Chapter 26: As Expected of the Saint Sect

The landscape was like a painting, and the setting sun was like blood.

Standing upon the sea of clouds, Lu Yang waited for a long while, but since no palm strike descended from the heavens to grind him into dust, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That just now... was a Foundation Establishment True Person."

Lu Yang didn't even dare to mutter to himself; he could only ponder in his heart. His expression turned extremely grim, for the gap between the two was simply too vast.

It wasn't just his body; even his very thoughts had been frozen. He only regained his senses after the Daoist Hongyun had departed. That feeling was akin to a mouse caught in a cat's paw—it was no longer a mere gap in strength, but a difference in dimension. It instantly extinguished all the pride in Lu Yang's heart.

"I am still too weak. I lack power..."

Having previously swept away the shadows of his past life by defeating Liu Xin and the others, Lu Yang had felt high-spirited and invincible. Now, however, he had once again humbled his mindset.

The path to immortality is long; one must continue to forge ahead through hardship.

After a moment of lamentation, Lu Yang thought back to the matter of Xiao Shiye, and terror resurfaced in his eyes: "Fortune... is actually bestowed by others?"

It had finally dawned on him.

Before heading to the Merit Pool, Xiao Shiye had once said: "It just so happens that I've been getting a bit lucky lately, so I want to take the chance to test my luck."

*Getting a bit lucky lately.*

At the time, Lu Yang had merely thought it was the humility of a Child of Destiny. But looking back now, perhaps that was the truth—he had truly only started getting lucky recently.

Because of that Daoist Hongyun!

"The colorful fish in the Merit Pool must refer to the Colorful Merit Fish. Does Daoist Hongyun want to use Xiao Shiye as a tool to fish it out of the Merit Pool?"

"If that is indeed the case, then he succeeded in the previous life. But then again, in the previous life, after Xiao Shiye fished out the Colorful Merit Fish, he announced he was entering secluded cultivation and then vanished without a trace..." Lu Yang's thoughts grew chilling. Fishing, fishing... once the fish is caught, the bait is naturally no longer needed.

At this thought, Lu Yang suddenly looked up.

The Primordial Saint Sect, the Sea of Clouds that touches the sky.

Perhaps to those elusive high-ranking members of the Saint Sect, these so-called disciples were nothing more than a school of fish being raised in a pond?

"As expected of a Saint Sect..."

Lu Yang took a deep breath, somewhat understanding why no one had swatted him dead.

A fish, even if it splashes around a bit more vigorously or possesses some unspeakable secrets, what of it? The masters might even consider it a useful specimen.

"Regardless, at least the secret of the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] has not been exposed." Lu Yang felt fortunate in his heart. Not only that, but the karma associated with the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes seemed to have bypassed True Person Hongyun, such that the latter never suspected why he possessed a fourth-level Qi Refinement cultivation without having even officially entered the sect.

"No time to lose, I should go back and eat first."

Fortunately, although the *Innate Daoist Scripture* had been taken by Daoist Hongyun, Lu Yang had memorized its entire contents before that happened.

This was a good habit Lu Yang had developed because of the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes].

Whenever he encountered a decent cultivation technique or divine ability, he would immediately memorize it so that he could utilize it in his next life without having to spend contribution points to exchange for it again.

Furthermore, while Daoist Hongyun had taken the *Innate Daoist Scripture*, he had not taken Fairy Qingchen's *Secret Manual of Array and Treasure*.

"Admittedly, the two are not even comparable; Fairy Qingchen's works clearly do not catch that person's eye. But for me, they are of great use."

In truth, Lu Yang did not value the *Innate Daoist Scripture* very highly because his sights were already set on Zhao Xuhe's third-grade True Art. The *Innate Daoist Scripture* was optional, whereas cultivation skills involving array formation and treasure refining, like the *Secret Manual of Array and Treasure*, truly interested him.

As for the Innate Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner...

"There will be opportunities. I'll deal with that in the next life."

Returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Yang first exercised patience and focused on his cultivation. While pondering the *Secret Manual of Array and Treasure*, he slowly repaired the damage to his sword pill.

It wasn't until half a month later that he emerged from seclusion again.

This time, he sought out Zhao Xuhe.

