Chapter 366: Moon-Worshipping Sacred Pool
In the end, Long Yue yielded.
After all, her previous assertiveness before LĂŒ Yang stemmed fundamentally from her status as a Grand True Person, which granted her absolute suppressive power over him.
However, things were different now.
Though it lasted only a moment, LĂŒ Yang had indeed exhibited the aura of a Grand True Person, placing him on equal footing with her. At the same realm, the situation changed entirely.
Sword cultivators were nearly invincible within the same realm!
At least, for a minor sect like the Myriad Poison Sect, they were certainly invincible. Even though Long Yue considered her own cultivation to be higher, she only had some confidence in preserving her life.
"Please, fellow Daoist."
Long Yue took the initiative to step aside and dispelled the Myriad Poison Sect's protective mountain formation, allowing LĂŒ Yang to ride a beam of sword light straight into its depths.
Upon entering the Myriad Poison Sect, LĂŒ Yang immediately released his divine sense, sweeping unscrupulously over every inch of the sect's territory. The elders of the Myriad Poison Sect turned ashen, as if their beloved goddess had been defiled, and they wished they could confront LĂŒ Yang directly.
"What is fellow Daoist seeking?"
Long Yue flew over, her expression calm. There was one thing LĂŒ Yang hadn't been wrong aboutâthe Myriad Poison Sect had indeed sent people to abduct civilians from Jiangnan.
However, that wasn't their own decision.
It was initiated by someone within the Sword Pavilion, who invited them to use those civilians as test subjects for gu poison experiments, in exchange for some spiritual materials and herbs unique to the southern border.
This business had been ongoing for over a hundred years!
Otherwise, given the Myriad Poison Sect's strength, they would have preferred to stay nestled in the southern border, as far from the Sword Pavilion as possible. Why would they deliberately cause trouble in Jiangnan?
Despite this, Long Yue dared not reveal this well-known transaction. After all, even within the Myriad Poison Sect, she had heard of Daoist Dangmo's methods, which were unlike those of other Sword Pavilion True Persons. She could only swallow her humiliation and allow LĂŒ Yang to investigate freely.
Thus, time passed.
Seeing LĂŒ Yang becoming increasingly excessive, searching not only the surface buildings but also the underground, Long Yue finally couldn't restrain herself and said in a low voice:
"Has fellow Daoist searched enough?"
"Of course not!"
LĂŒ Yang's expression was indifferent as he pressed down his sword light and entered the sect master's residence, a grand hall: "Fellow Daoist Long Yue, please have a private conversation with me."
Upon hearing this, Long Yue's expression changed instantly.
'Could it be... exposed?'
As a cultivator outside the four major powers, her achievement of late-stage Foundation Establishment was naturally due to some means, the greatest of which was her physique.
It was called the ăMystic Yin-Yang Jade Bodyă.
This physique combined the wonders of water and fire, cold on the outside and hot within, making it extremely suitable for nurturing gu insects. After advancing to Grand True Person, she had developed it to the utmost.
On the other hand, this physique was also highly suitable for dual cultivation, most beneficial for nourishing cultivators who had established a Metal-element Dao foundation, especially sword cultivators from the Sword Pavilion. The so-called "tempering sharpness with water and fire" referred to this principle. A sword cultivator's sword foundation, nourished by her physique, could gain an additional three parts of sharpness out of thin air.
This had always been her secret.
After all, such a superior physique, once exposed, would undoubtedly lead the Sword Pavilion to capture her and make her their furnace for refining swords.
Thinking of this, Long Yue's delicate face grew colder.
'In the end... I still can't escape!'
Despite this, she dared not refuse. Firstly, because of LĂŒ Yang's strength; secondly, because the Myriad Poison Sect's grand plan had reached a critical juncture.
'Enduring minor grievances is necessary for the greater scheme.'
'Once the ăTen Thousand Tribulations Guă is refined, I can achieve complete Foundation Establishment. Then, the humiliation I suffer today can be repaid a hundredfold!'
'I'll endure him for now, just like being bitten by a dog...'
With this thought, Long Yue's face showed a determined expression. Then, under the watchful eyes of the Myriad Poison Sect members, she entered the grand hall.
"Boom!"
The hall doors closed heavily.
"Come here."
Taking the main seat without hesitation, LĂŒ Yang looked at the following Long Yue: "I prefer to take the initiative. Fellow Daoist, you'd better speak up first."
