Chapter 489 490: This Damned Place Is Truly a Land of Talents!
Chapter 490: This Damned Place Is Truly a Land of Talents!
'This [Ang Xiao], I've tried so hard—why won't you just die already?'
Lü Yang sighed, yet he couldn't help but feel admiration.
In this world, no one was ever just an NPC. Everyone was the protagonist of their own story, and different environments and encounters gave rise to infinite variations.
[Ang Xiao] was no exception.
Even with Lü Yang relying on ten lifetimes of accumulated knowledge, nearly exhausting all intelligence on [Ang Xiao], and setting up schemes based on it, [Ang Xiao] still refused to sit idly by and wait for death.
He was also finding ways to break the game!
And Lü Yang had to admit—he had succeeded. [Heaven of Non-Existence] had only just emerged and hadn't yet spread widely. At this point in time, it was impossible to force True Lords into seclusion.
'If only I had another year... No, even half a year would suffice! Half a year would be enough for [Heaven of Non-Existence] to expand. By then, even if [Ang Xiao] still had some trump cards left, I could forcibly drive him into seclusion, rendering all his schemes futile and leaving him with no choice but to obediently let me manipulate him through the [Overturned Lamp Flame].'
Unfortunately, [Ang Xiao] wasn't following his script.
'This damned place is truly a land of talents—no matter how many times I restart, it always manages to surprise me... This time is no exception, stirring up such a grand spectacle.'
After a brief moment of regret, Lü Yang's face showed no trace of dejection. Instead, a smile emerged:
'Plans can't keep up with changes—fine! It's just a matter of adapting on the fly. Let me see what you intend to do and just how far you can go...'
With this thought, Lü Yang continued straining his vision, gazing into the distance.
Overseas, [Ang Xiao] stood with his hands behind his back, hovering in mid-air.
The Pure Land was only the first to react. As he ceased concealing his aura, the second to arrive was True Lord Qingcheng Feixue, whose vast divine sense instantly locked onto him.
"So it really is you!"
The next moment, a graceful figure with long legs stepped forth, shattering the void. Beneath the elegant smile of a classical beauty lay a seething fury.
[Ang Xiao] wasn't surprised by this. He had privately studied this True Lord—the Saint Sect's next pillar after himself—and knew well her vengeful nature. Yet he, too, had his own pride. At this moment, Feixue was still beneath his notice.
"Is this all?"
[Ang Xiao] surveyed his surroundings, his gaze turning toward the Four Seas Sect. He was waiting... If his deduction was correct, that mysterious Foundation Establishment cultivator must be connected to the old Dragon Monarch.
Meanwhile, within the Four Seas Sect.
"What the hell? Why is he looking at me?"
The old Dragon Monarch, having survived for years by instinct alone, curled up defensively upon sensing [Ang Xiao]'s gaze, completely uninterested in the chaos outside.
After all, why should he meddle in human cultivators' fights?
The reason he and the True Dragon Clan had survived until now after the Heavenly Change was precisely because he never stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Meddling in others' affairs was a sure way to get killed.
This reaction also caught [Ang Xiao] off guard. "No? Did I guess wrong?"
For a brief moment, his thoughts raced before quickly settling into calm. Since he had already gone all-in, he would simply meet whatever came his way.
'Forget it. I'll walk my own path.'
With this resolution, [Ang Xiao] hesitated no longer. His original body in the Netherworld slowly raised a hand, pulling the illuminated [Earth in Sand] Fruit Position toward the Netherworld!
Yet the next instant, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue made the first move. Her crimson lips parted as she uttered a Dao-infused shout that instantly reverberated across the four realms:
"[Ang Xiao]!!!"
With this cry, his true name was exposed. The [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction] that had shrouded the world immediately wavered, and many Golden Core True Lords paled in shock.
"Ang Xiao... Right, Ang Xiao!"
"What has he done?"
'This aura—a late-stage Golden Core!?'
"The only one to achieve a Supreme Fruit Position after the Heavenly Change... How could I have forgotten? The Knowledge-Perception Obstruction... Wait, something seems off with Chen Earth..."
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's Great Dao-infused voice proved highly effective, instantly exposing [Ang Xiao] to the scrutiny of True Lords across the world. But by now, [Ang Xiao] no longer cared. From the day he faked his death to infiltrate the Netherworld, he had prepared for the possibility of becoming the enemy of all.
