https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-160-The-Bright-Moon-Sect-s-Leadership-Goes-Crazy-Aiding-the-Enemy-Operation-Begins-Part/12963921/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-161-The-Pitfall-is-Complete-Escalating-Conflicts-We-re-the-Professionals-Part-2-/12963923/
Chapter 161: The Pitfall is Complete! Escalating Conflicts, We're the Professionals~ (Part 1)
Chapter 161: The Pitfall is Complete! Escalating Conflicts, We're the Professionals~ (Part 1)
Three days later...
Tang Wu breaks through!
He successfully steps into the Sixth Stage, becoming a noble Fated Realm cultivator.
"Hahaha!"
Tang Wu roars towards the sky, his aura piercing through the rainbow.
"The autumn air is crisp, and all things are under my control!!!"
"However, it's a pity..."
"I've only consumed three Divine Insight Pills, and the rest won't be of much use."
Amidst his excitement, he feels a tinge of frustration.
A Ninth Rank Pill!
It's a Ninth Rank pill, and before this, he had never even seen one, let alone consumed it. Yet, he broke through after taking just three!
Now that he's in the Fated Realm, he can still consume the Divine Insight Pills, but their effectiveness will be greatly diminished. It would be better to sell them and exchange them for Fated Realm Pills.
"No way."
"I have to find Lu Ming and ask him to refine another batch of Fated Realm Pills for me."
"Even if..."
"I have to use some means."
Tang Wu's eyes flickered with determination, his mind racing.
Having tasted the Ninth Rank pill and understanding its astonishing efficacy and immense help in cultivation, Tang Wu couldn't help but feel disdain for lower-quality pills.
Too pitiful! The assistance is too insignificant.
"Foster Father."
"..."
The Ice Emperor reluctantly agreed, "Alright."
"But you also need to be careful. Lu Ming will surely come prepared, and his position in the Moon Embrace Sect is unparalleled. If things get too out of hand, it won't be beneficial for you either."
"I understand, Foster Father, rest assured."
"You don't need to worry about the rest. Just know that at the critical moment, if I need your help, please don't hesitate."
"Also, Foster Father, don't overthink it. Your child is always thinking of you."
"This time, I'll ask Lu Ming if he can refine pills for nurturing the Divine Soul. If he can, I'll insist that he refine a batch! With him refining high-quality pills for nurturing the Divine Soul, the help it will provide you will be immense."
Tang Wu's expression was sincere.
But the Ice Emperor felt more and more distressed the longer he looked at him. Alas...
"My child has good intentions."
He could only pretend to be unaware.
However, over these days, the Ice Emperor had become increasingly anxious.
He keenly sensed that the relationship and peculiar balance between himself and Tang Wu seemed to be on the verge of breaking.
But what could he do? He couldn't 'devour the master'!
His state was extremely unique, and he had survived by becoming the 'Ring Spirit'.
However, this Spirit Artifact-level storage ring had already been thoroughly refined by Tang Wu, recognizing him as the master. As the ring spirit, he could not resist.
On the surface, he was a foster father and master.
In reality, if he had to be honest, the Ice Emperor would even have to call Tang Wu 'master'.
Unable to resist, he could only temporarily go along with Tang Wu's wishes and see if there was any chance for a turnaround.
Unfortunately, after all this time, he hadn't seen a turnaround; instead, he seemed to be witnessing his own impending death...
This feeling was unbearable.
It was too hopeless.
After responding, he fell silent.
Tang Wu's expression remained unchanged.
In his heart, he had some inkling of what was happening.
He never thought the Ice Emperor was stupid; after all, he was once a formidable veteran. If he could be so easily manipulated without realizing it, how could he have become a powerful cultivator in the first place? Combining this with the Ice Emperor's recent abnormal behavior, he was almost certain.
However, in Tang Wu's eyes, it wasn't a big problem.
The initiative was always in his hands. Even if he figured something out, what could he do? He could only remain silent or hold it in.
And still, I will make use of you!
He smiled and set off to find Lu Ming.
Inside the Immortal Mansion.
Lu Ming was at ease.
To others, he seemed to be resting.
In reality...
He was indeed resting.
