Chapter 146: Sales Drop!

【Ding! Return to True ended: You died.】

【Return to True calculating, please wait…】

【Calculation complete.】

【Items that can be brought back this time: Spirit Clan Bloodline ×1, Spirit Dao Bone ×1, God-Startling Pill ×1, Tier-Seven Dharma Artifact ×1, incomplete family treasure vault ×1, Pseudo-Immortal Corpse ×1】

Chaotian Peak, the Spirit Lake at the summit.

Lu Qingyang ended Return to True.

As a series of System notification sounds rang out by his ear, he let out a long breath of relief.

"This Return to True went a bit deep. I never imagined my final refinement of the Heaven-Reaching Formation would actually fail."

"But it's a good thing it failed. Otherwise, I'd have made someone else's fortune."

Recalling the final scene before Return to True ended, Lu Qingyang's gaze turned cold.

In the Simulation, he had been killed by this person. He never imagined that in Return to True, it would also be him.

Fortunately, in the end, he had taken revenge.

And comparing the Simulation rewards, this Return to True had been a massive profit!

"Never mind the insights into the Heaven-Reaching Formation. Just this Pseudo-Immortal Corpse alone makes this trip worthwhile."

"After all, when the Simulation ended, all I got was a single drop of blood!"

Lu Qingyang thought to himself.

He also had an idea.

Immediately, he focused his attention on the items to bring back.

There was nothing to hesitate over. The true treasures of this trip, aside from his memory and insights into the Heaven-Reaching Formation, were this Pseudo-Immortal Corpse.

"Bring back! Pseudo-Immortal Corpse!"

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on a successful retrieval.】

【Item Name: Pseudo-Immortal Corpse】

【Item Origin: Obtained by detonating a formation and killing a Pseudo-Immortal in the Simulation.】

【Item Analysis: A Pseudo-Immortal is an ascender who accumulated deeply in the Great Vehicle realm and ascended, encountered an accident mid-ascension, set foot in the Immortal Realm, then fell back to the mortal world due to insufficient realm. A Pseudo-Immortal Corpse is also called an Immortal Corpse.】

【Item Tip: A corpse containing immortal spiritual essence. It has many marvelous uses: it can be used to create a puppet, to forge artifacts, to extract its essence. In the lower realm, it is an extremely rare supreme treasure!】

"Boom!"

As the System notification fell, a corpse covered in bloodstains and radiating a heavy pressure suddenly appeared before Lu Qingyang.

Sensing this terrifying pressure, Lu Qingyang could not help but be astonished.

"As expected of a powerhouse worthy of the title of the First Pseudo-Immortal. Even in death, he still possesses such might."

Lu Qingyang sighed in admiration.

Then he turned his gaze to the corpse.

"A Pseudo-Immortal's corpse, if used well, would give my Chaotian Sect a trump card of its own in this world."

"Moreover, now that Ma Liang has joined the sect, there's at least a means to keep him in check."

"But the Corpse Puppet Dao… I haven't had much contact with it."

Lu Qingyang pondered for a moment, then decided to properly study the Corpse Puppet Dao.

At this thought, he summoned Jiangxin.

"Jiangxin, prepare the cultivation techniques and records on corpse puppets within the sect, as well as the required refinement resources."

"Didi, received, Master. Preparing the cultivation techniques and records on corpse puppets and the required resources for you now."

Soon, rows upon rows of materials appeared before Lu Qingyang.

Seeing this, Lu Qingyang immersed himself in them.

In the blink of an eye, several years passed.

Three years later, Lu Qingyang set down a jade talisman in his hand with some helplessness.

After spending three years, he had finally gained a deep understanding of the Corpse Puppet Dao.

However, that Pseudo-Immortal Corpse — he had never been able to actually work on it.

There was no other reason: insufficient strength.

A Pseudo-Immortal's body was harder than gold.

Never mind a Void Return True Lord like him; even a Tribulation Crossing True Venerable might not be able to shake it.

Unless, of course, a Mahayana Venerable helped.

And two years ago, with Ma Liang's addition, the Chaotian Sect now had a Mahayana Venerable.

