Chapter 202: The Immortal Sect's Immortal Treasure

"Senior Sister, you're back?" Hearing Senior Sister call out to him, Lu Yang scurried back to Tianmen Peak.

Senior Sister still maintained her cool and aloof demeanor. "Yes, I just returned from the Imperial Palace after discussing some matters. I heard you've reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment."

Lu Yang thought to himself that the puppet must have told Senior Sister.

Senior Sister glanced at Lu Yang, as if seeing right through him. "Now that you've reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, your next step should be to plan how to form your Golden Core."

"Forming the Golden Core is a crucial step for cultivators. In ancient times, when flying ships didn't exist, the ability of Golden Core cultivators to fly freely in the sky led some to view the Golden Core stage as the dividing line between immortals and mortals. Others even called the Golden Core 'The Great Golden Core Dao,' which speaks to the significance of this realm."

"If you form a top-grade Golden Core, breaking it to form a Nascent Soul will be effortless and natural."

"Of course, as a Sword Spirit Root cultivator, you are exceptionally gifted. Forming a first-grade Golden Core won't be difficult for you. What you need to consider is what *type* of first-grade Golden Core to form."

"The myriad types of Golden Cores formed by our sect's disciples are all recorded in the Scripture Pavilion. You can visit the pavilion to browse and find inspiration."

"Understood."

"And this," Senior Sister said, pulling out a small medicine bottle before leaving. "Take it; it will be helpful."

"What is this?" Lu Yang wondered. Was it a pill that would protect his foundation if he failed to form his Golden Core, or an immortal elixir guaranteeing a first-grade core?

As expected of Senior Sister, she could even acquire such treasures.

"Eyedrops. Use two drops if you read too much."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister."

"Please come out for a moment, Senior," Senior Sister called out to Immortal Maiden.

"What's wrong?" Immortal Maiden seemed a little nervous, quickly trying to recall if she had done anything wrong.

She had been quite well-behaved lately, hadn't caused Lu Yang any trouble, at most just sleeping while he cultivated.

Senior Sister took out a large pile of immortal treasures. They varied in shape and radiated an aura of immortal Dao, clearly not ordinary items.

"These are immortal treasures confiscated from the Immortal Sect. Is there anything here you'd like, Senior?" Senior Sister wished to return them to their original owner.

Immortal Maiden glanced over them and pouted. "Nothing I want."

"Senior, what is this?" Senior Sister picked up a bamboo needle. Among the immortal treasures were many items whose original purpose Senior Sister didn't know. Neither she nor the Great Xia Dynasty had figured them out after half a day of study, so this was a good opportunity to ask the original owner.

This bamboo needle could be easily propelled by thought, moved at extremely high speed, and could break through defenses, making it the king of hidden weapons.

"A toothpick."

"And this?" Senior Sister picked up an iron rod. Upon examination, it was found to be imbued with potent poisons, including ancient, long-lost toxins only recorded in old texts, and others whose pharmacological composition was completely incomprehensible.

Scholars from the Great Xia Dynasty surmised that it must have been a stirring rod used by ancient immortals when concocting poisons, its current state a result of prolonged exposure to various toxins.

"Chopsticks."

"What about this?" Senior Sister lifted the lid of a large jar. A pungent odor wafted out, and the jar was filled with black liquid, seemingly brewing with countless vengeful spirits.

"Oh, oh, oh, that's the vinegar I brewed. I can't believe the Immortal Sect still kept such a good thing! Can I have it back?"

Senior Sister pondered for a moment, then, out of safety concerns, refused Immortal Maiden's request.

"You're not keeping your word!" Immortal Maiden scolded Senior Sister, hands on her hips.

Senior Sister paid her no mind.

"What's this for?" Senior Sister asked, pointing to a piece of cloth nine zhang long and nine zhang wide.

According to the Immortal Sect's high-ranking members, this cloth contained spatial power, capable of enveloping all things, even living beings. If someone stood on the cloth, what seemed like a few steps away would become an insurmountable distance, as they couldn't leave its confines even by exhausting all their spiritual power.

