Chapter 977: Paramita Finally Revealed!The suicide of the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak completely changed the situation.
Among everyone, [Sky-shrouding]'s reaction was the fastest: with the Netherworld vacant, he had lost a fatal obstacle. The opportunity to attain the Dao had suddenly appeared!
What was there to hesitate about?
In an instant, the five Dao Fruits—[Great Forest Wood], [Overturned Lamp Flame], [White Wax Gold], [Silted Sand Earth], and [Eternal Flowing Water]—surfaced beside [Sky-shrouding].
Following that, a Great Dao leading to the Netherworld manifested its form. It was exactly [Sky-shrouding]'s Void Attainment Great Dao, [Inversion]. Compared to Immortal Venerable Taiyin's [Gathering the Wealth of All], the completion level of [Inversion] was undoubtedly much higher, having long been pushed by [Sky-shrouding] to the point where no further progress could be made, just one step away from the final threshold.
Boom.
In the next second, [Sky-shrouding] unhesitatingly threw the five Dao Fruits into [Inversion], prompting this Great Dao to erupt with brilliant, radiant light!
Charging the Netherworld, attaining the Dao!
At this moment, using [Inversion] as a springboard, [Sky-shrouding] moved with incomparable speed, charging directly toward the empty [Netherworld Lord's Palace].
Almost simultaneously, the [Inevitable Fate] hanging above his head erupted violently.
Under [Inevitable Fate], the effect precedes the cause. As soon as he approached the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], [Sky-shrouding] instantly felt a force of annihilation strike him.
Within the great karmic net, in order to accommodate the [Inevitable Fate], countless [Causes] surfaced. Among them were [Sky-shrouding's Inversion Great Dao actually contains subtle errors], and [Because Inversion devoured Great Forest Wood, [Sky-shrouding] lost the protection of the Knowledge-Perception Barrier, and the Netherworld discovered his existence as a living person, going berserk].
Similar [Causes], some large and some small.
Originally, these [Causes] would combine with each other to give birth to countless results. However, at this moment, they were gathered together to manifest the singular [Effect]—
Sky-shrouding, dead!
Boom!
Without any suspense, [Sky-shrouding]'s figure exploded into pieces on the spot. The Netherworld's repulsion and the imbalance of the Great Dao generated a force of annihilation that erased even his soul.
Only an impassioned shout remained echoing in place:
"Di Muni!!!"
Meanwhile, the time scroll from the World Honored One had already smoothed over the ripples caused by the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak's suicide, immediately responding to [Sky-shrouding]'s call.
The very moment [Perfected Lord Sky-Shrouding and Obscuring the Sun] died, brand new karma from the false history severed by the World Honored One was projected into the present world. From cause to effect, reforming the soul. In an instant, a heroic and spirited young Daoist, no longer shrouded in smoke, stepped out from nothingness.
His karma also surfaced because of this.
[Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign]!
This was his former true name and karma, all buried into the false history along with the World Honored One's Dao attainment. Everything was done so he could obtain a second chance when attaining the Dao.
The time is now!
The young Daoist didn't hesitate in the slightest, continuing to push forward. Shockingly, one foot stepped onto the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], and his stature instantly climbed a notch!
Golden Core Perfection was already standing on the threshold of Dao attainment. And the instant he stepped one foot into the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], he actually achieved a new breakthrough!
He was about to succeed! Nascent Soul Dao Lord!
The Master of the Netherworld had committed suicide, and he had offset the [Inevitable Fate] with a life. There was no time to condense a second one, and the other Dao Lords each had their respective opponents blocking them.
No one could stop him!
And then—time halted its steps.
Boom!
At this moment, the myriad living beings, Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones, Golden Core Perfected Lords—all cultivators were able to witness a sight they would have originally never been able to see in their entire lives.
The sky cracked open.
Across the entire light sea, the sky of the present world violently split apart. What surfaced first was a vast void, within which specks of starlight sat scattered about.
That was the [Foundation Establishment Realm].
Above the void, endless waters of concept surged and piled up, transforming into a boundless ocean. Dao Fruits and Great Daos sat within it, resembling isolated islands and small boats.
