What Are You Going to Hold Me Hostage With? Morality?

Leave the underground hall.

Yu Tunzhou began to use his Primordial Spirit to sweep and search this branch.

This place is a branch of the Five Rivers Chamber of Commerce, and there are many kinds of rare treasures. Since we're already here, there's no reason to leave empty-handed. Regardless of whether they're useful or not, let's stuff them into the Vajra Bracelet's space first.

Zhang Buyu, however, seemed preoccupied.

He looked up at Yu Tunzhou's retreating figure several times, then lowered his eyes again, finally unable to suppress his doubts, and spoke in a low voice:

"Brother Yu, what Nan Guan just said, you really... don't care at all?"

"Which part are you referring to?" Yu Tunzhou without turning around, his tone casual as if he were chatting.

"The portal, the Fallen Immortals, the Heavenly Origin Pill —and that last question he threw at you." Zhang Buyu paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "Although they are all defending themselves, if those things are indeed true... then are we left with only the Heavenly Origin Pill as an option?"

Yu Tunzhou thought for a moment and replied:

"My Nature Cultivation has reached Pure Land Perfection."

Zhang Buyu's eyes widened, Pure Land Perfection face.

Not a newbie?!

He finally understood why Yu Tunzhou, merely a Divine Ability, could condense the Primordial Spirit Inner Form!

Countless martial artists with Divine Ability Perfection are stuck before the Pure Land, unable to enter the External Scenery for their entire lives.

Countless martial artists, unable to comprehend the realm of "Purity of the Void," have been unable to open up their Dharma Domain and ultimately fail to reach the Grandmaster level.

At Brother Yu's speed, I'm afraid he'll have a chance to break through the third level of his Nature Cultivation before he even advances to the Grandmaster, thus preserving his true nature and achieving perfect Primordial Spirit!

only...

Zhang Buyu looked confused.

What does this have to do with what I asked?

Yu Tunzhou sneered, "If he could shake my Dao heart with just a few words, then he would be the one who Pure Land Perfection, not me."

"He says it's a dead end, but is it really? This guy describes the situation as involving the life and death of the entire Eastern Wilderness, yet he still doesn't dare to make the sect's affairs public. Even when he sends people from the External Scenery Fourth Layer to guard the area, he has to keep it a secret, afraid that other forces will find out. Why do you think that is?"

"Because... because they're afraid of causing panic?" Zhang Buyu asked hesitantly.

"Wrong."

Yu Tunzhou sneered.

"Because they know very well that what they've done is far less glamorous than they portray themselves to be. Once exposed, their activities of refining Heavenly Origin Pill and harming innocent people will be revealed to the public, and no righteous person in the world will tolerate such behavior."

"More importantly, they're hiding an even bigger secret—a secret that's highly likely related to you."

"They weren't without a choice; they simply chose the path most advantageous to them. Using the blood of innocents to refine the Heavenly Origin Pill could 'suppress' the sect, allow their own people to consume the pill to improve their cultivation, and secretly advance their shady plan. A triple win—why wouldn't they do it?"

Yu Tunzhou shook the Nan Guan he was carrying and chuckled.

Finally, when someone uses Dao and Virtue blackmail against you, it means they've run out of options. At that point, all you need to do is prevent your opponent from choosing you.

"... Unable to select?" Zhang Buyu was somewhat taken aback.

"The 'I have no Dao and Virtue ' option is more suitable for most people, but I'm a little special," Yu Tunzhou said seriously. "Because my Dao and Virtue are too high, I define the standards of Dao and Virtue."

ah?

Zhang Buyu was completely unaware of what this person was talking about, his eyes filled with confusion.

He saw that Brother Yu seemed quite confident in this regard, and said with certainty:

Even if one day the world accuses me of falling into demonic ways, no one will dare to accuse me of Dao and Virtue depravity!

Zhang Buyu was speechless for a moment, then said, "But if the situation is really as they say, with the Eastern Wilderness facing an ever-growing crisis and no other options left but the Heavenly Origin Pill, what should we do? Remain silent...?"

"You're thinking quite a lot." Yu Tunzhou looked at him with surprise. He thought for a moment and said, "In my opinion, if the Eastern Wilderness has really come to this, then neither of us will have the chance to reveal everything here."