Resting and cultivating at the same time.
After all, the environment here was much better than the Moon Embrace Sect, making it a true paradise for cultivation.
The reason Ji Hao Yue and the others didn't use this place wasn't because the Essence Spirit Qi wasn't rich enough, but because their realms were too high, and the density of the Essence Qi alone wasn't as effective anymore.
That's why this excellent place fell to Lu Ming.
He was still at the Sixth Stage, with plenty of room for improvement. Naturally, he had to seize this opportunity.
More importantly...
This was the Moon Embrace Sect!
The Essence Qi he absorbed was the Moon Embrace Sect's Essence Spirit Qi.
Just this fact alone made the Essence Qi several times more effective.
"Wait a few more days."
Lu Ming muttered, "After all, I've just arrived, and it's not appropriate to be too greedy."
"After waiting a few more days, I'll go to the Scripture Pavilion."
"Since they said all techniques and secret arts are available for my cultivation and can be passed down to my lineage, I can't let it go to waste."
"They're all good stuff."
"Speaking of Tang Wu..."
"If I'm not mistaken, he should have already broken through, right?"
Lu Ming smiled.
"After all, with a Ninth Rank Divine Insight Pill, if he couldn't break through, he wouldn't be worthy of being a protagonist template."
Although Tang Shinwang was a fantasy doormat, he was still a protagonist template with a protagonist halo!
In this situation, having already reached the peak of the Fifth Realm, if he couldn't break through with a batch of Ninth Rank Divine Insight Pills, that would be too foolish.
Moreover, this batch had a full nine pills!
"I estimate that consuming three to five pills should be enough for him to break through."
"But after tasting a Ninth Rank pill, how could he possibly stop there?"
Given Tang Shinwang's personality, with such a good thing, it would be strange if he didn't try every means to pocket it for himself.
"I wonder if this version of Tang Shinwang can guess that I intentionally gave him a Ninth Rank pill and refined nine of them?"
To catch a big fish, you need to use the best bait.
Now, the bait has been set, and the fish should be biting soon.
Half a day later, Tang Wu arrived.
"Brother Lu, Tang Wu has come uninvited. I hope to meet with you."
He arrived outside the Immortal Mansion with a carefree and open demeanor, calling out for Lu Ming.
Lu Ming smiled and waved his hand, simultaneously dismantling the array and restrictions, personally welcoming him and laughing, "Haha, Brother Tang has arrived? Please come in quickly~"
The two then entered the Immortal Mansion, shoulder to shoulder.
The stone door of the Immortal Mansion closed, and the array was activated once more.
In the distance, the various elders who had sent people to keep watch were suddenly taken aback, their faces revealing surprise. They quickly contacted their respective elders.
"Has Elder Lu finished resting?"
"Elder Tang Wu visited, and Elder Lu, full of vigor, welcomed him into the Immortal Mansion?"
"It seems that he has indeed recovered."
"Quickly, prepare some gifts for me. After Brother Tang leaves, this elder will personally pay a visit."
"..."
During this time, they had also tasted the sweetness of high-quality pills.
Although they had consumed seventh-rank pills before, the opportunities were too few! But here, with Lu Ming, it was different.
Currently, it seemed that the minimum quality was seventh-rank, and this was a chance to establish a good relationship by licking the pot and offering gifts. If successful, wouldn't they be able to eat high-quality pills whenever they wanted in the future? The various elders were excited and actively preparing.
However, they also knew that success was not guaranteed.
After all, if they could think of this, others could too. Everyone would compete, and it was hard to say who would succeed in winning favor.
Even...
A female elder took out her treasured 'Battle Robe' that she had kept for many years and put it on. She also took out a bronze mirror that hadn't been used for many years and applied makeup in front of it.
...
Inside the Immortal Mansion.
Lu Ming released his hand.
The two maintained a distance.
Seeing Lu Ming reactivating the array and setting up restrictions, Tang Wu spoke calmly, "Brother Lu, since there's no one else here, you and I can stop pretending."
"It's better to speak directly, right?"
"What is Brother Tang saying? I don't understand." Lu Ming looked perplexed.
