Chapter 60 Spiritual Illusion Secret Arts

Lu Qingyun could sense that the old man's strength had already broken through the Qi Gathering Realm and even reached the Mortal Shedding Realm!

As for which exact tier he was currently at, with Lu Qingyun's cultivation level, there was no way to perceive it.

However, he would certainly not sit still and await his doom. Moreover, the old man before him seemed intensely curious about his martial spirit.

What currently caused the greatest sense of crisis for Lu Qingyun was that the old man had not released his aura at all. Standing here now, he felt as completely undetectable as a ghost.

On this grand ship, there were guardians such as Elder Hong, along with that old man in black robes; yet if this person chose not to release his aura, even they would be entirely unable to sense his presence.

Although the Body Tempering Realm and the Qi Gathering Realm were separated by a major boundary, the difference between these two realms was not overwhelmingly vast.

One could even say that practitioners in the Body Tempering Realm were capable of putting up a fight against those in the Qi Gathering Realm.

However, compared to the Mortal Shedding Realm, the Qi Gathering Realm was worlds apart, as different as heaven and earth.

Without crossing that threshold and breaking through that barrier, attempting to put up any resistance was utterly impossible!

This was precisely Lu Qingyun's current predicament. Furthermore, he was merely at the third tier of the Qi Gathering Realm; trying to fight this opponent was simply out of the question.

Yet, even in such a desperate situation, escaping with his life was not entirely hopeless. As long as he could seize the right opportunity, he would surely be able to survive this crisis.

The old man slowly nodded and said in a measured tone, "It is indeed the Cui family that sent me here, but I also volunteered for this mission out of my own accord. I am full of curiosity about you, and I sense many unexplainable things surrounding you."

"The spiritual energy contained within those three beast cores of the Sea Emperor Beast—if you could completely absorb it, you might even have reached the Mortal Shedding Realm directly."

"Even with your Azure Dragon martial spirit, it is impossible for you to absorb such a massive amount of spiritual energy in such a short span of time. If you truly possessed that kind of innate talent, your cultivation level would certainly not be this meager."

The old man's expression was exceptionally serious, driven by a profound curiosity regarding this matter.

His phrasing was actually quite tactful; had he spoken more bluntly, he would surely have assumed that Lu Qingyun should have died from the ordeal. Fortunately, the old man was rigorous in his speech and avoided uttering anything so harsh.

If Lu Qingyun wished to escape with his life now, he had only one remaining option. Direct combat was completely out of the question; he had to exploit this curiosity of his and keep the old man captivated.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Qingyun spoke slowly, "This is naturally a secret technique of my family. It allows one to absorb a vast amount of spiritual energy, temporarily store it, and convert it at will whenever the need arises."

"This secret technique has extremely stringent requirements. Even the slightest oversight could lead to enormous trouble and inflict severe damage upon one's own body."

"As you can see, I am perfectly fine now, though I did nearly explode from absorbing too much spiritual energy just a moment ago. This secret technique has no strict requirements regarding bloodlines..."

Lu Qingyun wove together various pieces of knowledge he had previously read in books, adapting and altering them to suit the moment.

With his brow furrowed and a grave expression on his face, he stared intently ahead. That utterly sincere demeanor made it entirely believable that everything he said was the absolute truth.

Watching his earnest expression, the old man seemed to believe everything he had been told.

After a brief pause for thought, the old man slowly began, "Could this secret technique you speak of be the Illusionary Spirit Method? Is it just as you described—capable of temporarily storing all spiritual energy and utilizing it whenever required?"

"There was indeed such a family in the past. They always maintained a very low profile, hiding away in a remote place precisely to prevent others from knowing. Could it be that you hail from that very family?"

Hearing these words, Lu Qingyun realized his strategy was working.

He slowly nodded and said with utmost sincerity, "That is correct. I simply wished to break away from the family rules. Since I possessed such talent, why should I not make good use of it? Since I had the potential to reach the very pinnacle of the entire continent, why must I remain hidden forever?"

