432: Chapter 436 Substituting One Thing for Another! [4k]

A silver light flashed at his fingertips, and a Jade Slip appeared in Lu Ming's hand.

He had obtained this Jade Slip from a broker.

It contained all the noteworthy news in Liuyun Immortal City recently.

Lu Ming's Divine Sense probed into it, quickly browsing.

"In three days, the grand auction of Liuyun Immortal City will commence..."

Looking at the content, Lu Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had previously learned through divination that the second volume of The Mi Luo Heavenly Demon Luo Dharma Idol had fallen into the hands of the Pu Family, one of the three Golden Core families in Liuyun Immortal City.

And the Pu Family, in order to lure out anyone who might possess the first volume, intended to use this secret technique as bait in the auction, setting a trap.

According to Lu Ming's original plan, he intended to use some tricks at the auction to make the Pu Family lose both their wife and their army, and incidentally acquire this second volume.

Anyway, he came to Liuyun Immortal City to relax and enjoy himself, and a mischievous mindset was at play, so he might as well find some fun for himself.

However, that was his previous thought.

The sudden appearance of the Xuanling Secret Realm completely disrupted his plans.

Now, he had to consider acting earlier.

"Blame it on your bad luck."

Lu Ming muttered to himself, a helpless expression on his face.

In normal times, this secret technique would indeed be dispensable to him.

If he got it, it would at most enrich his Foundation; if not, he wouldn't force it.

But the situation was different now; he had to enter the Xuanling Secret Realm, and he needed to enhance all his means in the shortest possible time.

And the human emperor banner, as the strongest Magic Treasure in his hand and his greatest reliance, had to be improved.

But the problem was that the improvement of the human emperor banner was not an overnight task.

Even more troublesome, this supreme treasure had recently developed some hidden dangers.

Previously, the human emperor banner had steadily expanded, and Lu Ming hadn't noticed any problems.

But ever since he refined Murong Jingyang's soul into a Banner Spirit, he had faintly sensed that the "Underworld Space" within the human emperor banner was somewhat unstable.

Simply put, it couldn't withstand the entry of multiple Golden Core Perfection Cultivators.

Li Daoxuan was already at Golden Core Perfection during his lifetime, and Murong Jingyang had broken through to Golden Core Perfection under Jiang Wunian's unsparing Initiation (initiation).

Coupled with the powerful souls originally housed in the human emperor banner, all of them had greatly improved after a period of time.

Especially those few in the Yama Hall, they had all touched the level of Golden Core Perfection.

These individuals might not be much on their own, but when all the Banner Spirits gathered together, this power was too immense, and it had begun to put pressure on the Foundation of the Underworld Space.

If Lu Ming had some time to re-refine the human emperor banner, these problems would be no problem.

But right now, he couldn't bring this hidden danger into the Xuanling Secret Realm.

To quickly remedy this hidden danger, he had to reinforce the strength of the Underworld Space.

And coincidentally, the content of the second volume of The Mi Luo Heavenly Demon Luo Dharma Idol precisely recorded the application of "Sumeru Mustard Seed."

It discussed how to open up an independent space within a Dharma Idol, and how to reinforce, stabilize, and expand this space.

Lu Ming pondered for a while and felt that this matter held great potential.

If he could thoroughly master this secret technique and condense his own Demon Luo Dharma Idol, he might be able to directly "transplant" it into the human emperor banner, acting as a pillar supporting the heavens, thereby stabilizing the precarious Underworld Space.

Of course, this was just his theoretical hypothesis.

Whether it could be implemented specifically would only be known after obtaining the second volume and combining it with practice.

But no matter what, he had to get his hands on this secret technique.

He acted as soon as he thought of it.

Lu Ming immediately got up and walked out of his Immortal Cave.

He didn't go directly to the Pu Family ancestral land but instead turned his gaze to the brightly lit red building in the Immortal City.

"Fighting and killing is too troublesome. One must use wits, one must use their brain!"

Lu Ming's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a meaningful smile.

With his current Golden Core Perfection cultivation, dealing with a mere Foundation Establishment playboy was as easy as turning his hand.

Soul-searching or Possession would be a matter of grabbing and refining in an instant.

But Pu Shirong was, after all, the direct eldest son of the Pu Family, and the Family would surely have Soul Tablets or similar items.

If he were to directly kill him, the moment his Soul Tablet extinguished, the Pu Family would immediately detect the abnormality.

Lu Ming didn't want to alert the enemy.

He had to rush to deal with all trivial matters before the Secret Realm fully opened, and enter it in the best possible state.

After all, he still needed to set aside time to condense the Demon Luo Dharma Idol and transplant it into the Underworld Space of the human emperor banner.

He truly couldn't afford to waste several days.

Therefore, he needed a "guide," someone who could help him obtain the second volume without bloodshed and without a sound.

And in his heart, he already had the best candidate.