That was the [Sea of Bitterness].
However, this still wasn't the limit. Above the [Sea of Bitterness], the clouds parted to reveal the bright moon. [Paramita], which previously only revealed a silhouette at most, had shockingly lost its veil as well.
It was a seven-tiered high mountain, piling up layer by layer from bottom to top. Endless Great Dao marks flowed on every layer, as if elucidating the principles of heaven and earth. Layer after layer, the higher one went, the more profound and minuscule the Great Dao marks became, making it difficult to see their forms clearly.
Paramita! Paramita! Paramita!
At this moment, boundless immortal light illuminated the entire light sea. Heaven knew how many cultivators became intoxicated by it, tears in their eyes, their faces filled with peaceful and joyous contentment.
Then, they turned to ash within the immortal light.
Most of these cultivators had stopped at Qi Refining. Only Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones could barely maintain their minds within this brilliant immortal light, avoiding being assimilated by it.
However, that was all they could do.
Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones simply couldn't look directly at the radiance from [Paramita]. Only Golden Core Perfected Lords could raise their heads at this moment and spy upon the appearance of Paramita.
And then they saw—
On the seven-tiered high mountain, the first tier was completely empty. On the second tier stood a giant golden Buddha with a compassionate face and a smile on his lips, looking down upon the mortal realm.
On the third tier flowed an ocean of Spiritual Power.
On the fourth tier, countless profound lights of Dao Arts converged into a magnificent, myriad-colored illusion. Heaven-piercing sword qi echoed with sharp hums, alongside an expanse of murky vastness.
The fifth tier and the sixth tier were empty.
Everyone's gaze slowly climbed upward. By the end, even Early Stage and Middle Stage Golden Core Perfected Lords could no longer see clearly. Only Great Perfected Lords could spy upon it.
They saw that on the seventh tier of that high mountain, a minuscule figure shockingly stood tall. But having reached this point, the Great Perfected Lords couldn't even comprehend anything anymore. The other party stood too high and had gone too far, to the point that his stature, aura, and Dao methods were completely incomprehensible to them.
"Heh..."
A light chuckle carrying a hint of amusement, yet even Great Perfected Lords couldn't hear it. Only the Nascent Soul Dao Lords similarly situated on the mountain could faintly hear it.
Following that, the minuscule figure moved.
He took one step down.
In an instant, his standing position went from the seventh tier to the sixth tier. The originally minuscule figure also suddenly enlarged significantly, his silhouette faintly visible.
In the next second, under [Sky-shrouding]'s shocked gaze.
With this step taken, endless light poured from [Paramita] into the present world like a waterfall. A brand new [Inevitable Fate] gathered, subsequently manifesting a single sentence:
[No one can attain the Netherworld.]
The ending remained unchanged. Facing the new [Inevitable Fate], even the World Honored One withdrew all his mighty power, and the other Dao Lords also stopped their battle one after another.
True, [Inevitable Fate] hadn't completely dominated the light sea.
The Ancestor of the Saint Sect couldn't decide everything either.
However, when he was willing to pay a price to accomplish a matter, no Dao Lord on the vast [Paramita] was willing to stop him!
After all, their goal had already been achieved. The Ancestor of the Saint Sect, who was originally only one step away from the end and leading all of them, was forced to take a step down. This was already enough. Rather than continuing to fight to the death to support a Dao Lord to the table, it was better to start the feast directly and share the Netherworld among themselves.
Of course, the World Honored One might have a different opinion.
But he was powerless to do anything.
Just like the end of his past life, he could either choose to collude with them, or be eliminated by the others. Under these circumstances, his choice was naturally self-evident.
'What a pity, if only the Foundation Establishment realm...' the World Honored One sighed inwardly.
The overall situation was set!
Although this dramatic shift had affected many things and triggered endless variables, with this single downward step from the Ancestor of the Saint Sect, everything ultimately returned to tranquility.
Seeing this scene, the young Daoist within the Netherworld couldn't help but grit his teeth tightly.
Is [Inevitable Fate] truly irreversible?
Is [Paramita] truly unclimbable?
Meanwhile, Immortal Nexus, overseas.
