Chapter 1091: Void Attainment!Acting upon his thoughts, Lu Yang immediately began to experiment.
'Void Attainment lies in the True Treasures.'
'First, extract the five Concepts from existing Dao Fruits to forge True Treasures, and then merge the True Treasures into one, achieving a reconstruction of the Dao Fruit Concepts.'
The method itself was very mature.
In fact, this was the Void Attainment method passed down from the ancient era, and also the most common one, because its underlying principle was relatively the simplest.
'Borrowing the concepts of existing Dao Fruits. For example, [Inversion] was [Sky-shrouding] borrowing the concept from the Wood Element Dao Fruit, and ultimately attaining it through the Void. Perfected Lord Feixue's [Nourishing Descend] was the same. Because there is a reference object, it's the simplest, and naturally, the success rate is the highest.'
This was the only viable method.
'Creating something out of thin air is unrealistic. Void Attainment should borrow from existing Dao Fruits. Only by standing on the shoulders of giants can one stand taller and see further.'
Even Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's [Sword Dao]...
'Back then, I thought it was truly attained out of thin air without borrowing external objects. But in reality, it was a Dao Lord's layout, possessing another connection on a higher dimension.'
Its essence was still borrowing.
Inside the pavilion of the Flaming Mountain, Lu Yang sat cross-legged. Five True Treasures orbited around him, releasing various illusionary colors that condensed into a halo behind his head.
'Once Void Attainment succeeds, the True Treasures serving as the foundation won't disappear. Instead, they will receive the empowerment of the Void Attainment Dao Fruit, adding another two or three portions of profound wonder.'
This was a good thing.
After all, Patriarch Nether Whisper and the others were still inside the Righteousness Dao Banner. If they disappeared because of the Void Attainment, Lu Yang would rather give it up and find another way.
It wasn't that he cared about their lives or deaths.
Mainly because Patriarch Nether Whisper, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon, Suo Huan, Empress Xiao... these people were still useful to him. Their utilization value as personnel hadn't been squeezed dry yet.
'Not good, my mind wandered.'
Lu Yang frowned slightly and quickly reined in his thoughts. He refocused his attention on the five True Treasures. In the depths of his eyes, filled with the Light of Wisdom, boundless Great Dao talismans were colliding.
'With the Supreme Five Elements Concepts, what kind of Dao Fruit should be attained through the Void?'
He was pondering the direction of his Void Attainment.
'The simplest direction is the [Divine Firmament Thunder]. If woven using the Supreme Five Elements concepts, the final [Divine Firmament Thunder] will inevitably be Supreme.'
When that time came, even without the empowerment of Tribulation, the [Divine Firmament Thunder] could perfectly recreate all the profound wonders of the five Supreme Dao Fruits. This would inevitably provide a massive boost to his combat strength. If he could further complete the Dao Fruit Sublimation Ritual, Lu Yang didn't even dare to imagine how terrifying the final Dao Fruit would be.
The only problem was—
'If I attain it this way, will the final Dao Fruit still belong to me?'
Another, more powerful [Divine Firmament Thunder] was essentially still based on the Five Elements Concepts. Would it form a connection with the Ancestral Dragon's [Five Elements]?
If it did, that would be troublesome.
'What I want is to jump out of the cage that is the Light Sea. If in the end, there's still no difference from the [Five Elements], then what's the point of my Void Attainment?'
Lu Yang lowered his eyelids and decisively made a choice:
'I won't choose the Five Elements!'
'Such perfect resources can only be found by chance, not sought. If I just create a more powerful [Divine Firmament Thunder], that would be a despicable waste.'
Moreover, Lu Yang hadn't forgotten.
'The method to reach the Heaven Treading Realm.'
He couldn't count on a Dao Lord's elevation.
Forging a plane required far too many resources; it was impossible in the short term.
'Only the Grotto-Heaven Method to Tread the Heavens. This method, pioneered by [Sky-shrouding], is based on a Grotto-Heaven and requires almost no resources. It's the most suitable for the current me.'
The Grotto-Heaven Method to Tread the Heavens.
As long as one had a Grotto-Heaven possessing Dao Fruit concepts, and a Void Attainment Dao Fruit to patch up its flaws—with both reaching the Immortal Bridge realm—one could use them to break through to the Heaven Treading Realm.
At this moment, Lu Yang's invincible wisdom operated at lightning speed.
'In the Dao Fruit I am going to attain through the Void now, there is the Yellow Court True Treasure. It was forged using my past Grotto-Heaven and is sufficient to bear the role of a Grotto-Heaven.'
'The Void Attainment Dao Fruit to patch up its flaws can be the [Divine Firmament Thunder].'
'In other words, the Dao Fruit I attain through the Void should be exactly one whose flaws can be patched up by the [Divine Firmament Thunder]. This is the most important part.'
Just like [Inversion] and the Wood Element Dao Fruit [Great Forest Wood].
Or [Nourishing Descend] and the Water Element Dao Fruit [Ravine Stream Water].
Finally, a look of enlightenment gradually surfaced in Lu Yang's eyes. 'I know now... The Supreme Five Elements Dao Fruits contain more than just the Five Elements.'
There were also the Five Heavenly Destinies.
Back then, the Ancestral Dragon's legacy used the [Five Elements] to swallow the Five Heavenly Destinies, subsequently creating the current Supreme Five Elements and allowing the [Five Elements] to complete a qualitative change!
'If I use this for Void Attainment and choose the Five Elements as the direction, the concepts related to the Five Heavenly Destinies will dissipate. Conversely, if I choose the Five Heavenly Destinies as the direction, the Five Elements-related concepts will weaken, giving rise to flaws... But the [Divine Firmament Thunder] can patch up the flaws in the Five Elements concepts for me!'
Lu Yang was suddenly enlightened.
He finally knew how to proceed on the path ahead. He would choose the Heavenly Destiny Concept for Void Attainment, use it to forge a Grotto-Heaven, and then use the [Divine Firmament Thunder] to fill in the gaps.
This way, he could advance to Heaven Treading!
Of course, the prerequisite was that both must reach the Immortal Bridge level. But for Lu Yang, this was only a matter of time; it wasn't nearly as difficult.
With this thought, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh with emotion:
"Only today do I know where the path lies!"
Before his voice faded, the Five Elements True Treasures, which were previously distinct and separate, crashed into each other with a boom at this moment. The endless illusionary colors abruptly collapsed, transforming into a single point of bright light.
In the past, Lu Yang would have, at most, sorted out this train of thought.
But as for the specific operations—how to ensure the direction of Void Attainment didn't deviate, ensuring that the final result was [Heavenly Destiny] and not the [Five Elements]...
These were all hurdles. In the end, just like many problems he had encountered before, they would have been temporarily shelved by Lu Yang, left to figure out in his next life.
However, that wasn't necessary now.
The Light of Wisdom from the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak was enough to turn Lu Yang's ideas into reality. As long as he wanted to, he could do it, without any restraints!
Boundless bright light gathered between Lu Yang's eyebrows.
Within the light were myriad scenes—cyan, yellow, red, white, black—magnificent and varied. Inevitable Fate, Variable, Fortune, Destiny, Tribulation—were all fused together into a single whole!
[Heavenly Destiny].
Seeing this scene, Lu Yang shook his head. 'No, that's incorrect... This is merely a blend of a portion of the concepts swallowed by the Ancestral Dragon back then. It cannot bear the name of Heavenly Destiny.'
If one's virtue did not match their position, disaster would surely follow.
Thinking of this, he suddenly reached out and pointed a finger. A resplendent color shone at his fingertip and instantly merged into the bright light between his eyebrows, inscribing another stroke to it.
[Heavenly Destiny Reckoning]!
With this stroke, although it added a flaw and voluntarily lowered it by a grade, it completely stabilized the originally wavering Dao Fruit, causing boundless concepts to abruptly erupt!
