267: Chapter 267 Practicing the God-Controlling Gu Again!

After the meeting on the deserted island, the fangs of the Nixing Alliance and the surging undercurrents beneath the seemingly calm surface of the Star Palace had spread out in Lu Qiu's Sea of Consciousness like a gradually clearing topographical map.

He was not someone keen on conflict, but even less was he someone who would sit still and wait for death.

Since Destiny had pushed him to the edge of this storm about to sweep through the Chaotic Star Sea, rather than going with the flow, it was better to take the initiative and play the hand himself. In this intricate grand game, he would seek the greatest initiative and benefit for himself and everything he cherished.

The Nixing Alliance's invitation for "cooperation" was less an olive branch and more a contract carrying poisoned bait.

Lu Qiu accepted it, but he would use his own way to swallow the bait, break free from the hook, and even... turn the tables on them.

The next day, as the first light of dawn appeared, the air was stagnant inside a hidden secret room within the Liulian Hall headquarters where even light could hardly penetrate.

Lu Qiu handed a pale green Jade Slip, cold to the touch and with faint Restriction runes flowing on its surface, to Nangong Hai, who stood with his hands down, his respectful expression carrying a trace of imperceptible tension.

"Nangong Hai."

Lu Qiu's voice was not loud, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power that echoed in the silent space. "Mobilize all resources and networks available to Liulian Hall. At any cost and with the utmost speed, secretly gather all the Materials on this list. Remember, it is 'all' of them, and set the priority to the highest. The process must be kept secret; the information must be encrypted layer by layer and handled in parts. You must not let outsiders, especially the Star Palace or any forces closely related to it, see the full list or even notice that we are gathering these items. Do you understand the gravity of this matter?"

Nangong Hai's hands trembled slightly as he respectfully received the Jade Slip, as if he were taking hold of a mountain.

He did not examine it immediately but took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Master, rest assured! I understand! This matter is of great importance; I will personally see to it and mobilize all reliable personnel to proceed in the most covert manner. If there is any mistake, I will present my head to you!"

Lu Qiu nodded slightly, signaling that he could examine it.

Only then did Nangong Hai cautiously probe his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip.

The list contained many types of Materials; many of the names he had never heard of, or had only seen mentioned in passing in the corners of extremely obscure or even forbidden texts.

"Yes! Master! I will see to it immediately! I will not fail your trust!"

Nangong Hai restrained all his emotions, his gaze becoming sharp and determined. He bowed deeply once more, clutching the Jade Slip tightly in his hand.

"Go then, and act with caution."

Lu Qiu waved his hand, his gaze returning to the calm map of the Star Sea on the secret room wall.

Nangong Hai quietly withdrew, and the secret room returned to absolute silence, save for the light sound of Lu Qiu's fingers unconsciously tapping the jade table, like the prelude to the gears of fate beginning to mesh.

The god-controlling gu, that sinister and overbearing thing recorded in the Myriad Poisons Gu Scripture, had been refined back when his cultivation was shallow, yet it could still restrain the Core Formation Stage Nangong Hai and Wood Dragon.

Now that he was refining it again with a Nascent Soul body, purer Divine Sense, and more abundant resources, its power and control would surely undergo a qualitative leap.

As long as the plan was detailed and the timing was right, the success rate for using it against those Vice Island Masters of Dengxing Island—the highest of whom was only at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage—would be extremely high.

What he wanted was never a fragile alliance of interests or a "cooperation" full of variables, but absolute, thorough, and unquestionable control.

Only in this way could he minimize the variables and truly turn these "chess pieces" to his own use, burying them deep within the Star Palace system.

However, the Materials for refining the god-controlling gu, especially core Materials like the "Soul-Devouring Demon Insect," were not only rare and hard to find, but their very existence easily aroused suspicion and attracted unnecessary attention.

Relying solely on Liulian Hall to gather them would make the target too large, and the efficiency could not be guaranteed.

Lu Qiu pondered for a moment and already had a plan in mind.

