Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: On Prolonged War
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Time always passed quickly.
Especially when Lu Yang hunkered down in the Primal Saint Sect, refusing to stick his head out no matter how the winds and rains raged outside, making it impossible to run into any trouble.
Time flew by.
In the quiet chamber of Luofeng Mountain, Lu Yang had a Dao book open before him. The Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument at his brow flickered with brilliant light, his handsome face etched with frustration.
"Wrong... right, right, right... no, wrong, wrong, wrong...?"
A long while passed like this before Lu Yang suddenly opened his eyes, revealing pupils blazing with crimson light, faint runes seemingly swirling endlessly within.
Almost simultaneously, a graceful figure appeared at his side.
Su Nu bowed low the moment she materialized, her red lips parting as she spoke in a soft, gentle voice,
"This slave greets Master. Congratulations to Master on the great accomplishment of your divine ability!"
"How long have I been in seclusion?"
"In response to Master, you have been in seclusion for over five years."
"Five years..."
Lu Yang was somewhat surprised—not because it was long, but because it was too short. He had thought this time would take at least several decades.
After all, before entering seclusion, he had chosen not to study anything else but the array and talisman Dao book he had gleaned from his conversation with Perfected Being Yu Tong. It was called the Book of Absolute Victory in Suppressing the Rong, encompassing arrays, talismans, pills, and artifacts in full—vast in quantity and reaching as high as fourth-grade.
The difficulty of comprehending such a Dao book was self-evident.
With his experience from a previous life spent twenty years comprehending arrays, Lu Yang had figured this round would be similar. Yet the speed far exceeded expectations.
"It seems my talent is still pretty good."
"With my talent, plus the negligible help from the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument, a few more decades and I should have some small success."
With that, Lu Yang stepped into the Foundation Establishment chamber.
After devouring the merit and destiny of the Divine Martial Sect, his Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding Dao Foundation had undergone a brand-new transformation, giving him a vague sense.
"My opportunity..."
Lu Yang looked up, peering into the distance. With the boost of destiny, he could now faintly calculate where his opportunity for breaking through to mid Foundation Establishment lay.
"...It's overseas?"
Lu Yang's gaze shifted. Breaking through to mid Foundation Establishment required accommodating a heavenly gang or earthly fiend and refining it into a talent divine ability—something not obtainable just anywhere.
Even the Primal Saint Sect lacked such resources.
Heavenly gangs and earthly fiends arose in response to destiny. If no one claimed them in short order, they returned to heaven and earth—even Golden Core true lords could not preserve them.
Thus, no matter the sect or faction, cultivators seeking heavenly gangs or earthly fiends for breakthrough had to venture out. This was one reason the various powers vied for territory: the larger your domain, the higher the chance of one manifesting within it.
"Looks like this overseas trip is unavoidable."
At that thought, Lu Yang turned to Su Nu.
"What's the situation outside the sect? What about Fulong? That bald donkey still hasn't returned to the Pure Land?"
"In response to Master, no..."
Su Nu's expression turned a bit odd here.
"Not only no—in fact, that bald donkey has been wandering near the Primal Saint Sect almost every day these past five years."
"Oh?"
Lu Yang's interest piqued.
"He's waiting for me? Looks like the old monk can't let it go and thinks I'll come out for another fight?"
Su Nu nodded and continued,
"In fact, these recent years, Master's reputation has grown ever greater. Many true lords see you as a master of toying with karma and fate. To manipulate a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator at hand with mere early Foundation Establishment—even in the Primal Saint Sect, that's rare."
"They say you're... er." Su Nu abruptly shut her mouth.
Lu Yang's curiosity grew instead.
"What do they say about me? Divine abilities vast? Schemes reaching the heavens? A peerless prodigy who punches above his weight?"
"This..."
Su Nu glanced carefully at Lu Yang and whispered,
"They say you deeply understand the way of self-preservation, act with utmost caution—like a turtle hiding in its shell..."
As Lu Yang's expression darkened, Su Nu's voice grew smaller and smaller.
In the end, she knelt primly before him, bowed her slender swan-like neck, nodded vigorously, and said no more.