It was none other than the profligate Young Master of the Pu Family, Pu Shirong, whom he had met once before and who had been reeled in by Lin Qingge like a fish.

Yi Hong Lou, Zui Xiang Ge

In Liuyun Immortal City, when it came to pleasure quarters, "Yi Hong Lou" was the first choice.

This magnificent pavilion, covering more than ten acres, was located in the most prosperous East Market District of the Immortal City, standing five stories high, with carved beams and painted pillars, resplendent and glorious.

Every night, the building was brightly lit, with endless sounds of music, and countless Cultivators lingered within, spending vast sums of money.

At this moment, on the third floor of Yi Hong Lou, in the most luxurious "Zui Xiang Ge."

Pu Shirong leaned against a soft couch, with two beautiful maidservants diligently pouring him wine and peeling spirit fruits.

In front of the couch, a troupe of veiled courtesans danced gracefully to the music, their figures lithe and their eyes seductive.

The room was filled with the fragrance of wine and a scene of spring.

However, Pu Shirong's face showed no trace of enjoyment.

His brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze dull, and the cup of spirit wine in his hand had remained untouched for a long time.

He ignored the diligent flattery of the maidservants beside him, and even the graceful dance of the courtesans in front of him held no interest for him.

"Alas..."

After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and drained the wine in his cup.

"It's meaningless, all meaningless."

He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with depression.

Behind him, two personal guards exchanged glances, a hint of helplessness flashing in their eyes.

They naturally knew why this Young Master of the Pu Family was like this.

Ever since that day in Lanyue Pavilion, when he heard that Fairy Nianyao had run off with someone, this Young Master had been like a lost soul.

Since then, he had lost interest in the various women of Yi Hong Lou.

Every time he came, he was like this—ordering the best wine, the most beautiful girls, but just drinking sullenly and staring blankly by himself.

Occasionally, when he drank too much, he would constantly murmur Nian Yao's name.

This made his guards feel quite speechless.

Why was such a fine Young Master of the Pu Family so infatuated with a Mortal World female Cultivator, and to such an extent!

She had already run off with someone, yet he still couldn't forget her. It was simply...

The ultimate simp, they were ashamed to be associated with him!

No wonder Old Master Pu was growing increasingly displeased with him.

The legitimate eldest son of a dignified Golden Core Family, not striving for progress, neglecting proper work, spending all his days in pleasure, utterly captivated by a courtesan.

Anyone would be disappointed by this!

However, these words they only dared to mutter in their hearts, never daring to speak them aloud.

After all, this was a Family matter of their master, and they were merely low-status guards; how could they have the right to comment on such things?

Just as they were secretly complaining in their minds, Pu Shirong's figure in front of them imperceptibly stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal, without attracting anyone's attention.

However, his gaze, which had been dull, suddenly became sharp!

He turned his head and looked around, then looked at the two behind him?

Those eyes stared directly at the two guards, with an indescribable scrutiny in his gaze.

The two guards were instantly startled, thinking their thoughts had been detected, and quickly composed themselves, putting on an extremely respectful demeanor.

However, the anticipated reprimand did not come.

Pu Shirong merely looked at them for a moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze.

Then, he slowly stood up, pushed away the fawning maidservant beside him, straightened his somewhat disheveled robes, and walked out the door with his hands behind his back.

The two guards were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

What was happening?

Why was Young Master suddenly leaving?

One guard, seeing this, quickly stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Young Master, are you planning to retire for the night? This subordinate will arrange it immediately..."

"Hmph!"

Upon hearing this, Pu Shirong suddenly turned back and gave him a cold look.

That gaze, cold as frost and sharp as a knife, made the guard's heart tremble, and he subconsciously took half a step back.

"Am I someone who loses ambition over trifles?"

Pu Shirong snorted coldly, then turned to look at the group of guards, a look of undisguised disdain flashing in his eyes.

"What's so fun about women? This Young Master is going back to Cultivate!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left without looking back, exiting the room.

Leaving behind a room full of astonished guards and maidservants.

"Ah?"

The few of them looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.

What was going on?

Why did Young Master suddenly change his personality?

Just now he was sighing and drowning his sorrows in wine, but all of a sudden he seemed like a different person, not only his demeanor changed, but even his speech became forceful?

And... going back to Cultivate?

These four words coming from Young Master's mouth were even more preposterous than the sun rising from the west!

One must know, this Young Master of the Pu Family was a notorious wastrel throughout Liuyun Immortal City.

Aside from eating, drinking, and having fun, he spent his days chasing after all sorts of beautiful female Cultivators.

Cultivation? What was that?

But now, he actually said he was going back to Cultivate?

The few of them were stunned for a good while before they reacted and quickly chased out the door.

No matter what, it was a good thing that Young Master wanted to Cultivate.

If these words reached the Old Master's ears, it might even earn Young Master some favor back.

