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Lu Yang admitted that he had indeed panicked for a brief moment.
However, he quickly regained his composure, for his Immortal Spirit main body had not yet been seized, indicating that there was still room for maneuver.
'The main body should not have been exposed yet.'
'This strand of Shen Metal Qi is likely problematic, probably a bait deliberately set to lure me out. What a wretched place.'
At this thought, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh.
He then reached out and took Real Person Qi He's storage pouch, opened it using the method provided by Chen Xin'an, and swept it with his divine sense.
The result instantly shattered all his illusions.
A mass of yellow mist was settled at the bottom of the storage pouch, possessing an aura of boundlessness, yet resembling a piece of dull metal, lacking refinement.
Earth Fiend [Shen Metal]!
"Shen is the place where water and earth give birth to life. Though it is metal Qi, it also contains the essence of water and earth. When refined with fire, it becomes swords and halberds; when quenched with water, it gains a sharp edge; if overwhelmed by earth, it becomes buried."
Lu Yang sighed. He had sent his avatar to the Pit of Ten Thousand Men merely to trace the whereabouts of the Shen Metal Qi, intending to observe the situation before deciding whether to fish in troubled waters and take the item. Unexpectedly, in this back-and-forth, the Shen Metal Qi had directly fallen into his hands, leaving him at a loss.
'The item has been obtained.'
'But how to deliver it to the main body? The risk is too great. Perhaps just as I hand it over, someone will come knocking to reset me.'
Ultimately, who was the mastermind behind this?
Lu Yang was aware that by expressing his desire for the Shen Metal Qi through Hong Ju, he had taken a risk, making himself an easy target.
But the problem was, in this wretched place, he couldn't hide!
Without taking some risks, Lu Yang couldn't accumulate enough fortune to sense the Shen Metal Qi, so he had mentally prepared himself during the transaction.
'Currently, at least two True Lords are watching me!'
'Ang Xiao, Qingcheng Feixue True Lord, and possibly Hong Yun as well, though he might not care. The key ones are Qingcheng Feixue True Lord and Ang Xiao.'
The scene of [Ang Xiao] silently following him was still vivid in his memory. Although Feixue True Lord didn't seem adept in this field, her cultivation level was too high. For him, there was no difference; monitoring him without his detection was all too easy.
'However, there's another possibility.'
Jiangnan, Hidden Sword Villa.
Lu Yang's Immortal Spirit main body raised his head, holding the [Tribulation Wave], and under the mysterious enhancement of [Clarity], looked towards the sky, a trace of solemnity in his eyes.
This was a feeling that had lingered since he became an Immortal Spirit.
'Somewhat like the killing intent of heaven and earth.'
But unlike the killing intent of heaven and earth, this aura was more positive. As long as he willed it, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth would spontaneously flow into his body. ꞦＡNổ𝐛È𐌔
'...Heaven and earth's favor?'
Lu Yang knew well that even if his Immortal Spirit main body could deceive anyone, even True Lords couldn't detect it, it was impossible to hide from the heaven and earth that nurtured him.
'It's also possible that this [Shen Metal] is heaven and earth aiding me.'
"After all, I am now an Immortal Spirit, arguably heaven's favorite child."
'But whether it's a True Lord or heaven and earth, they're being too hasty. They could have done it subtly, without letting me notice anything unusual.'
At least if it were him, he certainly wouldn't have made it so deliberate. Instead, he would have set up numerous challenges, making himself go through countless hardships to quietly obtain the [Shen Metal], leading him to believe he had successfully deceived everyone, only to suddenly appear and launch a shameless sneak attack.
'Making it so deliberate only makes me more vigilant. Why?'
While pondering, Lu Yang continued examining Real Person Qi He's memories. Suddenly, his expression changed, his brows furrowed, and his face turned gloomy.
"...Well played, Qi He!"
Previously, Lu Yang hadn't inquired about his betrayal of the Saint Sect, assuming he had defected to Jiangnan. However, he had underestimated the lower limits of the Saint Sect's Real Persons.
This person hadn't just betrayed the Saint Sect but had betrayed the entire world, defecting to the [Xuanling Realm]!
As for the reason for his betrayal, it was quite simple: to extend his lifespan.
'In the [Xuanling Realm], the lifespan of cultivators is entirely different from that of Foundation Establishment Real Persons. Without the [Bi Feng] reducing the soul, there are fewer restrictions on lifespan.'
Even the weakest ghost immortals have lifespans of a thousand years!
And those deities who receive the incense offerings of a nation have lifespans exceeding ten thousand years, not to mention the higher levels of human immortals, earth immortals, and even higher heavenly immortals.
Of course, this doesn't mean that cultivators in the [Xuanling Realm] can rest easy.
'In the [Xuanling Realm], once a cultivator becomes immortal, they face the "Calamity of Dao Transformation." The higher the cultivation, the more easily they are assimilated by heaven and earth.'
'So, although lifespans are long, most ghost immortals don't last beyond three hundred years; deities fall within a thousand years; human immortals might last two thousand years; earth immortals three thousand years; and heavenly immortals ten thousand years. It's essentially another form of [Bi Feng], just not as harsh.'
Though there are flaws, for Real Person Qi He, the temptation was immense.
Moreover, he was already nearing death.
He was in the late stage of his second life, having just broken through to mid-Foundation Establishment. The third life carried significant risks; a single misstep could mean he wouldn't return.
In such circumstances, taking a desperate gamble was understandable.
After all, Real Persons of the Saint Sect have always prioritized profit, putting themselves first. As long as the benefits outweigh the costs several times over, they're willing to take any risk.
And this [Shen Metal] was his pledge of allegiance—a powerful Earth Fiend. For the [Xuanling Realm]'s fruit positions, it was undoubtedly a great supplement.
'No wonder!'
In an instant, Lu Yang realized: 'This is why they were so eager to hand over the [Shen Metal] to me—because this thing was about to be lost!'
Moreover, the [Shen Metal] itself had issues.
Lu Yang learned from Real Person Qi He's memories that he had used a secret method to leave a mark on the [Shen Metal], allowing it to be sensed by the [Xuanling Realm].
Seeing this, Lu Yang was filled with hatred: 'A traitor to the realm! And the secret method he used to mark the [Shen Metal] came from the [Xuanling Realm], originally designed for tracking. It only has the spell to cast, no spell to remove. Now, this [Shen Metal] is clearly a scalding hot potato!'
Xuanling Realm.
As a great realm, the structure of the Xuanling Realm was extremely unique, divided into upper and lower layers. Below were hundreds of mortal realms; above was the location of the Heavenly Court.
The hundreds of mortal realms collectively supported the Heavenly Court. Whenever a cultivator reached the stage of becoming immortal, they could ascend to the Heavenly Court, become a ghost immortal, and then serve as celestial soldiers and generals, accumulating virtuous merits. Once enough merits were gathered, they could be conferred titles, granted a nation, and enjoy incense offerings to achieve deity status.
At the center of the Heavenly Court was the Lingxiao Hall.
This hall, located at the highest point of the Heavenly Court, was the supreme residence. When the Supreme was in seclusion, it was managed by three immortal officials, overseeing all affairs of the Heavenly Court.
At this moment, within the Lingxiao Hall.
On the majestic throne, a man in splendid attire sat with closed eyes, deep in thought. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a trace of surprise flashing within them:
"[Shen Metal]... has changed hands?"