Chapter 390: Truly Satisfying to Bully the Weak
Chapter 390: Truly Satisfying to Blow Up Fish
The stars shifted, time flowed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, over ten more years had passed.
Within the [Sky of Separation], Ancestor Nether Whisper sat cross-legged, while the incense fire divine talisman of the [Underworld Lord of Yama Heaven, Mystic Darkness, Gatherer of Shades] floated before him.
After a moment, Ancestor Nether Whisper opened his eyes.
Instantly, three innate divine abilities lit up across his body, accompanied by one life essence divine ability. His aura violently shattered the bottleneck.
Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Grand True Person!
This step in Foundation Establishment cultivation represented a qualitative transformation, making recovery far more difficult than before. Even Ancestor Nether Whisper had expended considerable time.
Yet, success was ultimately achieved.
On the other side, Lü Yang looked on with excitement. Though both were at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Ancestor Nether Whisper's caliber was on an entirely different level from Long Yue's.
"Congratulations, Ancestor."
Thus, the moment Ancestor Nether Whisper finished withdrawing his power and opened his eyes, Lü Yang appeared before him, respectfully bowing.
Ancestor Nether Whisper shook his head with a bitter smile. Though his physical body had been restored, he remained bound to the Myriad Spirits Banner. Strictly speaking, as the banner's master, Lü Yang need not be so courteous—even if he made unreasonable demands, Ancestor Nether Whisper had no means to refuse.
Yet Lü Yang's attitude remained unchanged.
Undeniably, this sense of respect pleased Ancestor Nether Whisper greatly. Moreover, Lü Yang had consistently prioritized reviving the Witch Ghost Path.
What was this?
'A heart of pure sincerity.'
Ancestor Nether Whisper sighed inwardly before personally helping Lü Yang up. "I've tested the incense fire divine talisman for you. I've thoroughly explored its strengths and weaknesses."
Truly worthy of an ancestor!
"What are the advantages and disadvantages of this incense fire divine power?"
At this, Lü Yang recalled knowledge from before his transmigration and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the incense fire is poisonous, harboring immense hidden dangers when used?"
"Not to that extent." Ancestor Nether Whisper shook his head. "Or rather, it originally tended toward such evolution, but someone forcibly reversed it."
These words stunned Lü Yang momentarily before realization dawned.
'Indeed. Since Daoist Hong Yun views this realm as his final retreat, how could he allow something as obviously treacherous as poisonous incense fire to develop?'
"The advantages of incense fire divine power are simple," Ancestor Nether Whisper continued explaining. "First, its lower limit is high—even the weakest manifestations are at the level of Qi Refining grand divine abilities. Second, progress is rapid. With sufficient incense fire, there are no bottlenecks or tribulations. One can advance all the way to Foundation Establishment Perfection!"
These two points alone were astonishing.
Yet Lü Yang remained expressionless. There were no free lunches in the world—the greater the advantages of the incense fire divine path, the more certain its inherent flaws.
"However..."
Sure enough, Ancestor Nether Whisper's tone shifted in the next moment. "Most of its shortcomings can be resolved, but two are innate issues."
"First, the foundation."
Ancestor Nether Whisper said gravely, "Though incense fire gods possess status, their essence isn't self-cultivated. They lack a foundation—their status is elevated through incense fire."
"Once the incense fire scatters, they fall."
"At that point, the higher one stands, the harder they crash. The worst off would be the Capital City God—without incense fire, he would perish almost instantly!"
This resembled how True Lords were upheld by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Yet the difference was that True Lords possessed dongtian realms. Even if all Foundation Establishment cultivators perished, they would at most retreat into seclusion with their fruit positions, suffering no harm.
Incense fire gods were different. If large numbers of worshippers died and incense fire vanished, it would immediately become a life-threatening crisis.
