Chapter 339: Someone Seeks Gold!?

In an instant, Lü Yang's original body far away in Jiangnan nearly held its breath.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, allowing him to instantly grasp the crux: 'A trap! This is a scheme within a scheme—Ang Xiao is deliberately setting a trap too!'

Chong Guang was indeed scheming.

Using himself as bait to lure Ang Xiao into the Southern Heavenly Gate clearly had ulterior motives. However, Ang Xiao was no fool either.

At least from Ang Xiao's reaction, he had clearly sensed something amiss and had even laid a counter-trap. Whatever plans Chong Guang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue had would likely end up backfiring, plunging both into certain death!

'These people are too sinister!'

Compared to them, Lü Yang felt like an innocent lamb—proof ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that deep down, he remained a good person, unchanged.

'But... no!'

Suddenly, Lü Yang realized: 'Why would Ang Xiao tell me all this? Isn't he afraid I'd betray him and warn Chong Guang?'

Unless... 'telling me' was itself part of the scheme?

If he truly believed it and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠warned Chong Guang, he might inadvertently lead Chong Guang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue straight into Ang Xiao's real trap?

Which layer am I on? And which layer is he on?

For a moment, Lü Yang's thoughts raced wildly before he finally spoke in a low voice: "So? How does the Daoist wish for my assistance? And how can I possibly help you—"

"A mere trifle."

Ang Xiao smiled faintly. "If I'm not mistaken, Xue Feihong will inevitably head for the fragment of my cave heaven hidden beneath the waters of the Dao of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Sweet Pear Tree."

"At that time, I shall open the gates of the Netherworld."

"All I ask is for you to strike once, aiding me in casting Xue Feihong into the Netherworld. The rest shall be my responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yang fell silent.

Ang Xiao's plan was sound, and the benefits he offered—the method to reverse Chen Earth and the supreme Dao secret leading straight to late-stage Golden Core—were indeed tempting.

There was just one problem:

'I'm not a True Lord! I don't even possess a True Lord-level technique—how am I supposed to help him?'

'No... this is also a test!'

'He's probing my strength! If I agree, all will be well. But if I refuse, he'll have confirmed my true limits!'

Lü Yang hesitated for only a brief moment.

Yet that brief hesitation was enough for Ang Xiao to confirm his suspicions. A composed smile spread across his face:

"How intriguing. It seems the young friend's current strength still falls short."

Daoist had become 'young friend.'

Lü Yang took a deep breath and abandoned further deliberation.

Undoubtedly, at present, he stood no chance against these old foxes.

Since that was the case... Lü Yang's expression calmed instead: "Be that as it may, doesn't the senior also seem somewhat lacking at the moment?"

As he spoke, a deep fragrance began wafting through the air.

'Essence of All Flowers'!

Faced with Ang Xiao's pressure, Lü Yang stopped trying to decipher the other's motives and focused instead on his own goals.

'In the end, I never intended to survive this.'

'My original plan was for this split soul to reincarnate, then await the Sword Pavilion's retrieval... In fact, Ang Xiao's early appearance is fortunate!'

Had Ang Xiao appeared during his suicide attempt, he would have been utterly defenseless—his split soul likely seized and refined before even entering the Netherworld. From this perspective, Ang Xiao clearly wasn't omniscient.

At the very least, he didn't know about Lü Yang's suicide plan!

'Might as well... fight!'

'If Ang Xiao can crush me, I'll detonate this split soul and abandon all plans. If not, then I still have room to maneuver!'

Ultimately, he just wanted to die and reincarnate.

Though Ang Xiao resided in the Netherworld, he couldn't possibly interfere with reincarnation—otherwise, he would have already controlled the Netherworld. Why bother hiding?

With this in mind, Lü Yang once again channeled the mysterious power within the Myriad Spirits Banner. The four divine abilities in his sea of consciousness blazed brilliantly, elevating his rank back to Grand True Person! Without another word, he struck out with a palm toward Ang Xiao, aiming to obliterate him in a single blow.

From the first move, Lü Yang went all out!

Since he planned to die anyway, Lü Yang cared little about backlash. Enduring the injuries, he forcibly maintained the Grand True Person rank to settle this in one strike.

"...The young friend is impatient."

Witnessing this, Ang Xiao's face still wore that same composed smile as he stood, then retreated—vanishing in an instant.

Lü Yang's movement abruptly halted: 'Who was I trying to hit again?'

Yet the next second, he snapped back to awareness upon realizing his Puppet on Strings technique remained tethered to another's vision.

Who was this?

Lü Yang couldn't recall, but that didn't stop him from directing his divine ability toward this "stranger's" line of sight and unleashing it with full force!

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion shattered an invisible barrier as Ang Xiao's figure reappeared, his smile slightly dimmed.

Meanwhile, Lü Yang remembered his earlier mental lapse and exhaled shakily: 'Thankfully, after discovering Ang Xiao possessed True Person Xiaohai, I kept Puppet on Strings active. Otherwise, he might have hidden again!'

Ang Xiao's concealment had conditions.

Previously, Lü Yang hadn't noticed because he hadn't used Puppet on Strings on True Person Xiaohai from the start, making him forget the man's existence.

But since Ang Xiao's appearance, Lü Yang hadn't deactivated Puppet on Strings.

Though he couldn't control True Person Xiaohai under Ang Xiao's possession, he could at least avoid overlooking him entirely.

This exchange also confirmed Lü Yang's speculation.

"It seems the Daoist's strength is also somewhat lacking now."

Lü Yang's physical form exploded into mist again as he tried sensing Ang Xiao's emotions, only to encounter a lake-like calm.

Ang Xiao stood with hands clasped behind his back.

Then, he smiled.

"Thank you, young friend, for your cooperation."

Before the words faded, cracks spiderwebbed across his body—Lü Yang's Grand True Person-ranked strike had landed squarely.

Or rather, Ang Xiao hadn't even tried to dodge.

Next, Ang Xiao closed his eyes and detonated violently. A wisp of soul quietly drifted out, vanishing into an indescribable place.

True Person Xiaohai was dead.

His soul reincarnated, the Netherworld's gates opened!

Along with it departed the consciousness Ang Xiao had attached to him!

In that instant, Lü Yang finally understood the late-stage Golden Core Great True Lord's plan: 'Wrong... this guy wasn't appearing with ease at all—'

'He was bluffing earlier!'

'He truly had been outmaneuvered by Chong Guang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue—a strand of his consciousness trapped within the Southern Heavenly Gate, completely unaware of the mortal realm!'

Ang Xiao's situation was highly unusual.

His original body resided in the Netherworld, granting him extremely limited perception of the mortal realm. The clearest example was Chong Guang's earlier gold-seeking attempt—Ang Xiao's reaction had been painfully slow.

Only when Chong Guang neared success in impacting Overturned Lamp Flame did Ang Xiao finally sense it.

Thus, when his possessed vessel True Person Xiaohai became trapped within the Southern Heavenly Gate, Ang Xiao was effectively blind to the outside world!

What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had transpired during that time?

Jiangnan, Hidden Sword Manor.

Lü Yang's immortal original body opened its eyes, gazing toward the distant heavens where a magnificent golden light was rising from the Jiangbei direction.

Wherever it passed, it illuminated like brilliant lanterns.

Overturned Lamp Flame!

Someone was seeking gold!

Who!?