Chapter 340
Chapter 340
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Unknown]
Chapter Title: Traps Within Traps
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In an instant, Lu Yang's main body far away in Jiangnan nearly held its breath.
All the previous events flashed through his mind, letting him grasp the key point in a flash: 'Trap! This is a scheme within a scheme—[Soaring Empyrean] is deliberately laying a trap too!'
Chongguang was scheming, no doubt.
He had used himself as bait, drawing [Soaring Empyrean] after him into the [South Heaven Gate], clearly plotting something. Yet [Soaring Empyrean] wasn't just sitting idle.
At the very least, from [Soaring Empyrean]'s reaction, he had clearly sensed something amiss and counter-laid a trap of his own. No matter what Chongguang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue had planned, it was likely to turn into them walking straight into a net—putting both in a death trap!
'These guys are too insidious!'
Compared to them, Lu Yang felt himself utterly harmless. Deep down, he was still a good person, unchanged in the slightest.
'But... no!'
Abruptly, Lu Yang realized: 'Why is [Soaring Empyrean] telling me all this? Doesn't he fear I'll betray him and pass the word to Chongguang?'
Or perhaps... telling me is part of the scheme itself?
If I really buy it and warn Chongguang and the others, might it instead drag Chongguang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue into [Soaring Empyrean]'s true trap?
What layer am I on? What layer is he on?
Thoughts whirled in Lu Yang's mind for a moment until he finally said gravely,
"So? What do you want me to do to help you, fellow Daoist? How exactly can I help?"
"Just a small favor."
[Soaring Empyrean] smiled faintly.
"If I'm not mistaken, Xue Feihong will surely head to that cave heaven fragment I left at the bottom of Gantang Dao's waters."
"At that time, I'll open the gate to the underworld there."
"You need only strike once then, helping me hurl Xue Feihong into the [Underworld]. Everything after will be mine to handle."
The words left Lu Yang silent.
[Soaring Empyrean]'s plan was solid, the offered rewards truly tempting: the reversal method for [Covered Lamp Fire], a supreme Dao secret paving straight to late Golden Core.
Just one issue:
'I'm no True Lord! I don't even have a True Lord-level technique on hand—what could I possibly use to help him?'
'No... this is a probe too!'
'He's testing my strength! If I agree, all's well. If I refuse, he'll expose my true bottom line!'
Lu Yang hesitated for a mere instant.
But that instant of hesitation confirmed [Soaring Empyrean]'s suspicion. A composed smile spread across his face:
"Intriguing. It seems young friend's current strength falls a bit short."
Fellow Daoist had become young friend.
Lu Yang drew a deep breath, abandoning his deliberations.
No question—he couldn't outmaneuver these old monsters right now.
With that, his expression settled into calm.
"That may be so, but at present, it seems senior isn't all that formidable either?"
As his words fell, a profound fragrance drifted through the surroundings.
'[Marrow of a Hundred Flowers]'!
Under [Soaring Empyrean]'s pressure, Lu Yang stopped guessing at the man's motives, shifting focus to his own aims.
'In the end, I never planned to survive anyway.'
'My original scheme was for this split soul to reincarnate right here, then await the Sword Pavilion's summons... If anything, [Soaring Empyrean] showing up early is a blessing!'
Had [Soaring Empyrean] emerged at the moment of his suicide reincarnation, he'd have been truly helpless. The split soul might not even reach the underworld before [Soaring Empyrean] snatched and refined it. Which meant [Soaring Empyrean] wasn't omniscient.
At least he knew nothing of the suicide plan!
'So be it... let's fight!'
'If [Soaring Empyrean] crushes me, I'll scrap all plans and detonate this split soul outright. If not, I've got plenty of plays!'
At bottom, he just wanted suicide reincarnation.
[Soaring Empyrean] might dwell in the underworld, but he couldn't meddle in reincarnation—or he'd have seized the [Underworld] long ago, no need for skulking.
With that in mind, Lu Yang communed once more with the unfathomable might in the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner. Within his sea of consciousness, four divine abilities blazed, shoving his status back to Great True Person tier!
Without a word, he slapped toward [Soaring Empyrean], aiming to flatten him in one blow.
From the start, Lu Yang went all-in!
Reincarnation was coming regardless—he shrugged off backlash, tanking the wounds to fake Great True Person poise again, betting on one decisive strike.
"...Young friend grows hasty."
[Soaring Empyrean]'s face held its composed smile. He rose and retreated.
In that retreat, his figure vanished.
Lu Yang's motion halted sharply: 'Who was I hitting again?'
Yet the next second, clarity crashed back—because his [Marionette] still clung to another person's view.
Whose?
Lu Yang couldn't recall, but it didn't matter. He simply used this "stranger"'s vision to hurl the divine ability from his hand!
"Boom!"
A colossal roar echoed as the invisible barrier shattered. The freshly vanished [Soaring Empyrean] reappeared, smile faintly dimmed.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang recalled his thought shift, exhaling lingering fear in a turbid breath: 'Good thing I kept [Marionette] running on True Person Xiaohai after spotting [Soaring Empyrean]'s possession—otherwise he'd have hidden again!'
[Soaring Empyrean]'s concealment had limits.
He'd missed it earlier because [Marionette] hadn't controlled True Person Xiaohai from the outset, letting the man slip his mind.
But since [Soaring Empyrean] surfaced, he'd never dropped [Marionette].
[Soaring Empyrean]'s possession blocked control over True Person Xiaohai, but not awareness of him.
And this clash validated Lu Yang's hunch.
"Seems fellow Daoist's strength falls short too now."
Lu Yang's dharma body burst apart, dissolving into drifting mists once more, probing [Soaring Empyrean]'s mood.
What returned was deep-lake stillness.
[Soaring Empyrean] stood, hands clasped behind.
The next instant, he smiled.
"My thanks to young friend for the assist."
Before the words finished, myriad cracks spiderwebbed his form—Lu Yang's Great True Person strike had landed true.
Or rather, he'd never meant to dodge.
Then [Soaring Empyrean] closed his eyes and detonated.
A soul drifted free, vanishing instantly into some ineffable realm.
True Person Xiaohai was dead.
Soul to reincarnation—underworld gate ajar!
Gone with it: [Soaring Empyrean]'s clinging consciousness!
In that instant, Lu Yang grasped this late Golden Core great True Lord's scheme: 'Wrong... he wasn't emerging from a position of strength.'
'He was bluffing all along!'
'Chongguang and True Lord Qingcheng Feixue had him dead to rights—a wisp of consciousness trapped in the [South Heaven Gate], blind to the world!'
[Soaring Empyrean]'s state was singular.
His true body lurked in the underworld, present-world senses severely curtailed. Chongguang's gold bid proved it—his response uncharacteristically sluggish.
He'd waited till Chongguang struck [Covered Lamp Fire], a hair from triumph, to even notice.
Thus, with possessed True Person Xiaohai caged in the [South Heaven Gate], unable to flee, he was sightless to the outside!
What had transpired in that interval?
Jiangnan, Hidden Sword Villa.
Lu Yang's immortal spirit main body opened its eyes, peering afar toward the heavens—where, in Jiangbei's direction, majestic golden radiance rose slow and steady.
Its path aglow like splendid lamps.
[Covered Lamp Fire]!
Someone sought gold!
Who!?