The [Cause] from seventy thousand years ago created a brand new [Effect] at this moment. An aged true dragon surfaced from nothingness.
[Dragon Lord Yu Zhao] opened his eyes.
He had come to fulfill his promise.
If you cannot go up... then I will make it fall down!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 978: Heaven Collapse!Lu Yang naturally didn't truly spend thousands or tens of thousands of years within the great karmic net.
It was impossible for him to stay that long either. In fact, after staying for just a few years, he faintly showed signs of getting lost, demonstrating the mysteriousness of karma.
Therefore, after ensuring he had modified [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao]'s karma, he immediately returned to the present world. He consumed the final ring of the [Realm Sovereign], firmly anchoring the altered karma into the present world, subsequently triggering the miraculous resurrection of [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao] after his death.
"Incredible."
Lu Yang stretched his limbs, feeling the profound wonder of karmic recreation. Because the [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao] currently appearing in the present world was no longer just karma.
He had truly recovered his physical body.
Besides that, the Grotto-Heaven corresponding to [Heavenly River Water], Dragon Lord Yu Zhao's Golden Nature, and even his true dragon bloodline—all had recovered.
At this thought, Lu Yang hesitated no longer.
Rumble!
Accompanied by a loud boom, the recently acquired [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven] violently plummeted, transforming into a ball of light as bright as a star.
As for the Supreme Dao Fruit [Heavenly River Water], Lu Yang had absolutely no interest in it. What he wanted was the Supreme [Vast Ocean Water].
[Heavenly River Water] was still too useless, lacking any real utility. At most, he didn't mind collecting some of Dragon Lord Yu Zhao's Golden Nature to see if he could roll a useful talent afterwards.
Meanwhile.
The anomaly of the Grotto-Heaven's collapse was instantly sensed by the myriad living beings of the Immortal Nexus—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core... and even the lofty Dao Lords.
"Hm..."
Among them, the most pleasantly surprised was the World Honored One. To be honest, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect's previous action of destroying the great karmic net of seventy thousand years ago had made him give up hope.
Yet now, a change had occurred in the karma.
His plan had clearly succeeded. That Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma actually dodged the First Saint's sweep and successfully triggered the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm?
'Well done!'
'But... how did he do it?'
At this moment, besides pleasant surprise, doubts also filled the World Honored One's heart—pleasant surprise naturally because the plan unexpectedly succeeded, and doubt regarding the reason behind it.
Why did it succeed?
Which Dao Lord intervened?
'Relying solely on that Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma, it is absolutely impossible for him to dodge the First Saint's sweep. There must be another Dao Lord secretly helping him...'
Who could it be?
Thinking of this, the World Honored One couldn't help but look up at the fourth tier of [Paramita]. To be exact, he looked towards the Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Lord of the Dao Court.
'...Is it them?'
The Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion, the Sword Lord.
The Dao Lord of the Dao Court, Cang Hao.
Ordinary people didn't understand the secrets between Dao Lords, but the World Honored One was completely clear about them. He knew that these two Dao Lords walked a different path from the others.
Whether it was the great karmic net or the Netherworld, these were all the Primordial Saint's arrangements and were heavily related to him. Therefore, it had always been him and the Primoridal Saint manipulating the board. The Sword Lord and Cang Hao actually hadn't interfered much. At most, they stood on a supportive standpoint regarding the matter of not wanting the Netherworld to have a master.
'Especially the Sword Lord.'
The World Honored One's gaze ultimately locked onto that heaven-piercing sword light on the fourth tier. Toward this Dao Lord, he actually always harbored a hint of wariness in his heart.
Because according to what he knew—
'Cang Hao is one thing; perhaps his strength truly lies at the fourth tier. But the Sword Lord is not like that. He is on the fourth tier simply because he doesn't want to walk higher...'
The paths of Dao Lords were also different.
Some Dao Lords wished to continuously walk higher, while others hoped to remain closer to the present world, only forced to walk higher due to the pressure from competitors.
For a moment, thoughts flowed rapidly in the World Honored One's mind.
Meanwhile, the Dao Lords had already deduced the source of the change, and the lights symbolizing them upon [Paramita] underwent anomalies one after another.
