Chapter 399
Chapter 399
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Nine Deaths, One Life
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"Rumble!"
With the first thunderclap resounding from the thunderclouds symbolizing heavenly punishment above the firmament, a supremely yang and rigid qi swept across Lu Yang's entire body in an instant.
"Crack!"
In just this one blow, Lihen Tian emitted a crisp sound of unbearable strain!
Looking out, the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon within this small blessed land began to collapse. And this was merely the thunder's roar—the true lightning had yet to strike!
Yet Lu Yang merely smiled at the sight.
'Still too green.'
In the end, Seven Luminaries Heaven couldn't keep its cool. Tricked by Lu Yang into believing he had truly resolved the incense fire issue, it immediately laid out all its cards!
At this moment, peering through the Linglong Heart, Lu Yang saw that the two calamities previously brewing within Seven Luminaries Heaven had been fully unleashed. The heavenly punishment thunderclouds before him were one complete calamity, while the other was clearly only half-formed at most.
The latter was formless and intangible, so he couldn't yet discern its nature.
'.Fine then.'
Lu Yang's mind remained steady. This outcome was already quite favorable for him. Seven Luminaries Heaven had reacted hastily, while he was fully prepared.
'Speaking of which, this counts as a heavenly thunder tribulation.'
Lifting his head, Lu Yang gazed at the three divine abilities encircling his body, a realization dawning. Once he passed this heavenly tribulation, the fourth divine ability would fully manifest!
"This outsider... he's done for!"
On the other side, the City God and Yan Taizu ceased their clash upon witnessing the scene. Even though the thunder wasn't aimed at them, it weighed heavily on their hearts.
"Heavenly punishment descends—who's cultivation could surpass the heavens themselves?"
Heavenly punishment!
In the memories of these two incense fire gods, no one had ever withstood it. They had no doubt that a single bolt leaking from these thunderclouds would shatter Central Plains, exterminating all life. This was a true world-ending catastrophe!
Yet Ancestor Tingyou merely sneered coldly.
"Frogs at the bottom of a well—how could they behold the world's grandeur?"
Indeed, the heavenly tribulation conjured by Seven Luminaries Heaven was powerful—immensely so. But that was only within Seven Luminaries Heaven. Try taking it elsewhere?
World-ending?
Forget the four great powers—Ancestor Tingyou reckoned this thing couldn't even breach the Witch Ghost Dao's mountain gate back when he guarded it, bolstered by the earth's veins!
At the same time, Lu Yang smiled as well.
".Come on then!"
Lu Yang looked up to the sky with a carefree laugh. In this moment, he grew utterly uninhibited. After all, he had no path of retreat left; he was already at rock bottom.
No matter what, the only way was up!
"Rumble!"
Under everyone's gaze, the tribulation thunderclouds abruptly poured forth. Torrents of lightning like the Milky Way surged out, crashing down onto Lu Yang!
In an instant, Lihen Tian shattered!
Like crumbling dry weeds and rotten wood, the mountains and rivers within Lihen Tian toppled, sun and moon inverted, lakes and seas evaporated—one inch after another devoured ceaselessly.
Even so, Lu Yang remained calm.
With a swift thought, he unhesitatingly hurled out Banner Spirit Wusheng Matron and Long Yue.
After all, these two banner spirits weren't like Ancestor Tingyou—he wouldn't feel a pang no matter what happened to them.
Yet even with two peak Foundation Establishment incense fire gods blocking, the heavenly punishment remained unstoppable.
'As expected, human strength has its limits.'
Was there still a way to break the deadlock?
With a thought, Lu Yang summoned the Book of a Hundred Lives panel. The golden talent [Fortune Appraisal Lottery] atop it suddenly blazed with light.
[Event: Refining Seven Luminaries Heaven]
[Great Omen: Audaciously Bold, Nine Deaths One Life.]
[Great Omen: Audaciously Bold, Nine Deaths One Life.]
[Great Omen: Audaciously Bold, Nine Deaths One Life.]
Uniform black lots—Lu Yang couldn't help but smile wryly. 'Three great omens... you really don't think much of me, huh? At least toss me a auspicious one.'
Wait, something was off.
Lu Yang jerked his head up, scanning his surroundings. The Linglong Heart pierced illusions, bringing clarity. 'Right—this is heaven and earth's third calamity!'
Fate Tribulation!
As the name implied, unlike the human tribulation visible to the eye or the heavenly tribulation of pure destruction, this struck from within, targeting Lu Yang's very fortune. Its effect mirrored [Fortune Appraisal Lottery], predetermining his fated outcome in the unseen.
