In the blink of an eye, more than three months passed. After returning to Wuling City, Lin Zheyu did not head to an immortal market right away. He had not accumulated enough Origin Force, so going too early would serve little purpose. Over those three months, he completed sect tasks, gathered Origin Force, and studied his Primordial Golden Body technique. If he could successfully create the Primordial Golden Body technique, it would be safer to visit the immortal market.

"Still no good..." Lin Zheyu shook his head slightly. The data for the Primordial Golden Body had yet to appear in his mind.

It had been over three months. Every idea and concept he had explored during this time had ended in failure. While he had not succeeded in creating the Primordial Golden Body, he had managed to develop a pure martial body-refining technique. Not only that, but his lightness and movement techniques had also improved considerably.

Ever since joining the Wuji Sect, Lin Zheyu had been reading martial cultivation texts extensively. As his spirit and spiritual soul strengthened and his spiritual sense condensed, the rate at which he accumulated knowledge became astonishing. By now, his understanding of martial cultivation had reached an incredible level. Even Elder Yang could not compare to him.

During this time, with nothing pressing, Lin Zheyu refined the Phantom Flash Soul-Chasing Steps using his accumulated knowledge and renamed it the Soul-Chasing Step. The improved movement technique maximized the efficiency of true origin energy. At the same time, it allowed for more flexible and powerful use of true origin. When activated, the immense speed placed far less strain on his body.

As a result, Lin Zheyu's top speed increased once again. At full power, he could reach a terrifying speed of eight times the speed of sound. However, limited by his mental strength, once he exceeded seven times the speed of sound, he could barely perceive his surroundings. Speeds above that were only suitable for escape.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 127]

[Skills: Primordial Concealment Technique (Perfection), Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique (Perfection), Soul-Chasing Step (Third Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his mind. His Origin Force had reached 127 units. He had originally accumulated nearly 150 units, but had spent over 20 to cultivate the Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique and the Soul-Chasing Step. The Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique was inspired by the Furnace Tempering Body Technique and alchemy methods. He treated his body as a pill, using Thunder and Fire true origins as the furnace flame to refine it.

"I'm heading out for a bit." Lin Zheyu stood and walked out of the courtyard, saying to Yu Qing, "If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to come back tomorrow."

"Yes, Young Master," Yu Qing replied respectfully.

After leaving Wuling City, Lin Zheyu headed straight northwest. Over two hundred kilometers away lay a vast lake known as Green Serpent Lake. Countless green water serpents lived within it, which was how the lake got its name.

As soon as he neared Green Serpent Lake, he saw long green snakes everywhere, flicking their tongues. Among them were even giant green pythons more than ten meters long.

A giant python as thick as a water barrel suddenly shot out from the nearby swamp, opening its gaping maw as it lunged at Lin Zheyu.

A blade flash swept past. The giant python let out a shrill scream as it split cleanly in two from the middle of its head and crashed to the ground. Lin Zheyu did not even spare it a glance and continued onward.

Soon, he arrived at Green Serpent Lake. The lake was extremely deep, nearly five hundred meters at its deepest point. It was the new cultivation ground Lin Zheyu had chosen for breaking past his limits.

Lin Zheyu took off his shirt and trousers and put them into his storage pouch. Wearing only a pair of shorts, he leaped into the lake. Large numbers of green water snakes swam past him. Before long, he sank to a depth of more than a hundred meters and began his usual cultivation. Crimson true origin coursed around his body, while arcs of lightning burst from him, filling the lakebed with sharp, crackling explosions. Water snakes that caught the scent of prey swam over, only to be shocked numb by the lightning arcs and flee in terror without daring to look back.

More than two hours later, Lin Zheyu sat by the shore of Green Serpent Lake, breathing heavily. He slapped his storage pouch with his right hand, and three bottles of spirit liquid appeared in his grasp. As his true origin circulated, the liquid quickly transformed into surging energy that flowed into his body.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 132]

[Skills: Primordial Concealment Technique (Perfection), Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique (Perfection), Soul-Chasing Step (Third Stage: 100%)]

"132 units of Origin Force should be enough. And if I run into danger, a speed of eight times the speed of sound should be sufficient, too."

