Chapter 492
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: N/A
Chapter Title: Aoxiao's Lightning Triumph
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The tide of events shifted with such blinding speed.
Forget Foundation Establishment True Persons—even Golden Core True Lords felt a touch of bewilderment right now. After all, the four realms of the world had been a stagnant pond, still and serene for many years.
Then [Soaring Empyrean] burst onto the scene.
Without the slightest warning, he unveiled a grand stroke upon arrival, churning that stagnant pond into towering waves in an instant. He didn't even leave the True Lords time to think.
'But... this is probably exactly what he wanted!'
In Jiangdong, Lu Yang offered a heartfelt sigh of admiration deep in his mind.
'Think back to the ninth reincarnation—when Chongguang sought gold, what a massive spectacle that was? Yet it ended in unexpected failure, planting seeds of doubt and speculation among every clan's True Lords.'
'As a result, the moment [Soaring Empyrean] made his move, over a dozen True Lords swarmed to besiege him. What happened later with Suo Huan's bid for gold goes without saying—[Soaring Empyrean] became the common enemy of all. That was the price of exposing his hand and then getting stalled for time. But this reincarnation is different.'
[Soaring Empyrean] waged a war of lightning speed!
He lay dormant until he struck—and when he did, he offered no chance for reaction. He ballooned the chaos, sowing doubt among the True Lords, creating his opening to fish in muddy waters.
And sure enough, that's precisely what happened. He made off with [Sand-in-Soil].
His next target was unmistakably [White Wax Gold]!
'Hm? Wait, hold on.'
The next instant, Lu Yang's brows furrowed as he spotted the anomaly. Having once been an immortal spirit himself, no one knew their growth better than he did.
'That [White Wax Gold] immortal spirit... isn't fully formed!'
All four innate divine abilities were present, but the crucial natal divine ability hadn't yet coalesced. It lacked that final step, so it couldn't emerge.
'Of course—that makes sense. After all, in the previous life, [Soaring Empyrean] sought out Sword Pavilion's Che Xie True Person and even tried using him to draw forth [White Wax Gold]. If the immortal spirit had already been complete and viable, why bother wasting time on Che Xie True Person?'
What Lu Yang could discern, the various True Lords could see as well.
"Amitabha!"
From within the Pure Land, another Bodhisattva stepped forth—this one a woman as well, her beauty surpassing even [Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva], every glance brimming with seductive charm.
She was [Treasure Lotus Hidden Subduing Bodhisattva].
A mid-Golden Core cultivator, the true power behind the Pure Land. Gazing toward [Soaring Empyrean], she spoke in honeyed tones.
"Benefactor, the sea of suffering knows no bounds—turn back, and the shore is at hand."
"This immortal spirit remains incomplete. You cannot use it to summon the fruit position."
The True Lords present could all tell what [Soaring Empyrean] intended. Drawing a fruit position into the underworld—whatever the motive, it spelled trouble without question.
No one wanted him to succeed.
Seeing the immortal spirit unfinished, many True Lords watching from the shadows breathed secret sighs of relief, convinced [Soaring Empyrean]'s run had ended.
But Lu Yang saw it differently.
The same conviction held: he trusted [Soaring Empyrean].
'As a Saint Sect True Lord, if there were truly no hope, he'd have fled long ago. Since he's still standing firm, he must have a contingency.'
And—as expected—not a moment later.
"Hahaha!"
[Soaring Empyrean] threw his head back in booming laughter, casting a scornful glance at [Treasure Lotus Hidden Subduing Bodhisattva].
"Frogs in a well—how could you glimpse the wonders of the world?"
"Just watch!"
With those words, he pinched a spell gesture. The [Sand-in-Soil] he'd only just dragged into the underworld surged under his command.
But not to strike at foes.
Instead, its vast, surging power landed squarely on the immortal spirit—fusing wholly into it!
The sight left every True Lord stunned.
No one grasped [Soaring Empyrean]'s intent—save Clear Clarity Flying Snow True Lord, who furrowed her brow in pensive thought, as if on the verge of understanding.
Then—
"Clang! Clang!"
A crisp peal of clashing metal shattered the hush. The immortal spirit in [Soaring Empyrean]'s grasp snapped open its eyes, five divine abilities blooming from its crown.
In that instant, a dozen stunned gazes locked on.
"...It's complete???"
"Impossible!"
"[Sand-in-Soil] holds no aspect of nurturing growth—how could it catalyze an immortal spirit's maturation? And the effect is far too potent..."
