333: Chapter 333 The Ten-Year Agreement, the Nine-Turn Primordial Golden Elixir!

"Indeed."

Lu Yuan nodded. "According to my deductions, he has already prepared a Late Stage True Immortal External Incarnation, ready to forcibly descend to the Lower Realm to seize people at any moment.

Although I do not fear that Incarnation, if we truly have a falling out and draw the attention of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, it would not be a good thing for us right now."

After all, for the Taiyi Immortal Sect to occupy an entire Immortal Realm, its strength was bound to be unfathomable.

The current Lu Yuan did not yet have the capital to go head-to-head with such a behemoth.

"Then are we just going to agree to his demands?" Yaochi Holy Mother was unwilling.

"Of course not."

A wise light flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes. "Since he wants to deceive us, we will deceive him in return, using a delaying tactic."

"A delaying tactic?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan explained. "Reply to him, saying that you are deeply grateful to him and are willing to lead the masses in Ascension, but..."

A mischievous smile played at the corners of Lu Yuan's mouth. "Say that the current situation in the Lower Realm is unstable, and the Yaochi Holy Land needs time to assemble its people and plunder resources as a meeting gift for the ancestor.

In short, find all sorts of reasons to cry poverty and show loyalty to drag out the time."

"How long should we delay?" Yaochi Holy Mother asked.

"Ten years."

Lu Yuan held up a finger. "Tell him we need ten years to prepare.

After ten years, we will surely bring the most elite forces and resources from the entire Central Region to the designated location for Ascension."

"Ten years..." Yaochi Holy Mother was deep in thought. "Will this Taiyi True Immortal agree?"

"He will."

Lu Yuan said with certainty, "Since he is short of Mine Slaves, naturally, the more the better.

Instead of catching a few small fries now, it's better to wait ten years and harvest a massive wave all at once.

Moreover, in his eyes, the ants of the Lower Realm cannot stir up any waves. Ten years is but a mere flick of a finger to him; he can afford to wait."

"As long as we have these ten years..."

A sharp light burst from Lu Yuan's eyes. "I am confident I can raise my cultivation by another level, and even... prepare to counter-attack the Immortal Realm! When that time comes, it's not yet certain who will be whose Mine Slave!"

"Good! I will go and reply right away!"

Yaochi Holy Mother's blood boiled as she listened.

She was also a decisive person. Following Lu Yuan's instructions, she immediately drafted a deeply moving reply that seemed loyal but was actually full of nonsense, sending it back through the remaining channel of the decree.

...

Immortal Realm, Daluo Heaven.

In a dark mining area.

A middle-aged man with a sinister countenance, dressed in a manager's attire, was pacing back and forth anxiously.

He was Taiyi True Immortal.

"Damn it! This month's output is insufficient again! If this continues and those above blame me, even I, the manager, will be thrown into the mine shaft to fill the hole!"

Taiyi True Immortal gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hostility.

Just then, a golden light streaked through the air and landed in his hand.

"Hmm? A reply from the Lower Realm?"

Taiyi True Immortal quickly opened it to read.

"Ancestor above... your unworthy descendant Yaochi Holy Mother kowtows... hearing the ancestor's summons, the entire sect is moved to tears of gratitude... however, the Lower Realm is barren and people are scattered... we beg the ancestor for a ten-year grace period... we will surely plunder the world's treasures and lead a thousand Mahayana Cultivators to undergo Ascension to serve the ancestor..."

After reading the letter, Taiyi True Immortal's brow furrowed, then relaxed.

"Ten years... a thousand Mahayanas?"

A glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

"If they can truly bring up a thousand Mahayana Stage Cultivators, plus those so-called treasures... not only can I make up for the deficit, but I can also make a huge profit!"

Although ten years was a bit long, he had no better options now.

While forcibly descending to the Lower Realm to seize people was feasible, it consumed a vast amount of energy and could easily trigger spatial storms, leading to a loss of manpower.

Rather than taking risks, it was better to wait for this group of fools to deliver themselves to his doorstep.

"Hmph, at least you are sensible."

Taiyi True Immortal gave a cold laugh and sent a decree to the Lower Realm: "Granted! Ten years is the limit! If you dare to delay, you will be executed without mercy!"

...

Lower Realm, Qingyun Dao Sect.

Having received the reply, Lu Yuan and Yaochi Holy Mother looked at each other and smiled.

"It's done."

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes. "Ten years. In these ten years, I will make these Three Thousand Dao Domains completely change their surname to Lu! I will also prepare a grand surprise for that so-called Taiyi Ancestor."

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

To a Mortal, ten years might be a long time, but to a Cultivator, it was but a mere flick of a finger.

However, for the Qingyun Dao Sect and even the entire Three Thousand Dao Domains, these ten years were a decade of earth-shaking changes.

Azure Cloud Peak, the back mountain Forbidden Ground.

An elegant young man dressed in green was sitting cross-legged on a giant rock, surrounded by Chaos immortal light. His aura was as deep as the sea, and he had already reached the absolute limit of the Peak Void Immortal stage, only a single step away from becoming a True Immortal.

This person was Lu Li.

Although he was only ten years old, not only was his figure as upright as a pine tree, but his face was also exceptionally handsome, perfectly inheriting his parents' best features, perhaps even surpassing them.

"Father, I'm back."

Lu Li opened his eyes and looked at Lu Yuan, who was standing not far away with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of filial devotion and admiration.

He had just finished a trial.

This time, he had ventured deep into an ancient Forbidden Ground that had just emerged, slain several Peak Mahayana guardian beasts, and brought back an extraordinary treasure.

"Li'er, how was the harvest from this trial?" Lu Yuan turned around, a fatherly smile on his face.

"Father, look!"

Like a child presenting a treasure, Lu Li took out a jade box with a Seal Talisman from his storage ring.

When the lid opened, a dense medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air, even manifesting an auspicious Dragon and Phoenix Phenomenon in the sky.

"This is a 'Nine-Transformation Hunyuan Golden Core'! It's said that one can achieve Immortal Ascension on the spot after taking it. Although that's a bit of an exaggeration, it has a miraculous effect on breaking through the True Immortal Bottleneck!"

Lu Li said excitedly, "I originally wanted to keep it for myself, but Father, you said that good things should be shared..."

Looking at that Golden Core, an imperceptible glint flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes.

A Nine-Transformation Hunyuan Golden Core? Good stuff!

This was a Divine Pill that could increase the chance of a True Immortal Breakthrough by thirty percent; it was a rarity even in the Immortal Realm.

"Ahem."

Lu Yuan coughed lightly, concealing the light in his eyes as his expression became serious.

"Li'er, I am very pleased that you have such filial piety, but..."

He said earnestly and sincerely, "Although your cultivation has reached the Peak Void Immortal stage, your state of mind has not yet reached Perfection.

The medicinal energy of this Nine-Transformation Hunyuan Golden Core is overpowering. If you take it rashly, I fear your Foundation will become unstable and even draw a Heart Demon Tribulation.

I will keep this Medicinal Pill safe for you for now. When your state of mind reaches Perfection, I will give it back to you."

"Huh? Keeping it safe again..."

Lu Li's small face slumped, feeling a bit wronged.

Over the past ten years, almost every good thing he brought back from his trials had been "kept safe" by Lu Yuan for various reasons.

"Unstable Foundation," "too much Killing Intent," "afraid you'll get arrogant"... the reasons were a wide variety, but in the end, everything always ended up in his father's pocket.