'[World-Reporting External Body]!'
The next moment, [Ang Xiao]'s original body in the Netherworld hurled a puppet into the mortal realm. As soon as the puppet appeared, billowing purple qi erupted from it.
This single surge of purple qi alone surpassed the divine abilities of most True Lords in the world!
"Hiss—"
In Jiangdong, Lü Yang inhaled sharply. 'That purple qi... In the ninth lifetime, when Uncle Chongguang failed to seek gold, [Ang Xiao] appeared with exactly this.'
Back then, he had fought over a dozen Golden Core cultivators single-handedly!
Including powerhouses like True Lord Qingcheng Feixue—and he had actually won. This alone spoke volumes about how terrifying [Ang Xiao]'s true combat prowess was.
Now, purple qi filled the sky as [Ang Xiao] operated on two fronts. On one side, he controlled the [World-Reporting External Body] to directly block Qingcheng Feixue. On the other, he manipulated the [Dragon-Snake Shadow Bodhisattva] to begin guiding the [Earth in Sand]. The Fruit Position visibly descended inch by inch toward the Netherworld...
"Amitabha!"
The Pure Land's Bodhisattvas made their move.
In an instant, several more Fruit Position stars lit up in the heavens.
Lü Yang glanced upward and saw [Willow Wood], [Pine and Cypress Wood], and [Hairpin Gold], which immediately struck him as odd: 'The Pure Land only has three Bodhisattvas?'
Well, four if counting the [Dragon-Snake Shadow Bodhisattva].
'But... Three Fruit Positions—two wood, one metal. That doesn't complete the Three Elements cycle. In other words, the Pure Land actually has no late-stage Golden Core cultivators!'
This was a major revelation.
It also explained why the Pure Land had chosen to act against [Ang Xiao]: If they could obtain [Earth in Sand], they could complete the Three Elements!
This concerned the late-stage Golden Core—a struggle over the Dao's path.
How could they possibly yield?
Yet [Ang Xiao] had schemed for so long regarding [Earth in Sand], treating it as his final trump card. How could he leave any vulnerabilities?
"Boom!"
The next instant, [Ang Xiao]'s hand seals shifted. The [Dragon-Snake Shadow Bodhisattva] under his control immediately summoned its External Dao Fruition.
Under the lure of the External Dao Fruition, [Earth in Sand] instantly shifted from resistance to active cooperation.
In the blink of an eye, [Ang Xiao] was withstanding the fierce assaults of True Lord Qingcheng Feixue and others with one hand while his other hand seized [Earth in Sand].
'Got it!'
The next moment, [Earth in Sand] was pulled into the [Netherworld].
This single change caused [Ang Xiao]'s aura to undergo another qualitative leap—like a puzzle piece slotting into place, making him more complete.
Witnessing this, True Lords across the world stirred once more.
Particularly within the Sword Pavilion, a previously dormant aura revived, as if a pair of sword-like eyes had snapped open, gazing sharply toward [Ang Xiao].
Yet [Ang Xiao] paid it no heed.
"Continue...!"
Meanwhile, seeing that [Ang Xiao]—despite having successfully obtained [Earth in Sand]—still refused to withdraw, Lü Yang instantly grasped his opponent's intentions.
'[Overturned Lamp Flame] has Hong Yun, [Flowing Water] has Suo Huan, [Earth in Sand] has the Pure Land's Bodhisattvas... How could he not have left a contingency for [White Wax Gold]?'
As if responding to Lü Yang's thoughts, [Ang Xiao]'s consciousness descended upon the palm of the [Dragon-Snake Shadow Bodhisattva]. Beneath the layered temple shadows lay a radiant, multicolored stone. Within its golden glow, the faint silhouette of a figure could be seen—an almost perfected immortal spirit!
And the Fruit Position it pointed to was none other than [White Wax Gold]!
Beneath the World-Honored One's seat, countless Arhats and Bodhisattvas had spent days and nights reciting scriptures to purify it, freeing it from Tian Gong's control. It was one of the Pure Land's most treasured possessions.
Yet now, [Ang Xiao] had usurped it, holding it firmly in his grasp.
This was why [Ang Xiao] had insisted on sending a split soul into the Pure Land: Not just for [Earth in Sand], but for [White Wax Gold]!