Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Heavy Light's Backup Plan, Gold Nature's Reward!
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Gai Bamboo Mountain, inside a quiet chamber.
Lu Yang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, with streams of spiritual light floating before him. Each stream represented a spiritual material—fully three thousand six hundred kinds!
These were all painstakingly gathered by Perfected Being Shangxuan, nearly emptying the Upper Profound Sword Sect's coffers.
Yet in the end, before his death, he had handed them all over to Lu Yang.
Next, a white-gold qi emerged.
This was the Xin Metal Qi, also known as Heavy Light. At this moment, it was held in his grasp as a surge of azure spiritual fire roared forth, continuously refining it.
"Luckily, I also have a spiritual fire. Though it's meant for healing, it's fire all the same—barely adequate for artifact forging. As for my forging skills, fortunately, the requirements aren't too high. The emphasis is on the materials, which Perfected Being Shangxuan prepared for me. With my abilities, it should suffice."
In the next instant, Lu Yang waved his hand grandly.
All the spiritual materials plunged into his Azure Luan Solar Fire, fusing with that strand of Xin Metal Qi, gradually taking the shape of a long sword.
Even so, the finished treasure was still imperfect.
Limited by Lu Yang's own proficiency, such a forged treasure was likely to be merely mid-grade at best. Even if it reached high-grade, it wouldn't qualify as a masterpiece.
Fortunately, Lu Yang had long prepared a remedy.
"Now!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yang produced the Star River Sword Pellet that Ye Xingfeng had given him. This once high-grade flying sword was now badly damaged.
"Time to put it to good use."
With another grand wave, Lu Yang tossed the Star River Sword Pellet into the flames, using it to refine the Formless Sword and elevate its quality.
Thus passed a long while before a long sword finally took full form from the flames.
The Formless Sword!
Everything proceeded smoothly. Once the treasure was complete, it drifted lightly into Lu Yang's hand, transmitting an intensely vibrant spiritual sentience.
With a mere thought from Lu Yang, the spirit sword vanished from sight.
Soundless, traceless, formless!
"The secret flying sword of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion lives up to its reputation!" Lu Yang's face showed admiration. This Formless Sword was the polar opposite of the Avici Sword.
The Avici Sword required gradual accumulation of Slaughter Aura, favoring overwhelming force in battle with sweeping, grandiose sword light. But the Formless Sword offered not even a glimpse of its blade—when unleashed, its very form melded seamlessly into the celestial light, invisible to ordinary eyes until heads rolled.
"One direct, one devious—perfect for me!"
Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction, then infused his divine sense into the sword, eager to examine the marvels of this high-grade spirit treasure he had labored to forge.
But the next moment, he froze.
For this Formless Sword possessed three marvels, each profound in meaning, narrowing Lu Yang's eyes.
The first marvel, named King-Slaying.
As the name implied, this sword sensed the status and authority of its target. The higher the rank, the greater the power, the deadlier the strike.
The second marvel, named Coiling Steel.
Coiling Steel defied logic and order, inverting norms and conventions. Thus, this sword was unbound by rules—any defensive divine ability or spell proved utterly useless against it.
It was a sword for slaying kings and toppling thrones.
Lu Yang's scalp tingled as he turned to the final marvel, named Heavy Light, manifesting as a brilliant golden radiance of unknown nature.
"This is Gold Nature!?"
Lu Yang had witnessed the transcendent sensation Innate Dao Sin experienced from Gold Nature, and now he felt the same from this radiant gold glow.
A strand of Gold Nature condensed from Heavy Light!?
Instinctively, Lu Yang tried to extract it, only to be repelled. The Formless Sword blazed with light, its other two marvels shining brightly.
King-Slaying. Coiling Steel.
Enlightenment dawned in Lu Yang's eyes. "This... is my reward? They want me to assassinate the King of Celebration, and this Gold Nature is my payment?"
He had thought killing Perfected Being Shangxuan and seizing the Xin Metal Qi had disrupted Heavy Light's schemes. Now it seemed the opposite.
Perfected Being Heavy Light had anticipated this all along!
