"Junior Brother Xiao is indeed a remarkable talent."
Lü Yang laughed heartily and gave Xiao Shiye a friendly pat on the shoulder. "My name is Lü Yang. We joined the sect in the same batch, so I'm hardly senior to you."
"The same batch?"
Xiao Shiye blinked in surprise, then looked genuinely impressed. "Then Brother Lü must be exceptionally gifted. Without great talent, it would be difficult to reach such a level."
"I'm not worthy of such praise."
Lü Yang waved the compliment away. He knew well enough that his own talent was nothing extraordinary; most of his breakthroughs had come from consuming pills and relying on unorthodox methods to force through bottlenecks.
If he had followed the standard, steady path of cultivation, he would still be stuck on the Third Layer of Qi Refining.
Learning that Lü Yang had entered the sect at the same time as him, Xiao Shiye relaxed and quickly warmed up to him. After a while, Lü Yang casually tested the waters. "I just broke through and plan to return to my Cave Mansion to stabilize my cultivation. Brother Xiao, where are you headed next?"
"Truth be told, Brother Lü, I'm going to the Merit Pool."
Xiao Shiye chuckled. "I heard some senior disciples say the Merit Pool tests your luck. Since fortune seems to be smiling on me lately, I thought I'd seize the chance while it lasts."
"Merit Pool…"
Lü Yang's heart stirred, and an idea surfaced. "In that case, shall we go together?"
In his previous life, he had already attempted the same series of numbers Xiao Shiye had once won with. He was eager to see what Xiao Shiye would do this time, and whether some unseen hand truly lay behind his luck.
Beyond the Crafting Peak, among rolling clouds, stood more than a dozen silent figures. At their head was a handsome young man in white robes, surrounded by drifting mist.
Suddenly, one disciple brightened and pointed ahead."Senior Brother Liu, that fellow named Xiao has emerged."
The handsome young man stirred as if from meditation. The surrounding mist peeled away, revealing a face Lü Yang would never forget.
It was Liu Xin.
Liu Xin had already advanced to the Late-phase of Qi Refining, and as a cultivator of the "Manual of Primal Qi," he looked even more like an immortal scholar than most righteous cultivators.
"Finally out..." Liu Xin murmured with a warm, almost gentle smile. There was none of the ferocity one would expect from a Demon Dao cultivator. But the moment his True Qi surged and he activated the Qi Observation Technique to peer into the distance, his smile stiffened.
"…Late-phase of Qi Refining?"
His brows drew together. He clearly had not anticipated Xiao Shiye being accompanied by someone so strong—someone who might complicate matters.
A soft gasp came from behind him.
Liu Xin turned, still wearing a calm smile. "What is it, Qingchen? Do you recognize that cultivator?"
The beautiful woman behind him pressed her red lips together, jealousy flickering in her eyes. "I do, Senior Brother Liu. His name is Lü Yang. He joined the sect only a few months ago. During the Death-Warding Skeleton speculation, he left early and made a fortune—at least ten thousand Contribution Points. I imagine that's how he forced his breakthrough."
This woman was Qingchen—who, in the previous life, had followed Zhao Xuhe.
But not this time.
Their falling out had been simple enough. Zhao Xuhe tried to rope her into the speculative frenzy surrounding the Death-Warding Skeleton. When Zhao Xuhe went bankrupt, Fairy Qingchen sank with him.
Liu Xin, as it happened, had been speculating as well.
And because the Death-Warding Skeleton craze had grown larger and more influential this time, the collapse had been far more disastrous.
Not only were Liu Xin and his faction nearly ruined—they were in debt.
Thus, they had turned to robbing fellow sect disciples, something they had never dared in their previous lives, in order to cover their massive losses. Over time, they assembled a group of disciples who still had some backing and influence, but who had been financially crushed by the speculation. Their targets were primarily ordinary disciples who had entered the fray early, invested little, quit early—and made a killing.
Xiao Shiye was their latest target.
Now, after hearing Qingchen's account, Liu Xin's eyes gleamed.
Lü Yang had just been added to the list.
"Enough waiting. Move."
With Liu Xin's quiet command, several disciples chuckled darkly before activating their Flying Light and streaking toward Lü Yang and Xiao Shiye.
Not long after leaving the Crafting Peak and sailing through the cloud sea, Lü Yang suddenly stiffened. The Sword Pill resting between his brows quivered—a warning signal.
He followed the direction of the sword sense, and his expression darkened further.
Flying Lights were closing in from all directions, forming a tightening net.
A voice rang out behind him.
"Daoist friend, wait!"
Lü Yang's face turned grim.
Anyone who opened with a line like that clearly wasn't here to chat.
Without even turning around, he channeled his Qi, wrapped Xiao Shiye in Sword Light, and fled toward the direction of the Merit Pool.
But the pursuers were fully prepared.
Moments later, Lü Yang was forced to stop. The surrounding cloud sea had vanished, replaced by a prismatic mirage that trapped both him and Xiao Shiye in its heart.
"This is troublesome…"
Lü Yang's expression tightened. He activated the Qi Observation Technique and assessed from afar.
"One Late-phase cultivator, seven Mid-phase. At best… thirty percent odds."
What now?
He was still weighing possibilities when Xiao Shiye spoke quietly.
"Brother Lü, I believe these people are after me."
He sighed. "I underestimated them. They must be after my artifacts and Contribution Points. I assumed they would have given up after so many months, but I didn't expect such persistence. Brother Lü, we should split up and escape."
"Split up?"
Lü Yang shook his head. "They've already sealed the cloud sea with some powerful artifacts. Leaving separately may not be possible."
"No worry—I have a way."
Xiao Shiye lowered his voice. "I have two Qi-Breaking Awls. If activated, they can carve a breach through this mirage. I'll give one to Brother Lü."
He took out an Enchanted Awl and pressed it into Lü Yang's hand. "You go first. I'll cover the rear."
Lü Yang weighed the item and, with a flow of Qi, immediately understood Xiao Shiye wasn't lying—the Awl had a real chance of piercing the illusion.
"…Are you certain you want me to go first?" he asked, expression complicated.
"Brother Lü, the path is long. We will meet again."
Xiao Shiye clasped his hands in a formal salute, smiled calmly, and turned to face the incoming enemies—utterly prepared to die.
Lü Yang fell silent.
He had been in closed-door meditation for three months and had made no enemies. It was unlikely the attackers were after him. Xiao Shiye was clearly the fattest prey.
So Xiao Shiye was right.
If Lü Yang abandoned him now, he might indeed escape.
But… should he?
Above the cloud sea, watching Xiao Shiye charge alone toward certain death, the Sword Pill between Lü Yang's brows flickered urgently. His expression shifted again and again.