Chapter 393: Lu Yang’s Patent Fee
Chapter 393: Lu Yang’s Patent Fee
Yun Zhi, known as the most proficient in Daoist techniques of her era, wasn’t just talented in Daoism but had also spent countless hours in the Scripture Pavilion studying and comprehending ten thousand different kinds of Daoist methods.
Logically, even if she hadn’t mastered a technique, she should at least have heard of it.
Yun Zhi looked at the spinning arm in silence, trying to recall everything she’d seen and heard but couldn’t figure out what technique her junior brother was cultivating.
With a soft sigh, she stepped forward, grabbed Lu Yang’s wrist, and pulled him out from his own palm.
“Huff—huff—ugh—”
After emerging, Lu Yang swayed unsteadily, seeing double and feeling the world spin around him. His mind was foggy, and he could barely stand. He leaned against a knobby dragon tree trunk, retching.
At the Golden Core Stage, cultivators could adjust their organs to avoid dizziness caused by spinning, but that required training. Unlike Lu Yang, who had spun himself into a frenzy without any time to adapt.
“A self-contained space within the palm… Are you learning a divine ability similar to the Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm technique?” Yun Zhi observed some similarities.
Lu Yang closed his eyes, steadied himself, and pressed his forehead against the tree. It made him feel a lot better.
“Yes, yes. It’s a technique called Universe in the Palm that the Fairy taught me. I’ve only grasped the basics.”
Given Lu Yang’s learning ability, Yun Zhi quickly deduced what had just transpired.
“Mid-stage Golden Core, not bad. It seems junior brother has been diligently cultivating while I was away.”
Whoosh—
Yun Zhi gently blew on Lu Yang’s face, like a spring breeze brushing past, instantly clearing his mind and returning him to normal.
“Eldest Senior Sister, you’re back?”
“Yes.”
Lu Yang glared at the Everlasting Fairy in his mental space, who was simply watching for entertainment. He compared her with Yun Zhi, who had helped him escape the dizzying spin as soon as she returned. “Look at you,” he thought. “How long did you laugh while I spun around?!”
Everlasting Fairy guiltily turned her head away.
She had initially wanted to stop Lu Yang, but once she saw how amusingly he spun, she couldn’t help but watch the show.
“Quick, go ask about my patent fee!” Lu Yang wasn’t about to let Everlasting Fairy off so easily and took the initiative to let her possess him.
Everlasting Fairy tried to resist but couldn’t overcome Lu Yang’s persistence and reluctantly took control.
“Little Yun, did you finish questioning that Great Yu Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivator?” Everlasting Fairy asked boldly, opting for a roundabout approach.
“Yes, I got some useful information. The one supporting him from the shadows is the second National Preceptor of the Great Yu Dynasty. His exact cultivation level is unknown. This second National Preceptor instructed him to test the strength and effects of The Great Xia’s national fortune, which is why he sent two ancient Unity Stage experts to confront the Qingzhou Governor.”
“If not for my junior brother summoning me, he would have succeeded.”
The National Preceptor system of the Great Yu Dynasty was one of the reasons for its eventual downfall, but there’s no denying that it played a critical role when Great Yu was first established. The first two National Preceptors, in particular, were exceptionally talented, with abilities to govern the land and bring stability, leading Great Yu to strength.
The first two National Preceptors held significant status in the Great Yu Dynasty and, through oral tradition, had become almost mythological figures.
“Unfortunately, the second National Preceptor only communicated with him in a one-way manner, so he doesn’t know the second National Preceptor’s exact location.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
“As for how many Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivators have revived within Great Yu, he’s unsure. However, based on the tasks given to him by the second National Preceptor, he deduced that he’s not the only one. There’s at least one other.”
“He possesses quite a bit of intelligence regarding the Great Yu Unity Stage experts. This matter has already been handed over to Junior Brother Dai and The Great Xia’s Luoshui Guard. However, these Great Yu Unity experts are quite cautious. They might have noticed the events of the Qingzhou grand celebration and already fled. How many can actually be captured will depend on luck.”
