Chapter 237: Invite the Guest into the Urn!

There is indeed a problem.

After Lu Yuan's figure sneaked out of his cave dwelling, True Monarch Liuyun and Xingtian Ding, who were hidden nearby under the cover of the Mirage Dragon Pearl, exchanged a glance and immediately maneuvered the dragon pearl to follow him at high speed.

Under the protection of the Mirage Dragon Pearl, the two had no need to worry about the leakage of their Dharma Power, and they followed the figure ahead all the way, soon penetrating deep into the Yin Corpse Mountain Range.

Ten miles, several tens of miles, over a hundred miles.

The figure in front did not linger, only stopping after reaching the very heart of the Yin Corpse Mountain Range.

Seeing Lu Yuan stop, True Monarch Liuyun and Xingtian Ding behind him also halted in the void in a timely manner.

Late at night is precisely when the billions of Corpse Demons in the Yin Corpse Mountain Range are most active; after arriving here, Lu Yuan did not conceal his aura, and the radiance of his Dharma Power immediately attracted the attention of a large number of surrounding Corpse Demons, triggering bursts of roars as if the true underworld had descended.

The Corpse Demons on the surface began to boil, and large swarms of flying Corpse Demons rose from the darkness to pounce on Lu Yuan; however, True Monarch Liuyun and Xingtian Ding, hidden invisibly two or three miles away, looked on in shock and spoke almost simultaneously:

"What is this person's intention?"

"What on earth is he trying to do?"

One must know.

This is not just any place, but the heart of the Yin Corpse Mountain Range, where countless Corpse Demons exist, along with terrifying Four-Tier Heavenly Corpses like the Corpse Bone Giant Buddha.

Under normal circumstances, let alone a Golden Core Real Person, even a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator would have to be cautious and constantly on guard; for Lu Yuan to charge in so brazenly without even concealing his aura is simply like throwing himself into a net or seeking his own death—it looks suspicious no matter how one views it.

And in the next moment.

As they watched from the shadows, a vast and mighty aura of Dharma Power suddenly bloomed from Lu Yuan, followed by a sword light that shot out from between his brows; then, amidst brilliant lightning and constant thunderclaps, it manifested into a giant Sword Light Thunder Dragon, sweeping toward the flying Corpse Demons pouncing from all directions.

Thunderbolts danced wildly, lightning impacted, and destructive power tore through the night sky; accompanied by the Sword Light Thunder Dragon's high-speed shuttling and piercing—too fast for the naked eye to capture—True Monarch Liuyun and his companion only saw brilliant lightning and electric light bursting everywhere in the void, countless electric arcs entangling, then surging violently in all directions like a tsunami, instantly turning the space within several hundred feet into a purgatory of thunder!

Sss-sss-sss-sss-sss.

The blinding, violent radiance of the thunder stung their eyes; this gloomy, oppressive, and seemingly endless rolling corpse energy began to dissipate and melt away as if ice and snow had encountered magma.

And at the very center of the thunder purgatory, hundreds and thousands of Corpse Demons roared in terror, yet without the slightest room to dodge, they were submerged by the thunder light, shattered, evaporated, and vanished into smoke without any resistance!

Witnessing this scene with their own eyes, True Monarch Liuyun and Xingtian Ding, under the cover of the Mirage Dragon Pearl, both changed color.

The reason for their change in color was not only the thunder-based Supernatural Power Lu Yuan had just displayed, which was even more powerful and terrifying than before, but also because the aura of Dharma Power radiating from him at this moment was vast and mighty, completely exceeding the scope of the Jiedan Late Stage!

"Unreasonable... this person has actually been hiding his strength all along?"

True Monarch Liuyun's expression turned icy:

"This level of Dharma Power aura is already equivalent to Jiedan Peak; how could this person have already reached such a realm?!"

Xingtian Ding was also filled with suspicion and uncertainty:

"This person is clearly at Jiedan Peak cultivation, so why lie about having just broken through to Jiedan Late Stage? Was his breakthrough in the Immortal City real or fake, and what is his purpose in attracting the attention of a True Monarch?!"

A Jiedan Peak cultivator refers to True Core Consummation, where cultivation, divine sense, and Dharma Power have all reached the limit of the Golden Core realm, and at any moment, one might experience Dan Breaking Infant Birth and step into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Of course, although it is only one step away, the difficulties and dangers involved are beyond measure; without sufficient foundation and opportunity, even a Jiedan Peak cultivator would find it hard to cross that chasm.

However, even so, a cultivator of this level is enough to look down upon others and would be an honored guest in any Immortal City wherever they go.

Yet Lu Yuan's background is a mystery, and he even deliberately concealed his cultivation to join Longshan Immortal City; no matter how one looks at it, he seems to have ulterior motives!

"Good, very good."

True Monarch Liuyun, who had been deceived without ever noticing, was now burning with rage, his face livid:

"I never imagined this person had deceived both me and my master. To think my master bestowed grace upon him, yet he plays such schemes under the very nose of a Nascent Soul True Monarch; this person is truly bold beyond measure, and his heart deserves to be punished!"

