Chapter 494: Exterminating Pests and Shooting the Sun—Now Is the Time!

"Many thanks, Senior!"

Facing Ang Xiao's gaze, Lü Yang showed no trace of concern. With a grand gesture, he collected the split divine sense Ang Xiao had offered. Such composed actions made Ang Xiao raise an eyebrow in surprise.

'He's not afraid?'

After all, he wasn't bluffing—the Wu Earth cultivation knowledge he'd given genuinely contained a trap! Moreover, without True Lord cultivation, it would be impossible to detect any anomalies. This itself was a test.

Lü Yang's calm demeanor suggested one of two possibilities: either his request for Wu Earth cultivation knowledge was merely a pretense to deceive him, or he had a True Lord backing him.

As these thoughts flashed through Ang Xiao's mind, he turned his attention to the jade slip Lü Yang had handed him. A sweep of his divine sense revealed the so-called intelligence about [Flowing Water]: within the Saint Sect's Refinement Secret Realm, there existed a Foundation Establishment Perfection soul that had cultivated [Flowing Water]?

'This could indeed be useful to me.'

After Suo Huan's connection was severed, he had lost the ability to draw upon [Flowing Water].

But a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator who had mastered [Flowing Water]—even if only a soul—could be assisted in reconstructing a physical body, after which he could attempt another breakthrough to Golden Core.

The problem was: it was too coincidental.

At this moment, instead of feeling joy, Ang Xiao grew increasingly wary. He refused to believe Lü Yang had provided this intelligence out of goodwill.

'A trap! It must be a trap!'

Ang Xiao's mind churned with suspicion: 'A Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator who has mastered [Flowing Water] fits my needs so perfectly—could someone be baiting me?'

"Boom!"

A loud explosion echoed as Lü Yang resealed the fragment of the Dongtian, cutting off further communication with Ang Xiao. Let him stew in his paranoia.

As for the intelligence Lü Yang had given Ang Xiao, it referred precisely to the Innate True Person Mu Changsheng.

This wasn't entirely deceitful—after all, Mu Changsheng had been thrown into the Refinement Secret Realm by the Saint Sect's Founding Ancestor and hadn't yet been cleansed of his divine abilities by the Netherworld.

If Ang Xiao could truly obtain Mu Changsheng, he might indeed have a chance to draw upon [Flowing Water].

However, doing so might attract the attention of the Saint Sect's Founding Ancestor... Of course, Lü Yang couldn't care less—he'd be delighted if they ended up fighting.

Thinking this, he rubbed his temples, feeling somewhat fatigued:

'Dealing with Ang Xiao requires eight hundred layers of cunning—not a single word of truth, every sentence a probe, every opportunity a hook.'

Had he not been experienced, that old beast might have swindled him out of everything he owned.

The next moment, Lü Yang retrieved the Wu Earth cultivation knowledge Ang Xiao had given him. At first glance, the knowledge seemed reasonable, but it undoubtedly concealed lethal traps.

Fortunately, he already had a countermeasure.

Jiangdong Dao Court.

Lü Yang's main consciousness returned, and he shook the Myriad Spirits Banner, retrieving the [Sea Commanding Conch] previously gifted to him by the Dragon Lord. Then, he softly called out:

"Grandfather..."

After a moment, the [Sea Commanding Conch] trembled slightly.

A divine thought emerged from it—none other than the old Dragon Monarch. His majestic voice boomed: "What is it? Du Huan... Why have you summoned me?"

"Reporting to Grandfather!"

Lü Yang immediately presented the Wu Earth cultivation knowledge, speaking urgently: "That mysterious figure who previously shared the Incense Qi Divine Path and the realm coordinates with me has appeared again!"

"This time, he gave me this."

"Although I'm on the verge of a breakthrough and truly need this cultivation knowledge, I fear there may be hidden dangers. That's why I sought your judgment, Grandfather."

"...Oh?"

The old Dragon Monarch raised an eyebrow and examined the cultivation knowledge Lü Yang had transcribed with his divine sense. Immediately, he detected a familiar, formidable power within it.

'This is... [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction]!?'

The old Dragon Monarch froze. The first thought that flashed through his mind was Ang Xiao's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inexplicable glance in his direction upon emerging earlier.

At the time, he had wondered why Ang Xiao would look at him.

Now, he understood.

'So Ang Xiao is the mysterious backer supporting our True Dragon Clan! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If that's the case, his glance at me makes perfect sense!'

With this realization, he glanced again at Du Huan.

'No wonder this grandson's growth has been so rapid, exceeding even the limits I set—reaching mid-Foundation Establishment in such a short time...'

The cultivation conditions for the 《Heavenly Speech Kunye Dragon Scripture》 were exceedingly stringent.

Only a half-human, half-dragon hybrid could cultivate it to Great Perfection. Pure humans or pure dragons could reach, at most, Foundation Establishment—progressing further became increasingly difficult.