Looking at the data, Lin Zheyu made up his mind.

For more than three months, he had tried through every possible channel to gather information on the Martial Alliance. But since they were not in the same region, and the Martial Alliance kept an extremely low profile, Lin Zheyu had still come up empty-handed.

He had no intention of waiting any longer. The Primordial Thunderfire Pill Technique was not just for rapidly burning through true origin and stamina to speed up his breakthroughs. Its body-refining effects were also top-tier. Compared to before, Lin Zheyu's physique had grown much stronger. Even he no longer knew just how strong he had become. But he felt that if he encountered those two barbarian experts again, killing them would be far easier now.

Two days later, deep in the mountains outside Wuling City, a burly figure darted swiftly through the forest. The man moved so fast that the ferocious beasts out hunting only felt a gust of wind rush past them. Before they could react, he was already gone, leaving them to stare around in confusion.

"This is the place." Lin Zheyu stopped and looked at the unfamiliar valley.

The valley looked utterly ordinary, no different from any other. Lin Zheyu's Perception Domain slowly spread outward from him, extending in all directions until everything within a radius of more than two thousand meters fell under his awareness.

I don't sense anything unusual. According to Lei Yunshu, the immortal market is inside a ruined blessed grotto-heaven. Do you enter it through a formation?

His Perception Domain revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Lin Zheyu frowned slightly and spread out his spiritual sense. Since the Perception Domain could not detect anything, spiritual sense was his only option. But its range was limited, so he had no choice but to move around and search for a possible formation leading to the immortal market.

Lin Zheyu moved swiftly through the forest, his spiritual sense spread wide as he searched for the immortal market.

He stayed in the valley for a full three days and still failed to find this so-called immortal market. If Lei Yunshu had not had any reason to lie to him about this, he would have begun to suspect she had deceived him.

"Strange... why can't I find it? Lei Yunshu said you don't need any token to enter the market. You just have to come here, and you'll find it. So why can't I?" Lin Zheyu muttered softly.

It had been three days. He had searched the entire valley thoroughly, yet found nothing.

"Hm? Someone's here!" Lin Zheyu's expression shifted.

Within the range of his Perception Domain, two figures flashed past. They moved quickly, their bodies wrapped in earthen-yellow escape light. In just a few breaths, they were about to leave the area his perception covered.

"Looks like they're not that strong. They can't detect my Perception Domain," Lin Zheyu said with a faint smile.

If immortal cultivators were here, they were likely heading for the market. As long as he followed them and saw how they entered, he would find it. Lin Zheyu moved and quickly gave chase.

*** 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The two streaks of earthen-yellow escape light stopped halfway up a mountain, revealing two young figures. The man was quite handsome, while the woman carried a hint of innocence.

"Senior Brother, do they really sell everything inside?" the woman asked curiously.

"Yes. But the items here are much more expensive than those from the Directorate of Celestial Observation, and the quality is worse. For ordinary cultivation resources, it's best to obtain them through the Directorate," the man said with a smile.

He formed a hand seal and pointed forward. A purple diamond-shaped mark shot out, flying ahead before suddenly veering to the side after about thirty meters.

A sound like a stone dropping into water echoed out. An invisible barrier suddenly appeared in the air. When the diamond mark entered it, ripples spread outward.

"Let's go!" the man said with a smile.

The two moved and vanished into the invisible barrier. A few seconds later, Lin Zheyu appeared where they had stood.

So that's how it is. No wonder I couldn't detect it before.

Realization dawned on Lin Zheyu's face. To his senses, there had been nothing unusual ahead. Neither his Perception Domain nor his spiritual sense could detect any anomaly here.

Alright, I should try to go in too.

He moved and stepped into the barrier as well.