Hidden Danger

As he stepped into the array of Azure Valley Market, the converging mist concealed his figure, and Lu Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Due to its special spiritual energy that could contaminate surrounding objects, Lu Yan had stored the Spirit Marrow Ore separately in a Storage Bag the previous night. This bag now served as the core of his plan.

This piece of Spirit Marrow Ore was valuable enough that even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't dare to covet it lightly. It was certainly not something a mere Qi Refining cultivator could possess. Even a Direct Disciple would have to pay a huge price to obtain resources of this level, which lent a certain authenticity to his deception.

And in the Urban Version, the photo Lu Yan had obtained from Ji Xingyao's fans also became evidence of his relationship with Ji Xingyao.

Various factors combined to solidify Lu Yan's connection with Ji Xingyao.

This plan was something Lu Yan had hastily conceived, but the only real question was whether Ji Xingyao could deter Xie Yun.

Lu Yan actually didn't know what had happened to Ji Xingyao. He was completely ignorant of any internal struggles within the Azure Parasol Sect, sectarian disciples, or the position of Direct Disciple. He had even deduced Ji Xingyao's decline in status from her identity as a down-and-out internet celebrity in the Urban Version.

This meant Lu Yan wasn't sure how much deterrent power Ji Xingyao's title of Direct Disciple still held, or whether the claim of severing Ji Xingyao's path could make Xie Yun, an Inner Sect Disciple, hesitate.

Therefore, this was a gamble for Lu Yan!

If Lu Yan won, Xie Yun lived!

If Lu Yan lost, Xie Yun died!

Yes, this scheme, from beginning to end, determined Xie Yun's life. Regardless of the outcome, Lu Yan was confident enough to survive.

If he couldn't deceive Xie Yun, it would inevitably expose the fact that Lu Yan possessed the Hundred Soul Banner. At that point, the only path left would be to kill to silence witnesses.

What he truly worried about were the potential negative consequences after the killing.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Ji Xingyao, the Azure Parasol Sect's Direct Disciple, finally showed some lingering prestige.

Although she was a declining internet celebrity whose sun was setting, her reputation was still there, enough to make Xie Yun hesitate.

The only thing that made Lu Yan feel a bit off was that after showing the photo, he always felt that Xie Yun's final look at him seemed a little strange.

Did he sense something?

The thought flashed through his mind and was quickly dismissed. Lu Yan's gaze swept across the streets of Azure Valley Market.

Since Xie Yun and the others had targeted Azure Valley Market, they had clearly made arrangements long ago. All the shops on the street were closed. Not a single one of the Peak Qi Refining higher-ups who usually managed the Market Street was present. Only a group of cultivators remained at the Market Street entrance, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Seeing that Lu Yan actually walked into the Market Street, a cultivator immediately stepped forward, wanting to ask.

"Fellow Daoist, what exactly happened outside?"

Lu Yan paid no attention, simply striding away from the area towards the Azure Valley Market's Cave Residence district.

Actually, Lu Yan's best option should have been to turn around and leave Azure Valley Market, escaping directly from the territory under the Azure Parasol Sect's jurisdiction.

But the identity Lu Yan presented before Xie Yun was that of someone belonging to Ji Xingyao. A mere Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator carrying such precious Spirit Marrow Ore, and then running out of the Market Street immediately after being checked – even if Xie Yun was an idiot, he would sense something was wrong.

Lu Yan's only option now was to enter Azure Valley Market, wait for this round of checks to end, and then leave secretly.

"I hope nothing unexpected happens in the meantime."

Lu Yan sighed softly, returning to his Cave Residence with practiced ease.

Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Lu Yan began to ponder the day's events.

He suddenly realized that the crises brought about by individual cultivators were ultimately limited. What was truly irresistible was the pressure from the general trend.

In the Xianxia version, eradicating the Hundred Soul Banner is the general trend. Even Demonic Sects don't dare to use it openly, let alone a rogue cultivator like him.

While the power of the Hundred Soul Banner gave him the confidence to kill Foundation Establishment cultivators across realms, it also brought another layer of hidden danger.

As long as he held the Hundred Soul Banner, these orthodox sects could come knocking at any time.

This time it was an Inner Sect Disciple of the Azure Parasol Sect in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Lu Yan was still able to deter him by borrowing Ji Xingyao's name.

But what if the next one to appear was a Direct Disciple? Or even a Golden Core True Person from an orthodox sect, what then?

Lu Yan fell into deep thought. After a long while, Lu Yan said with a faint expression:

"The power of the Hundred Soul Banner, after all, has a limit!

If I could refine a Thousand Soul Banner, a Ten Thousand Soul Banner, or even slaughter all the zombies in the entire Apocalypse Version, refining all the Zombie Wandering Souls into the Soul Banner, how could I fear the oppression of mere orthodox sects?"

Lu Yan's line of thinking was still about his lack of strength. As for giving up the Hundred Soul Banner, that was no different from choking on food and refusing to eat.

The reason he could gain so many benefits in the Xianxia version wasn't it the reward for diligently farming zombies for three months in the Apocalypse Version?

"However, the time for the next draw of the Apocalypse Version is uncertain, and refining the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to clear the entire apocalypse is not something that can be achieved in one or two trips to the apocalypse.

Before I gain enough power to use the Soul Banner openly, I should still find a way to conceal it further to prevent incidents similar to today from happening."

Lu Yan sorted through his thoughts, realizing that avoiding encountering a situation like today could roughly be divided into two methods.

The first method was to obtain a treasure that could evade spiritual sense detection and hide the Storage Bag containing the Soul Banner within this treasure to avoid possible scrutiny.

However, this method only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. Even if he evaded scrutiny, there was still a risk of exposure.

The second method was to refer to how Golden Core True Persons refine their Natal Magic Tools, which can be taken into the body for nurturing.

If Lu Yan could take the Hundred Soul Banner into his body, he naturally wouldn't need to deliberately hide it.

The only problem was that the Hundred Soul Banner was not Lu Yan's Natal Magic Tool, and its quality was only at the Top Grade Magic Tool level. Taking it into his body was just a guess.

Unless he obtained the relevant refining method, Lu Yan would have no way to proceed.

"This is truly troublesome."

After half a day, he still couldn't come up with any ideas. Lu Yan simply suppressed the thought for the time being and stopped forcing it.

The scrutiny outside the Azure Valley Market was still ongoing, and Lu Yan couldn't escape at this time. He could only take out the gains from last night from his personal Storage Bag.

After killing Cheng Yu of the Red Lotus Demonic Sect, Lu Yan was pleasantly surprised by the Spirit Marrow Ore and busy dealing with the scene. He only roughly counted the items in the Storage Bag and didn't have time to carefully examine the two ancient texts in the Storage Bag.

An ancient text that could be placed together with the Red Lotus Karma Fire Sutra must have its unique aspects.

With a flip of his right hand, the two ancient texts fell into Lu Yan's palm.

On the ancient text above, four large characters were clearly written.

Array Comprehension Mysteries!