When he arrived at Zhao Xuhe's cave dwelling, he saw Zhao Xuhe arguing with a dignified-looking young man dressed in the uniform of the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Senior Brother, believe me! Do you not understand my credibility? I've been doing great for over a decade! It's just 1,000 contribution points, I will definitely pay it back... What? Interest?! You... Fine, no problem. Senior Brother, please give me a few more days, I will definitely pay back both the principal and the interest..."

After a brief struggle, the Law Enforcement disciple left with a cold sneer.

Zhao Xuhe stood there with a dark expression, his aura fluctuating wildly. Seeing that the timing was right, Lu Yang revealed himself and walked over.

"Senior Brother Zhao, it has been a long time."

Zhao Xuhe looked up and immediately sensed Lu Yang's undisguised aura. His pupils shrank: "Junior Brother Lu, you've broken through to the late stage of Qi Refinement!?"

"A stroke of luck, mere luck."

Lu Yang smiled faintly. "My aptitude is dull. After several months of seclusion and spending many contribution points, I managed to break through by chance. I've made a fool of myself before you, Senior Brother."

Hearing this, Zhao Xuhe's expression grew increasingly stiff, even bordering on a grimace. After all, they had both speculated on the Substitute Yin Puppets, but while Zhao Xuhe had gone bankrupt, lost everything, and even had his mistress run off with someone else, Lu Yang had reaped massive profits and even used those contribution points to break through to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

What was even more infuriating was that he might not even be a match for Lu Yang now!

"Although I obtained the opportunity from True Person Panlong, because my fortune was insufficient and my merit was lacking, I only managed to get half of that third-grade True Art..."

He had even specifically consulted his Master about this.

His Master had deduced the karma and concluded that because he had speculated on the Substitute Yin Puppets, he had prematurely exhausted the merit accumulated over three lifetimes, leading to his failure at the final hurdle.

At this thought, Zhao Xuhe nearly ground his teeth to dust.

Half a third-grade True Art—it only contained the Qi Refinement stage *Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art*, but lacked the Foundation Establishment stage technique. To him, it was utterly useless!

Not to mention he was currently drowning in debt. He didn't even dare to disperse his cultivation to switch paths, fearing that debt collectors would show up during the transition. If they found him powerless to resist, they might turn into bandits, rob him blind, and kill him to silence him. That would be a misery beyond words.

"Junior Brother, did you come to see me for something?"

"It's a long story." Lu Yang sighed. "To be honest, Senior Brother, I have come to seek your guidance. I have encountered some trouble recently."

"Trouble?" Zhao Xuhe's eyes lit up.

Lu Yang sighed again. "I was previously focused solely on cultivation, and only after breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refinement did I learn about the issue of True Qi grade. I am filled with regret..."

Hearing Lu Yang say this, Zhao Xuhe suddenly felt a bit better.

"So it's the True Qi grade."

Zhao Xuhe offered some hypocritical comfort. "Most disciples of the Saint Sect haven't actually realized this, so it's normal that you wouldn't know, Junior Brother..."

"Sigh, life is unpredictable." Lu Yang shook his head helplessly. "That is why I have come to you, Senior Brother. I wanted to ask if there is any way to improve the grade of one's True Qi. It would be even better if there were a superior cultivation technique. As for the price, don't worry, Senior Brother—I can afford one or two thousand contribution points."

"...Oh?"

Hearing this, Zhao Xuhe's mind immediately began to race. One or two thousand contribution points—he happened to be in desperate need of exactly that amount right now.

In a flash of inspiration, Zhao Xuhe's thoughts spun rapidly, and he suddenly said

"Junior Brother Lu, since you put it that way... I actually do have a cultivation technique that would suit you. Once you practice it, it will definitely improve your True Qi grade."

"Really?" Lu Yang's face instantly filled with anticipation. "What technique is it?"

Zhao Xuhe hesitated. For some reason, he had a strange feeling, but on second thought, this technique was only half a set; it was already useless.

Rather than keeping it, it was better to make use of this waste to pay off his debts.

With that thought, Zhao Xuhe bit his lip and pulled the *Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art* he had obtained from Panlong Island from his robes, handing it to Lu Yang.