Drawing on memories from Zhao Xuhe's past life, Lü Yang quickly grew familiar with him, and Zhao Xuhe felt a long-missing respect from an outsider.
To be honest, it had been years since he'd experienced this.
Ever since the price of the Substitute Yin Puppet soared, Panlong Island vanished mysteriously, and even his master, the Lord of Heaven Mending Peak, failed to deduce the cause, his life had grown increasingly difficult.
First, his master grew more and more disappointed in him. Second, his cultivation stagnated, stuck at mid-stage Qi Refining for ten years without breaking through the bottleneck. The only silver lining was that his master, seeing his declining fortunes, annulled his engagement with his junior sister.
The unpredictability of the world and the fickleness of human affection—Zhao Xuhe had tasted it all over this decade.
So, when he learned that Lü Yang had sold at the peak of the Substitute Yin Puppet's price, achieving financial freedom, Zhao Xuhe's eyes reddened with envy.
"Ah, Junior Brother, your Dao heart is firm, unswayed by wealth. Your future accomplishments are boundless. It's a pity I didn't possess such a Dao heart back then."
"Senior Brother, don't undervalue yourself," Lü Yang gently consoled. "Fortune is fleeting. As long as you remain steadfast on the Immortal path, what are temporary setbacks?"
"You're right." Zhao Xuhe nodded, seeming somewhat cheered. Then he glanced hesitantly at Lü Yang, opening his mouth but saying nothing.
His intention was clear to Lü Yang.
He wanted to borrow money.
Lü Yang smiled slightly. If Zhao Xuhe didn't bring it up, he naturally wouldn't. After all, anything too easily obtained isn't cherished.
Just then, a voice called from the flying boat:
"Skull Mountain has arrived!"
Northern Frontier, Skull Mountain
Despite its name, it was a vast mountain range spanning hundreds of miles, its peaks clustered like raging waves, every inch of land rich with spiritual energy.
There was a reason the Holy Sect established a market here. Though far inferior to the Cloud-Soaring Sea, Skull Mountain was already a treasure for mortal cultivators. At the very heart of the range lay the White Bone Cave—the site of the Holy Sect's market.
"The feng shui here is extremely Yin." On the flying boat's deck, Lü Yang observed Skull Mountain's ley lines with some surprise. "Any cultivator buried here would inevitably turn into a zombie within ten years."
"Junior Brother has a keen eye." A flash of light appeared as Fairy Feixia stepped forward, her feathered cloak fluttering. "That's precisely why the Holy Sect sent us to Skull Mountain—to guard and maintain order in the market."
"As Junior Brother noted, due to the unique feng shui, Skull Mountain experiences a large-scale zombie surge every thirty years. These zombies are mindless, driven only to devour the living. This is Skull Mountain's risk, but also its opportunity, as these zombies are excellent materials for refining artifacts."
After her explanation, Fairy Feixia continued, "The market is protected by the 'Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Array.' Fellow Daoist Lu and Fellow Daoist Chen are responsible for two of the four array cores. Junior Brother and I will each take one of the remaining two?"
"As Senior Sister commands."
Fairy Feixia nodded, then her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at Zhao Xuhe, who stood beside Lü Yang with wide, incredulous eyes.
"What?" Lü Yang asked curiously. "Does Senior Sister know Senior Brother Zhao?"
"...No." Fairy Feixia indifferently withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at Zhao Xuhe. Instead, she smiled gently at Lü Yang. "I'll have to trouble Junior Brother for guidance in the future."
With that, she rode a beam of light away.
Zhao Xuhe remained in place, his expression complex. It was clear he had guessed that Lü Yang's assignment to oversee the market meant his strength was certainly not the mid-stage Qi Refining realm he had sensed.
"Senior Brother Zhao?" Lü Yang's voice came, and Zhao Xuhe stiffened.
