Chapter 450
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Dharma Body Self-Destruction
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A Golden Core True Lord's self-detonation, even if only of a dharma body, unleashed terrifying power. The shockwaves spreading out now seemed intent on flipping heaven and earth upside down.
The originally clear sky abruptly turned blood-red, crimson clouds blazing overhead like an extra sun spewing blinding bloodlight outward. Beyond that, a thick stench of gore filled the air. If such an anomaly had struck the ground instead of the sky, it would surely have brought slaughter to all living beings!
Even so, anguished screams rose one after another across the lands.
Countless Foundation Establishment True Persons watching the battle through their dharma eyes had their sight burned away in that instant by the brilliance erupting from Lu Yang's self-detonation.
In a flash, all sounds ceased.
‘Dead?’
Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva's beautiful eyes flickered. She was confident she'd seized the perfect opening. A mere false Golden Core holder, an outsider True Lord—his death was no surprise.
“Boom!”
The next second, the exploding bloodlight converged once more, flowing backward like time rewinding. In an instant, it retreated from Jiangxi, finally reforming into humanoid shape in the distant horizon.
Lu Yang's figure reemerged. The Yanmo Hall hovered above his head like a lantern, its flame faint yet unextinguished. Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva could see he was at the end of his rope, the light on the verge of falling, unlikely to last much longer.
“I will return!”
Lu Yang spat the words with hatred, then turned and fled without another word, his presence vanishing entirely from sight in moments.
But Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva paid it no mind.
After all, Lu Yang's condition couldn't fool her. He was gravely wounded and on the brink of losing his True Lord status. Even if he escaped, death was inevitable soon enough.
‘This man is out of the game!’
With that thought, Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva shifted her gaze, focusing instead on the Earthly Buddha Realm and Soaring Empyrean before her.
“Amitabha.”
“Soaring Empyrean benefactor, why persist in your delusions?” Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva pressed her palms together, certain of victory, her tone relaxed.
She had to admit, Soaring Empyrean was strong—extremely strong.
Yet his constraints were too many.
As fellow True Lords, she had only needed to endure the seal of Heaven of Non-existence, burn her cavern realm, and pay the price of damaging her Dao foundation to force her manifestation.
But Soaring Empyrean?
He had to contend not just with Heaven of Non-existence, but also the Underworld! Under dual suppression, he'd fallen into such dire straits.
Even so, he'd held out this long. Truth be told, it made Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva wary, fearing this Primal Saint Sect great True Lord might have some hidden trump card. Though she held the advantage now, she remained exceedingly cautious, even attempting to persuade him to surrender.
Soaring Empyrean, however, scoffed.
“Victory isn't decided yet, bald donkey. Don't get cocky.”
As he spoke, Soaring Empyrean subtly glanced in the direction Lu Yang had fled. His instincts told him the man wouldn't quit so easily!
‘Hongyun schemed for so long, grabbing no benefits, only killing one Orthodox Virtue. Would a Saint Sect True Lord settle for such thankless effort?’
He's definitely plotting something!
That said, Soaring Empyrean didn't care. Strictly speaking, he and Lu Yang had no conflict—on some level, they were even allies!
With that in mind, he not only refrained from warning Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva.
Instead, he secretly activated Knowledge-View Obstruction, capitalizing on her focus on him to make her overlook Lu Yang entirely!
‘His goal is the Sword Dao fruition; mine is to shatter the Earthly Buddha Realm. We should be on the same side! So whatever he's scheming should target the bald donkey. Though his condition isn't fake—the false Golden Core is nearing its limit.’
Without True Lord might, schemes were useless.
‘In that case, his retreat now must be to extend the false Golden Core duration. I've studied Xiu You's false Golden Core method.’
‘Either gather nine peak Foundation Establishment gold essences, or use one True Lord's gold essence.’
‘How will he manage?’
Soaring Empyrean's mind raced. Nine peak Foundation Establishments were impossible—ruled out. One True Lord... the freshly fallen Orthodox Virtue!?
‘The Underworld!’
The Underworld, a realm unknowable.
Soaring Empyrean's true body rose leisurely, gazing at the river of souls before him with a mix of astonishment and curiosity. ‘He can interfere with reincarnation too?’
Of course he could!
‘Hongyun faked being assassinated by me in the reincarnation cycle back then. If he couldn't interfere, he'd have truly died by my hand.’
He'd been quite pleased with himself at the time. Who among the world's True Lords could influence the Underworld?
But now it seemed Hongyun had played him.
If so, then Lu Yang surely could too!
‘True Lords theoretically can't be captured upon reincarnation, but if Hongyun wants to snag Orthodox Virtue, he'll have to track his rebirth.’
At that thought, Soaring Empyrean stirred. Vast power slammed into the river of souls, not disrupting their reincarnation flow but deliberately churning it, forcing every soul to reveal its true form. The next instant, a golden gleam emerged among them:
“Demon!”
In the river of souls, Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord's soul surfaced, glaring furiously at Soaring Empyrean. He'd planned to stay low-key!
But under Soaring Empyrean's meddling, he had no choice but to circulate his gold essence to shield his soul!
Though in the Underworld, he wasn't worried about Soaring Empyrean threatening his life, a faint sense of crisis still arose.
‘The northern demon wouldn't act pointlessly—he must have a plot!’
‘But where?’
Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord puzzled over it fruitlessly, falling back on the simplest principle: Can't beat him? Run! Hurry into reincarnation and be gone!
With that, Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord swiftly concealed himself again, entering the cycle without delay.
Only then did Soaring Empyrean withdraw his aura, settling back as he pondered: ‘Who knows if this helps? If my guess is right...’
Meanwhile, in the present world.
“Soaring Empyrean, too reliable!”
Lu Yang couldn't help sighing. Fighting a Saint Sect True Lord was a headache, but as an ally? The man's reliability was downright comforting.
No weak links!
Thanks to Soaring Empyrean suddenly roiling the river of souls, forcing Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord to reveal himself, he'd finally pinned the soul's location.
Soaring Empyrean had even prompted the man to reincarnate!
Otherwise, with a True Lord's abilities, he could linger in the Underworld awhile without rushing. Then Lu Yang would've been blind.
‘I've already had True Person Xiu Xin suicide-reincarnate simultaneously, monitored via marionette puppet. Right now, Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord should be at...’
The next second, Lu Yang tore open the void.
In Jiangnan, an ordinary household in a mortal kingdom, the reincarnated infant form of Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord opened his eyes, plotting his new life.
‘First, hide until the True Lords re-manifest...’
“Boom!”
Before Heaven-Receiving Orthodox Virtue True Lord could react, a massive hand descended from the sky, freezing all his thoughts on a single notion:
“Huh?”