As he spoke, in the void, the destructive Sword Light Thunder Dragon, like a destructive meteor, surged and shuttled, occupying all lines of sight with an incredibly arrogant and overbearing posture, sweeping away the horde of corpses.

Every time the thunder flashed, hundreds of Corpse Demons were buried beneath the lightning; in the blink of an eye, the area was littered with mangled, charred corpses.

Seeing this scene, Xingtian Ding could not help but take a deep breath:

"It is fortunate we discovered this person's true cultivation today, otherwise who knows how long we would have been kept in the dark! But I do not understand; the thunder technique he is using is incomparably fierce and overbearing, seemingly no less than the foundational technique of the Zixiao Dao Sect. Where did he obtain it!?

And this Sword Technique he is currently using is also extraordinary; even Elder Lu, who specializes in Sword Dao in the Immortal City, is likely far inferior by comparison. Who exactly is this person..."

As a War Hall Elder and a pillar of Longshan Immortal City, Xingtian Ding had always been quite proud of his own cultivation and methods, believing that in terms of combat, he was in no way inferior to any cultivator of the same rank.

But at this moment, the sight of Lu Yuan standing in the void, his Sword Light Thunder Dragon slicing through the sky and earth, traversing the firmament, and sweeping away evil like a plow, left him with a great sense of insecurity amidst his shock.

Based on the methods Lu Yuan had displayed, he doubted that even if he went all out with every technique he possessed, he would likely be slain by the other party within a few rounds.

True Monarch Liuyun was silent for a moment, then said coldly:

"We will have a chance to know this secret in the future, but the most urgent matter is to return and inform my master. Hall Master Xing, return to the main camp later; do not alert the enemy, and wait for my master to decide."

Xingtian Ding understood the gravity of the situation and immediately said:

"True Monarch, rest assured, I understand."

True Monarch Liuyun nodded and said no more, immediately forming a hand seal to maneuver the Mirage Dragon Pearl to retreat slowly, then fleeing into the distance silently and at high speed.

And after waiting for a moment, until the two had completely left the area and even exited the Yin Corpse Mountain Range.

In the dark void, Lu Yuan, who had already cleared away most of the Corpse Demons in this area, looked toward the direction the two had left and chuckled.

With the Supernatural Power of Foreknowledge, there is simply no such thing as being followed, ambushed, or plotted against in his presence.

In reality, his leaking his tracks and going out every ten days or half a month over the past few months was something he did deliberately, and he had long been aware that True Monarch Liuyun and Xingtian Ding had been coming to watch him in secret every night.

Including just now, deliberately using the Supernatural Power of Embryonic Transformation to disguise his cultivation and Dharma Power at the Jiedan Peak level, and even wantonly displaying the Mastering Five Thunders Supernatural Power, were all things he did on purpose.

As for his goal, it was naturally to go fishing.

Under the pitch-black sky, thousands of hideous monsters had been wiped clean; Lu Yuan retracted his Sword Pill and also embarked on the return journey, leaving only a soft whisper drifting in the darkness:

"Huanglong, oh Huanglong, the opportunity has been given; whether you can grasp it depends on yourself..."

A moment later.

Linglong Peak.

"What?"

In the grass hut at the peak, True Monarch Huanglong, whose meditation had been disturbed, opened his eyes, his majesty like a sudden raging tide:

"You say that Lu Yuan concealed his true cultivation, and that he is actually not at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but at Jiedan Peak!?"

Before him, True Monarch Liuyun stood solemnly:

"Master, this matter is absolutely true. Hall Master Xing and I both saw it with our own eyes; there can be no mistake."

True Monarch Huanglong remained suspicious, looking at him coldly:

"I personally met this person when he held the Dharma assembly. Under my sensing, he was indeed only at the Jiedan Late Stage. Does this mean he even deceived my eyes?"

Liuyun Zhenren's expression stiffened, and he said hesitantly: "Perhaps this person possesses some secret technique or precious treasure that can confuse one's Qi, which is why Master failed to discover it at first. This is the Phantom Truth Shadow Recording Disk I just recorded in the Yin Corpse Mountain Range; Master can take a look."

Having said this, he presented a palm-sized jade disk, upon which countless runes seemed to be flowing.

Phantom Truth Shadow Recording is a recording method far more powerful than ordinary recording techniques. This method can not only replicate scenes and sounds, but even Qi and the like can be perfectly copied, making one feel as if they were there in person.

True Monarch Huanglong immediately raised his hand to take the Phantom Truth Shadow Recording Disk into his hand. After his divine sense probed it, his gaze instantly narrowed:

"Good, very good. To have such cultivation and Supernatural Power at such an age, one cannot possess it without great opportunity. To think that I, as the master of Longshan Immortal City, was actually deceived by such an outsider and remained unaware. Do you know what he intends by sneaking into the Yin Corpse Mountain Range from time to time to clear out the Corpse Tide? Could it be that he truly cares for the common people?"

