Jiangnan, Ten-Thousand-Man Pit.
As a "marvel" established by the Primordial Saint Sect in Jiangnan, the so-called Ten-Thousand-Man Pit was no small place; it encompassed an area spanning several thousand li.
Its scale was comparable to that of the Kingdom of Qing.
The reason it was named the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit was because this entire area was a massive abyss-like pit, with layers upon layers of dense yin fiendish energy accumulating within.
The entire Ten-Thousand-Man Pit consisted of ten layers, each layer's yin fiendish energy stronger than the previous, nurturing countless poisonous insects and fierce beasts. Within the pit, they received the augmentation of the yin fiendish energy, capable of corrupting spiritual energy, making their power thirty percent greater than outside the pit. Moreover, the yin fiendish energy within the pit obscured them, making them difficult to detect with divine sense.
Such a perilous place was very much in line with the style of the Primordial Saint Sect.
Unlike the Dao Court's establishment of the Kingdom of Qing, the Primordial Saint Sect never intended to occupy Jiangnan; they simply wanted to disgust people by turning this place into a dead land.
However, that did not mean the place was uninhabited.
On the contrary, the bottom of the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit actually gathered a large number of cultivators, including those from the Primordial Saint Sect, various sects from Jiangbei, and even numerous rogue cultivators.
These cultivators had even jointly established a marketplace.
The reason was simple: resources.
"After all, Jiangnan is wealthy. Under the governance of the Sword Pavilion, the cultivation arts are highly developed, making it an ideal place for speculative trading. This is a highly profitable industry."
Accompanied by the glow of a formation, Lu Yang stepped out.
Of course, this was not his true body; his true body was still within Yun Miaoqing. The one who had come from afar was merely his celestial fetus avatar.
Since delivering the message to Chong Guang that "the Sword Pavilion's Daoist Dangmo is about to attack the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit," Lu Yang had obtained an opportunity to enter the pit. However, to his surprise, the pit did not seem to have entered a state of war readiness due to his message, as if completely unaware.
".Interesting."
Lu Yang strolled through the marketplace, not in a hurry to seek his main objective, the Qi of Metal of Shen, but instead spread out his divine sense to observe his surroundings.
Soon, voices surged forth.
As he had anticipated, the most frequently mentioned and discussed topic was the recently expanding Wu You Tian, which was gradually covering the entire world.
After all, its allure was astonishing.
Breaking through tribulations, if successful, granted a divine ability; if failed, one would not die, at most losing some merit and luck, recoverable after a few months of rest.
More importantly—
"That first trial is too enticing!"
"It's the Primordial Saint Sect's Heaven and Earth Intersecting Dragon and Tiger Yin-Yang Grand Formation, and it's the top-tier version, with the flavor of over a hundred Heavenly Maidens..."
"My grand-uncle has recently become completely obsessed."
"Isn't that so? My sect's True Person as well. He didn't even think about breaking through tribulations; he just wanted to experience the Primordial Saint Sect's methods. It's a pity I haven't reached Foundation Establishment yet."
Lu Yang listened with a peculiar expression. Clearly, for those with no hope on their cultivation path and lacking determination, the Heaven and Earth Intersecting Dragon and Tiger Yin-Yang Grand Formation struck directly at their weakness, unable to withstand the trial. Over time, some even preferred to stay within rather than come out.
Of course, such Foundation Establishment True Persons were few.
Most were rogue cultivators.
And those True Persons with firm Dao hearts, even if they could not overcome the Heaven and Earth Intersecting Dragon and Tiger Yin-Yang Grand Formation, would not sink into it but instead pondered ways to break through.
Thanks to this, Lu Yang noticed a significant increase in the number of dual cultivation techniques.
"Indeed, where there's demand, there's a market."
Lu Yang sighed, but doubts arose in his heart: 'Could it be that the True Lords are just letting Wu You Tian expand unchecked, not caring at all?'
However, he soon heard a conversation.
"That may be so, but everyone shouldn't be too reassured about Wu You Tian. My elder said it might be a backup plan for the revival of the Innate True Person."
"Innate True Person?"
"Yes, the one from five thousand years ago... In short, several Foundation Establishment True Persons seem to have received warnings not to undergo too many tribulation breakthroughs in Wu You Tian."
