Chapter 2038: Chapter 85: Recruiting Allies (Part 2)
Lu Shifu’s face turned somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing this, and his tone was slightly cold:
“Brother Li speaks as if our Double Body Realm is inhospitable.”
Then he looked at Wang Ba, his tone once again becoming gentle, with a bit of frankness and sincerity:
“Taoist Friend Taiyi, the secret of the mirage is close at hand, and there may be dangerous places. The saying ‘unity is strength’ holds true, and mutual alliance is the most appropriate approach. Although our Double Body Realm is domineering, we respect Great Cultivators like Taoist Friend Taiyi the most. In this exploration, if there are gains, they will be distributed according to contribution. If there is something our Double Body Realm is determined to obtain, we will compensate so as not to let Taoist Friend suffer any loss… What do you think, Taoist Friend?”
After speaking, he looked at Wang Ba with anticipation.
It was indeed a straightforward attempt to win him over.
A trace of indistinguishable doubt flashed in Wang Ba’s eyes, his gaze sweeping over the pavilion at the end of the steps, faintly revealing some realization and heaviness, then he showed a thoughtful expression, seemingly inclined but did not speak immediately.
Li Zhongping, meanwhile, frowned slightly, surprised by how direct Lu Shifu was.
Thinking of the potential secrets behind the mirage, he glanced at the cultivators continuously converging from the end of the steps below.
Almost all are Outer Realm Cultivators.
With a sudden change of heart, he laughed abruptly, seemingly joking:
“Hahaha, Taoist Friend Taiyi, don’t believe his nonsense. In the Sea of Chaos, everyone knows Brother Lu is the most petty; be careful if you offend him!”
“Li Zhongping!”
Lu Shifu finally could not bear it and angrily shouted:
“Are you going to have a bout with me, Lu?”
Li Zhongping chuckled:
“Well, I was just joking, Brother Lu, please don’t take it to heart.”
But these words undoubtedly still impacted the ‘Taiyi Mountain Master’.
He seemed to finally make a decision and slightly shook his head:
“Thank you for your kindness, Taoist Friend.”
However, he did not say much more.
Lu Shifu did not bother to fall out with Li Zhongping, his expression revealed a trace of disappointment upon hearing this.
In the Three Realms, those from the Holy Desecration Realm have yet to arrive, and the biggest competitor in exploring the secret of the mirage is undoubtedly Li Zhongping of the Jade Pot Realm.
As for those Outer Realm Cultivators, though there are indeed strong figures among them, the number of people from the Double Body Realm at the market side keeps arriving, enough to hold back most of the Outer Realm Cultivators.
Only the suddenly emerged Taiyi Mountain Master has unfathomable power and seems faintly able to ignore the restrictions here.
If he becomes an opponent, it undoubtedly increases the competition’s difficulty and uncertainty. Conversely, if he can be used, he would be an extremely sharp blade.
Unfortunately, Li Zhongping obviously recognized this as well, immediately spoke out to contend, and when he realized he could not win, he simply tried to stir things up, even if unable to ally with the Taiyi Mountain Master, he would vigorously disrupt the situation.
“I can only ensure that those who follow me come over as quickly as possible!”
Lu Shifu’s heart sank slightly.
He and Li Zhongping were the same, breaking away from the main force to arrive ahead.
But in the meantime, the cultivators from Jade Pot Realm and Double Body Realm that were behind finally all came over.
“Wenqiu…what happened?”
Li Zhongping immediately saw Zu Wenqiu and several other cultivators of the Wen Generation leading, but several of them looked a bit untidy, and even those following them bore visible injuries, asking subconsciously, although he already had some guesses in his heart.
“It’s the Treasure Hunters…we rushed on the road and fell into their ambush.”
Zu Wenqiu said with a gloomy face.
If it were outside the Sea Market, these Treasure Hunters wouldn’t dare to attack them with ten times their courage, but inside the Sea Market, the changing rules often resulted in situations where the inferior defeated the superior. Although they had many people, they were still targeted by those with ulterior motives and lost some manpower.
Li Zhongping’s face darkened slightly, his gaze sweeping over the seemingly cautious Outer Realm Cultivators around, unfooled by their timid appearance. These Outer Realm Cultivators seemed to fear them like tigers, but once given the chance, they would reveal their ferocity.
He ultimately gave up on inviting the Taiyi Mountain Master for this very reason; Double Body Realm cultivators were enemies rather than friends, but Outer Realm Cultivators were equally unreliable.
Lu Shifu’s face didn’t look good either, clearly Double Body Realm people encountered the same problems.
