Chapter 580: Tattoo Master's Benefits

In the Fox Demon's sleeping quarters, Zhou Yuntian arrived in a hurry and bowed respectfully.

"What is it?"

The Fox Demon, reclining on a soft couch, asked softly. A female cultivator stood before her, holding an incense burner from which wisps of smoke curled upwards. The Fox Demon inhaled the smoke, her face flushed and dreamy, her slightly open eyes glazed over.

"Your Grace, I apologize for my intrusion. Please see this," Zhou Yuntian said, opening his robe to reveal his chest. He then activated his spiritual power, and a Guardian Spirit Mark instantly appeared on his chest.

"Hmm?" The Fox Demon's eyelids fluttered open slightly as she looked at the Guardian Spirit Mark. She raised a hand and unleashed a burst of demonic power, striking the spirit mark on Zhou Yuntian's chest.

The spirit mark's light dimmed but did not shatter. Under the impact, Zhou Yuntian staggered back a few steps.

"Is this a Tattoo Mark?" The Fox Demon, being knowledgeable, immediately recognized the nature of the spirit mark.

"Yes, Your Grace, it is indeed a Tattoo Mark, and it was made by Lu Ye."

"He possesses such a skill!" The Fox Demon was surprised. Although Zhou Yuntian had reported a few days prior that Lu Ye was dabbling in Tattoo Marks, she hadn't paid much attention, believing that a cultivator at the fourth level of the Cloud River Realm, even if they practiced the art of Tattoo Marks, couldn't achieve great mastery.

But now, it was clear she had underestimated him.

The Fox Demon immediately realized the value of this Tattoo Mark. Fox Immortal Valley was currently struggling to recruit more new members, but with the help of such Tattoo Marks, the overall strength of the valley could increase by at least 10 to 20 percent. This improvement was more direct and convenient than recruiting new people.

"How long did he take to create this Tattoo Mark?" The Fox Demon sat upright, her expression becoming significantly more serious.

"Only one incense stick's worth of time, and from observing his technique, it was incredibly skilled; he clearly has a deep understanding of this art," Zhou Yuntian reported truthfully.

"One incense stick..." The Fox Demon was astonished.

"Your Grace, perhaps we could have our fellow cultivators in the valley seek a Tattoo Mark from him? This would also increase their chances of survival!"

The Fox Demon nodded slightly. "Very well. You shall be responsible for this matter."

"Yes, I will not disappoint Your Grace," Zhou Yuntian respectfully affirmed.

Lu Ye was immersed in practicing saber techniques with Xia Liang when Zhou Yuntian suddenly arrived with a group of people, calling out from afar, "Fellow Daoist Lu!"

Lu Ye stopped what he was doing and sighed inwardly. What was destined to come, had come.

After bestowing the Guardian Tattoo Mark on Zhou Yuntian, Lu Ye had anticipated what would follow. After all, Tattoo Marks were a convenient external aid, and Zhou Yuntian had already experienced their benefits, so it made sense that he wouldn't ignore them.

As expected, when Zhou Yuntian arrived, he conveyed the Fox Demon's order for Lu Ye to apply Tattoo Marks to all cultivators in the valley. Lu Ye naturally had no choice but to agree.

The saber technique training was temporarily put on hold. On the second floor of the pavilion, Lu Ye prepared the materials and tools for the Tattoo Marks. He turned to Zhou Yuntian, who was standing nearby, and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, applying Tattoo Marks is quite taxing on one's spirit. I can only manage to apply them for ten fellow Daoists per day at most. Any more, and my mental energy won't be sufficient."

In truth, he could have done more, but that would not only consume his time for saber training but also make recovery more difficult.

Ten people a day wasn't too taxing on him.

"No problem. Do whatever is convenient for you, Fellow Daoist Lu. Although Her Grace has given the order, she hasn't set a time limit."

Moreover, while the number of cultivators in Fox Immortal Valley was considerable, it wasn't exceedingly large. At ten people per day, it would only take about eight or nine days.

"Then let them come up one by one," Lu Ye said.

Zhou Yuntian walked to the window and called out, "Brother Zhao, please come up."

Among the cultivators waiting below, the one named Zhao, whom Zhou Yuntian had called, ascended the stairs and soon reached the second floor. He first politely bowed to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye let him choose between a Wind-Stride or Guardian Tattoo Mark. As expected, this cultivator named Zhao also chose the Guardian Spirit Mark, and like Zhou Yuntian, he chose his chest as the placement.

Following Lu Ye's instructions, the cultivator named Zhao opened his robe and lay down on the bed.

After one incense stick's worth of time, the Tattoo Mark was complete. The cultivator named Zhao tried it out, confirmed that the Guardian Mark could be activated, and thanked Lu Ye joyfully.

Then came the next person...

When it was the third person's turn, it was a female cultivator.

Standing before Lu Ye, the female cultivator's face was flushed. She lowered her head and asked, "Junior Brother Lu, could you apply it on my back... if that's alright?"

"Of course, any position is fine," Lu Ye nodded.

"Then... my back it is." If not for Her Grace's direct order, there was no way she would have come to Lu Ye for a Tattoo Mark. After all, as a woman, having a man's hands on her made her unbearably shy.

However, the Guardian Spirit Mark indeed offered significant protection. Compared to having Lu Ye work on her chest, her back was barely acceptable.

Lu Ye hadn't expected that a Tattoo Master would have such "benefits"...

