Chapter 361
Chapter 361
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Clone's Foundation Establishment Breakthrough
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Jiangbei, a remote mountain forest.
After intercepting the prize at Skull Mountain, Lu Yang fled all the way here. He then used [Calamity Wave] to cleanse his karma and carved out a cave abode in the mountains.
Next came refining the immortal fetus.
The quality of the [Shenwu Dragon-Binding Halberd] was naturally no match for the [Avici Sword], but it was still a superior spirit treasure—more than sufficient to serve as an immortal fetus.
Moreover, Ancestor Tingyou had made some improvements to this secret art.
It reduced the refining requirements and boosted the efficiency. In the end, the formed immortal fetus was hardly different from Lu Yang's clone.
Soon, another three years passed.
Inside the cave abode, under the blaze of Six Ding Divine Fire, the immortal fetus belonging to Ancestor Tingyou had taken shape. It resembled a dashing and heroic youth.
"Please enter the shell, Ancestor!"
Lu Yang pinched a hand seal and summoned the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner. Ancestor Tingyou's shadowy figure manifested within, his expression complex—he clearly hadn't expected this day would come for him.
The next moment, as roiling innate qi dispersed, Ancestor Tingyou's soul emerged. With a flash, it plunged into the immortal fetus below. Before long, the fetus opened its eyes. Its aura shifted, but it was merely at the peak of Qi Refining—it would clearly take time to reestablish its foundation.
Fortunately, he had ransacked Shenwu Sect. He wasn't short on Foundation Establishment spirit items.
‘Though this hardly counts as robbery.’
‘Shenwu Sect was a righteous sect, after all. Now that it's been wiped out, if its resources fell into the hands of the Demon Sects, wouldn't that just arm the enemy?’
‘So taking all of Shenwu Sect's treasures was a necessary evil.’
‘Only this way could Shenwu Sect preserve its final honor. I'm sure the sect's true experts in the heavens would approve of my actions.’
—It was starting to feel just like Sword Pavilion.
Lu Yang had always been a lifelong learner, passionate about whatever path he walked. Now that he was a Sword Pavilion disciple, he naturally had to immerse himself fully.
Otherwise, what if someone saw through him?
Once Ancestor Tingyou entered meditation, Lu Yang sealed the cave abode. He then retrieved a mysterious pearl from his robes, within which swirled a scene of endless frost and snow.
At the center of the snowstorm sat Volong Arhat, knees hugged to his chest, shivering all over.
"Senior! Senior!"
Before Lu Yang could speak, Volong Arhat's voice burst out impatiently. "This monk has thought it through! Please, senior, withdraw your divine ability at once!"
‘Thought it through? Pity.’
Lu Yang's expression remained cold. Ignoring the confirmation, he clenched his hand and shattered the pearl imprisoning Volong Arhat!
"Crack!"
In an instant, brilliant lights flared and faded. Volong Arhat's voice was swallowed by the harsh frost. In the blink of an eye, his dharma body and soul scattered to the winds.
‘If it were possible, his path would be ideal. But that Buddha Son Guangming... the name alone reeks of trouble. Better not get involved—the risks are too high. Instead, let Hong Ju make a trip to [Su Heng Palace] in my stead. There's still a good chance of obtaining [Xin Metal].’
Lu Yang remained clear-headed.
Of the four great powers, Pure Land made him the most wary. If he could avoid it, best to steer clear entirely. No involvement meant no mistakes!
"Speaking of which, harvesting Shenwu Sect's luck this time was just what I needed!"
Lu Yang pinched his fingers to divine, then broke into a grin.
"[Fate-Inspecting Lottery Draw], pull one for me!"
Vast luck surged forth, soon coalescing before Lu Yang into lines of text:
[Event: Clone breaks through to Foundation Establishment.]
[Minor Auspicious: Foundation Establishment holds no difficulty for you. Though minor setbacks arise, you still succeed smoothly.]
[Minor Inauspicious: Someone schemes against you in secret, causing your breakthrough to fail and your body and soul to perish once more.]
