Chapter 342: One Man’s Persistence
Chapter 342: One Person's Perseverance
Sky-reaching Sea of Clouds, Sacred Fire Cliff.
Golden light surged from the earth, lantern flames blazing brilliantly, illuminating dense and intricate mystical patterns that converged chaotically toward the center, gathering upon a single figure.
Clad in a crane-feather cloak, he wore a faint smile while gently waving a feather fan, his demeanor elegant and unrestrained.
Merely standing there, he seemed to seize all the fortune, wealth, and luck between heaven and earth, evoking an involuntary sense of resentment in those who beheld him.
Daoist Hong Yun!
Only now did this True Lord reincarnate finally reveal a glimpse of his former glory, his gaze toward the sky above tinged with nostalgia.
"How long has it been?"
—Five thousand years!
For five thousand years, he had not laid eyes on the [Overturned Lamp Flame]. Though a True Lord reincarnate, he had been abandoned by his Fruit Position, reduced to utter wretchedness.
At this thought, he couldn't help but grit his teeth: 'Ang Xiao...!'
At this moment, Hong Yun's hatred for [Ang Xiao] was so deep that even the surging waters of a river could not wash it away.
After all, ever since reclaiming the "Void-Piercing Inner Observation of Heaven and Earth True Explanation" and the "Upper Bright Golden Lamp Jade Light," he had regained the memories stripped from him in the past.
Neither technique was flawed—Hong Yun himself had left hidden safeguards within them to ensure they could only be used by him and that no outsider could tamper with them. Had it not been for this precaution, he would never have dared stake everything on these two techniques to directly pursue Golden Core attainment.
'I mustn't let my guard down.'
Hong Yun remained vigilant, fully aware of how much his pursuit of Golden Core would affect [Ang Xiao]. It went without saying that Ang Xiao would spare no effort to stop him.
And then—
"Boom!"
In Jiangnan's Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree, within the fragment of a Dongtian, Chong Guang activated the ritual formation upon his body. Instantly, Hong Yun sensed the gaze of the [Overturned Lamp Flame] shifting away.
"Hmm? Chong Guang..."
Daoist Hong Yun frowned. Though this interference wasn't enough to spell failure, it had introduced unforeseen variables.
At this thought, he immediately turned his gaze to a spot not far away.
There stood True Lord Qingcheng Feixue, dressed in the elegant attire of a noblewoman, poised and dignified, utterly unmoved by Chong Guang's sudden appearance.
"Fellow Daoist... why is this happening?"
Hong Yun couldn't help but voice his confusion. After all, Qingcheng Feixue had already abandoned Chong Guang and placed her bets on him—so why had she allowed Chong Guang to make such moves?
Yet, to Hong Yun's surprise, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue didn't bother explaining. Instead, she cast him a disdainful glance before speaking calmly:
"Rather than asking me, you should think about how to quickly reclaim the Fruit Position's attention. In the end, a person must rely on themselves!"
"What I seek is a fellow Daoist worthy of standing beside me."
"Not incompetence!"
The implication was clear—she had deliberately allowed Chong Guang's actions!
True, Chong Guang had been discarded by True Lord Qingcheng Feixue. Yet, she hadn't stopped him from seeking another path—she had even tacitly permitted it!
At this moment, Daoist Hong Yun could only take a deep breath and swallow his words:
'This concerns the Dao path itself—whether I can reach late-stage Golden Core. A single misstep means total defeat. Yet, on something so crucial... she still insists on such pointless principles!'
'This... madwoman!'
Why was True Lord Qingcheng Feixue known among all True Lords as the "Madwoman"?
Was it merely because she enjoyed combat? Because she was somewhat eccentric? Ridiculous—the Saint Sect was filled with extraordinary talents, and such traits were hardly noteworthy there.
The real reason was: she had her own principles!
She firmly believed that "a person must rely on themselves," and from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, all the way to Golden Core, she upheld this conviction without wavering.
What kind of world was this?
One where you either devoured others or were devoured. In such a world, those who achieved True Lord status—which among them didn't have principles that were essentially no principles at all?
Yet True Lord Qingcheng Feixue was different.
She actually had principles!