Liuyun Zhenren knitted his brows and speculated:

"This disciple is also unsure. However, there are many evil cultivators and demonic cultivators in this world who use death energy, corpse energy, and fiend energy as cultivation resources. Could it be that this person wants to use this to refine some cultivation method or Dharma Artifact?"

True Monarch Huanglong said indifferently: "Foolish. This person masters such a powerful thunder method; how could he cultivate evil methods or refine evil Dharma Artifacts? If that were truly the case, the first to suffer would be himself."

"Master's words are very true."

Liuyun Zhenren said at the right moment:

"As for what purpose this person has, I fear we will only know after capturing him alive. In the entire Xiyan Continent, one who can reach the Jiedan Peak is certainly no unknown person. Yet this person seems to have appeared out of thin air, and he even secretly hid and deliberately disguised his breakthrough to attract our attention, thereby going with the flow to join the Immortal City. He must have some ulterior motive. This disciple believes we cannot sit by and watch this person continue to fish in troubled waters."

Although a Jiedan Peak cultivator still cannot bridge the gap between them and a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, if it is true that Lu Yuan has been cultivating for less than two hundred years, it means that this person has a very high probability of stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm in the future.

True Monarch Huanglong also thought of this point, and as his gaze flickered, he said slowly:

"Indeed. At first, I only thought he was some loose cultivator with a bit of talent, opportunity, and luck who hid in Longshan Immortal City to escape enemies, which is why I opened the net and allowed him to find shelter in the Immortal City."

"Yet I never expected that my tolerance and preferential treatment would be treated like discarded shoes by this person. While enjoying welfare conditions far exceeding other Golden Core Cultivators, he maliciously deceived me and harbored evil intentions. If such an unfaithful and unrighteous person is not severely punished, the world will think I am weak and easy to bully."

Liuyun Zhenren immediately bowed:

"Master, this person's cultivation and methods are powerful. This disciple lacks the strength to go and capture him; I fear it will require you to take action personally. It is just that he is currently stationed at the front line serving the Immortal City. If there is no suitable reason to take him down, I fear it will cause some unfavorable influence on you and even the reputation of Longshan Immortal City."

True Monarch Huanglong said faintly:

"When did I say I wanted to make a big scene? Since this person sneaks into the Yin Corpse Mountain Range every ten days or half a month, then I shall just wait for him there."

There was no need to speak too clearly at this point. Liuyun Zhenren heard the string song and understood the elegant meaning, immediately saying:

"This disciple understands. This disciple will personally head to the front line to keep watch, and will send a message to notify Master the moment this person makes another move!"

True Monarch Huanglong nodded: "Go. You may continue to use the Mirage Dragon Pearl for now."

After Liuyun Zhenren accepted the order, he retreated respectfully.

After this True Disciple left, True Monarch Huanglong's expression became deep and quiet:

"Jiedan Peak, a top-tier thunder method comparable to a sect-suppressing level, and he also masters an equally powerful sword-controlling technique, which is not inferior even to the sect-suppressing Sword Canon of the Imperial Heaven Sword Dao..."

"Lu Yuan, oh Lu Yuan, what kind of opportunities and secrets do you have on you? Even I cannot wait to find out..."

In the blink of an eye, days passed one by one.

After being followed last time, Lu Yuan pretended to be completely unaware and continued to guard the front line in a leisurely manner.

At the same time, the Heavenly Dao Merit Power he harvested also reached the astonishing number of seven hundred and twenty-three units.

Converting this, it is equivalent to over seventy thousand units of Qi Luck. In the past, when he was in the Lower Realm, it would have taken three to five years to accumulate this by gathering the strength of the New Nation's people, but this time, he accumulated it in just over half a year of guarding the front line!

With such a large amount of Merit Power in hand, Lu Yuan immediately upgraded several of his Earthly Fiend Arts that he had wanted to upgrade but hadn't yet to the level of Supernatural Power.

Those were namely 【Earth Travel】, 【Generating Light】, and 【Pot Heaven】.

These three Earthly Fiend Arts had been used less frequently since he ascended to the Upper Realm, and they were gradually trending toward exiting the stage.

But this did not mean that these three arts had no use.

For example, Earth Travel: after upgrading to the level of Supernatural Power, Lu Yuan was completely like a fish in water within the earth veins. He only needed a single thought to travel hundreds of meters underground; it remained a method that could exert miraculous effects at critical moments.

As for 【Generating Light】, his frequency of use had also significantly decreased after his Sword Technique ascended to Supernatural Power. However, although its offensive power was not as good as the Sword Technique Supernatural Power, its instant-cast speed and the defensive means of light protecting the body also saw a great improvement after upgrading to Supernatural Power, making Lu Yuan's methods even more abundant.

As for 【Pot Heaven】... the reason for upgrading it to Supernatural Power was also because Lu Yuan wanted to try and open up his own portable cave heaven.