Only then did Lu Yang laugh in satisfaction.
Success!
'Although the Netherworld is a plane, it is also supported by Great Daos, and the death spirits are bound to it. In the future, the[Heavenly Destiny Reckoning] and the [Arctic Exorcism Court] will be exactly like this!'
As long as he eventually sent both of them out of the Light Sea in this life, escaping the Dao Lords' sight...
That would be a Dao path leading straight to the heavens!
Of course, he might still encounter many hardships and obstacles during this process. But regardless, the endpoint was already clearly visible; he would no longer be locked down by the Dao Lords!
The [Netherworld Lord's Palace].
The youth stood dazedly in place. It wasn't until a long time passed that he remembered he should step out with his right foot. At the same time, the curiosity in his heart grew increasingly intense:
"I was stupid for a long time."
"Does [Pill Cauldron] really have so many problems? And their difficulty is incredibly high. They are problems that require me to think with all my might to solve."
The youth felt somewhat gratified in his heart.
Because this was hope.
If he failed, perhaps [Pill Cauldron] would be the final hope. Although his methods were extreme and risky, there was ultimately still a sliver of a chance for survival.
However, right at this moment.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the youth frowned and looked up toward the Mortal World... Something, something in the Mortal World was rushing towards the Netherworld like a tidal wave!
There was no aggressiveness within it.
It wasn't even initiated by the other party. Rather, someone in the Netherworld had touched upon the other party, causing it to sense it and come. As for its true identity—
"The Ancestral Dragon?"
Chapter 1092: Can a Great Dao Also be Harvested to Replenish Oneself?The familiar darkness clouded Lu Yang's thoughts.
Just as he was using the Void Attainment to attain the [Heavenly Destiny Reckoning], the Dao Fruit itself surprisingly formed a connection in the unseen realm, and then his vision was tainted by darkness.
'This place is...'
Lu Yang looked around. The profound wonders of the Eight Trigrams subconsciously appeared in his hand, colliding and beginning to calculate. He quickly understood where he had arrived.
The Ancestral Dragon Seal!
To be precise, it was the passageway Heaven-Mending had used to smuggle himself in back then. One end of the darkness was the [Pomegranate Wood], and the other end was where the Ancestral Dragon Seal was located.
Since it was his second time here, Lu Yang could be considered to know the way well. Moreover, the current him was vastly different from before. With the empowerment of the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak's Light of Wisdom, he found the direction to the Ancestral Dragon Seal without much effort. The path was entirely unobstructed, and he soon pierced through the darkness.
Quickly, a scene entered his line of sight.
Unlike last time where he could only see a tiny bit, this time, Lu Yang, possessing boundless Light of Wisdom, could finally see the full picture of the seal before him clearly.
The [Five Elements].
A towering heavenly pillar reflecting the five colors of cyan, yellow, red, white, and black. Carrying an eternally unchanging concept, it stood forever amidst a boundless sea of chaos.
And above the heavenly pillar was the [Paramita].
It was still so lofty and ethereal, making it difficult to look directly at its appearance. But the more the [Paramita] was like this, the more one could appreciate just how exaggerated the Ancestral Dragon's [Five Elements] truly was.
It was holding up the Paramita.
'No, it's not just it. There's also the sea of chaos it resides in... Is that the [Sea of Bitterness]? The Mortal World is the main body supporting the [Paramita].'
Despite this, even if the [Five Elements] only accounted for a small portion, it was still incredibly exaggerated. For a single Great Dao to reach this extent, Lu Yang simply couldn't imagine it.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang pushed his eyesight to the limit. The Light of Wisdom in his eyes practically burned. Boundless Great Dao talismanic characters exerted all their strength to look at that towering [Five Elements] Great Dao. It wasn't until his head throbbed with splitting pain and his soul felt as if it were tearing apart that he finally saw some clues within the boiling concepts.
There were six seals.
Each seal had its own distinct characteristics. Five of them individually suppressed the Five Elements, while the final one hovered above, encompassing the entirety of the [Five Elements].
'Those are... the Dao Lords' seals!'
At this moment, Lu Yang only felt his head grow slightly heavy as Forbidden Knowledge swarmed in. 'I was right! The Ancestral Dragon was jointly suppressed by all the Dao Lords back then!'
The Primordial Saint, Sword Lord, Cang Hao, Spiritual Power, Dao Arts, and Dharma Body.
The Grotto-Heaven Method and the Three Foundations joined forces. Six Dao Lords collectively suppressed the Ancestral Dragon, turning its physical body and Great Dao entirely into the foundation stones of the [Paramita]!
'Unimaginable. Even Sisui made a move?'
This person should have been a good person on par with the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak. To actually make a move against the Ancestral Dragon as well... what exactly did the Ancestral Dragon do?
Or was he deceived by the Primordial Saint?
After all, not long after the Ancestral Dragon was suppressed, the Three Foundations and the Grotto-Heaven Method had a falling out, and Sisui even died because of it. What exactly was the reason for their falling out?
Lu Yang took a deep breath and continued to observe.
Soon, he saw the auras on the seals clearly and identified their respective masters—and then his expression became increasingly bizarre.
Because the six seals were distributed like this:
Sword Lord's seal suppressed the [Metal of the Five Elements].
Cang Hao's seal suppressed the [Water of the Five Elements].
The Spiritual Power Dao Lord's seal suppressed the [Wood of the Five Elements].
The Dao Arts Dao Lord's seal suppressed the [Fire of the Five Elements].
Sisui's seal suppressed the [Earth of the Five Elements].
Finally, it was the Primordial Saint's seal. [Inevitable Fate] suppressed everything, making the fact that the [Ancestral Dragon is sealed] an established outcome, no longer allowing it to be changed.
'The Dao Lords' seals are actually not going smoothly.'
In Lu Yang's eyes, the Light of Wisdom reflected a scene. The seemingly stable [Five Elements] was actually colliding with the six seals suppressing it every single minute and second.
Therefore—
'The Dao Lords sealed the Five Elements, so they need to accept the corresponding price and bear the backlash from the [Five Elements]. This backlash also varies from person to person.'
For example, the Spiritual Power Dao Lord.
He sealed the [Wood of the Five Elements], and the Ancestral Dragon used it to devour a portion of the [Tribulation] concept. Therefore, He who suppressed it would inevitably suffer a tribulation because of it.
'Of course, it's impossible for there to be no countermeasures against this kind of price.'
'The Spiritual Power Dao Lord transferred it out. He personally doesn't bear the slightest bit; he shifted it all onto his subordinate Dao Lineage, the cultivators of the Spiritual Power Dao!'
'That's why the Spiritual Power Dao cultivators are so weak!'
One must know, the Dao Arts Dao Lord could find a way to forge the Mysterious Wall, allowing the Dao Arts cultivators to maintain their peak state. Could the Spiritual Power Dao Lord really do nothing?
'It's not that he can't, it's that he doesn't want to!'
Lu Yang was suddenly enlightened.
The Spiritual Power Dao Perfected Lords being trapped in stone statues, the high realm cultivators suffering heavy casualties and dying out, and even being hunted down after turning into death spirits—this in itself was a symbol of [Tribulation]!
By the same logic—
'The Dao Arts Dao Lord also used a similar method. It's just that his luck was a bit better. What he suppressed was the [Fire of the Five Elements], which corresponds to [Inevitable Fate].'
Therefore, although the Dao Arts path preserved their lives and wasn't as unlucky as the Spiritual Power Dao—trapped in stone statues and tortured day and night—they also couldn't leave the Mysterious Wall and enter the Mortal World. To them, everything in the Mortal World was an inevitable fate; they could only drift outside the world, unable to make any interference.
Of course, the unlucky ones were the lower-realm cultivators.
