Chapter 357
Chapter 357
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Unnumbered]
Chapter Title: Solemn Profound Frost
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Above the vault of heaven, the sea of clouds churned.
This was a land untouched by the seasons, yet now a bizarre frost and snow swirled through the air. Everywhere the eye could see was dim and murky, even the wind had fallen still.
Utter silence.
In the center of the cloud sea sat a young man in splendid robes, legs crossed in meditation, hands forming seals as he cradled a pristine full moon in his palms. It cast threads of chilling light.
This full moon was the eye of the world's wind and frost. Icy radiance swirled around him like illusory mist, conjuring fleeting visions of laurel trees, jade disks, ice toads, and more before they all dissolved back into the moon, making it shine even brighter and illuminating a serene face.
*[Solemn Profound Frost!]*
This divine ability was Lu Yang's third, following *[Stubborn Gold Duke]* and *[Upholding the Dharma]*, belonging to the *[Xin Metal]* category.
He held it now in his palm.
Without any special effort, beams of moonlight flowed forth, attuning to heaven and earth, steadily pressing down on a robed youth below.
"Where did this Primal Saint Sect cultivator come from!?"
Fulong Arhat looked up, letting out a shrill roar. He never imagined that while he was setting bait to fish for a Qi Refining cultivator, he'd end up being the one fished!
The opponent's cultivation was clearly a level above his own.
And this bastard had set a trap for a sneak attack, no less—plus they were in northern Jiang. Fulong Arhat knew without a doubt it had to be a Primal Saint Sect expert up to no good!
Worse, this person's divine ability hard-countered him!
*Xin Metal brings frost, the world turns desolate with slaughter, plants wither and decay. Luckily my [Blazing Fire Dragon] is Jia Wood, or I'd probably be dead by now!*
With that thought, Fulong Arhat dared not slack off. His mouth moved ceaselessly, spewing roaring flames that shaped into dragons, resisting the profound frost canopy descending from the heavens. But this flicker of fire was like a handful of embers in the depths of winter—warm for a moment, yet doomed to extinction.
"Fellow Daoist! Senior! What grudge do we have between us?"
"If it's just the Primal Saint Sect's routine shakedown, just say the word. Why resort to force?"
Fulong Arhat wailed even more piteously, his pleas laced with frustration. He had always treated others kindly and truly had no enemies in all his years.
Where the hell did this guy come from?
But Lu Yang ignored him entirely, simply studying him quietly for a moment before a sharp, amused glint flashed in his eyes.
In his earlier, shallower cultivation, he hadn't seen through it.
Now, he could tell that beneath Fulong Arhat's seemingly imposing arhat facade lay a blustering front with little real backing.
The reason was simple.
"Your first innate divine ability is actually [Jia Wood]!"
Fulong Arhat cultivated the *Nine Transformations Dragon Art*, with a Dao foundation aimed straight at *[Chengtou Earth]*. His first innate divine ability should have been *[Wu Earth]* to match the imagery.
Why [Jia Wood]?
Lu Yang's mind raced, and he instantly grasped the cause and effect.
*Scattered cultivator through and through—greedy for quick gains, swallowing techniques whole without care, and in the end, severing his own path!*
If Lu Yang's guess was right, Fulong Arhat had likely stumbled upon a stray [Jia Wood] back in his scattered cultivator days. Without a second thought, he'd devoured it. He was lucky—[Jia Wood] shared similarities with [Yin Wood], so his Dao foundation could accommodate it without immediate body explosion.
But surviving by luck had still doomed his path.
*No wonder in my last life, when I killed him, Pure Land showed no reaction. He was a Buddhist cultivator, yet they cared more about me.*
Fulong Arhat had been a discarded pawn from the start!
Without that, if Pure Land wanted to prove *[Chengtou Earth]*, how could they ignore him, leaving his cultivation only at mid-Foundation Establishment?
With everything clear, Lu Yang smiled.
"Fulong, my friend, it seems no one's coming to save you today. Some might even be hoping you die so they can prop up a replacement!"