[Someone altered the karma!]
[The sudden appearance of the Heavenly River Water Dragon Lord... World Honored One, is this your doing?]
[Can it be stopped?]
—The above were all Lu Yang's own guesses. After all, he couldn't hear the conversations on Paramita either. But he estimated the content shouldn't be too far off.
'Except for that old immortal...'
Lu Yang looked up at Paramita. The scenes of the [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven] smashing the Foundation Establishment realm and causing the Dao Lords to change their expressions were all captured in his vision.
Yet, he felt no joy in his heart.
Because the person he valued the most, the one who should have shown the most emotional fluctuation due to the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm—the Ancestor of the Saint Sect—was currently so calm it made one feel uneasy.
On the sixth tier of [Paramita], that minuscule figure with a faintly visible silhouette still stood as unyielding as a heavenly pillar. He merely looked down upon the present world with cold indifference, completely uncaring about the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm. He was neither angry nor surprised, as if looking at a plaything in his palm.
This attitude was clearly wrong.
Did he still have a contingency plan?
This wasn't strange. Although the plan to collapse the Foundation Establishment realm was the World Honored One's meticulous arrangement, a result of deception, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect was no pushover?
But regardless—
'At least, let me see your trump card!'
With the arrow already nocked on the bowstring, it had to be fired. Lu Yang simply gave up thinking and didn't ponder any further. The hand seals in his hands changed, directly detonating the [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven]!
In this instant, the rumbling sound vanished from heaven and earth.
The greatest sound is silence.
At the same time, the sky above the entire present world was shattering. An expansive, vast dark blue sky—normally difficult to spy upon in the past—surfaced and shattering into countless ribbons of light.
These ribbons of light, like flowing robes, descended from the heavens, each from which countless starlight trembled. They crashed into the present world from the distant horizon, only to explode upon contact with the earth due to the immense fluctuations in their spiritual power, transforming into streaks of fire that illuminated the heavens and earth.
Such scenery could be seen everywhere across the light sea.
This was the result of the Foundation Establishment realm collapsing. If cultivation was like climbing a high mountain, then the Foundation Establishment realm was a resting place built halfway up the mountain.
Many people rested here.
But suddenly one day, this resting place was pulled away by someone.
Therefore, everyone resting here would plummet to the foot of the mountain. Such a massive drop in stature was enough to smash a person to pieces!
This was also within the World Honored One's expectations. But they were merely Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones; no matter how many died, why would he care?
However, right at this moment.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the World Honored One let out a soft exclamation. Because he discovered that Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones didn't seem to instantly meet the ending of complete annihilation due to the destruction of the Foundation Establishment realm.
Some people survived.
'Immortal Nexus, Star Palace, Celestial Court... Several super World Realms. Those Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones who have forged Dao Foundations, although their statures also dropped, they didn't perish directly.'
Why was this so?
Such thoughts flashed fleetingly in the World Honored One's mind. Then, as if thinking of something, faint ripples formed once more in the originally tranquil Buddhist light.
'Is it you again, Beast Taming...'
The first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak also knew about the flaw in the Foundation Establishment realm!
Although seventy thousand years ago, he failed to persuade the World Honored One to repair the Foundation Establishment realm and they parted on bad terms, this didn't mean he did nothing.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
He made the greatest possible compensation.
'Is it the Dao Foundation?'
Immortal Nexus, Celestial Court, Star Palace... Or rather, all Foundation Establishment cultivation methods passed down from the Ancient Era were different; they all required the forging of a Dao Foundation.
In contrast, Unorthodox World Realms that were born relatively late, like the Mystic Spirit World Realm, had no so-called [Dao Foundation]. They were also the hardest-hit areas after this collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm. On the contrary, Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones with a [Dao Foundation], although their statures were also dropping, had a buffer.
All along, the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak seemed to have been doing similar things.
When Paramita tilted, he established the Netherworld to repair it.
When the Foundation Establishment realm collapsed, he created the Dao Foundation to compensate.
'...What's the meaning of this?'
