Chapter 523: Debt-Repaying Life-Taking Thunder

"There are ten million spirit stones within this storage ring, serving as a deposit. Pray accept them, Master Tao."

Vice Cult Leader Shi felt a sharp pang of regret; he had initially intended for this sum to secure the promotion rights entirely, yet through some twist of fate, the ten million had dwindled into a mere advance.

"The remaining forty million will require my return to mobilize the necessary funds, so I must ask Master Tao to grant us a half-month's grace."

"Furthermore, we have not yet finished recording the one-minute promotional illusion; in half a month's time, it shall be delivered to you alongside the forty million spirit stones."

"This wooden plaque will serve as our means of contact." Vice Cult Leader Shi extended a palm-sized token to Tao Yaoye, a duplicate of the one he had already bestowed upon Lu Yang.

"Once the spirit stones are amassed, we shall use this plaque to reach you, Master Tao."

Shi Huagu's demeanor could not have been more courteous and accommodating.

Just as Lu Yang had remarked before, it was the Nine Serenities Cult that begged Tao Yaoye for assistance in this endeavor; she held the absolute advantage.

"Very well, I have pressing matters to attend to and shall not detain you three any longer." Shi Huagu rose slowly, casting a meaningful glance toward Divine Envoy Huo, indicating he should escort the trio out.

Understanding the gesture, Divine Envoy Huo reached into his storage ring, retrieved a small bottle of eye drops, and handed them to Shi Huagu.

Shi Huagu froze, utterly speechless.

"I meant for you to see them out!"

Had it not been for Huo's exceptional talent—and the fact that given time, he might well rise to become a Vice Cult Leader or even the Cult Leader himself—Shi Huagu would have struck the scoundrel dead with a single palm!

Huo grumbled inwardly, wondering how this could be blamed on him when the old man’s single glance carried so many contradictory meanings that no soul could decipher them.

Huo escorted the three of them out, and after they had journeyed some two miles, a sudden crack of thunder exploded behind them, causing them to shudder in surprise.

Twisting around to look, they saw the sky above Shi Huagu’s domain shifting violently; dark clouds gathered in thick, rolling layers, and lightning flashed amid the roaring thunder, mimicking a vision of the apocalypse.

This was a tribulation lightning storm capable of threatening the very life of a Body Integration stage cultivator; even at such a distance, the oppressive weight of the thunder could be keenly felt.

"Something is amiss, why do I feel no pressure at all?" Lu Yang mused, perplexed, noting that the countenances of his two junior sisters and Divine Envoy Huo suggested the residual might of the thunder should have reached them.

Yet he felt absolutely nothing.

"Naturally, it is because this Immortal is present." The Immortal Fairy stepped forward, patting her chest to claim credit, her chin tilted slightly upward in immense self-satisfaction.

"Fairy, you possess such profound might?" Lu Yang was thoroughly astonished, never expecting her influence to carry such significant weight.

"But of course, the source of most tribulation lightning originates from Immortal Ying Tian's Dao Fruit of Tribulation, so must that lightning not grant this Immortal some modicum of respect?"

The tribulation lightning was not created by Immortal Ying Tian; rather, his merit lay in expanding and glorifying its forms and varieties.

For the first time, Lu Yang realized just how immense the Immortal Fairy’s reputation was, that even the heavenly tribulations had to defer to her.

It seemed the psychological trauma she had inflicted upon Immortal Ying Tian was profound indeed.

"Judging by this manifestation, this particular tribulation must be the 'Debt-Repayment-or-Death Lightning' forged by Ying Tian, specifically designed to strike those who borrow money and refuse to return it."

Lu Yang recalled that Divine Envoy Huo seemed to have taken a piece of Qin Haoran's legacy from him, and the contents of that legacy were inextricably linked to promissory notes...

Confirming that Huo, who stood beside him, was indeed still among the living, Lu Yang sighed inwardly, realizing that Vice Cult Leader Shi must hold Huo in high esteem for him to survive such an ordeal.

"Then again, isn't the name of this tribulation a bit too unrefined?" In Lu Yang’s memory, heavenly tribulations ought to bear grand names like Shangqing, Zixiao, Guiji, or Liuding Liujia.

To call it the Debt-Repayment-or-Death Lightning—why not simply call it the Promissory Note Lightning?

Could Immortal Ying Tian truly be so inept at naming things?

"This Immortal believes the name she bestowed is quite fitting."

A sudden revelation struck Lu Yang, his expression shifting to one that had pierced through the shroud of confusion: "So it was the Fairy who named it! No wonder the name carries a sense of returning to pristine simplicity; upon closer reflection, it holds great and profound truths. As the old adage goes, debts must be repaid with coin; if a debtor were to repay what is owed, how could they ever encounter a heavenly tribulation? Therefore, those who default on their debts must forfeit their lives. The name the Fairy devised truly leaves a lingering, thoughtful impression; a mere few words contain multiple layers of profound meaning, inviting deep contemplation!"