A mixture of joy and sorrow flashed across his face. His lips moved, but he remained silent. Finally, his demeanor turned respectful, and he clearly addressed:
"My Lord."
Seeing this, Lü Yang could only sigh inwardly. "Senior Brother Zhao, I still have official duties. If you encounter difficulties in the future, feel free to contact me anytime."
With that, he too flashed away.
Only Zhao Xuhe remained, his expression shifting uncertainly. His earlier emotions quickly cooled, replaced by a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.
"He's wary of me. It seems I was too hasty."
Entering the market, Lü Yang recalled Zhao Xuhe's reaction and chuckled softly. "Just as I thought—he came to this market with another purpose."
"Good, good!"
"In this life, I'll consider him a true friend!"
Lü Yang wasn't afraid of Zhao Xuhe's wariness because he had patience to spare.
If necessary, he could even abandon this life and genuinely befriend Zhao Xuhe for a lifetime, gathering intelligence to pave the way for the next life!
Lost in thought, Lü Yang arrived at a pavilion.
This was one of the four array cores of the market's formation and also the area with the densest spiritual energy in Skull Mountain—roughly 30% of that in a Holy Sect cave dwelling.
"Blood Washing Heavenly River Sword Array Diagram, activate!"
With a flick of his sleeve, Lü Yang sent the Blood Sun Sword Pill into the pavilion, settling it at the central position. Array patterns then expanded, replacing the original ones.
Though the market's "Hundred Bones True Refinement Array" was more profound than the Blood Washing Heavenly River Sword Array, Lü Yang only controlled one of its cores. Moreover, as an array master himself, he disliked entrusting his safety to a formation set up by others.
"After all, I have quite a few secrets."
"Besides, the Skull Mountain Market has been established for so long that even if the 'Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Array' is sophisticated, its workings are likely common knowledge."
The more its secrets are exposed, the easier it is to counter.
Therefore, if any powerful figure attacked Skull Mountain Market, they would undoubtedly have prepared a way to break the "Hundred Bones Rejuvenation Array."
At that point, the array might be useless.
That said, Lü Yang didn't abandon it entirely. Instead, he created a hidden layer within the pavilion—an array within an array, serving as a hidden trump card.
Satisfied, Lü Yang nodded.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he named the pavilion "Blood-Clad Tower," officially marking his settlement in Skull Mountain Market.
Just then, over a dozen streaks of light flew in.
These were all Holy Sect disciples assigned to Lü Yang's jurisdiction, generally at early or mid-stage Qi Refining, here to complete market missions.
As the lights entered the Blood-Clad Tower and dispersed, they revealed cultivators of various ages and genders. Reverently, they approached the tower, only to find a handsome young man in blood-red robes leaning against the railing, smiling down at them.
"Greetings, Tower Master!"
The disciples dared not neglect him, bowing respectfully. Though they addressed each other as fellow disciples within the sect, outside, titles were still necessary.
Moreover, this was a senior brother at the late-stage Qi Refining realm!
The early, middle, late, and Great Perfection stages of Qi Refining might seem like minor realms, but the gaps between them were chasms.
"No formalities needed."
Looking at the row of figures below, Lü Yang nodded in satisfaction. Not bad—a handful of nobodies, no real talents.
Aside from everything else, the Holy Sect's cultivation environment was top-tier. Generally, those selected for transfer were either like Lü Yang and Fairy Feixia, aiming for Foundation Establishment, or like the people before him—poor aptitude, advanced age, and penniless, unable to survive in the Holy Sect.
"If I wanted to, I could kill them all with a single sword stroke."
Those seeking to build their own power might resent this, but Lü Yang found it perfect. The atmosphere of weakness put him at ease.
"Disperse, all of you. Handle minor matters yourselves—don't come to me for them."
Lü Yang casually issued the order and dismissed them. Then, he sealed the Blood-Clad Tower, preparing to cultivate in seclusion until his opportunity for Foundation Establishment arrived!