The World Honored One smoothed the ripples of Buddhist light, regaining his eternally unchanging coldness: 'Willingly falling into depravity, unable to control oneself, is ultimately just a reflection in water, a flower in a mirror.'
Why bother taking it to heart?
Do you truly not understand that doing this will get you killed?
I understood this principle early on, which is why only I became a Dao Lord. Yet you, having reached this state, actually still don't understand it. Then you deserve to die!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 979: Dao Lords Turn Hostile, The World Honored One's True Intent!The collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm rapidly impacted the entire light sea.
Within an indescribable, dim domain shrouded by countless streams of light, a pair of eyes abruptly opened. His gaze pierced through the [Sea of Bitterness], looking upwards.
Those eyes quickly fell into bewilderment and shock.
"It got lower..."
This wasn't his first time looking up at [Paramita]. After all, he dreamed of forging a Nascent Soul and establishing his own Dao position in that infinitely high and distant place.
He knew better than anyone exactly how high and how far [Paramita] was. But precisely because of this, at this moment, no one could feel the change in [Paramita] more acutely than him. He was absolutely certain that the originally unattainable [Paramita] had suddenly slid downwards. It was no longer so unattainable!
Similar anomalies were occurring everywhere across the light sea.
Golden Core Perfected Lords might not have felt it clearly yet. However, any cultivator who had reached the Great Perfected Lord level could feel the pressure coming from overhead.
[Paramita] was falling.
Everything was exactly as the World Honored One planned. With the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm, it became difficult for the present world to support the heavy pressure of [Paramita], which carried the six Dao Lords!
At this moment, the Dao Lords who were originally fighting over the Netherworld tacitly stopped their respective actions. Instead, they unanimously surged toward the [Inevitable Fate] forged by the Ancestor of the Saint Sect in the Netherworld. For a moment, they actually managed to block the [Inevitable Fate]'s action of obliterating Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign.
[Primordial Saint, this person cannot be killed.]
[The Foundation Establishment realm has already collapsed. If the Netherworld collapses too, the present world will lose its two major pillars, and Paramita will inevitably fall because of it. Our plans will be ruined!]
[I think so too...]
—Lu Yang continued to daydream about the conversations between the Dao Lords, watching the conflict in the Netherworld with great interest. Hurry up and fight, I want to see rivers of blood!
Following that, he glanced at [Sky-shrouding] again.
'Oh wait, I should call him Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign now. This old ghost actually hid this kind of identity and didn't tell me. And to think I considered him my brother...'
Just you wait, I'll settle this score with you in my next life!
Meanwhile, Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign seemed to have reacted as well, suddenly speaking up: "I already have one foot stepping into the [Netherworld Lord's Palace]."
"Let go of the [Inevitable Fate] and let me attain the Dao. I can expand the Netherworld to the entire light sea, replacing the Foundation Establishment realm. I will be the master of the Netherworld. I will not compete with you for positions on Paramita, nor will I threaten you in the short term. Even less will I compete with you for opportunities to reach higher realms."
"Otherwise... I will detonate the Netherworld!"
Speaking up to this point, Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign's expression was incredibly resolute: "It's best not to doubt whether I can do it. Otherwise, it will only result in a lose-lose situation."
Detonate the Netherworld—could he do it?
Lu Yang quickly came to a conclusion in his heart: 'It's possible!'
Because just as Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign said, he already had one foot stepping into the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], giving him a certain degree of authority over the Netherworld.
Even if he couldn't use the power of the Netherworld to forge a Nascent Soul and become a Dao Lord, it didn't mean he couldn't detonate it. After all, destroying was inherently much easier than creating. Of course, this could also be a bluff, but considering the situation of [Paramita], it was almost impossible for any Dao Lord to risk testing it.
'On issues concerning themselves, Dao Lords always like to reconcile and compromise.'
'With the Great Dao right in front of them, if you say there will be one more master of the Netherworld sitting at the table to eat with them, cutting into their profits, they definitely won't allow it.'
'But if you say, if you can't get a seat at this table, you'll just flip it so no one can eat, then these Dao Lords will come over to reconcile. They'll be willing to let a master of the Netherworld have a seat... Not bad, this evil old ghost reacts quite fast, immediately understanding the situation.'