And during the conversation among Li Zhongping, Lu Shifu, and Wang Ba, even though the Outer Realm Cultivators were numerous, none of them passed them to ascend higher steps.
Until the huge mercury pearl hanging on the steps shattered with a bang.
Yu Yu was the first to charge out, surprisingly without any injuries. Just as he was about to hand the acquired Immortal Marrow Jade Liquid to Wang Ba, he saw the stairway crowded with cultivators, and was instantly startled.
Yu Wuheng, Chen Xuan, and the Corpse-digging Ghost King also flew out immediately, equally shocked by the numerous cultivators surrounding them.
When seeing Yu Wuheng, many of the surrounding cultivators showed a trace of apprehension in their eyes.
The demonstration at the entrance of the Sea Market not long ago already showcased Seventh-Order Tao Domain strength, which, among Outer World Cultivators, was the pinnacle of power.
In a single force, having two Great Cultivators capable of holding such a position was indeed astonishing to many cultivators.
Both Lu Shifu and Li Zhongping glanced at Yu Wuheng. Sensing his aura, they relaxed instantly.
This quick achievement of the Seventh-Order Tao Domain aura was all too familiar to them. Their Primordial Spirits couldn’t match the Tao Domain, thus their strength was far inferior to orthodox cultivators who refined themselves through diligence. With their power, they could perhaps suppress him with just a few moves, hence they did not care.
It was instead the Tao Domain aura exposing only the Void Refining parts of the Taiyi Mountain Master that made them extremely wary.
Despite the brief confrontation earlier, the opponent revealed nothing more, seemingly unfathomable!
No one genuinely believed he was merely a Void Refining Cultivator, even if Taiyi Mountain Master himself claimed so, no one would buy it.
Whoever dared to say the Taiyi Mountain Master was a Void Refining Cultivator would likely get promptly slapped by Lu Shifu.
As their minds stirred, seeing more and more Outer Realm cultivators arriving at the stairway, Li Zhongping and Lu Shifu cautiously yet tacitly exchanged a glance. Li Zhongping looked towards Wang Ba and said with a laugh:
“Taiyi, the secret of this Mirage should be up there. Shall we continue ascending?”
Yu Yu, Yu Wuheng, Wu Monkey King, and others silently landed behind Wang Ba.
Against Li Zhongping’s proposal, Wang Ba remained nonchalant, responding unhurriedly:
“No rush, it’s fine if you, Taoist friends, go ahead.”
Li Zhongping narrowed his eyes slightly, yet he did not take Wang Ba’s words seriously.
He couldn’t believe anyone would truly be disinterested in the secret of the Mirage; otherwise, there was no need to come here.
Sweeped his gaze over the white-headed, horse-bodied monster still lying on the stairs, Li Zhongping turned his mind slightly and said solemnly:
“Is anyone interested in testing the skills of this alien beast?”
As his words fell, all the surrounding Outer Realm cultivators wore embarrassed smiles, their gazes evasive and cowering.
Yet they discreetly stood together.
“Cunning bunch!”
Li Zhongping cursed quietly, not daring to force them.
Helplessly, he could only gaze at a cultivator from the Wen Generation.
The man had just entered the mid-stage of Unification, and his combat power was similar to a typical Seventh Tier cultivator of the Outer Realm.
This Wen Generation cultivator dared not delay, wielding a book-like Dao Treasure, quickly ascending the stairs.
Before getting close, he activated the Dao Treasure, Tao Domain empowerment, releasing ink-like Demonic Beast shadows from the book, attacking the white-headed horse-bodied alien beast!
To Li Zhongping and Lu Shifu’s astonishment, the shadows of the Demonic Beast vanished without the slightest response as they approached the alien beast!
“What’s going on?!”
The Wen Generation cultivator’s action seemingly roused the slumbering alien beast.
In the next moment, the alien beast slowly opened its deep, quiet eyes, then elegantly rose.
With its rise.
The surroundings filled with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, reversing day and night, seemingly placing everyone in a spectral night.
An apocalypse of world-ending catastrophe instantly enveloped the entire stairway!
The Wen Generation cultivator sensed something amiss and retreated immediately, yet it was already too late.
A bolt of lightning struck down, pulverizing the cultivator’s body!
Leaving only a stray Primordial Spirit wrapped in Dao Treasure, painfully falling down, quickly gathered by Zu Wenqiu with sharp eyes.
Sensing the strange aura emitted by the alien beast, both Li Zhongping and Lu Shifu’s faces subtly changed, exclaiming in unison:
“Wonderful Feeling Realm!?”