Perhaps he was like a startled bird, perhaps it was just groundless worry, but regardless, Lu Yang was now wary of any power with a Foundation Establishment background. Especially those powers that could pay attention to him. 'It's different from before.
In this life, I have the protection of the divine talisman, so Heaven Mending Peak can't scheme against me. The Divine Martial Sect is a righteous path sect, so they shouldn't harm their own people...
In that case, the Foundation Establishment Daoist Master who is still hiding in the shadows and plotting for Skull Mountain might really be the one behind the Three Rivers Society!' The more Lu Yang thought about it, the more suspicious he found the Three Rivers Society, yet his expression remained unchanged.
"I see. Could it be that Second Senior Brother wishes to see me?"
"That's right."
Fairy Feixia nodded.
"Second Senior Brother has come to Skull Mountain and is in need of a few capable assistants, so he hopes you can lend a hand, Senior Brother."
Assistants?
More like cannon fodder. Lu Yang decisively shook his head.
"Although I know a little about formations, in other words, my strength is greatly reduced without them. How could I be worthy of Second Senior Brother's high regard?"
"It would be best if Second Senior Brother finds someone more capable."
Lu Yang spoke with great confidence. Although he had joined the Three Rivers Society and even signed a magical contract, he wasn't their slave. He still had that much autonomy.
Who could force him? Fairy Feixia obviously thought so too, so she was just passing on a message. Now that the message was delivered, her expression gradually became suggestive.
Two red clouds appeared on her fair, pretty face, her every glance full of enchanting charm.
"Junior Brother, this humble one has recently encountered some things about formations that I do not understand. I must ask for your generous guidance..."
"That would be wonderful."
Lu Yang immediately perked up. For the next three months, the pace of Lu Yang's life slowed down. Every day, he was either discussing the Dao with Fairy Feixia or outside studying the Hundred Skeletons Returning to True Grand Formation.
Sometimes, when the mood struck, he would simply do both at the same time. However, in contrast to his peaceful days, Skull Mountain outside the market had become a chaotic mess.
It wasn't just the Divine Martial Sect and the Primordial Saint Sect, but also the subordinate sects under their jurisdiction, and even some Rogue Cultivators with astonishing divine abilities were drawn over. When these three parties met, they naturally broke out into a massive fight.
During this period, several ruins of the Ancient Witch Ghost Sect were unearthed, further confirming the existence of the Witch Ghost Secret Realm. It was at this time that Fairy Feixia brought him news, saying that Zhao Xuhe was falsely using his name to snatch quite a few opportunities outside the market.
"I didn't expect my name to be so useful..."
Lu Yang was also a little surprised after hearing this. Several times, when Zhao Xuhe was fighting others for opportunities and found himself in perilous situations, he had managed to turn danger into safety by bringing up Lu Yang's name. Clearly, the death of Ouyang Haoze had indeed made many people wary of him.
Of course, this was also because Zhao Xuhe was very clever and knew when to advance and when to retreat. So far, he had not provoked any truly formidable characters, which was how he could get away with borrowing the tiger's might.
"Junior Brother, are you really going to do nothing about this?"
Fairy Feixia's pretty face was filled with killing intent, and her words were icy cold.
"This person is using your name falsely, creating karma for you. If you ask me, we should just kill him first!"
"There's no need to bother with him."
Lu Yang shook his head. Zhao Xuhe wasn't returning to the market at all now; he was single-mindedly searching Skull Mountain for the ruins of the Ancient Witch Ghost Sect and that Witch Ghost Secret Realm. If he wanted to kill him, he would have to leave the market.
But how could that be possible?
"Let him be. He took out a loan of contribution points from me as collateral, and I agreed at the time that he could borrow my name. There's nothing more to say."
After seeing Fairy Feixia off, the expression on Lu Yang's face gradually faded.
"Heh!"
"Interesting. For the past few months, everything I've heard and seen, no matter what it is, seems to be urging me, wanting me to leave the market?"
A word unconsciously rose in Lu Yang's mind: tribulation! For a mere minor Qi Refining cultivator like him to be targeted by a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master, who divined his karma and schemed against him in a hundred different ways—if this wasn't a tribulation, what was?
"Karma... you damned thing!"
