Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Immortal Alliance Headquarters
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Immortal Alliance Headquarters.
As a power that had dominated the Biyang Cultivation World for three thousand years, with its systems and rule deeply ingrained in people's hearts, the Immortal Alliance's headquarters was nothing short of magnificent.
Jade towers and pearl pavilions, terraces and lofty halls.
Here, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, and even Return to Void cultivators—rare sights in the outside world—were everywhere. At this moment, they had all gathered together unbidden.
Right now, these great cultivators who were usually high above the masses wore faces full of shock and fear. They stared fixedly at the grand hall where the former Merge with Dao great cultivators had secluded themselves. To be precise, they stared at the figure standing in the center of the hall, hands clasped behind his back, eyes scanning the crowd with keen interest.
At that moment, Guang Ming stepped forward on his own initiative.
"Greetings, Alliance Master!"
His resounding voice echoed in all directions. Though no one recognized Guang Ming, with someone taking the lead, others followed suit. The scattered calls quickly swelled into a mighty chorus:
"Greetings, Alliance Master!"
Lu Yang swept his divine sense over them at once. How many were merely paying lip service, and how many were sincere—all of it was laid bare before his eyes.
But Lu Yang didn't care what the Immortal Alliance members thought of him. In fact, the Primal Saint Sect never concerned itself with the opinions of its affiliated sects. After all, the Primal Saint Sect's style was infamous far and wide. Winning true-hearted submission was not just hopeless—it was utterly impossible.
Moreover, after so many years of rule, the Immortal Alliance naturally had its diehards.
That was why he had already conducted a great purge before summoning everyone. If you make me uncomfortable, don't blame me for giving you a swift end.
Those standing before him now had all given up resisting.
This was the first step in the Primal Saint Sect's control of affiliated powers: apply force. Use overwhelming strength to establish one's position and crush any thought of rebellion.
The next step was to state one's stance.
"The Immortal Alliance has undergone a great upheaval. Fellow great cultivators have entrusted this seat with temporary management, but I lack practical experience, so I will need everyone's full cooperation."
One sentence set the tone.
Rest assured, I won't touch your power or status, nor meddle recklessly. The benefits you hold today will still be yours tomorrow!
At these words, the expressions of several Return to Void cultivators eased considerably.
Then came the third step.
Any organization inevitably had factions. Where there were factions, there were tangled interests. If no conflicts existed, create them.
What Lu Yang had to do was tailor promises to each faction's demands—big pies for all—then ensure those pies clashed. They would fight among themselves for the spoils, and Lu Yang could play referee, mediating to naturally become the one in charge.
So after soothing the crowd, Lu Yang met privately with several Return to Void cultivators in turn.
He had plenty of bargaining chips. The Immortal Alliance's resources had mostly been hoarded by the Merge with Dao great cultivators; now they were all his.
Perfect for pie-making.
In just three short months, the already disunited cultivators began infighting, vying to outdo one another for Lu Yang's favor.
On this foundation, they could hardly refuse his demands.
Thus, in the third month of his takeover, Lu Yang opened the sect's cultivation methods.
He even had the slogan ready:
"Equality for all, freedom to cultivate!"
In the Biyang Cultivation World, cultivation methods required spiritual roots. But Lu Yang's methods could be effortlessly mastered by anyone.
From then on, cultivators with spiritual roots and those without would form natural opposing factions within the organization, locked in endless strife. Good or bad, if it came from the enemy, reject it outright. No more weighing merits—only loyalty to one's side.
To overpower the foe, they would cling even tighter to Lu Yang.
This was the fourth step, the final one.
Through institutional design, expand the conflicts at the top to engulf the entire organization, plunging it into total chaos, forever stalled in growth and progress.
Lu Yang called it the Primal Saint Four Steps.
Any power dismantled by the Primal Saint Sect this way could never rise again—it would only sink fully into subordination.
Immortal Alliance Headquarters, inside a quiet chamber.