"I believe this is an exceptionally superior method of cultivation, one that can fully satisfy every cultivator. As long as one practices according to my secret technique, they can undoubtedly elevate their realm to even greater heights!"

Lu Qingyun felt like a rambling charlatan, uttering a string of nonsense without any coherent direction to his words.

Yet this old man was genuinely yearning for such a secret technique. Indeed, wouldn't cultivators across the entire continent desire such a method?

Because the spiritual energy on this continent was growing increasingly scarce, and the Meng family—once responsible for crafting divine artifacts—had now fallen into decline.

Consequently, they were desperate to find more secret techniques capable of accelerating their cultivation progress. Only through such means could they perhaps secure a guarantee to elevate their cultivation to higher realms.

Completely forgetting his original purpose for coming here, the old man curved the corners of his lips into a smile and chuckled, "I have indeed heard legends of this method you speak of. It was always kept strictly confidential out of fear that it would disrupt the balance of the entire continent and cause the spiritual energy here to dwindle even further."

"If everyone were to hoard spiritual energy and rapidly advance their cultivation merely by gathering it, the secret technique of your family is truly something to be envied..."

The old man's attitude throughout had remained remarkably polite and tactful.

As long as this dynamic continued, the old man's curiosity would persist, allowing Lu Qingyun to leverage that curiosity step by step to preserve his own life.

He had originally imagined that as a transmigrator blessed with such a formidable martial spirit and system, he would soar to the pinnacle of the world in a short amount of time.

Never had he expected that his primary concern right now would simply be staying alive. Every single step he took was fraught with terrifying danger, causing him profound distress.

Reflecting upon it now, he might have been better off cultivating a bit longer in the outer peripheries of the Wind and Cloud Gorge, where safety was at least relatively guaranteed.

Yet, where in the world was there any medicine for regret? Had he not ventured deep into the interior, he would never have had the opportunity to encounter the Azure Dragon, nor would he have found a chance to elevate himself.

Even though his current circumstances filled him with bitterness and excruciating entanglement, he had no other choice. He could only take it one step at a time; even living a wretched, breathing existence was far better than being dead!

Lu Qingyun spoke slowly, "Indeed. Who does not understand the danger of possessing a treasure? For many people, drawing unnecessary attention is undesirable. I simply had no other choice—how could I possibly allow myself to be buried at sea along with everyone else?"

"Driven to desperation, I had no choice but to resort to this method. Clearly, I saved everyone's lives, yet now I am the one being hunted down. This truly fills my heart with sorrow..."

At this moment, Lu Qingyun assumed an aggrieved expression. He was the one who had saved everyone and preserved their lives, yet the subsequent events were utterly disheartening.

Just as the old man was about to speak, Lu Qingyun cut in once more, "You may kill me if you wish; I am even willing to die by your hand. The Cui family pursues me endlessly, and even once we reach Vast Sea City, they will never let me go!"

"If you kill me now, you will merely become a murderer who slays the hero that saved everyone. By then, not only will you face condemnation, but retribution as well. As for whether you will survive the aftermath, I cannot say..."

This time, Lu Qingyun employed a chained strategy. Having just used a feigned weakness ploy, he now introduced a new tactic: if this old man struck him down here, he would instantly become a public enemy.

Lu Qingyun turned his head away, ceasing to look at the old man, and stared instead into the vast, boundless ocean.

Yet, recalling the old man's deadpan earnestness, he felt an urge to laugh.

The old man was clearly a cold-blooded, ruthless assassin, and his strength had reached a truly terrifying height.

Coupled with the divine artifact dagger he wielded, Lu Qingyun was certainly no match for him in a direct confrontation.

Yet he had never anticipated that this old man would be so foolish as to swallow such a stratagem hook, line, and sinker.

The old man spoke up once more, "Whether I kill you or not is entirely my decision, seeing as the Cui family has no experts left capable of dealing with you. As long as you tell me the secret technique you mentioned, I can spare your life!"

