In the second year after Lu Yang entered the [Celestial Court], the fervor stirred up by the Carefree Talisman had not ceased.
Two years ago today, the exchange rate between the Carefree Talisman and the Unorthodox immortal talisman was 1:5. However, two years later, the ratio had reached an astonishing 1:482.
Nearly five hundred times!
This exchange rate was enough to drive cultivators who hadn't bought Carefree Talismans or had left the market early crazy, leading more and more people to choose to enter the market.
Then, a piece of news intensified the fervor once again.
The sixth layer of the [Celestial Court]—a place even the Unorthodox Alliance couldn't enter, inhabited only by orthodox immortal lords, their families, and servants, the people above people—also entered the market.
A large number of orthodox immortal talismans entered the market to purchase Carefree Talismans. This recognition from the upper layers made everyone even more certain of the Carefree Talisman's value. It was no longer seen as an immortal talisman of an Unorthodox immortal lord, but as a potential stock comparable to Orthodox immortal talismans, with even greater room for appreciation.
All this was naturally the operation of Immortal Lord Qingyang.
For this purpose, he contacted a full four friendly immortal lords to act together, buying Carefree Talismans and hyping up public opinion, causing the bubble to inflate further.
500, 600, 700...
The increasingly higher exchange rate and price further ignited the enthusiasm of cultivators. Countless people firmly believed that the Carefree Talisman would rise forever.
Of course, there were also clear-headed people.
…
"The upper layers are intervening... This is time for harvest."
Unorthodox Alliance.
Banshan once again convened a high-level meeting. Seven Unorthodox perfected lords gathered together, discussing animatedly. "Prepare yourselves, we're selling immediately."
"Alliance Leader, are we really selling?"
An Unorthodox perfected lord gritted his teeth. "It's been rising for two years. Even if there's a possibility of falling, it shouldn't fall within the next month at least, right?"
"Why not wait a bit longer?"
"We can't wait."
Banshan shook his head. "We are not people of the upper layers. We don't know the plans of those Orthodox immortal lords. Without insider information, on what basis can you speculate on currency against others?"
"Sell now!"
"At least we've earned a lot in the past two years. If we selling everything now, buying back when it crashes in the future, and waiting for it to rebound will allow us to make another small profit."
To be the leader of the Unorthodox Alliance, Banshan was definitely not a useless person. Since he was very young, the patriarch of his lineage had earnestly educated him—as an Unorthodox perfected lord, in this wretched place called the [Celestial Court], don't think about cultivation or fighting techniques. Focus your mind on making money.
"After all, you are an Unorthodox perfected lord."
"As long as you have this stature, mere Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators are easy picking. But against an orthodox perfected lord, even if you risk your life, you definitely can't beat them."
"Then what are you working hard for?"
"As for Unorthodox perfected lords like you—if you are richer than them, instead of fighting, isn't it better to spend money to hire an orthodox immortal lord to kill them?"
This was the survival method of Unorthodox perfected lords in the [Celestial Court]!
Therefore, for a long time, Banshan might have been trash at fighting, insufficient in dao comprehension, and had a weak foundation, but facing profits and risks, his mind remained clear.
"Listen to me, sell all Carefree Talismans!"
Banshan's tough decision made several Unorthodox perfected lords frown. "Why not discuss it with Fellow Daoist Ming He first and hear his thoughts?"
"Ming He? What thoughts can he have?"
Banshan sneered. "Of course he will continue to promote the Carefree Talisman and refuse to let us sell. After all, the more valuable the Carefree Talisman is, the more assets he has."
"Don't forget, he is never a member of the Unorthodox Alliance. He is not of one heart with us."
"But it's still rising..."
"No buts!" As his voice fell, Banshan made the final decision directly. "Do as I say. Sell all Carefree Talismans held by the alliance immediately."
"Banshan, you will regret this."
"Everyone, I am the Alliance Leader!"
Bang!
…
Lu Yang was naturally unaware of the dispute occurring within the Unorthodox Alliance. He didn't even spend much thought on the skyrocketing Carefree Talisman.
At this moment, he was doing something big.
Righteous Dao Mountain Gate, within the Transforming Righteous Dao Banner.