"Brother Lu, this is a bit much. Since I've come to find you, and I've been straightforward from the start, don't you think I'm trying to deceive you?"
Tang Wu sighed lightly, "Why be so fake?"
"I truly don't understand what you're saying." Lu Ming continued to stubbornly deny.
"Lu Ming."
Tang Wu called him by his name, "You really won't understand until you're in the coffin. Between you and me, there's no relationship at all. We've merely met once or twice by chance."
"But when you joined my sect, you acted so intimately. It's not unreasonable to think that you wanted to get closer to me and also ensure your position in the Bright Moon Sect."
"This is enough to prove that you have ulterior motives!"
"Do you think that because I didn't expose you that day, it's because I didn't know anything?"
"Ridiculous!"
"In fact, I've known everything for a long time."
"The reason I didn't expose you, and even actively cooperated with you, was simply because I also had my own agenda."
Lu Ming's face changed repeatedly.
Finally, he lowered his voice and said, "So you've known all along? You're quite good at pretending."
"Hehe."
Tang Wu smirked, "Is it that hard to guess?"
"Speak, what do you want!"
Lu Ming asked, gritting his teeth.
Tang Wu raised his eyebrows, thinking that Lu Ming wasn't very bright.
If this was the case, wouldn't it be easier for him to manipulate Lu Ming?
However, he also needed to be cautious. People like Lu Ming might be stubborn, and if provoked, they might act recklessly without regard for the consequences.
Therefore, he couldn't push too hard.
He smiled, "Do you think that besides pills, there's anything else worth the attention of this sequence elder on your body or in your repertoire?
"..."
"As expected, you're here for the pills."
Lu Ming 'realized', his expression becoming even more unpleasant, "Speak, what pill do you want?"
"Of course, it's the Fated Realm Pill, ninth-rank!"
"Don't refuse, and don't say that you can't refine a ninth-rank Fated Realm Pill. A Great Alchemy Master like you, as long as you're willing to try and put in the effort, how could you not succeed?"
Tang Wu chuckled lightly.
In his eyes, Lu Ming was already in his grasp.
"..."
Lu Ming remained silent for a moment before speaking, "How many do you want?"
"How many?"
"Of course, it's 'enough', don't worry. I won't push you too hard, and I won't sell them either. As long as there's enough for my consumption, that's fine."
"Oh, right, I also need some pills to nourish the divine soul, preferably ninth-rank as well!"
How many do you want? Tang Wu felt like laughing.
This secret, I'll keep it to myself forever!
"Don't be hasty."
"For you, this isn't a difficult task. A Great Alchemy Master like you, refining some pills is as easy as snapping your fingers."
"After all, you wouldn't want to enter the Bright Moon Sect with hidden intentions and have the sect master and elders find out, right?"
"Good."
Lu Ming clenched his teeth, forcing out a few words through gritted teeth, "I agree."
"But you must also promise not to reveal my secret to anyone."
"I, Tang Wu, am known for keeping my word and valuing righteousness. Who doesn't know this?" Tang Wu patted his chest, boasting about his impeccable principles.
"I'll trust you for now."
Lu Ming still felt very displeased, and it was written all over his face.
Tang Wu looked on with increasing satisfaction.
Displeased?
Indeed, he was displeased.
Who could feel good when being threatened and manipulated?
"However, I can't give it to you right now."
"Refining pills takes time, and refining ninth-rank pills takes even more time!"
"Even if I'm known as a Great Alchemy Master, I can't guarantee the success rate of ninth-rank pills."
"It's fine, I'll give you time."
Tang Wu was very 'considerate', "But for now, you need to refine a batch of Fated Realm Pills for me, at least seventh-rank or above."
"I'll go back to cultivate, and after I've consumed them, I'll come back. By then, the ninth-rank pills should be ready."
"..."
Lu Ming clenched his teeth in anger.
Tang Wu smiled faintly. "Not at all."
"I suppose anyone would do the same in my situation, right?"
"They might even do better than me."
"Hmph!"
Lu Ming let out a cold harrumph and proceeded to start the pill crafting process.
About an hour later, Tang Wu was satisfied and left with a furnace of Seventh Rank Life Decree Pills.
