Chapter 499
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Citywide Lockdown
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Pass my order: place the entire city under martial law!"
With Lu Yang's command, the Imperial City Division sprang into action at once. Soon, cultivators of the Incense Fire Divine Path were riding beams of escape light, sealing off Tianwu City from within and without.
This wasn't him acting on a whim.
It was a direct decree from Emperor Jiayou via the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Statute]. It seemed the emperor still held him in high regard, but Lu Yang caught the whiff of crisis.
‘The Imperial City Division's been around less than half a year, originally just handling security inside Tianwu City—at most raiding a corrupt official's mansion now and then. Now they're suddenly ordering a full-city lockdown. It looks impressive, but it's really just scattering our limited forces into loose grains of sand.’
This was to break up the Incense Fire cultivators in the Imperial City Division, making them easier to suppress.
‘If I head into the palace now, Emperor Jiayou will strip my rank on the spot, and with it, the whole Imperial City Division and Incense Fire Divine Path will get reorganized.’
It wasn't hard to see why.
As long as Emperor Jiayou was around, his mid-Golden Core cultivation could crush any unrest. No matter how strong the Imperial City Division grew, it'd be nothing more than a moon in the water or flowers in a mirror.
But once Emperor Jiayou—and even all three dukes—vanished into seclusion, the Imperial City Division, with its ability to mass-produce peak Foundation Establishment cultivators via Incense Fire Divine Power under True Dragon control, would become a spark for chaos. It might not topple the Dao Court outright, but it'd fan the flames of disorder across Jiangdong. That couldn't be allowed.
Still, Lu Yang stayed calm.
En route to Tianwu Hall, he'd already slipped a wisp of divine sense carrying the remnant shard of Hongyun's cave heaven to an accompanying official.
The man had long been under his secret control via [Puppet Strings].
Chen Yuanli hailed from the Capital Heaven Division, a fellow disciple under Grand Tutor Ning Hao—one of the three dukes—with mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation.
‘It's yours now.’
In the next instant, Lu Yang activated [Puppet Strings]. Through his puppet Chen Yuanli, he unsealed the cave heaven shard and linked up with Angxiao's divine sense.
Angxiao's response came quickly:
"Fellow Daoist... clever moves!"
The birth of [Wuyou Heaven] had clearly shaken even Angxiao in the underworld, filling him with an indescribable chill that cut to the bone.
He had just one thought right then: ‘Good thing I moved fast!’
With [Wuyou Heaven] whisking away the realm's True Lords, plus Lu Yang's sham grasp on [Covered Lamp Fire], if he hadn't preemptively snatched [Earth in Sand] and [White Wax Gold]—securing the Chen Soil reversal to hold his late-stage realm—he'd be helpless meat on the block by now!
What a horrifying plot!
That realization spiked Angxiao's dread of Lu Yang to its height, deepening his suspicion: Could this guy really be the World Venerable?
It fit too well!
Meanwhile, Lu Yang had no time for Angxiao's inner turmoil. He cut straight to it:
"Senior, remember our deal? Your turn."
His tone urgent, Lu Yang laid out his demand: "Right now, Emperor Jiayou and the three dukes are all together in the Dao Court, about to seclude themselves. I need you to unleash that sword you've been hiding—on them. Make sure they don't get a word out. Best if you can cripple them bad."
"..."
In a flash of insight, Angxiao grasped Lu Yang's scheme: ‘Big ambitions! Stir chaos on purpose, then seize the Dao Court?’
‘If I strike, the blame lands on me.’
Even so, Angxiao didn't beat around the bush: "What's my cut?"
"What do you want, senior?"
"Hongyun's metallic essence!"
That was Angxiao's price. Truth be told, he didn't need Lu Yang to pull [Covered Lamp Fire]—the crux was Hongyun.
‘Get me Hongyun's metallic essence, and he can't fake-hold [Covered Lamp Fire] anymore, no threat to me. With it, I can figure out how to draw [Covered Lamp Fire] into the underworld myself. The essence is the key—worth it either way.’
Lu Yang's reply came at once:
"Done!"
Firm, no waver. Angxiao just scoffed: "Who do you take me for? Think I'll buy some empty promise?"
"How do I prove it to you, senior?"
"Hand it over first."
"No chance!"
Lu Yang scoffed right back: "You think I'm that naive? That I'll trust your word? More like you'll grab it and bolt!"
Stalemate.
But Angxiao soon countered: "Stash Hongyun's metallic essence somewhere. After I land that sword strike, I'll claim it."
No mere trade.
This was a clash of schemes: Hongyun's metallic essence hidden away, first to seize it wins.
"Done!"
Lu Yang agreed without pause, smirking inside: ‘Dream on about Hongyun's metallic essence. Once you loose that sword, I'll wipe your divine sense from the cave heaven shard. No more meddling in the mortal world—even if it's right under your nose, you won't touch it.’
"Settled!"
Angxiao smirked inside too: ‘That sword on Emperor Jiayou and the dukes? Can't waste a late Golden Core strike like that.’
The deal was bait. His true mark: Lu Yang's true body!
‘Scheming for the Dao Court means he's got real power. Emperor Jiayou's seclusion announcement to the court? His body's bound to show.’
Perfect chance for one clean sword.
Dead man, metallic essence or not—irrelevant.
Harboring their schemes, the pair entered Tianwu Hall. At the hall's head, four figures grew ever more ethereal.
The moment he stepped in, Lu Yang felt Emperor Jiayou's gaze.
No hesitation—Lu Yang strode forward, dropped into a deep bow, and declared:
"Your minister Du Huan pays respects to Your Majesty. Please, revoke my office!"
Striking first, again.
Emperor Jiayou blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't even broached it, yet Lu Yang volunteered. A true loyalist?
Composure returned swiftly.
Loyal or not, with him and the dukes gone into seclusion, no True Dragon could hold high office in the Dao Court. No such ticking bomb.
Still, soothe the hearts.
Seclusion, not death, after all.
And Lu Yang's stance was spot-on. So while set on stripping the rank, Emperor Jiayou played gracious:
"Know what it means to serve the realm with loyalty?"
"This is it!"
Praise done, he moved to revoke—but Lu Yang beat him, linking to Angxiao via [Puppet Strings].
"Strike!"
Next instant, Capital Heaven official Chen Yuanli—puppeted by [Puppet Strings]—rose. Amid the stunned stares of officials all around:
"For the Crown Prince!"
"Clang!"
A sword keen rang out. In the cave heaven shard clutched in Chen Yuanli's hand, Angxiao's divine sense stirred, unleashing the long-hidden sword gleam.
In a blink, sword light swallowed all!