Upon hearing this, Long Yue's face turned even uglier.
He wanted her to take the initiative? This was too much!
However, Long Yue quickly realized. After all, she was a Grand True Person, not a fool. It was just that her thoughts were chaotic, causing her to lose her composure momentarily.
'Wait... could it be that this person's target isn't me?'
'Did he learn about the ăTen Thousand Tribulations Guă from Long Wu and Huigu? That's impossible. Soul-searching a Foundation Establishment True Person is no easy task...'
Thinking of this, Long Yue felt somewhat helpless. The ăTen Thousand Tribulations Guă was her path to the Dao and the treasure the entire Myriad Poison Sect pinned their hopes on. There was absolutely no way she would let others take it. To put it bluntly, compared to the ăTen Thousand Tribulations Guă, she'd rather LĂŒ Yang take her body!
Long Yue remained silent for a moment.
However, on the other side, LĂŒ Yang, who was constantly observing her expression, narrowed his eyes. Although his face remained unchanged, doubts arose in his heart:
'This reaction... isn't quite right.'
'Although my goal this time is ăXin Metală, on the surface, as a sword cultivator, I have no use for this item. This woman shouldn't be so cautious.'
'Why is she hesitating?'
'After all, logically speaking, the Myriad Poison Sect has nothing worth my seeking. She should be open and cooperative with my investigation.'
Thinking of this, a conclusion naturally emerged:
'Unless... there's something else valuable in the Myriad Poison Sect besides ăXin Metală, making her believe that even with my current cultivation, I would certainly covet it?'
Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected gain!
While LĂŒ Yang was having these thoughts, Long Yue finally composed herself and said softly: "Long Yue doesn't know what fellow Daoist wants me to say?"
LĂŒ Yang pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then raised his eyebrows and chuckled:
"Naturally, it's about your Moon-Worshipping Pool."
"That place is merely a secret realm of our sect, used to refine Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend energies. It shouldn't be of much use to a sword cultivator of your level, right?"
Long Yue's tone was calm, showing no emotion.
Seeing this, LĂŒ Yang nodded and deliberately showed a teasing expression:
"I enjoy admiring the moon. I've long been fond of your sect's Moon-Worshipping Pool."
"Why not take me there for a visit?"
"I promise to just look from the outside and not go in."
"This..."
What kind of person was LĂŒ Yang? The moment Long Yue showed a hint of hesitation, he accurately caught it and drew a conclusion:
'Whether it's ăXin Metală or the hidden treasure, they're all inside that Moon-Worshipping Pool!'
With this thought, he activated another thought.
'ăFate-Divining Drawă!'
ăEvent: Exploring the hidden opportunities and secrets of the Myriad Poison Sect.ă
ăGreat Misfortune: Your forcefulness and dominance finally angered Grand True Person Long Yue. She would rather destroy the divine item than hand it over to you, and she mobilized the entire strength of the Myriad Poison Sect. In the end, you both suffered heavy losses. Although you ultimately won, you were severely injured.ă
ăMinor Misfortune: You obtained the "Xin Metal" at the cost of serious injuries but still missed out on the supreme treasure.ă
ăLesser Fortune: You used both soft and hard tactics to stabilize Grand True Person Long Yue until you obtained the "Xin Metal" before turning hostile. Whether you can get the divine item remains uncertain.ă
"..."
With this draw, LĂŒ Yang had almost exhausted all the luck he had extracted from the entire Divine Martial Sect, and the result surprised him.
'The Myriad Poison Sect truly has some tricks up their sleeve!'
After all, with the combat power of this avatar, Long Yue could still fight him to a draw, showing that even minor sects shouldn't be underestimated.
'After all, the Witch Ghost Path could still produce an ancestor like Ting You...'
With this thought, LĂŒ Yang drew the ăLesser Fortuneă lot, planning to see the situation. If things became unmanageable, he wouldn't force it.
However, in the next secondâ
"Rumble!"
A violent tremor emanated from beneath the Myriad Poison Sect's mountain gate, impossible to conceal, causing Long Yue, who had been relatively calm, to lose her composure.
LĂŒ Yang looked over and saw her expression mixed with shock and joy.
The shock was naturally because LĂŒ Yang had seen through the clues.
As for the joy, it was becauseâ
'The ăTen Thousand Tribulations Guă... has actually been refined and emerged at this moment!?'