The Dao Lords, on the other hand, didn't care.
'But... the Dharma Body Dao didn't have such good luck.'
What Sisui suppressed was the [Earth of the Five Elements], which corresponds to a Variable—in other words, variables were most likely to appear on him, and they would be massive variables.
'And what variable could be greater than the death of a Dao Lord?'
'The World Honored One changed cause and altered effect, intervening in the great battle... The price of Sisui suppressing the [Earth of the Five Elements] ultimately responded on him, leading to his fall!'
From this perspective, Sisui actually perished together with the Ancestral Dragon.
Or rather, the Primordial Saint used the price of Sisui suppressing the [Five Elements] to artificially create a fatal flaw, and then ultimately used it to kill Sisui!
'What's even more fatal is that Sisui could not withdraw his seal.'
'Because the core of the seal was the sixth [Inevitable Fate] seal laid down by the Primordial Saint Ancestor. This made it impossible for the Dao Lords to voluntarily withdraw their seals.'
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh with emotion—
"The Primordial Saint Ancestor's heart is truly ruthless!"
The entire conspiracy could be described as a series of interlocking schemes.
From this, it could be seen that starting from the stage of suppressing the Ancestral Dragon and forging the [Paramita], the Primordial Saint Ancestor had already prepared to have a falling out with the Three Foundations!
The seal was both to suppress the Ancestral Dragon and to weaken the Three Foundations.
The proof lay in the remaining two Dao Lords.
Sword Lord and Cang Hao.
One suppressed the [Metal of the Five Elements], corresponding to [Destiny], and the other suppressed the [Water of the Five Elements], corresponding to [Fortune]. They were both exactly their own domains!
'The Ancestral Dragon's [Five Elements] only swallowed a portion of the concepts. It's impossible to use this to cause a backlash against Sword Lord and Cang Hao, who command the corresponding Great Daos.'
Therefore, Sword Lord and Cang Hao paid almost no price whatsoever.
As one side waned, the other waxed. In the end, the defeat of the Three Foundations was completely understandable. Rather, the fact that they could fight for so long showed just how capable Sisui was.
However, an even more terrifying point was:
'The Primordial Saint Ancestor laid out this plan, yet the other Dao Lords actually didn't see through the conspiracy within the seal... This is actually a manifestation of higher Dao comprehension!'
The Primordial Saint Ancestor's Dao comprehension was higher than the other Dao Lords!
At least in regards to the [Five Elements], the Primordial Saint Ancestor's attainments and understanding of the Ancestral Dragon were higher. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to set up such a conspiracy.
Lu Yang's heart was filled with a chilling cold, as if he had plunged into an ice cave.
He had to admit, the more he understood the details of that great Dao Lord battle back then, the more he realized the brilliance of the Primordial Saint Ancestor's methods and the terror of his calculations.
Meanwhile, his line of sight was still zooming in.
The next second, Lu Yang's gaze condensed, landing on the seal of the [Five Elements]. The seal belonging to the Dharma Body was currently more than half shattered.
It hadn't dissipated only because of the suppression from [Inevitable Fate].
Looking over, it was like a hole had been opened on the [Five Elements] Great Dao. Only by passing through the fissure in this seal could one make contact with the [Five Elements].
And then, Lu Yang froze.
'That is...'
As far as his eyes could see, Lu Yang unexpectedly saw a black-and-white Great Dao, perfectly straight, thrusting directly into the fissure of the shattered Dharma Body seal.
As the light flickered, he saw the Great Dao continuously pouring spirituality into the [Five Elements] through the fissure in the seal, while at the same time frantically drawing in the surrounding radiance of the Five Elements to replenish itself. In a daze, Lu Yang even seemed to glimpse a figure within it, its movements resembling an ancient tree with gnarled roots…
"Boom!"
In the blink of an eye, the darkness shattered.
Lu Yang abruptly opened his eyes. The aura throughout his entire body was almost uncontrollably about to erupt, but in the next second, it was calmed down by a gentle, warm breeze.
Only then did he see that, unbeknownst to him, a youth had already appeared before him.
"What happened?"
Looking at [Pill Cauldron], whose face was still filled with lingering fear, a look of curiosity surfaced in Dao Tianqi's eyes.
What could he have sensed from the Ancestral Dragon to act like this?
Could it be that the Ancestral Dragon has hope of escaping?
Or does the Ancestral Dragon also have a back-up plan and wants to use [Pill Cauldron's] hands?
The next second, under his questioning gaze, Lu Yang spoke in a somewhat hesitant tone: "May I ask Senior... can a Great Dao also be harvested to replenish oneself?"
"...Ah?"
Dao Tianqi's expression instantly stiffened.
Translator's Notes:
采补 means to harvest essence from something in order to replenish oneself—its a Dual Cultivation terms.
Chapter 1093: As Expected of Senior Brother Heaven-Mending!Can a Great Dao be harvested to replenish oneself?
Before Lu Yang could finish speaking, a look of sudden realization had already surfaced on the youth's face. He almost subconsciously drew a conclusion: "You saw Senior Brother Heaven-Mending?"
Actually, Lu Yang didn't clearly see the figure sitting upright within the black and white Great Dao. However, he had after all also cultivated the [Penetrating the Void and Pacifying Karma Jade Scripture]. Under the resonance of auras, he similarly guessed the other party's identity and immediately nodded. "If nothing unexpected happened, it should be Senior Heaven-Mending."
After saying that, he was still somewhat shocked.
Harvesting the [Five Elements]!
This Senior was truly a superman. Doing it to people was one thing, but he even went at a Great Dao! And looking at it, he might have been forcefully doing it since tens of thousands of years ago.
And the [Five Elements] couldn't even resist.
After all, with so many seals suppressing it... Thinking of this, Lu Yang simply revealed everything he knew, preparing to ask the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak for his opinion.
"...I see."
After listening to Lu Yang's description, the youth's eyes first showed shock, then enlightenment, and finally, he sighed faintly. "I never thought there was such a hidden situation."
"[Pill Cauldron], the reason you could sense this is because the Dao Fruit you attained through the Void is greatly connected to the [Five Elements], and you also cultivated Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's secret method. Furthermore, you are proficient in divination and actively explore the unknown. Otherwise, if you lacked even one of these elements, you wouldn't have been able to see these secrets."
At this point, the youth suddenly smiled:
"This is a good thing."
"I have already understood Senior Brother Pill Cauldron's schemes, I also have guesses regarding Senior Brother Myriad Treasures' thoughts, and now I have also grasped Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's methods."
Ah? You grasped it?
Lu Yang blinked. He still had a whole pile of questions. At most, he had only figured out what the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak's final plan was.
'Harvesting and nourishing oneself from the [Five Elements]. On one hand, it can elevate his cultivation. I estimate that the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak was probably not a Heaven Treading Great Perfected Lord before. But after Harvesting and nourishing oneself for so many years, forcibly seizing Dao Lord mighty power, he definitely has received elevation, forcefully climbing his cultivation up.'
But if he leveled up, the [Five Elements] was out of luck.
'According to the Ancestral Dragon's Remnant Bloodline, elevating just Pill Cauldron alone made the Ancestral Dragon overwhelmed. Adding another one is highly likely to make the Ancestral Dragon completely unable to bear it.'
At that time, it would result in the collapse of the [Five Elements].
To put it bluntly, the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak never even thought about smuggling into the [Paramita]. Instead, he planned to hollow out the [Five Elements], fiercely tearing a massive gaping hole in the [Paramita].
"However... his plan went wrong." Lu Yang suddenly said in a low voice.
On the other side, the youth also nodded. "Because Senior Brother Pill Cauldron died, so even though Senior Brother Heaven-Mending succeeded, he failed to make the [Five Elements] collapse."
