks clustered together, waves raged in fury, and every inch of earth overflowed with Spiritual Qi.

There was a reason the Sacred Sect had established a Marketplace here. Though it was far inferior to the Cloud Sea of Heaven-Reaching, to worldly Rogue Cultivators, Skull Mountain was already a treasured land. At the very heart of the mountain range stood a White Bone Cave, where the Sacred Sect's Marketplace was located.

"This place's geomancy makes it a land of extreme yin."

On the flying vessel's deck, Lu Yang gazed down at Skull Mountain's Earth Vein, somewhat surprised. "Any cultivator buried here will inevitably shed their flesh and become a zombie within ten years."

"Junior Brother truly has eyes like blazing torches."

Rosy Cloud Light suddenly appeared. Fairy Feixia, her feathered cloak drifting elegantly, strolled out. "That is why the Sacred Sect dispatched people like us to garrison Skull Mountain and maintain order in the Marketplace."

"Just as Junior Brother said, because of its unique geomancy, Skull Mountain experiences a massive Corpse Tide once every thirty years. These zombies possess no intelligence and know only how to devour the living. This is Skull Mountain's danger, but also its opportunity. After all, these zombies are all excellent materials for refining Qi."

After explaining, Fairy Feixia continued:

"The Marketplace contains the Hundred-Skeleton Return-to-Truth Formation. Fellow Daoist Lu and Fellow Daoist Chen are responsible for two of its four formation eyes. Junior Brother and I shall each take one of the remaining two?"

"I shall follow Senior Sister's arrangements."

Fairy Feixia nodded at that. Then her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at Zhao Xuhe beside Lu Yang, whose eyes were wide with disbelief.

"What is it?" Lu Yang asked curiously. "Senior Sister knows Senior Brother Zhao?"

"No, I do not."

Fairy Feixia withdrew her gaze indifferently and stopped looking at Zhao Xuhe. Instead, she gave Lu Yang a gentle smile. "I will need to rely on Junior Brother's care in the future."

With that, she rode a streak of Rosy Cloud Light away.

Zhao Xuhe remained where he was, his expression complicated. He had clearly guessed that if Lu Yang could oversee the Marketplace, his strength was certainly not merely the middle Qi Refining Stage that Zhao Xuhe had sensed.

"Senior Brother Zhao?"

Lu Yang's voice came, and Zhao Xuhe froze.

Joy and desolation appeared on his face. His lips moved, but no sound came out. At last, his manner became respectful as he clearly addressed him:

"My lord."

Lu Yang could only sigh helplessly at the sight. "Senior Brother Zhao, I still have official duties to attend to. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, contact me at any time."

With that, he too turned into light and departed.

Only Zhao Xuhe remained behind, his expression shifting between light and shadow. His many earlier emotions swiftly receded, leaving only a contemplative look in his eyes.

He is wary of me. It seems I was still too hasty.

After entering the Marketplace, Lu Yang recalled Zhao Xuhe's reaction and could not help but chuckle. "Just as I expected, he had another purpose for coming to this Marketplace."

Good. Very good!

In this life, I should treat him as a true confidant!

Lu Yang was not afraid that Zhao Xuhe was wary of him, because he had enough patience.

If necessary, he could even abandon this life and truly be Zhao Xuhe's friend for an entire lifetime, gathering intelligence to lay the groundwork for his next life!

As he pondered, Lu Yang arrived before a pavilion.

This was one of the Marketplace's four great formation eyes, as well as the area of Skull Mountain with the densest Spiritual Qi. It was probably already at thirty percent of the Sacred Sect's cave abodes.

"Blood-Washing Heavenly River Sword Formation Map, rise!"

With a sweep of Lu Yang's sleeve, the Blood Sun Sword Pellet flew into the pavilion and took control of the central hub. Formation patterns then spread outward one after another, beginning to replace the original ones.

Although the Marketplace's Hundred-Skeleton Return-to-Truth Formation was even more profound than the Blood-Washing Heavenly River Sword Formation, Lu Yang occupied only one formation eye. Moreover, as a formation master, he did not like entrusting his life and fortune to a formation arranged by an outsider.

After all, I have quite a few secrets.

And Skull Mountain Market has existed for so long. No matter how ingenious this Hundred-Skeleton Return-to-Truth Formation may be, its effects are already known to everyone.

The more one's foundations were exposed, the easier it was for others to target them.

Thus, if some formidable figure truly attacked Skull Mountain Market, they would certainly have prepared divine abilities and methods to break the Hundred-Skeleton Return-to-Truth Formation.

When that time came, this Hundred-Skeleton Return-to-Truth Formation might not be of much use.

Even so, Lu Yang did not directly abandon the formation. Instead, he opened up a new area within the pavilion, hiding one formation within another as a trump card.

After finishing all this, Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction.

Then, with another grand sweep of his hand, he named the pavilion Blood Garment Pavilion, formally settling down in Skull Mountain Market and gaining a title by which others could address him.

Just then, more than a dozen streaks of escaping light flew over.

These people were all Sacred Sect Disciples assigned to Lu Yang's territory. Their cultivation was generally at the Early Qi Refining Stage or middle Qi Refining Stage, and they had also come to the Marketplace to undertake missions.

After the escaping lights entered Blood Garment Pavilion, they gradually dispersed, revealing cultivators of every age and appearance, men and women alike. Each wore an awed expression as they stepped onto the terrace, where they saw a handsome and elegant Blood Garment Youth leaning against the railing, smiling as he looked down upon them all.

"Greetings, Pavilion Master!"

The disciples did not dare be negligent and hurriedly bowed. Within the Sacred Sect, they could call one another senior and junior brothers, but outside the Sacred Sect, they still had to use official titles.

What was more, this was a senior brother at the Qi Refining Late Stage!

Early, middle, late, and Great Perfection Stage—the Qi Refining Realm appeared to have only four minor stages, yet the gap between them was truly a chasm.

"No need for ceremony."

Looking at the row of figures below, Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction. Not bad. At a glance, they are all oxen and horses. There is no one especially capable.

Whatever else could be said of the Sacred Sect, its cultivation environment was indeed top-notch. Thus, cultivators who chose outside assignments were generally either people like Lu Yang and Fairy Feixia, aspiring toward Foundation Establishment, or people like those before him—poorly talented, old, and lacking money, unable to get by in the Sacred Sect any longer.

If I wished, I alone, with one sword, could slaughter every last one of them.

Those wishing to build a faction might be dissatisfied with such a situation, but Lu Yang found it just right. The atmosphere of weakness made him feel at ease.

"Disperse. Decide minor matters yourselves; there is no need to come find me."

After casually giving the order, Lu Yang directly dismissed them. He then sealed off Blood Garment Pavilion, preparing to cultivate peacefully and enter seclusion until an opportunity for Foundation Establishment appeared.