Chapter 36: Skull Mountain
Relying on his understanding of Zhao Xuhe from several past lives, Lu Yang quickly became familiar with him, and Zhao Xuhe, for a long time, felt a sense of respect from an outsider.
To be honest, he hadn't felt this way in many years.
Ever since the price of substitute yin corpse plummeted, Dragon Coiling Island mysteriously disappeared, and even his Master, Mending Heaven Peak Lord, couldn't deduce the Karma, his life had become increasingly difficult.
First, his Master became more and more disappointed in him; second, his cultivation was stagnant, remaining at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining for a full ten years, unable to Breakthrough the Bottleneck. If there was any good news, it was that his Master, seeing his decline, canceled his engagement with his Junior Sister.
The unpredictability of life and the changing warmth of human relations—Zhao Xuhe had experienced it all over the past decade.
Therefore, when he heard that Lu Yang had exited the substitute yin puppet market at its peak price, achieving financial freedom, Zhao Xuhe's eyes turned red with envy.
"Alas, Junior Brother, your Dao Heart is firm, untroubled by wealth. Your future achievements are limitless. It's just a pity I didn't have such a Dao Heart back then."
"Senior Brother, you mustn't belittle yourself."
Lu Yang comforted him in a low voice, "Fortune isn't determined in a single day or moment. As long as Senior Brother is committed to the Immortal Dao, what is a brief setback?"
"You're right."
Zhao Xuhe nodded, seemingly cheered up a bit, then tentatively glanced at Lu Yang, opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Such behavior, to Lu Yang, clearly revealed his intentions.
He wants to borrow money.
Lu Yang smiled faintly. Since Zhao Xuhe didn't ask, he naturally wouldn't offer. After all, if it's too easy to obtain, one won't cherish it.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from the flying boat:
"Skull Mountain has arrived!"
Northern Frontier, Skull Mountain.
Named a mountain, it is actually a vast mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles, with peaks gathered like waves in a rage, and every inch of land filled with Spiritual Qi.
There's a good reason why the Primordial Sect established a Market here. Although it's nowhere near Receiving Heaven Cloud Sea, for Loose Cultivators in the mundane world, Skull Mountain can be considered a treasure land. At the very center of the mountain range, there's a White Bone Cave, where the Primordial Sect's Market is located.
"This place's Feng Shui is an extremely Yin location."
On the deck of the flying boat, Lu Yang overlooked the Skull Mountain's ley lines, a little surprised: "Any Cultivator buried here will transform into a zombie within ten years."
"Junior Brother possesses a keen Wisdom Eye."
A flash of light appeared, and Feixia Immortal, with her feather cloak fluttering, walked out: "That's why the Primordial Sect sent us to Skull Mountain to guard and maintain order in the Market."
"As Junior Brother said, due to its special Feng Shui, Skull Mountain experiences a large-scale corpse tide every thirty years. These zombies have no intelligence and only know how to devour living beings. This is the risk of Skull Mountain, but also an Opportunity, as these zombies are excellent Artifact Refining Materials."
After explaining, Feixia Immortal continued:
"The Market is equipped with the 'Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation.' Fellow Daoist Lu and Fellow Daoist Chen are responsible for two of the four Formation eyes, and Junior Brother and I will each take one of the remaining two?"
"As Senior Sister commands."
Feixia Immortal nodded upon hearing this, then her embroidered brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at Zhao Xuhe, who was standing beside Lu Yang, eyes wide and face full of disbelief.
"What is it?" Lu Yang asked curiously, "Does Senior Sister know Senior Brother Zhao?"
"…No, I don't."
Feixia Immortal indifferently withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at Zhao Xuhe, but instead smiled gently at Lu Yang: "I'll have to ask Junior Brother to take good care of things in the future."
With that, she conjured a streak of light and flew away.
Zhao Xuhe remained in place, his expression complex, clearly having guessed that Lu Yang's ability to oversee the Market meant his strength was certainly not the Middle Stage of Qi Refining he had sensed.
"Senior Brother Zhao?"
Lu Yang's voice came, and Zhao Xuhe's movements froze.
