Chapter 362
Chapter 362
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Extreme Heaven Cliff
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Sword Pavilion, Extreme Heaven Cliff.
Lu Yang's avatar exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi. He inspected himself inwardly and gazed toward the Foundation Establishment Realm. There, within the Foundation Establishment Realm, a flying sword gleamed brilliantly amid the wind.
[Constant Eternity World-Gazing Grasping Gold Sword Base]!
This sword base's quality was in no way inferior to the [Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding Dao Base]. The natal divine ability it had condensed was named [Minghe Constant World Guarding Orthodox Grasping Gold Sword].
Beneath it lay four equally profound mysteries:
[Heaven-Slaying], [Truth-Slaying].
[Intent-Trapping], [Life-Ending]!
‘Something’s off.’
Sensing the divine ability names transmitted from the Dao base, Lu Yang sank into deep thought. It was because the two words [Minghe] were the Daoist title bestowed upon him by Perfected Being Demon-Quelling.
How could they become the name of a divine ability?
‘Unless this Dao base of mine—even the divine ability—has already been [recorded in the register]! The incense at the Reception Hall was probably far more than just incense.’
Lu Yang's heart chilled. But he couldn't help feeling fortunate as well. He'd caught a good opportunity. If this had happened back when the Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord still held power, there'd have been no playing around at all. Just this one divine ability name alone would have kept him awake at night in terror. Now that the True Lord had secluded himself from the world, there was at least some room to maneuver.
“The natal divine ability's four profound mysteries each have their own strengths.”
Lu Yang carefully savored them. Threads of sword light flickered in his eyes.
“[Heaven-Slaying] governs slaughter. One sword strikes out—nothing cannot be severed. No matter your divine ability or transformation, if it doesn't surpass this one, the outcome is being slain.”
“[Truth-Slaying] is a sword light fusion technique.”
“With a flash of sword light, it splits into countless rays outside, infiltrating every crevice. Once inside the enemy, they recombine into a sword slash. It's utterly insidious and vicious.”
“[Intent-Trapping] is an enemy-trapping art.”
“A single shine of the divine ability plunges the target into an inexplicable realm, where battle unfolds.”
“If you lose, it turns substantial into ethereal—like a mere simulation, leaving you unharmed. If you win, it turns ethereal into substantial, dooming the foe to instant death.”
“Moreover, under the divine ability's shroud, the sword wielder can attempt it over and over, fighting and probing errors endlessly until the opponent's hidden cards are exposed—then one sword claims their life. The sole drawback is the heavy mana toll with each loss, so it's not for the light-of-mana to use lightly.”
“The final one, [Life-Ending], is a sword of mutual destruction.”
“As the name implies, once activated, it slays the self before the enemy. A single strike severs one's lifespan—leaving the body unscathed, but fate exhausted.”
Sword light swirled around Lu Yang's hand, the divine ability's sword light shining in four colors.
In addition, Lu Yang had used his sword casket to condense two [Sword Divine Abilities]. But their sole purpose was to bolster the natal divine ability's profound mysteries.
They held no other specialties beyond their rank.
“Probably because the [Sword Dao Fruit Position] hasn't been truly attained, there's no added profundity. It can only serve as a supplement to the natal divine ability.”
Lu Yang pushed open the door and paced out of his cave abode. In his mind, he assessed his combat strength:
‘No wonder Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion sword cultivators claim to be unrivaled in battle under heaven. This natal divine ability's four profound mysteries boast both raw power and clever mechanics—truly a nightmare matchup.’
“And that's not even counting the [Sword Intent] layered on top.”
Lu Yang was still mulling this over when suddenly—
A flying messenger talisman descended. Clearly meant for him. Lu Yang caught it and swept it with his divine sense. Surprise flickered across his face.
In the next instant, he transformed into a streak of sword light and arrived at the peak of Extreme Heaven Cliff.