“He revealed that one of his subordinates is the most dangerous, named True Lord Tomb Bone. Although his cultivation isn’t particularly outstanding, he possesses a shattered Ten Thousand Souls Banner. Originally, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was intact, but while he was in a deep sleep, he failed to safeguard it. Over the ages, the banner began to decay, and the fierce spirits trapped within escaped, wreaking havoc upon the world.”
“During the 30,000th year of The Great Xia, the province of Liangzhou experienced a ghost calamity. Malevolent spirits roamed unchecked, and the common people lived in terror. No one dared to venture out at night, and the vast region of Liangzhou was filled with ghosts. The imperial court dispatched a large force to suppress the chaos. Unfortunately, at that time, the court was unaware of the revival of ancient cultivators and didn’t investigate the cause of the ghost calamity, leaving it unresolved.”
“That ghost calamity was most likely caused by True Lord Tomb Bone’s Ten Thousand Souls Banner, as the timeline matches up.”
“True Lord Tomb Bone is currently repairing the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, which requires an immense amount of bloodshed and resentful souls to complete the restoration.”
“And to obtain that much blood and souls, slaughter is inevitable.”
“The fact that he’s repairing the Ten Thousand Souls Banner means he has already found a place where he can generate the required blood and resentful spirits. Yet, we haven’t received any intelligence about this.”
“If we don’t find him soon, once the Ten Thousand Souls Banner is restored, it will be too late even if we capture him. He could destroy the banner in a final act of defiance, unleashing the spirits within to plague an entire province.”
By the end of her explanation, Yun Zhi’s tone had become uncharacteristically heavy.
Lu Yang: “…”
Everlasting Fairy: “…”
Why did this True Lord Tomb Bone sound so familiar?
Everlasting Fairy hesitated for a moment before asking, “What does this True Lord Tomb Bone look like?”
The Sovereign of Calamities had already described all of his subordinates in detail. Yun Zhi snapped her fingers, and a puff of smoke appeared, slowly forming into the image of a face that both Lu Yang and Everlasting Fairy found very familiar.
A shriveled old man, looking as if he hadn’t eaten in days, holding a tattered banner.
“It really is him!” Lu Yang and Everlasting Fairy exclaimed in unison.
“You know him?” Yun Zhi was confused. True Lord Tomb Bone was a Great Yu cultivator who had remained hidden, and they hadn’t even confirmed which province he was in. How had these two encountered him?
Everlasting Fairy, acting as if she were a great mastermind, confidently made some hand gestures, as if she were calculating something. In reality, it looked more like she was having a fit.
“This immortal foresaw a demonic cultivator stirring trouble in Liangzhou, so I had my subordinate, the Netherworld Heavenly King, join forces with the Nine Nether Sect to eliminate the demon. We located him, captured him, and gifted him to the Nine Nether Sect as a gesture of goodwill between our two sects!”
Yun Zhi translated the boastful claim in her mind: In short, the Great Elder and Vice Sect Leader Petrified had, for reasons unknown, already captured True Lord Tomb Bone, and Lu Yang and Everlasting Fairy had simply watched.
The details didn’t matter, as long as the capture was successful.
Yun Zhi clasped her hands in a salute, “Venerable Bean’s planning is truly extraordinary.”
Everlasting Fairy, feeling proud, gave a smug glance at Lu Yang.
“There is one more small matter regarding Lu Yang that I need to ask about,” Everlasting Fairy continued.
“Go ahead, senior.”
“Lu Yang applied for a patent on a flying car, and Fifth Elder mentioned that the patent fees had already been handed over to you. Why haven’t you given the patent fees to Lu Yang yet?” Everlasting Fairy, as the Head of the Heavenly Court, was not shy about confronting the Heavenly Court Sect Leader.
Yun Zhi seemed to remember something and responded with a calm tone.
“Oh, that matter.”
“Why didn’t you give the fees to Lu Yang?”
“I forgot.”