Chapter 476: The Lack of Water Element
Chapter 476: The Deficiency of Water Element
At this moment, Ang Xiao was somewhat surprised.
Because the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree had long been shrouded by his [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction], hidden away. In theory, no one should have noticed this place.
'This person is actually unaffected by the [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction]?'
This was understandable, after all. His Original Body was in the Netherworld, and casting spells across such a distance wasn't particularly powerful. If someone had firmly convinced themselves that there was something amiss with the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree, it was normal for them to remain unaffected.
The problem was, according to Ang Xiao's perception, the person before him was merely at Foundation Establishment—not even perfected Foundation Establishment at that. This was truly unexpected.
'For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to escape my current [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction], they would need at least one high-grade spiritual treasure specifically designed to purify spiritual awareness and dispel illusions—and of exceptional quality at that. Moreover, their Cultivation Depth couldn't be too low... Interesting. Who is this person? Could they be the Avatar of some True Lord?'
In an instant, Ang Xiao's thoughts raced through countless possibilities.
Meanwhile, Lü Yang swiftly pocketed that small fragment of the Dongtian and, not daring to linger, vanished from the spot with a flicker of movement.
"Hmm?"
Almost simultaneously, a man brimming with sharp aura, also located in the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree, suddenly sensed something and cast his gaze toward the spot where Lü Yang had disappeared.
He nearly captured Lü Yang's qi signature in an instant, but the next moment, that signature dissipated into thin air as if deliberately concealed by someone, making further tracking impossible. Shortly after, an overwhelming force descended from nowhere, revealing a graceful, slender figure.
"Interesting..."
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue surveyed her surroundings with piercing eyes, scanning the vast expanse of the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree before finally recalling what she had forgotten.
She had forgotten Chongguang!
When she had come to the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree earlier, she had arrived alongside Chongguang. Yet after the fierce battle, she had thoroughly enjoyed herself—only to leave Chongguang behind in the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree.
This was clearly abnormal.
And it wasn't just her. Even the True Lords of the Sword Pavilion seemed to have forgotten Chongguang's existence entirely, as if the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree had never warranted a second glance.
'So it's not my problem—the entire Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree has been tampered with. Chongguang was simply caught up in it because he happened to be within its bounds... Such a Divine Ability feels strangely familiar. I feel like I've read about similar techniques in the sect's archives before.'
'But which specific text... I can't recall.'
This was undoubtedly problematic. Especially since someone of her Cultivation Depth could still be affected, suggesting that the person behind this might be even stronger than her.
'Hong Yun... Impossible.'
'Then who else could it be?'
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue wanted to investigate further, but as she returned to Jiangnan, the Sword Pavilion's qi signatures resonated once more, forcing her to depart without delay.
"...Let's go."
With those words, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue immediately scooped up Chongguang and vanished from the spot. Though she had gained much from this battle, she had also suffered significant injuries and needed to recuperate. As for the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree—since it remained within Jiangnan's borders, she might as well leave it for the Sword Pavilion to deal with.
Meanwhile, in a secluded mountain forest...
Lü Yang descended leisurely into the woods with his hands clasped behind his back. After carving out a temporary cave dwelling, he retrieved the Dongtian fragment inside.
"Thank you for your assistance, Senior."
Lü Yang cupped his hands respectfully, a sincere smile on his face. Had Ang Xiao not concealed his presence with [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction], Chongguang would have already found him.
In the next moment, a faint glow emerged from the Dongtian fragment, and a figure shrouded in mist—indistinguishable in gender or age—materialized from the light. Though their qi signature was exceedingly weak, their every movement carried an effortless mastery over the workings of fate.
"Fellow Daoist... You have quite the nerve."
Ang Xiao studied Lü Yang, his emotions perfectly concealed behind a light chuckle. "How could you be so certain I would help conceal your qi signature?"
This was merely one of Ang Xiao's questions.
Another remained unspoken: How could Lü Yang be sure that the Dongtian fragment he inhabited hadn't been completely destroyed in the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree?
Had Lü Yang failed to find him or had he refused to assist, Lü Yang would have been exposed to Chongguang immediately. Though the outcome was favorable, the process had been a gamble—one that intrigued Ang Xiao greatly. It was as if Lü Yang knew him exceptionally well?
