Chapter 486 487: Ang Xiao's Unease
Chapter 487: Ang Xiao's Unease
Three days later, Jiangdong, Tianwu City.
Lü Yang withdrew his consciousness, having unexpectedly formed an alliance with Chongguang. He was quite pleased with himself. However, on the other side, Emperor Jiayou was in a foul mood.
'Where did he go?'
Inside the Tianwu Hall, Emperor Jiayou gazed toward the north of the river, his fingers twitching as he calculated. Yet, the once-mighty momentum of seeking the Golden Core had dissipated like a paper tiger—punctured with a single poke.
It had lasted only three days before vanishing.
Chongguang had not sought the Golden Core, nor had the Saint Sect reacted, as if nothing had happened at all. It left Emperor Jiayou feeling as though he had punched empty air.
So, they just gave up?
"Unreasonable... Truly a demon!"
After all, to suppress the other party's pursuit of the Golden Core, he had even bestowed the prestigious position of Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief. Now that they weren't seeking it, hadn't he given it away for nothing?
Emperor Jiayou briefly considered summoning Lü Yang back to reclaim the title of [Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief]. But words once spoken were like water spilled—impossible to take back. Moreover, an emperor's word was unbreakable. How could he simply revoke what he had granted? Thus, Emperor Jiayou could only silently curse his misfortune, swallowing this bitter pill.
Yet, at that very moment, Lü Yang entered the palace.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
The moment he stepped inside, Lü Yang wasted no time manifesting the insignia of [Commander-in-Chief of the Nine Gates Infantry and Five Patrol Battalions], declaring loudly, "I request to relinquish this position!"
"...Oh?" Emperor Jiayou raised an eyebrow.
"What? Does Aiqing dislike this official post, finding it beneath you?"
"Your servant trembles in fear!"
Lü Yang bowed his head. "Your Majesty granted me this position to confront enemies north of the river. Yet now, with no unrest in the north and no merit earned, how dare I presume to retain it?"
"I beg Your Majesty not to humiliate me further."
Silence lingered for a moment after Lü Yang's words before Emperor Jiayou burst into laughter. "Good, good, good! Aiqing is indeed a loyal subject of our Dao Court!"
Praise aside, Lü Yang had offered a way out, and Emperor Jiayou naturally seized the opportunity. With a flick of his finger, the insignia of Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief above Lü Yang's head vanished instantly. His cultivation aura plummeted from perfected Foundation Establishment back to mid-stage Foundation Establishment perfection. His posture even hunched slightly, as if weighed down.
Seeing him like this, Emperor Jiayou felt a twinge of pity.
Though Lü Yang had acted wisely, the emperor couldn't deny that his own actions had been somewhat unseemly. Yet, for him, official positions were not to be granted lightly—they were tied to the very foundation of the Dao Court.
From first-rank to ninth-rank, the myriad official positions were all derived from the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes], extracted and evolved from the four Fruit Positions.
The higher the rank, the more Fruit Position power it contained.
The more positions granted, the more Fruit Position power was siphoned away.
At first glance, this seemed detrimental to the Fruit Positions and the True Lords above them. Yet, within the Jiangdong Dao Court, it carried another symbolic meaning—that of "name and authority."
The more positions derived from one's own Fruit Position occupied within the court, the deeper one's control over the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes], the very foundation of the Dao Court.
How had the previous Grand Preceptor of the Dao Court reached mid-stage Golden Core?
Precisely because he held overwhelming power, with officials rallying behind him, allowing him to achieve an Unfalling Cave Heaven under the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes]'s blessing, gaining mid-stage might.
Emperor Jiayou was no different.
His own mid-stage Golden Core was attained by overthrowing the previous Grand Preceptor and ruling Jiangdong alone for centuries.
However, for Emperor Jiayou—now at mid-stage Golden Core and preparing to advance further—the situation had reversed. He needed to conserve as much Fruit Position power as possible.
Thus, the fewer positions granted, the better.
This was also why he had relinquished control of the [Capital Heavenly Bureau], leaving its appointments to the Three Dukes.
Against this backdrop, the Imperial City Bureau—a department that required no expenditure of his Fruit Position power and relied entirely on incense offerings—naturally became a favorite of the emperor.
"Very well, rise."
Emperor Jiayou gestured with his right hand, smiling. "Aiqing's loyalty is evident. A loyal subject must be rewarded—I shall grant you an additional yuan of salary."