At this point, Lu Yang's expression was a bit weird:
"If you put it that way, did Senior Pill Cauldron ruin Senior Heaven-Mending's plan? If he was still alive, two Heaven Treading experts would be enough to completely drag down the [Five Elements]..."
It sounded wonderful, but the youth shook his head. "No, the truth is probably the exact opposite. If both Senior Brother Pill Cauldron and Senior Brother Heaven-Mending were alive, the anomaly over at the [Five Elements] would definitely be discovered. When that time comes, Master would make a move, and the result would only be both senior brothers being slain by Master."
At this point, a haze flashed across the youth's eyes:
"The [Five Elements] seal... after hearing your description, I have already guessed the gist of it. Master's design is extremely exquisite, even describable as perfect."
"After the Great Dao was sealed, all the backlash from the Ancestral Dragon was taken over by the other Dao Lords. [Inevitable Fate] then locked in the result of the seal."
"If the Dao Lords want to withdraw their seals, they must make a move against [Inevitable Fate]. But if they do that, they will not only face the suppression of [Inevitable Fate], but also the backlash from the Ancestral Dragon. The result is pleasing no one and being of no help. [Inevitable Fate] suppressed everyone without expending the slightest effort."
"It is very much in Master's style."
The youth shook his head. "As for what you said about Lord Sisui's seal being mostly shattered and fissures appearing... I'm afraid that was also within Master's expectations."
"Because all things in creation have a sliver of flaw."
"A perfect seal does not exist."
"The existence of the Dharma Body fissure makes the seal no longer perfect. To mend it, Lord Sisui must come back to life. This is the symbol of a [Variable]."
At this point, the youth's face showed almost unrestrainable praise. "However, Lord Sisui's death... this was inherently the result of Master's meticulous design. In other words, this [Variable] only appeared under the design of [Inevitable Fate]! It is enough to massively elevate its concept!"
The Primordial Saint Ancestor truly did a lot.
For [Inevitable Fate] to dominate the Light Sea was absolutely not an overnight change, but rather years and months of layouts, until finally a quantitative change triggered a qualitative change.
But Lu Yang was even more puzzled:
"That's not right. If the fissure on the Dharma Body seal was originally within that person's expectations, then how could Senior Heaven-Mending not be discovered when sneaking in through there?"
The Dharma Body fissure was a trap.
On the surface, it was the variable of sealing the [Five Elements], but in reality, it was personally designed by the Primordial Saint Ancestor, placed there as a bait!
Whoever wanted to use the Dharma Body fissure to cause trouble would take the bait.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang suddenly felt a chill rush straight to his head. "So... Senior Heaven-Mending's plan was actually within his control from the very beginning?!"
The next second, the youth gave his answer:
"Of course not."
He smiled slightly, a bit of pride in his smile. "Don't underestimate Senior Brother Heaven-Mending too much. With the same logic, how could he not see through it?"
"Did you forget about [Yin]?"
Lu Yang froze.
"[Yin and Yang] command both sides of the Light Sea. [Yang] corresponds to the Mortal World, and [Yin] corresponds to the Dark Aspect. The two seem opposed, but are actually inseparable."
"The Dark Aspect of the Light Sea is the shadow of the consciousness of all living beings, and [Yin] can manipulate the changes within it and influence it, thereby indirectly interfering with a person's consciousness and thoughts. Even Dao Lords cannot avoid this. You have been to the Dark Aspect; you should know that even Dao Lords leave shadows there."
"This is Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's method."
"He used [Yin] to hide himself on the conscious level... so much so that even though Master saw him, he didn't realize his existence!"
With a non-Dao Lord body, deceiving the Primordial Saint Ancestor who stood at the pinnacle of Dao Lords!
Deceiving the heavens to cross the sea in the truest sense!
"This should have been impossible to achieve."
The youth grew increasingly excited as he spoke, blood rushing to his face, looking proud by association. "But the Dharma Body fissure is different; that is Lord Sisui's seal."
"[Yin] was originally commanded by Lord Sisui."
"The mighty power of the two combined. Not to mention, the sealed [Earth of the Five Elements] resonates with a [Variable], which inherently has a strong confounding effect on [Inevitable Fate]."
"Furthermore, Master stands too high."
"Standing too high, even if he casts his gaze down, it is very difficult to discover Senior Brother Heaven-Mending under multiple layers of concealment, unless he lowers his stature and carefully inspects."
Lu Yang understood.
'Psychological invisibility...'
To put it bluntly, the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak simply borrowed the mighty power of the Ancestral Dragon and Sisui to create a curtain specifically targeting the Primordial Saint, one that could only deceive him.
"Other than that person, any other Dao Lord can see Senior Brother Heaven-Mending, because [Yin] cannot possibly deceive the consciousness of all Dao Lords. Deceiving even one relies entirely on Lord Sisui's legacy. If a second Dao Lord inspects the [Five Elements], Senior Brother Heaven-Mending would immediately be exposed."
He didn't even need a Dao Lord.
Lu Yang pondered in his heart: 'Didn't I just see him? It shows that Heaven-Mending's scheme concentrated all his numerous methods on deceiving the Primordial Saint, and didn't bother hiding from anyone else at all.'
However—
"This is enough!"
"The [Five Elements] seal is certainly Master's masterpiece, but it ruthlessly screwed over the other Dao Lords. Even Sword Lord and Cang Hao must be wary in their hearts."
"Moreover, this seal involves a great deal. It is one of the important components of Master's [Inevitable Fate] concept and concerns his cultivation. Master would absolutely never allow other Dao Lords to lay a finger on it. Therefore, the other Dao Lords simply have no opportunity to inspect the seal, and naturally, it's impossible for them to discover Senior Brother Heaven-Mending."
A textbook case of being blind to what is right under one's nose.
At this point, the youth could hardly help but curl up the corners of his mouth. Seeming to think of something amusing, he clapped his hands in praise: "As expected of Senior Brother Heaven-Mending!"
Chapter 1094: Matters of the PastAfter listening to the youth's description, Lu Yang lowered his eyelids, but thought of another matter: No wonder the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak ultimately chose to voluntarily seek death.
Because if both he and the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak relied on the Ancestral Dragon's elevation to advance to Heaven Treading, it would inevitably trigger a massive upheaval in the [Five Elements].
But the timing back then was wrong.
'At that time, the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak's plan had not yet begun, and the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak was slumbering in the Netherworld. The World Honored One alone could not support a falling building.'
If the [Five Elements] were shaken, no matter how careless the Primordial Saint Ancestor was, he would definitely know there was a problem with the seal. The First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak's methods were already somewhat strained to deceive the Primordial Saint Ancestor on normal days. Once the other party noticed something amiss and investigated seriously, it would be impossible to hide.
The result would inevitably be getting caught.
When that time came, neither the First-generation Master of Heaven-Mending Peak nor the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak would be able to keep their lives. They would inevitably have their bones crushed and ashes scattered by the Primordial Saint Ancestor.
Therefore, at least one of them had to die.
If there was only one Heaven Treading Realm expert, the [Five Elements] Great Dao wouldn't be shaken to the point of upheaval, and naturally wouldn't draw the strict guard and defense of the Primordial Saint Ancestor.
'This truly is...'
Thinking of this, Lu Yang felt somewhat dazed, experiencing a moment of bewilderment: A senior brother generously sacrificing himself for his junior brother, facing death with calmness... is this really the fucking Saint Sect?
On the other side, the youth sighed faintly. The admiration and smile on his face gradually faded, clearly having also thought of the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak's choice.
"Senior Brother Pill Cauldron... this could be considered exactly what he wanted. Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's harvesting and nourishing oneself couldn't be achieved overnight. He must have noticed the changes in the [Five Elements] through the Ancestral Dragon's Remnant Bloodline, and then guessed it was Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's doing. Coupled with the fact that he already wanted to die, he chose to sacrifice himself to help."