He stood up, and the spiritual light on his green robe flickered slightly as the material and style quietly changed, transforming into an unremarkable grey-brown coarse cloth dharma robe.

The silver-white mask covering his true face also shifted after a ripple like water, transforming into the face of an ordinary, dark-skinned middle-aged Loose Cultivator with a weathered look.

His aura also retracted, staying at the level of the Early Core Formation Stage, mixed with a trace of the fatigue and caution of one who had spent years traveling abroad.

After changing his appearance, Lu Qiu was like a drop of water entering the ocean, quietly blending into the morning flow of people in the gradually awakening streets of Dengxing City.

He walked at a steady pace, crossing several busy streets before finally stopping in front of a grand seven-story vermilion pavilion that was in no way inferior to the Liulian Hall headquarters.

The pavilion had flying eaves and bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters. The front was bustling with traffic, and most of the Cultivators entering and exiting were dressed in fine clothes with strong auras.

On the high-hanging plaque, the three gilded characters for "Fengle Hall" shone brightly in the rising sun, manifesting the massive financial power of the Fengle Alliance behind it and its prominent status in the Inner Star Sea.

Lu Qiu stepped into the hall. A bustling scent, a mix of various spiritual Materials, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts, greeted him. The wide hall was clearly divided into sections, and the clerks behind the counters were all smiles, attending to all sorts of guests.

He did not stay in the public areas but walked straight toward a Quiet Room in the side corridor marked "VIP Reception."

A female deacon dressed in a primrose-yellow dress, with a clear face and cultivation at the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment, immediately came forward with a professional, sweet smile: "Senior, how may I help you?"

Lu Qiu said nothing and directly took out a purple-gold token from his robe, its edges wrapped in cloud patterns and the ancient character for "Feng" engraved in the center, and calmly handed it over.

When the female deacon's gaze fell upon the token, the smile on her face instantly froze, replaced by utter shock and panic!

As a deacon of Fengle Hall, she naturally recognized this token.

This was the highest-level Guest Elder token of the Fengle Alliance!

The holder of this token possessed an incredibly noble status, comparable to the influential Elders within the alliance, and in some aspects, even had higher authority!

She hurriedly received the token with both hands, her fingertips trembling slightly, her voice filled with awe: "El... Elder, please forgive me! This Junior was blind and failed to welcome you! Please wait a moment, I will go and call the manager immediately!"

With that, she carefully cradled the token to her chest and almost ran toward the inner hall.

A moment later, the sound of hurried but deliberately lightened footsteps approached.

A middle-aged Cultivator dressed in a brocade blue robe with floral patterns, with a fair face and a short beard, whose cultivation had reached the Middle Core Formation Stage and whose eyes were sharp and capable, followed the female deacon at a quick pace.

This was the manager of this branch, Zhao Wuyong.

Before Zhao Wuyong even arrived, his face was already filled with just the right amount of warmth and respect. From a distance, he cupped his hands in greeting: "I did not know a Guest Elder of our alliance had arrived. Please forgive my lack of welcome! This Junior is Zhao Wuyong, the manager of this branch. Elder may simply call me Little Zhao."

As he spoke, he used his Divine Sense to extremely carefully and inconspicuously sweep toward Lu Qiu, attempting to confirm the cultivation foundation of this suddenly appearing "Elder."

However, as soon as his Divine Sense touched the area within three feet of Lu Qiu, it was as if it had struck an invisible and intangible yet incredibly tough barrier. Not only could he not probe a single inch further, but from behind the barrier, he felt a terrifying Spiritual Pressure as deep as an abyss and as vast as the sea, making his very Soul tremble!

That Spiritual Pressure vanished in a flash, as if it were merely a warning, yet it was enough to instantly soak Zhao Wuyong's back in cold sweat and turn his face slightly pale.

Nascent Soul!

This was definitely a Great Cultivator of the Nascent Soul Stage!

And he was definitely not a newcomer to this realm!

His cultivation was so deep that it likely surpassed the few Nascent Soul Seniors he had been fortunate enough to see from afar!

