Chapter 1156: Life-Preserving Methods
Lu Yang was now convinced that the Everlasting Immortal Fairy coming up with strategies like “driving the tiger to devour the wolf” was purely a matter of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. It was all blind luck.
“Perhaps I could learn from Third Senior Sister and use magical treasures to get through the Void Refinement Stage safely?”
Lu Yang still remembered how Gan Tian had frightened the demons in the Demon Region into abandoning their armors and fleeing, all without lifting a finger.
“Using magical treasures? That does sound like a good idea.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy nodded in agreement.
“Right? An example is the battle armor Junior Brother Li Haoran has. The battle armor engages enemies automatically, and its power is almost comparable to me attacking in person.”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy was swept up by Lu Yang’s excitement and chimed in. “Or you could forge treasures with varied functions, such as a gourd that swallows yin and yang, a jade vase that spouts water, a medicine cauldron that spews fire, and a fan that controls the wind... With the arts of yin and yang and the five elements all covered, you’ll be able to deal with any enemy in your way!”
The two grew increasingly excited as they spoke. They felt that the idea of using magical treasures was really decent.
Lu Yang looked at the Everlasting Immortal Fairy eagerly. “I don’t know artifact refinement techniques. Do you, Immortal Fairy?”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy looked back at him eagerly. “I don’t know either.”
Both were speechless. The two stared at each other and soon calmed down.
Lu Yang was filled with regret. Had I known that I’d be coming to the Extreme North, I would have asked Junior Brother Li for a few suitable and handy life-preserving magical treasures before I left.
In a remote place like Muxue City, I probably can’t find an artifact refiner capable of refining artifacts for me.
“Xiao Yangzi, you can curse Heaven Mandate a few times. He’ll sense it and come looking for you, and then we’ll have an artifact refiner.”
Lu Yang pushed the door open. He casually chopped down a tree in the courtyard and hauled it back inside.
Although I don’t know artifact refinement techniques, I can adopt a similar approach.
Lu Yang drew his Qingfeng Sword and carved the tree into wooden swords, then infused each with sword qi.
“Done.”
His cultivation realm was now fluctuating at the Fusion Stage, and the sword qi he injected was also at that level. Back when he was at the Nascent Soul Stage, he had made wooden swords for Fuling and her sister as protective charms. Now that he had reached the Void Refinement Stage, crafting them was even more effortless.
Lu Yang continued infusing the wooden swords with sword qi, mass-producing protective talismans of terrifying power. Before long, he found the process somewhat tedious.
He cast the Tree-Planting Mantra and had his wooden clone use the Qingfeng Sword to carve wooden swords and channel sword qi into them while he worked on something else.
“To be on the safe side, I’ll add one more life-preserving method.”
~~~
“Have you heard? There’s a new bounty poster on the street.” The martial arts school’s students gathered in small groups before class, discussing the latest news.
“Ah, has the city lord updated the bounty again? Where are the posters? Perfect timing. I’ll tear a few down to paste over the windows. We didn’t manage to grab any when a bounty was put on the Taciturn Daoist Priest last time.”
“What bounty? Can you even read? It’s a missing person notice!” Gong Che corrected.
“Missing person notice?”
“Yes. It says that Meng Jingzhou, the Eldest Young Master of the Meng Family, sleepwalked and got lost. It’s a joint missing person notice from the Dao-Seeking Sect and the Meng Family. Anyone who can safely send Meng Jingzhou to the Dao-Seeking Sect will receive a reward of one billion spirit stones.”
“One billion spirit stones? How much money is that?” The students gasped. Let alone never having seen so many spirit stones, they hadn’t even heard of anyone possessing that many.
Gong Che’s family was considered well-off among them, yet even they couldn’t scrape together a hundred spirit stones.
“Alright, enough chattering. Class is starting now.” Lu Yang clapped his hands. It seems that news spread very fast.
The missing person notices plastered all over the streets were his doing. He had made up his mind that if he ever encountered danger, such as when the number of enemies exceeded the number of wooden swords in his sack, he would disguise himself as Meng Jingzhou. Even Transcendent Tribulation cultivators couldn’t see through his disguise.
