Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Killing Calamity Begins
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"With my current strength, killing that little devil will likely not be easy."
The Yun family's old ancestor looked thoughtful. After all, he had just been reincarnated into the body of an infant. Aside from his powerful soul and divination abilities, he had no combat prowess whatsoever.
"...But it's of no consequence."
The old ancestor was not in a hurry. Lu Yang could not possibly discover him, so he could develop slowly and recover to the Perfected Qi Refining Realm within ten years.
"However, that boy is as slippery as an eel and currently controls this Technique Refining Mystic Realm. If he senses danger, he can withdraw from the realm at any time. Even if I recover to the Perfected Qi Refining Realm, I must scheme carefully to kill him. I need to lure him into a trap so he cannot escape."
The old ancestor continued his divination as he pondered.
"The Three Steps of the Martial Dao: Grasping the Five Elements within the Body, Opening the Nine Heavenly Apertures, and Breaking the Profound Gate of Creation... A Grandmaster martial artist can rival a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. What a marvelous technique."
A look of amazement appeared on the old ancestor's face.
He had reached Foundation Establishment in two lifetimes and lived for over six hundred years, seeing countless devils. Some of them had cultivated the Sage's Theft, but few were like Lu Yang.
"Without reaching Foundation Establishment, one cannot know the Mandate of Heaven. Their divination and deduction abilities are far from the standard needed to create a new technique. Even if they manage to create one, it would be as crude and fragile as an earthen pot, shattering at the slightest touch. For a grandmaster to rival a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator is already impressive; to reach the equivalent of the late stage is simply perfect."
"That devil actually possesses such talent?"
As the old ancestor marveled, the apprehension in his heart deepened. He was now determined not to let Lu Yang break through to Foundation Establishment and add to the strength of the demonic path.
But, how to do it?
"The Sage's Theft plunders the fortune of the world and consumes merit. A grandmaster is bound to face a calamity... In that case, my current reincarnation is likely his calamity."
The old ancestor perceived the heavenly secrets, and an understanding dawned in his mind:
"However, I have the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument protecting me. He cannot divine my existence, yet I can easily track his movements. This should be my greatest advantage."
"In that case, I can create a 'calamity' for him. This 'calamity' cannot be too easy to solve, nor too difficult. It must give him a glimmer of hope for a solution, so that he will act personally. I will use this 'calamity' to lure him into my trap..."
As the saying goes, even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit.
The old ancestor had already been reincarnated once before, so he didn't put on the airs of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, nor would he underestimate Lu Yang. His plotting was meticulously serious.
"So, what shall the 'calamity' be?"
The old ancestor pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly, a plan forming in his mind. "For this boy, his greatest worry must be something going wrong with his cultivation of the Sage's Theft."
"In that case, I shall lend him a hand!"
"He created the Three Steps of the Martial Dao, so I will create the Fourth Step for him. However, this step will no longer be confined to the framework of the system he created..."
At this thought, the old ancestor immediately began to manipulate the threads of karma.
In the blink of an eye, another ten years passed.
During these ten years, heroes rose across the land. The development of the Martial Dao reached its zenith, and the Three Steps became widely known, studied by all.
And in this era of martial reverence, late one night in Tianjing City, thunder suddenly boomed. It was as if dragons and snakes were rising from the earth amidst a torrential downpour. Then, the entire city's populace witnessed a pillar of righteous qi shoot into the heavens, piercing the rain clouds and reversing the celestial phenomena. In less than an hour, the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly!
The next day, a piece of news shook the world.
The master of the Righteous Academy, who held a volume of a celestial scripture, the 'Sage Heart Scholar' Wang Boyuan, had achieved enlightenment overnight, broken through a profound mystery, and taken the Fourth Step of the Martial Dao!
The First Step of the Martial Dao, Grasping the Five Elements within the Body.
Heart, lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys—perfecting the five viscera makes one a Martial Artist.
The Second Step of the Martial Dao, Opening the Nine Heavenly Apertures.
Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, sinews, bones, flesh, blood, and will—opening all nine apertures makes one a Martial Master.
The Third Step of the Martial Dao, Breaking the Profound Gate of Creation.
Three feet above the head resides a spirit. By using the five viscera to transform the body's essence and the nine apertures to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, one combines the internal and external to break the profound gate atop the head and perceive this 'spirit'.