Meeting Zhang Buyu's questioning gaze, Yu Tunzhou looked towards Floating Hill Mountain and said calmly:

"Because your mountain lord will not allow it."

In this land of the Eastern Wilderness, unless a second Dharma Aspect appears, the source of all the struggles here lies with that Daoist Shouzheng on Floating Hill Mountain.

Upon realizing this, Zhang Buyu felt a chill run down his spine.

Yu Tunzhou Boat's mind raced, realizing that he had now willingly entered into the game.

Let's just go for it.

Such despicable people who use the name of righteousness to commit heinous acts deserve to be killed without any guilt.

After a thorough search, Yu Tunzhou actually found a Heavenly Origin Pill that had been hidden very well.

The pill was golden in color and had no trace of bloody smell, making it impossible to associate it with a demonic pill. However, this very pill was made from a human.

Yu Tunzhou examined it carefully for a moment, then tossed it to Zhang Buyu. He knew nothing about Dao of Alchemy, so he decided to leave it for Zhang Buyu to study.

Furthermore, this is also evidence.

"Walk."

"Brother Yu, where shall we go next?"

"Naturally, we'll go to Jade Lion City to see where the Heavenly Origin Pill is refined," Yu Tunzhou said. "Also, I'd like to see other portals, such as those that haven't been sealed off."

Zhang Buyu's breath hitched, then he said urgently, "You want to go up against the Jade Lion Yao Household? Although the Yao Household has long resided in the Eastern Wilderness and is not Aristocratic Clan Ranking of the Central Plains, their strength is not weak, ranking in the upper-middle tier. They openly have five External Scenery!"

Yu Tunzhou said with a mocking expression, "After decades of cultivating the Heavenly Origin Pill, they've only produced five External Scenery. It seems the Jade Lion Yao Household is just a bunch of big good-for-nothings leading a group of little good-for-nothings."

As Yu Tunzhou passed the stone steps leading to the main hall below, he could still hear Zhao Xuan's roars and curses.

There was one thing he said that was correct.

We martial artists roam the martial world, using our skills to break the law. How many people have we not killed, those who deserved to die, those who could be killed?

Indeed, never.

Now that he has achieved initial success in his cultivation and ascended to the Earth Ranking, he can be considered to have entered the top 100 in the Central Plains. Although he is far from being able to do whatever he wants and not eat beef, he no longer needs to worry about this or that.

Must one wait until they become the best in the world before they can fully express their feelings?

Jade Lion City is located on the eastern foothills of the Cangwu Mountain Range and is one of the most prosperous cities in the Eastern Wilderness.

At the heart of the entire Jade Lion City lies the Yao Mansion, which covers an area of thousands of acres.

In front of the vermilion gate, two life-sized white jade lions stand majestically. The gate is bustling with traffic, and anyone who passes by the Yao residence cannot help but show reverence.

Thousands of years ago, the Jade Lion Yao Household followed Floating Hill Mountain into the Eastern Wilderness and guarded the eastern part of the Eastern Wilderness for generations, slaying demons and protecting the peace of the region. In the eyes of ordinary people, the Yao Household had long been one of the pillars of the Eastern Wilderness.

Meanwhile, deep within the Yao residence, in a warm pavilion, Yao Chongshan, the patriarch of the Yao Household family, was picking up a teacup and slowly blowing away the floating leaves.

He was nearly sixty years old, with a square face. He had stopped at the Divine Ability Realm, and the outline of his shoulders and back, left by his martial arts training in his youth, could still be seen under his wide robes and sleeves.

Within the Aristocratic Clan, the clan head has many affairs to External Scenery, and Wai Jing usually sits in the clan as an elder, not getting involved in trivial matters.

At this moment, sitting opposite Yao Chongshan was a middle-aged man dressed in a black robe.

A silver bracelet was visible on his wrist as he held the teacup, with several copper coins strung on it—a common token among the Divine Capital Xiao Household.

"Mr. Xiao, you've come from afar; you must be tired from your journey." Yao Chongshan put down his teacup, his tone gentle. "Besides investigating the Yu Tunzhou incident, is there anything else that I, Yao, can assist you with?"

