Chapter 286: Feixue's Scheme!
At this moment, not only was Ang Xiao stunned.
The other True Lords also wore expressions of astonishment, clearly caught off guard. Only the True Lord Zengcai Qiluo from the Saint Sect remained composed.
Yet, would True Lord Qingcheng Feixue bother explaining herself to him?
An overwhelming force blasted into the Netherworld. The power of the mortal realm shook the cycle of reincarnation at this instant, immediately provoking resistance from the entire Netherworld.
"Boom!"
In the next second, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue let out a muffled groan, evidently suffering backlash from the Netherworld. The radiance of her Fruit Position dimmed instantly.
Meanwhile, Ang Xiao's condition was even worse than hers. As the Netherworld went berserk, his aura plummeted to rock bottom. Blood suddenly erupted from his entire body—not ordinary blood, but the essence of a True Lord's Dharma Body. Losing even a drop was a significant loss.
Yet now, Ang Xiao was bleeding profusely from every pore!
"Hahaha!"
Seeing this, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue laughed wildly again: "I knew it! I knew you hadn't mastered the Netherworld—you were merely hiding inside!"
She had exploited the Knowledge-Perception Obstruction!
The Netherworld does not interfere with the mortal realm. If Ang Xiao truly controlled the Netherworld, he shouldn't have been able to tamper with the Chen Earth in the mortal realm.
Earlier, when he spoke to the Dragon Lord about allowing Tian Qiu to enter the Netherworld, or told Lü Yang and Suo Huan about reserving spots for them in the Netherworld, he was essentially painting an illusion, leveraging information asymmetry. After all, even he had "snuck in" and was far from achieving true control over the Netherworld!
Now, the Netherworld had gone berserk.
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's strike provoked the Netherworld into a violent upheaval, initiating a purge of all "foreign objects." Ang Xiao was unmistakably identified and expelled!
His injuries were inflicted by the Netherworld itself!
"So that's how it is... I wondered why it was strange—though the Flowing Water Fruit Position was collapsing, few Foundation Establishment True Persons cultivating it had died..."
"Was the so-called 'seclusion' just a facade?"
At this moment, even Ang Xiao couldn't help but marvel: "But disguising Stream Under the Ravine as Flowing Water... How did you manage that?"
"How? What a joke!"
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue sneered coldly: "What level of cultivation depth do you possess? Someone cultivating Great Forest Wood—what right do you have to compare your understanding of Water-element Fruit Positions to mine?"
"Water is formless, taking shape according to its vessel."
"Stream Under the Ravine, Flowing Water, Great Sea Water, Heavenly River Water—they are all but variations of water. With sufficient cultivation depth, disguising them isn't difficult."
"What? Only you're allowed to scheme in the shadows, while I can't play my own game?"
"Do you truly believe yourself a Dao Lord?"
Hearing this, Ang Xiao could only shake his head helplessly and sigh with admiration: "Heroes under heaven are indeed as numerous as carp crossing a river... I underestimated you, shrew."
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue made it sound simple.
But was Ang Xiao blind? The fact that she could deceive his eyes proved that her own cultivation depth was unimaginably profound!
"Could it be... you've mastered a second-grade True Art?"
"Which realm's Fruit Position did you strip away to supplement your Stream Under the Ravine?"
Ang Xiao rubbed his chin with interest: "Otherwise, how could a mere Stream Under the Ravine cultivator progress so rapidly?"
"Moreover, how did you uncover my plans?"
This was another point that puzzled Ang Xiao. He had believed his scheme involving Suo Huan was undetectable, yet True Lord Qingcheng Feixue struck precisely at his vital points.
Unless she had known beforehand that he intended to use Suo Huan's pursuit of gold to pull Flowing Water into the Netherworld, such precise counterplay would have been impossible.
"Want to know? Come take a punch from me, and I'll tell you."
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue laughed wildly as Stream Under the Ravine ascended once more. Her graceful figure reappeared, though her fist-swinging posture was rather crude.
This was her meticulously laid trap.
She had always been vengeful—hardly magnanimous. After Ang Xiao's schemes led to Chongguang's death and obstructed her Dao path, how could she simply retreat into seclusion?