At this point, the youth suddenly paused:
"...No, that's not right."
"It should be the other way around. It was precisely because he knew of Senior Brother Heaven-Mending's plan that he changed his own plan and meticulously designed his own death."
How important was the [Nascent Soul Pill]?
If possible, how could the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak not want to personally wield the knife to refine it? How could he not want to live to see the implementation of the plan?
But he couldn't.
The youth simply lowered his brow and murmured softly,
—The [Nascent Soul Pill] doesn't necessarily need me. Anyway, Little Junior Brother is still in the Netherworld to check for flaws and patch up omissions.
—But things over at Heaven-Mending's side won't work.
—Motherfucker, he didn't even give me a heads-up before doing it.
—Forget it, I'll just change the plan a bit. You shameless pervert, I'm the one who saved your life this time. When you get out, you'd better thank me properly..
"That's what you thoughts back then right, Senior Brother?"
The voice abruptly ceased, and the youth closed his eyes.
On the other side, Lu Yang stood with his hands down and remained silent. Whether this was truly the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak's thoughts back then, was already impossible to know.
In fact, after assuming the identity of [Pill Cauldron], he had tried using the [Mysterious Cause and Anomaly Effect] to see if he could pull out the karmic shadow of the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak. Unfortunately, this person died completely. Slain personally by the Primordial Saint Ancestor, not a shred of karma could be pull out.
After a long while, the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak reopened his eyes.
Wisps of mist evaporated and drifted out from his eyes, acting like a large hand that wiped away all the gentleness and tranquility that had originally resided within them.
Only murderous intent and resolution remained.
"[Pill Cauldron], I can no longer wait."
"Over at Mount Luofu, the Dao Arts of the Mortal World— the Mysterious Wall, sent news. They want the Three Foundations cultivators to launch a great battle against the Grotto-Heaven Method cultivators while looking for an opportunity."
"Let's make it now."
"Once the furnace for the [Nascent Soul Pill] is opened, in this vast Netherworld, you will inevitably be enemies with the whole world. It's always good to take this opportunity to clean up some demons and monsters first."
'He's been provoked.'
Looking at the youth before him, Lu Yang naturally wouldn't refuse. It was just out of curiosity that he emboldened himself to ask, "Can Senior not personally make a move?"
The youth shook his head. "Master has been constantly watching the Netherworld. If I personally make a move, although I can instantly sweep the Netherworld clean, I would inevitably have to expose my aura outside the [Netherworld Lord's Palace]. Even if it's only for an instant, it would be enough for Master to lock onto the location of my true body."
"This is detrimental to my upcoming actions."
"After all, if some things cannot bypass [Inevitable Fate]'s sight and be completed in the dark, they will lose the effect of achieving victory through surprise."
At this point, he cast another glance at Lu Yang:
"That's why I said you did well."
"Mount Beifeng and Mount Baodu were taken down in a single battle. A full four Great Perfected Lords died, one of them even being an incarnation of that foolish Emperor Cang."
"This caused him no small amount of trouble."
"What's even more wonderful is that you also destroyed the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool]. Losing this Supreme Treasure, no matter how much that incarnation of his condenses again, its cultivation will drop."
"That's why we must strike now."
"Otherwise, giving that foolish person more time to recuperate might allow him to find an alternative method, re-gather three Immortal Bridge incarnations, and add many unnecessary variables."
Hearing this, Lu Yang hadn't even spoken yet.
Suddenly, a streak of flowing light flew out from between his eyebrows, then manifested into a figure of light and shadow, looking apprehensive. It was none other than Tianhun, dressed as a young military general.
"Greetings, Lord Beast Taming."
The moment Tianhun appeared, he directly knelt on the ground and said respectfully, "Tianhun boldly asks, does My Lord know exactly how my Master was murdered back then?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang immediately raised an eyebrow.
Good question!
Why did Emperor Cang betray Sisui? And how did he help the Primordial Saint Ancestor deliver the final blow to completely kill Sisui? He was also very curious about this.
However, hearing this, the youth shook his head:
"Apologies, but I am also unclear about the events of the past. The battle between the Dao Lords churned up karma and obscured everything. I'm afraid only those who personally experienced it know the truth."
"If you truly want to know, perhaps you can only go ask Emperor Cang, or search for the [Supreme Grandmaster]. There should also be some related clues there."
[Supreme Grandmaster]?
Hearing this, Lu Yang hurriedly asked, "Could it be the sixth [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness]?"
The youth wasn't surprised, but instead smiled. "It seems you have already been to most of them?"
Lu Yang nodded and said, "Besides [Supreme Grandmaster] and [Carefree Wander], this junior has visited them all. I heard [Carefree Wander] was used to fill the Netherworld..."
"Indeed, it was."
The youth nodded slightly. "I took [Carefree Wander] to serve as the foundation stone of the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], and I have already used up all the rewards inside."
After saying that, he pointed at the ground below. "The materials used for the entire [Four Great Ghost Domains]—these Origin Jades comparable in size to a continent—are the rewards from [Carefree Wander]. I estimate it should be the second largest in the Light Sea. The largest was taken to forge the [Paramita], and the rest are all shattered fragments."
"As for [Supreme Grandmaster]..."
At this point, the youth frowned. He remained silent for a moment before saying, "This piece is in Master's hands. Up to this day, no one has ever entered it."
"I also had my suspicions back then."
"Whether it's my senior brothers' Dao of Alchemy, Dao of Artifacts, Dao of Dual Cultivation, or my Dao of Beast Taming... although they were all attained by Master, I suspect there is another inheritance."
"That inheritance might just be the [Supreme Grandmaster]."
"Master obtained the legacy of predecessors in there, which is why he attained those Great Daos through the Void. Master's pursuit of transcendence should also be because he discovered something."
"However, what exactly it is, I have no way of knowing."
"Including the truth behind Lord Sisui's death. The reason I say [Supreme Grandmaster] has clues is also because the result of a Dao Lord falling is too inconceivable."
"I completely fail to understand how he did it."
"Just like how he attained those Great Daos out of thin air without borrowing external objects... So I can only attribute it to one reason which is the secrets hidden in the [Supreme Grandmaster]."
Transalation Notes:
Change of translation from Great Grandmaster to Supreme Grandmaster.
大宗师 (Dà Zōngshī) translated as "Supreme Grandmaster". 宗 (zōng)means sect, lineage, or founding tradition; 师 (shī) means master or teacher. [宗师] together usually means "Grandmaster"— someone who stands at the top of a tradition and 大 (dà) mean supreme.
Chapter 1095: No Time to Lose!The First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak left.
Even though he had regained his clarity very early on and his condition had been constantly recovering, with the Primordial Saint Ancestor as his opponent, he had to make sure everything was perfect.
"Don't comprehend overly difficult things anymore."
Before leaving, he didn't forget to give this earnest instruction. "If it's too difficult, I will become stupid and my reactions will slow down, dragging down my recovery speed."
Lu Yang naturally agreed wholeheartedly.
After all, he had already finished what needed to be done. There was nothing he needed to comprehend in the short term; at most, he would just use it during future Dao struggles.
Right at this moment, a sound suddenly came from outside the door.
Immediately after, the Pill Maiden and the Cauldron Boy hurried in and said respectfully, "Master, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin from Mount Luofu has come to visit and is currently standing outside the mountain."
"Oh."
Hearing this, Lu Yang raised an eyebrow. Only then did he remember that Qing Kui's matter had inexplicably dragged on for a year without a reply. He immediately slapped his forehead, then raised his hand.
[Colorful Talent: Splitting Light and Transforming Shadows]!
The next second, a figure separated from Lu Yang's body. Upon detaching from Lu Yang's main body, this incarnation instantly manifested new karma.
