Chapter 109: Plucking Stars with Bare Hands!
Watching Qin Tianhe and Xu Xin bowing before him with utmost reverence, Lü Yang froze momentarily before forcibly swallowing the words "senior brother" that nearly escaped his lips.
At this moment, clarifying his identity would only create awkwardness.
As for being mistaken as a True Person, Lü Yang could guess the reason—his current cultivation level was simply too elevated, leading Qin Tianhe and Xu Xin to misjudge his realm.
After all, he now possessed three major divine abilities along with the Saint's Theft and Nine Transformations Dragon Art. His cultivation level was just a step away from Foundation Establishment. To those standing at the mountain's base, whether someone was halfway up or at the summit made little difference—both seemed equally unreachable.
Thus, their mistake was understandable.
Therefore, Lü Yang didn't deny it and directly stated, "I've been ordered to seek an audience with True Person Chongguang, but I'm unsure of the proper procedure. Might you two fellow Daoists enlighten me?"
Qin Tianhe and Xu Xin immediately looked flattered. After all, it was rare for a "True Person" within the Saint Sect to be so courteous. Not daring to slight him, they hastily replied, "If the True Person has been summoned, the Sacred Fire Cliff's formation spirit must have recorded it. Once you announce yourself, it will naturally guide you."
"Many thanks."
Lü Yang nodded, then summoned a beam of escaping light and soared straight toward Sacred Fire Cliff, soon vanishing from their sight.
"Which True Person was that?"
"No idea..."
Xu Xin and Qin Tianhe exchanged puzzled glances, finding Lü Yang unfamiliar and his politeness almost unsettling.
"Seems we got lucky."
"Other True Persons might not have asked—they'd just perform a soul search directly..."
"Who knows which battlefield this True Person returned from? The Jiangxi Pure Land, Jiangdong Dao Court, Jiangnan Sword Pavilion—none have been peaceful lately..."
Naturally, Lü Yang didn't hear their musings. By then, he had already entered Sacred Fire Cliff. Just as Qin Tianhe had said, the moment he stepped inside, streams of light converged before him, coalescing into a stunningly beautiful woman in colorful robes who gracefully landed before him.
Lü Yang quickly halted and cupped his hands respectfully. "Lü Yang greets this senior sister."
The woman paused briefly, her eyes flickering with an unreadable light before she replied indifferently, "True Disciple Lü Yang, follow me. Do not wander off."
With that, she turned and walked away without another glance.
Lü Yang hurried after her while inwardly pondering:
'So this is Sacred Fire Cliff's formation spirit... I've heard this is where the True Lords seclude themselves. The formations here must be at least third-grade...'
How advanced!
As a seventh-grade formation master, Lü Yang couldn't help itching to dissect the formation spirit before him and study its structure in depth.
But in the end, he restrained himself.
Soon, under the formation spirit's guidance, Lü Yang arrived at a grand hall on Sacred Fire Cliff's outermost perimeter. The hall was bathed in radiant light illuminating its vast interior.
Stepping inside, Lü Yang immediately spotted True Person Chongguang seated at the head of the hall. The man stood with hands clasped behind his back, facing an enormous map spread across the palace wall—a chart spanning regions near and far, even extending overseas, every inch densely annotated.
"Disciple Lü Yang pays respects to Uncle Chongguang."
Without hesitation, Lü Yang performed a Daoist salute, then stood silently, awaiting the seated True Person's response.
After a long while, True Person Chongguang finally stirred.
Turning around, he revealed eyes blazing with white light—his gaze like scorching flames that seemed to burn through Lü Yang inside and out.
Lü Yang straightened his posture, showing no trace of unease.
Moments later, True Person Chongguang withdrew his gaze, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. "These divine abilities of yours... Were they all taught by Junior Brother Yinshan?"
"Indeed!"
Lü Yang held nothing back—the Corpse Dissolution True Method, Heavenly Silkworm Secret, Saint's Theft—every major divine ability was openly displayed.
And he could guarantee each had traceable origins, all transmitted by True Person Yinshan after his promotion to true disciple status at Skeleton Mountain. He'd simply mastered them all on his journey back to the sect—nothing suspicious about that.
What? Progressed too fast?
Well, with a Foundation Establishment-level guardian deity's cultivation level boosting him, mastering divine abilities just worked that way. If you didn't have one, it'd be hard to explain.