Lu Yang sighed in admiration inwardly.
Following that, he looked towards the very top of [Paramita], at that still-calm, minuscule figure: 'What will you do? Just compromise like this?'
In the next second, Lu Yang got his answer.
Rumble!
In an instant, the [Inevitable Fate] suspended high above the Netherworld, yet blocked by the other Dao Lords, trembled slightly. Then—it continued to press down!
No compromise!
This scene instantly made Lu Yang's pupils contract sharply. Seeing this, [Sky-shrouding] also revealed a look of astonishment. He completely hadn't expected the Ancestor of the Saint Sect to make such a choice.
After all, everyone was a Perfected Lord of the Saint Sect.
For the sake of benefits, let alone compromising, even begging one's grandfather and pleading with one's grandmother wasn't out of the question for a Saint Sect Perfected Lord. Judging others by oneself, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect should logically be the same.
But why?
It was just one extra master of the Netherworld. Even if he grouped up with the World Honored One, his level was actually very limited and couldn't possibly truly threaten him. Why not compromise?
Only Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue on the other side shook her head, sighing inwardly: 'What a pity. If it was before that old immortal left behind the [Inevitable Fate], perhaps there would still be a chance to negotiate. But since the [Inevitable Fate] has been revealed, there is no room for negotiation anymore. It must become a reality!'
If the general trend could be changed, how could it be called [Inevitable Fate]?
'If he truly abandoned this [Inevitable Fate] and chose to concede, then the foundation of [Inevitable Fate] in the light sea would be pried open, causing a change of instability.'
'This is a Dao struggle!'
'Because the current situation no longer has anything to do with the Netherworld. The old immortal absolutely cannot concede, and the other Dao Lords cannot sit back and watch him do whatever he pleases.'
—This was Lu Yang's misjudgment.
Prior to this, Lu Yang had always believed that the World Honored One nurtured [Sky-shrouding] in order to have an extra Dao Lord group up with him to oppose the Ancestor of the Saint Sect.
Even [Sky-shrouding] himself believed this.
However, they were all wrong.
Or rather, they didn't think deeply enough, nor did they look far enough—having [Sky-shrouding] become the master of the Netherworld was merely an incidental result of the plan.
'The Netherworld is actually not important.'
'An extra master of the Netherworld, at best, would only stand on the first tier of [Paramita], not even comparing to me. How could that make the Primordial Saint feel wary?'
The World Honored One lowered his eyelids. On his compassionate face, his smile grew somewhat colder: 'A Dao struggle, this is the true hope! By utilizing the relationship between the Netherworld and the present world to comprehensively trigger contradictions between the other Dao Lords and the Primordial Saint, setting off a Dao struggle—only this way do I have hope of fishing in troubled waters!'
Right now, his plan had already succeeded.
The best outcome, undoubtedly, was the Dao Lords winning, the Primordial Saint being forced to concede, the phenomenon of [Inevitable Fate] dying prematurely, and [Sky-shrouding] taking the opportunity to become the master of the Netherworld.
In this way, the Primordial Saint's side would be damaged, and he would gain a powerful reinforcement—the master of the Netherworld. With one side ebbing and the other flowing, combined with the feedback gained from manipulating the great karmic net by laying out plans for eons, guiding the general trend, and counterattacking [Inevitable Fate]—it would be enough for him to climb one tier higher, running neck and neck with the Dao Lord of Spiritual Power.
He's winning big.
The secondary outcome was nothing more than the Dao Lords compromising with each other, minimizing the damage to [Inevitable Fate]. However, regardless of what happened, damage would still be taken.
'Primordial Saint, you cannot escape this round!'
In the World Honored One's view, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect's only method to break the deadlock—which was also the worst outcome in his plan—was the Primordial Saint single-handedly suppressing all the Dao Lords.
Forcibly maintaining the [Inevitable Fate].
Forcibly killing [Sky-shrouding] and collapsing the Netherworld.
But if that happened, Paramita would inevitably fall. Even if the Ancestor of the Saint Sect maintained the phenomenon of [Inevitable Fate], his own stature would drastically plummet.