'This is likely why this realm remains peaceful. If true conflict erupted, the Capital City God—with his Foundation Establishment Perfection strength—could overturn the board if pushed to desperation, sinking entire continents and annihilating the divine path. With such deterrence, the three factions maintain peace.'
After understanding this, Lü Yang looked back at Ancestor Nether Whisper. "And the second issue?"
"Second, the incense fire itself."
Ancestor Nether Whisper shook his head. "Incense fire is born from human hearts, containing vast impurities. Those with unstable minds risk qi deviation when using it."
"The higher the realm, the more troublesome this becomes."
Having said this, Ancestor Nether Whisper pointed at the [Underworld Lord of Yama Heaven, Mystic Darkness, Gatherer of Shades] incense fire divine talisman before him. "Currently, it's only at Foundation Establishment Late Stage."
"Yet it already pressures me somewhat."
"Even if it reaches this realm's peak—Foundation Establishment Perfection—I could still suppress it... but my ability doesn't mean others can."
"As I surmise, the major gods at the Capital City God level likely refrain from manifesting in the world precisely because they're burdened by incense fire. They must remain in seclusion to preserve themselves and avoid qi deviation. Yet conversely, this presents an opportunity to temper one's divine intent."
After speaking, Ancestor Nether Whisper looked at Lü Yang:
"Aren't you cultivating sword intent?"
"Though I don't understand the Sword Dao, my deductions suggest that controlled use of this incense fire divine power could benefit your sword intent refinement."
Lü Yang's heart stirred at these words.
Yet he quickly regained composure. Using incense fire divine power to temper sword intent was feasible—but only with a stable external environment.
'But it's almost time.'
Certainty flashed in Lü Yang's eyes.
After ten years of lying low and covertly spreading teachings, the White Lotus Sect now existed in name only—its essence long hollowed out and consumed by him.
His method of propagation was simple: borrowing another's shell to hatch his own eggs.
Using the foundations of the three White Lotus Divine Lords, he expanded outward. Word spread among followers, converting White Lotus devotees into banner spirits one after another.
By now, a full ninety percent of White Lotus followers had secretly become banner spirits under Lü Yang. As long as he didn't alter their faith—maintaining surface-level worship so incense fire still flowed to the White Lotus Sect—its incense fire gods would struggle to detect anything amiss.
With this in mind, Lü Yang performed a quick calculation: 'They should be arriving soon—'
Boom!
Before long, thunderous booms echoed outside the [Sky of Separation] as vast incense fire powers transformed into sky-covering hands reaching toward him!
Looking out, Lü Yang saw densely packed figures outside the [Sky of Separation]. The weakest among them rivaled early Foundation Establishment County City Gods. Their erupting auras vividly outlined a resplendent, treasure-light-filled spectacle that sealed the surrounding airspace.
[Vacuum Native Land]!
This time, the White Lotus Sect had mobilized in full force!
At their head stood Heilian, his incense fire divine power nearly materialized. His aura didn't pale in comparison to Long Yue's.
Yet Lü Yang showed no trace of panic.
'Though I deliberately left clues, I didn't expect the White Lotus Sect to take the bait so completely... Still, they've improved compared to ten years ago.'
At least they'd learned to outnumber their opponents.
Yet they seemed utterly unconcerned about potential traps—or perhaps believed that even if traps existed, their strength could crush through them?
A pity their beautiful thinking perfectly suited his plans.
'With my grand momentum already formed, their attempt to outnumber me will only become a group delivery of heads.'
At this thought, Lü Yang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'Calculating karma, laying schemes, manipulating enemies effortlessly—everything unfolding as predicted. It's been so long since I've felt this way!'
'Ah...'
He was beginning to understand the World-Honored One.
Truly satisfying to blow up fish!
With this thought, the Myriad Spirits Banner appeared in Lü Yang's hand. In the next instant, the vast incense fire that originally belonged to the White Lotus Sect—enough to sustain a Capital City God at Foundation Establishment Perfection—surged toward the [Sky of Separation]!