But… how could Lu Qingyang let the other party know he had a Pseudo-Immortal Corpse in his possession?

So, seeing no other option, he could only shelve his plan to refine a Pseudo-Immortal Corpse puppet for now.

For the time being, he could only put it away.

"Whoosh!"

Lu Qingyang waved his right hand and stored the Pseudo-Immortal Corpse.

Then he summoned Jiangxin again and asked about the wrap-up work on the Thousand Bamboo Sect.

"Jiangxin."

"I'm here, Master."

"The Thousand Bamboo Sect ruins have now become the Thousand Bamboo Secret Realm, and puppets have long since been dispatched to set up there."

"Currently, sect disciples can go there to train and seek treasures, and they must hand over thirty percent of what they obtain."

"The Thousand Bamboo Sect ruins have now officially been renamed in the Sect Management Council's registry: Chaotian Sect - Thousand Bamboo Secret Realm."

Hearing Lu Qingyang's questions, Jiangxin responded immediately, one by one.

Lu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and stretched.

He had at least secured a gain for his own sect.

Then he twisted his neck and was about to check on the sect's recent construction work.

"Have there been any unusual movements among the sect disciples lately?"

"And how are the preparations for the development of the Firmament Continent coming along?"

"Didi, reporting, Master. The sect is operating normally in all respects, and Chaotian Heavy Industries in the Demon Domain is on track."

"The development of the Firmament Continent has also been put on the agenda, currently overseen by Elder Wu Ji."

"However…"

Jiangxin's voice suddenly paused.

"However, what?"

Lu Qingyang raised an eyebrow.

"However, the sect's recent sales of Battle Puppets have dropped severely. There seems to be some kind of market retaliation…"

Jiangxin's voice lowered a few notches, as if feeling it was his own fault.

Hearing this, Lu Qingyang could not help but be slightly surprised.

"Hm? There's someone in the Seven Stars Sea Region who can compete with my sect's puppets?"

"The Thousand Bamboo Sect is dead. By rights, our sect's puppet sales should have increased greatly, yet things have gone the opposite way…"

"Could it be other forces from Qingnan Shengzhou?"

Lu Qingyang mused.

"Jiangxin, what tier of Battle Puppets are we selling now?"

"Didi, Master. Our sect's Battle Puppets currently for sale cover Tier One through Tier Five, meaning we sell puppets with combat power from Qi Refining to Soul Transformation."

"As for Tier-Six Puppets, they are under development. Production is expected to begin once Chaotian Heavy Industries is officially up and running."

"Tier-Five Puppets… There aren't many sects in Qingnan Shengzhou that can mass-produce puppets."

"No, there must be something strange going on here."

Lu Qingyang turned around and looked at Jiangxin's main body puppet, its entire form flickering with flowing light.

"Help me contact Senior Wan of the Seven Stars Pavilion. Have him pull up the puppet shipment numbers for the Seven Stars Sea Region over the past three years."

"Find out clearly which sect refined that sudden flood of puppets on the market."

"They're stealing our rice bowl, and we still don't know who our opponent is. Isn't that too embarrassing?"

Lu Qingyang gave a light snort.

"Didi, please wait a moment, Master. I'll go contact him now."

Jiangxin responded respectfully.

Lu Qingyang sat back in his chair and rested with his eyes closed.

Until, half an hour later, the Communication Jade Talisman at Lu Qingyang's waist suddenly lit up.

Wan Hua's voice came through.

"Haha, Young Friend Lu, the puppet accounts you wanted — I've already had someone transfer them to your sect's artifact spirit."

"But they're all your Chaotian Sect's puppets. Why are you investigating them? Trying to see how many spirit stones you made this year? Haha!"

"By the way, I heard that Fellow Daoist Ma is now your Chaotian Sect's Grand Elder."

"Hahaha, pass along my congratulations to him."

Wan Hua's hearty laughter came through.

Lu Qingyang, however, showed no smile on his face.

Because he had just heard a very key sentence.

"What do you mean, they're all… Chaotian Sect's puppets?"