Chapter 518
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 518
Chapter Title: Ancestor's Backup Plan, Unexpected Surprise!
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Lu Yang didn't linger long in the illusion of a "sixty percent chance of success."
He knew full well that this sensation was nothing more than a moon in the water or a flower in a mirror.
'Jiangbei and the overseas territories are only nominally submissive.'
'Such submission merely meets the basic conditions for seeking 【Celestial Fire】. Without true governance, the foundation is unstable—there's no real sixty percent chance.'
What would a perfect bid for 【Celestial Fire】 truly look like?
The world united as one, all qi harmonized into a single pure stream. Seeking the golden core would then be as natural as ascending the throne—no chance of failure.
Yet as long as even one region remained unconquered, that patch of heaven and earth would harbor impure qi. It posed no issue in ordinary times, but during his bid for the core, the杂气 from those unsubdued lands would surge forth to sabotage him, disrupting the process and slashing his odds by a full thirty percent.
'It looks like a sixty percent chance.'
'But without full unification, the impure qi disrupts first—minus thirty percent. With only a hollow title and no real control—another thirty percent off. The true odds are barely twenty percent.'
Seeking the core allowed no shortcuts.
If he grew complacent in that fleeting moment of all nations paying homage, lost in the chorus of "Your Majesty," he might as well prepare for death.
That said, Lu Yang was still pleased.
'The issue of a hollow title without real governance is easy to fix. The True Dragon clan can strong-arm the overseas territories, and the Primal Saint Sect need only seal its gates in Jiangbei.'
Of course, this meant carving flesh from the True Lords. The True Dragons overseas would be thrilled, and as for Chongguang on the Primal Saint side, he wouldn't care a whit—it wasn't his flesh being cut. The Primal Saint True Person had always been generous with others' sacrifices.
In this way, the sixty percent chance would only drop by thirty percent—barely over forty percent.
'If I can seize Jiangnan too, pushing the odds to eighty percent, then even without the Jiangxi Pure Land, after the thirty percent deduction, I'd still have over fifty percent.'
With that thought, Lu Yang cursed inwardly.
'In other words, to prove 【Celestial Fire】, it's either a hundred percent success or just over fifty percent. What the hell kind of path is this for mortals?'
【Celestial Fire】 was this harsh—what of 【Great Forest Wood】?
How had Ao Xiao achieved it back then?
He had burned through ten lifetimes of accumulation, exhausting every scheme to reach his current level. Ao Xiao had only one shot—how had he pulled it off?
As the saying went: big meetings for small matters, small meetings for big ones.
The enthronement ceremony was for all to see, solidifying Lu Yang's status in the Dao Court. Beyond that, some matters required private discussion.
Inside Tianwu Hall.
"You two have worked hard today."
Lu Yang smiled faintly, cupping his hands toward Tian Qiu and Chongguang. As the Dao Court's new "Huanming Emperor," taking the initiative to bow was already a great show of respect.
Tian Qiu returned the gesture without hesitation. Despite being Lu Yang's senior, he bowed even lower to demonstrate deference.
Chongguang's expression remained stern and unyielding, but his movements were no slower than Tian Qiu's—he returned the bow in full.
At the same time, Empress Xiao emerged, holding a jug of wine.
"Pop!"
She uncorked it, and wine overflowed in abundance.
Lu Yang personally poured for everyone present, filling their cups before raising his own first.
"From this day forward, we are one."
"You all know it well: to seek your cores, I must become True Lord first. Only under my protection can you succeed. We all benefit mutually."
Empress Xiao went without saying—her core bid depended entirely on Lu Yang.
Tian Qiu, now chosen by Buddha's karmic ties, could only seek shelter under Lu Yang.
Chongguang needed no explanation. Without Lu Yang wielding the Covered Lamp Fire to reverse Chen Tu, he had no hope at all.
Thus, as Lu Yang's words fell, all three raised their cups and drained them in unison.
Seeing this, Lu Yang's smile deepened.
"Today, I am the happiest!"
Soon, after several rounds of toasts, Chongguang turned to Lu Yang and said gravely,
"After the enthronement and founding of the court, the next step should be Jiangnan, yes?"
"Indeed."
Lu Yang didn't deny it. The two shared perfect understanding in placing Jiangxi last—after all, everyone knew the Pure Land wasn't for just anyone.
But Jiangnan wouldn't be easy either. The greatest obstacle was—
"Perfected Being Demon-Quelling, Ye Guangji."
Chongguang frowned tightly.
"The world's foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator. How do you plan to deal with him? Without resolving him, you can't take Jiangnan."
"No need to worry. I have my own plans."
After all, he didn't need to lift a finger. In time, Perfected Being Demon-Quelling would self-destruct alongside the Pure Land.
But there was a risk.
Simply put: Demon-Quelling dragged things out too long.
'In the last life, he held on for a full thirty years before blowing himself up in the Pure Land. Without Zhe Xie True Person giving him a final push, he might have dragged it even longer.'
That was the problem—the longer the delay, the stronger the True Lords' perception of the present world. In the first decade, they might struggle to observe it clearly, but by thirty years, barring those unable to burn their cavern heavens for manifestation, the True Lords would have largely regained their surveillance of the mortal realm.
'I can't wait that long.'
'To prove 【Celestial Fire】, no True Lord can interfere with the present world. I may need to check on the Ancestor's side.'
Soon, the banquet ended.
As Chongguang and Tian Qiu departed together, Lu Yang wrapped an arm around Empress Xiao and headed back to Kunning Palace. Meanwhile, he sank his mind into the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner.
Moments later, he spotted a glowing orb.
This was the key left by Listener幽 Ancestor Master. Through it, Lu Yang could enter the 【Eternal Joy Garden】 that Listener幽 had prepared especially for him before departing.
'Come to think of it, I've always let 【Eternal Joy Garden】 run on autopilot.'
As Lu Yang reached for the orb, he mused,
'After so much time, who knows what state it's in now?'
In the next instant, the scene before his eyes shifted dramatically.
He froze.
"Rumble!"
Looking up at the sky, Lu Yang's jaw dropped. The radiance of 【Celestial Fire】 cascading from the firmament onto him suddenly surged by several fold!
'This feeling—Jiangnan?'
With that realization, Lu Yang glanced at the orb in his hand. A flood of information poured into his sea of consciousness, revealing the reason for the abrupt change.
'It was the Ancestor!'
'Of course. I never hid anything from him. He knew of my True Dragon body and my deal with Chongguang. He foresaw that if I seized the Dao Court, Jiangbei and overseas would effectively be mine. The only hurdles were Jiangnan and Jiangxi—so he made arrangements.'
All this time, 【Eternal Joy Garden】 had done one thing.
It had frantically recruited newcomers in Jiangnan. And the lofty Sword Pavilion, with its hands-off policy toward the region, hadn't noticed a thing!
Even more remarkably,
Under Listener幽 Ancestor's design, every recruit into 【Eternal Joy Garden】 was a sect leader or high elder responsible for governing swathes of Jiangnan.
The outcome was plain to see.
'Jiangnan today—barring Sword Pavilion—is fully covered by 【Eternal Joy Garden】. It's been deemed under my true governance by 【Celestial Fire】!'
(End of chapter)