Of course, she would retaliate!
As for Suo Huan's plan, she hadn't actually known the details. She set this trap solely because she was certain Flowing Water would be Ang Xiao's target.
Other True Lords dared not make such judgments because they weren't entirely sure of Ang Xiao's true identity. That was why they had intervened earlier when Ang Xiao feigned an attack on Heavenly River Water. But True Lord Qingcheng Feixue was different—from the start, she had been convinced:
This bastard was undoubtedly Ang Xiao!
She had always known the Saint Sect couldn't possibly harbor any true saints. If one existed, they were surely imposters! This conviction formed the basis of her judgment.
And she held to it unwaveringly.
As expected, after all his manipulations, Ang Xiao ultimately chose Flowing Water—and walked right into the trap she had prepared.
"Get out of the Netherworld!"
"You obstructed my Dao path—now I'll ensure yours is hopeless!"
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue continued laughing maniacally as she relentlessly assaulted the Netherworld's gates. The other True Lords naturally saw no reason to refrain from beating a drowning dog.
Yet, at this very moment—
"What a pity..."
Within the Dragon Palace, the Chongguang Dao Calamity—now refined into Ang Xiao's avatar—stepped forward. Sighing, it retrieved a thick talisman book.
The moment this book appeared, a layer of obscurity was lifted.
"[Fate-Linked Karma Rewriting Talisman Book]!"
This Fruit Position Treasure, once taken from Overturned Lamp Flame, had also been seized by Ang Xiao and concealed using the Knowledge-Perception Obstruction!
In the next instant, the talisman book flipped open, revealing its inscription:
"[Lü Yang was abandoned by the Saint Sect, trapped in a fatal predicament. I aided him in reversing his fortunes, restoring his vitality.]"
Boom!
Simultaneously, Lü Yang—who had been observing the battle—suddenly felt a strand of karma descend upon him. This sensation... was the summoning of a Fruit Position's attention!
High above, a Fruit Position star blazed with radiant light.
Overturned Lamp Flame!
"Those of us in the Saint Sect never place all our eggs in one basket. If Flowing Water fails, Overturned Lamp Flame will suffice as a replacement."
Despite his words, Ang Xiao sighed inwardly.
Ideally, his plan would have involved simultaneously drawing both Flowing Water and Overturned Lamp Flame into the Netherworld.
This way, at worst, he could claim one; with luck, both—a truly bountiful harvest. Yet, after True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's ambush, not only was he severely injured and Flowing Water now beyond reach, but even his attempt with Overturned Lamp Flame was rushed, lacking certainty.
'Fortunately, I still have preparations...'
Even as the Netherworld expelled him, damaging his Dharma Body, and while enduring pressure from over a dozen True Lords, Ang Xiao's expression remained composed.
'That shrew directly assaulted the Netherworld—she was bound to suffer backlash too.'
'But her backlash was far lighter than mine. Partly because I was inside the Netherworld, making my situation worse, but also likely because of Suo Huan!'
'I originally arranged for Suo Huan to sacrifice himself to Flowing Water, but she turned it against me—redirecting the sacrifice to her own Stream Under the Ravine, using him as a shield. Part of the Netherworld's backlash was transferred to Suo Huan, landing upon his Blessed Land of the Numinous Ruins.'
'If I wish to break this deadlock...'
At this thought, Ang Xiao finally shifted his gaze downward.
Amidst the True Lords' battle, a lone figure stood trembling, lips quivering as if sensing something—and looked up to meet his eyes.
Suo Huan.
This celestial cultivator, whose life had been manipulated by others, suddenly smiled: "Does the esteemed one plan to use me again? What worth do I still possess?"
"Of course you do."
Ang Xiao's tone was calm, his gaze as if observing an insect: "Your life."
"Clang!"
In the next moment, a dazzling sword light split the heavens, piercing straight through Suo Huan. Gasping through blood, Suo Huan turned to see an expected figure.
With a bitter laugh, he murmured: "Fellow Daoist... it seems we share the same fate..."
The sword's name—Tribulation Wave!
The one who slew Suo Huan—Lü Yang!