The rivers and mountains lay picturesque beneath the heavens, the setting sun spilling across them like blood.
Lü Yang hovered above the Cloud Sea. Only after waiting a long moment—long enough to be sure no palm technique was coming down to crush him into dust—did he finally exhale.
"Was that... a Foundation-Stage Cultivator?"
He didn't even dare mutter to himself. He could only whisper inwardly, his expression growing dreadfully grim. The gap between them was simply too vast.
It wasn't just his body that froze—his mind had gone utterly still. Not until the Perfected Fortune departed did he fully regain his senses. That feeling was like being a mouse caught between a cat's claws: not merely a difference in strength, but they were like of two different species, enough to snuff out the last ember of pride in Lü Yang's heart.
"I am still too weak. I have no power...."
He had only just defeated Liu Xin and the others, turning the tide despite being outnumbered, washing away the shadows of his past life and lifting his spirits. But now, everything calmed once more.
The path to immortality is long. Perseverance is the only companion.
Lü Yang sighed softly. Then Xiao Shiye's earlier words resurfaced, and fear flickered through his eyes again: "His fortune, was it bestowed by another?"
Only now did he recall.
Before they went to the Merit Pool, Xiao Shiye had said: "Just that I have recently had some luck, so I want to take the chance to test my luck."
Recently.
At the time, Lü Yang thought it was merely the humble modesty of a lucky one. Now, however, it seemed that Xiao Shiye had truly meant it—he had literally just gotten lucky.
Because of that Perfected Fortune.
"The colorful fish in the Merit Pool… And the Perfected Fortune wanted Xiao Shiye to fish it up for him?"
"If that's true, then he succeeded in the previous life. But come to think of it… after catching the Colorful Merit Fish, Xiao Shiye immediately announced he was entering seclusion, and then vanished without a trace…." Lü Yang shuddered. Fishing—once the fish is caught, what need is there for the bait?
A chill ran up his spine as he lifted his head.
Stain Sect. Sea of Clouds.
For those elusive high-ranking figures of the Stain Sect, were they all—these so-called disciples—nothing more than fish kept in a vast pond?
"No wonder it's the Stain Sect…."
He drew a deep breath, finally understanding why no one bothered to swat him out of existence.
A fish, even if it wriggles a little happily and hides a few secrets—so what? They might even view that fish as promising.
"In any case, at least the secret of the Centome wasn't exposed." Lü Yang felt a subtle relief. The karma tied to the Centome also seemed veiled from the Perfected Fortune. That meant the man had no idea why Lü Yang possessed Fourth Layer Qi Refining before even joining the sect.
"Time waits for no one. I'd better head back and eat first."
Thankfully, although the Manual of Primal Qi had been taken, Lü Yang had already memorized every word.
This was a habit forged because of the Centome.
Whenever he encountered excellent cultivation techniques or arts, he would memorize them instantly—so he could use them in the next life without spending Contribution Points again.
And though the Perfected Fortune confiscated the Manual of Primal Qi, he had not taken Qingchen Fairy's Crash Course: Array-Artifacts.
"Of course. Compared to the Manual, Qingchen Fairy's little booklet clearly wasn't worth his attention… but it's certainly useful to me."
Truthfully, Lü Yang didn't care much about the Manual of Primal Qi at all. His eyes had long been set on Zhao Xuhe's Third-Grade Foundation Method. The Manual was dispensable. But the Crash Course: Array-Artifacts truly stirred his interest.
As for the Primal Qi Myriad-Soul Banner…
"There will be a chance. In the next lifetime, that chance must come."
Returning to the Cave Mansion, Lü Yang first calmed his mind to cultivate, slowly healing the damage to his Sword Pill while working through the Crash Course: Array-Artifacts.
Half a month passed before he emerged from seclusion.
This time, he went to seek out Zhao Xuhe.
But when he arrived at Zhao Xuhe's Cave Mansion, he found Zhao Xuhe in a heated dispute with a stern-faced young man dressed in the attire of the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Senior Brother, you have to believe me! After so many years, don't you know my character? It's only 1000 Contribution Points—I'll pay it back for sure…. What? Interest!? You… fine, fine, no problem. Senior Brother, just give me a few more days. I'll pay everything back, interest included…."
After a cold exchange, the Law Enforcement Hall disciple left with a sneer.
Zhao Xuhe remained standing there with a darkened face, his Qi fluctuating violently. Lü Yang seized the moment, revealing himself as he approached.
"Senior Brother Zhao, long time no see."
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhao Xuhe looked up—and immediately sensed Lü Yang's unrestrained Qi Mechanism. His pupils contracted. "Junior Brother Lü… you've broken through to the Late-phase of Qi Refining!?"
"Just a stroke of luck, a stroke of luck."
Lü Yang smiled gently. "My talent is dull, so I had to spend months in seclusion and burn through a pile of Contribution Points before I finally broke through. I've made quite a fool of myself in front of you, Senior Brother."
Zhao Xuhe's expression stiffened—almost twisting. They had both invested in the Death-Warding Skeletons. Zhao Xuhe lost everything, even his lover left him for someone else. Lü Yang, on the other hand, reaped profit and now used the earnings to reach Late-phase Qi Refining.
And worst of all… Zhao Xuhe likely wasn't even Lü Yang's match anymore.
"Although I received the opportunity from Perfected Panlong, because my Fortune and Merit were insufficient, I only obtained half of the Third-Grade Foundation Method…."
He had even gone to ask his master about it.
His master divined the cause and effect, concluding that Zhao Xuhe had prematurely depleted three lifetimes' worth of accumulated Merit by investing in the Death-Warding Skeleton bubble—causing the failure at the final step.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xuhe nearly ground his teeth to dust.
Only the Qi Refining portion of the Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis, missing the Foundation Establishment stage half entirely! Useless!
Not to mention he was now drowning in debt. He didn't even dare dissolve his cultivation to change paths—if the debt collectors came while he was defenseless, they might strip him clean and silence him forever. And who could he complain to then?
"Did Junior Brother come for something?"
"Long story short." Lü Yang sighed. "To be honest, Senior Brother, I came seeking guidance. I've recently run into some trouble."
"Trouble?" Zhao Xuhe's eyes lit up.
Upon Lü Yang's next words, his mood improved dramatically.
"I was focused solely on cultivation before. Only after breaking through to Late-phase Qi Refining did I learn about the issue of Qi grade. I regret it deeply…."
"So that's what it is—Qi grade." Zhao Xuhe offered a few comforting words, his tone suddenly magnanimous. "Most disciples in the Stain Sect don't know this either, so it's normal for Junior Brother to be unaware…."
"Ah, the world is unpredictable." Lü Yang shook his head helplessly. "So, this time I came to ask if Senior Brother knows any methods to improve one's Qi grade. And if there's any Superior Cultivation Technique even better… as for the price, don't worry, I can afford one or two thousand Contribution Points."
"…Oh?"
The moment he heard that number, Zhao Xuhe's mind began churning. One or two thousand Contribution Points—exactly what he desperately needed.
In a heartbeat, he made up his mind.
"Junior Brother Lü, since you brought it up… I actually do have a technique perfectly suited for you. Once you cultivate it, you'll surely be able to improve your Qi grade."
"Really?" Lü Yang's face lit with anticipation. "What technique is it?"
Zhao Xuhe hesitated. Something about it felt strange. But reasoning it through—half a technique was already ruined anyway.
Better to turn waste into value than to let it rot in his hands.
With gritted teeth, he took out the Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis he had obtained from Panlong Island and handed it to Lü Yang.