Chapter 150: Cultivating a Power Base

Li Hao’s mind momentarily froze.

In order to explore the forbidden zone of Mount Beimang, he had first cleared the battlefield in Luocheng, then pieced together faint clues to deduce that rare spiritual treasures might lie within.

What followed was a total information lockdown, collaboration with all the major factions of Luocheng, and finally a bold expedition into the forbidden zone itself—all for the sake of obtaining these priceless spiritual treasures.

Yet now, from Lu Yan’s words and that disdainful attitude, it was clear—the very things he had pursued at all costs weren’t even worthy of a second glance in the eyes of these great beings. They were mere trash, to be discarded without thought.

After a brief daze, Li Hao took a deep breath. The fragrant scent of the Bloodred Ginseng in his hand helped him quickly refocus.

No matter what, obtaining this ginseng already meant he had fulfilled his original goal.

He turned to look around. Everyone in the temporary camp stared in shock at the spiritual root in his hands. Their earlier contempt had vanished—replaced by awe.

Vice Speaker Geng was especially envious. If just kneeling once could earn him such a treasure, he’d be willing to kneel for an entire day.

In the presence of genuine spiritual treasures, the so-called dignity of a councilman was utterly worthless.

“All mechanical dogs and drones are to cease exploration and return to camp.”

“Those that have completed their searches should deliver the spiritual items and do not delay any further!”

Li Hao’s command caused many brows to furrow.

They had already found several traces of spiritual items, and it was clear that a thorough search of the forbidden zone could yield an unimaginable harvest.

And yet—Li Hao was calling it off?

Vice Speaker Geng and the other two council members were filled with reluctance. They were about to speak out—

But remembering the strange events surrounding Li Hao—the red ginseng that flew into his hands, the overwhelming presence on the other end of the mechanical dog’s feed—they swallowed their protests and silently accepted the order.

The mechanical dogs began to withdraw from Mount Beimang in an orderly fashion. Those still harvesting treasures completed their tasks before departing.

“You’ve done well,”

Lu Yan’s voice rang out. With that, he casually tossed aside the camera and turned to walk deeper into the mist, without a hint of hesitation.

Li Hao’s expression twisted with conflict. As he watched Lu Yan turn to leave, he finally clenched his jaw and shouted:

“Your Excellency, please wait!”

Lu Yan paused—and the next moment, he reappeared before the camera like a phantom. His eyes bore into the lens, a faint glint of swordlight flashing within.

Even separated by the entire forbidden zone, Li Hao could feel the scent of death—as though a cold blade hovered just above his neck. His heart nearly stopped beating.

“Mortal. My patience is limited.”

Lu Yan’s voice was icy, scolding him coldly.

“You’d better have a good reason.”

Li Hao instinctively swallowed hard, his thoughts racing at lightning speed.

Originally, his plan had been simple: obtain spiritual items from Mount Beimang, analyze them in a lab, and seize the opportunity to understand spiritual energy before the big corporations and factions did.

But once he came into contact with the terrifying truth behind the forbidden zone, once he heard Lu Yan casually refer to these treasures as ‘trash’, he awoke.

His previous ambitions were laughably small in the face of such power.

Analyzing spiritual items to gain a foothold in the era of spiritual revival, competing with corporate giants and aristocratic families… that was the path of a mortal.

But now, after witnessing wandering souls unaware of their own death, a sword that slew a massive ghost, and a laugh that shook the entire mountain—

Li Hao understood what he truly wanted.

He didn’t just want to compete. He didn’t just want to get ahead.

He wanted to live forever through the rise and fall of ages.
He wanted to command the tide of the spiritual revival with power beyond imagination!

And a few spiritual herbs?
A lab built by mortal hands?

Nowhere near enough.

To reach his goal, Li Hao would have to seize every opportunity he could find.

And this brief contact with Lu Yan… might be one such chance.

In Li Hao’s eyes, Lu Yan was very likely a surviving powerhouse from the previous age of spiritual energy. The kind of person whose casual scraps could let him soar to the heavens in a single leap.

Of course, this was a dangerous gamble. If Lu Yan were displeased, a mere thought could destroy him.

Still, gritting his teeth, Li Hao dropped to his knees and said solemnly:

“Since Your Excellency resides in the forbidden zone of Mount Beimang, you must be burdened with countless matters.”

“I am willing to serve at your side, to shoulder your burdens!”

Li Hao couldn’t see it, but at the moment those words left his mouth, a faint smirk flickered across Lu Yan’s lips.

In truth, from the peach pit he’d dropped during the battle in Luocheng, to appearing before Li Hao disguised as the Blood God, to the line about “picking up trash”—every step had been carefully planned.

Lu Yan had already weakened the urban Heavenly Dao and taken hold of the broader momentum of this era.
Spreading spiritual energy was his way of anchoring that version-wide shift.

But he also understood another truth:

When the spiritual revival arrived, the established powers would be shaken.

Old systems would collapse, new ones would form. Someone would inevitably rise in the chaos.

And if someone was destined to profit from it anyway—

Why shouldn’t Lu Yan control that rising power himself?

Lu Yan didn’t have the resources to contend with behemoths like the Qingwu Group or the Archeological Association—not yet.

But facing new powers?
He had more than enough confidence.

That was why he left the peach pit in Luocheng’s battlefield: to lure a suitable candidate.

And he’d found one—Li Hao.

Lu Yan actually remembered him quite well.

In the southern border region, the Qingwu Sect dominated, but it allowed smaller sects some breathing room.

Beneath the Qingwu Sect were seven mid-tier sects, and dozens of cultivation clans.

According to Lu Yan’s knowledge, Li Hao was the patriarch of the Bai Furnace Li Clan, a cultivation family at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

The reason Lu Yan remembered him so clearly was that Li Hao had once united eleven cultivation families to establish the Wushan Market, a bona fide Second-Rank Cultivation Bazaar.

A peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, with influence in the Wushan region—he was somewhat notable.

“A cultivation clan? Foundation Establishment peak?”

“In the southern border, that’s nothing special. If not for founding the Wushan Market, Li Hao would be just another obscure cultivator.”

“But if he rides the wind of spiritual revival… how far could he go?”

A hint of anticipation stirred quietly in Lu Yan’s heart.

(End of Chapter)