He figured such situations would be common in the future, so he calmed his mind, letting it remain as still as an ancient well.

"Senior Brother Zhou, you... please go out first!" The female cultivator's face turned crimson as she glared at Zhou Yuntian, who was standing nearby.

"Oh, right, I'll wait outside," Zhou Yuntian suddenly realized, quickly moving out and closing the door behind him.

The female cultivator stood rooted, rubbing the corner of her robe, her lips pressed together, her expression hesitant. Even with the Fox Demon's command, disrobing in front of an unfamiliar man still required immense courage and resolve.

Lu Ye turned around, his back to her, and pretended to mix medicinal liquids. A moment later, a faint rustling sound came from behind him.

Immediately after, the female cultivator's trembling voice spoke, "Junior Brother Lu, I'm ready."

Lu Ye turned, and his eyes met with a pristine white expanse and breathtaking curves.

The female cultivator sat upright on the bed, her back to him, holding her removed clothes in her hands to cover herself in front.

Lu Ye stepped forward, keeping his gaze straight ahead... primarily because he couldn't see anything anyway. He extended his hand and applied the first needle.

The female cultivator's body suddenly tensed, and a short sound escaped her lips.

Lu Ye's eye twitched. "Senior Sister, please don't make such strange noises; it disturbs my concentration... Also, relax your body and don't move around. Don't worry, I won't touch you."

The female cultivator's face instantly turned as red as a blooming azalea. Even her fair back and slender neck took on a reddish hue. She lowered her head and whispered, "I understand."

Needle by needle, with meticulous precision, the Guardian Spirit Mark slowly appeared.

After one incense stick's worth of time, Lu Ye withdrew his hand and exhaled deeply. "Alright, Senior Sister!"

"You... please turn around," the female cultivator said.

Lu Ye turned around, and soon the sound of dressing came from behind him.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Lu," the female cultivator quickly thanked him, opened the door, and fled as if escaping.

Zhou Yuntian poked his head in and looked at Lu Ye, his eyebrows twitching, a meaningful smile on his face. "Fellow Daoist Lu, to possess such a skill truly makes me envious."

"Next!"

One cultivator after another entered the second floor, and after an incense stick's worth of time, they departed.

Most cultivators in Fox Immortal Valley were male, with female cultivators making up only about 30 percent. This was also the general situation in the cultivation world of the entire Kyushu. Generally, male cultivators outnumbered female cultivators, though the reason for this was unknown.

Male cultivators had no qualms about baring their chests in front of Lu Ye. However, most female cultivators were shy, and asking them to expose their bodies in front of a relatively unfamiliar man was indeed quite challenging for them.

But since Her Grace had personally given the order, they dared not disobey.

Having learned from the first female cultivator's experience, most female cultivators chose their backs for the spirit mark application. However, this still proved to be a considerable test for Lu Ye.

There were exceptions, though. One fiery female cultivator began undressing as soon as she entered the room, then lay straight down on the bed, choosing her chest for the Tattoo Mark. This made Lu Ye's mouth dry, while she, in contrast, giggled uncontrollably.

If Lu Ye hadn't guarded his mind carefully, the Tattoo Mark would likely have failed.

After applying Tattoo Marks for ten people on the first day, Lu Ye, citing excessive mental exertion, closed his doors to further clients and arranged with Zhou Yuntian to bring another ten people the next day.

Zhou Yuntian naturally agreed without hesitation.

After a short rest, Lu Ye went to find Xia Liang again and continued practicing saber techniques under his guidance.

Later that night, he first visited Li Baxian and chatted with his senior brother. Only then did he leisurely proceed to Xie Yunhan's residence, fulfilling his daytime promise to drink and converse with him.

Around midnight, a tipsy Lu Ye emerged from Xie Yunhan's place and returned to his room to meditate and cultivate.

Half an hour later, in the darkness, Lu Ye opened his eyes and softly called out, "Yiyi."

Yiyi immediately flashed out of Amber's body, swiftly darted downwards, and quickly disappeared.

Lu Ye then consecutively formed Concealment and Aura Concealment Spirit Marks on himself. With a flicker of his body, he leaped out from the second floor.

The bright moon hung high, and the night was silent.

Lu Ye quietly moved in one direction. With Yiyi scouting ahead and the Concealment and Aura Concealment Spirit Marks augmenting him, he had no fear of being discovered by anyone.

Furthermore, he knew the locations of all formations in Fox Immortal Valley by heart, so there was no risk of accidentally triggering any of them.

Soon, Lu Ye arrived at the forbidden area located in the deepest part of Fox Immortal Valley.

When he had followed Xie Yunhan here during the day, he had become curious about this forbidden area. Even an old-timer like Xie Yunhan, who had been in Fox Immortal Valley for twelve years, didn't know what was inside, indicating that it clearly held some secrets.

Lu Ye had decided during the day to come and investigate thoroughly. Whatever secrets were hidden here, they were certainly connected to the Fox Demon, and he might even find some unexpected gains.

Although this place was enveloped by a formation, Lu Ye's specialty was infiltrating formations.

Before reaching the grand formation, Lu Ye looked around, confirming no one was in sight. Only then did he form Insight Spirit Marks in his eyes to observe the formation's weaknesses and locate its nodes.

He quickly made a discovery. Moving his body, he arrived at a formation node, raised his hand, and cast several formation flags, embedding them near the node.

With further manipulations, the spiritual energy flow at the formation node slowed increasingly until it completely ceased.