Chapter 46: Stealing Heavenly Secrets

"This technique is named Stealing Heavenly Secrets."

With Lu Yang's approval, Zhao Xuhe took out a jade slip, infused it with his consciousness, and handed it to Lu Yang; it was precisely the brief introduction to the effects of the Foundation Establishment secret technique he had mentioned.

Lu Yang swept his spiritual sense over it and immediately wore an expression of awe.

Lu Yang knew at a glance that this art of "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" was created by a high expert of the Holy Sect, for the style between the lines bore the unique mark of the Holy Sect.

The so-called Stealing Heavenly Secrets, as the name implies, involves first selecting a cultivator of the opposite sex whose age, talent, and cultivation level are roughly equal to one's own, then forming a Daoist couple with them, and through continuous dual cultivation, gradually implanting one's own Qi seed into the other's body to replace their Qi seed.

Once successful, the other party will no longer cultivate their own Qi seed, but the practitioner's Qi seed.

At that time, no matter what opportunities the other party obtains or what breakthroughs they make, they will ultimately be stolen by the practitioner, and their entire life's cultivation will merely serve as a wedding gown for another.

Insidious, vicious, treating talent as mere timber... truly classic.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang glanced again at Zhao Xuhe, suddenly recalling that in the life before the last, he had heard that Zhao Xuhe had apparently become a Daoist couple with Fairy Feixia.

'So that's it; no wonder they both perished after failing to break through to Foundation Establishment.'

'Looking at it now, it was likely that Zhao Xuhe killed Fairy Feixia first, and only then died from the failed Foundation Establishment; all that scheming ended up in vain.'

While Lu Yang was secretly criticizing in his heart, he also felt a sudden chill of awe.

Because from his perspective, the preparations Zhao Xuhe made in the life before the last were absolutely impeccable, utilizing almost every resource available.

In their previous life, after Zhao Xuhe and Fairy Feixia became a Daoist couple, they rose to prominence through Skeleton Mountain, not only breaking through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining but also acquiring two Foundation Establishment miraculous artifacts; if one considers the art of "Stealing Heavenly Secrets," Fairy Feixia's share was already within Zhao Xuhe's reach.

All told, Zhao Xuhe prepared fully three methods to break through to Foundation Establishment!

Yet what was the result?

Failure again!

"Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment, the immortal foundation of the Great Dao... without Foundation Establishment, one is ultimately an ordinary mortal; no wonder only Foundation Establishment cultivators can be called True Persons."

"Foundation Establishment is difficult, harder than ascending to the blue sky."

After sighing, Lu Yang looked again at the jade slip in his hand.

"What does junior brother think?"

Zhao Xuhe looked full of expectation: "Using this as collateral, lend me thirty thousand contribution points, with a term of three months; after three months, I will definitely repay the money."

"If I fail to repay in full, the secret technique will be given to junior brother as debt repayment."

"However, even if I repay it, I will still give the secret technique to junior brother, as a token of gratitude for your help in a time of need, assisting me through this difficulty!"

Zhao Xuhe spoke very generously and magnanimously, yet upon hearing this, Lu Yang sneered inwardly.

'It sounds like if I am willing to lend, this art of Stealing Heavenly Secrets will be mine, and I will lose nothing either way... but in reality, it is not at all like that!'

The crux lies not in the secret technique, nor in the lending of money.

It lies in the three-month time limit.

Because once he lends the money, if Zhao Xuhe encounters any crisis within these three months, he must intervene, otherwise the money cannot be recovered.

Therefore, this lending is not of money, but of a person!

Zhao Xuhe clearly wanted to bind himself with this Foundation Establishment secret technique, forcing him to pay for Zhao Xuhe's future adventures and the karmic consequences they bring!

In short, this is a sugar-coated bullet.

Yet, since it concerns Foundation Establishment, he cannot refuse.

"But what if I want the secret technique yet do not wish to take responsibility?"

Lu Yang looked at the jade slip in his hand, thinking of a way to eat the sugar coating and throw back the bullet, such as sending Zhao Xuhe to be brothers with Liu Xin...

