Chapter 606: The Demonic Lord of the Immortal Pivot, One All Must Slay!

"Fellow Daoist speaks the truth."

Looking at Ban Shan, Lu Yang withdrew his thoughts. Then, he suddenly chuckled and said, "But fellow Daoist has overthought it. I was merely complaining, not intending to renege."

"I’ve already withdrawn that one hundred million in credit advance."

At those words, Ban Shan immediately gave Lu Yang a satisfied glance—this child could be taught! Now that was proper. If one couldn’t even dare to take out a loan, what else could they use to cultivate immortality?

But soon after, his expression changed again as he solemnly stated, "In that case, fellow Daoist should not have come to waste my time. The method of refining Immortal Talismans is obscure and difficult to comprehend. Without a hundred or eighty years, one wouldn’t grasp it. Fellow Daoist should go into seclusion now and strive to refine your own Immortal... Immortal..."

Ban Shan's voice came to an abrupt halt.

Because at that moment, Lu Yang’s expression remained calm as he extended his palm. Floating in his hand was a Great Dao Immortal Talisman, one that had never before appeared in the Celestial Mansion.

"Ah?"

Ban Shan blinked. It took him a while to react: Impossible. This person has already comprehended the key principles and figured out how to refine an Immortal Talisman?

What kind of joke was that!

This was an Immortal Talisman—below True Lord level, one couldn’t even understand it, let alone attempt to replicate it. Even True Lords needed decades of contemplation to craft such a treasure!

And how long had Lu Yang been in the Celestial Mansion?

Not even a single day!

But the truth didn’t lie. No matter how one looked at it, the Immortal Talisman in Lu Yang’s hand was perfectly crafted, complete with anti-forgery markers—fully qualified for recognition by the Celestial Mansion.

In fact, judging by its refinement, this one... might even surpass the External Dao Immortal Talismans we issue under the External Dao Alliance in terms of quality!

In an instant, Ban Shan became highly alert.

He might not excel at Daoist combat, nor at scheming among cultivators, but when it came to Immortal Talismans—he was as familiar as one could get.

Our External Dao Immortal Talismans, though mass-produced and cost-cut in manufacturing, still hold value thanks to the External Dao Alliance’s endorsement. With no competition, they’ve always sufficed.

But now, things were different.

The one in his hand had the same rank yet better quality. It would surely be favored by the orthodox Immortal Lords above the Sixth Level.

That would inevitably cause exchange rate fluctuations.

And once the exchange rate shifted, it would bring inflation, financial crises, and capital shrinkage—devastating blows to the External Dao Alliance!

Thinking of this, Ban Shan narrowed his eyes.

How should one respond?

Either we increase our production costs and issue higher-quality Immortal Talismans... or we incorporate this new kind into the External Dao Alliance system!

The former would likely harm both parties, but the latter—a win-win.

At that moment, Ban Shan's gaze toward Lu Yang completely changed. If before, he had seen Lu Yang as just another External Dao True Lord—recruitable, but not essential—now, he saw him as a money tree. He had to bring him into the External Dao Alliance!

And Lu Yang had noticed the change in Ban Shan's gaze.

As expected of my wisdom.

Not even an hour had passed, yet Ancestor Tingyou had already fully comprehended the Immortal Talisman refinement method and successfully produced his first Great Dao Immortal Talisman!

So-called Great Dao Immortal Talismans vary with each Fruit Position and carry distinct personal traits. This one was condensed from【Worry-Free Heaven】—a supreme realm even among the External Dao—which made this talisman exceptionally refined.

As he caressed the talisman in his hand, Lu Yang chuckled inwardly:

In that case, let’s call you the "Worry-Free Talisman".

In a flash, Lu Yang envisioned many slogans to promote it: Buy the Worry-Free Talisman, and be free of worries; buy the Worry-Free Talisman, and earn while lying down...

The next moment, Lu Yang looked at the now-serious Ban Shan and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist misunderstood. I do not intend to mass-issue Immortal Talismans. I came to you today to discuss a deal."

Lu Yang swiftly altered his original plan.

The matters of Suo Huan and Empress Xiao could wait. Drawing from his years of experience in the Saint Sect, Lu Yang immediately conceived a new strategy.

Ban Shan raised a brow: "What kind of deal?"

Lu Yang replied with a smile: "I won’t be flooding the market with my Immortal Talismans. On the contrary, I plan to build them on the foundation of your alliance’s system."

"My talisman is called the【Worry-Free Talisman】. As you can see, the quality is decent. But I don’t plan to sell it as a currency. Instead, it will be a product. Its quantity will be fixed, and it can only be purchased using External Dao Immortal Talismans."

"And in return, I hope your alliance can offer some support."

"For instance, offer access to proper, regulated resources that can only be bought with the【Worry-Free Talisman】... including promotional support for the talisman itself."

At once, Ban Shan’s eyes lit up.

With his experience, he didn’t need the full explanation—just a few words and he already understood Lu Yang’s plan. It was indeed a mutually beneficial transaction!

He even foresaw greater business opportunities.

The quality of this Worry-Free Talisman is high—perfect for price speculation. If handled well, it might even rival orthodox Immortal Talismans.

A road to riches!

With his sharp instincts, Ban Shan spotted a golden opportunity for the External Dao Alliance to amass wealth. Yet he also sensed the lurking danger.

Speculated prices are ultimately inflated. After all, behind the Worry-Free Talisman stand only us External Dao True Lords. Behind the orthodox ones are legitimate Immortal Lords—and the highest ones, the Taiyin Immortal Talismans. Eventually, prices will crash!

When that time came, it would surely be a bloodbath.

But Ban Shan quickly calmed himself: No matter. As long as we pull out before then, and pass the risk down to the lower-tier cultivators, we’ll be fine.

Let’s do it!

At that thought, Ban Shan looked at Lu Yang with growing eagerness: This damn outsider... no, this brilliant fellow Daoist is full of potential!

Meanwhile, Lu Yang also smiled.

Perfect. The primitive accumulation of capital has begun. I was right—this Celestial Mansion truly is a blue ocean yet to be explored!

The rule of the Celestial Mansion was money.

With money, you were unbeatable. You could buy anything—even Fruit Positions. The more money one had, the higher one’s status.

Given time, what if I became the richest man in the Celestial Mansion?

Could I become its ruler?

Even if not, I could at least hire Immortal Lords to work for me. For example... to help me hunt down the【Sturdy Path-Preaching True Lord】!

After all, the Celestial Mansion was already planning to go to war with the Immortal Pivot.

One demonic lord or another, what difference does it make?

The Demonic Lord of the Immortal Pivot—one all must slay!

At that moment, numerous plans surfaced in Lu Yang’s mind. The smile on his face grew more genuine.

The Celestial Mansion really was a wonderful place.