Only [Soaring Empyrean] met the sight with a cold chuckle.
"Mediocrities—dare speak to me of cultivation?"
The reason [Sand-in-Soil] catalyzed the immortal spirit lay not in itself, but in the fruit position it represented: [White Wax Gold]!
White wax gold: a shard of jade from Kunlun, basking in sun and moon, gathering yin and yang qi. Lustrous and pure in form, the true hue of metal. It fares well only with soil for grinding and polishing to shape it into vessels—auspicious then. Other soils serve no purpose.
That was [White Wax Gold]'s essence.
In essence, [White Wax Gold] bonded with but one soil.
Which one remained elusive, denoted only as "grinding soil."
But what was "grinding soil"?
Its profundity demanded profound insight to unravel. Fortunately, [Soaring Empyrean] had delved into it for countless years and knew full well: 'Grinding soil is none other than [Sand-in-Soil]!'
Only [Sand-in-Soil] could temper [White Wax Gold] into form!
At surface, [White Wax Gold] and [Sand-in-Soil] seemed unrelated—yet they meshed perfectly. [Sand-in-Soil]'s power could stimulate [White Wax Gold] to a degree. Applied to its immortal spirit, it accelerated maturation, hastening full emergence!
At the thought, [Soaring Empyrean] felt a pang of regret.
Had all gone smoothly per his design:
First [Covered Lamp Fire], then [Everflowing Stream], finally [Sand-in-Soil] and [White Wax Gold]. He could have broken through to Golden Core perfection in the underworld.
Nascent Soul within reach!
But now [Covered Lamp Fire] and [Everflowing Stream] had slipped away, with what seemed a hidden hand plotting against him—forcing an early strike.
"Boom!"
The next instant, as the immortal spirit emerged and the [White Wax Gold] fruit position materialized, [Soaring Empyrean] repeated his ploy, yanking it toward the underworld.
At last, other True Lords could hold back no longer.
From [Soaring Empyrean]'s debut to this point, less than the time for one incense stick had passed. For True Lords, weighing gains against risks took mere heartbeats.
Yet they were still too late.
Stars ignited one by one across the firmament, True Lords converging to halt him. [Soaring Empyrean] merely smiled coolly.
Then his spell gesture shifted abruptly.
"Bang!"
He detonated!
Without hesitation, [Soaring Empyrean] obliterated his [World-Proclaiming Dharma Body]. The blast severed heaven and earth, barring every arriving True Lord.
Seizing the moment, [Soaring Empyrean] clutched [White Wax Gold].
"Clang! Clang!"
A sword keen rang out!
Deep in Jiangnan's Sword Pavilion, as [Soaring Empyrean] seized [White Wax Gold], a sword light at last shed restraint and slashed forth unabashed!
This blade had once felled Clear Clarity Flying Snow True Lord, inflicting wounds that lingered through reincarnation. Now unleashed anew, its might swelled greater still. Even as the cry echoed, the light pierced [Soaring Empyrean]'s core—to sever the hand gripping [White Wax Gold].
Yet [Soaring Empyrean] remained utterly composed, laughing instead.
"I've been waiting for you!"
Before the words faded, his other hand intercepted the sword light. One finger extended, tip brushing the peerless gleam.
The contact birthed a gray, hazy fog.
The mist engulfed the sword light, swallowing it whole, concealing it utterly. When it cleared, no trace remained—as if it had never been.
'[Knowledge-View Obstruction]!'
In that instant, every True Lord who had witnessed that sword light—Foundation Establishment cultivators too—even [Rigid Form Preaching Dao True Lord], its very wielder.
All lost every memory of it.
Its shape? Its hue? Its power? Its nature? Every recollection veiled, leaving nothing but void.
With no one to remember, no witnesses left, the sword light itself vanished from the world.
Silence blanketed all.
The Sword Pavilion, moments after unleashing that world-shaking strike, fell utterly still, as if lifeless. [Rigid Form Preaching Dao True Lord]'s presence winked out entirely.
"...Utter trash."
[Soaring Empyrean] sneered, withdrawing the hand holding [White Wax Gold]. The second fruit position entered the underworld, now his to command!
In Jiangdong, Lu Yang closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh within.
'Number one True Lord under heaven.'
No other words sufficed.
One man against the realm's True Lords—including peerless prodigies—yet [Soaring Empyrean] eclipsed them all. Like the sun drowning the moon, scattering the stars!
The next instant, Lu Yang's eyes snapped open, blazing with fierce ambition and fire.
'...I shall be the same!'