In response to Ang Xiao's inquiry, Lü Yang merely smiled faintly.
"I had faith in you, Senior."
He refused to believe that someone of Ang Xiao's caliber would allow his Dongtian to be destroyed so easily by True Lord Qingcheng Feixue. That was why he dared to take the risk and search the Dao of the Sweet Pear Tree.
Similarly, he trusted Ang Xiao to recognize the situation.
After all, if Ang Xiao didn't help him, Lü Yang would lose nothing more than an Avatar. Ang Xiao, however, would inevitably be exposed, losing even this last fragment of his Dongtian.
Assisting Lü Yang was the only way to preserve it.
Thus, Ang Xiao had no choice but to intervene.
'It's not like this is the first time I've coerced him—of course I understand him well. This is an old-school True Lord of the Saint Sect, the purest kind of profit-seeker!'
With that thought, Lü Yang wasted no time and promptly produced a radiant Divine Ability. The moment Ang Xiao laid eyes on it, a flicker of astonishment surfaced in his gaze—for within that Divine Ability flowed a qi signature that should have long vanished from this world!
This was none other than the [Root of All Things] Lü Yang had seized from Hong Yun.
Yang-Attributed Chen Earth!
Yet ever since Chen Earth's Yin-Yang attributes had been reversed, the world should have been left with only Yin-Attributed Chen Earth. Where had this Yang-Attributed Chen Earth come from?
"...Hong Yun?"
Ang Xiao's thoughts raced as he deduced the origin of Lü Yang's Divine Ability. Simultaneously, his piercing insight allowed him to discern Lü Yang's Dao foundation and background.
"[Heavenly Fire Above]?"
Now, Ang Xiao was genuinely taken aback.
That the [Heavenly Fire Above] Fruit Position remained unclaimed was indisputable. In fact, throughout history, no one had ever successfully Achieved [Heavenly Fire Above].
The conditions were simply too stringent—even more so than his own [Great Forest Wood].
The cultivation methods under its domain were absurdly rare, and the path forward was severed. The effort required to cultivate it far outweighed the gains, leading to its gradual extinction over time.
With this in mind, Ang Xiao swiftly reached a conclusion.
'This person is no True Lord.'
'A Foundation Establishment cultivator... But his resources are substantial, and his background isn't small. Otherwise, he wouldn't possess a third-grade true technique pointing toward [Heavenly Fire Above], let alone have cultivated it successfully.'
Among the Five Supreme Fruit Positions, only [Heavenly River Water] was in poor condition.
Because the Water Element belonged to the True Dragon Clan of old, it was the only one among the Five Elements whose Supreme Fruit Position had been altered. After the Heavenly Cataclysm, it suffered immense damage.
Lü Yang was well aware of this, having gleaned it from Tian Qiu's memories. After all, if the Imagery of [Heavenly River Water] hadn't been deficient—affecting all cultivators under its domain—Tian Qiu, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator of a Supreme Fruit Position with perfected Divine Abilities, wouldn't have been so weak in combat.
"Young friend, your courage is commendable."
Having ascertained Lü Yang's true cultivation level, Ang Xiao promptly shifted his tone, addressing him as "young friend" instead of "fellow Daoist" while scrutinizing him closely:
"Though I wonder—how did you recognize me?"
His [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction] had deceived the entire world, True Lords included. Yet a mere Foundation Establishment True Person seemed to know a great deal about him?
The secrets behind this intrigued him deeply.
"You flatter me, Senior."
Lü Yang chuckled lightly and replied calmly, "This junior recognized you only because of my family elders—not through any ability of my own."
Family elders?
Several names flashed through Ang Xiao's mind. As a veteran True Lord of the Saint Sect, his existence spanned tens of thousands of years!
When he had struck down Hong Yun five thousand years ago, he had already been in feigned death for a long time.
Few in the current era had lived longer than him.
And even fewer had seen him in person and understood his prowess—after all, those lacking sufficient cultivation didn't even qualify to remember him. Eliminating the possibilities one by one...
"...The old Dragon Monarch?"
After a brief silence, Ang Xiao suddenly uttered a name.
'As expected of you!'
Lü Yang inwardly praised. This was the advantage of speaking with intelligent people—a mere hint was enough for them to deduce the answer you wanted them to reach!