Hidden Troubles

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

Because Spirit Marrow Ore's unique spiritual energy would contaminate the objects around it, Lu Yan had stored it separately in a Storage Bag last night. It had become the core of his plan.

This piece of Spirit Marrow Ore was valuable enough—so valuable that even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would not dare covet it recklessly. It was simply not something a mere Qi Refinement cultivator could produce. Even a Direct Disciple would have to pay an enormous price to obtain resources of this grade, lending a certain air of authenticity to the deception.

Meanwhile, in the Urban Version, the photograph Lu Yan had obtained from Ji Xingyao's fans had also become proof of his relationship with Ji Xingyao.

With all these factors combined, Lu Yan had firmly established his relationship with Ji Xingyao.

This plan had been hastily imagined by Lu Yan, but the only real problem lay in whether Ji Xingyao could intimidate Xie Yun.

Lu Yan actually had no idea what had happened to Ji Xingyao. He knew absolutely nothing about the internal struggles of the Azure Parasol Sect, its disciples, or the position of Direct Disciple. He had even deduced Ji Xingyao's fall from grace solely from her identity as a down-and-out internet celebrity in the Urban Version.

As a result, Lu Yan had no idea how much deterrent force remained in Ji Xingyao's title as a Direct Disciple, or whether the claim that her Dao Path had been severed could make Xie Yun, an Inner Sect Disciple, hesitate to act.

Thus, this was a massive gamble for Lu Yan!

If Lu Yan won, Xie Yun lived!

If Lu Yan lost, Xie Yun died!

Yes. From beginning to end, this scheme had determined only Xie Yun's life or death. No matter the outcome, Lu Yan had enough confidence to survive.

If he failed to deceive Xie Yun, the fact that Lu Yan possessed a Hundred Soul Banner would inevitably be exposed. By then, killing him to silence him would be the only path left.

What he truly feared were the negative consequences that might follow after killing someone.

Fortunately, at the final moment, Ji Xingyao, the Azure Parasol Sect's Direct Disciple, had finally displayed a trace of her former might.

Although she was already a fallen celebrity whose sun was setting, her reputation still remained. It was enough to make Xie Yun hesitate to act recklessly.

The only thing that made Lu Yan feel something was amiss was that, after he took out the photograph, he always felt there had been something strange about the way Xie Yun had looked at him before leaving.

Had he noticed something?

The thought flashed through Lu Yan's mind and vanished without further investigation. His 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 for it long ago. Every shop along the street was closed, and not one of the Peak Qi Refining elders who usually managed the market could be seen. Only a group of cultivators remained at the market entrance, staring at one another in bewilderment.

When they saw Lu Yan actually walk into the market, a cultivator immediately approached and tried to ask him a question.

"Fellow Daoist, what exactly happened outside?"

Lu Yan paid him no attention at all. He merely strode away from the area toward the Cave Residence district of Azure Valley Market.

In truth, Lu Yan's best choice should have been to turn around, leave Azure Valley Market, and flee straight beyond the territory governed by the Azure Parasol Sect.

But the identity Lu Yan had displayed before Xie Yun was that of Ji Xingyao's man. A mere Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator carrying such precious Spirit Marrow Ore would be bound to arouse suspicion if he ran out of the market immediately after the inspection. Even if Xie Yun were an idiot, he would notice that something was wrong.

Lu Yan's only choice now was to enter Azure Valley Market and secretly leave after this round of inspections ended.

"Hopefully, nothing unexpected happens along the way."

Lu Yan sighed softly as he returned to his Cave Residence with practiced ease.

Sitting cross-legged on the Prayer Mat, Lu Yan began reflecting on the day's events.

He suddenly realized that the danger posed by individual cultivators was ultimately limited. What was truly impossible to resist was the pressure brought by the general tide of events.

In the Xianxia Version, eliminating the Hundred Soul Banner was the general trend. Even the Devil Dao Sect did not dare use one openly, let alone a mere Rogue Cultivator like him.

The Hundred Soul Banner had certainly given him the confidence to kill Foundation Establishment cultivators across realms, but it had also brought another kind of hidden danger.

As long as he held the Hundred Soul Banner, these Righteous Sects could come knocking at his door at any time.

This time, it had been an early-stage Foundation Establishment Inner Sect Disciple of the Azure Parasol Sect, and Lu Yan had still been able to intimidate him by borrowing Ji Xingyao's name.

But what if a Direct Disciple appeared next time? Or even a Golden Core True Person from some Righteous Sect? What would he do then?

Lu Yan sank into deep thought. After a long while, he murmured with a shadowed expression:

"The Hundred Soul Banner's power still has its limits!

"If I could refine a Thousand Soul Banner, a Ten Thousand Soul Banner, or even slaughter every last zombie in the entire Apocalypse Version and refine all the Zombie Wandering Souls into a Soul Banner, why would I fear the oppression of mere Righteous Sects?"

Lu Yan was still thinking about the problem of his own insufficient strength. As for abandoning the Hundred Soul Banner, that would be no different from throwing away food for fear of choking.

Wasn't all the immense harvest he had gained in the Xianxia Version the reward for tirelessly farming zombies during those three months in the Apocalypse Version?

"However, the time of my next draw of the Apocalypse Version is uncertain. Moreover, refining a Ten Thousand Soul Banner and clearing out the entire Apocalypse Version isn't something that can be accomplished in one or two trips there.

"Before I obtain enough power to use the Soul Banner openly, I should still find a way to conceal it better, lest something like today happen again."

As Lu Yan organized his thoughts, he realized that avoiding a situation like today's could broadly be divided into two methods.

The first would be to obtain some treasure capable of evading spiritual-sense detection, hide the Storage Bag containing the Soul Banner inside it, and avoid any inspection that might come.

However, this method would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Even if he evaded visual and spiritual-sense detection, there would still be a risk of exposure.

The second method would be to imitate how Golden Core True Persons refined their natal magic treasures and nourish the magic treasure inside their bodies.

If Lu Yan could place the Hundred Soul Banner inside his body, he naturally would not need to hide it deliberately.

The only problem was that the Hundred Soul Banner was not Lu Yan's natal magic treasure. Its quality was merely at the level of a Top Grade Magic Tool, and placing it inside his body was only a conjecture.

Unless he obtained a relevant refinement method, Lu Yan had no way to begin.

"What a troublesome matter."

After half a day without thinking of any lead, Lu Yan simply suppressed the thought for the time being instead of forcing it.

The inspection outside Azure Valley Market was still underway. Lu Yan could not escape at this time and could only take out the previous night's spoils from the Storage Bag he kept close to his body.

After killing Cheng Yu of the Red Lotus Demonic Sect, Lu Yan had been surprised by the Spirit Marrow Ore and busy dealing with the scene. He had only roughly counted the items in the Storage Bag and had not had time to examine the two books inside carefully.

Any books that could be placed together with the "Red Lotus Karma Fire Sutra" surely had something extraordinary about them.

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

The upper book had four large characters written prominently on it.

"Array Comprehension Mysteries"!