The man in the black robe was named Xiao Zheng.

Not long ago, the Xiao Household learned from the Venerable God that Xiao Yanzhi's death was caused by Yu Tunzhou, and that a powerful deity was suspected to be behind Yu Tunzhou. The Venerable God ordered them to investigate as soon as possible.

Upon hearing that Yu Tunzhou had entered the Eastern Wilderness, the Xiao Household sent people into the Eastern Wilderness to find the Yao Household, hoping they could help them pinpoint Yu Tunzhou's exact location.

The "five" in the Five Rivers Commercial Alliance comes from the following sources: Floating Hill Mountain, the Yao family of Jade Lion Yao Household, the Cangling Nan Household, the Divine Capital Xiao Household, and the Northern Plains Xie Household.

The two families had been dealing with each other for many years, so Yao Chongshan readily agreed to the Xiao Household's request.

Yao Chongshan was already wary of the top-ranked person on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking. They had heard rumors in the past few days that Zhang Buyu had been "kidnapped" by Yu Tunzhou!

As for Floating Hill Mountain, there has been no news for some time, and it is unknown what has happened.

Xiao Zheng put down his teacup and smiled, "I did come here on another matter, personally instructed by the clan leader. The Xiao Household hopes that the Yao Household can double the quantity of various pills they provide this year."

Yao Chongshan looked at him intently. "Double it? Mr. Xiao should know that other pills are fine, but the Heavenly Origin Pill... the raw materials are really scarce and limited. If we increase the quantity again, the Yao Household really has no choice."

The man in the black robe spoke calmly, but with a meaningful undertone. "The Xiao Household will handle the raw materials themselves; Clan Chief Yao only needs to focus on the refining."

Yao Chongshan remained silent for a moment, his fingertips gently stroking the rim of the teacup, as if weighing something.

"Mr. Xiao, could you tell me something?" Yao Chongshan finally spoke, his voice very low, "... has something happened in Divine Capital capital?"

Xiao Zheng sighed softly, "The Divine Capital is about to undergo a major change. The Xiao Household is simply making preparations in advance."

Yao Chongshan seemed thoughtful, but ultimately agreed, "There's something I must say upfront: while the Heavenly Origin Pill can enhance one's essence and improve cultivation, it's not without its price. First, it will burden one with karmic debts; second, long-term use will gradually erode one's character. I hope Brother Xiao can convey this to the noble lord."

Xiao Zheng smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder, but since the Xiao Household has spoken up, they must have already weighed the pros and cons."

Having said that, Yao Chongshan did not offer any further advice.

He stood up and said with a smile, "Brother Xiao, if you are interested, you can come with me to the Alchemy Chamber."

"Oh?" Xiao Zheng's eyes lit up. "This Xiao Zheng is quite interested."

The two got up, walked out of the inner hall, passed through several corridors, and arrived at a rockery in the backyard.

Yao Chongshan gently pressed a stone on the artificial hill, and the artificial hill slowly parted to the sides, revealing a stone staircase leading underground.

This stone staircase is wider and more regular than White Dragon Pass. The stone walls on both sides are polished very smoothly, and a copper lamp is embedded every few steps, the light of which illuminates the entire staircase as if it were daytime.

The further down you go, the stronger the faint smell of rust becomes, mixed with an indescribable sweet and pungent odor, like the lingering aftertaste of some kind of juice after it has evaporated at high temperatures.

At the end of the stone steps was a heavy iron gate, engraved with intricate patterns, clearly displaying a protective array.

Xiao Zheng praised, "This place is heavily guarded; even flying insects probably can't get in."

"Brother Xiao, you flatter me. However, my Yao Household has indeed put a lot of effort into this grand formation. If we were outside, even an expert at the External Scenery wouldn't be able to break into it in a short time," Yao Chongshan said smugly.

He took a copper talisman from his waist and stuck it in the groove in the center of the door.

A dull creak of machinery came from inside the iron gate, which then slowly slid open to both sides.

The heat and rich aroma of medicine wafted out from behind the door, masking the faint smell of blood in the Liaokong.

"This is the Yao Household's Alchemy Chamber?"

