Chapter 320: Chapter 320: A Hot Potato

Lü Yang admitted that he had indeed panicked for a moment.

However, he quickly calmed down. Since his Immortal Spirit Body hadn’t been snatched up yet, it meant there was still room to maneuver.

’My main body probably hasn’t been exposed.’

’This strand of Shen Metal Qi is most likely a trap. It’s probably bait deliberately set to lure me out. What a godforsaken place…’

Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but sigh.

Then, he reached out and took Master Qi He’s Storage Bag. He opened it using the Dharma Gate provided by Chen Xin’an and immediately swept it with his Divine Sense.

The result instantly shattered all his hopes.

A mass of yellow mist rested at the very bottom of the Storage Bag. It carried a sense of boundless immensity, yet also resembled a dull piece of raw Gold and Iron, lacking a certain degree of polish.

Earthly Branches [Shen Metal]!

“Shen is the place of Water and Earth Longevity. Although it is Gold Qi, it also incorporates the Intentional Appearance of Water and Earth. Refined by fire, it becomes swords and halberds. Quenched by water, it gains a brilliant edge. If the earth is heavy, it will be buried.”

Lü Yang sighed. He had sent his avatar to the Mass Grave with the simple intention of tracking down the Shen Metal Qi, then assessing the situation to decide whether he should fish in troubled waters and take it. But now, after all that, the Shen Metal Qi had fallen right into his lap, which just made things awkward.

’I got the item.’

’But how do I get it to my main body? The risk is just too great. I might pass it to my main body one second, and the next, someone will be at my door to send me back to the start…’

In the end, who was the mastermind behind all this?

Lü Yang knew that by revealing his desire for Shen Metal Qi through the Great Undertaking, he was taking a risk and could easily be targeted.

But the problem was, in this godforsaken place, he couldn’t afford to just lie low!

Without taking some risks, Lü Yang could never have accumulated enough Fortune to sense the Shen Metal Qi. He had already mentally prepared himself for this when he made the trade.

’Right now, at least two Perfected Lords are watching me!’

’Ang Xiao, World Purger Fei Xue, and Fortune are probably watching me too, but he doesn’t matter… The crucial ones are still World Purger Fei Xue and Ang Xiao.’

The memory of Ang Xiao silently tailing him was still vivid. And while World Purger Fei Xue didn’t seem to specialize in such arts, his Realm was so high that it made no difference. Monitoring Lü Yang without being detected would be incredibly easy for him.

’But besides that, there’s another possibility.’

「South, Hidden Sword Manor.」

Lü Yang’s Immortal Spirit Body looked up at the sky. He held the [Tribulation Wave] in his arms, his eyes turning grave as he gazed upward, enhanced by the Divine Effect of [Dongming].

It was a feeling that had lingered ever since he became an Immortal Spirit.

’It feels a bit like Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent.’

But unlike Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, this Qi trace was much more positive. The moment the thought crossed his mind, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi would spontaneously surge into his body.

’…The favor of Heaven and Earth?’

Lü Yang was well aware that even if his Immortal Spirit Body could hide from anyone, eluding even Perfected Lords, it could never hide from the Heaven and Earth that had birthed it.

’It’s also possible that this [Shen Metal] is Heaven and Earth’s way of helping me.’

“After all, I’m an Immortal Spirit now. You could say I’m Heaven’s favorite child.”

’But whether it’s the Perfected Lords or Heaven and Earth, they’re all acting a bit too hastily. They could have done it subtly, without me noticing anything amiss.’

At least, if it were him, he definitely wouldn’t have been so obvious. He would have deliberately set up numerous obstacles, making him go through hell and high water to obtain the [Shen Metal] quietly. He’d let his target think they had successfully fooled everyone, only to suddenly appear and launch a shameless sneak attack…

’Being this obvious would only make me more vigilant… Why?’

As he pondered, Lü Yang continued to sift through Master Qi He’s memories. Suddenly, his expression changed. His brow furrowed, and his face darkened abruptly.