'Fortunately, it fizzled midway!'
Had Seven Luminaries Heaven completed this fate tribulation, [Fortune Appraisal Lottery] would show not nine deaths one life, but certain death.
'So in that light, nine deaths one life is actually pretty good?'
Shaking his head, Lu Yang then fused one black lot into himself. In truth, there was little difference—he was still mired in crisis.
'[Fortune Appraisal Lottery] is useless now.' 'What's left to break this?'
'What next? Really restart? But even restarting won't take Lihen Tian back—how to find Seven Luminaries Heaven again?'
'Do I have no choice but to restart?'
Activating Sword Heart Illumination, time seemed to stagnate, sounds fading. In this silent world, Lu Yang pondered.
The next second, a thought struck.
"Ancestor!"
In a blink, Lu Yang summoned Ancestor Tingyou to his side, then handed over control of Lihen Tian without a word.
"You take the helm!"
One must rely on oneself... Lu Yang didn't buy into Chongguang's philosophy.
In his view, relying on self or others mattered little—what counted was the result. As long as the outcome was good, the process was irrelevant.
"Got it!"
Ancestor Tingyou reacted swiftly, taking command. Spells unfurled from him like endless coin, actually holding back the tribulation's onslaught!
More crucially, he drew over the [Seven Luminaries World-Fixing True Grand Array] Hongyun had laid around Seven Luminaries Heaven, siphoning part of its suppressive power to re-anchor the nearly collapsing Lihen Tian. The crumbling edifice was forcibly stabilized!
Yet this alone wasn't enough.
[Fortune Appraisal Lottery]'s foresight accounted for all Lu Yang's current cards. No matter how overpowered Ancestor Tingyou, he could at best save him.
Nine deaths one life—Ancestor Tingyou was that one life.
But nothing more.
Letting Ancestor Tingyou helm meant survival, but no refining Seven Luminaries Heaven. What point was that? Better to restart!
'To break the deadlock, I need a new move.'
Leap beyond [Fortune Appraisal Lottery]'s calculations, beyond Seven Luminaries Heaven's fate tribulation... But how? Lu Yang's thoughts raced at peak speed.
Finally, an idea surfaced.
The next instant, his gaze fell on the Myriad Spirits Banner beside him.
His original plan: fuse Seven Luminaries Heaven into the Myriad Spirits Banner, refine it therein, and claim its embryonic status for himself.
But now, circumstances had changed.
'The Myriad Spirits Banner was cleansed by the Book of a Hundred Lives long ago—causeless, fruitless, outside fate's reckoning... Perhaps it's my breakthrough?'
At this point, he couldn't grow stronger anymore.
If so, shift tactics: unable to strengthen himself, weaken Seven Luminaries Heaven!
'Use the embryonic status in the Myriad Spirits Banner... to clash!'
Two embryonic statuses would inevitably clash like fire and water—one devours the other. When clam and snipe battle, the fisherman profits!
But immense risk lurked.
Miss the timing, let Seven Luminaries Heaven devour the banner's embryonic status, and it would gain massive boon.
Then it wouldn't be nine deaths one life, but certain doom.
Even restarting would return a Myriad Spirits Banner sans embryonic status—its power diminished by far more than a notch.
Another crossroads.
To date, Lu Yang had made many decisions, some right, some wrong. But err here, and this life likely ended.
Memories of past choices flashed: especially rashly teleporting his true body to Ten Thousand Poisons Sect's gate, falling into the immortal spirit trap—what if wrong? Wordless pressure crushed down, nearly halting his breath.
This time was the same.
With Seven Luminaries Heaven's fate tribulation descended, the outcome was theoretically sealed. The Myriad Spirits Banner outside fate was mere conjecture—he might be wrong.
Gambling everything rashly might fail outright, or worse, total loss.
Yet even so, Lu Yang gritted his teeth.
Though no heavenly prodigy like Chongguang, Demon-Quelling Perfected Being, or Innate Perfected Being, he had one tiny edge:
He had a cheat.
'Wrong? Restart! One life fails, use two, three, ten!'
In this instant, all hesitation vanished.
'I may lack supreme talent, strength, or flawless resolve, but with the Book of a Hundred Lives, I have countless chances.'
Lu Yang feared not mistakes, but inaction.
Human strength limited?
'Now's the time to exhaust it!'
Fate sealed?
"Man proposes!"
With this resolve, deep in his sea of consciousness, a clear sword cry rang out—straight, unyielding, indomitable, as if it would never yield.