The world had believed this to be the pinnacle of the Martial Dao, the level of a grandmaster with no further path forward. However, with the breakthrough of the 'Sage Heart Scholar' Wang Boyuan, all martial artists were invigorated. Wang Boyuan, possessing a righteous heart, did not hoard his insights.
"The Fourth Step of the Martial Dao is called 'Scrutinizing the Changes between Heaven and Man'!"
"To achieve this, one must break free from the shackles of the Martial Dao, no longer clinging to the path itself, but forging one's own way to achieve a celestial transformation!"
The Sage Heart Scholar had understood this point. He was no longer bound by the Martial Dao, but had instead created his own "Fortune-Gazing Art," which could perceive fate, observe destiny, and even alter the secrets of heaven. His sole desire was to serve his country, using this art to extend the fortune of the Great Zhou Dynasty, establish an unbreachable empire, and bring about an era of eternal peace.
And with the Sage Heart Scholar's breakthrough, karma shifted, and the world underwent a sudden, drastic change.
The second to break through was the current representative of the Celestial Master Manor of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the 'Barefoot Daoist' Chang Qingjing, who achieved enlightenment while practicing medicine.
The third was the 'Calamity-Crossing Divine Monk' Xuan Ku of the Hanging Temple, who broke through during his morning prayers.
The fourth... the fifth... the sixth...
In just ten short years, seven Martial Dao Celestials emerged in the world, proving the viability of this path and completely shattering the martial framework Lu Yang had originally established!
"Hm?"
In the far western reaches of the Technique Refining Mystic Realm, amidst dense forests and surrounded by countless talismans within the Blood-Washing Milky Way Sword Formation Diagram, Lu Yang's eyes snapped open.
His vision was filled with dark clouds, obscuring the blue sky and bright sun.
The next second, a halo of light erupted from behind Lu Yang's head. The Supreme Tenuosity Treasure Register activated, and the many changes of the past ten years immediately flooded his mind, all of them grasped in an instant.
"The Fourth Step of the Martial Dao, Scrutinizing the Changes between Heaven and Man... so fast!"
In that moment, Lu Yang was both surprised and suspicious. He was pleased that the Martial Dao had evolved so much in such a short time, yet that was also the source of his doubt.
How could it be so fast?
However, the cause and effect revealed by his divination were seamless, without a single flaw to be found.
"The Martial Dao I created can rival the late-stage Qi Refining Realm at the third step. Now, people in this mystic realm have taken a fourth step. By a rough estimate, these so-called Martial Dao Celestials are likely formidable, perhaps even comparable to the Perfected Qi Refining Realm... but if that's the case, it's no longer the Martial Dao!"
At this thought, Lu Yang's expression gradually grew solemn.
The divined events were not the problem...
The shift in karma was not the problem...
Everything was logical and reasonable, with only one issue: the Martial Dao was spiraling out of control, and his Sage's Theft was on the verge of failure. Only by intervening personally could he possibly correct its course.
"...This is wrong!"
Alarm bells instantly rang in Lu Yang's mind. He naturally couldn't see through the old ancestor's scheme, nor could he sense the manipulation of karma.
He only knew one thing:
"No one is getting me to leave this place!"
Here, he had countless talismans at his disposal and the protection of a formation. He wouldn't fear even a dozen Perfected Qi Refining cultivators; his position was unassailable.
But once he left this place, it would be another matter entirely.
Besides, he was now the one playing the game, detached from the world. If he chose to enter the fray and become widely known, it would be like placing himself on the board as a game piece.
One careless move, and the entire game would be lost.
Thinking this, Lu Yang instantly calmed down. Although the appearance of the Martial Dao Celestials could ruin his Sage's Theft, it would still take a certain amount of time.
"I'll send a clone to scout things out first..."
With a thought, the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner appeared in Lu Yang's palm. A strand of white Qi then materialized at his fingertip—it was a pure stream of 'Innate Primal Qi'.
This was something he had condensed after refining himself in his second life.
In the past, this 'Innate Primal Qi' had been extraordinarily effective, even helping him break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining in his third life. Unfortunately, in his subsequent lives, it had gradually lost its use.
"Now is a good time to put this waste to use."