Lu Yang and Patriarch Nether Whisper sat facing each other. Patriarch Nether Whisper moved while speaking softly, "Yes, right here... lighter, don't use too much force."
"That's right, you can go deeper here."
"Heavier here is better."
"Right here, there! There!"
Under Patriarch Nether Whisper's hands-on guidance, numerous concepts interwove and piled up before Lu Yang's eyes, finally outlining a vague shape.
However, in the next second, a soft cracking sound was heard.
The concept collapsed, and iridescent colors poured out like a flood from a broken dam, causing the soon-to-be-formed profound wonder to dissipate. Seeing this scene, Lu Yang couldn't help but frown:
"Still a bit short."
For the past two years, Lu Yang hadn't been idle.
He had been experimenting with his previous thoughts on "void attainment" with the assistance of Patriarch Nether Whisper. Relying on his earth-shattering wisdom, he had gained a lot.
"So-called void attainment is actually like weaving a net—weaving and combining different concepts together, finally forming a brand-new existence. However, concepts easily conflict with each other. Finding complementary concepts is extremely difficult, and formal weaving requires heaven-reaching dao comprehension."
Even this wasn't all.
Relying on my earth-shattering wisdom, spending two years, I've almost solved these difficulties. But the problem is—everything seems like a castle in the air.
The piled-up concepts always collapsed.
No matter how many optimizations were made or how many times the weaving plan was modified, the result was always collapse. However, as for the reason, Lu Yang had some clues:
Eighty percent is because the number of true treasures is insufficient... Just like a house needs several pillars to support it, a void attainment dao fruit also needs pillars. Perhaps these are the true treasures corresponding to the concepts. I only have one true treasure in hand now, so I cannot support the void attainment dao fruit.
And after long experimentation, gradually, Lu Yang had an intuition:
To attain a dao fruit through void attainment, three true treasures are probably not enough... Or rather, combining three true treasures can at most form a [Dao-Seeking Immortal Method].
In Lu Yang's view, the [Dao-Seeking Immortal Method] was a lower tier of void attainment.
To go a step further and reach the level of void attainment, the number of true treasures must be increased... and Lu Yang guessed this number should be five.
I need five true treasures!
Five elements form heaven and earth; divine abilities also need five paths to be considered complete. Void attainment should be the same; five true treasures can support the framework of a dao fruit!
This was definitely not a coincidence.
In Lu Yang's view, this seemed more like some deeper level of concept. The number five had corresponding manifestations in the Immortal Nexus and even the entire outer heaven light sea.
Unfortunately, devouring Unorthodox dao fruits doesn't increase one's own dao comprehension or allow refining of true treasures. I must devour Unorthodox dao that are compatible with my own dao fruit, like the Myriad Martial World Realm and Mystic Spirit World Realm. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to do anything; I could just swallow those few perfected lords of the Unorthodox Alliance and run, and I'd have everything...
Of course, nothing was absolute.
Void attainment needing five true treasures was just his guess. Although it was very reasonable, there are no small matters in cultivation. Sometimes a miss is as good as a mile.
"It's best to verify it."
With this thought, Lu Yang's eyes flashed slightly. "I've been out for two years; it's time to go back and take a look... It's also a good time to find a senior with qualifications to ask about this."
Although in the [Celestial Court], Lu Yang had always been concerned about the Immortal Nexus.
And with the existence of the [Marionette], even separated by boundless void, Lu Yang could cross the outer heaven light sea and easily observe the scenes within the Immortal Nexus.
Therefore, he was well aware that after he left, the Old Dragon Lord had taken action to preserve the foundation of the [Righteous Dao] in Jiangxi.
Meanwhile, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue had built a straw hut in Jiangnan, stubbornly camping [Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao].
The changing situation forced the three Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land to choose to flee overseas.
Two years passed, and a new balance had been born.
The turmoil Lu Yang stirred up in the past had also gradually subsided.
"Although it would be better to ask Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue about this kind of thing, those from the Saint Sect... are unreliable. On the contrary, the Old Dragon Lord, having no backing, is more valuable to talk to!"
(End of Chapter)