It was exactly Qing Kui.
This was the domineering aspect of [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]. After using [The Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest], even a split-off incarnation could wholly inherit Qing Kui's karma.
In comparison, although the methods left behind by the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak could also flawlessly disguise karma, they could only conceal Lu Yang's main body and couldn't be shared with his incarnations. Otherwise, Lu Yang wouldn't even need to act personally; having an incarnation take on the identity of [Pill Cauldron] would have allowed him to sit back and relax.
After completing the disguise, Lu Yang waved the horsetail whisk in his hand and said:
"Let him in."
The two Daoist children complied and retreated. In less than a moment, they led a man with features as sharp as if carved by a knife and axe, possessing a resolute expression, into the pavilion.
"[Pill Cauldron] greets Fellow Daoist." Lu Yang smiled faintly.
Immediately following that, he manipulated his incarnation, Qing Kui, to say with extreme terror, "This lowly one was greedy and wished to cultivate here for a few more days. I beg My Lord's forgiveness."
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin: "..."
Incredible.
If he hadn't known the truth beforehand, looking purely at this completely natural acting and flawless karma, he probably never would have guessed.
As expected of Lord Sisui's inheritor!
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin praised internally, but outwardly he shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to pretend anymore. I have known about Qing Kui's death for a long time."
"What?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang tilted his head, putting on an innocent expression. "Fellow Daoist, please don't speak nonsense. Isn't Qing Kui perfectly fine right here? Where does this talk of death come from?"
Then why did you seal off the Flaming Mountain?
Upon sensing that the surroundings of the Flaming Mountain had already been completely sealed by the [Purple-Azure Doushuai Fire], leaving him with no way to escape, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's expression became incredibly spectacular.
Is he about to strike a lethal blow?
How decisive!
"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand." Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin hurriedly explained. "Lord Beast Taming sent me here to cooperate with you in dealing with that traitor, Emperor Cang."
Hearing this, Lu Yang was taken aback. In a flash of lightning, he understood the cause and effect: 'I see! No wonder the Ancestral Dragon's Remnant Bloodline acted as if I was the only candidate. The First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak was following me from the very beginning, and then used Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin to send me to the Flaming Mountain!'
So, he's an ally?
The next second, Lu Yang's [Heaven-Bearing Palm], which was previously gathering momentum and ready to strike, instantly changed. He warmly grasped Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's hand.
"Fellow Daoist, why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Sigh, I have long heard of Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's name. I have always admired your noble character and unyielding integrity, Fellow Daoist. What I did earlier was also forced by circumstances..."
Seeing this, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin felt even greater appreciation for him.
What a flexible person—able to speak one way to humans and another to ghosts. Where exactly did Lord Sisui and Lord Beast Taming find such a talent?
Not only is he thick-skinned and ruthless, with decisive methods, but he is also highly capable in combat. People like this were usually cultivated only among those demons of the Grotto-Heaven Method; our side almost has none.
Yet since the person before me has gained the approval of both Lord Sisui and Lord Beast Taming at the same time, his moral character must surely be trustworthy..
The more Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin looked at him, the more he liked him.
However, the more he liked him, the more worried he became. Because in his eyes, this [Pill Cauldron] before him lacked the temperament precipitated by the passage of time.
He was young. Very young!
Probably not even ten thousand years old!
This was both a good thing and a bad thing. After all, youth signified talent, and this person had a bright future. But at the same time, it meant the other party lacked a lot of experience.
Thinking of this, he immediately said in a deep voice:
"Following the incident at Mount Baodu, the demons of the Grotto-Heaven Method have completely retreated to defend Mount Bozhong. Does Fellow Daoist know exactly how strong they are?"
Lu Yang shook his head decisively.
Regarding these matters, he had also asked Perfected Lord Tai Hao, as well as the two captives Shangxuan and Bodhisattva Immaculate. Unfortunately, their scope of knowledge was mostly limited to Perfected Lords.
Regarding intelligence on Great Perfected Lords, they knew the situation at Mount Beifeng at most.
Once outside Mount Beifeng, they knew absolutely nothing about how many Great Perfected Lords there were in Mount Bozhong—where the Dao Court's Youdu was located—or what factions they belonged to.
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin wasn't surprised by this either, and volunteered, "Among the Grotto-Heaven Method demons, the strongest is undoubtedly that traitor, Emperor Cang. He has three incarnations: the Azure Heaven incarnation corresponds to the Dharma Body, the Blue Heaven incarnation corresponds to the Grotto-Heaven Method, and the Yellow Heaven incarnation exists by relying on the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules]."
"Wait..."
Lu Yang suddenly asked curiously, "Everyone says he has three incarnations, each at the Immortal Bridge realm. But what about his main body? Has it never shown its face from beginning to end?"
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin shook his head:
"That is not the case. It should be said that his main body is already gone, leaving only these three incarnations. Currently, he uses the strongest Blue Heaven incarnation as his main body."
"Is that so?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang frowned deeply, once again certain in his heart: 'As expected, Emperor Cang's path is absolutely wrong. Cultivating the Dharma Body like this definitely has problems.'
The current Lu Yang was no longer the same as before. With the empowerment of the Light of Wisdom, many problems could be easily solved with just a little thought. If he previously only guessed that Emperor Cang had cultivated incorrectly, now he could not only guess the result but even the process, knowing how Emperor Cang had cultivated incorrectly!
'The Dharma Body emphasizes utmost purity and unity.'
'Even if the [Precious Life Perfect Form Scripture] is cultivated to the Golden Core level, it will only condense the [Future Life Aspect] and the [Past Life Aspect]—two existences that are akin to incarnations.'
'But they are ultimately illusory aspects.'
'Yet Emperor Cang did the exact opposite, turning illusory aspects into true aspects, truly splitting his own Dharma Body. If the Dharma Body is impure, how can there be any profound wonders to speak of?'
His Dao comprehension was too low.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang felt that Emperor Cang must be very ugly, probably having a face full of crooked melons and cracked dates. Otherwise, it was impossible not to even comprehend this bit of common sense.
However—the problem also lay here.
'A great tribulation is approaching, and variables are arriving one after another.'
'After [Sky-shrouding] made his move, the Primordial Saint Ancestor will definitely be vigilant. With the changes here in the Netherworld, the Primordial Saint Ancestor will inevitably pay attention.'
'He needs more useful pawns. [Sky-shrouding] is disobedient, and a single Taiyin is clearly not enough.'
'Therefore, Emperor Cang couldn't receive guidance from a Dao Lord before, but that might not be the case now.'
'Emperor Cang even ordered everyone to retreat and defend Mount Bozhong, holing up without coming out until now. Perhaps it's because he received guidance from a Dao Lord and is currently in seclusion to digest it.'
'If we delay any further, I'm afraid there will be variables!'
With this thought, Lu Yang immediately stood up. Radiant light swirled in his eyes, exuding a chilling murderous intent. "There's no time to lose! Fellow Daoist, we strike tonight!"
Chapter 1096: Time to DecideA life-and-death struggle; we leave tonight!
Lu Yang's words took Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin aback. Following that, his expression immediately turned anxious. I said we should defend for a wave, why did you decide to risk it all on a single throw?
"Fellow Daoist, please be prudent."
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin looked serious and said solemnly, "Besides Emperor Cang, there are several other Great Perfected Lords among the Grotto-Heaven Method demons, and their strength is not weak."
"Among them, the ones that require special attention are the Sword Pavilion and the Saint Sect."
"These two factions each have a Great Perfected Lord in the Netherworld, namely [Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace who Smelts The World] and [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance]. Both are at the pinnacle of the Dao Integration Realm."
