Chapter 994: Who Said Immortals Care Too Much About Their Status to Strike?

"The Cult of the Skeletal God sounds imposing enough, yet I see nothing here of true value."

Lu Yang and his companion led Tang Chuanwu and the other two in plundering the wealth of the cult, only to find it paled in comparison to the heritage left behind by the Three-Eyed Demon Monk and the Hollow Shadow.

As he scavenged, Meng Jingzhou grumbled with open dissatisfaction, "I say, what possessed you all to take up such a grand name as the Skeletal God Cult? You had me believing you were on the same echelon as the Merciless Sect or the Immortal Sect, and that we were about to land a massive catch. Yet, this is all there is?"

The two young men had seen the grand wonders of the world, and very little could still catch their discerning eyes; however, the same could not be said for Tang Chuanwu and his companions.

To their eyes, every single item belonging to the Skeletal God Cult was a treasure of immense worth.

Lu Yang unearthed several bottles of the marrow-cleansing pills that Tang Chuanwu had previously consumed, yet they were nothing but worthless baubles in his sight.

A single drop of blood from him or old Meng would be far more potent than those pills.

Having reached the Soul Formation stage and purged their bodies of impurities multiple times, their physical forms were akin to vessels nurtured directly by Heaven and Earth, devoid of a single speck of dross. Their blood, flesh, and bones contained an utterly terrifying abundance of spiritual energy, making them supreme treasures to cultivators of the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages.

This was even more pronounced for Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, whose physical constitutions had reached the staggering level of the Body Integration stage, rendering them far more formidable.

"By the way, that Protector What's-his-name claimed you took something of theirs. What did you take?"

Tang Chuanwu hesitated, uncertain whether he should disclose the truth to the two cultivators. While the marrow-cleansing pill was of little consequence, that particular fragment was extraordinary; though its origins were unknown, it was exceptionally sharp and unquestionably no ordinary object.

Though the renown of Lu Yang and his companion preceded them, what if greed should stir within their hearts upon seeing such wealth?

Gritting his teeth, he decided to gamble on this single chance; even if they were moved by greed, he could always begin anew.

"On that occasion when I ventured out to gather herbs, I chanced upon the people of the Skeletal God Cult and obtained a wooden box from the hands of a dying man. Inside were the marrow-cleansing pills and a fragment."

"A fragment?"

"I hid it elsewhere, I do not carry it upon my person." Tang Chuanwu had feared the cultists would track him down and search him directly, so hiding the fragment elsewhere afforded him some room to maneuver.

"Would you allow me to examine it?" Lu Yang was chiefly concerned that the fragment might be an object of peril, and that Tang Chuanwu might court danger by keeping it.

Having dealt with the Skeletal God Cult, the party followed Tang Chuanwu to the base of a great banyan tree within the City of Kaihuang.

With swift agility, Tang Chuanwu retrieved the fragment from a bird's nest nestled within the branches; its inner surface bore intricate inscriptions, though it was impossible to discern what manner of array formation they comprised.

Lu Yang scanned the fragment with his divine sense and sought the counsel of the Fairy, quickly arriving at a conclusion: "It appears to be a portion of a cauldron, forged primarily from Celestial Star Copper. The complete cauldron was likely the dharma treasure of a Tribulation Transmutation stage cultivator."

Meng Jingzhou turned his gaze toward Lu Yang in astonishment, thinking to himself: *You fellow know nothing of artifact forging, yet you can discern so much?*

A minor sect like the Skeletal God Cult, whose leader was merely at the early Nascent Soul stage, could not possibly possess an item belonging to a Tribulation Transmutation stage cultivator, not even a fragment.

"It was likely obtained through a stroke of sheer fortune; the Skeletal God Cult themselves remained ignorant of its origins."

Lu Yang returned the fragment to Tang Chuanwu, saying, "Keep it. This shard possesses quite a heritage and is a fine object. Should you manage to find the remaining pieces, they ought to assemble themselves automatically into the complete cauldron."

It was merely a dharma treasure of the Tribulation Transmutation level, nothing to be overly astonished about, so long as it posed no danger.

Tang Chuanwu stowed it away with utmost reverence; this was the fragment of a treasure belonging to a great master of the Tribulation Transmutation stage, worth a kingdom. Should fortune smile upon him in the days to come and allow him to find the other pieces, he might yet obtain the complete vessel.

