Chapter 36: Skeleton Mountain Market
Chapter 36: Skeleton Mountain Market City
With his understanding of Zhao Xuhe across multiple lifetimes, Lü Yang quickly became familiar with him, allowing Zhao Xuhe to once again feel the rare sensation of respect from an outsider.
Truth be told, it had been many years since he last experienced such a feeling.
Ever since the Substitute Death Yin Puppet price bubble burst, Panlong Island mysteriously vanished, and even his master—the Mending Heaven Peak Lord—couldn't deduce the karma involved, his life had grown increasingly difficult.
First, his master grew more disappointed in him by the day. Second, his cultivation stagnated without progress—after a full decade, he remained stuck at mid-stage Qi Refining, unable to break through the bottleneck. If there was any silver lining, it was that his master, seeing his continuous decline, canceled his engagement to his junior sister.
The fickleness of the world and the coldness of human relationships—Zhao Xuhe had tasted them all thoroughly over these ten years.
Thus, when he heard that Lü Yang had exited at the peak of the Substitute Death Yin Puppet prices, achieving financial freedom as a result, Zhao Xuhe's eyes turned red with envy.
"Ah, Junior Brother, your Dao heart is steadfast, unswayed by wealth—your future accomplishments will be limitless. It's just a pity that I lacked such resolve back then..."
"Senior Brother, you mustn't underestimate yourself."
Lü Yang comforted him in a low voice: "Fortune isn't determined by a single moment. As long as you remain steadfast on the immortal path, what do temporary setbacks matter?"
"You're right."
Zhao Xuhe nodded, seeming somewhat uplifted, then hesitantly glanced at Lü Yang. His lips parted as if to speak, yet no words came out.
To Lü Yang, his intentions were already crystal clear.
He wanted to borrow money.
Lü Yang smiled faintly. Since Zhao Xuhe didn't voice it, he naturally wouldn't bring it up first. After all, things obtained too easily wouldn't be properly cherished.
Just then, a voice rang out from the flying boat:
"Skeleton Mountain has arrived!"
............
Northern Frontier, Skeleton Mountain.
Though called a mountain, it was actually a sprawling mountain range spanning hundreds of miles—peaks clustered like waves, each inch of land brimming with spiritual energy.
The Saint Sect had good reason to establish a market city here. Though far inferior to the Sky-reaching Sea of Clouds, for mortal rogue cultivators, Skeleton Mountain could already be considered a treasure trove. At the very center of the mountain range lay a White Bone Cave, where the Saint Sect's market city was situated.
"The feng shui here... it's a land of extreme yin."
Standing on the deck of the flying boat, Lü Yang surveyed the spiritual veins of Skeleton Mountain with some surprise: "Any cultivator buried here would inevitably transform into a zombie within ten years..."
"Junior Brother has keen eyes."
A sudden burst of radiant light heralded the arrival of Fairy Feixia, her feathered cloak fluttering as she stepped forward: "That's precisely why the Saint Sect has dispatched us to garrison Skeleton Mountain—to maintain order in the market city."
"As you've observed, due to its unique feng shui, Skeleton Mountain experiences large-scale zombie outbreaks every thirty years. These zombies lack intelligence, driven only by the desire to devour living beings. This poses both a risk and an opportunity, as they make excellent materials for artifact refinement."
After this explanation, Fairy Feixia continued:
"The market city is protected by the 'Hundred Bones Return to Truth Grand Formation.' Fellow Daoists Lu and Chen will oversee two of the four formation cores. Would you and I each take responsibility for the remaining two?"
"I defer to Senior Sister's arrangements."
Fairy Feixia nodded at Lü Yang's response, then frowned slightly as her gaze shifted to Zhao Xuhe beside him, whose eyes were wide with disbelief.
"What is it?" Lü Yang asked curiously. "Does Senior Sister know Senior Brother Zhao?"
"...No."
Fairy Feixia indifferently withdrew her gaze from Zhao Xuhe, offering Lü Yang a gentle smile instead: "I'll be counting on your support in the days to come."
With that, she summoned a radiant light and soared away.
Zhao Xuhe remained rooted in place, his expression complex—clearly realizing that Lü Yang's ability to oversee the market city meant his strength couldn't possibly be merely mid-stage Qi Refining as he'd sensed.
