Chapter 484 485: Chongguang, Driven to Desperation
Chapter 485: Chongguang's Last Resort
To be honest, Lü Yang wasn't the least bit nervous.
After all, his true body was safely hidden within the Dao Court, perfectly secure. With a celestial fetus avatar acting as buffer, even if True Lord Qingcheng Feixue herself came knocking, he wouldn't bat an eye.
At worst, the avatar would suffer some hardship.
But that's what avatars were for.
Compared to Chongguang's sudden appearance, Lü Yang was far more curious about how Chongguang had managed to locate this particular avatar. His thoughts raced:
'First rule—never trust anything a Saint Sect True Person says.'
Chongguang's claims were just empty words, and anyone gullible enough to believe them wouldn't have even reached Qi Refining perfection in the Saint Sect, let alone Foundation Establishment.
He trusted his own judgment far more:
'A tracking mark on me? Even if it's just an avatar, with my cultivation depth, even Daoist Hong Yun couldn't leave a mark without me noticing.'
'Though Hong Yun must have left some method to sense this avatar's location, then relayed it to Hong Ju through their spiritual connection... But I've already collected his soul into the Myriad Spirits Banner, isolating all karma. No one should be able to sense it. That leaves only—'
After brief consideration, Lü Yang smiled.
He spread his palm, where a radiant divine ability blossomed, instantly manifesting countless scenes—flowers, birds, fish, insects, beasts of all kinds emerging endlessly.
[Root of All Things]!
This divine ability plundered from Hong Yun couldn't freely transfer between Lü Yang's celestial fetus and true body since it was ultimately an external acquisition.
Thus it had remained with the avatar.
"This thing?"
Lü Yang chuckled lightly at Chongguang: "Hong Yun... underestimated him. He didn't tamper with me at all—not even with this divine ability."
That's why he'd detected nothing.
If his deduction was correct, Hong Yun had likely left Hong Ju with a secret method to sense either the [Root of All Things] or Chen Earth's location.
'After all, in this era, only my [Root of All Things] carries the Yang attribute for Chen Earth—as conspicuous as a candle in the darkest night. Back then I used its connection to Hong Yun to locate him, and now he's repaying me in kind!'
Another surprise was Hong Ju.
Based on past lifetimes' experience, Hong Ju could sense when the Golden Nature of Great Fortune changed hands. Given that, Lü Yang had assumed he'd choose to surrender.
After all, Hong Ju's life depended entirely on that golden nature.
So Lü Yang had never worried about Hong Ju, even neglecting him—only to have the problem stem from him after all.
'Loyalty to Hong Yun? Impossible.'
'Saint Sect True Persons follow whoever feeds them—what loyalty? When Hong Yun died in the ninth lifetime, didn't he immediately defect to Uncle Chongguang?'
That left only one answer.
'He received Hong Yun's final spiritual transmission, concluded Hong Yun was doomed and the golden nature would perish, so contacted Chongguang to switch sides?'
Understandable, since the judgment was correct—he'd have burned the golden nature eventually. Last lifetime Hong Ju had surrendered, but after Lü Yang burned it, he'd likely suffered terribly before dying miserably.
This lifetime Hong Ju was clearly smarter.
Ultimately an information gap—Hong Yun had clearly recalled much at the end and transmitted it all to Hong Ju.
With different information came different choices.
In that lightning-fast moment, Lü Yang pieced together how his avatar had been discovered, his expression growing ever more composed:
"Fellow Daoist, bluster only reveals weakness."
Chongguang narrowed his eyes, then shook his head: "Not bluster—just testing your mettle."
Exactly as expected!
Lü Yang sneered inwardly: Old thief Chongguang! Knew you were bluffing—trying to scare my avatar into revealing my secrets?
Then Chongguang continued:
"Though Hong Ju claimed you were [Ang Xiao]'s incarnation, upon reflection I believe it a misunderstanding."
Chongguang had his own judgment.
Hong Yun had grown paranoid at the end, but as an outsider, Chongguang could assess Lü Yang more rationally.
"You were the one who delivered that Dongtian intelligence to me." Chongguang said calmly: "That fragment was bizarre—our sect's records held no trace until Hong Ju mentioned [Ang Xiao]..."
Then everything clicked.
Only then did Chongguang realize [Ang Xiao]'s name had been in those records all along—just overlooked.
True Lord Feixue had nearly gone mad.
Yet this created a paradox—if the fragment related to [Ang Xiao], and Lü Yang delivered it, contradictions arose.
Thus Chongguang concluded:
"You aren't [Ang Xiao]—likely even oppose him, hence your interference."
Lü Yang neither confirmed nor denied, shifting topics: "You came alone—without True Lord Qingcheng Feixue?"
"Unnecessary."
Chongguang shook his head: "This is our understanding—she grants me this chance without interference."
"So?" Lü Yang countered: "What do you want from me?"
"This Chen Earth divine ability."
Chongguang pointed calmly at Lü Yang's [Root of All Things]: "Its Yang-aligned Chen Earth could aid my golden pursuit. Would you assist?"
"From Hong Ju I learned of your ability's wonders—you can plunder divine abilities, thus surely bestow them. If you extract my [Shaded Dragon Water] and grant me this [Root of All Things], perhaps I could eliminate my Dao foundation's flaws."
Chongguang proposed a bold plan.
One even Lü Yang hadn't considered—using [Sage-King Governance] to swap another's divine ability? Possible? Lü Yang rapidly calculated...
'...Feasible!'
His expression flickered: "Swapping abilities... possible. But you'd be exposed to my life essence's corruption."
No trivial matter.
Given [Heavenly Fire Above]'s dominance, helping Chongguang swap abilities would effectively make him Lü Yang's vassal—with power over life and death!
Little different from entering the Myriad Spirits Banner.
Would Chongguang accept?
Under Lü Yang's gaze, Chongguang merely paused before nodding: "I see. Then never mind."
He refused!
Complex emotions stirred in Lü Yang.
He understood now:
Despite Chongguang's intimidating appearance and inexplicable tracking of his avatar, the one truly cornered was Chongguang himself.
'This lifetime lacks the [Heaven of Non-Existence]...'
Without it emerging, Chongguang had no choice but to stubbornly pursue the Overturned Lamp Flame. Were Lü Yang in his place, he'd accept any terms.
Yet Chongguang refused.
Like True Lord Qingcheng Feixue, he had principles—seeking help and making deals, but his final reliance was always himself.
'Of course—submission and dependence were never Uncle's nature...'
Meaning Chongguang would never enter the banner.
The only way was to kill him first—but what use was a dead Chongguang as a banner spirit? Lü Yang had no shortage of those.
At this realization, Lü Yang actually smiled:
'That's the Uncle Chongguang I know!'
As Chongguang turned to leave, Lü Yang spoke: "If you're willing, I have another method."
Plans always changed.
Originally Lü Yang intended to make Chongguang a banner spirit, then grant him the [Seven Luminaries Heaven] fruit position after achieving golden success.
As for [Overturned Lamp Flame]—useful for threatening [Ang Xiao], but sabotaging his path carried excessive risk. Lü Yang remained deeply wary of this Saint Sect Great True Lord.
But now, he reconsidered.
With that thought, Lü Yang condensed his divine sense, forming a radiant contract at his fingertips that drifted toward Chongguang.
Then he chuckled lightly:
"Fellow Daoist, let's undertake something grand."