"Then we must trouble Miss Cui to lead us to a place where we may dine."

The swift and fiery manner in which the two had eradicated the Skeletal God Cult was solely to ensure they would not miss the hour of dining.

As night descended, the City of Kaihuang remained exceptionally vibrant, and Cui Que'er guided the group to a luxurious, brightly lit tavern amidst the bustling nightlife.

"We have arrived."

And then, Lu Yang and his companion were served a refined sort of congealed mash.

Lu Yang felt a strong urge to ask whether the Buddhist Realm could manage any alternative method of culinary preparation, for the dish before him inspired absolutely no appetite.

*I previously promised Sister Mengmeng that I would bring back some local specialties from the Buddhist Realm, yet I can hardly bring back a bucket of mash, can I?*

Though the appearance of the refined mash defied description, its flavor was genuinely pleasant, far from the nearly unswallowable meal they had endured at midday.

After the meal, true to her word, Cui Que'er led the two in exploring the City of Kaihuang, while the Tang siblings chatted and laughed merrily beside them.

"Very well, the hour grows late, and it is time for us to return," Lu Yang remarked. The City of Kaihuang was vast, and a single night was far from enough to traverse it completely.

While he and Old Meng possessed boundless vitality and could walk indefinitely, the same could not be said for Cui Que'er and the others, whose endurance was limited.

Fearing some unforeseen mishap on the return journey, Lu Yang escorted the three of them back to their respective homes one by one.

"The two of us shall reside at the Kaihuang Temple for a period; should any trouble arise, you may come find me at any time."

Before parting, Lu Yang reflected for a moment, and with a flick of his index finger, he dispatched three drops of blood into the hands of the trio.

"We cannot allow you to introduce the City of Kaihuang to us in vain; let these three drops of blood serve as your recompense. They are far more effective than marrow-cleansing pills, but remember to dilute them with water, lest your bodies fail to withstand the potency."

Old Meng's blood could not be casually given to others due to its severe side effects, whereas his own blood carried no such concerns.

"Until we meet again."

...

The Western Heaven Temple.

Meng Junzi proudly hoisted the newly captured remnant of the Merciless Sect, displaying his prize before the Abbot, Master Mingyu.

"See what I told you? With our Meng family aligning with your Buddhist Realm, we were bound to locate the people of the Merciless Sect."

The corners of Master Mingyu's eyes twitched continuously. He had to admit that ever since the Meng family joined the Buddhist Realm to search for the traces of the Merciless Sect alongside the monks of the Western Heaven Temple, the harvest had been immense. Which number of Elder of the Merciless Sect was this that they had apprehended?

"Amitabha. I did not expect Benefactor Meng to take action in person."

He had assumed that as a legendary Immortal, Meng Junzi would maintain his lofty standing and refrain from direct action, opting instead to dispatch the juniors of the Meng family to capture the culprits.

He had not anticipated the man would lay hands upon them himself.

Meng Junzi casually tossed the remnant of the Merciless Sect aside and sat down in a boisterous manner, saying, "Xiao Ming, this is where your understanding falls short. In the past, I refrained from taking action solely to deceive Guan Shanhai. Now that Guan Shanhai has been captured, should I not emerge into the world to show my face?"

Master Mingyu pressed his palms together, remaining silent.

The monks had already reported the details of Meng Junzi's capture to him, and it could indeed be described as quite a grand display.

When Meng Junzi apprehended the Elder of the Merciless Sect, he had manifested all manner of heavenly and earthly phenomena, as though the entire world had become his personal domain. The people of the entire city had fallen to their knees in worship, crying out that the World-Honored One had revealed his divine presence.

At that moment, the mind of the Merciless Sect Elder had gone completely blank; however heinous his crimes might be, they surely did not warrant an Immortal stepping forth to capture him.

Ordinarily, those sent to apprehend him ought to possess a cultivation level comparable to his own; how had the situation escalated directly past the Tribulation Transmutation stage and the Half-Immortal level? Such a grand deployment was unnecessary even for capturing their Sect Master!

Recalling the reactions of the entire city, the corners of Meng Junzi's mouth could not help but curve upward.

Having endured for a hundred thousand years, he could finally take action with perfect justification.

The notion that Immortals maintained their dignity and rarely intervened was nothing but falsehood.

Had he not labored through his bitter cultivation precisely for this moment?

"It is all thanks to the opportunity afforded by Young Junior Brother Yunzhi."