A day later.
Lu Yang emerged from the quiet chamber refreshed and alert, releasing his aura. Moments later, a figure sensed it, tore through the void, and landed on Luofeng Mountain.
It was none other than Perfected Being Yin Shan.
He cupped his hands with a smile the instant he landed.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother. Destroying the Divine Martial Sect and claiming all its merit and destiny—mid stage must be in sight."
"Senior Brother overpraises. Still early."
Lu Yang shook his head.
"That bald donkey Fulong is still alive, karma unresolved. To be safe, I plan to hole up for a few decades before seeking opportunities outside."
"Mm."
Perfected Being Yin Shan gave Lu Yang a deep look, hesitating to speak. Clearly, he thought Lu Yang overly cautious—not at all like a young man.
Though Fulong Arhat now bore a blood feud with Lu Yang, Foundation Establishment true lords could mask their karma. As long as Lu Yang took a bit of care, even leaving the sect, Fulong Arhat likely couldn't touch him. Yet Lu Yang insisted on hiding in the Primal Saint Sect—too steady by half.
Lu Yang saw through Perfected Being Yin Shan's thoughts at a glance.
But for him, it was a different calculus: True, even outside the sect, Fulong Arhat probably couldn't do much to him.
But why take the risk?
"Eighty percent safe" meant a twenty percent chance of being done in. Why gamble that twenty percent when he could win for sure?
Just then, a streak of spiritual light fell into the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
"Lu Yang! Come out here!"
The next instant, the light burst, a voice booming in all directions—Fulong Arhat's curses and taunts, endless provocations.
Then the light scattered, revealing a rainbow霞彩衣—a woman's garment—that plummeted openly toward Luofeng Mountain, drawing gazes from true lords across the Primal Saint Sect: some mocking, some sneering, some admiring. Lu Yang took it all in stride.
"Su Nu, it's yours."
Lu Yang snatched the rainbow霞彩衣, refined it in an instant, summoned the still-weak-in-the-knees Su Nu, and tossed it over.
"Thank you, Master!" Su Nu beamed with delight.
Perfected Being Yin Shan beside them could only sigh inwardly at how this Yuantu Junior Brother had skin thick as a city wall—truly worthy of Senior Brother's pick as the future pillar of the Primal Saint Sect.
Then Lu Yang turned, smiling as he produced a storage pouch.
"To be honest, Junior Brother ransacked the Divine Martial Sect before seclusion and hasn't properly sorted their treasury yet."
Lu Yang sighed as he stuffed the pouch into Perfected Being Yin Shan's arms.
"Senior Brother is Senior Uncle Chongguang's right-hand man. Their treasury is a mess of junk—better send it to your residence first for a thorough check. Once confirmed good, hand it up to the sect."
Perfected Being Yin Shan took the pouch while shaking his head.
"This isn't right, is it?"
"Sharing the sect's burdens!"
Lu Yang pressed on regardless; Perfected Being Yin Shan half-heartedly demurred. Then Lu Yang smiled.
"Where are those two Divine Martial Sect true lords now?"
"Huanwu and Xuanwu?"
Perfected Being Yin Shan paused, then said,
"With the sect's destiny and merit scattered, disciples fled like monkeys from a fallen tree—they've naturally escaped overseas."
His eyes lit up.
"Junior Brother wants to offer sacrifice to that Avici Sword?"
"I have the thought."
Lu Yang nodded.
"Pity they're fled overseas, hard to track. Any way, Senior Brother?"
Having just taken Lu Yang's pouch, Perfected Being Yin Shan couldn't refuse and laughed.
"What's hard about it? Leave it to Senior Brother!"
With that, his gaze toward Lu Yang grew even more approving.
Truth be told, he had half-expected Lu Yang to ask help against Fulong Arhat... which would have forced a firm refusal.
The current Fulong Arhat was a madman on his last legs.
Such a one was troublesome; he wanted no part.
But Huanwu and Xuanwu? Mere early Foundation Establishment from a fallen minor sect—Perfected Being Yin Shan could nab them with ease. A trifling favor!
(End of chapter)