Chapter 360: Chapter 262: Into Taishang Laojun’s Eight Trigrams Furnace

Returning behind the barrier, a bubble-like partition completely separated the two worlds.

The Gray Scale vanished from sight.

Yang An stood before the barrier, lost in thought.

’He had originally thought it was just a few people from the Life Crane Sect. He’d assumed that after their deaths, their souls had been snatched away by that old man, He, which was why they’d appeared in the Xian Origin Land.’

’But it wasn’t just them. The old man’s former disciples were there too, and there was surely more than one.’

’The Gray Scale was just the shallowest layer of the Xian Origin Land. Its depths were intimately connected to the *Mystic Path Decoded*.’

’But in his cultivation journey so far, he had never experienced the price of his Cultivation Technique, so he had no idea what these "other levels" were actually like.’

’It looked like he would have to explore it for himself.’

’He had gained control over the Xian Origin, but he didn’t know what that control actually entailed.’

’His first time entering the Xian Origin Land, he had been met with a series of attacks and hadn’t managed to gather much information. Still, time was on his side.’

Now that the Earth Spirit Stele had completely fused with him, a heavy weight was finally lifted from his shoulders. With the issue of his Cultivation Technique resolved, it was time to contact the Workshop Master and pull off his great deception.

As long as he could get past the Workshop Master, he could finally remove the Concealment Seal, restore his true strength, and start cultivating again.

He had a path forward for his Cultivation Technique and access to new Techniques. The Zombie God realm was within reach, and as a Buddha’s Son, acquiring whatever resources he needed would not be difficult.

He was currently out on his own, with no spies from Great Virtue Temple around. The timing was perfect.

Inside a pitch-black, stinking cave, Yang An opened his eyes. He had withdrawn from the Earth Spirit Stele.

He looked inward with Introspection. The Earth Spirit Stele had fused completely with his physical body. Now, it could be said that he was the Earth Spirit Stele, and the Earth Spirit Stele was him.

The acupoint he had created in his Heart when he first began the Cultivation Technique now served as the gateway to the Earth Spirit Stele.

Of course, it was not his physical body that entered the Earth Spirit Stele.

"You little brat, the next time you go to that Gray Scale, don’t you dare take me with you."

As Yang An came to his senses, he heard the Bow Lady’s voice. Her tone trembled slightly, as if in fear.

"You went in there with me?"

Yang An asked. He had clearly called for the Bow Lady while in the Gray Scale, but she hadn’t reacted at the time.

"I couldn’t speak or make a single sound. If I had, I would’ve been assimilated and trapped there forever."

"If I hadn’t been with you, you might not be hearing me talk right now."

the Bow Lady explained.

Yang An understood.

’Because he had control over the Xian Origin Land, he was fine going in. But others weren’t.’

He agreed to the Bow Lady’s request. He had previously considered asking the Workshop Master if there was a way to safely contain her, but the Workshop Master hadn’t responded then.

At this thought, Yang An scanned his surroundings. With no auras of other living beings or Demon Fiends present, he was temporarily safe. He immersed his consciousness in the Tree of Flesh and Blood.

The Scripture Defector Association had eight members in total, including him but not counting the Workshop Master.

Half of the members had already successfully broken through to the Corpse Transformation stage with the Workshop Master’s help. Although there were side effects, it was still considered a success, and the others were close to their own breakthroughs.

Yang An quickly contacted the Workshop Master, explaining that he had reached Visceral Stone Perfection and was ready to break through to the Corpse Transformation stage at any time.

The Workshop Master replied with three consecutive "Good!"s, then told Yang An to prepare to activate the vessel’s teleportation.

Before long, the Tree of Flesh and Blood split open, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through. From within, a corpse was exposed.

No, perhaps it couldn’t be called a corpse anymore.

Yang An remembered that the first time he used the vessel teleportation, the corpse that had appeared from the Tree of Flesh and Blood had possessed no aura of life.

But looking at it now, he could sense a faint aura of a living being emanating from the corpse.

It wasn’t Life Force, just a faint wisp of an aura.

To Yang An, it felt as if an inanimate object had suddenly taken on the aura of a living person. It was a bizarre sensation, as though it had been tailor-made for him.

Mentally prepared to release the Concealment Seal at a moment’s notice, Yang An’s consciousness made contact with the vessel.

His consciousness quickly occupied the vessel, transferring into it completely.

Yang An was eager to see exactly how the Workshop Master helped members of the Scripture Defector Association overcome the limitations of the Innate Flesh Mushroom.

’To be able to do even this... who exactly is the Workshop Master? And what is his objective?’

The Tree of Flesh and Blood slowly closed. In the tight, cramped space, the familiar sensation of being transported washed over him.

An hour had passed by the time light returned to Yang An’s vision.

He found himself in a hazy space, where a thick fog prevented his senses from extending very far.

A figure emerged from the fog.

Just as when Yang An had first seen him, the figure was completely enveloped in a white robe, concealing his form and features. He wore a white mask covered in lines.

The Workshop Master.

Yang An subconsciously tried to sense the Workshop Master’s Cultivation Level, but he still couldn’t detect a thing.

The man stood right before him, yet it was as if he didn’t exist at all.

Yang An was extremely nervous, terrified the Workshop Master would see through his Concealment Seal.

However, the Workshop Master’s next words dispelled his worry.

"This is going to be very painful. If you can’t endure it, you will die. Are you ready?"

’The Workshop Master didn’t see my Concealment Seal.’ Yang An breathed a sigh of relief.

’That makes sense,’ he thought. ’Even Elder Monk Hai Shu couldn’t see through it. The Workshop Master can’t be stronger than Hai Shu and Zhuan Yu, right?’