"No matter what, with a tribulation at my doorstep, I absolutely must not give in to a nameless fire. Only by tightly shutting my cave door and quietly reciting a few scrolls of the Yellow Court can I hope to survive this ordeal."
First, it was the Three Rivers Society, exerting external pressure. Now, it's Zhao Xuhe, creating internal entanglements.
"No matter how you try to bait me, I simply won't bite the hook. The hidden dragon does not leave the abyss. I'm proud, so what can you do to me?"
At this thought, Lu Yang suddenly felt his state of mind become clear. His recently agitated thoughts returned to calm, and his entire body felt light, as if he had just shed another layer of karma. Time flowed on, and another month passed.
More than a thousand li east of the Skull Mountain Market. A streak of escaping light could be seen fleeing for its life, apparently using some technique that burned its essence blood. Behind it, seven or eight other streaks of light gave chase.
"Zhao Xuhe! Where do you think you're running!"
The pursuers were all clad in armor and wielded sharp weapons, their blood and qi surging. They were clearly disciples of the Divine Martial Sect, with cultivation levels generally in the late Qi Refining Realm, though none had reached the Perfection stage. If not for this, with Zhao Xuhe's cultivation level, it would have been difficult for him to escape.
But even so, fleeing all this way had pushed him to his limits. The only reason he hadn't collapsed yet was because he was clinging to a sliver of hope.
"I can still be saved!"
"I already sent a flying message to Lu Yang. As long as I can... as long as I can escape to that place, to the vicinity of the market, Lu Yang will definitely save me!"
Zhao Xuhe fled for his life, desperately trying to convince himself.
"Stealing Heaven's Secrets still has my restriction on it. As long as he still wants to break through to Foundation Establishment and not wait eighty years until he's old and decrepit, he has to come save me!"
"He will come save me!"
"He definitely will!"
Just then, to Zhao Xuhe's immense excitement, a brilliant streak of escaping light finally rose from the direction of the market, as if it had discovered he was trapped in a deadly predicament.
"He's here! I knew he wouldn't abandon me!"
Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe's spirits were greatly lifted. The pursuers behind him also slowed down upon seeing the light, as if they too were waiting for something. However, as time passed, everyone realized something was wrong.
The brilliant streak of escaping light was still on its way, but it just never seemed to arrive. Finally, Zhao Xuhe could run no longer. The pursuers from the Divine Martial Sect reluctantly cornered him, and the two sides began to fight.
The battle lasted for the better part of half a day. Toward the end, the pursuers from the Divine Martial Sect didn't even dare to use much force, afraid they might kill Zhao Xuhe with a single move. From time to time, they would glance in the direction of the escaping light.
Upon closer inspection... wasn't that escaping light getting farther and farther away? In the end, Zhao Xuhe's spirit finally broke.
"No! Why!?"
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of heart's blood and collapsed to his knees, having completely exhausted his last ounce of strength. Even his life force began to rapidly dissipate. Before he died, only a single thought remained in his mind.
Did Lu Yang no longer want the Stealing Heaven's Secrets secret art?
"Why didn't you save me!?"
Little did he know, this was also the thought of the person behind the scenes who had orchestrated this entire chase. In the shadows, the Divine Martial Sect elder, Ouyang Feng, was equally baffled. He looked toward the distant Skull Mountain Market, a trace of unwillingness and helplessness in his eyes.
"Why didn't he save him?"
"Only a fool would save him!"
Retracting his escaping light, Lu Yang glanced at what must have been the umpteenth flying message from Zhao Xuhe pleading for help and casually tossed it aside.
"Did you really think you could threaten me with a secret art?"
"It's only eighty years. I can afford to wait!"
"Once your restriction naturally dissipates, the secret art will be mine all the same! If it doesn't work out in this life, I can always use it in the next."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh at Zhao Xuhe's bad luck. If he had actually managed to flee all the way back into the market, Lu Yang wouldn't have minded lending him a hand. But outside the market?
One could only say it was not fated to be.
"Senior Brother Zhao, just go in peace. You sacrificed yourself for the Saint Sect. In the future, I will definitely petition the Heaven Mending Peak Master to grant you a grand burial."
"As for your debt, I'll let it go for this lifetime. I'll come find you for it in the next!"