For the sake of these principles, for the sake of her inner convictions, she could even set aside her Dao path. To Hong Yun, this was utterly incomprehensible.
If this wasn't madness, what was?
'Never mind.'
Hong Yun took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure: 'This place has long been under the scrutiny of many True Lords. The situation isn't dire—the advantage still lies with me!'
Yet, at that very moment—
"Crack!"
A crisp explosion rang out as the vast sky above Jiangbei suddenly filled with boundless purple qi, surging toward Hong Yun like a tidal wave!
[Netherworld], an indescribable place.
This was a palace located within the cycle of reincarnation. The palace itself was constructed in an extremely peculiar manner, its material known as [Kunshan Slice Jade], a spiritual metal of the Metal element.
It belonged to the [White Wax Gold].
The palace built from this material absorbed the light of the sun and moon, condensed the qi of Yin and Yang, and possessed a radiant purity—the true essence of Metal, capable of nurturing life and sustaining form.
Within the palace flowed a great river, endless and without beginning or end.
This was the [Flowing Water].
Gazing afar, one could see the river surging, its waves crashing and circling to form a hidden domain where dragons and serpents coiled, supporting the entire palace.
This was the [Earth in Sand].
Entering the palace, one would find a golden lamp, its flame dim yet illuminating the hall, casting light upon a figure entirely shrouded in mist.
[Overturned Lamp Flame]!
Four Fruit Position powers intertwined in this place—Fire engendering Earth, Earth engendering Metal, Metal engendering Water, Water engendering Wood... all converging to form an unimaginable curtain that deceived the entire Netherworld's operation, carving out this small yet significant territory from the cycle of reincarnation.
[Great Forest Wood]!
"Regrettable..."
Inside the palace, [Ang Xiao] stood with his hands behind his back, the mist around him never dissipating. In his hand, he caressed a lifelike wooden puppet.
"Back then, I prepared this [World-Reporting External Body] merely as a precaution. Never did I imagine it would actually be needed one day. Truly, the heroes of this world are beyond counting... Now it seems my preparations back then were too hasty—I didn't stockpile enough trump cards."
There was no denying that he was currently trapped within the [Netherworld].
But this was because he sought to ascend to Dao Lord status—a self-imposed confinement. It didn't mean he was entirely incapable of leaving or devoid of any means to act.
"With this, it can journey forth in my stead."
His true form could not depart.
However, with his empowerment, the [World-Reporting External Body] could unleash combat power far surpassing mid-stage Golden Core—more than enough to stop Hong Yun.
"Though that may be so, since it isn't my true form acting, and with True Lords across the land blocking my path, I'll need time to gradually suppress them before finding an opportunity to stop Hong Yun. Had Chong Guang not bought me time, Hong Yun might well have escaped by sheer luck..."
Alas, the [World-Reporting External Body] could only be used once.
Once it ventured into the mortal world and engaged in battle, its aura would be exposed beyond concealment—even the [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction] couldn't hide it. Upon returning to the [Netherworld], it would inevitably be crushed to dust by the cycle of reincarnation.
"...No matter. I shall make this journey!"
"Boom!"
The purple qi filled the heavens, coalescing into an eye that blotted out the sky, gazing down upon the world before fixing its stare squarely upon Hong Yun.
Though [Ang Xiao]'s gaze was focused on Hong Yun, even the residual pressure weighed heavily upon all cultivators beneath the heavens.
Even Lü Yang, currently at the [Southern Heavenly Gate], was no exception.
"As expected...!"
Lü Yang looked up at the sky, unsurprised by [Ang Xiao]'s intervention. In fact, this was precisely why he had predicted Hong Yun's pursuit of Golden Core would fail.
Though he didn't know about the existence of the [World-Reporting External Body], he knew that in his past life, [Ang Xiao] had intervened when Chong Guang sought Golden Core, single-handedly holding off multiple True Lords to a stalemate. If he could act then, there was no reason he couldn't now.
'My opportunity... has come!'
The next moment, Lü Yang's eyes gleamed with determination. Without a doubt, all True Lords under heaven would now be fixated on Hong Yun's pursuit of Golden Core.
No one would pay him any further attention.
'Seize this chance to reincarnate—deliver [Shen Metal] to my true form!'