"Furthermore, though Aiqing has returned the position of [Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief], the Imperial City Bureau has already taken over the defense of the nine gates. There is no need to withdraw now. You may retain the responsibilities temporarily. Once you distinguish yourself with merit, the position will be yours again."
The unspoken message was clear: Do well.
Though the title of [Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief] had been taken back, the duties remained. Prove yourself, and the position would be restored.
"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"
Lü Yang immediately feigned excitement and fervor, his previously hunched posture straightening as if reinvigorated.
Emperor Jiayou nodded in satisfaction.
"Dismissed."
Bowing deeply, Lü Yang retreated step by step from the [Tianwu Hall]. Only after returning to his quiet chamber in the Imperial City Bureau did he finally exhale in relief.
"Whew..."
He harbored no regrets about relinquishing the first-rank position. Over the past three days, he had exhausted the three instances of [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes] empowerment he had secretly hoarded, thoroughly absorbing the [Unearthly Earth] cultivation depth contained within the position. With this gain, he had already profited.
As for the Golden Essence condensed by the official position?
Lü Yang cared little. Compared to the Golden Essence derived from titles, he believed steady cultivation progress and self-refined Golden Essence were far more reliable.
'The time has come.'
With a thought, Lü Yang manipulated Yu Suzhen—still north of the river—through [Puppet on Strings], compelling her to leave the Saint Sect and journey overseas.
With his immortal fetus clone secretly protecting her, she would safely reach the Biyang Cultivation World.
'[Heaven of Non-Existence], it's time to open!'
Now, he lacked only the final [Self Earth] cultivation depth. Once obtained, he could immediately refine the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, achieving perfected Foundation Establishment.
At that point, Emperor Jiayou would be of no further use.
'Perhaps I should find someone to assassinate him... Fortunately, I already have a candidate. Ang Xiao is the perfect choice.'
With another thought, Lü Yang turned his attention to the remnant of a cave heaven within the Myriad Spirits Banner, where Ang Xiao's divine sense resided.
In his previous life, the Dao Court had stabilized swiftly after the emperor and the Three Dukes retreated into seclusion—likely due to Emperor Jiayou's arrangements beforehand.
But Lü Yang wanted a Dao Court without leadership.
This time, he wouldn't give Emperor Jiayou the chance to make preparations. To achieve this, Ang Xiao's [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction] was undoubtedly the best tool.
[Netherworld], an indescribable place.
Ang Xiao, who had been meditating in seclusion, suddenly opened his eyes. He surveyed his surroundings, brows furrowed tightly. "Karma fluctuations... Is someone plotting against me?"
"That mysterious Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
The thought left him somewhat helpless. For some reason, the connection between him and the strand of divine sense he had left in the mortal world had been completely severed.
Whoever had done this must possess a supreme sealing treasure capable of isolating karma—and was extremely wary of him. It frustrated Ang Xiao endlessly. Had he not been certain he'd never met that Foundation Establishment cultivator before, he might have suspected they'd clashed many times.
Why such caution?
Do I not look trustworthy?
"...No, I can't just wait for death."
Ang Xiao smoothed his expression and quickly made a decision. "Perhaps it's time to activate that contingency plan... Retrieve the Dao Calamity of Mu Changsheng."
The Innate True Person Mu Changsheng had perished while seeking the [Flowing Water] Fruit Position, leaving behind only a Dao Calamity. Ang Xiao had long coveted it and even tampered with the legacy Mu left behind, embedding a hidden mechanism within the 《Innate Dao Book》. In critical moments, it could influence those who cultivated this art.
With this thought, Ang Xiao immediately acted.
Yet, as he reached out to sense the cultivators of the 《Innate Dao Book》, what greeted him was a vast expanse of [Flowing Water] imagery and a resounding proclamation:
"When false is taken as true, true becomes false;
Where nothingness is claimed as existence, existence turns to nothingness."
"Mu Changsheng leaves [Heaven of Non-Existence] here for posterity."
The next moment, an overwhelming surge of Fruit Position power erupted, instantly scattering Ang Xiao's perception and plunging his mood into the darkest abyss.
A sense of unease welled up within him.
Hong Yun's cave heaven fragment was gone. The Innate True Person's Dao Calamity was gone. His divine sense had been sealed, and his identity was likely exposed.
'This isn't right!'
'Every move I've made recently, every hidden piece I've planted—they've all been uprooted. Someone is orchestrating this behind the scenes, plotting against me!'