Stormy waves surged in Zhao Wuyong's heart, and the smile on his face became even more submissive as he bowed his waist even lower. A Guest Elder of the Nascent Soul Stage!

Even within the Fengle Alliance, such a person was a top-tier existence! He must not be neglected, absolutely not!

"Manager Zhao, there is no need for such formality."

Lu Qiu reached out to lightly support him, his voice flat and devoid of emotion as he took back the Guest Elder token. "Zhou has come today to entrust you with a matter."

"Elder, please give your orders! As long as I can do it, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" Zhao Wuyong hurriedly replied, leading Lu Qiu into the inner room of the Quiet Room and personally serving spiritual tea, keeping his posture extremely low.

Lu Qiu sat down and did not touch the tea, directly taking out another Jade Slip he had prepared long ago and placing it on the sandalwood side table between them.

The contents of this Jade Slip overlapped with the core parts of the one given to Nangong Hai, but it omitted the most sensitive Materials like the "Soul-Devouring Demon Insect" that would easily lead one to think of vicious gu insects. It also added some common Materials used for Artifact Refining or Alchemy to mislead anyone who saw it, making the entire list look more like a Nascent Soul Cultivator gathering items for an obscure Cultivation Technique or preparing to refine a special Magic Treasure.

"In this Jade Slip are some Materials that Zhou urgently needs."

Lu Qiu got straight to the point: "I trouble Manager Zhao to use all channels of Fengle Hall and even the Fengle Alliance in the Inner Star Sea to secretly gather them for me. The more the better, and the higher the quality the better. The price will be settled at thirty percent above the market rate. This matter must be handled secretly; no word must be leaked, and especially no outsider must know that Lu— Zhou—is the one who needs them. Once the Materials are gathered, there is no need to send them elsewhere; deliver them directly to the Liulian Hall headquarters in Dengxing City and hand them to Hall Master Nangong Hai. He will handle it."

Zhao Wuyong picked up the Jade Slip with both hands and quickly scanned it with his Divine Sense.

The Materials on the list were still obscure and rare, making them difficult to gather. A few of them would likely require using the special channels of the alliance's upper echelons to obtain.

Moreover, the other party actually designated the Materials to be sent to Liulian Hall and handed to that new Hall Master, Nangong Hai, who had been in the spotlight recently?

The connection within this caused countless thoughts to turn in Zhao Wuyong's mind.

Could it be that this Elder Zhou had a very deep relationship with Liulian Hall?

He did not dare to think further.

But regardless, the personal commission of a Nascent Soul Stage Guest Elder was of unquestionable priority.

"Elder, rest assured!"

Zhao Wuyong suppressed all his internal conjectures, his expression becoming incredibly solemn. "This matter will be kept strictly confidential. I will personally oversee it and use the most reliable channels and personnel. As soon as there is news or Materials, they will be processed immediately, and I will personally supervise their delivery to Liulian Hall. No third person will know the contents or the source of the list!"

"Thank you for your trouble." Lu Qiu nodded slightly, said no more, and stood up to leave.

Zhao Wuyong hurriedly bowed to see him off. Not until Lu Qiu's figure disappeared into the crowd outside the hall did he straighten up, wipe the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and look at the Jade Slip in his hand with shifting eyes.

If he could handle this matter well and gain the favor of a Nascent Soul Stage Guest Elder, it would be a massive Opportunity for him personally. He took a deep breath, turned, and walked quickly toward the core area of the inner hall to begin assigning personnel and initiating the highest-level secrecy protocols.

...

Time flew like an arrow, and a month's time passed in a flash amidst the waiting and busyness of those involved.

On this day, an unremarkable black jade box sealed with several layers of Restrictions was delivered to Nangong Hai's hands through an extremely covert channel.

Nangong Hai dismissed his attendants, carefully lifted the Restrictions in the secret room, and opened the jade box.

The box was lined with soft velvet. Resting inside was a monster core the size of a fist, entirely azure like the deep sea, with waves seemingly surging perpetually within it. it emitted a majestic and pure water-attribute yao power and a faint trace of Flood Dragon Pressure.