"No, not anticipated—prepared in advance. It didn't matter whose hands this Xin Metal Qi fell into."
In Perfected Being Shangxuan's hands, he would still forge the Formless Sword. In battle with Lu Yang, defeat meant it passed to him regardless. The outcome was fixed; the only variable was if Lu Yang lost instead.
"No, that's not a variable."
Lu Yang pondered, his gaze growing brighter. "For something as crucial as seeking Gold Nature, how could Perfected Being Heavy Light allow variables? He'd eliminate them all!"
"In other words, he had absolute certainty."
"He was confident that no matter how events unfolded, Perfected Being Shangxuan would die by my hand, and I would obtain the Formless Sword."
This was too suspicious.
How long had Heavy Light been reincarnated? Where did such certainty come from?
At this thought, a hypothesis formed in Lu Yang's mind, perfectly aligning with his understanding of Primal Saint Sect Perfected Beings and resolving his prior doubts.
Now he had a clear picture.
Stowing the Formless Sword, Lu Yang pushed open the chamber door. The next instant, Perfected Being Yin Shan descended on a beam of escape light, his voice grave. "There's movement at Dragon-Shearing Pass."
"They've come out fighting." Perfected Being Yin Shan's expression was solemn.
"...What?"
Lu Yang betrayed surprise. "After the Upper Profound Sword Sect's destruction, they didn't flee—they dared to strike back?"
Who gave them the courage?
"...A Great Cultivator has intervened!"
Lu Yang instantly realized, understanding the gravity in Perfected Being Yin Shan's face—they had reached the same conclusion.
"Should we engage?"
Perfected Being Yin Shan said gravely, "If a Great Cultivator truly intervenes, we're doomed to lose, but the Saint Sect won't stand idle—someone will act."
"...No rush."
Recalling his recent hypothesis, Lu Yang shook his head. "Let's observe first. If it's a late Foundation Establishment cultivator making a move, we run immediately."
Perfected Being Yin Shan nodded in deep agreement.
They were all Primal Saint Sect Perfected Beings—no one would die for others. Favorable odds were fine, unfavorable ones manageable, but desperate straits? Don't blame me for fleeing.
Soon, the two soared forth on escape lights.
Surveying the scene, Yu Chan and Han Xiang had already led forces into battle. Countless divine ability radiances exploded across the heavens, while Qi Refining disciples clashed in bloody melee on the ground.
"...Seems no major issue?"
Though Han Xiang and the others were at a disadvantage, it stemmed from numerical inferiority. With Lu Yang and Perfected Being Yin Shan joining, the tide would turn instantly.
At that moment, Lu Yang and Perfected Being Yin Shan's figures were spotted.
In the crowd, Many Treasures Child's eyes lit up. He pointed at Lu Yang and shouted excitedly, "That's Yuantu! Please, Venerable One, strike!"
The next instant, everyone's faces drained of color!
From within Dragon-Shearing Pass, three men covered head to toe in inscribed scriptures wailed miserably. Then their flesh glowed with golden light.
Amid the radiance, the three men's expressions calmed to serenity. Though their faces differed, they now seemed one and the same—brows slightly raised, smiles compassionate, hands pressed together in prayer. Their auras erupted, each surging to peak mid Foundation Establishment!
"...Pure Land!"
Han Xiang, Yu Chan, and the others paled in horror, grinding their teeth. "Damn bald donkey—it's an empowerment technique. A Great Cultivator is acting from afar!"
Here shone the caliber of Primal Saint Sect Perfected Beings.
While Han Xiang and the northern cultivators reeled in shock, Yu Chan had already become a streak of escape light shielding them. Perfected Being Yin Shan whirled to flee...
Yet the next moment, both halted.
"...Yuantu?"
Perfected Being Yin Shan glanced back in confusion, only to see Lu Yang not fleeing but observing the three Buddha-light-empowered figures with keen interest.
'These three... something's off.'
With a brief sense, Lu Yang realized they had burned their own vital yang qi to allow that Pure Land Great Cultivator to empower them to peak mid Foundation Establishment.
But what if their yang qi ran out?
(End of chapter)