Lu Ming stretched lazily.
"The fish has taken the bait."
"Now, it's time to deal with the others."
"But speaking of which, why does he need pills for nourishing his divine soul?"
Lu Ming pondered for a moment. "His divine soul hasn't been damaged, so logically, he shouldn't need such pills. Therefore, it's almost certain that he also has a grandpa in his ring."
Recalling the details of his encounter with Tang Wu...
He was indeed wearing a ring!
And he often unconsciously caressed that ring. If someone said that ring wasn't important, Lu Ming would be the first to disagree.
"Goodness."
"Does Tang Shinwang have a grandpa's soul?"
"This..."
"~"
"Hey, isn't it still Tang Shinwang?"
"It's not a big deal."
After dealing with Gu Yue Fangyuan, Lu Ming's courage grew as well.
Whether it was the Ten-Thousand-Year Template or the Heaven's Pride Child, they weren't to be killed!
Even more so, the will of heaven seemed to encourage these Ten-Thousand-Year Template and Heaven's Pride Children to kill each other. This could be guessed from the benefits one gained from killing other Ten-Thousand-Year Templates.
If that was the case...
There was no reason to fear a minor power!
Does having a grandpa mean you can defy fate?
It's not that simple! Or rather...
Even if he knew his plan, it would be after this incident.
After this...
Whether he could survive or not was still a mystery.
Even if he wanted to settle the score later, he'd have to survive first.
"..."
"Master, Tang Wu has left!"
"Okay, okay!"
"You may leave, there's a reward for you."
Gu Qingyun was overjoyed and immediately set off with gifts.
After that, he successfully met with Lu Ming.
"Great Elder."
Lu Ming was busy with pill crafting, but even so, when he learned that Gu Qingyun had come to visit, he warmly welcomed him, observing all the proper etiquette.
"Elder Lu, why are you personally greeting me?"
"Shouldn't the Holy Maiden be here, doing these trivial tasks for you?"
Gu Qingyun's brows furrowed. "The Holy Maiden is becoming more and more unruly."
"She even dares to disobey the Sect Master's orders?"
"Elder Lu, there's no need to be angry." Lu Ming shook his head. "It was I who asked her to return to cultivation. After all, Wen Ruyu is our sect's Holy Maiden, and as the Holy Maiden, how could she be expected to serve me like a maid, attending to my every need?"
"She represents the face of our entire Bright Moon Sect."
"Naturally, the stronger she is, the better."
"This..." Gu Qingyun's expression softened slightly, and he nodded. "Elder Lu, you're too kind."
"But you're busy with pill crafting, and yet you don't even have an apprentice to assist you. It's not appropriate!"
"These trivial matters shouldn't all be done by you personally. It's not right!"
"How about..."
"How about I be your apprentice?"
Gu Qingyun suddenly had an idea and changed his words. "You see, I'm at an age where breakthroughs aren't easy, and I don't have any urgent matters to attend to."
"With me here, no one would dare cause trouble."
"In my opinion, I'm the most suitable candidate to be your apprentice!"
Lu Ming: "..."
Are you serious?
His lips twitched slightly.
Just as he was about to refuse, a voice of anger rang out: "Gu Qingyun, how shameless can you be!"
"As the Great Elder of our sect, your every action represents our sect's reputation, and you have countless matters to attend to!"
"Yet you say you want to be an apprentice?"
"This is simply outrageous! Don't you fear being ridiculed if this gets out?"
"It would bring shame not just to you but to our entire Bright Moon Sect! A Great Elder lowering himself to be an apprentice!"
Lu Ming turned to look.
Gu Qingyun rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed.
When he had entered earlier, Lu Ming hadn't reactivated the array and restrictions, so he naturally didn't dare to interfere.
This resulted in their conversation being overheard, and the person mocking and ridiculing them was none other than his mother, the Second Elder!
Before they could respond, the Second Elder spoke again: "Elder Lu, I came uninvited, but may I enter?"
"Second Elder, no need for such formality, please come in."
Only then did the Second Elder enter.
He was the epitome of politeness.
Gu Qingyun's brows twitched at the sight.
Damn it, this old man is shameless too.
(End of Chapter)
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