[Terminal Auspicious: You fall victim to a schemer's plot, but through grit and a stroke of luck, you endure and finally establish your Dao foundation.]
".A schemer?"
Lu Yang frowned deeply at the drawn lot. "Strange. I've always been on good terms with everyone in Sword Pavilion. Who would scheme against me?"
Fortunately, Shenwu Sect's luck was plentiful enough for him to draw a [Minor Auspicious].
The next moment, Lu Yang seized the [Minor Auspicious] lot. He activated [String-Pulling Puppet] and peered remotely toward his clone.
Jiangnan, Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, Extreme Heaven Cliff.
"Clang!"
A piercing sword cry rang through the clouds, startling many Sword Pavilion Perfected Beings from their seclusion. They turned toward the source.
"That's... the new Sword Seed?"
"He's already reached Foundation Establishment?"
"So quickly? Even for a reincarnator who paid respects at the Induction Hall, regaining Foundation Establishment this fast... his past life's foundations must run deep."
The commotion naturally drew Demon-Quelling Perfected Being's attention. A flash of joy lit his eyes, swiftly turning to helplessness. The joy was for Lu Yang's return to Foundation Establishment; the helplessness, for his cultivation of the *Sword Lord Discussing the Profound and Grasping Metal Secret Chapter*—a path now hopeless.
‘Unless... I achieve it.’
At the thought, struggle flickered in Demon-Quelling Perfected Being's eyes. He opened his storage pouch and gazed at the densely packed human heads within.
They weren't dead.
Yet swords were instruments of slaughter. How could one prove the Sword Dao without killing?
"."
Demon-Quelling Perfected Being lowered his gaze, staring fixedly at the countless heads that seemed alive in his pouch. For a moment, the scene grew eerie and bizarre.
Meanwhile, inside the cave abode.
Lu Yang sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed gloomily on a jade stone before him—the Foundation Establishment spirit item provided by Demon-Quelling Perfected Being.
Resonating with it during breakthrough could boost success odds by ten percent.
Yet in truth, it hadn't aided him at all. It had hindered him instead. Without the lot's blessing, failure might have been inevitable!
‘Who wanted me dead?’
As Lu Yang pondered, he extended a finger. Sword qi coiled around the tip before erupting with a flick in a thunderous roar.
Sword Dao's first realm: Sword Qi Thunder Sound!
"Sword qi at this level is nothing special—equivalent to a strong Foundation Establishment spell at best. But take it further..."
Sword Dao's second realm: Sword Heart Illumination!
This realm corresponded to Foundation Establishment. Mastering it granted an edge over other Foundation Establishment cultivators, equivalent to an extra divine ability unbound by realm limits!
At the thought, Lu Yang slapped his side.
A perfectly square sword casket floated up beside him, about half his height, forged entirely of dark gold. At first glance, it appeared ancient and steadfast.
The next moment—
With Lu Yang channeling mana, the sword casket boomed open. Two brilliant sword lights surged forth, merging instantly with his body.
‘[Sword Divine Ability]!’
As expected, upon reaching Foundation Establishment, the two Supreme Void divine abilities from [Heaven of Non-existence] had been fully converted by the sword casket into sword divine abilities.
‘Pity Uncle-Master Chongguang left, sealing [Heaven of Non-existence] from inside and out. No more trials for new Supreme Void divine abilities.’
That said, this was a regret unique to Lu Yang.
Others' Supreme Void divine abilities lacked true stature.
Only his could draw on the embryonic position in the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner to imbue stature, transforming them into sword divine abilities. Otherwise, it would all be for naught.
‘In any case, I've succeeded.’
With a thought from Lu Yang, the two sword divine abilities manifested. Adding the natal divine ability from the converted [Eternal Constancy World-Observing Grasping Metal Sword Base]—
‘Three divine abilities! Mid-Foundation Establishment perfection!’
‘Add [Upholding the Dharma], and I'm a proper late-Foundation Establishment great sword cultivator! At this rate, the clone has even surpassed the main body!’