Chapter 319: Yushu Jiange's Immortal Decree: Another Opportunity?

As for the 【Fate-Exchange Talisman Book】, a treasure of karmic fruition, Lu Yang had long coveted it, for it was the most overwhelmingly powerful treasure he had ever seen.

With fate as the brush and merit as the ink, the characters written upon the Talisman Book would directly summon the power of Heaven and Earth to bring them to pass.

This was already the art of a True Lord, far beyond what ordinary treasures of karmic fruition could compare to, revealing how much effort Daoist Hong Yun Daoist had expended to refine it back then.

"May I ask your name, Daoist friend?"

"Duanmu Yuan Tu."

As Lu Yang's words fell, Hong Ju immediately extended his hand and lightly tapped the 【Fate-Exchange Talisman Book】; a line of brief characters was formed almost instantly.

【Duanmu Yuan Tu's cultivation is complete; he may seek the Qi of Shen Metal.】

The next second, Lu Yang discovered that the merit and fate upon Hong Ju's body had plummeted, while a vague, otherworldly sensation arose within his own heart.

'It's done!'

Lu Yang's heart filled with joy; relying on the 【Fate-Exchange Talisman Book】, he had directly fulfilled the merit and fate conditions required to seek the second of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends.

More precisely, Hong Ju had paid this cost on his behalf; and in this life, as a naturally born Immortal Spirit, he did not suffer from the cultivation bottlenecks that mortal cultivators faced; as long as he found the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends and then merged them into his Immortal Spirit's core, he could naturally break through!

"Many thanks, Daoist friend."

Seeing this, Lu Yang smiled with satisfaction; keeping his word, he instantly used his spiritual sense to inscribe the 【Upper Brightness Golden Chalice Jade Light】 and then handed it to Hong Ju.

"What are you saying? It was merely my duty."

Hong Ju accepted the secret technique, glanced through it briefly, and a smile appeared; his expression toward Lu Yang grew somewhat more kind—he was an honest man.

He actually didn't turn hostile!

Thinking this, his gaze toward Lu Yang gradually grew strange; spiritual light began to emanate from his body, and his spiritual sense locked directly onto Lu Yang.

He wanted to turn hostile.

"Daoist friend... have you told this technique to anyone else?"

"Never."

Lu Yang said calmly, while spiritual radiance also began to emanate from his own body—two golds and one pink—and a fragrance so intoxicating it could bewilder the soul and spirit drifted through the surroundings.

【Essence of a Hundred Flowers】!

Seeing this, Hong Ju's expression changed slightly, as if recalling the scene where over a hundred heavenly maidens had utterly humiliated him in the 【Non-Existence Heaven】.

This spiritual technique bestowed by the 【Non-Existence Heaven】 was an art of heart-bewitchment; pushed to its extreme, it could bewilder not only living beings but even inanimate objects; now unleashed, it penetrated everywhere, instantly planting in Hong Ju the thought that this Daoist friend before him was not bad and that he should not harm him...

"... Break!"

The next second, Hong Ju had already activated his spiritual technique; a fierce shout dispelled Lu Yang's influence, for after all, he was a Great True Person with cultivation complete at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"A spiritual technique bestowed by the 【Non-Existence Heaven】?" Hong Ju narrowed his eyes, his gaze grim.

His words already carried a hint of killing intent, yet Lu Yang remained calm: "What, does Daoist friend intend to keep this avatar of mine here as a guest?"

'Avatar?'

Hong Ju was momentarily stunned, then frowned, and said tentatively: "Your avatar is profound and mysterious; I could not discern it... I wonder what wonderful art it is?"

Lu Yang replied calmly: "Secret Record of the Immortal Embryo Abiding in the World."

"Tsk!"

All spiritual radiance suddenly withdrew, and Hong Ju's expression changed again, replaced by a warm, enthusiastic smile: "With such a wonderful art, Daoist friend, you should have said so earlier."

If Lu Yang could name the 【Secret Record of the Immortal Embryo Abiding in the World】, this wonderful art of avatars, then he believed it eighty percent; after all, if such a wonderful art were paired with a Superior Spiritual Treasure as an embryo, it could truly resemble an ordinary person, walking the world in place of the original body; even if killed, it would cause no harm whatsoever to the caster's original body.