Of course, this would also affect the World Honored One himself.
But so what?
'It's nothing more than gambling my life with you all.'
As a junior who only achieved the Nascent Soul realm five thousand years ago, if I don't risk my life, if I don't have the determination to gamble everything, how can I compete with the other Dao Lords?
'At worst, the light sea is reshaped, and everyone returns to the time when Dao Lords resided in the mortal world to start from scratch. I'll still have a chance!'
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 980: The Battle of the Nascent Soul RealmIt was merely a matter of an instant.
One second, Lu Yang was still surprised by the Ancestor of the Saint Sect's refusal to compromise; the next second, endless brilliance completely covered and overturned his vision.
The entire light sea, all World Realms, Dao Fruits, and even the [Two Polarities Birth and Destruction Profound Light] vanished without a trace at this moment. Lu Yang's vision plunged into darkness. He knew nothing of heaven and earth were. Dao arts collapsed, profound wonders became invisible, leaving only the deepest despair settling in his heart.
'This is...'
In the boundless darkness, Lu Yang couldn't even recall what he had just seen. Even as a Great Perfected Lord, it was difficult to bear the taboo within his memories.
A Dao Lord's true body!
Only a Dao Lord's true body could achieve such an effect. Were the Dao Lords going to destroy the world again? Was he going to be forced to restart before even seeing the results?
However, Lu Yang quickly realized something was wrong. Because although a sharp pain came from his eyes and he felt dizzy, he hadn't died. It was just that his divine sense was difficult to project outward. It was as if he had become a lone boat in a vast ocean under a violent storm—dangerous, but not yet capsized.
'It's not a Dao Lord's true body.'
'I understand now. Unlike the past life, the Dao Lords haven't descended to the mortal realm in this lifetime, but are fighting on [Paramita]. So there is still a thin membrane separating us.'
[Paramita] mitigated the harm a Dao Lord's true body posed to lower cultivators.
But even so, probably only a Great Perfected Lord like him could barely survive. Below the Great Perfected Lord level, a large swath of Golden Core Perfected Lords would probably die.
There was no helping it; who told only Golden Core Perfected Lords to have the qualifications to see a Dao Lord's true body? The remaining Qi Refining cultivators, and the Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones plummeting after the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm, probably couldn't see anything at all. Let alone mortals completely devoid of any divine anomalies. Dying suddenly like this could be considered a blessing for lower cultivators.
'This won't do!'
Lu Yang was getting a bit anxious. He went through untold hardships to create such a scene precisely to clearly see the methods of the Dao Lords on [Paramita]. How could he continue to be blind?
At this thought, he immediately formed hand seals.
In an instant, [Overturned Lamp Flame] shone brightly. A brilliant light coalesced between his eyebrows, transforming into a bright mirror that pierced the boundless darkness before him.
[Yin-Yang Insight Dao Fruit]!
Then he saw that in another direction, a bright light also shot into the sky. It was similarly [Overturned Lamp Flame], its mighty power and profound wonder even surpassing his Dao Fruit by a notch.
'It's [Sky-shrouding]...'
Lu Yang experienced a sudden realization inwardly. [Sky-shrouding] could also activate [Overturned Lamp Flame], and the Dao Fruit Secret Method he used was clearly a five-element combination, stronger than his three elements.
Although previously, in order to attain the Netherworld, he had fed all his Dao Fruits to his Void Attainment [Inversion], this didn't mean the profound wonders of the Dao Fruits had vanished. Just like the Dharma Body Dao, [Inversion] clearly also retained the profound wonders of the Dao Fruits through some method, not wiping them clean.
After all, who would complain about having more methods?
Meanwhile, on the other side, [Sky-shrouding]—now Perfected Lord Ling Xiao the Eastern Sovereign—also noticed Lu Yang. Their gazes met in the air for a moment.
But soon, they tacitly shifted their gazes away. Compared to the little secrets they held against each other, the battle of the Dao Lords on [Paramita] was the absolute priority.
"What exactly is happening?"
Lu Yang looked as far as he could. The [Yin-Yang Insight Dao Fruit] between his eyebrows was already pushed to the extreme, finally allowing him to faintly see the scene inside [Paramita].