"Senior Brother Zhao?"
At Lü Yang's call, Zhao Xuhe stiffened.
His face displayed mingled joy and desolation, lips moving soundlessly until, with movements grown suddenly respectful, he clearly addressed:
"My lord."
Seeing this, Lü Yang could only sigh helplessly: "Senior Brother Zhao, I have official duties to attend to. Should you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to contact me."
With that, he too summoned light and departed.
Only Zhao Xuhe remained, his expression shifting unpredictably as all previous emotions swiftly receded, replaced by deep contemplation.
...........
"He's wary of me... seems I was too hasty."
Entering the market city, Lü Yang recalled Zhao Xuhe's reaction and chuckled lightly: "Just as I suspected—his coming here serves another purpose."
"Excellent, truly excellent!"
"In this lifetime, I shall regard him as my closest friend!"
Lü Yang wasn't concerned about Zhao Xuhe's wariness—he had patience to spare.
If necessary, he could even abandon this lifetime entirely, genuinely befriending Zhao Xuhe to gather intelligence for groundwork in the next incarnation!
As he pondered, Lü Yang arrived before a pavilion.
This was one of the four formation cores of the market city, simultaneously the area richest in spiritual energy within Skeleton Mountain—estimated to possess nearly thirty percent of the Saint Sect's cave abodes.
"Heaven-Slashing Blood River Sword Formation, arise!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, Lü Yang sent his Blood Sun Sword Pill flying into the pavilion's central axis. Formation patterns immediately expanded outward, beginning to replace the existing ones.
Though the market city's "Hundred Bones Return to Truth Grand Formation" surpassed his own in sophistication, Lü Yang only controlled one of its cores. Moreover, as a formation master, he disliked entrusting his life to a formation arranged by outsiders.
"After all, I have many secrets..."
"Moreover, after all these years, the effects of this 'Hundred Bones Return to Truth Grand Formation' are common knowledge, no matter how profound."
The more one's capabilities were exposed, the easier they became to counter.
Thus, if any formidable figures attacked Skeleton Mountain's market city, they'd undoubtedly come prepared with methods to dismantle the grand formation.
When that time came, the formation might prove useless.
That said, Lü Yang didn't discard it entirely. Instead, he created a new section within the pavilion—a formation concealed within the formation—as an additional trump card.
Satisfied with his work, Lü Yang nodded in approval.
Then, with another grand gesture, he named the pavilion 'Blood Garment Tower,' formally establishing his residence in Skeleton Mountain's market city and acquiring an official designation.
Just then, over a dozen streaks of light came soaring toward him.
These were Saint Sect disciples assigned to Lü Yang's jurisdiction—mostly at early or mid-stage Qi Refining—all here on sect missions.
As the lights entered Blood Garment Tower and dissipated, they revealed cultivators of varying ages and appearances, all wearing expressions of reverence as they approached the tower's platform. There, leaning against the railing with a faint smile, stood a handsome youth clad in blood-red robes, surveying them all.
"Greetings, Tower Master!"
Not daring to slight him, the disciples bowed uniformly. Though they might address each other as fellow disciples within the sect, outside it, official titles took precedence.
Especially when facing a senior brother at late-stage Qi Refining!
Early, mid, late, and perfected stages of Qi Refining might seem like minor divides, but the gaps between them were truly vast.
"At ease."
Surveying the assembled figures below, Lü Yang nodded approvingly, thinking to himself: "Good. At a glance, they're all mediocre—no exceptional talents here."
If nothing else, the Saint Sect's cultivation environment was top-tier. Typically, disciples who chose external assignments either sought Foundation Establishment like Lü Yang and Fairy Feixia, or—like those before him—had poor aptitude, advanced age, and no resources, having hit their limits within the sect.
"If I wished, I could slaughter them all single-handedly..."
Those intent on building factions might resent such circumstances, but Lü Yang found it ideal—the atmosphere of weakness put him at ease...
"Disperse. Handle minor matters yourselves—no need to consult me."
With this casual instruction, Lü Yang dismissed them outright, then sealed Blood Garment Tower, preparing to cultivate peacefully in seclusion until the Foundation Establishment opportunity appeared!