Chapter 348: Slaying a Golden Core True Lord Against the Odds!
Chapter 348: Slaying a Golden Core True Lord Against All Odds!
The Netherworld—an indescribable place.
A towering palace stood amidst the void, where countless souls flowed past its gates, all observed by the figure within.
"Heh heh..."
Ang Xiao suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
Almost simultaneously, a phantom-like glow emanated from his body, seeping into the river of souls before him, gently brushing over each one.
—Nothing happened.
The unexpected outcome caused Ang Xiao's brows to furrow slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Daoist Hong Yun, why hide from me?"
He had sensed a gaze upon him just now.
Who was watching him?
The answer was self-evident. Only True Lords could maintain their consciousness within the Netherworld. Apart from the recently reincarnated Hong Yun, who else could it be?
With this thought, Ang Xiao gazed at the river of souls, his fingers twitching slightly before he reluctantly lowered them. He dared not truly touch the souls entering the Netherworld—such an act would shake its very foundations. He was not yet the Lord of the Netherworld, and the price for such an action would be too steep.
'Once bitten, twice shy.'
Ang Xiao sighed. "Back then, I clearly obscured this part of your memory. Who would have thought that, after all this time, you'd still recall it?"
A moment later, a voice filled with resentment finally rang out:
"Ang Xiao!"
Within the river of souls, a golden light suddenly flashed, revealing a soul contorted in vivid fury. "You shameless, despicable villain!"
Ang Xiao was right—Hong Yun had indeed remembered everything.
And precisely because he had recalled the past, he was now cursing so vehemently. His downfall in his previous life had been utterly humiliating.
"Beast... You actually hid yourself at the entrance of the Netherworld!"
This meant that every soul in the world, before reincarnating, would inevitably pass under his scrutiny—including those of reincarnating True Lords!
"Five thousand years ago... Right after my death, when I was preparing to reincarnate, you ambushed me!"
Back then, the Netherworld had been far less terrifying than it was now.
Thus, Ang Xiao had endured the Netherworld's pressure, paying the price of severe injuries to ambush Hong Yun, who had been caught off guard in the cycle of reincarnation.
It was then that Ang Xiao had stripped away his memories.
"If not for the Netherworld's protection, preventing you from outright destroying my soul and only tampering with my memories, I would have perished then!"
"Damn you!"
Faced with Hong Yun's furious rebukes, Ang Xiao remained utterly indifferent—even feeling a hint of regret.
His successful ambush five thousand years ago had been due to Hong Yun's complete lack of preparedness. Now that Hong Yun was on guard, another surprise attack wouldn't be so easy.
Moreover, the Netherworld had grown stronger.
Add to that the impending millennium calamity and his exposed identity forcing him out of the shadows, Ang Xiao could no longer afford to pay the same price.
"...Enough."
With this thought, Ang Xiao withdrew the phantom glow surrounding him, ignoring Hong Yun's curses as he closed his eyes to continue pondering:
'Still... something feels off.'
'No matter what, Hong Yun is still a True Lord. With his cultivation depth, if he intended to hide, I shouldn't have been able to sense his gaze within the Netherworld.'
'For me to detect it, the disparity in realms must be significant...'
'...Wait, no!'
In an instant, Ang Xiao's eyes snapped open. "It wasn't Hong Yun's gaze? Someone else... Could it be that mysterious young friend was watching me?"
Even so, the souls entering the Netherworld were innumerable. Even with Ang Xiao's means, he couldn't possibly trace back to that particular tributary of souls, let alone identify the young friend who had glanced at him. Still... why had that person suddenly come to the Netherworld?
A shadow crossed Ang Xiao's eyes.
'Pity. Because of Chongguang and that Heaven of Non-Existence, I'm now trapped here. Sixty years—how many twists and turns will arise in that time?'
At this point, even he had to admit:
'The tides of the world are no longer in my hands.'
"Damn, that scared me half to death!"
Hidden within the torrent of souls, Lü Yang's split spirit finally let out a sigh of relief. "That old fox Ang Xiao is too cunning! Just how many backup plans does he still have?"
"He's practically a ghost!"
Though this wasn't their first encounter, Lü Yang had been so startled he nearly severed the connection of Puppet on Strings, fearing Ang Xiao might trace it back to him.
Still, there had been an unexpected gain.
Through Puppet on Strings, Lü Yang's vision locked onto a particular soul, shimmering with golden light, its consciousness clear and unclouded.
'Hong Yun!'
If not for Ang Xiao, he might never have noticed this reincarnating True Lord.
Lü Yang carefully maneuvered his split spirit closer to Hong Yun's soul, not daring to stare too intently lest he be detected. Yet, his heart burned with fervor: 'Even a Golden Core True Lord, freshly reincarnated, can obscure karma—but they won't have much power left.'
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The Metal Essence of a reincarnated True Lord was incomparably more valuable than what Suo Huan or Chongguang could offer—strictly speaking, the latter two hadn't even broken through yet.
Though his heart blazed, Lü Yang's thoughts grew ever colder.
"Boom!"
Finally, another gate of the Netherworld opened. Lü Yang watched as Hong Yun's soul drifted upward, vanishing in a flash through the portal.
Prepared long in advance, Lü Yang followed closely behind, slipping through before the gate could fully close!
Northern Frontier, Yan City, Yan Family.
Amidst the piercing cries of a newborn, Hong Yun opened his eyes. The soul of a Golden Core True Lord instantly teemed with countless thoughts.
'Ang Xiao... I'm not done with you!'
Though he had failed to seek Metal Essence once more, Hong Yun had already steeled his resolve: 'Strictly speaking, this life still grants me immense advantages!'
'Chongguang... Hateful as he is, he did one good deed.'
"The disappearance of the True Lords means no one can stop me from seeking Metal Essence anymore. As for the issue of Overturned Lamp Flame's seclusion, it's not insurmountable."
After all, Hong Yun was once a reigning True Lord. For other Foundation Establishment Perfection True Persons, the seclusion of Fruit Positions would make seeking Metal Essence exponentially harder—but Hong Yun had his methods: 'The most direct approach is to orchestrate a massacre, destroying a Wonder to serve as resources for seeking Metal Essence...'
Soon, Hong Yun had formulated his plans for this life.
'The priority now is to restore my Foundation Establishment cultivation—a matter of mere hours...'
Just then, Hong Yun suddenly felt an eerie sensation beside him. Turning his head, a pair of eyes met his gaze.
Beside him lay a second infant.
Only now did Hong Yun realize he had been reincarnated with a twin brother—though the look in the other's eyes seemed... off.
'...Not good!'
Years of instinct made Hong Yun realize with horror: There might be a beast lurking!
But it was already too late.
In the next moment, he saw his blood brother—an innocent, adorable infant—suddenly flash a somewhat twisted grin.
"Heh heh..."
Before Hong Yun could react, Lü Yang's Dharma Body tore through the void, descending from above to seize Hong Yun's newly reincarnated body!
'This is my greatest harvest yet!'
'Today, I shall defy all odds—with a mid-Foundation Establishment body, I will slay a Golden Core True Lord!'
A feat unprecedented in history!
Hong Yun: "???"
In the next instant, Hong Yun's soul was forcibly extracted by Lü Yang. Then, the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes pounced upon it like a ravenous wolf scenting prey—instantly refining it!