Chapter 473: Chong Guang’s Decisiveness
Why was Hong Yun so shocked by [Heavenly Fire Above]?
The reason was simple—like [City Wall Earth], [Heavenly Fire Above] had almost no corresponding cultivation techniques passed down through the ages, remaining hidden from the world.
However, the logic behind this was entirely different.
[City Wall Earth] remained hidden because the Zouyu royal family, who once controlled it, had physically eradicated all viable cultivation techniques related to it.
This was man-made calamity.
In contrast, [Heavenly Fire Above] faded naturally.
The conditions for achieving its fruition were simply too stringent—"Steering the World." Such an absurd requirement was practically equivalent to severing the Dao path itself.
As time passed, fewer and fewer Foundation Establishment True Persons cultivated [Heavenly Fire Above], and the techniques gradually disappeared until they were completely extinct in the present era. After all, what Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't harbor some hope for fruition? Without the possibility of fruition, no matter how strong one's combat power was, it remained as fleeting as the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror.
Yet one undeniable fact remained: [Heavenly Fire Above] was truly formidable!
Amidst boundless mountains and seas, under a sky where the sun and moon coexisted, Lü Yang formed a single-handed seal, his fingertip radiating a dazzling brilliance like the pivot of heaven and earth, with all things bowing in reverence.
'[Sage-King Governance]!'
Lü Yang's innate divine ability was rooted in this profound mystery, manifesting as the [Light of Dominion] that stripped all phenomena bare. With the enhancement of [Emperor of Life Command], its profundity became even more pronounced.
After just four successive applications, Hong Yun had been stripped of two innate divine abilities, all his spiritual treasures, and his vast magic power, leaving him utterly drained. Meanwhile, Lü Yang reached the pinnacle of his strength. With a single thought, another divine ability descended upon Hong Yun.
'[Thunder Draws Back]!'
Empowered by the divine ability, Lü Yang's lips parted—just as Hong Yun had done earlier—and a thunderous roar erupted from his throat. Surging yang flames swept forth like a storm.
Witnessing this, Hong Yun nearly ground his teeth to dust.
That was my divine ability!
Stolen!
Despite his fury, he dared not hesitate for even a moment. With a thought, his physical form exploded, transforming in an instant into a blinding crimson beam of light shooting skyward.
He had self-destructed.
A golden-glowing soul swiftly fled into the [Netherworld]. Unless a mid-stage Golden Core True Lord were present, no one could intercept such speed.
Lü Yang wasn't surprised by this outcome. He simply stood his ground, reinforcing himself with [Rise and Fall Matters] to neutralize the explosion's aftermath.
Strictly speaking, if Lü Yang hadn't used [Tribulation Wave] to elevate his cultivation to the late-stage Foundation Establishment, a battle against Hong Yun at equal levels would still have been winnable—but never this effortlessly. This overwhelming victory was largely due to catching Hong Yun off guard.
'He didn't know I cultivated [Heavenly Fire Above].'
That was why Hong Yun had used Jia Wood divine abilities against him, only to be countered by Lü Yang's Noon Fire [Palace of Returning Origin]. Once forced into a disadvantageous position, Hong Yun could never recover.
Unfortunately, while Lü Yang could win, he couldn't prevent Hong Yun from committing suicide.
Without Ang Xiao's assistance, even if he sent [Puppet on Strings] to follow Hong Yun into the Netherworld, locating his reincarnation would be nearly impossible.
'Still, this counts as a major success. Hong Yun likely won't dare return to this old lair again, cutting off one of his escape routes.'
Lü Yang steadied his mind and looked at his hand.
Under [Sage-King Governance], within the golden light, the divine abilities, magic power, and spiritual treasures stripped from Hong Yun lay in a state of perfect stillness.
As long as he maintained the mystery, these things could not escape.
'However, [Sage-King Governance] has limited capacity for divestment. Once saturated, it becomes unusable. Holding onto these things would only waste my quota.'
'Unless I truly achieve [Heavenly Fire Above], then perhaps there would be no restrictions.'
With this thought, Lü Yang immediately released his hold on Hong Yun's magic power and spiritual treasures, dispersing [Thunder Draws Back] as well, retaining only [Root of All Things].
