Chapter 394: Take Them All Away!
Chapter 394: Taking It All Away!
Though Lü Yang could vaguely guess the frustration Immortal Spirit Shang Zhang must be feeling, he wasn't entirely clear on the specifics.
At this moment, he had already withdrawn his gaze, no longer paying attention to Mu Changsheng within the Refinement Secret Realm—even decisively severing his connection with the Yun Family Patriarch.
The reason was simple.
'Just now, I actually considered whether to manipulate the Yun Family Patriarch to recruit Mu Changsheng and absorb him into the Myriad Spirits Banner.'
That single thought alone made Lü Yang choose to cut ties.
Whether he was being overly cautious or making a mountain out of a molehill didn't matter—the pitfall of the Innate True Person was simply too deep for him to handle at his current level.
Only a True Lord could possibly manage it.
"Secrets of the Dao Lords? Mu Changsheng? All illusions! My own strength is the only real thing. The priority now is to keep improving!"
Lü Yang took a deep breath and sat upright within the [Sky of Separation].
Without him needing to consciously will it, vast amounts of incense offerings began converging toward him. To his surprise, the quantity was even greater than he had anticipated!
'Right—the White Lotus Sect worshipped not just [Wusheng Laomu] but numerous other divine lords and venerables, diverting a massive portion of incense offerings. Now that I've slain them all and centralized the offerings... a rough estimate suggests I could cultivate two more Foundation Establishment Perfection beings!'
This was an unexpected boon.
Since the White Lotus Sect had such reserves, the City God system and the imperial ancestral temples—being comparable in scale—must possess equally substantial foundations.
In other words:
'If I replicate this method and seize the incense foundations of the other two major forces in Seven Luminaries Heaven, I could gather enough for nine Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators.'
Yet as he thought this, Lü Yang's expression gradually grew calm.
'But this approach is too slow.'
The White Lotus Sect was already the smallest of the three major powers, yet seizing its foundation had taken him ten years. The remaining two would undoubtedly take even longer.
'Uncle Chongguang's Great Contention Era lasted only sixty years. Once that time passes and the True Lords return, what use would pretending to hold a Golden Seat be?'
Only by securing a Golden Seat before the True Lords' return could he maximize his gains.
Moreover, he had to consider his next life.
The Incense Qi Divine Path was entirely built upon Seven Luminaries Heaven's Fruit Position. If he restarted and left this realm, would the Banner Spirits still generate incense offerings?
If not, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
At this thought, an even bolder idea suddenly surfaced in Lü Yang's mind: 'Perhaps... there's another way to resolve all these issues.'
Seven Luminaries Heaven, Tianjing City, Central Province.
This was the heart of the Central Province, the core of the City God system, and the site of the imperial ancestral temples. Yet now, two consciousnesses stirred awake simultaneously.
"Wusheng... vanished for a moment just now."
Of the two consciousnesses, one belonged to the ruler of all City Gods—the Capital City God, Wu Ning, whose divine title was [Heaven-Bearing, Nation-Overseeing, People-Blessing, Bright Spirit King].
The other was the Great Ancestor Yan, enshrined in the imperial ancestral temples of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Great Ancestor Yan, the Capital City God, and Wusheng Laomu—these three Foundation Establishment Perfection incense deities had shaped Seven Luminaries Heaven's current state.
Thus, they were acutely aware of each other's movements. As they extended their divine senses, they immediately detected shifts in the world's incense offerings. Yet the more they observed, the more alarmed they became—for they realized that all offerings originally belonging to the White Lotus Sect had now, without exception, shifted to a new object of worship.
"What's happening?"
Great Ancestor Yan felt uneasy. As an incense deity, he thrived on stability and dreaded unpredictability.
"Something's wrong!"
The Capital City God's expression darkened as he traced the flow of incense offerings. Soon, his gaze landed upon a figure seated at the center of the clouds, absorbing the offerings like a vortex.
Who was that?
A handsome young Daoist, enveloped in boundless incense smoke. His mere presence seemed to eclipse all else in the world.
To the observers, he appeared not as a man but as a vast expanse of sun, moon, mountains, and rivers—utterly captivating. More astonishingly, the sheer volume of incense offerings swirling around him defied belief. The entire White Lotus Sect's offerings had been concentrated upon him!
"He's insane!"
The Capital City God spoke first. Incense power carried countless chaotic thoughts—the more one used, the greater the mental strain. It had to be distributed.
Why else would the City God system exist?
If there were no drawbacks, why wouldn't he have everyone in the world worship him alone instead of appointing numerous City Gods to share the offerings?
Yet this man before them showed no concern for the mental toll!
Why?
"Wait..."
Great Ancestor Yan sensed something amiss. "That Daoist... he's not alone. Inside him... there are others assisting him!"
At these words, the Capital City God focused his divine sight upon the [Sky of Separation]. Through the haze, he glimpsed three figures seated amidst towering mountains—the true recipients of the White Lotus Sect's offerings.
Ancestor Nether Whisper, Banner Spirit Wusheng Old Mother, and Long Yue.
Seeing this, both Great Ancestor Yan and the Capital City God paled. The former couldn't help but exclaim, "This is sheer madness!"
The latter frowned deeply. "What is he trying to achieve?"
How could incense deities be personally cultivated?
Didn't he fear betrayal from those he nurtured?
And what purpose did raising so many incense deities serve? They couldn't possibly fight—any conflict would devastate the mortal world, ending in mutual destruction.
Beyond creating rivals for incense offerings, what was the point?
"Haah..."
Meanwhile, Lü Yang—having reshaped the [Sky of Separation] into human form—exhaled deeply, his eyes gleaming with determination.
'Success or failure hinges on this move.'
Until now, Lü Yang had always considered himself an ordinary man.
Some talent, but not exceptional.
Some resolve, but still prone to fear.
Some skill, but far from enough.
'Uncle Chongguang said one must rely on oneself, but I believe human effort has its limits.'
Of his ten lifetimes, this one had taught him the most.
Scheme after scheme—losing his immortal form, nearly dying of fright from the World-Honored One's intervention, forced to flee his homeland—every step had left him no choice.
Plans made, then abandoned.
Goals set, then discarded.
As satisfying as stirring chaos might be, it was ultimately escapism—leaving only emptiness and no sense of achievement. Worse, nothing had truly changed.
He remained the stray dog cornered by heaven's schemes, hunted by the Buddha's chosen, fleeing in disgrace!
With this realization, Lü Yang made his decision.
'...I'll gamble once!'
He would refine all of Seven Luminaries Heaven into the Myriad Spirits Banner!
Not just mortal offerings—he would take the very source of the Incense Qi Divine Path, the embryonic Fruit Position of Seven Luminaries Heaven itself!
Everything would be packed up and taken away!