This had once been Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord's seclusion grounds. But with the True Lord now in reclusion, the figure seated there was Perfected Being Demon-Quelling.
“Greetings, Master!”
Lu Yang wasted no words and performed a sword salute.
Perfected Being Demon-Quelling sized him up, then spoke calmly.
“Once you've reached this realm, your previous life's origins offer little further aid.”
“Enter the secular world.”
“Our sword cultivators never forge in isolation. To temper a true sword heart requires prolonged bloodbaths—carving your path from the brink of life and death.”
Perfected Being Demon-Quelling spoke obliquely, but Lu Yang understood perfectly. Sword cultivators needed mass slaughter and fierce duels to condense sword divine abilities. Sword Pavilion merely dressed it up nicely as “entering the world”—when it was really just license for a killing spree.
As the words fell, Perfected Being Demon-Quelling produced a jade slip.
“Lately, the major sects and clans of Jiangnan have reported that the Southern Frontier Myriad Poisons Cult has been secretly abducting civilians there to serve as gu-refining fodder. Go investigate.”
At this, a wisp of baleful aura flared between Perfected Being Demon-Quelling's brows.
“If it's true, report back to me at once.”
Lu Yang respectfully accepted the jade slip.
“Disciple obeys!”
After Lu Yang departed, a figure materialized atop Extreme Heaven Cliff. It was none other than Ye Cheng, the Ye family Perfected Being Lu Yang had met before. Gazing at his retreating back:
‘This fellow's luck is something else!’
Ye Cheng, a direct scion of the Ye clan, mused inwardly:
‘I thought swapping his Foundation Establishment spirit item with a Myriad Poisons Cult spy's ploy would doom him. With karma debts weighing down his fate, calamity was inevitable—Foundation Establishment failure a certainty. Yet his origins proved resilient enough to pull through.’
‘A pity... If Uncle-Master weren't so stubbornly principled, why resort to backhanded schemes?’
He glanced back toward the cliff peak and shook his head.
‘Sword Pavilion may lead the righteous path and act only with cause, but why bother investigating mere civilians?’
Civilians weren't worth the time. Beneath the wheel of heaven and earth, they died and regrew endlessly. Their sheer numbers made probing a hassle, squandering effort for nothing.
And if something really turned up?
‘Much simpler to let a Sword Seed perish at Myriad Poisons Cult's hands.’
‘This man slew Xing Feng in a past life. Yet our Ye clan bore no grudge and took him as disciple. Now's the time for him to settle that karma.’
That was why he'd schemed in secret—waiting for Lu Yang's Foundation Establishment to fail, then pinning the blame on Myriad Poisons Cult for a righteous pretext to strike.
‘Righteous-demonic great war. Sword Seed slain in outrage.’
‘Sword Pavilion avenges its disciple, purges demons to guard the Dao. Simplest path: one death benefits the realm. Yet Uncle-Master refuses.’
“Fine then. I'll handle it—ease Uncle-Master's burdens.”
With that, Ye Cheng flicked his finger, dispatching a flying messenger talisman.
Meanwhile, outside Sword Pavilion's Extreme Heaven Cliff.
A late-stage Qi Refining disciple suddenly looked up and caught the talisman plummeting from the sky. He hurried to a quiet chamber to read it.
‘Sword Pavilion... moving against the Holy Sect?’
‘This is bad!’
The disciple's expression shifted. He drew a deep breath and sank his consciousness into his dantian. There coiled a small insect.
This was the [Thousand-Mile Heart-Link Gu].
Myriad Poisons Cult took gu as their cultivation foundation. Every cultivator refined several types to replace treasures, each with unique marvels.
The [Thousand-Mile Heart-Link Gu], as its name suggested, came in mother-child pairs. The child gu could relay messages to the mother.
By the time this was done, Lu Yang hadn't even left Sword Pavilion—yet word of his impending trip to the Southern Frontier had already reached Myriad Poisons Cult's high table.