Xiao Zheng stepped inside and looked around curiously. She saw five bronze Pill Furnace, each several meters tall, densely packed in the underground hall. The furnaces were burning brightly, turning the entire hall a red glow.

A dozen or so members of the Yao Household were busily moving about, adding firewood, controlling the fire, and adding fuel, their movements practiced and efficient.

What's truly chilling is that next to each Pill Furnace, there were several people with empty eyes, like walking corpses, chained up.

Whenever the lid of the Pill Furnace is opened, someone is forcibly dragged over, their wrists are slit, and their blood is dripped into the Pill Furnace.

Fresh blood fell below, making a "sizzling" sound and rising in plumes of bloody smoke.

"Those are 'blood essences' used to refine elixirs," Yao Chongshan explained with a smile. "These are the bloodline inheritances of Fallen Immortals. Although they have become so diluted in this world that they are almost invisible, they are still much stronger than the blood of ordinary people."

Xiao Zheng wholeheartedly agreed, "Indeed, the bloodline of Immortals and Gods is extraordinary!"

"Brother Yao, I've heard that the refining of the Heavenly Origin Pill is different from ordinary pills, and the process is extremely complicated?"

Yao Chongshan nodded and said, "The processing of the Heavenly Origin Pill is extremely complex, and the key steps have always been controlled by Floating Hill Mountain. We are only responsible for handling the process here."

Xiao Zheng said meaningfully, "Brother Yao, haven't you tried it privately?"

Yao Chongshan laughed and said, "To be honest, Brother Xiao, our Yao Household has already figured out the core steps over the years. The Pill Furnace you see in front of you are our Yao Household's own Pill Furnace."

He raised his hand, signaling the clan members below to open the furnace lid.

The furnace lid slowly rose, and a rich, almost suffocating aroma of medicinal herbs wafted out.

Standing on high ground, the two looked down and could see the black liquid inside the furnace boiling and churning. They could vaguely make out a slender figure floating in the liquid, seemingly being melted away bit by bit.

"This is the Jade Pool bloodline that was recently delivered. It will take another thirty-four days to complete the pill," Yao Chongshan said with a hint of regret. "Unfortunately, the purity of the Heavenly Origin Pill we've refined so far is not as high as those provided by Floating Hill Mountain. It seems we're missing a crucial step."

"The bloodline of Jade Pool?" Xiao Zheng asked curiously.

Yao Chongshan nodded. "A female immortal from Jade Pool, said to be under the command of the Queen Mother of the West. This was discovered during an investigation at Floating Hill Mountain back then."

Xiao Zheng seemed thoughtful and smiled, "Once the Xiao Household delivers the 'raw materials,' the Yao Household can then figure out the final step."

Yao Chongshan laughed heartily, which also meant that he had accepted the Xiao Household's "order".

With the Yao Household's resources alone, searching for enough raw materials to refine the Heavenly Origin Pill without being discovered by outsiders would be very slow; it's not something that can be done by just finding someone on the street.

After all, geniuses are not inexhaustible; they need to be discovered, and they also need a reasonable reason to disappear.

For this reason, the Yao Household has been secretly supporting several bandit gangs over the years.

As the two were chatting happily, a figure suddenly appeared without warning at the top of the steps leading to the Alchemy Chamber.

Yao Chongshan subconsciously turned his head to look.

Upon seeing the person's face clearly, he asked in surprise, "Elder Qingyan, why have you come out of seclusion?"

The newcomer had white hair and beard, his face remained that of a middle-aged man, and his aura was as deep and profound as an abyss.

It was Yao Qingyan, the elder of the Yao Household External Scenery.

Yao Household has five External Scenery on his own, not counting his affiliated forces and the External Scenery photographers they recruited and trained.

However, the Yao Household is also a large and powerful family, and many important places require the presence of External Scenery, so only two people stay in the clan year-round.

A few days ago, someone went to Floating Hill Mountain to visit a friend and also to see what the situation was like there. So now, only Yao Qingyan remains in the clan.

In this Eastern Wilderness, they were not worried that anyone would dare to provoke the Yao Household.

But at this moment...