The first thing that entered his sight was a streak of sword light.
Clang!!!
The moment he saw the sword light, the sound of a sword hum also reached Lu Yang's ears, instantly causing his Dharma Body to crack and explode, blood spurting out in an instant!
'It's the Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion!'
At this moment, Lu Yang's eyes were covered by the sword light, practically turning into white jade. Then they cracked inch by inch, turning into a pile of fragments on the ground like shattered glazed glass.
Clatter...
In an instant, the shattered eyeballs rolled out of his eye sockets like tears, hitting the ground with clattering sounds, sending chills down the spine of anyone who saw it.
What was even more terrifying was that this injury was clearly not temporary. When Lu Yang attempted to recover his damaged Dharma Body and shattered eyeballs, it felt like filling a bottomless pit. No matter how much spiritual power or profound wonder he threw in, his injuries didn't change in the slightest.
This forced Lu Yang to lower his head.
But he had already achieved his goal—the sword light may have permanently destroyed his eyes, but it had also illuminated [Paramita] for him, even if only for an instant.
There were no Dao Lords' true bodies.
Under the cover of [Paramita], there were only the manifestations of the Dao Lords' respective concepts.
What kind of scene was that? To put it simply, it was like looking up at the starry sky from the bottom of a well, seeing the stars, the bright moon, and the vast azure sky.
Sword light, murky vastness, Dao Arts illusions, spiritual power ocean, giant golden Buddha—the five concepts rose together, surrounding that minuscule figure high above.
Even the great karmic net fell into chaos at this moment. The past history of the present world, endless years, surfaced one after another amidst the Dao Lords' clashes. There was also the future of this great battle; numerous scenes flashed. Some were about to turn into reality, only to shatter instantly and return to phantoms.
Abstract and incomprehensible.
And this was a scene that had been diluted by [Paramita]. If what he saw wasn't this, but the true bodies of the Dao Lords, he would probably die instantly.
But even so, Lu Yang still managed to summarize quite a few things—
'The heaven-piercing sword light symbolizing the Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion suddenly leaped from the fourth tier to the fifth tier, becoming the first person to block the Ancestor of the Saint Sect.'
'The Dao Spiritual Power and Dao Arts are also climbing. It seems because I revived the Dharma Body Dao, it filled a missing concept. The Dao Lord of Spiritual Power rose from the third tier to the fourth tier. Although the Dao Lord of Dao Arts didn't leap from the fourth to the fifth tier, his presence also grew significantly stronger.'
'The World Honored One, on the other hand, hasn't changed much.'
'Is he slacking off? Or is this just his level?'
Lu Yang desperately recalled the momentary scene that had just flashed through his mind, because the related contents were rapidly fading from his memory.
The knowledge of [Paramita] was not something a Great Perfected Lord could pry into!
'Hurry, I must quickly draw corresponding conclusions based on the scene I saw in that single glance, and then save those conclusions in my memory...'
The scene of [Paramita] could be forgotten.
But conclusions such as who was stronger and who was weaker among the Dao Lords, what methods they had, who were allies, and everyone's attitude towards the Primordial Saint—these would not be deleted.
And these were his bargaining chips for his next life!
'Furthermore...'
Recalling the final scene of that fleeting glimpse, a haze couldn't help but surface in Lu Yang's eyes: '...The other Dao Lords don't seem to be able to shake the Ancestor of the Saint Sect.'
Simply because, within the scene of [Paramita] he saw in that single glance, the images presented by the other Dao Lords were incredibly abstract, difficult to understand and comprehend. Only the Ancestor of the Saint Sect remained unchanged. He was still as minuscule, still sitting high above, still looking down upon everything beneath his feet.
Just like [Inevitable Fate].
"Hm?"
Right at this moment, Lu Yang suddenly staggered. Having lost his eyes, he could only use his divine sense to perceive, only to feel that the pressure coming from overhead had grown significantly heavier once more.
[Paramita] was still falling!
Clearly, with the Foundation Establishment realm shattered and one of the present world's pillars missing, the battle between the Dao Lords further accelerated the fall of [Paramita]!
(End of Chapter)