Lu Yang focused his mind and held his breath. As the Immortal Alliance's rule over the Turbulent Flow Sea was toppled and rebuilt, he finally extracted a strand of hazy smoke from the Foundation Establishment realm.
".It's done!"
The smoke was hazy, yet it carried an unprecedented weight, as if bearing the thoughts and yearnings of billions of lives, the masses in their multitudes.
This was Wu Earth, arbiter of all things, the Heavenly Gang's [Zhuyong]!
With the old Immortal Alliance regime overthrown, this intangible "great mountain" had finally manifested as qi, obediently settling into his palm.
"Smooth beyond belief."
Lu Yang sighed with emotion. It had been ages since things went this smoothly for him. With Wu Earth qi in hand, he could attempt a mid-stage breakthrough anytime if he wished!
But the [Yin Fire] awaiting a mid-stage breakthrough was not to be underestimated.
Breaking through rashly carried too much risk.
To be safe, he should return to the Primal Saint Sect first and consult Perfected Being Chongguang on any calamity-avoidance methods. Prepare thoroughly before attempting the breakthrough.
"That makes you all useless now."
Lu Yang produced the [Three-Nines Soul-Melting Gourd] and gave it a gentle shake. The Immortal Alliance's twelve Merge with Dao great cultivators tumbled out in a heap, sprawling wretchedly on the ground.
Before they could awaken, Lu Yang summoned the [Avici Sword].
Whoosh—!
Sword light flashed, instantly severing the heads of all twelve Merge with Dao great cultivators. Though their true spirits lingered and might one day emerge from the [Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Tushita True Edict], their false Foundation Establishment flesh, blood, and true qi were utterly drained by the [Avici Sword].
The next instant, Lu Yang's face lit with delight.
Twelve false Foundation Establishments—lesser than true ones, yet the sword refinement worked just the same, granting the [Avici Sword] a new divine ability!
This fresh one was called [Lü Wei].
What surprised Lu Yang, however, was that it wasn't offensive but auxiliary: it allowed the sword bearer to sense their own life-or-death crises in advance.
"This overlaps with the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument."
Lu Yang frowned. With the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument guarding him, he would sense any karmic entanglement anyway—no need for [Lü Wei]'s power.
In thought, Lu Yang casually activated the [Avici Sword].
But the next second—
As the sword light bathed his body, [Lü Wei] triggered. Lu Yang felt his mind suddenly elevate.
Then he saw the top of his own head.
[Danger]!
A massive scarlet character hovered above him, unbound by karma yet suspended high, filling him with an unprecedented sense of peril.
"What... is this!?"
Lu Yang had thought no deadly karma clung to him. Yet the scene revealed by [Lü Wei] drastically changed his expression.
No, no fatal karma afflicted him.
For the crisis came from the heavens themselves!
Karma was merely the weave of fates between people. Human intent to kill birthed karma—but when heaven willed death, how could mortals perceive it?
This was utterly unlike the heavenly punishment from exploding Skull Mountain's leyline.
Heavenly punishment emphasized penalty, a warning to all beings of taboos—grand in scale, known to all, calculable.
But this heavenly execution bore no such omens.
Heaven was impartial, treating all things as straw dogs.
Like a species culled from the food chain, silently going extinct—heaven's killing intent was the same: subtle, inevitable, flowing naturally.
Suddenly, Lu Yang sensed something and looked skyward.
In a daze, he glimpsed a lamp flame: golden cup aglow, jade pedestal radiant, illuminating sun and moon yet not the day, brightening heaven and earth yet not yet dawn—hanging high in the firmament.
[Covered Lamp Fire]
".Hong Yun!?"
In that instant, enlightenment dawned on Lu Yang.
In the current world, the only one who could wield [Covered Lamp Fire] was Hong Yun—the reincarnated Golden Core True Lord who had once held that fruit position!
"At minimum, a fruit position treasure... and one tied to karma and fate, or it couldn't brew such a targeted heavenly killing intent against me!"
Hong Yun wants me dead!?