Chapter 391: Sudden Turn! (Fourth Update!)
Chapter 391: Sudden Upheaval! (Fourth Update!)
Outside the Sky of Separation.
The White Lotus Sect had mobilized its entire force, even transporting their divine realm, the Vacuum Native Land, along with them. The towering incense offerings nearly ignited the sea of clouds.
To any observer looking up from the ground, it appeared as though a second sun had risen amidst the clouds. One could say without exaggeration that if this Vacuum Native Land were to plummet, it would instantly trigger cataclysmic destruction. Under such circumstances, neither divine paths nor the common folk would escape unscathed—all would perish without a burial place!
Thus, at this moment, Heilian Shenzun was brimming with confidence.
'This mere Sky of Separation—this heretical sect—shall be eradicated today. It will serve as a lesson to the world, ensuring no one dares underestimate our teachings.'
Heilian Shenzun had noticed Lü Yang's covert maneuvers.
Including the spread of the Sky of Separation's incense offerings within the White Lotus Sect—such parasitic behavior, siphoning the very foundation of their sect, was intolerable.
Hence today's full-scale mobilization.
'The entire sect has taken action. Dozens of divine lords and great divine lords, even the Vacuum Native Land has been brought forth. If necessary, the Mother of Non-Life herself may intervene.'
How could they possibly lose?
No sooner had this thought crossed Heilian Shenzun's mind than an overwhelming divine sense suddenly surged forth from the Sky of Separation before him!
"They're coming!"
His expression darkened. In the next instant, he sensed the incense offerings that rightfully belonged to his sect beginning to divert—slowly but steadily flowing toward the enemy.
Yet, he remained unshaken in his confidence.
'For how many years has the White Lotus Sect governed its followers? Does this insignificant Sky of Separation truly believe it can hollow out our foundation in just a decade? Preposterous!'
However, as time passed, he gradually realized something was amiss.
The outflow of incense offerings did not slow as he had anticipated—instead, it accelerated, growing fiercer by the moment!
Correspondingly, the aura of the Sky of Separation grew increasingly potent.
"Not good!"
In an instant, Heilian Shenzun roared, commanding all incense deities of the White Lotus Sect to attack. Yet, the next moment, a scene of utter despair unfolded before him:
The Sky of Separation ignited.
Like a sun bursting into flame, dense incense radiance coalesced upon it, manifesting countless scenes—bustling streets, pavilions, towers—a myriad of vivid images.
In stark contrast, the once-glorious Vacuum Native Land abruptly dimmed. Heilian Shenzun turned in horror toward his side, where a divine lord of the White Lotus Sect stood—now stripped of incense, his pupils frozen in terror:
"Save—"
Before the plea could escape his throat, his body, bereft of sustaining incense, exploded into a burst of flame!
And this was only the first.
Boom!
Heilian Shenzun's gaze swept across the sky as one burst of flame after another erupted midair—each representing the demise of an incense deity.
Such was the fatal flaw of the Incense Qi Divine Path!
Within the Sky of Separation, Lü Yang materialized as a luminous figure, calmly surveying the incense deities below. A profound realization dawned upon him regarding this cultivation system:
'This system... is all show and no substance!'
The reason was simple: its overreliance on incense offerings and external forces.
Yet paradoxically, its entry threshold was excessively high. Even the lowest-ranking Earth God wielded power comparable to a false Foundation Establishment cultivator—capable, in theory, of large-scale extermination.
This created an absurd predicament.
Once engaged in unrestrained combat, the collateral damage would inevitably annihilate the mortal worshippers who provided the incense—leading to the immediate demise of the deities they sustained.
Even more ludicrous was the fact that deities like Earth Gods and City Gods could only exert their full power within the territories of their worshippers. Yet, unleashing such power would instantly obliterate those very worshippers in the aftermath—and with them, the deities themselves would perish as their incense dissipated.
'What a colossal trap!'
At this thought, Lü Yang couldn't help but chuckle. In essence, these incense deities were mere facades—utterly incapable of genuine combat.
What nonsense about Earth Gods rivaling Foundation Establishment—pure intimidation tactics!