“…What a piece of work, that Qi He!”

Previously, Lü Yang hadn’t asked about his reasons for betraying the Stain Sect, assuming he had defected to the South. However, that was gravely underestimating the depravity of a Saint Sect Zhenren.

This man hadn’t just betrayed the Stain Sect; he had betrayed the entire world and defected to the [Profound Spirit Realm]!

As for the reason for his betrayal, it was actually quite simple: to extend his life.

’In the [Profound Spirit Realm], the lifespans of cultivators are completely different from those of Foundation-Stage Cultivators. There is no [Weakening Wind] to diminish the Soul, and there are few restrictions on lifespan.’

Even the weakest Ghost Immortal has a lifespan of a thousand years!

And Immortals who receive the Incense offerings of an entire nation can live for over ten thousand years, not to mention the Human Immortals, Earth Immortals, and the even higher Celestial Immortals.

Of course, this didn’t mean that cultivators in the [Profound Spirit Realm] were without worries.

’In the [Profound Spirit Realm], once a cultivator becomes an Immortal, they face the [Dao Transformation Disaster]. Ghost, god, human, earth, heaven—the higher their Cultivation, the more easily they are assimilated by Heaven and Earth.’

’So, although their lifespans are long, most Ghost Immortals actually don’t last three hundred years. Immortals sink into oblivion after a thousand years, Human Immortals might last two thousand, Earth Immortals three thousand, and Celestial Immortals ten thousand… It’s really just another form of the [Weakening Wind], only not as harsh.’

Although it had its drawbacks, it was still a huge temptation for Master Qi He.

Besides, he was already on the verge of death.

He was in the twilight years of his second life, his Cultivation having just broken through to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment. The third life was fraught with risk; a single misstep could mean he would never return.

Under such circumstances, it was normal for him to take a desperate risk.

After all, Saint Sect Zhenren always put profit first, with themselves above all else. As long as the potential reward was several times greater than the cost, they would dare to take any risk.

And this [Shen Metal] was his pledge of allegiance. A strand of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches was an absolutely immense supplement for a Fruit in the [Profound Spirit Realm].

’No wonder!’

In an instant, Lü Yang had an epiphany: ’This is why they were in such a hurry to get the [Shen Metal] into my hands—because they were about to lose it!’

On top of that, there was a problem with the [Shen Metal] itself.

Lü Yang learned from Master Qi He’s memories that he had used a Secret Technique to leave a mark on the [Shen Metal], allowing it to be sensed by the [Profound Spirit Realm].

Reading this, Lü Yang was so furious he could grind his teeth. ’A world-traitor… And of all things, the Secret Technique he used to mark the [Shen Metal] is from the [Profound Spirit Realm] itself. It’s designed for tracking and marking—there’s a Spell to cast it, but no Spell to remove it. This [Shen Metal] is clearly a hot potato now!’

……

「Profound Spirit Realm.」

As a Great Realm Heaven, the Profound Spirit Realm had a highly unusual structure. It was divided into two levels: the lower level consisted of over a hundred mortal realms, while the upper level was home to the Celestial Court.

The hundred-odd mortal realms supported the Celestial Court together. Whenever a Cultivator reached the point of becoming an immortal, they could undergo Ascension into the Celestial Court and become a Ghost Immortal. There, they would serve as Celestial Soldiers and Generals to accumulate Good Deeds. Once they had enough Good Deeds, they could be enfeoffed with a nation, allowing them to enjoy its Incense and become a true Immortal.

And at the center of the Celestial Court was Lingxiao Hall.

This hall was located at the very peak of the Celestial Court. It was the residence of the Supreme Venerable, and when the Supreme Venerable was in seclusion, the Three Immortal Officials would take charge and oversee all matters of the Celestial Court.

And at this moment, inside Lingxiao Hall.

On the magnificent throne, a man in opulent robes sat in contemplation with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he opened them, a trace of surprise showing in their depths.

“[Shen Metal]… has changed hands?”

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