"Although they are at the Dao Integration Realm, they cultivate the Grotto-Heaven Method after all, and the Sword Pavilion and Saint Sect are outstanding among them. Even if they encounter us Immortal Bridge Realm experts, they can stall for a bit. If the two join forces, and have the empowerment of the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], they can even stall an Immortal Bridge Realm Great Perfected Lord for a long time."
He spoke very seriously.
Lu Yang, however, had a strange expression. After pondering for a moment, he asked curiously, "Forgive my presumption, but the Immortal Bridge Realm Great Perfected Lord Fellow Daoist is talking about... couldn't be yourself, right?"
Well, who else?
Hearing this, this Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lord of the Spiritual Power Dao was taken aback at first. It wasn't until he noticed Lu Yang's gaze, which looked as if he were looking at a monkey, that he finally reacted:
'He thinks I'm weak?!'
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin immediately stood up, so angry he was about to refute on the spot. But upon seeing Lu Yang's Light of Wisdom, he helplessly sat back down.
"At the very least, they can stop me."
"Moreover, two fists are no match for four hands."
"Even if Fellow Daoist can defeat them, don't forget there is still Emperor Cang. You might be able to win against one or two, but can you win against them all? Fellow Daoist is only one person!"
At this point, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin spoke again:
"Besides these two, the Pure Land also has a Great Perfected Lord in the Netherworld, named [Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva], whose cultivation is also at the pinnacle of the Dao Integration Realm."
"Setting them aside, there are also Xin Ye and You Hai. They defected together with Emperor Cang back then. Although their cultivation is a bit weaker, only at the Entering the Dao level, they cannot be underestimated. Even if they aren't strong in direct combat, they can assist from the sidelines. If used well, they can similarly cause no small amount of trouble."
After hearing this, Lu Yang already had an idea in his heart:
"Emperor Cang makes up three by himself. The Saint Sect, Sword Pavilion, and Pure Land each have one. Plus the two traitors from the Three Foundations... currently, Mount Bozhong has eight Great Perfected Lords?"
"And this is not even counting the three I finished off at Mount Baodu."
At this point, Lu Yang was somewhat amazed:
"So at their peak, the number of Great Perfected Lords in the Grotto-Heaven Method faction within the Netherworld even broke double digits. No wonder the Three Foundations were slaughtered to this state..."
"This is actually considered few!"
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin shook his head: "The Grotto-Heaven Method side has Dao Lords balancing things from the outside. If we are strong, they are strong; if we are weak, they naturally become weak as well."
"If it were during their absolute peak, the number of Great Perfected Lords on the Grotto-Heaven Method side even broke the thirty mark. More than half of them were Sons of Heaven from the Dao Court. Now, after years of fighting to the death, we are almost all dead, so the Dao Lords finally restricted and controlled them, maintaining a delicate balance between both sides."
Then here came the question.
Lu Yang frowned slightly: "Why maintain this kind of balance? Wouldn't it be better to just push forward in one wave and annihilate all of you? Why keep you around all this time?"
"I didn't understand this point beforehand either."
"It wasn't until Lord Beast Taming awakened and explained it to me in detail that I understood a little... In short, they need us to slaughter each other in the Netherworld."
"Although we belong to different factions, fundamentally, we are all death spirits."
"Death spirits slaughtering each other will shake the Great Daos of the Netherworld, causing flaws to appear in its operation... The Dao Lords used this exactly to occupy the Netherworld step by step."
The Yellow Springs Road, the Bridge of Helplessness, the Home-Viewing Terrace, the Three Lives Stone.
The Dao Lords encroaching on these Netherworld components was not achieved overnight, but accomplished bit by bit over a long period of time.
"I see, then it isn't strange at all." Lu Yang nodded.
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin thought he had taken it to heart and said with gratification, "Fellow Daoist should understand now. For this battle, we must act conservatively and cannot act with haste..."
The next second, Lu Yang's voice rang out:
"Striking tonight is still too conservative."
He had an excited expression and said in a deep voice, "We strike right now! Senior, hold the line for me. We'll start by making an example of the Three Foundations' traitors and kill the two weakest ones first!"
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin: "???"
"...You will die!"
Looking at Lu Yang, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin said in a deep voice, "I can tell Fellow Daoist frankly, our side only has a total of five Great Perfected Lords who can fight."
"Among them, three are Dao Arts Dao Great Perfected Lords from the Mortal World. I don't trust them. So the only ones who can truly make a move are me and another Spiritual Power Dao Great Perfected Lord. Even adding Fellow Daoist, that's only two Immortal Bridge and one Dao Integration. It simply cannot compare to the forces on the Dao Court's side."
"I know what you want to do."
"It's nothing more than finding a way to launch a sneak attack wave like at Mount Baodu, and perhaps kill a few more by detonating a Supreme Treasure. But this kind of method can only be used once."
"After that one time, you will be deep within the enemy camp!"
"Not to mention, you've already exposed the method of detonating a Supreme Treasure at Mount Baodu. If you do it again, the others will be prepared, and the battle results won't be as good."
"I also know you have methods to conceal yourself that are extremely profound, even able to deceive Dao Integration Great Perfected Lords. But Mount Bozhong has been managed by Emperor Cang for tens of thousands of years; it's practically like an iron bucket. Under the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], unless you break through to the Heaven Treading Realm, it's absolutely impossible to stay hidden!"
Lu Yang listened patiently, then chuckled lightly:
"I understand what Fellow Daoist means. But what if I told you that I have a Great Perfected Lord inside man in the Grotto-Heaven Method faction who can help us sneak in?"
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin instantly froze.
His first reaction was that it was impossible. An inside man in the Grotto-Heaven Method faction? Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are? A Great Perfected Lord of the Saint Sect?
However, the reality was—he actually did!
'The World Honored One is on the same side as the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak and me. So if nothing unexpected happens, that [Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva]of the Pure Land can be won over!'
After all, Senior Brother Myriad Treasures, you probably don't want your little junior brother to die suddenly, right?
Lu Yang had even formulated the plan.
'As long as that [Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva] is willing to help cover for me, I can just have the Patriarch open a hole in the mountain body of Mount Bozhong first.'
'Then cover it up slightly, disguising it as an opened Secret Realm, and let [Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva] take the lead, using the excuse of exploring the Secret Realm to trick the other Great Perfected Lords inside. Finally, have the Patriarch seal the hole... That way, that group of Great Perfected Lords will be no different from being dead!'
Lu Yang's gaze was cold:
'Divide and conquer, defeat them one by one.'
'When that time comes, it won't be Emperor Cang using the Dao Court's numerical advantage to crush me, but my side concentrating superior forces to make the first move and finish him off!'
After the deed was done, and the internal troubles of the Netherworld were no more, he could set about opening the furnace and refining the [Nascent Soul Pill]!
Chapter 1097: Senior Brother, Don't You Recognize Me?Even Lu Yang had to admit that the Dao Court's lineup was pressuring. Eight Great Perfected Lords, even in the ancient era, it constituted a rather massive faction.
Let alone in the Netherworld.
'If it were in the Mortal World, it would actually be easier to solve. After all, the cultivation of these Great Perfected Lords is inferior to mine; at worst, I could deal with them using [Sever All Evil!].'
However, just as there was no perfect divine ability or profound wonder in the world, although the talent of [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] could produce miraculous effects in various fields, it was absolutely not flawless... Oh, except for [Supreme Dao Transformation]. As for [Sever All Evil!], it actually had a very fatal flaw.
That was— it did not sever souls.
As early as his life before last, he discovered that a mid-stage Golden Core Perfected Lord who was slain by [Sever All Evil!] with fully stacked marks could actually reincarnate and start over.
The trigger condition for [Sever All Evil!] was also like this.
Only after an attack hit the Dharma Body would a severing mark be stacked on it. In other words—no Dharma Body, no way to stack it.
This was simply hard-countered by death spirits.