Thus, from the very beginning, the old Dragon Monarch had never placed high hopes on the dragons sent to Jiangdong. In his view, their sole purpose was to reproduce prolifically until a perfect half-human, half-dragon bloodline emerged. Then, he would have his own child, Bai Chi, reincarnate into that lineage to restart cultivation.

Yet Lü Yang had completely defied his expectations.

Despite being a pure-blooded True Dragon, his cultivation speed with the 《Heavenly Speech Kunye Dragon Scripture》 was astonishingly fast, encountering no bottlenecks whatsoever—enough to make even the old Dragon Monarch suspicious.

But now, everything made sense.

'With Ang Xiao backing him, it's no longer surprising.'

'After all, Ang Xiao is a late-stage Golden Core Great True Lord, possessing a Supreme Fruit Position. A mere restriction like the half-human, half-dragon condition would mean nothing to him.'

For the first time in a while, the old Dragon Monarch felt genuinely pleased.

He didn't care about Lü Yang's secrets. In his eyes, Lü Yang was a True Dragon—no matter how many secrets he had, they could only benefit the True Dragon Clan.

'In fact, compared to Tian Qiu, Du Huan seems far more promising. The [Heavenly River Water] imagery is severely damaged—though it's a Supreme Fruit Position, achieving it would be extremely difficult, and many factions are eyeing it covetously. If Tian Qiu ever attempts Golden Core formation, he'll likely meet the same fate as Bai Chi.'

'In contrast, Du Huan's future is undoubtedly brighter.'

'After all, he's in Jiangdong, deeply trusted by Emperor Jiayou. Given time, he might truly help the True Dragon Clan establish a foothold in Jiangdong.'

The more the old Dragon Monarch thought about it, the more favorably he viewed Lü Yang.

With this in mind, he promptly purged the [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction] from the Wu Earth cultivation knowledge and returned it to Lü Yang: "Du Huan, do you still lack spiritual materials or treasures?"

'Hmm?'

Hearing this, Lü Yang immediately grasped the old Dragon Monarch's intent: 'He sees me as a rising star and plans to increase his investment in me?'

The next moment, Lü Yang sighed dramatically:

"Reporting to Grandfather, I do!"

"Not only am I short on spiritual materials and treasures, but I also lack cultivation methods... Grandfather, you have no idea how treacherous the Dao Court is—everything from connections to networking requires money!"

The old Dragon Monarch waved his hand dismissively: "Don't worry, money is no issue!"

The Dragon Palace has mountains of gold and silver—an inexhaustible supply!

Soon after, Lü Yang cheerfully accepted the vast quantity of spiritual materials transmitted by the old Dragon Monarch—enough to pay the Imperial City Bureau's salaries for years to come.

Then, he bid the old Dragon Monarch farewell.

Inside the quiet chamber, Lü Yang decisively activated the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes] empowerment bestowed upon him by Emperor Jiayou and began assimilating the Wu Earth-related cultivation knowledge.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Lü Yang expanded the Imperial City Bureau's influence. With Emperor Jiayou's tacit approval, he nearly monopolized defense operations both inside and outside Tianwu City.

Even the [One Heart Society] grew significantly.

By the end, not only monstrous cultivators but also a considerable number of human cultivators—mostly low-ranking officials—had joined the [One Heart Society].

Finally, one morning...

Inside the Imperial City Bureau's official residence, Lü Yang sat cross-legged in meditation. As he exhaled slowly, a faint glow ignited between his brows.

It was sunrise.

Suddenly, Lü Yang raised his head, his spirit synchronizing with the sun rising on the horizon. Then, he retrieved two items from his storage pouch:

[Wu Earth] and [Wei Earth].

Over the past six months, he had conducted multiple corruption investigations while secretly embezzling [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes] empowerment privileges. Today, his cultivation had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finally reached perfection!

In the next instant, the two Heavenly Gang and Earth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Fiend essences fell into his palm.

He grasped them and refined them instantly!

Without the slightest delay, rays of divine ability light manifested behind Lü Yang's head, interweaving to form a golden halo as radiant as the sun.

[Emperor of Life Command], [Palace of Returning Origin].

[Heaven and Earth United], [Coiled Dragon Root]!

Wu Earth, Noon Fire, Wei Earth—the four Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend essences transformed into divine abilities, unfolding into a magnificent scroll behind Lü Yang:

[Chongli Imperial Decree Mountain-Sea Painting]!

All divine abilities complete—Foundation Establishment Perfection!

In the next moment, the boundless brilliance of divine abilities vanished as if it had never existed. Lü Yang rose slowly, his eyes no longer able to conceal his ambition:

'Emperor Jiayou is no longer of use to me.'

'Half a year has passed, and [Heaven of Non-Existence] has expanded sufficiently... Now is the perfect opportunity for the Founding Ancestor to Achieve [Heaven of Non-Existence] and drag all True Lords under its influence!'

'The time has come.'

Exterminating pests and shooting the sun—now is the time!