I Am Immortal in Great Yu

"Sun Shouchai truly knew nothing about the Dragon Pearl. However, the scandalous rumors about you and Fang Rui were entirely his doing—a product of his manipulative questioning."

"So that's how it was?"

A glint flashed in Zhen Daoji's eyes. "He deserved to die, then."

'Spreading rumors about a superior, showing no respect—such insolence is a crime punishable by death!'

"Still, this complicates matters."

He quickly dismissed the rumors from his mind and frowned, his thoughts returning to the problem at hand. "If I want to achieve a physical breakthrough, I need a continuous supply of Mixed Primordial Pills. For that, I need both the Yin and Yang Dragon Pearls. The other Dragon Pearl is an indispensable part of the process."

"Dao Ji, you know there is a way."

Zhen Yi considered for a moment before speaking. "The Zheng Family once nurtured a Yin Corpse of the Upper Three Grades. They sealed a portion of the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl's Origin within it, allowing it to seek out the other Dragon Pearl by instinct."

"And it clearly worked. We can replicate their method. As long as the other Dragon Pearl hasn't been claimed and sealed away by someone, this approach is very likely to find it..."

"I have the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl right here, so parting with a sliver of its Origin is simple enough. But a Yin Corpse of the Upper Three Grades? That's another matter entirely! The difficulty is immense," Zhen Daoji sighed.

The refinement process of a Yin Corpse generally causes it to drop one Grade. In other words, to create a Yin Corpse, you'd need a Martial Artist of at least Second Grade or higher to die in a state of extreme resentment.

Yet even within the Zhen Family, a Second Grade Martial Artist is considered part of the upper echelon.

"It is difficult."

Zhen Yi nodded. "Of course. Otherwise, the Zheng Family wouldn't have waited until this generation to implement the plan, and only then by a chance encounter."

"Of course, how could the Zheng Family possibly compare to us? Dao Ji, you eliminated the Zheng Family with lightning speed, and the family is quite pleased. As a result, your access to our resources has been expanded. All you need to do is apply, and the family will procure the 'materials' from elsewhere for you."

He paused, his tone shifting. "It just depends on whether you can bring yourself to do it."

The implication was clear: creating a Yin Corpse required extreme resentment, and the methods for acquiring such a thing were certainly not honorable.

This was something Zhen Daoji had always been staunchly against.

"Second Uncle,"

After a moment of silence, Zhen Daoji spoke slowly, "Let's proceed."

He avoided the most depraved acts for the sake of his own Martial Arts' purity, but that didn't mean he wouldn't use sinister methods.

In other words, disciples from great Noble Families like him all had an extremely flexible moral baseline.

...

The secret base in the Peach Blossom Garden outside the city.

"It really is no good without the Dragon Pearl!"

Fang Rui sighed as he gazed at the scene before him. Except for the Rare Plant, the Red Jade Peach Tree, all the other Great Medicines and Old Medicines were withered and decaying.

The spot where the Dragon Pearl used to be was now empty.

That's right. On the very day Zhen Daoji obtained the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl, Fang Rui had sealed his own Dragon Pearl and removed it from this place.

'If the Zheng Family could nurture a Yin Corpse of the Upper Three Grades, seal a sliver of the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl's Origin inside it to find the other Dragon Pearl, then I refuse to believe the even more powerful Zhen Family can't do the same.'

'However, a Yin Corpse of the Upper Three Grades combined with a sliver of the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl's Origin can only find the other Dragon Pearl if it is ownerless.'

By sealing the Dragon Pearl with his True Essence, Fang Rui could completely block the faint pull between Yin and Yang.

Even so, just to be safe, he reinforced the seal on the Dragon Pearl multiple times and hid it somewhere else.

'Honestly, for me personally, the Dragon Pearl is just for cultivating Great Medicines and Old Medicines. It's not that important. If I have to give it up, I will.'

'But for Ling'Er and Nannan to walk the path of Martial Arts and become Spirit Masters, they'll need massive amounts of resources. For that, the Dragon Pearl Origin is a necessity.'

Perhaps in his long life, Fang Rui would one day find something better, but that was in the distant future.

He could wait, but Fang Ling and Nannan couldn't!

'If circumstances allow, it would naturally be best not to give up the Dragon Pearl.'

A glint appeared in Fang Rui's eyes as he mused.

...

「Half a month later.」

Zhen Yi appeared, looking frustrated. "I've been following that Yin Corpse around for several days as it wandered in and out of the city. I haven't found a single thing."

"It seems someone beat us to the other Dragon Pearl, took it, and sealed it away." Zhen Daoji narrowed his eyes.

"Yes!"

Zhen Yi nodded. "Back then, what Ge Changgeng encountered was a Yin Corpse Remnant Soul. This means one of two things: either the Zheng Family's Yin Corpse was destroyed by a hazard at the Dragon Pearl's location, or it was destroyed by a person. Now, it seems the latter is more likely."

"A Yang Attribute Dragon Pearl, plus an Upper Three Grade Martial Artist—or maybe an Upper Grade Spirit Master—capable of destroying a Second Grade Yin Corpse. This affair is getting more and more interesting."

Zhen Daoji clicked his tongue. "What a shame about the Yin Corpse I traded for..."

"It's not a complete waste. Dao Ji, if you're willing, I can extract some of the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl Origin and refine the corpse into a Second Grade Puppet."

"That works."

Zhen Daoji agreed, then returned to the matter of the Dragon Pearl. "Second Uncle, do you have any other suggestions for finding the other one?"

"Fang Rui, and that disciple of Ge Changgeng's..."

"Those two?!"

Zhen Daoji considered this, then shook his head. "They probably know even less than Sun Shouchai did."

"I know that. I'm not saying we should do anything to them, just that we should ask. What if they picked up on some clue without even realizing it?"

Zhen Yi paused, then added, "After all, following Ge Changgeng and Sun Shouchai, they are the only two living people connected to that elusive Yang Attribute Dragon Pearl."

Zhen Daoji remained silent.

"Dao Ji, you're worried that doing this will create a rift in your relationship with Fang Rui, aren't you? That's likely to happen. You'll have to weigh the gains and losses for yourself."

"Let me think."

Zhen Daoji closed his eyes. After a long silence, they snapped open. "Tomorrow, invite Fang Rui and Ge Changgeng's disciple to a banquet at the estate!"