"A bedsheet. I refined it to replace my mattress. When I sleep, I can roll around as much as I want without falling off the bed."

"I don't have a physical body now, so it's useless to me. You can have it."

"What about this?" Senior Sister picked up a circular disc.

This disc was incredibly hard and indestructible. Some scholars speculated it was an ancient shield, albeit a smaller one. Others theorized that if activated correctly, it could appear above an enemy's head and immobilize them.

"My specially made dinner plate," Immortal Maiden complained. "Our dinner plates back then weren't very good quality; they leaked easily. So I specifically refined a set for myself."

After asking about everything, Lu Yang realized that all the Immortal Sect's so-called "immortal treasures" were merely Immortal Maiden's everyday items.

It just goes to show that items belonging to an immortal indeed possess extraordinary qualities. For example, the wooden bucket capable of holding rivers spanning thousands of miles was her swimming pool, and the Yellow粱 Pillow was still revered as a treasure by the Grand Elder.

***

"Grilled skewers, freshly grilled skewers! So smooth and tender!"

"Exclusive recipe, guaranteed to be addictive!"

"Eat one skewer, crave two! Eat two, crave ten!"

In the Dao-Seeking Sect's commercial district, loud shouts echoed through the streets, and the enticing aroma of barbecue lingered in the air, drawing many people to taste.

Night had just fallen, and the Dao-Seeking Sect disciples, having finished their day's work, loved to relax, shop, and exchange cultivation insights here.

Just as the hawkers claimed, the "Another Skewer" barbecue shop's skewers were unique. Many disciples who ate there one evening found themselves wanting to return the next.

Some suspected the barbecue shop used addictive poisons, but after verification by the Seventh Elder of Dan Ding Peak, it was confirmed that the food was simply delicious, not poisoned.

Three figures in black cloaks and hoods stood dazed in front of the barbecue shop. For a moment, the bustling prosperity before them seemed distant and unreal, and the stream of customers blurred.

One of the black-robed figures removed his hood, looked at the lively barbecue shop, and sighed with emotion:

"Little Liu, Little Gao, you're still alive?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Master Liu and Master Gao froze, thinking they were hallucinating.

They looked up and saw the owner of the voice, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Sect Master?!"

"And me," the second black-robed figure said, pulling back his hood to reveal Vice Sect Master Jin.

At this moment, the highest echelons of the Immortal Sect—one Sect Master and three Vice Sect Masters—were gathered.

They were all once influential figures, wielding absolute power as leaders of one of the Four Great Demonic Sects. Yet now, they could only reunite at a barbecue stall.

The Sect Master never blamed Vice Sect Masters Liu and Gao for the fall of the Immortal Sect. He believed he was the one who truly invited the wolf into the house; he couldn't blame others.

"Please have a seat first. We'll close up shop once we finish these last few orders."

A long line still snaked outside the shop. Master Liu and Master Gao told those behind them not to queue anymore, as they would close after five more orders.

The Sect Master noticed that the young attendant wiping tables and collecting skewers was an elder of the sect. He shook his head gently, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.

Master Liu and Master Gao sold their last order, announced the end of business, pulled down the shop door, and caught up with the Sect Master.

"How are you two here?"

Only a small number of people knew about the demise of the Immortal Sect. Master Liu and Master Gao were just ordinary barbecue shop owners here and were unaware of outside events.

"It's a long story..." the Sect Master sighed, expressing much helplessness.

He recounted in detail how Lu Yang and the two others infiltrated the Immortal Sect headquarters and how the Immortal Sect was besieged by the Great Xia Dynasty.

The news of the Immortal Sect's destruction was too heavy. The group fell silent for a while. Master Liu acknowledged the truth of the sect's demise and quickly regained his spirits.

"It's a good thing you've come! The Dao-Seeking Sect is now divided into numerous factions. It's the perfect time to make our move. We were just worrying about being short-handed, and then you arrived!" Master Liu looked intently at the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master Jin.

The Sect Master's eyes lit up.