Seeing Lü Yang's unflinching confidence, True Person Chongguang's eyes gradually brightened. He'd already been briefed about Lü Yang by True Person Yinshan.
After personally deducing the karma threads and thoroughly inspecting him, the True Person found no issues. For a true disciple, this level of scrutiny was the limit—after all, they were merely Qi Refining cultivators. Even if they stirred up heaven-shaking events, it wouldn't warrant Golden Core True Lords' attention.
"You... are quite remarkable."
With an inscrutable tone, True Person Chongguang continued, "At your current level, you could attempt Foundation Establishment immediately with at least eighty percent success."
Yet his next words took a sharp turn: "However, I hope you won't rush into it."
"As the righteous-demonic Dao-Seizing War is about to recommence, participating and helping our sect secure victory would bring you immense benefits post-breakthrough."
True Person Chongguang's attitude could almost be described as gentle.
Lü Yang sensed that even if he refused, the True Person likely wouldn't hold it against him—but doing so would mean forfeiting opportunities to distinguish himself.
Without merits, how could he advance within the sect?
Thus Lü Yang responded without hesitation: "This disciple is willing to join the Dao-Seizing War."
"Excellent!" True Person Chongguang laughed lightly, his gaze warming considerably. "From today onward, you are officially a true disciple of our Saint Sect."
"Your generation follows the 'Yuan' character."
"Having inherited the Witch Ghost Path's legacy, you likely carry significant blood karma. I'll grant you the character 'Tu' (Slaughter). Henceforth, your Daoist title shall be Yuan Tu. How does that sound?"
Hearing this, Lü Yang instantly understood—this was essentially an overt recruitment gesture. Otherwise, why would the True Person personally bestow a Daoist title?
Cupping his hands respectfully, Lü Yang responded, "Yuan Tu pays respects to Uncle."
Only then did True Person Chongguang laugh heartily, beckoning Lü Yang closer. "Come. When the Dao-Seizing Battle commences shortly, this will be the optimal observation point."
"Observation point?"
"Indeed. The True Lords are about to establish the Dao-Seizing War's battlefield."
Though puzzled internally, Lü Yang revealed nothing outwardly, obediently moving beside True Person Chongguang. Before long, a soft exclamation reached his ears:
"They're here!"
Almost simultaneously, Lü Yang looked skyward.
The hall's ceiling suddenly transformed into a circular mirror piercing through illusions to reveal a breathtaking vista—an endless firmament.
At that moment, the entire Saint Sect and the sky-reaching sea of clouds trembled slightly. The roiling clouds and churning waves parted as a dharma body gradually rose from the sea of clouds.
With just this motion, the dharma body's crown shattered thirty-six layers of atmospheric clouds, while concentric halos resembling frothing waves radiated from its head—like mountain-ringed ripples or snow-capped peaks. Standing with hands clasped behind its back, the Saint Sect's vast sky-reaching sea of clouds seemed no larger than a chessboard before it.
Moreover, its form continued expanding.
Its eyes merged with the sun and moon in the heavens, their light becoming its gaze as it calmly surveyed the mortal realm below.
Gradually, Lü Yang could no longer discern the dharma body's complete form.
Its entirety overlapped with the heavens and earth within his field of vision, making full comprehension impossible—only inexpressible awe flooded his heart.
Mountains and rivers formed its body—the firmament its head!
Rivers flowed through its meridians—sun and moon its eyes!
The next instant, Lü Yang's perspective shifted again. At the distant horizon, two similarly majestic dharma bodies were gradually rising.
One wore a perpetual smile, radiating boundless compassion.
The other donned official robes, with dragons and phoenixes paying homage.
Three dharma bodies, each encompassing territories spanning thousands of miles, interacted to delineate an enormous circle across the land, anchoring the spiritual veins within.
"Golden Core True Lords... This is their power!?"
Lü Yang's eyes widened until they nearly bled, barely managing to discern the three True Lords' movements—they slowly raised their hands.
Three palms simultaneously aimed at a celestial star above.
Then, clasped together.
In the next heartbeat, Lü Yang witnessed the radiant star being grasped, dragged down by the three True Lords, before crashing violently toward the earth—
Plucking stars with bare hands!