In that case, there was no need to make an enemy.

If you cut the grass but do not uproot it, it is better not to cut it at all; Hong Ju, also a True Person of the Holy Sect, now not only proactively showed goodwill but also produced a Spiritual Treasure and pressed it into Lu Yang's hands.

"A token of apology; Daoist friend, please do not decline!"

Lu Yang looked down and saw that this was indeed a Middle-Rank Spiritual Treasure, shimmering with brilliant light; if one were to find a Heavenly Gang or Earthly Fiend and merge it in, there was even hope of reaching Superior Rank!

"Then I shall not decline your courtesy."

"Daoist friend, take care on your way!"

Under Hong Ju's cheerful farewell, Lu Yang walked out of the mountain forest, then mounted a beam of escape-light and sped away, stopping only in the clouds tens of thousands of li away.

"Hmph—playing this game with me?"

He weighed the Spiritual Treasure Hong Yun had given him in his hand for a moment, then let out a cold smile and directly tossed this precious treasure from the clouds!

Only after doing all this did he transform into light and depart once more.

And shortly after Lu Yang left, Hong Ju's figure quietly appeared, holding in his hands the very Spiritual Treasure he had just given to Lu Yang.

'This person must be from our Holy Sect; he is not easy to fool.'

Hong Ju felt somewhat helpless; he was confident the other could not discern his methods; the reason he discarded his Spiritual Treasure as if it were worthless trash was purely out of caution.

In that case, there was nothing to be done.

If he had truly discovered something, there would still be room for improvement; but pure caution, this manner of conduct and dealing with others, made it very difficult to find any flaw.

"... Very well."

As his words fell, his figure dissolved into the gentle breeze.

Jiangnan, Hidden Sword Manor.

Lu Yang's original body opened his eyes, feeling no regret at having personally discarded a Spiritual Treasure with the potential to reach Superior Rank; indeed, he tossed it from his mind in the blink of an eye.

Although he had actually discovered nothing amiss, nor knew that Hong Ju had secretly followed and pursued him afterward, this did not prevent him from concluding in his heart that the Spiritual Treasure was a time bomb; indeed, not only the Spiritual Treasure, but even the avatar, was a time bomb to him.

After all, what if someone followed the avatar and found his original body?

Therefore, he had no intention of recalling the avatar; instead, he found a place to seal it, preparing to reawaken it only when needed.

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.

The beautiful True Person Xiu Xin, her face cool and clear, had just entered the secret chamber; her expression instantly thawed like spring wind melting ice, her beautiful eyes glistening with watery light.

"Master... a letter has arrived from the Yushu Jiange."

"Oh?"

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow and looked at the spirit-letter delivered by True Person Xiuxin; its content was simple—it was a summons to all Foundation Establishment cultivators under the Yushu Jiange's jurisdiction.

The signatory's name was 【Dang Mo】.

Lu Yang quickly dredged up the name from the corner of his memory—in his previous lives, it was this Yushu Jiange True Person who had seized the Ten Thousand Corpses Pit in Jiangnan!

If that's the case—

"Is the Yushu Jiange finally going to act against the Ten Thousand Corpses Pit?"

At that moment, Lu Yang suddenly felt a stir in his heart—the sealed avatar's direction suddenly sent him an inexplicable sensation, causing him to narrow his eyes.

"My opportunity—Shen Jin Qi."

Comparing the range sensed by his avatar, Lu Yang calculated with his fingers; his expression grew even stranger: "In the direction of the Ten Thousand Corpses Pit? Is there a convergence of Cheng Tian Gang and Di Sha there?"

Opportunity?

No!

Lu Yang instantly raised all his guard, 【Li Jie Bo】 in hand, and with flawless familiarity, swept his body with the divine art 【Dong Ming】.

"Phew—good, I haven't been deceived."

Thinking of this, the faint desire he'd just felt to go to the Ten Thousand Corpses Pit vanished: "No rush—I'll let the puppet scout the situation first."

(End of Chapter)