“That’s right, the nascent spirit observation method,” Lu Yun elaborated with great self-satisfaction. “It’s a nascent spirit method that I pioneered through much trial and error. Not only does it patch up the weaknesses of the nascent spirit, but it enables the mind to cast off the shackles of the body and nascent spirit, reaching a relatively free state.”

He began to observe his own body as he spoke, producing one copy, two copies, three copies and four of him the next second. All of them looked identical to his original self.

“What…” A vacant look appeared on the torch dragon’s face; he’d never heard of this kind of method before!

Agitation jarred him into a wide-eyed look of disbelief the next second—an enormous black dragon was suddenly coiled in front of him. There was a small bloom of fire atop its head—a torch dragon! It was a real member of his kind, indistinguishable from himself.

“Is this that… nascent spirit observation method?” The torch dragon took a deep breath, desire igniting in his eyes. He deeply yearned to be free and take a look at the world outside, but the dragonbolt pillar below locked his body and nascent spirit in place.

He knew that only the fox’s return would liberate him from this pit, but the method that Lu Yun was showing him gave him a ray of hope. Though his body and nascent spirit was unable to escape the tomb, it was still very precious if his mind was emancipated and his thoughts could roam about freely.

“One thing though, I created this method and my nascent spirit is uniquely strong, which is why I can project whatever I want,” Lu Yun cautioned solemnly. “You probably can’t do what I do with the method after I pass it on to you.”

He pointed with his finger before the torch dragon could respond and sent the method into the creature’s mind. Gratitude flashed through the torch dragon’s eyes when he looked at Lu Yun next.

“What do you want?” he suddenly asked. “I must pay back the karmic repercussions of receiving this knowledge, or it’ll be too hard and cost too much to repay this favor in the future.”

“I want to go to the yin tomb and obtain the spleen of the world.” Lu Yun looked seriously at the torch dragon. “I know the torch dragons not only wield the power of destruction, but can also reverse yin and yang…”

“You want to go obtain that poisonous tumor?” the torch dragon heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Lu Yun’s words. “I can help you if you can set foot onto the altar of earth. However, you must be careful of the four high priests… Apart from the priest of flame who ascended to her position only three years ago, the others have all been corrupted throughout the long passage of time. Some unforeseen changes have occurred in the bottom of their hearts.

“The altar of earth is part of something they’ve been planning for a very long time.” The torch dragon turned incomparably serious. “Even the spleen becoming a divine spirit is something they purposefully set into motion. Don’t let them obtain the five elemental altars no matter what.”

Lu Yun nodded.

“Go on, then,” permitted the torch dragon. “This is the spot of convergence between the yin tomb and yang tomb. As the beholder and harmonizer of yin and yang, I remain here to guard and maintain the connection between the two tomb realms. The door to the yin tomb is below the dragonbolt pillar.”

It was his doing that none of the high priests other than the priest of flame could reach the door connecting the two tombs. He’d noticed the changes in the various priests and kept them out of the yin tomb accordingly. After a while, when the corruption reached the priest of flame, she too would be unable to approach.

Lu Yun raised a cupped fist salute to the torch dragon and turned around, intending to take the same path back. Ashu, the Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign, and the priest of flame were waiting for him up on the surface.

“Eh?” Lu Yun’s expression changed when he popped back up from the pit. Four figures had appeared at some unknown time—the four high priests of the Xuan Yuan Tomb, the priest of earth, ocean, forest, and blade. Their gazes snapped to him the moment he emerged.

“Where is the priest of flame?” demanded the priest of earth when he saw the young man.

“That torch dragon is too miserly. He knew that the four priests were here but didn’t tell me,” Lu Yun grumbled inwardly.

It looked like the torch dragon was nursing a bit of a grudge for what’d happened earlier. He’d only mentioned that the four were corrupted and hadn’t told Lu Yun that they’d already picked up his trail.

Or… maybe the torch dragon wanted to see what else Lu Yun was capable of. Being invincible against one’s peers and continuously forging ahead didn’t mean that one grasped absolute strength, even though he kept finding new ways of doing things from old theories.

Ashu and the two others had transformed themselves into minute particles with Size Manipulation Talismans and taken shelter in an unknown corner. The two that Lu Yun had come with were absolute powerhouses and had a plethora of tricks at their disposal. Once they hid themselves, even the four high priests wouldn’t be able to find a single trace of them.

“The priest of flame?” Lu Yun peered around blankly.

“Hmph, don’t try to play dumb!” sneered the priest of earth and spat out a strange-sounding syllable. A vast power emerged and pounced upon Lu Yun. The art of incantation called seven enormous stars into being and sent them bearing down on the young man.

“Since the four organs of heaven and earth are on you, you should know what’s good for you and hand them over. If those four become gods, they’ll be able to summon the four altars from across space.” The priest of earth remarked frostily with none of the warmth from earlier present in his tones.

He’d had designs on Lu Yun to begin with, something that hadn’t escaped the notice of the Karmic Tree. As a result, the master of hell had played along with his act of friendship. Lu Yun had even been able to deduce what the high priest wanted from his emotions. This was why he’d revealed the details of his replica so that he could smoothly arrive in this location.

The high priest had eyes and ears everywhere, which was why he hadn’t told his plan to Ashu.

“You want the four organs?” scoffed Lu Yun. “I’ve been tolerating you for quite a while. Situ!”

“Understood!”

Hummm.

A ripple slowly oscillated through the air as a young man wearing long black robes walked out of an intangible door. A hazy gray orb floated over his head—the Pelagic Orb.

Situ Zong!

Situ Zong had been an extremely old man, a great senior in the Star Demon Sect, but was immediately rejuvenated upon having his name written in the Tome of Life and Death. Also thanks to the treasure, his body had become one with the Pelagic Orb.

He was now comparable to a human-shaped connate immortal treasure, able to release the power of his treasure with every gesture and move. The Pelagic Orb had formed a world within itself and was closing in on the highest ranks of connate treasures. Under the continual nurturing of the Tome of Life and Death, it was also approaching the level of a connate spirit treasure.

“You’re the one!” He punched out at the priest of ocean the moment he appeared, exploding with the devastating might of a connate treasure.