"However, if you conceal anything or attempt to deceive me, do not blame me for showing no mercy. Even with your formidable innate talent, you are no match for me at your current level!"

Lu Qingyun still did not know this old man's true identity or the full extent of his capabilities.

Judging from the aura emanating from him, however, he was undeniably a seasoned and experienced expert.

Even if Lu Qingyun were at the exact same cultivation realm, defeating him would likely prove exceedingly difficult.

Because of the old man's wealth of experience and terrifying strength, Lu Qingyun knew he could not triumph over him directly!

Finally, the old man revealed his ultimate objective; his curiosity had indeed triumphed over his reason.

Yet Lu Qingyun deliberately played the mystic, responding coolly, "Even if I told you, what good would it do? If you don't kill me now, countless people in Vast Sea City are waiting to take my life the moment I step off this ship."

"Rather than that, I might as well die right here on this vessel and drag someone down with me. Having an expert like you perish because of me would actually be a rather joyful thing..."

Lu Qingyun's tone was resolute, making him sound as though he harbored a death wish.

In reality, however, this was merely another component of his strategy.

The old man slowly replied, "Hahaha, although there are many experts in Vast Sea City and the Cui family holds considerable influence, once we arrive there, the head of the Cui family will still afford me some measure of respect."

"As long as you reveal that secret technique to me, I can guarantee you a carefree life in Vast Sea City. Is there not something you wished to accomplish once you arrived there? I can even lend you a hand!"

Lu Qingyun slowly turned his head back to scrutinize the old man once more.

When they had first met, Lu Qingyun had indeed felt a deep sense of wariness and immense tension.

After all, the old man's realm far surpassed his own, and he possessed vast experience. Moreover, what ordinary assassin would carry a divine artifact?

In the past, although divine artifacts existed on this continent, they were exceptionally rare treasures.

Ever since the incident involving the Meng family, coupled with the sacred lands hoarding the vast majority of remaining divine artifacts, such items had truly become as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Within the realm of ordinary cultivators, obtaining even a top-tier weapon was a terrifying feat.

Such treasures could not be measured in spiritual jades; without the backing of a major sect or family, an ordinary cultivator would find it nearly impossible to acquire a high-grade weapon.

The fact that this old man carried a divine artifact so openly demonstrated not only his terrifying personal strength, but also the formidable power of the faction standing behind him.

Lu Qingyun spoke slowly, "I come from a remote place and have never heard of Vast Sea City having so many powerful families. However, I have heard that the Cui family's strength is immense!"

"They rarely place ordinary families in their eyes, and even major sects treat them with profound respect. What can you possibly use to guarantee my safety? Stop trying to deceive me and just kill me already!"

The old man likely never imagined that he would be led around by the nose by someone so young.

Most importantly, he had shown little resistance, following Lu Qingyun's narrative every step of the way.

Seeing the arrogant posture the old man now assumed, Lu Qingyun was completely certain that his adversary had fallen squarely into his trap.

With his hands clasped behind his back, the old man paced back and forth before slowly declaring, "I, too, hail from Vast Sea City. The sect I belong to ranks among the top five in the city, and I serve as its vice master. My name is Ye Xiang!"

"The Cui family asked me to handle this matter because our relations are reasonably good, but that does not mean my sect takes orders from them. We are merely cooperating..."

Lu Qingyun had never heard the name Ye Xiang before, but seeing his haughty demeanor, it was clearly not an act.

Vast Sea City housed countless families and sects of varying sizes. For someone of Ye Xiang's strength to hold the position of vice master naturally proved that his sect's power was far from negligible.

Even so, Lu Qingyun did not immediately agree to his demands, instead raising yet another condition.

"Given how strong you are, what if you go back on your word? I am no match for you, and I feel I still cannot hand over this secret technique."

"I am destined to die sooner or later anyway. Since your status is so high, you might as well just kill me..."

Ye Xiang furrowed his brow, his voice dropping to a low rumble, "Kid, stop playing games with me. What will it finally take for you to hand over the secret technique?"