Chapter 317: The Saint Sect Was Too Restrained!
Chapter 317: The Saint Sect Was Actually Restrained!
Upon seeing the token Lü Yang produced, True Person Qi He, who had been sitting calmly moments before, immediately narrowed his eyes. He then rose with a solemn expression and bowed respectfully:
"Qi He greets you, Fellow Daoist."
After a moment of contemplation, however, he shook his head: "Apologies, Fellow Daoist. There have been no recent reports of Heavenly Gang or Earthly Fiends appearing."
Lü Yang frowned at these words. After his transaction with Hong Ju, with Celestial Fortune now upon him, he could clearly sense that the opportunity for [Shen Metal Qi] lay within the mass grave. This indicated that an Earthly Fiend must already be present there—it should have manifested by now.
Yet he quickly regained his composure.
"In that case, I require some high-quality spiritual materials. Please gather them for me." With that, Lü Yang directly presented a lengthy list.
Though he hadn't obtained the [Shen Metal Qi] yet, there was no harm in preparing in advance.
Most of the materials on the list were Shen Metal spiritual items meant to nourish his immortal spirit's original body, while the rest were intended for feeding the [Heavenly Dominion Omnipresent Dharma Body].
"This..."
True Person Qi He glanced at the list, then narrowed his eyes: "These materials... they aren't impossible to acquire, but I can't simply hand them over to you for free."
Lü Yang nodded in understanding.
In fact, if Qi He had offered them freely, he would have been suspicious—after all, the Saint Sect never gave anything away without strings attached. If something seemed free, it was undoubtedly a trap.
"How long will it take you to gather them?"
"Three days will suffice."
At this, True Person Qi He's expression softened into a genial smile: "Jiangnan is teeming with talent. Gathering spiritual materials here is far easier than within the Saint Sect."
Lü Yang raised an eyebrow: "...Oh?"
Qi He seemed to grow more animated, stroking his beard as he continued: "The Saint Sect does have some unwritten rules, you see."
"For talented disciples, while they can be utilized, there must be limits—we can't simply kill them all off. For those who are truly exceptional, the Saint Sect is more than willing to nurture them. As a result, many True Persons in the Sky-reaching Sea of Clouds often find themselves holding back, hesitant to push things to extremes."
"...Is that so?"
Lü Yang's mouth twitched as he recalled his own nine lifetimes of hardship. He was speechless: So the Saint Sect's so-called "talent system" was actually restrained?
What else could they possibly come up with?
As they spoke, Qi He led Lü Yang deeper into the shop. With a wave of his hand, dozens of jade tablets suddenly floated into the air.
Each tablet bore a name.
"These are all personally selected by this old man. They represent individuals crafted by Foundation Establishment True Persons operating within [Secret Pavilion Street], manipulating karma to create Sons of Fortune."
"...Oh?"
This method instantly reminded Lü Yang of True Person Yinshan, who had once used similar tactics on him to lure out the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm.
However, the cost of such methods was steep—these artificially created Sons of Fortune lasted only a single lifetime, effectively borrowing future fortune for present use.
With this realization, Lü Yang seemed to grasp Qi He's intent: "Fellow Daoist, are you using these Sons of Fortune to gather spiritual materials?"
"Precisely!"
Qi He nodded: "Essentially, whenever someone places an order, I activate these jade tablets to manipulate karma, directing these Sons of Fortune to collect what's needed."
He then began listing them off like a merchant showcasing his wares: "This one inherited a sword cultivator's legacy—if you need metal-element materials, he's the one to use. This one is of aquatic descent—ideal for water-element materials. And this one... yes, he's quite useful too..."
Under Qi He's explanation, Lü Yang quickly understood the entire supply chain's operation.
First, a client would approach Qi He with a request and place an order.
Then, Qi He would manipulate karma to tailor-make a "chosen one" suited for the task. Once they obtained the materials, they would be harvested.
The harvesting method was equally straightforward.
"That's where this [Secret Pavilion Street] comes in. These Sons of Fortune, having acquired their treasures, naturally need a place to fence them. Guided by karma, they inevitably end up here—delivering the goods right to my doorstep."
Incredible!
Lü Yang couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency. This was a one-stop service—Qi He could effortlessly gather vast quantities of materials without ever leaving his shop.
The Saint Sect had truly been holding back!
From what Lü Yang knew, unless it concerned their own cultivation, no one in the Saint Sect would mass-produce Sons of Fortune purely for the sake of gathering materials.
"But that's not even the best part." Qi He grinned smugly. "The real beauty is that with such a wide net, there are bound to be fish that slip through."
"Oh? And how do you handle that?"
Lü Yang immediately grasped his meaning—with so many Sons of Fortune, statistically, some would inevitably defy the odds and reach Foundation Establishment.
"Why bother handling them?"
Qi He shook his head: "If they achieve Foundation Establishment, they've proven themselves worthy. The Saint Sect has always prioritized talent—we'd never turn them away."
"And given the Saint Sect's influence, what rogue cultivator would refuse?"
"Thus, not only does this old man gather materials and profit handsomely, but he also cultivates Foundation Establishment True Persons for the sect. A true case of killing two birds with one stone!"
"I see."
Though Lü Yang had already guessed the follow-up, he couldn't resist asking: "But don't they resent your methods after reaching Foundation Establishment?"
"They're far more ruthless than this old man!"
Qi He chuckled darkly: "With profits like these, who would pass them up? At least I leave these Sons of Fortune a sliver of hope."
"They don't give them any chance at all!"
"After all, [Secret Pavilion Street] has limited space. If they've set up shop and carved out their share, allowing newcomers would mean their own flesh is next on the chopping block."
Hearing this, Lü Yang could only shake his head:
'Savages...'
But he quickly caught on: "Still, you claimed you could gather all the materials I need within three days. Can these Sons of Fortune really work that fast?"
"Of course not."
At this, Qi He's smile turned enigmatic: "This is where another exclusive service of [Secret Pavilion Street] comes into play."
"This service is reserved solely for True Persons of the Saint Sect."
With that, Qi He produced an array disk and began setting up multiple formations right before Lü Yang's eyes:
"This old man's [Secret Pavilion Street] isn't very large."
"If every so often, another Foundation Establishment True Person sets up shop here, the street would overflow—bad for business."
"So periodically, we need to... clean house."
A flash of killing intent flickered in Qi He's eyes.
Lü Yang understood the implication: Relying solely on Sons of Fortune, gathering his materials in three days would indeed be impossible.
But targeting Foundation Establishment True Persons? That was a different story.
Especially those operating within [Secret Pavilion Street]—while not necessarily overflowing with wealth, they were at least well-stocked. And crucially, they were rogue cultivators.
And in Jiangbei, it was common knowledge: Rogue cultivators were the easiest to rob!
"I've already identified two Foundation Establishment True Persons from [Secret Pavilion Street]. Once they arrive and step into my formations, Fellow Daoist and I can capture them together."
"By then, all the materials you need will be accounted for!"
After hearing Qi He's plan and observing the formations sealing off the entire shop, Lü Yang sighed deeply: "Truly worthy of the old Saint Sect..."
Then he turned to Qi He:
"So, is this also your reason for plotting to ambush me?"