As his words fell, profound frost spread through heaven and earth, desolate and murderous. Wherever it passed, it locked space, depleted spiritual energy, withered all arts—a true scene of the end of the Dharma. Fulong Arhat mustered his magic several times to break free, only to smash his head bloody against the frost barrier.
"What do you want, Senior!?"
At this point, Fulong Arhat abandoned all illusions and said bluntly,
"Anything this monk can do, I will. Just spare my life!"
"Heh."
Lu Yang lowered his gaze, his voice echoing faintly.
"I've heard there's a [Xin Metal] in the northern Jiang wonder [Su Heng Palace]. Is that true?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Fulong Arhat didn't hesitate.
"It's the wonder set by [Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva]. There's indeed a [Xin Metal] inside!"
He glanced at Lu Yang, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. In his eyes, Lu Yang's [Solemn Profound Frost] was clearly already a [Xin Metal] divine ability. Why seek another [Xin Metal]? To refine a matching spiritual treasure?
Lu Yang betrayed nothing, his expression calm.
"Can you fetch it for me?"
"Yes, yes, absolutely!"
Fulong Arhat didn't dare delay—the surrounding frost had already smothered his flames, slicing into his dharma body like a thousand knives.
But in his heart, he schemed differently.
*Just get past this crisis. Once I escape, I'll hide in Pure Land. No matter how fierce this killer is, what can he do to me?*
Lu Yang saw right through it, though.
"Fellow Daoist, your word alone isn't enough for me to trust you."
"This monk swears a dharma pact!"
Lu Yang shook his head.
"The whole world knows Pure Land loves bullying the weak and fears these binding methods least of all."
"But right now, you're the one bullying the weak—"
Fulong Arhat's mouth twitched. This guy outcultivated him, set an ambush, launched a sneak attack, and still had the gall to cry foul?
"How's that the same!?"
Lu Yang shook his head firmly, righteous as could be.
"You and I are both mid-Foundation Establishment—same realm, strictly speaking."
"I'm just one divine ability ahead. How's that bullying the weak?"
Fulong Arhat's expression turned strange at those words.
This felt off.
After a moment's silence, he probed cautiously toward Lu Yang, murmuring,
".Sword Pavilion?"
Lu Yang: "."
"Enough chatter!"
Lu Yang cut it short.
"You still haven't thought it through. You're no use to me then. Off to reincarnation you go."
"There's a way! There's a way!"
Fulong Arhat blurted,
"This monk has a disciple—clever and quick. I can send him to fetch the [Xin Metal] and deliver it to you, Senior!"
".A disciple?" Lu Yang paused.
Fulong Arhat, thinking he doubted it, rushed to explain,
"His dharma name is Guang Ming—you've surely heard of him. Pure Land's newest manifested Buddha's son! I was his master; he listens to me most. With his status, grabbing a [Xin Metal] is effortless."
As Fulong Arhat described him, Lu Yang's brow gradually furrowed.
*.Guang Ming.*
Lu Yang wouldn't forget that name. In his last life, this man had deep ties with him—a schemer with talent and a touch of destiny, a Buddhist cultivator.
But Buddha's son?
From his trauma with Pure Land, Lu Yang's mind flooded with dark suspicions, even pinning it on that World Honored One.
The next instant, he composed himself.
Boom!
Without hesitation, Lu Yang withdrew [Solemn Profound Frost], fully suppressing Fulong Arhat and stowing him in his sleeve. He turned to his side.
There, a figure materialized from nowhere.
A middle-aged man with a knife-chiseled face, stern expression, eyes like flickering lamps fixed on Lu Yang.
Hong Ju.
Lu Yang showed no surprise. He'd long donned Hong Ju's golden destiny shell; he'd sensed the anomaly when Hong Ju approached.
The next moment, Lu Yang smiled faintly.
"What, don't recognize me?"
With that, he released Hong Ju's golden destiny aura. Sensing it, Hong Ju's brows relaxed, and he bowed low.
"Hong Ju pays respects to Milord!"
But seeing this, Lu Yang's smile slowly faded.
*.Something's wrong.*
Hong Ju's words and bearing were perfectly deferential, yet through the golden destiny link, Lu Yang keenly detected a discrepancy.
*Harboring doubts, thoughts unsteady. He's suspicious of me?*