A mix of joy and desolation appeared on his face. He moved his lips but made no sound. His movements finally became respectful, and he clearly called out:
"My Lord."
Seeing this, Lu Yang could only sigh helplessly: "Senior Brother Zhao, I still have official duties to attend to. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to contact me at any time."
With that, he also flew away.
Only Zhao Xuhe remained, his expression shifting between clear and overcast. His previous emotions quickly subsided, and his eyes revealed a look of contemplation.
"He's wary of me. It seems I was too hasty."
Entering the Market, Lu Yang recalled Zhao Xuhe's reaction just now and couldn't help but chuckle: "As I expected, he actually has another purpose for coming to this Market."
"Good, good!"
"In this life, I shall make him a close friend!"
Lu Yang wasn't afraid of Zhao Xuhe's wariness, because he had enough patience.
If necessary, he could even give up this life and truly be friends with Zhao Xuhe for a lifetime, gathering intelligence to lay the groundwork for his next life!
While contemplating, Lu Yang had already arrived before a pavilion.
This place was one of the four Formation eyes of the Market, and also the area with the most Spiritual Qi in Skull Mountain, probably reaching three-tenths the level of a Primordial Sect Immortal Cave.
"Blood Wash Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram, activate!"
With a wave of his large sleeve, Lu Yang's Blood Sun Sword Pill flew into the pavilion, taking its central position. Then, streaks of Formation patterns expanded, beginning to replace the original ones.
Although the Market's "Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation" was more profound than the Blood Wash Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram, firstly, Lu Yang only occupied one of its Formation eyes, and secondly, as a Formation Master, Lu Yang disliked entrusting his life and fortune to a Formation arranged by an outsider.
"After all, I have many secrets…"
"Moreover, Skull Mountain Market has been established for so long that even if this 'Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation' is brilliant, its effects are already widely known."
The more one's true nature is exposed, the easier it is to be targeted.
Therefore, if any truly powerful individual were to attack Skull Mountain Market, they would undoubtedly have prepared Divine Ability to break the "Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation."
So, by then, this Hundred Bones Returning to Truth Great Formation might not be of much use.
That being said, Lu Yang didn't abandon the Formation directly. Instead, he opened a new area within the pavilion, a Formation within a Formation, which served as a trump card.
After completing all of this, Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction.
Immediately after, he waved his hand again, naming the pavilion 'Bloodcloth Tower,' officially settling in Skull Mountain Market and establishing a public designation for himself.
Just then, more than a dozen streaks of light flew over.
These were all Primordial Sect Disciples assigned to Lu Yang's area, mostly at the Early Stage and Middle Stage of Qi Refining, and they were also here to perform tasks for the Market.
After the streaks of light flew into the Bloodcloth Tower, they gradually dispersed, revealing Cultivators of various ages and appearances, men and women. Each approached the terrace with awe, where a handsome young man in blood-red robes leaned against the railing, smiling as he overlooked them all.
"Greetings, Tower Lord!"
The Disciples dared not be slow and bowed in unison. Although within the Primordial Sect they could address each other as Senior Brother and Junior Brother, outside the Primordial Sect, they had to use titles.
Moreover, this was a Senior Brother at the Late Stage of Qi Refining!
The Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm may seem like only four small Realms, but the gap between them is truly a chasm.
"Dispense with the formalities."
Looking at the row of figures below, Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: "Good, from a glance, they're all ordinary, no truly capable individuals."
The Primordial Sect, setting aside other things, indeed had a top-tier cultivation environment. So generally, Cultivators who chose external assignments were either like Lu Yang and Feixia Immortal, aiming for Foundation Establishment, or like these people before him—those with poor Aptitude, older age, and little money, who couldn't make a living in the Primordial Sect.
"If I wanted to, I could kill everyone with just one person and one sword."
Those intending to build a force might be dissatisfied with this situation, but Lu Yang felt it was just right; the atmosphere of weakness made him feel very at ease.
"All of you may disperse. Handle minor matters yourselves; you don't need to come to me."
Lu Yang casually gave his instructions and then announced their dismissal, proceeding to seal off the Bloodcloth Tower, intending to cultivate peacefully and remain in seclusion until the Foundation Establishment Opportunity appeared!