'Where do death spirits have any Dharma Bodies? They are all reshaped true spirits and souls. Dharma Bodies, Dao Arts, Spiritual Power, and profound wonders are all imitations of the Netherworld Great Dao.'
From this perspective, [Sever All Evil!] couldn't even trigger on death spirits at all.
A sword slash might look like it's severing the Dharma Body, but it's actually severing the Netherworld Great Dao.
Were it not so, with Lu Yang's current strength, why would he need to fear those Great Perfected Lords other than Emperor Cang? He would have rushed into the crowd and gone on a peerless rampage long ago.
But this was only a minor problem.
He wasn't the kind of idiot who only knew how to rely on his talents for everything.
Lu Yang plotted in his heart, confident of absolute victory. To him, the threat of eight Great Perfected Lords was actually mostly limited to Emperor Cang alone.
After all, Emperor Cang was one person with three bodies, and he cultivated the Dharma Body. No matter how low his Dao comprehension, he still had the strength, requiring Lu Yang to deal with him seriously. It was like two ends of a scale approaching equilibrium; on this basis, the other Great Perfected Lords of the Dao Court were very weighty chips, enough to decide victory or defeat.
But if the two sides were separated, solving the problem would be much simpler.
Without support, Lu Yang had an eighty percent chance of winning against Emperor Cang in a one-on-one fight. As for the others, without Emperor Cang taking the lead, killing them all would just take a bit more time.
Setting Emperor Cang aside, the others couldn't withstand a single blow.
Setting the others aside, Emperor Cang was a loner.
However, while Lu Yang was brimming with confidence, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin on the other side was endlessly worried, feeling that Lu Yang's idea was still too radical.
"Fellow Daoist need not worry too much."
Seeing this, Lu Yang smiled faintly. "I am not a reckless person either. How about you and I go outside Mount Bozhong first, and make a decision after I contact the inside man?"
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin finally relaxed slightly.
If there really was an inside man, contacting them first to gauge the true situation of Mount Bozhong wasn't a bad idea; it might even make Lu Yang back down in the face of difficulties.
Stepping out of the Flaming Mountain.
Lu Yang formed a hand seal, and a gateway instantly rose from the ground behind him. Rolling clouds and mist, heavy and gloomy, a sea of fog seemed to reside within the doors.
The True Treasure [Zongbu Deity]!
The next second, Lu Yang and Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin both sank behind the door. A formless erasing power enveloped them, preventing them from being perceived by external forces.
"What brilliant methods."
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin personally experienced the profound wonders of the [Zongbu Deity], his eyes lighting up slightly. "With this treasure here, there's no need to worry about being discovered."
Lu Yang smiled, "Can we enter Mount Bozhong?"
"At the very least, we can sneak along the edges."
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin explained, "Inside Mount Bozhong, the Dao Court's [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules] covers almost every inch of the nether earth, possessing the profound wonder of scouring heaven and earth."
"Fellow Daoist's treasure is certainly formidable, but at most it can sneak through the periphery of Mount Bozhong, where the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules] are not strong enough. Once we truly venture deep, it will likely be forcibly broken open. The Dao Court has operated in Mount Bozhong for tens of thousands of years; it isn't so easily resolved."
"It's fine."
Hearing this, Lu Yang shook his head. "The periphery is enough. After all, if my expectations are correct, the inside man I'm looking for is highly likely to be at the periphery as well."
As they spoke, their speed did not slow down.
What should have been majestic and dazzling streaks of light were now disguised by the [Zongbu Deity] as a thin mist that almost melted into heaven and earth, making it difficult for people to see.
Not long after.
As they crossed the border of Mount Luofu, an indescribable sense of oppression crashed down, almost instantly threatening to shatter the hazy mist surrounding them!
"Not good!"
Seeing this, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's expression immediately turned to alarm. "The mighty power of the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules] has grown stronger. My previous estimation was still too optimistic..."
Before his voice faded, he immediately tried to pull Lu Yang back.
Otherwise, sinking deep into the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], even if they were Immortal Bridge Great Perfected Lords, they might suffer losses if they weren't careful. It was still not too late to retreat now.
"It's fine."
Before his voice faded, Lu Yang looked calm. He reached out and gently stroked the gateway formed by the [Zongbu Deity], a radiance faintly gathering in his palm.
In an instant, the clouds and mist that had become increasingly thin under the influence of the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], almost exposing Lu Yang and Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin, abruptly surged. Its formless stature was raised by half a notch out of thin air, covering them up again, letting the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules] sweep past.
"This is..."
Seeing this, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin was stunned. Even with his experience, he had never seen such a method. It was clearly not a method of the Dharma Body Dao.
But it didn't seem like [Pill Cauldron]'s either.
What exactly was this?
On the other hand, Lu Yang had no intention of explaining. He simply withdrew his hand with considerable satisfaction and smiled. "Let's continue. It should be fine now."
The two continued forward.
Lu Yang didn't go deep either, just wandering around the periphery of Mount Bozhong. Before long, a resplendent and magnificent temple entered their line of sight.
"Found it!"
Seeing this, Lu Yang rejoiced slightly in his heart, while Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin wore a look of surprise. "Fellow Daoist, the inside man you mentioned... is actually that Great Bodhisattva of the Pure Land?"
"Correct," Lu Yang nodded.
Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin felt a bit uncomfortable seeing this. After all, it was common knowledge that Lord Sisui ultimately fell because of that bald donkey from the Pure Land back then.
Now they actually had to ask the Pure Land for help?
However, having stayed in the Netherworld for so many years, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin was much more flexible than he was back then. He quickly adjusted his complex feelings.
Following that, he carefully observed the distant temple and frowned:
"The situation with this Great Bodhisattva doesn't seem very good..."
Looking over, a towering golden Buddha statue stood within the temple, and on either side of him, there were surprisingly two surging auras as vast as the sea.
Both were old acquaintances.
"Xin Ye, You Hai." Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's expression was complex.
The two Great Perfected Lords who betrayed the Three Foundations and defected to Emperor Cang were previously stationed at Mount Beifeng, but now they had retreated into Mount Bozhong together.
"It seems the Dao Court is also guarded against this Pure Land Great Bodhisattva. Did they send two people to monitor him?" Seeing this, Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin frowned deeply. "If that is truly the case, even if he really is an inside man, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for him to find an opportunity to come out and meet us, and might even alert the enemy."
A very reasonable concern.
However, hearing this, Lu Yang smiled. "Fellow Daoist still understands too little about the Pure Land's methods. We don't need to find a way to meet him at all."
After saying that, he shook his sleeve.
The next second, a fat-headed, big-eared monk was shaken out of his sleeve. It was none other than the captive from Mount Beifeng, Bodhisattva of the Immaculate Precious Wheel.
Almost simultaneously, inside the distant temple.
The towering golden body, as large as a mountain, abruptly paused for an instant. Almost concurrently, the Bodhisattva of the Immaculate Precious Wheel in Lu Yang's hand also raised his head.
And then, he turned to look at Lu Yang.
Only this time, the previous fear in those eyes was already gone. Instead, it was full of peace and steadiness, sending a slight chill into Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's heart.
[One Mind]!
That Great Bodhisattva didn't need to personally come out to meet them at all. As long as there was a Buddhist Cultivator, the other party could easily contact them through [One Mind]!
"...Amitabha."
Immediately following that, this Great Bodhisattva of the Pure Land spoke in an indifferent tone: "Remnants of the Three Foundations, why have you come here? Are you not afraid that this seat will report this to His Majesty?"
Before his voice faded, Lu Yang spoke up.
Under Perfected Lord Supreme Law Upholding Origin's gaze—which looked as if he had seen a ghost—he used a tone full of sorrow, sadness, and even mixed with a bit of resentment to say in a low voice:
"Senior Brother, don't you recognize me anymore?"