"Think about it, if you undergo tribulations as the 'Innate True Person,' who comes out in the end, you or him?"
"Maybe in the end, you become a vessel for the Innate True Person's rebirth! The methods of these great True Persons are unfathomable, beyond our imagination."
"But brother, how is 'too many' defined? How many tribulations count as too many?"
"I reckon breaking through one or two tribulations is fine."
"But once you reach three or even four tribulations, the risk becomes significant. Although that Innate True Person said five tribulations are needed to ascend to True Lord."
"But who knows?"
"If it were me, I'd say one or two tribulations, but in reality, just breaking through three tribulations would be considered successful, specifically to trap those honest folks..."
"Hiss... May I ask, brother, which sect are you from?"
"Not talented, a disciple of the Primordial Saint Sect."
"Oh, that explains it."
Such conversations were widespread throughout the marketplace, causing Lu Yang to narrow his eyes, realizing that someone was deliberately promoting and spreading this information.
'The world is vast; one must not underestimate anyone. What I can guess, others can too. In this way, almost all Foundation Establishment cultivators will be wary of Wu You Tian. If that Innate True Person intends to use this method for revival, it might be a long shot.'
'Is this also why the True Lords are at ease?'
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'Come to think of it, even if the Innate True Person is a True Lord, so what? North, south, east, and west—just one True Lord can't stir up much trouble.'
In this world, rogue cultivators truly had a hard time.
Foundation Establishment was still manageable, but True Lords had virtually no hope. Suo Huan and Innate were typical examples; without someone above, how could one progress?
'But... did the Innate True Person not anticipate this?'
Lu Yang was somewhat skeptical. The Innate True Person had been betrayed to death by True Lords back then and should have had a rough estimate of their methods.
'Foundation Establishment True Persons are, after all, a considerable group. No one knows if someone might be driven by greed to break through five tribulations despite the risks. True Lords can't possibly control every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the world. As long as the Innate True Person is determined, he should still be able to find a loophole.'
'Moreover, the True Lords are not a monolith.'
'Not to mention, if Mu Changsheng makes some compromises and accepts certain restrictive measures, at least the Primordial Saint Sect would be very willing to accept a True Lord.'
'This is... a game of strategy!'
Lu Yang gradually came to an understanding: 'The Innate True Person Mu Changsheng is playing a game of strategy with all the True Lords in the world, taking a risky path to forge a Golden Core Dao!'
While pondering, Lu Yang had already stopped in front of a building.
This place was called the Secret Pavilion Street.
As the name implied, this area within the marketplace was somewhat shady, specifically used for "fencing stolen goods," and only Foundation Establishment True Persons could open a pavilion here.
However, being able to carve out such a street within the marketplace for fencing naturally indicated a background linked to the Primordial Saint Sect. According to the information Lu Yang had obtained, it was backed by an early Foundation Establishment True Person of the Primordial Saint Sect named Qi He, over five hundred years old, already in the late stage of his second lifetime.
"Bang!"
Without hesitation, Lu Yang directly entered the deepest shop on Secret Pavilion Street, pushed the door open, and instantly, a mass of black light fell upon him.
However, Lu Yang remained unfazed.
He activated the Stubborn Gold Technique, golden brilliance enveloping him like armor, allowing the black light to fall upon him without leaving a trace.
Immediately after, Lu Yang saw an old Daoist in the depths of the shop.
He had white hair and a haggard appearance, with a heavy aura of old age between his brows. Although he still possessed divine abilities, he was clearly severely eroded by the Bifeng.
As Lu Yang entered the shop, he immediately took out a token and tossed it onto the table:
"I want information related to the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit and the Heavenly Gang Earth Fiend."
This Qi He True Person was precisely the hidden agent left by Chong Guang in the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit, usually responsible for gathering information from Jiangnan and the pit to report back to the Primordial Saint Sect.
This was also part of Lu Yang's deal with Chong Guang.
He informed Chong Guang of the Sword Pavilion's movements, and Chong Guang shared information about the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit with him, allowing him to search for the Qi of Metal of Shen.
'Once I obtain the Qi of Metal of Shen, I'll leave immediately!'
In his view, matters like the Xuanling Realm, the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit, and the righteous-demonic war were unimportant; the progress of his celestial body's cultivation in this lifetime was what truly mattered!