The surface of the core was smooth and rounded, its yao power condensed without dispersing, and its Origin aura was full. It was clearly a high-quality Grade 8 Water-Attribute Monster Core.

"The Nixing Alliance... is indeed trustworthy," Nangong Hai thought to himself. Daring not to delay, he immediately resealed the jade box in its original state and sent it to the Quiet Room where Lu Qiu was in seclusion.

Inside the Quiet Room, Lu Qiu inspected the monster core, and upon confirming it was correct, a flash of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

That the Nixing Alliance could obtain a Grade 8 monster core of such quality and deliver it on time within a month showed that their power and credibility were indeed not to be underestimated.

He did not hesitate, waving his hand to set up several more layers of isolating Restrictions in the Quiet Room before taking out the burning heaven cauldron.

The scarlet gold Three-Colored Chixiao True Fire rose beneath the tripod. Under the profound amplification of the burning heaven cauldron, the fire's power and controllability reached a startling level.

Lu Qiu threw the Grade 8 Water-Attribute Monster Core into the tripod, concentrating fully as he began to refine it with the true fire, extracting the purest Origin Qi from within.

This refinement lasted for forty-nine days and nights.

The monster core in the tripod slowly dissolved, its Impurities burned into green smoke. The pure yao power, blood essence, and that single core strand of water-attribute Dao Origin were gradually stripped, tempered, and fused, finally condensing inside the tripod into an egg-sized, deep blue gas cloud that seemed to have vast blue waves rippling within, emitting endless vitality and the Rhythm of the Water Dao.

Lu Qiu opened his mouth and inhaled, and that cloud of Water-Attribute Origin Qi turned into a blue light that entered his abdomen. Instantly, a cool and moist yet unstoppable vast energy, like a river breaking its dam, washed through his entire body before finally gathering in his Dantian.

The seated Nascent Soul's small face showed a look of comfort as its small hands made a cradling gesture, slowly absorbing this pure Origin.

Lu Qiu immediately restrained his mind, entering the deepest state of meditation. He operated the Crimson Sky Burning Heaven Technique at full power, guiding, refining, and absorbing this majestic yet gentle force.

He could clearly feel his Magic Power steadily growing, and his Meridians seemed to widen slightly under the wash of energy, becoming even tougher. The Nascent Soul within his Dantian also became more solid and agile at a speed difficult for the naked eye to perceive, and the scarlet gold Magic Power flowing around it faintly gained a trace of the long-lasting nourishment of water amidst its majesty.

His cultivation was steadily advancing toward the peak of the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

When Lu Qiu woke from his meditation again, the Quiet Room was free of dust. Only the increasingly heavy and restrained aura on his person, deep as an abyss and tall as a mountain, silently spoke of the gains from this year of seclusion.

His cultivation had progressed significantly; he was now not far from the peak of the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

During the year he was in seclusion, the undercurrents of the outside world had not ceased.

Nangong Hai and the Fengle Hall manager Zhao Wuyong were like two of the most diligent worker ants, operating at full capacity on the secret tracks Lu Qiu had laid out.

Under the double power of Liulian Hall's massive commercial network and the Fengle Alliance's unfathomable channels, that demanding list of Materials needed for refining the "god-controlling gu" was gradually filled with startling efficiency.

Various Ores tainted with Yin baleful qi, flowers and plants containing exotic poisons, insect shells born in places of extreme Yin, and even some Materials that needed to be taken live from specific Yao Beasts... these items, rarely seen and even considered forbidden, were cleverly disguised and dispersed. Through different routes and identities, they quietly converged on Dengxing City and were stored in Liulian Hall's most core secret warehouse, personally inspected and sealed by Nangong Hai.

After exiting seclusion, Lu Qiu immediately inspected all the Materials.

Looking at those neatly arranged items emitting various cold, fishy-sweet, or decaying scents, his eyes were as calm as an ancient well, but he was quite satisfied with the efficiency of Nangong Hai and Zhao Wuyong.

The Materials were complete and of superior quality; everything was ready.