Ever since he decided to join the Sword Pavilion, Lu Yang had firmly resolved to use the [Puppet Strings] to completely control the Yun Family Ancestor.
The reason was simple.
Although the Yun Family had fallen into decline, and the Yun Family Ancestor was merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, the family's origins were notable, having once been prominent.
The Yun Family had produced a former Sect Master of the Sword Pavilion, a Golden Core True Lord. Unfortunately, that True Lord perished during a millennial catastrophe, defeated by a mid-stage Golden Core True Lord from the Holy Sect. The opponent's profound cultivation not only destroyed his cave heaven but also prevented his soul from escaping.
Since then, the Yun Family had declined.
By the time it passed down to the current Yun Family Ancestor, they had completely become a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, and even that status was now unstable.
Nevertheless, there remained a trace of incense affection.
Being a direct descendant of a former Golden Core True Lord might not matter in the Holy Sect, but in the Sword Pavilion, it was a significant advantage.
At the very least, the Yun Family Ancestor was qualified to have an audience with the Sect Master!
The Sword Pavilion differed from the Holy Sect, where True Lords often secluded themselves, and affairs were typically managed by Great True Persons like Chong Guang, who acted as acting Sect Masters.
However, in the Sword Pavilion, True Lords personally managed affairs.
For the Yun Family Ancestor, merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, to have an audience with a True Lord was undoubtedly due to the legacy of the deceased Yun Family True Lord. Lu Yang did not believe otherwise.
'In previous lifetimes, when the Yun Family Ancestor brought the heavenly treasure [Heavenly Mechanism Instrument] to reincarnate into the Refinement Secret Realm, I sensed something was amiss.'
At first, he didn't notice, but the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. With so many Foundation Establishment True Persons to choose from for reincarnation, why select someone as weak as the Yun Family Ancestor? Moreover, granting him the rare treasure [Heavenly Mechanism Instrument] almost guaranteed his success. Without Lu Yang's intervention, the Yun Family Ancestor would have succeeded effortlessly—a free merit.
This indicated that while the Yun Family Ancestor might lack strength, he possessed significant connections.
And that was precisely what Lu Yang needed in this lifetime.
Several days later, accompanied by a loud noise from the sky, a streak of escape light flew swiftly and landed steadily above the Hidden Sword Villa.
Soon, the escape light dispersed.
The white-haired, aged Yun Family Ancestor stepped out, his divine sense immediately locking onto Yun Miaozhen. Seeing her unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Greetings, Ancestor."
Yun Miaozhen respectfully stepped forward and presented a pill: "This is a longevity pill I recently acquired; please accept it, Ancestor."
The Yun Family Ancestor was gratified: "Miaozhen, you are thoughtful."
With that, he accepted the pill. Seeing Yun Miaozhen's expectant gaze, he tilted his head back and swallowed it.
Although the so-called longevity pill was useless to him, it was a token of Yun Miaozhen's filial piety, and he didn't want to disappoint her. After taking the pill, he continued: "What about the demonic cultivator you mentioned in your letter? Has True Person Xiuxin captured him?" ꞦÀ₦ÓᛒΕＳ
"He has been captured."
Yun Miaozhen nodded: "Master fought him fiercely; I couldn't intervene. Now, the demon has been firmly subdued by Master."
"That's good."
The Yun Family Ancestor was relieved. Since True Person Xiuxin's cultivation was similar to his, and she could handle it, he should be fine too.
"Then take me to him."
"This way, Ancestor."
Yun Miaozhen led the Yun Family Ancestor to a quiet room. Upon opening the door, the Yun Family Ancestor stepped in and was immediately stunned.
Inside the room.([Ranobes][1])
A young man in a dark robe stood intently at a desk, drawing on a piece of yellow paper with his finger as a pen.
True Person Xiuxin stood silently beside him, exhaling a burst of intense fire, melting various Geng Metal spiritual materials into a radiant golden spiritual ink. Lu Yang stirred it casually, then meticulously painted it onto the yellow paper, forming a sharp talisman resembling a long sword.
"Clang! Clang!"
As the talisman was completed, the soft, thin talisman paper emitted a metallic sword cry, releasing a sword aura that astonished even the Yun Family Ancestor.
"Finally done!"
Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction. After restarting, he finally had a leisurely life, allowing him to revisit the talisman techniques he had previously neglected due to time constraints.
This [Yuan Tu Treasure Talisman] was the result of his recent research, recreating the sword aura of the [Tribulation Wave] through talismanic means.
Besides Lu Yang's own talismanic expertise, he also relied on his innate divine ability [Master of Arms] as a Geng Metal Immortal Spirit in this life. This ability could transform all things, aiding in alchemy, talisman crafting, and artifact refining.
"It's a pity that my world-shocking wisdom hasn't been fully utilized yet."
"This [Yuan Tu Treasure Talisman] took considerable time, yet its power is only a tenth of the [Tribulation Wave], sufficient only against early-stage Foundation Establishment."
Of course, talismans rely not on quality but quantity!
'The banner spirits within the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner suffered heavy losses in the previous life. It's time to recruit new members at Skeleton Mountain and restart the industrial production line of talismans.'
Thinking of this, Lu Yang finally looked up.
Only then did the Yun Family Ancestor, who had been standing stiffly since entering the room, regain the ability to move.
"Impossible!"
The Yun Family Ancestor's pupils contracted as he clutched his stomach, realizing that the longevity pill he had just swallowed had become a poison restraining him!
'Why!?'
He turned to Yun Miaozhen, unable to believe that his most trusted family disciple would poison him!
However, Yun Miaozhen didn't even glance at him. Instead, she cautiously approached the desk, gracefully bowed, and slipped under it to receive her reward. This was purely for cultivation purposes, seeking Lu Yang's help to break through her bottleneck.
'Demon! This person is definitely a demon!!!'
For a moment, the Yun Family Ancestor couldn't believe his eyes. He was convinced that only a demon could orchestrate such events!
Yet, he couldn't escape.
The [Qiantian All-Encompassing Dharma Body] manifested behind Lu Yang, its aura far surpassing the early stage of Foundation Establishment, prompting the Yun Family Ancestor to curse inwardly:
'With such cultivation, you still set a trap for me and poisoned me, beast!'
The outcome was inevitable.
The Yun Family Ancestor was directly subdued by Lu Yang. A [Puppet Strings] talisman was applied, and soon, the resentment on his face transformed into loyalty.
"It's a pity that Xin An is not here."
Lu Yang shook his head. Chen Xin'an's true spirit was still slumbering within the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, unlikely to recover for another decade or so.
Since he couldn't perform a soul search, Lu Yang asked directly:
"How much do you know about the secret of the Jiangnan Mass Grave?"
To Lu Yang's surprise, the Yun Family Ancestor was momentarily stunned, then nodded: "Reporting to Master, I know everything."
Everything!?
Lu Yang's eyes lit up. It seemed he had chosen the right person. With the Yun Family Ancestor's connections in the Sword Pavilion, he indeed knew the inside story!