https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-35-Senior-Brother-Zhao-and-I-Are-Destined-to-Meet-/13500619/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-37-Supreme-Yin-Shedding-Corpse-Liberation-True-Art/13500621/
Chapter 36: Skull Mountain Market
Chapter 36: Skull Mountain Market
With his deep understanding of Zhao Xuhe’s past lives, Lv Yang quickly bonded with him, offering Zhao a rare sense of respect he hadn’t felt in years.
Truthfully, it had been decades since Zhao last experienced such warmth from others.
Ever since the Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet’s value plummeted and the Coiling Dragon Isle vanished under mysterious circumstances—events even his master, the Heaven-Mending Peak Master, couldn’t divine through fate—Zhao’s life had spiraled downward.
His master’s disappointment grew daily, and his cultivation stagnated. Ten years had passed with him stuck at Refining Qi Mid-Rank, unable to breakthrough the Cultivation Bottleneck. The only silver lining was his master canceling his arranged marriage to his junior female apprentice due to his worsening fortunes.
Fickle fate and cold human nature—Zhao had tasted them all in the past decade.
Thus, when he learned that Lv Yang had wisely exited the market at the peak price of the Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet, securing his wealth early, Zhao’s envy burned red-hot.
“Ah, Brother Disciple, your Dao heart is firm, unshaken by wealth’s perils. Your future achievements are boundless! Alas, I lacked such resolve in my youth.”
“Senior Brother, please don’t belittle yourself,” Lv Yang consoled gently. “Fortune’s tides shift unpredictably. As long as you remain steadfast on the immortal path, what are fleeting setbacks?”
“You’re right,” Zhao Xuhe replied, nodding as if reinvigorated. He glanced at Lv Yang, lips parting hesitantly before falling silent.
To Lv Yang, Zhao’s unspoken plea was obvious—he wanted to borrow money.
Lv Yang smiled faintly. Since Zhao hesitated to ask, he wouldn’t press the matter. After all, ease of acquisition often bred carelessness.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the flying vessel:
“We’ve arrived at Skull Mountain!”
Northern Frontier, Skull Mountain.
Though named a “mountain,” it was actually a sprawling range hundreds of miles wide, its peaks clustered like gathered waves, its valleys roaring with surging spiritual energy.
The Holy Sect’s decision to establish a market here was no accident. While far inferior to the Sky-Connecting Sea of Clouds, Skull Mountain was a treasure trove for secular cultivators. At its heart lay the White Bone Cave, where the Holy Sect’s market thrived.
“This land’s geomancy is intensely yin,” Lv Yang observed, gazing at the mountain’s veins from the deck. “Bury any cultivator here, and they’ll transform into a corpse spirit within a decade.”
“Brother Disciple’s insight is sharp,” Fairy Feixia said, stepping forward in a flowing feathered cloak. “That’s precisely why the Holy Sect sent us here—to maintain order in the market.”
“As you said, the unique geomancy triggers a mass zombie surge every thirty years. These mindless creatures devour the living, posing Skull Mountain’s greatest threat. Yet they’re also a boon—excellent materials for refining artifacts.”
After her explanation, she continued: “The market is protected by the Hundred-Bone Reanimation Array. Fellow cultivators Lu and Chen will guard two of the four array nodes. Brother Disciple and I will take the remaining two.”
“As you command, Senior Sister,” Lv Yang replied.
Fairy Feixia nodded, then frowned slightly as Zhao Xuhe—still gaping in disbelief beside Lv Yang—drew her sidelong glance.
“Something wrong?” Lv Yang asked.
“I don’t know him,” she replied coldly, avoiding Zhao’s gaze. Turning to Lv Yang, her tone softened: “I’ll rely on you for guidance, Brother Disciple.”
With that, she soared away in a streak of radiant light.
Zhao Xuhe remained rooted, his expression complex. He suspected Lv Yang’s true cultivation level—clearly beyond the Refining Qi Mid-Rank he’d detected—was the reason for his new station.
“Senior Brother Zhao?” Lv Yang’s voice snapped him rigid.
Zhao’s face flickered with joy and bitterness. Lips trembling, he finally bowed deeply: “Lord.”
Lv Yang sighed inwardly. “Senior Brother Zhao, I have duties to attend to. Should you face any hardship, contact me.”
Then he vanished in a flash.
Zhao stood alone, his turbulent emotions fading into contemplation.
“He’s wary of me… I moved too hastily.”
As Lv Yang entered the market, he mused on Zhao’s behavior, smirking faintly. “As expected, he has his own agenda here.”
“Good, very good!”
“This life, I’ll earn his trust as a close ally!”
Lv Yang welcomed Zhao’s caution. Patience was his strength.
If needed, he’d even abandon this life’s ambitions to befriend Zhao wholeheartedly, gathering intelligence for future incarnations.
Approaching a pavilion—the first of the four array nodes and the most spiritually rich area (nearly 30% of the Holy Sect’s sacred caves)—Lv Yang muttered:
“Bloodwash Celestial River Sword Array Diagram, activate!”
With a flick of his sleeve, the Blood Sun Sword Core embedded itself into the pavilion’s core. Array patterns spread, gradually replacing the original formations.
Though the Holy Sect’s Hundred-Bone Reanimation Array surpassed his Bloodwash Formation in complexity, Lv Yang—occupying only one node—preferred not to rely on another’s array art.
“After all, I have many secrets,” he thought. “And after so long, even the most ingenious arrays here are now common knowledge.”
The more exposed the array’s secrets, the easier to counter. If a formidable foe attacked, they’d surely know how to neutralize the Hundred-Bone Reanimation Array.
Thus, while retaining the original array, Lv Yang layered a hidden formation within—a secret ace.
Satisfied, he named the pavilion Bloodcloak Pavilion, marking his new base in Skull Mountain Market.
Suddenly, dozens of streaks of light descended—Holy Sect disciples assigned to his sector, cultivators at Refining Qi Early and Mid-Rank, here to fulfill missions.
They dispersed on the terrace, their faces reverent as they beheld the blood-robed youth leaning on the balustrade, smiling down at them.
“Hail, Pavilion Lord!” they chorused, bowing deeply. Though equals within the Holy Sect, outside its halls, hierarchy demanded titles. Especially before a Refining Qi Late-Stage cultivator.
Qi Gathering’s Early, Mid, and Late Ranks, and the Peak—four minor stages, yet chasms separated them.
“Rise,” Lv Yang said, nodding approvingly. “Dismissed. Handle minor matters yourselves.”
As the crowd dispersed, he sealed the pavilion, preparing to cultivate in seclusion until the Foundation-Building opportunity arose.
(End of Chapter)
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