However, Lu Yang quickly rejected this plan in his mind; just as he had taken Ouyang Haoze as a Banner Spirit but failed to obtain the original cultivation method of the Divine Martial Gate from him, the cultivation world has countless methods to prevent the leakage of techniques and divine arts; since Zhao Xuhe dared to come to him, he must have made preparations.

The success rate is too low.

Lu Yang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "... Very well."

"I can agree to senior brother's loan, but I also have one condition; if senior brother cannot accept this one condition, I would rather give up the secret technique."

Hearing this, Zhao Xuhe was overjoyed: "Please speak, junior brother!"

"The condition is very simple," Lu Yang said softly: "Senior brother must hand over the true original of the secret technique to me; otherwise, what if senior brother regrets it later and refuses to give it to me?"

"Of course, you can set a prohibition on the true original of the secret technique, such as one that will self-destruct immediately if opened without authorization, and then unlock the prohibition after three months. With your magic power, senior brother, the prohibition can be maintained for at least eighty years; this way, I am reassured, and you are reassured as well. What does senior brother think?"

Zhao Xuhe thought for a moment; it seemed there were no flaws?

The only issue was that his magic power was limited; the prohibition would automatically unlock after eighty years once his magic power was exhausted, but by then it would be too late.

It must be known that the lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is around one hundred and fifty years.

And once one passes one hundred years of age, with the decline of essence, qi, and spirit, there is basically no hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Lu Yang is already over twenty this year; eighty years later, he will definitely be over one hundred, half-buried in the ground; even if he obtained the Foundation Establishment secret technique, it would be of no use.

After all, if this life is almost gone, what is there to use for Foundation Establishment?

The next life?

The more Zhao Xuhe thought about it, the more he felt that Lu Yang's proposal was so proper; it achieved the transaction while avoiding mutual suspicion, truly a win-win!

"Junior brother's request is reasonable; let it be done thus!"

Zhao Xuhe nodded decisively, immediately took out another jade slip, first condensed his magic power to carve a prohibition onto it, and then handed it to Lu Yang.

Seeing this, Lu Yang naturally accepted it with a smile.

For a time, both host and guest were delighted.

"From now on, Zhao Xuhe is useless."

"If he can return alive, so be it; if he truly causes trouble, I will not intervene; at worst, I will wait eighty years to see the secret technique."

"In any case, I lose nothing either way."

After seeing Zhao Xuhe off, Lu Yang hummed a little tune and happily began arranging the market, for after all, this market is now his means of livelihood.

Moreover, the Hundred Bones Return to Truth Great Array within the market is a Grade Seven array, while his Blood-Washing Chen Tianhe Sword Array Diagram is only Grade Nine, with its power relying entirely on the Demon Transformation Blood Divine Light; therefore, if he can master the Hundred Bones Return to Truth Great Array, gaining insight by analogy, it will greatly aid his array cultivation.

Soon, time passed.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed. Lu Yang was startled awake from his meditation, suddenly feeling a fragrant breeze sweep over his face, then saw a graceful silhouette walk into the Blood-Robed Tower.

"Senior Sister."

Lu Yang smiled brightly and said, "You don't visit the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Has Senior Sister gained some new insight into formations and wishes to exchange ideas with me?"

"How many times have I said, just call me Feixia."

Feixia Fairy rolled her eyes at Lu Yang in mock annoyance, habitually sat down in his lap, and then spoke softly, "Someone from the Holy Sect has arrived."

"Didn't they arrive long ago?"

Lu Yang said indifferently, "I said last time, I only wish to cultivate in peace, have no desire to stir up trouble, and have no interest in that so-called Wraith Demon Secret Realm."

"The person who came this time is different."

Upon hearing Feixia Fairy's words, Lu Yang immediately narrowed his eyes: "Who is it?"

"It is the Second Senior Brother."

Feixia Fairy's expression turned serious: "The Second Senior Brother of the Sanhe Association, a direct disciple at the peak of Qi Condensation. This time, he personally sent me over to deliver the message."

Hearing this, Lu Yang's expression gradually darkened.

Because if he remembered correctly, the founder of the Sanhe Association, this large faction within the Holy Sect, seemed to be a True Person at the Foundation Establishment stage?

(End of this chapter)