11: Tang Wu's Scheme with the People of the Demon Realm

After this conversation, the atmosphere between the two obviously softened. They chatted for a while longer before Luo Qingxue stood up to take her leave. Before departing, she hesitated and whispered.

"Tang Wu is a man of dark thoughts and questionable methods. Although you do not fear him, you still need to guard against his schemes in the shadows. If there is any unusual activity, you can inform me or report directly to Revered Master."

Her final sentence was almost equivalent to giving Lu Yu tacit permission to borrow Leng Qingshuang's influence when necessary.

After seeing off Luo Qingxue, Lu Yu stood in the courtyard in a good mood. His relationship with his fiancée could be considered to have broken the ice, and Leng Qingshuang seemed to have accepted his presence by default.

Next, it was time to take the initiative and meet that Tang Wu.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. During this time, he frequently contacted Luo Qingxue. After she learned that Tang Wu had deep roots in the Demonic Path, she began arranging for people to track him.

At this moment, the low-grade transmission Talisman at his waist, used for contacting informants, suddenly vibrated slightly.

Inputting Spiritual Qi, the voice of the Disciple Luo Qingxue had assigned to track Tang Wu came through, sounding a bit panicked.

"Senior Brother Lu, I just saw from a distance near the Black Water Pool that Tang Wu was with two people in black cloaks whose faces I couldn't see. They were heading toward the abandoned Cold Prison at the bottom of the pool! The aura on those two was terrifyingly cold, not like living people. I didn't dare follow and rushed to report!"

Black Water Pool? Cold Prison? Lu Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

That was a famous cold dead land in the Canglan Sacred Sect, a place where high-profile prisoners were held in the early years, but it had long been abandoned.

Tang Wu meeting mysterious black-robed people in such a place... "Well done. Contact Qingxue as well and continue to keep an eye out, but be absolutely careful. Safety first."

Lu Yu sent the message back and put away the Talisman, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Has the fox's tail finally been revealed?

Just as well, I'll go see what kind of monsters are hidden beneath the waters of that pool.

The Black Water Pool—one could tell just by the name that it wasn't a good place to go.

Tang Wu meeting two black-robed people in the abandoned Cold Prison—anyone could guess they were up to no good.

However, he was a newcomer and unfamiliar with the place. Barging in recklessly would not only alert them but also, if some old monster was hidden inside, his cultivation at Golden Core Perfection, even with Luo Qingxue, might not be enough.

But if he didn't go, his heart would itch like it was being scratched by a cat.

Having finally caught a chance to see Tang Wu's tail, if he missed it, there was no telling when the next time would be.

He glanced at Lin Wanqiu, who was focused on meditating in the bamboo hut, cultivating the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Scripture, with faint golden flame phantoms flickering around her.

This girl's Nirvana Phoenix Body had just begun its Awakening, and it was a critical time to stabilize her Foundation. He couldn't take her on such a risk.

He had to think of a compromise.

Lu Yu stroked his chin, his Divine Sense sinking into his body.

He had looked at the System store before; wasn't there a disguise and breath-concealing technique called the Thousand Faces Art?

Its rank wasn't high, but it was practical and easy to Cultivate, making it perfect for this kind of sneaky business.

He spent five hundred Luck Gold Coins to purchase it.

No time like the present!

He let Lin Wanqiu continue her cultivation, set up a simple warning Formation outside the courtyard, then retreated into the inner room, sat cross-legged, and began to comprehend the Thousand Faces Art.

The technique wasn't profound; it mainly involved using Spiritual Qi for subtle adjustments of facial muscles and bones, as well as breath fluctuations, to achieve the effect of changing one's appearance and blurring one's cultivation.

With his Nine Yang Haori Body as a base, Lu Yu's control over Spiritual Qi was exquisite. In just half an hour, he had already gotten the hang of it.

He tried it out in front of a blurry bronze mirror in the room.

With a thought, the contours of his face slowly became plain, his skin tone darkened slightly, and a few inconspicuous fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes. Along with suppressing his aura to around the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, he changed into a set of dull gray, ordinary Disciple clothes—an old set an informant had secretly provided to gain his trust.