As servants, they were naturally happy to see it happen.

What they didn't know, however, was that the Pu Shirong of this moment was no longer the original Pu Shirong.

As their figures disappeared at the end of the corridor, the door of Zui Xiang Ge slowly closed.

Inside the room, candlelight flickered.

A figure silently emerged from the shadows in the corner.

It was Lu Ming's true body.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the tightly closed door, his lips curving slightly upward into a satisfied smile.

With his current Golden Core Perfection cultivation, dealing with a mere Foundation Establishment profligate was as easy as turning his hand.

Soul-searching or Possession was merely a matter of seizing and refining in an instant.

But Pu Shirong was, after all, the direct eldest son of the Pu Family, and the Family would surely have Soul Lamps and Soul Tablets.

If he were to directly kill him, the moment the Soul Lamp extinguished, the Pu Family would immediately detect the abnormality.

Lu Ming didn't want to alert the enemy.

So he merely simply searched his soul, obtained some of Pu Shirong's memories about the Pu Family, then separated a wisp of Divine Sense, temporarily entered his Sea of Consciousness, and occupied his Physical Body.

The "Pu Shirong" of this moment was merely a Puppet he controlled.

And what this Puppet had to do was to openly walk into the Pu Family and ask the Pu Family head for the second volume of The Mi Luo Heavenly Demon Luo Dharma Idol.

Presumably, with his own son asking, that old fellow wouldn't refuse, right?

A faint light flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.

Then, his figure slowly merged into the shadows and disappeared.

...

On the other side, the Pu Family.

It was late at night, but the Pu Family ancestral land was still brightly lit.

As one of the three Golden Core families in Liuyun Immortal City, the Pu Family occupied an entire district in the eastern part of the Immortal City, covering hundreds of acres, truly a city within a city.

"Young Master is back!"

The guards at the gate saw Pu Shirong's figure and quickly bowed in greeting.

Pu Shirong nodded slightly, his expression indifferent. He took out a palm-sized Jade Tablet from his waist, injected magic power, and the Jade Tablet suddenly lit up with a blue light, shooting towards the Void Realm ahead.

Buzz—

An invisible light screen appeared from the Void Realm, then slowly opened a light gate.

Beyond the light gate, pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing water were faintly visible, with Spiritual Qi lingering, like a blessed land.

This was the entrance to the Pu Family's protective Formation—the "Azure Cloud Concealing Sun Formation."

Although this Formation was not as renowned as the Li Family's "Canglan Sea-Overturning Formation," it was still a top-tier third-rank Formation, sufficient to withstand a direct assault from a Golden Core Cultivator.

Pu Shirong put away the Jade Tablet and swaggered in.

Stepping into the ancestral land, the view suddenly opened up.

This was a vast estate, built against the mountain, layer upon layer.

At the foot of the mountain was a wide square, paved with bluestone, with several ten-foot-tall stone pillars on either side, engraved with ancient runes, subtly exuding a sense of might.

At the end of the square was a winding stone staircase leading upwards, with large and small courtyards and pavilions distributed on both sides of the staircase, arranged in an orderly manner, possessing a certain immortal charm.

The air was filled with rich Spiritual Qi, a feedback from the third-rank Spiritual Vein.

Beneath the Pu Family ancestral land, a decent third-rank Spiritual Vein was suppressed, enough to support the entire Family's operations.

However, if one observed carefully, they would find that although this Spiritual Qi was rich, it was slightly impure, far from being as pure and mellow as in a true blessed land.

Lu Ming looked around, secretly shaking his head.

After all, their Foundation was insufficient!

When he previously attacked the Li Family, he had personally experienced the grandeur of that millennium-old Family.

Under the Li Family's "Canglan Sea-Overturning Formation," the Spiritual Qi was repeatedly purified and compressed, almost solidifying, and taking a breath felt refreshing.

And this so-called "third-rank Spiritual Vein" of the Pu Family, in the eyes of the Li Family members, probably only counted as barely adequate.

This was the gap between an ordinary Golden Core Family and a true blessed land.

A blessed land was called a blessed land not just because it had Golden Core Perfection Cultivators in charge, but more importantly, because of thousands of years of accumulated Foundation.

The nurturing of Spiritual Veins, the advancement of Formations, the accumulation of resources, the expansion of connections...

All of these required time, and the efforts of generations.

Although the Pu Family was known as one of the three great families of Liuyun Immortal City, compared to a blessed land like the Li Family, which had been passed down for thousands of years, it was still more than just one tier lower.

However, these things had nothing to do with him.

Lu Ming withdrew his thoughts and waved away the few guards who were following him.

"You all may withdraw for now. This Young Master has something to discuss with father."

"Yes!"

The few guards dared not ask further; they bowed respectfully and dispersed.

Lu Ming straightened his robes and, following the route extracted from Pu Shirong's memories, headed straight for the main hall of the clan.