Chapter 496: Heavenly Immortal

Lu Sangjiu fell silent.

‘Am I the only one who can sense this change, while others can’t see it?’

If that was the case, she didn’t need to worry too much, regardless of whether it was Divinity or not.

She had a carefree nature. If she couldn’t figure something out, she would simply stop thinking about it.

In any case, whatever it was, it was beneficial to her and not harmful. That was enough.

So she said no more, patting Mu Lin on the shoulder. “Let’s go. We’re heading back to Black Obsidian City!”

Only two days had passed, and Lie Rufeng was surprised to find that Lu Sangjiu had actually managed to break through to the Heavenly Immortal Stage.

He was surprised, but congratulated her all the same.

But when Lu Sangjiu brought up going to check on the Fan Family, Lie Rufeng disagreed. “The Fan Family has an Asura—that is, a Daluo Golden Immortal-level Demon Cultivator—in residence. You may be resourceful, but you might not be able to escape an Asura’s notice. If you’re discovered, your life will be in danger.”

Mu Lin nodded in agreement. “Indeed. That’s far too risky. We should find another way!”

Lu Sangjiu, however, was quite confident. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I won’t be discovered. Trust me.”

Lie Rufeng knew she wasn’t a reckless person. If she said it, she must be certain.

After a moment’s hesitation, he finally nodded and agreed.

“Very well. Many Demon Cultivators have been coming and going from the Fan Family’s estate recently, and they’re all Loose Cultivators. With one more of you, they shouldn’t notice anything amiss.”

“Just go in, take a quick look to confirm if the person is there, and leave immediately. Don’t cause any trouble.”

Lu Sangjiu nodded eagerly. “Don’t worry, leave it to me!”

She agreed readily, but in truth, she was willing to take such a risk because she had her own agenda.

She had promised Gu Jue she would find a way to free him, but since arriving in the Immortal Spirit Realm, she’d had very few opportunities to consult ancient records.

The Qiyue Sect was one of the larger sects in the Immortal Spirit Realm, so it surely had a vast collection of texts. Perhaps it held some relevant records.

It was just that she had already troubled Lie Rufeng and the Li Huo Sword Venerable so much that she was too embarrassed to bring it up.

‘Now, if I put in some effort and make Lie Rufeng owe me one, it’ll be easier to ask him later, won’t it?’

With this goal in mind, Lu Sangjiu rallied her spirits, determined to handle this matter perfectly.

However, to cover her tracks, she couldn’t use Lin Qiu’s face again. Back in her room, she changed her appearance to that of an ordinary male cultivator, put on some inconspicuous clothing, and then headed out.

Although the Fan Family had specifically invited certain Loose Cultivators, they also welcomed other Heavenly Demons who were interested in the Secret Realm. Those with sufficient strength also had a chance of being invited to enter.

Therefore, Lu Sangjiu had no trouble entering the Fan Family estate. She gave the fake name “Lu Yi,” revealed her Heavenly Demon Stage cultivation, and was politely invited inside.

Lu Sangjiu wasn’t the only Cultivator visiting the Fan Family today. When she was led into the main hall, several people were already engaged in lively conversation.

The person in the seat of honor was, needless to say, a member of the Fan Family.

Seated below were three other cultivators—two men and a woman.

One of the female cultivators… Lu Sangjiu froze for a second. It was Yan Yu, the woman she had met in the Secret Realm!

‘I really didn’t expect to see her again so soon. But is she a Loose Cultivator?’

Last time, Lie Rufeng had mentioned a mysterious sect of Demon Cultivators who possessed a method to disguise themselves as Immortal Cultivators, and she had assumed Yan Yu belonged to it.

‘But now she’s here… is she hiding her identity, or is she truly a Loose Cultivator?’

In an instant, a multitude of questions flashed through Lu Sangjiu’s mind, and her curiosity about Yan Yu deepened.

Perhaps she had been staring at Yan Yu for too long, as Yan Yu suddenly turned her head and looked right at her.

Lu Sangjiu paused for a moment but didn’t look away. She met the other woman’s gaze, offered a slight smile and a nod, then casually took a seat as if nothing was amiss.

The member of the Fan Family at the head of the hall politely introduced himself to Lu Sangjiu, and only then did she realize he was the Head of the Fan Family.

According to him, they were preparing to arrange a few matches. Those who passed the test would be able to enter the Secret Realm together.

This venture, however, was tantamount to being hired by the Fan Family to help explore the Secret Realm. Therefore, any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Elixir Pills, inheritances, or similar items found within must be handed over upon their return.

Of course, they wouldn’t be handing them over for free. The Fan Family would compensate them with a proportional amount of Demon Essence Stones based on the value of the items.

However, this was just the official rule. In practice, if someone managed to obtain something that could be used or consumed on the spot, the Fan Family naturally wouldn’t press the issue afterward.

All in all, being able to enter this Secret Realm was still a good opportunity for a Loose Cultivator.

This was precisely why so many people had come to try their luck.

With the explanations out of the way, the group proceeded to the courtyard to begin what the Head of the Fan Family called the test.

In reality, it was a fight. Each challenger had to defeat one of the Fan Family’s Heavenly Demons to earn the right to enter the Secret Realm.

Of course, the Fan Family’s chosen Heavenly Demon had a very high cultivation, seemingly at the Late Stage of the Heavenly Demon realm. Winning would not be easy.

Lu Sangjiu was the last to arrive, so she was also scheduled to be the last to compete.

The person before her was Yan Yu, so Lu Sangjiu naturally stood beside her to watch the duel in the courtyard.

Lu Sangjiu didn’t want to risk exposing her identity, so she had no intention of chatting with Yan Yu. Unexpectedly, however, Yan Yu initiated the conversation.

“Fellow Daoist, I don’t recognize you. Where are you from?”

Lu Sangjiu didn’t answer, merely glancing at Yan Yu. “We’re currently competitors. It’s not very appropriate to ask such personal questions.”

Yan Yu raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in her eyes. “Then I won’t pry. How should I address you?”

“Lu Yi.”

Yan Yu’s eyebrow twitched again. A faint, unreadable smile touched her lips. “That’s a… remarkably simple name, Fellow Daoist.”

‘Is she mocking me for picking such a lazy fake name?’

Lu Sangjiu didn’t mind. She just looked back at her and asked, “And how should I address you?”

“Yan Xue.”

Lu Sangjiu was speechless.

‘Alright, that confirms it. “Yan Yu” was probably a fake name, too.’

‘Wait, so was the “Yu” in Yan Yu supposed to mean “rain”? And now she’s not calling herself Rain, she’s just gone straight to Snow?’

‘So her own choice of name isn’t any more creative than mine, is it?’

While the two were talking, the duel had already concluded. The man who had issued the challenge was defeated. He walked down, dejected, and without saying much, simply cupped his hands in a farewell gesture to Master Fan and left.

Lu Sangjiu had just been speaking with Yan Yu—oh, she should call her Yan Xue now. While talking with Yan Xue, she had also been paying close attention to the situation in the courtyard.

The Fan Family’s Cultivator was indeed formidable, but Lu Sangjiu figured she could probably still win.