Although the Meng Family’s reputation in the imperial city was somewhat poor and only slightly worse than the Dao-Seeking Sect’s, outside the capital, ask anyone on the street, and it would be hard to find someone who didn’t have business dealings with the Meng Family.
Lu Yang took a headcount and realized two people were missing. “Why are Fang Zhige and Liu Yu not here? Does anyone know the reason?”
After teaching for so many days, aside from Gong Che skipping class during the first few days, no one had skipped class. These students’ families were generally not well-off; missing even a single day was a loss.
The students shook their heads.
“Teacher Lu, maybe something happened at Liu Yu’s home. I heard that Fang Zhige has been living at Liu Yu’s place,” Gong Che said.
Shi Yi chimed in. “Yes, I remember now. Liu Yu once said that Fang Zhige didn’t even want to come and learn fist techniques at first. Liu Yu had to drag him here.”
The students’ deepest impression of the two was that they were inseparable. They often teased them for being a couple. Each time, Liu Yu would blush and stay silent, while Fang Zhige would coldly deny it.
As for their progress in fist techniques, Fang Zhige was only average, even worse than Liu Yu.
Lu Yang nodded. He continued playing the recording orb. “You all keep watching. Gong Che, keep an eye on them. I’m going to Liu Yu’s house to check on things.”
Lu Yang had a strong impression of Fang Zhige. The latter had deliberately kept himself at an average level, while his true cultivation was at the Advanced Qi Training Stage. He seemed out of place among the mortal students, and he always carried a Qi-Concealing Talisman.
~~~
Liu Yu’s home...
“Sister Yu, I’ve let you down!” Despite Fang Zhige’s usual cold demeanor, his heart was now in turmoil. He had tried every possible means to handle this matter on his own, yet in the end, he had dragged Liu Yu into his problems.
“It’s fine. I don’t blame you. But after this is over, you have to tell me everything about your past!” Liu Yu cupped Fang Zhige’s face and said with utmost seriousness.
Fang Zhige gave a bitter smile. After this is over? Would we still be alive then?
“Promise me!”
Fang Zhige gazed into Liu Yu’s eyes, which resembled water in autumn. As if coming to some decision, he nodded gravely. “Alright, I will tell you everything about my past!”
He shielded Liu Yu behind him, alert to attacks from all sides.
“Luo Shi, I didn’t expect the organization would send you.”
Luo Shi’s cold, sinister voice drifted into their ears with the biting wind, his tone flippant. “Fang Sha, you defected from the Ghost Assassin Alliance. Did you really think you’d have a way to survive?
“I never imagined you’d live so comfortably after your defection, renaming yourself Zhige, finding yourself a beauty, and even learning some Tiger Roar Fist with mortals. How laughable.
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that the Fang Sha who passed the final trial by killing his own best friend could be reduced to such a sorry state!”
“Shut up!” Fang Zhige couldn’t help but shout, as if Luo Shi had struck a raw nerve.
“Fang Sha, in consideration of your extraordinary talent in assassination arts, I’m willing to give you one chance. As long as you kill that little lass beside you, kill the students and teachers of the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School, and prove you’re still the old Fang Sha, I can spare your life and allow you to rejoin the Ghost Assassin Alliance.”
“Dream on!” Fang Zhige roared in fury.
It’s Liu Yu and everyone at the martial arts school who have taught me what feelings truly mean. How could I ever lay a hand on them?
“Can’t do it? I was the one who taught you assassination arts back then. It seems I’ll have to take back all your abilities today...” Luo Shi sighed.
Then, he disappeared. Only the howl of the north wind remained, slicing through the air mercilessly.
Fang Zhige scanned his surroundings warily. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, only to be dried in an instant by the north wind.
Although Luo Shi is at the Foundation Establishment Stage and I am at the Great Perfection Qi Training Stage, as long as I seize the right opportunity, there is a chance for me to turn the tables and kill Luo Shi with assassination arts!
Where would Luo Shi strike from?
But wasn’t Luo Shi’s last sentence cut off?
Liu Yu felt Fang Zhige’s grip on her wrist tighten, but she dared not speak, afraid of disrupting him.
With a creak, the wooden door swung open, and Lu Yang stepped in, gazing at the young couple.
“Have you run into some trouble? Why didn’t you come to class?”
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