'Even if I were merely a Qi Refining cultivator, if I seized the moment to slaughter an entire village in one stroke, the most powerful Earth God would still meet his end!'
Here, a Qi Refining cultivator slaying a Foundation Establishment practitioner was genuinely feasible!
'Borrowing external power is harmless in moderation, but relying entirely upon it leads to this—the fate of incense deities.' Lü Yang mused inwardly before shaking his head.
One must always rely on oneself.
A lesson he had once dismissed, yet now saw its universal truth.
However, Lü Yang swiftly regained his composure. While self-reliance was paramount, external means could still serve as tools for breaking deadlocks.
'Though the Incense Qi Divine Path has glaring flaws, they matter little in my hands. Once these deities are absorbed into my Myriad Spirits Banner, such weaknesses are circumvented. As for their strength—so what if they're mere illusions? Their foundational ranks are genuine, and that suffices!'
With this resolve, Lü Yang hesitated no longer.
Incense empowerment!
Finally, as over ninety percent of the White Lotus Sect's incense offerings were drained away, Heilian Shenzun and all the incense deities erupted into scattered ashes.
At that very moment—
"Who...?"
From within the Vacuum Native Land came a bewildered inquiry. A graceful figure emerged—a beautiful female cultivator clad in white robes.
She was the Mother of Non-Life.
Previously dormant, she had been roused by the vanishing incense offerings. Before she could even grasp the situation, Lü Yang seized her.
Boom!
Standing midair, Lü Yang felt a sharp pain in his head. The deluge of incense empowering the Sky of Separation elevated him to an unprecedented height—a pinnacle with no further ascent. Conversely, the Mother of Non-Life before him seemed to shrink, dwindling until she fit within his palm, reduced to the size of a doll.
'This is rank—'
The rank of Foundation Establishment Perfection!
The disparity was akin to a Foundation Establishment cultivator overlooking Qi Refiners—utterly insurmountable, rendering all of her techniques futile before him.
Yet simultaneously, Lü Yang felt another stab of pain in his mind, accompanied by faint, indistinct murmurs—the residual emotions of the worshippers embedded within the incense offerings. Some sought fame, others wealth, divinations, even offspring...
'No wonder the Ancestral Master said incense can temper sword intent!'
Lü Yang took a deep breath and immediately entered the state of Sword Heart Clarity. Even so, the throbbing agony persisted.
'Three minutes... no, one minute at most.'
With his Sword Heart, he could endure this magnitude of incense influence for merely a minute. Beyond that, irreversible damage would ensue.
But one minute was enough.
With the White Lotus Sect's incense offerings transferred, his rank ascended while the Mother of Non-Life's plummeted, stripping her of her former might.
Squelch!
With a gentle squeeze, Lü Yang crushed her like a bursting balloon, then refined her remnants into a Banner Spirit.
Having accomplished this, he withdrew from the incense-empowered state.
TheThe overall situation is settled!
'Borrowing another's resources to nurture our own has succeeded. Next, we can replicate this strategy—plundering the entire City God system to cultivate nine Foundation Establishment Perfection incense deities!'
'Everything has gone impossibly smoothly...'
At this thought, Lü Yang couldn't resist using Tribulation Wave to verify his reality, fearing this might all be a dream—that he'd awaken still standing before the Myriad Poison Sect's mountain gate...
But just then—
"Hmm?"
Abruptly, Lü Yang's heart stirred—his Puppet on Strings talent had detected an anomaly. After a brief assessment, his expression shifted.
"The Yun Family Patriarch has reincarnated? And entered the Refinement Secret Realm?"
This wasn't right!
'Normally, the Yun Family Patriarch shouldn't reincarnate for several more decades, after which he'd covertly enter the Saint Sect's Refinement Secret Realm under the Sword Pavilion Master's orders...'
Why theadvancement?
This deviation from his past life jolted Lü Yang from his triumphant complacency. Swiftly, he cast his gaze through Puppet on Strings.
The next moment—
"Hahaha!"
Lü Yang heard maniacal laughter. Looking up, he saw a formidable soul cursing vehemently at the heavens:
"Damnable Demon Sect! Beasts!"
"Absolute beasts!"
"I, Mu Changsheng, swear eternal enmity with you—!!!"