Chapter 247
Chapter 247
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Heavy Light's Fall
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Above the vault of heaven, within the nearly collapsing Cave Yang Blessed Land, Heavy Light stood with hands clasped behind his back.
He gazed at that lone star in the sky, reluctance and unwillingness etched across his face.
[Covered Lamp Fire].
Even at this moment, that fruit position still shone for him. Yet he was already powerless to unite with it, forced to watch helplessly as it gradually dimmed.
Heavy Light lowered his head and looked at his four innate divine abilities. The [Shady Dragon Water], which he had originally reversed back into yang soil, now brimmed once more with faint strands of yin qi that refused to be eradicated. It was this final wisp of yin qi that had caused his second attempt to end in failure.
“One step short, a chasm of a thousand miles. Worthy of a True Lord of the Primal Saint Sect!”
In truth, the True Lord who had reversed the [Dragon Earth] had completed every step long ago. His scheme spanned at least several millennia, with foundations beyond imagination.
“Compared to him, I was merely acting on a whim.”
At this thought, a fresh flicker of unwillingness surfaced in Heavy Light’s eyes. Yes, merely a whim. Had he prepared in advance, the outcome might have been different!
“I’ve now reversed over half the [Dragon Earth] in the world back to its yang attribute. Achieving that much proves the mysterious True Lord’s foundation is unstable. He may have begun reversing the [Dragon Earth] thousands of years ago, but truly completing the reversal—turning yang soil to yin soil—took him no more than a century!”
If he could return to a hundred years prior, things would surely unfold differently!
After all, even his improvised, hasty effort had nearly succeeded.
Leveraging the fruit position treasure to pry open the [Covered Lamp Fire] and reverse the world’s [Dragon Earth] back to yang—it had all but succeeded. What was missing was just one thing.
The original [Yin Dragon Earth].
That mysterious True Lord’s initial yin-yang reversed [Dragon Earth] served as the foundation for reversing the world’s [Dragon Earth]. Heavy Light simply couldn’t locate it.
And so he had lost there.
At the critical juncture, that mysterious True Lord had used that strand of [Yin Dragon Earth] to taint Heavy Light’s [Shady Dragon Water], dooming him to failure.
With this realization, Heavy Light glanced once more at the lands below.
“The final strand of [Dragon Earth]—where did you hide the original [Yin Dragon Earth]?”
From his vantage as a True Lord overlooking the world, neither the present realm nor the Foundation Establishment realm should escape his sight. Yet he could not find any trace of his foe. Every bit of [Dragon Earth] in view had returned to yang, with not a hint of yin soil remaining.
“Could it be...”
In an instant, Heavy Light’s gaze shifted. Something dawned on him, his eyes flashing briefly with light before dimming once more.
“No use. It’s a dead end after all.”
Yet soon enough, Heavy Light rallied his spirits anew.
He performed a quick divination, then glanced behind him. The heavy aura of merit and virtue—symbolizing his innate immortal spirit roots, which had once hovered behind his head—had vanished.
“Still not quite used to it.”
Heavy Light chuckled, having divined the result he sought.
“For now, it looks like after death, I’ll need to reincarnate as pigs and dogs for 147 lifetimes before I can become human again.”
Despite his words, no resentment marred Heavy Light’s face. A self-mocking smile even tugged at his lips.
“An innate immortal spirit reduced to reincarnating as beasts—I must be the first. The good news is beasts die quickly. 147 lifetimes... it’s not that long.”
In other words, this was the end for him.
Even at peak Foundation Establishment, where he had long ago refined his gold nature, it meant nothing now.
A Golden Core True Lord’s gold nature permeated soul and self as one, free from the mysteries of fetal confusion.
A peak Foundation Establishment cultivator’s gold nature, however, was like an external object—stripped away in reincarnation. Thus, even they were limited to five lifetimes at most.
Moreover, Heavy Light had exhausted his gold nature when advancing his blessed land.