The Immortal Fairy beamed with a smile suited to her apparent age: "Heheh, this Immortal didn't actually ponder it quite that deeply."

A Body Integration stage cultivator undergoing a tribulation was a rare spectacle, so the four of them lingered to watch for a time.

In truth, Divine Envoy Huo had witnessed it several times before; he stayed primarily to accompany Lu Yang and the others.

They were merely watching for the novelty of it, for this was a tribulation that posed a threat even to those of the Body Integration stage; its level was far too elevated for Lu Yang and his companions, at their current realm, to discern the secrets of Shi Huagu's successful resistance.

As for the Immortal Fairy, she had personally witnessed the process of Immortal Ying Tian manufacturing this very tribulation, so there was little left to catch her eye.

Leaving Shi Huagu to face his tribulation alone, Divine Envoy Huo escorted the three onto the flying boat.

Before departing, Huo felt compelled to speak the words resting in his heart, lest he stifle himself to vexation.

"If you three ever find the opportunity, you are welcome to visit our barbecue shop for a taste; though it cannot compare to the delicacies of the Immortal Sects, the flavor of our skewers is quite exceptional."

"Very well."

Inside the cabin of the flying boat, Lan Ting had still not entirely recovered her composure.

How was it that they had set out to complete an ordinary mission, only to be intercepted by the Vice Cult Leader of the Nine Serenities Cult, requested to form a partnership, and ultimately sent off with ten million spirit stones and the utmost courtesy?

Lan Ting herself did not lack wealth, but she had never witnessed money being earned in such a fashion.

She hailed from the Lan Clan, a name devoid of any regional prefix; ordinary prominent clans usually bore geographical indicators, such as the Yan Clan of Qingzhou, or the Wenren and Ye Clans of Liangzhou. Only a scant few clans lacked such prefixes, which signified that when the surname Lan was uttered, it referred to her family alone—a privilege reserved solely for the apex of noble houses, born of a convergence of strength and deep-rooted heritage.

Sharing the same distinction as the Lan Clan was the Meng Clan.

Though the Lan Clan could not rival the Meng Clan, which stood as the foremost family under heaven, it was still undeniably a top-tier noble house.

Lu Yang also let out a breath of relief; this excursion had proceeded smoothly enough, requiring neither the slaying of a Body Integration expert nor an encounter with a Tribulation Transmutation cultivator.

"Senior Brother Lu, these ten million spirit stones..." Tao Yaoye held the storage ring, gazing at Lu Yang with wide, hesitant eyes, feeling that the wealth had arrived too easily to leave her mind at ease.

She had clearly done nothing at all, yet she had acquired ten million spirit stones, with another forty million awaiting payment.

Lu Yang dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand: "It was all earned through your own capability; keep it."

"Oh."

"There is one more matter I must remind you of."

"What is it?"

Lu Yang narrowed his eyes, observing several burly men rising in the distance and walking in their direction, and remarked calmly: "When traveling abroad, do not flaunt your wealth, or it will invite trouble."

Tao Yaoye suddenly realized that when she had been speaking with Senior Brother Lu just now, she had not used spiritual transmission; any cultivator paying the slightest attention to their surroundings could have overheard her words.

In the eyes of others, she was now a cultivator possessing ten million spirit stones—a fortune that a Divine Transformation stage expert might spend a lifetime accumulating—while she was merely at the Golden Core stage!

When one's wealth does not match one's strength, trouble is bound to follow.

Several burly men with fierce expressions approached; their cultivation realms could not be pierced, meaning they were at least of the Golden Core stage, or perhaps even the Nascent Soul stage.

Long-distance flight consumed too much of a cultivator's spiritual energy, so many who were fully capable of flight still chose to ride the flying boats.

The burly men surrounded Lu Yang’s trio completely, ignoring both Lu Yang and Lan Ting as they fixed their gazes upon Tao Yaoye, their expressions betraying a faintly perceptible trace of greed.

"Fellow Daoist, it appears you possess a significant amount of spirit stones?"

"Holding onto so many spirit stones cannot be safe; why not allow us to keep them secure on your behalf?"

"What do you intend to do!" Tao Yaoye asked warily, her fingers covertly brushing against her identity jade plaque, prepared to deploy her dharma treasures at any moment.

Even if the opponents were of the Nascent Soul stage, she truly harbored no fear.

The leading burly man let out a cold laugh, no longer concealing his intentions.

"Has Fellow Daoist considered depositing your spirit stones into our Luodi Money Chamber? We offer an annual interest rate of five percent."