"Spiritual treasures don't matter. Even if I release the mystery, since Hong Yun has already reincarnated, these treasures are ownerless and will ultimately belong to me. Magic power is even less meaningful. As for [Thunder Draws Back], this Jia Wood divine ability is decent, but since I counter it, it's not a concern either."
The only thing of real value was [Root of All Things].
This was a Chen Earth divine ability—and unlike the Chen Earth divine abilities prevalent today, as Hong Yun's divine ability, this one had not been reversed!
It was still Yang Earth!
'I'll keep it for now. It may prove useful later... The remaining matter is the Dongtian fragment in Jiangnan.'
Lü Yang stored the divine ability and turned his gaze toward the Saint Sect.
He was confident that Uncle Chongguang would not disappoint him. He hadn't forgotten how ruthless Chongguang had been when he blood-sacrificed the entire [Kingdom of Qing] without hesitation.
In fact, Lü Yang had already guessed what Chongguang would do.
After all, he had used the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] to settle accounts with Chongguang. No one in the world understood Chongguang better than he did. A simple mental substitution made the answer clear.
'The opportunity... lies in the mass grave!'
Less than a month later, news arrived.
The Sword Pavilion's True Person Dangmo personally appeared at the mass grave, expelling all Jiangbei cultivators. This caused a massive fluctuation in the prices of sacrificial puppets within the Saint Sect.
Soon, the Saint Sect responded.
Acting Sect Master Chongguang took action himself, and [True Lord Qingcheng Feixue] emerged from seclusion. The momentum was overwhelming, as if they were preparing to reignite the Righteous-Demonic War between north and south.
Yet just as everyone assumed the Saint Sect's goal was to reclaim the mass grave, Chongguang abruptly diverted his course upon entering Jiangnan, heading straight for the [Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree]. In the next moment, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue, who had been gathering strength all this time, struck with overwhelming force—a clear stream of light descended abruptly from the heavens.
No one had anticipated this sudden turn of events.
The mass grave? Jiangbei cultivators? Saint Sect disciples? Chongguang paid them no heed, treating them all as disposable pawns to conceal his true objective!
The Sword Pavilion's True Lords had long prepared for this. Their deployment at the mass grave was intended to monopolize the External Dao Fruition within the [Mystic Spirit Realm].
If True Lord Qingcheng Feixue made a move, they would unite to block her.
Thus, their attention remained fixed on the mass grave—so much so that when Qingcheng Feixue changed course, their response was half a step too slow.
Compounding this, another Saint Sect True Lord, [True Lord Zengcai Qiluo], intervened to obstruct them, successfully creating a brief opening for Qingcheng Feixue.
"Boom!"
The next instant, the crystalline radiance poured into the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree. The vast Ganhai Li Clan didn't even have time to react before being vaporized in the light.
"[World-Cleansing Light]!?"
A Sword Pavilion True Lord's face twisted in shock, for the clear radiance descending at this moment was fundamentally the core imagery of [Stream Under the Ravine]!
[Stream Under the Ravine] favored purity, hence this radiance—true to its name—could cleanse all impurities from the world, turning turbidity into clarity. Of course, what counted as "turbid" or "clear" depended entirely on the fruition holder's perspective. And in True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's eyes, those who opposed her were turbid, while those who aligned with her were clear.
As the light shone forth, all phenomena fell silent.
The first to evaporate within the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree were the people and possessions of the Ganhai Li Clan. In an instant, every building and formation on the ground vanished without a trace.
As if the clan had never existed.
Next came the vast expanse of seawater within the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree. A bustling port transformed in the blink of an eye into a deep pit, revealing the true landscape beneath the water.
Under the radiant illumination, the fragment of [Changyao Radiance Dongtian] could no longer remain hidden and was forced into visibility. Yet how could a mere Dongtian fragment withstand True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's power when even Hong Yun in his prime as a True Lord had been no match for her? In moments, the fragment began crumbling into nothingness.
Such a cataclysmic change naturally alerted [Ang Xiao].
After all, this Dongtian fragment was the trap he had prepared for Hong Yun—only for it to be pulverized under True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's indiscriminate assault.
Ang Xiao: "...Ah?"
What just happened?