Looking in the mirror, Lu Yu could hardly recognize himself.

Good, low-profile enough.

As night fell, most areas within the Canglan Sacred Sect grew quiet, save for the occasional light of patrolling Disciples flying by and the faint sound of bells from the distant main peak.

Lu Yu quietly slipped out of the guest courtyard, identified the direction, and made his way toward the Black Water Pool area in the back mountain.

The closer he got to the back mountain, the colder and heavier the surrounding water Spiritual Qi became, lacking the clear and transparent feeling of the front mountain.

The trees also became sparse and strange, their branches twisted and leaves dark, with a faint, foul smell like rotting water plants mixed with rust lingering in the air.

The Black Water Pool was at the bottom of a mountain hollow. Though called a pool, it was quite large. The water's surface was pitch black like ink, without a ripple, appearing deathly still.

Beside the pool stood a broken stone tablet engraved with the blurred words "Cold Prison Forbidden Ground," exuding a sinister vibe. It was said the entrance to the Cold Prison was at the bottom of the pool, long since sealed.

"I'm here."

At that moment, Luo Qingxue's voice rang out not far from Lu Yu. Following the sound, Lu Yu saw Luo Qingxue, who had also concealed her breath and hidden herself. She was no longer wearing her white dress, as white would be too eye-catching in this dark environment, and had changed into a set of black clothes.

At first, Luo Qingxue didn't recognize Lu Yu, but after sensing the aura of the token she had given him, she confirmed his identity.

"Let's go and see exactly what that Tang Wu is up to."

Hearing Lu Yu's words, Luo Qingxue didn't hesitate. They hurried over side by side. Over the past few days, their relationship had become much more familiar due to their connection as fiancé and fiancée.

Lu Yu withdrew all his breath and, using the shadows of the jagged rocks, made his way to a high point by the pool, lying behind a large, cold stone and carefully peering out.

Luo Qingxue was right beside him.

There was no one by the pool, only the wailing mountain wind blowing past, creating a nearly invisible ripple on the surface.

Were they too late?

Or had the informant been mistaken?

Just as Lu Yu was wondering, the Blazing Sun Spiritual Power in his body throbbed slightly—not out of excitement, but a instinctive repulsion upon encountering something antithetical.

His gaze narrowed, and he held his breath, elevating his perception to the limit.

They're here!

In the shadows near the mountain wall by the pool, the air distorted strangely like water ripples, and three figures flickered into existence. Leading them was Tang Wu in his blue robes, his face looking somewhat grim under the moonlight.

Standing behind him were two individuals completely shrouded in large black cloaks, their faces hidden deep within the shadows of their hoods.

But the aura of coldness and silence radiating from them, as if carrying endless resentment, made the hair on Lu Yu's body stand on end!

This was definitely not the way of the Canglan Sacred Sect!

It wasn't even like the violent madness of typical Demonic Path Cultivators, but a purer, colder Death Qi!

Like things that had crawled out of a grave!

"Two Venerables."

Tang Wu's voice was deliberately lowered, carrying a hint of subtle respect.

"This place is absolutely safe. The Formations have been checked, and there is nothing unusual."

One of the black-robed men nodded, a raspy, dry voice like the sound of two broken stones rubbing together coming from the shadow of the hood.

"How is the progress on what the Demon Lord requires?"

This voice was extremely unpleasant, making Lu Yu's ears feel uncomfortable.

Tang Wu hurriedly said.

"Venerable, the profound yin true water has been secretly collected for the most part. In another month, there will be a sufficient amount. It's just that the woman Leng Qingshuang seems to have noticed something recently, and her inspections of several key Formation nodes have become more frequent. We need to be more cautious."

"No matter."

The other black-robed man spoke, his voice equally raspy but even colder.

"The Demon Lord has already sent down a decree. If necessary, we can activate the hidden agents to create a distraction, or even..."

He paused, his voice carrying a cruel undertone.

"If we can find an opportunity to heavily injure or control Leng Qingshuang, the plan will proceed even more smoothly. The profound yin cold jade origin within her body would be quite a supplement."