Yao Qingyan stood at the top of the stone steps, his expression grim. His gaze swept past the two men and sharply fixed on an inconspicuous corner deep within the Alchemy Chamber.

"You didn't know we had guests from the clan?"

His voice rang out coldly, carrying a deep anger.

Yao Chongshan's smile froze slightly.

He followed the gaze of the Qingyan clan elder—

Deep within the Alchemy Chamber, in the shadows near the rightmost Pill Furnace, a figure had appeared sometime earlier.

The young Yao Household of the Yao family in the Alchemy Chamber were still busy adding firewood and controlling the fire, and no one noticed when this figure had appeared there.

Those "blood guides" tied to the stove still kept their heads down with empty eyes, not looking up once.

It's unclear how long that person had been standing there.

Take in everything at a glance.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze indifferent, which inexplicably sent chills down Yao Chongshan and Xiao Zheng's spines.

Yao Chongshan's hand moved almost imperceptibly inside his sleeve as he recognized the face.

Although he had seen the portrait many times, seeing the excessively young face in person still made his heart skip a beat.

"Are you Yu Tunzhou?!"

With the clan elder beside him, Yao Chongshan forced himself to remain calm, his expression cold and hard, and he said in a low voice,

"Yu Tunzhou, you have trespassed into the forbidden area of my Yao Household and spied on Yao Household secrets. Do you really think you are invincible?"

Xiao Zheng, standing to the side, subconsciously took a half step back, feeling uneasy.

He was indeed ordered by his Lineage to come here to seek the Yao Household's help and to confirm Yu Tunzhou's whereabouts, but he never expected to run into this guy!

Even with a powerful External Scenery from the Yao Household right beside him, he still felt uneasy.

Especially since it seems like some kind of "legendary figure" is standing behind this guy!

"So you're Yu Tunzhou?" Yao Qingyan's gaze didn't waver for a second as he narrowed his eyes and said, "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. At such a young age, you've not only reached the Earth Ranking, but your ability to conceal your aura is also so superb. If my cultivation weren't slightly superior, I'm afraid I would have been fooled by you as well."

He paused, his tone softening, and slowly said, "There seems to be some misunderstanding here. If Young Hero Yu doesn't mind, I'll personally take you upstairs to clear things up. What do you say?"

Yao Chongshan instantly realized that this Alchemy Chamber was a vital area for the Yao Household, and they absolutely could not allow a conflict between the External Scenery to break out here!

He quickly replied, "That's right! Young Hero Yu, always leave room for maneuver, so you can meet again in the future. If you leave now, the Yao Household can pretend nothing happened!"

Yu Tunzhou ignored all of them, his gaze sweeping indifferently across the entire room.

All those who took the Heavenly Origin Pill and saw its effects have died.

Even these domesticated "Dan Yin" (a type of alchemical agent) have undergone special treatment by the Yao Household, rendering them devoid of consciousness to prevent sudden awakening; they are merely walking corpses.

Apart from the Yao Household, there are no other living people left here.

The fire in the main hall burned fiercely, and the blood-red flames reflected on the young man's profile, outlining his features with an almost indifferent calm.

He muttered to himself, "How can there be so many despicable creatures in this world, worse than pigs and dogs?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Chongshan broke out in a fine sweat. He was filled with shock and anger, but he forced himself to suppress it, fearing that he might provoke Yu Tunzhou and cause trouble.

Yao Qingyan frowned deeply. Just what level had this boy reached? Even the warning array set up by the clan failed to give him a heads-up, allowing him to sneak into this place.

Just then, Yu Tunzhou raised his right hand, unhurriedly.

Xiao Zheng's face was deathly pale.

Yao Qingyan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Yao Chongshan glared angrily and said, "You dare!"

The next moment, a beam of light, interwoven with black and white, shone from Yu Tunzhou's fingertips.

The light was not intense, nor even bright, but the moment it appeared, it seemed to devour all the light in the entire Alchemy Chamber.

The sudden darkness and unexpected turn of events made Yao Qingyan, who had intended to stop them, stop in her tracks.

Ahead, black and white intertwined and swirled upwards, like the sun and moon colliding and merging within a small space. Each intersection caused the surrounding Void to shatter with fine cracks.