To survive, a True Lord would need to shelter his reincarnation with their own gold nature. But his path was set; he held no further value to them.
After all, with the [Covered Lamp Fire] severed, no one could achieve that fruit position.
In such circumstances, not even True Lord Clearpure Flying Snow—the one who had always backed him—would intervene. That was the Primal Saint Sect for you. The Saint Sect never spoke of sentiment.
“...Very well.”
Heavy Light swiftly composed himself.
“Reincarnation will cleanse my soul. By the time I return as a human, the traces of my path should be mostly washed away.”
He could seek another way then.
“On second thought, it’s not such a bad thing.”
By that time, the consciousness known as “Heavy Light” would likely have dissipated, replaced by an entirely new life and awareness.
But what of it?
Heavy Light smiled faintly.
“If I attain the true fruit, whether original self or borrowed self, it is still me. If I fail, original self or borrowed self—there’s no real difference.”
“Farewell, then... off I go, back soon.”
With those words, Heavy Light’s figure dissolved beneath the final glimmer of the [Covered Lamp Fire], shattering like a dream or mirage into a sky filled with colorful auroras.
Yet in the instant before total dispersal—driven by vengeful spite toward the mysterious True Lord who had blocked his path—he managed to project a wisp of divine sense.
Watching the [Covered Lamp Fire] fade from the sky and the Cave Yang Blessed Land crumble, disintegrating into the fabric of heaven and earth, even Lu Yang couldn’t help but sigh.
Recalling all of Heavy Light’s trials along the way, he inwardly cursed.
“What a beastly place!”
Proving the Golden Core here was absurdly difficult. Every step was a trap; one misstep, and it was eternal perdition, just like Heavy Light.
At the thought, sorrow welled up in Lu Yang’s heart. If it were him at peak Foundation Establishment—having spent ages gathering the heavenly stems and earthly branches, forging his innate divine abilities, believing he could finally claim the golden throne—only to discover a fatal flaw in those stems and branches... and with the path offering no regrets, no way to change it...
‘...Oh right. I can just restart.’
Problem solved!
With that, Lu Yang quickly steadied his emotions, regaining his calm. No regrets on the path? Not in his world! If he wanted to walk it, the road was right there beneath his feet!
But just then, Lu Yang froze.
The next instant, he drew the [Formless Sword]. Its core material was none other than True Person Heavy Light’s immortal spirit body—a strand of Xin Metal qi.
That qi was now glowing faintly.
‘This is... Heavy Light’s dying message?’
Stunned, Lu Yang prepared to probe it with his divine sense. But a slightly hoarse, chillingly clear voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
“What did Heavy Light say to you?”
Lu Yang’s expression stiffened. Only then did he turn his head.
Behind him stood a woman in a tattered palace gown, soaked in blood. Though she cut a wretched, battle-worn figure, her bearing was impeccably dignified—no trace of madness, but rather the poise of a noble matron ready for a banquet.
True Lord Clearpure Flying Snow!
“This disciple greets the True Lord!”
Without a word, Lu Yang enveloped himself in a beam of radiant light, donning fresh robes. After all, moments ago, he had still been in his superhuman state for the dao debate.
He promptly offered the [Formless Sword].
“This disciple hasn’t yet examined Uncle Heavy Light’s message. Please, True Lord, inspect it.”
“Heavy Light... what a pity.”
True Lord Flying Snow shook her head, glancing casually at the [Formless Sword]. She sighed.
“Nothing useful. It’s irrelevant to the grand scheme now.”
“Had it been a century earlier, there might have been a chance to turn things around.”
Oh?
Lu Yang’s heart stirred at her words. A century ago—that aligned perfectly with his first anchor point, shortly after entering the Primal Saint Sect as a promising talent.
While committing the crucial detail to memory, Lu Yang glanced at the [Formless Sword].
Perhaps due to lack of time, Heavy Light’s message—conveyed through the sword—was starkly simple. Just four words, concise to the point of starkness:
“It lies in the [Netherworld].”