Chapter 137
Chapter 137
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Su Nü Can Endure Hardship, Let Her Eat More
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hosting Primal Saint Sect disciples to annihilate the Divine Martial Sect.
That was the message Perfected Being Yin Shan had brought, clearly courtesy of Perfected Being Heavy Light pulling strings behind the scenes, investing heavily to properly support him.
Lu Yang naturally accepted this with a smile.
After all, the Divine Martial Sect was a major sect in the northern frontier, and its merit and destiny were something many coveted. It hadn't been easy for Perfected Being Heavy Light to secure this opportunity for him.
This concerned Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Generally speaking, the most crucial part of Foundation Establishment was seeking out Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends to fuse with one's natal divine ability. Yet Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends were born of heaven and earth.
How to find them? Where to find them?
Not to mention that different Perfected Beings, with different Dao foundations, had entirely different requirements for Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends. Sometimes, even if one found them, they might not be usable.
For instance, Lu Yang still had a strand of [Heavenly Corpse Fiend] in his possession—an Earthly Fiend ranked as [Zhixu]—but it didn't mesh with his [Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding Dao Foundation]. Forcing it in carried a ninety percent chance of explosion due to clashing divine abilities, and even if successful, it risked backlash at any moment.
Thus, seeking Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends posed the second major hurdle for Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings.
The solution was simple: merit and destiny. With sufficient destiny and profound blessings, desires naturally came to fruition.
Just like those children of destiny.
When one's merit and destiny reached a certain height, there was no need to search—Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends would condense right before one's eyes, served on a silver platter.
This was why great immortal clans and sects existed.
Few Foundation Establishment cultivators were true independents; most established sects or clans. Not for any other reason, but to accumulate merit and destiny.
A thriving sect or flourishing clan naturally gathered destiny.
Paired with the right profound arts, one could concentrate the destiny of an entire sect or clan into a single person, boosting the chances of finding suitable Heavenly Gangs and Earthly Fiends abroad.
Of course, there were independent Foundation Establishment cultivators.
These were mostly those who had stumbled into fortune by sheer luck, lacking complete lineages and thus the arts to gather destiny. In the end, they could only join great sects or immortal gates.
Like Perfected Being Panlong in the past, or Arhat Fulong today.
After seeing off Perfected Being Yin Shan, Lu Yang reviewed his own assets. Among his great divine abilities, only [Twelve Capital Heavens Divine Baleful Secret Devil Calamity Light] was still usable.
His natal divine ability was already formed, and he had the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument as a spiritual treasure.
Beyond that were the Qi-devouring Bugs, nurtured over thirty years to a horde of 140 million—quite a sharp tool in their own right.
"Still feels unsteady."
Lu Yang rubbed his brow. The Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument could be used in combat, but it lacked direct destructive power and didn't synergize with his natal divine ability.
His advantages weren't overwhelming enough; he needed to expand them.
If possible, he'd love to see the Divine Martial Sect's mountain gate explode right now.
".Any other opportunities?"
Lu Yang racked his brains until his eyes lit up at last: ".Right, I remember—Chen Xin'an mentioned an opportunity back then."
A hidden trove on an island deep in the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea, called Gourd Island.
He'd ignored it at the time due to wariness of Chen Xin'an, but before heading to the Divine Martial Sect, it was worth a shot. Who knew—he might snag something good.
With his status as a Perfected Being, raiding a secret stash from a Qi Refining cultivator's tales was a sure thing.
With that thought, Lu Yang set off at once.
The Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument veiled causality and divined heavenly secrets. A brief calculation pinpointed Gourd Island's location, bringing him to a deserted stretch.
"This is it?"
Lu Yang halted his escape light, opening the heavenly eye in his brow. The treasure's radiance shone down, instantly scattering the thick clouds to reveal a crimson island blazing like fire.
The island split into two zones: small above, large below, both round—like a red gourd.
Gourd Island, aptly named.
"What opportunity lies within?" Lu Yang pinched his fingers to divine, but his expression gradually hardened, brows furrowing.
——He couldn't divine it.
"With the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument, I still can't divine it!?"
Lu Yang peered sideways, his brow's dharma eye piercing with heavenly light into Gourd Island—only for it to sink like a stone into the sea, revealing no anomalies.
"This island. Not ordinary!"
Lu Yang marveled first, then frowned: "Such a perilous place—how could a Qi Refining cultivator reach it? Chen Xin'an clearly meant to lure me to my death!"
But soon he reconsidered. Chen Xin'an was now his banner spirit, loyally lurking by the Heaven Mending Peak Master. Besides, this was several lifetimes ago—no need to hold a grudge. He wasn't petty like that.
"I'll settle this score with the Heaven Mending Peak Master!"
Next, Lu Yang produced the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, shaking it to summon his protector god Su Nü, then cradled the Qi-devouring Bug King in his palm.
Clearly, Gourd Island was trouble.
This was Primal Saint Sect territory, after all—every opportunity came with strings attached. Lu Yang had learned that the hard way.
So, make Su Nü suffer a bit more!
She could endure hardship, after all—perfect chance to feed her some.
Also, test what his thirty-year nurtured Qi-devouring Bug King could do, whether it might serve in fights against other Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings.
"Go on in, no worries."
With those words, Lu Yang flicked his sleeve. A gale swept up Su Nü and the Bug King, hurling them unceremoniously into Gourd Island.
Su Nü swallowed hard, landing on the island with the Bug King in tow.
Boom!
The next instant, the island's spiritual energy sensed an intruder, surging like crashing mountains onto Su Nü.
The pressure wasn't intense—Qi Refining perfection could withstand it. For Su Nü, it was a mere breeze. But consider: even entering required Qi Refining perfection. What horrors lurked deeper?
"Head inside." Lu Yang commanded.
Su Nü obeyed without hesitation, boldly venturing deeper, scanning ahead with divine sense just in case.
As her protector god, Lu Yang shared an intimate link with Su Nü. A mere thought let him borrow her view of Gourd Island's interior: bones strewn everywhere, flesh dissolved, shattered artifacts and robes scattered about.
A battlefield?
Pushing through dense woods, a new sight emerged: a deep valley aglow with crimson light, clearly hiding some rare treasure.
Then he heard—
"Qi-devouring Bug, you scout it."
Su Nü eyed the Bug King solemnly: "Report back what you find. I'll put in a good word with Master later."
Through the protector god bond, Lu Yang sensed her thoughts clearly:
‘The valley feels off—too risky for me. Send the bug first. If it dies, no big deal. Keeps it from stealing Master's favor.'
Then the Qi-devouring Bug King hesitated before shaking its head: "No rush. I'll send my children ahead first."
Lu Yang caught its thoughts too:
‘The valley looks deadly. I've survived this long—no way I'm dying now. Send the kids—they're a dime a dozen.'
Lu Yang: "."
For a moment, Lu Yang felt heartbroken.
Fleeing danger first—how could they press on?
If they didn't press on, how could he enjoy his peaceful days?
They said one was shaped by company, but these two had been with him so long—yet learned none of his good traits!?
(The end of the chapter)