At this moment, the energy of the sun and the energy of the Taiyin completely merged, transforming into a tiny, imperceptible yet indescribably heavy... chaos.

Yu Tunzhou gave it a gentle push.

There was no explosion.

There was no loud noise.

There wasn't even a flame.

The entire Alchemy Chamber seemed to be gripped from the center by an invisible giant hand, and then collapsed inward.

The Pill Furnace, the stone platform, the iron frame, the walking corpses tethered to the furnace, the Yao Household family members adding firewood...

All the outlines collapsed toward the center at the same instant, twisting, breaking, and turning into ashes.

Yao Qingyan's expression changed drastically. He grabbed Yao Chongshan and Xiao Zheng, who were still roaring, and quickly retreated into the air.

Looking down, the ground in the middle section of Yao Mansion appeared to have been hollowed out, with large areas of land and buildings collapsing and disappearing, ultimately leaving behind an enormous crater.

The Pill Furnace, the Xiao Household family members affected, the buildings... all perished along with the "raw materials" and "alchemy guides" that had long since lost their life and consciousness, disappearing together into the Chaos Wuji.

Only a figure in a green robe remained below.

He stood in the center of the collapsed pit and slowly raised his head.

The wind surged up from the collapsed area, carrying the smell of heat and dust, and ruffled his clothes and hair.

The attack was so silent that it created a crater over a hundred meters deep in the center of the Yao Household, yet it did not alert anyone outside.

The three people above were suspended in mid-air, looking down at the bottomless pit below.

Xiao Zheng felt ice-cold all over. The collapse just now was too terrifying. That silent annihilation buried the Yao Household's hard work over countless years.

"The Pill Furnace... my Pill Furnace... the Heavenly Origin Pill..."

"Yu Tunzhou!!!"

Yao Chongshan's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman.

He gazed at the appalling wreckage left by the attack, his voice twisted and shrill with rage, startling the entire city:

"My Yao Household will fight you to the death!!!"

Yao Qingyan's hair and beard bristled, and his body erupted with a burst of azure Gang Qi, equally enraged.

He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had never suffered such a humiliation. On his own territory, someone had infiltrated the core area and destroyed an important Alchemy Chamber. If this got out, how could the Jade Lion Yao Household still have the face to stand in the Eastern Wilderness!

In an instant, a white jade lion, tens of feet tall, appeared behind him. The lion was crystal clear, with mane like swords, and its eyes were burning with raging anger. It let out a roar that shook the heavens.

"You beast! Today I will tear you to pieces to atone for the deaths of my Yao Household members!"

Yao Qingyan shouted angrily.

A white jade lion descended from the sky, carrying an overwhelming aura, and stomped down with its foot!

Yu Tunzhou stood in the center of the deep pit, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his expression still indifferent.

Why bother with words when slaughtering pigs and dogs?

He raised his hand and pointed.

Almost identical to the finger strike just now

The second [Swallow the Sun and Refine the Moon]

But it is more... complete.

The world suddenly lost its color.

It was midday, the sun was blazing, but the sky above Jade Lion City seemed to be suddenly covered by a black cloth, and the light dimmed at a visible speed.

All the people who looked up at the Yao residence were astonished, for a pitch-black "dark sun" was slowly taking shape in the direction of the Yao residence.

It has no light, only all-consuming darkness, which completely drains the light, heat, color, and temperature of the entire city.

Only a heavy, almost tangible gloom pressed down from the sky.

Yao Qingyan's white jade lion Spirit Aspect was standing in mid-air, its front paws already mostly on the ground, carrying a power that could crush mountains, its mane standing on end like swords and halberds.

But just then, the dark sun turned slightly.

"Buzz--"

An irresistible suction force descended from the sky.

The white jade lion let out a mournful cry, and its massive body began to dissolve at a visible speed. No matter how much Yao Qingyan tried to activate his Primordial Spirit, it was to no avail.

In just a few breaths, the majestic white jade lion completely vanished, returning to the dark sun.

Yao Qingyan suffered a backlash and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

At that moment, Yu Tunzhou gently pushed out the Black Sun from in front of his finger.

"[Swallow the Sun and Refine the Moon]."