Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: You Are Destined for Great Things!
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The very instant Lu Yang reported him to Perfected Being Yin Shan, the Yun family's ancestor inside the secret realm felt a shudder run through his entire body, as if a great disaster was about to befall him.
"...Is it that incarnation of yours?"
The Yun family's ancestor pinched his fingers in a quick calculation and instantly understood the cause and effect. A trace of despair surfaced on his face. "In the end, my fated calamity is inescapable."
This reincarnation of his was all about secrecy.
He had relied entirely on the Sect Master of the Sword Pavilion to conceal the heavenly secrets, which was how he had avoided detection. But once discovered, not even the Sect Master could save him.
In other words, the final gamble he had staked his life on had utterly failed. The Sect Master's mission was not completed, and his hopes of returning to the Foundation Establishment realm were dashed. And without him, the Yun family's status in the Sword Pavilion would plummet. They would no longer be a lofty Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan; their demise might even be imminent...
"...No, there's still a chance!"
The Yun family's ancestor looked at Lu Yang, a terrifying killing intent suddenly erupting in his eyes. His hatred for Lu Yang was so immense that all the waters of the three rivers could not wash it away.
In the next second, a look of grim determination appeared on his face.
With a single thought, the Supreme Harmony Golden Splendor that had been swirling around him rapidly coiled back, ultimately converging at his fingertip to form a sharp strand of sword qi.
This sword qi was a divine ability called the "Fixed Origin Slash, Coeval with the World."
Though the sword qi appeared unremarkable, it could directly lock onto an enemy's karma. Once the sword was unleashed, as long as the target's karma remained, the sword qi would not dissipate.
In the past, the Shamanistic Ghost Sect had been utterly annihilated by the Sect Master of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion of that generation, a Golden Core True Lord, using this very divine ability. Not a single one was left. And because the Shamanistic Ghost Sect had left behind a legacy in a secret realm, their karma had not scattered, so the sword qi had persisted for a thousand years.
However, this was not a slash that an ordinary cultivator could unleash.
Because it involved karma, it could only be used by those at the Foundation Establishment realm. The Yun family's ancestor had now fallen from his Foundation Establishment position. To execute this slash, he could only sacrifice his own life.
In other words, he now wanted to perish together with his foe!
"With the 'Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument' obscuring the heavenly secrets, I can sacrifice my life to slay this devil, then reincarnate again. Perhaps there's a sliver of hope to escape..."
Although this was already his second reincarnation, he was now forcibly beginning a third before even returning to the Foundation Establishment realm. This would cause extremely severe damage to his Dao cultivation. Even if he did manage to escape, he would inevitably be trapped by the mystery of the womb in the future, reduced to a common mortal, never again to achieve transcendence.
"...At the very least, I'll kill you first!"
The Yun family's ancestor stared straight at Lu Yang, then activated the divine ability. His entire essence, qi, and spirit violently disintegrated, all of it flowing into the sharp sword qi he had condensed.
"Slash!"
With a thunderous roar, the sword qi whistled out, descending directly towards Lu Yang's position. In that instant, Lu Yang felt an intense sense of crisis.
"You want to risk your life against mine?"
With a thought, Lu Yang's figure completely merged into the Sage's Manifestation behind him. He then manipulated the manifestation to extend two heaven-supporting hands to grab the sword qi.
The two became entangled. The hands of the Sage's Manifestation were mangled by the sword qi, flesh and bone torn apart, while his hands, in turn, ripped a large chunk off the sword qi. However, on the sword qi's side, as long as Lu Yang's karma remained intact, it would immediately devour the surrounding heaven and earth energy to replenish itself. The torn part of the sword qi was restored in an instant.
On the other side, the Sage's Manifestation was in a similar state.
After all, it was merely a form Lu Yang had manifested with borrowed qi, not a true physical entity. With a circulation of his magical power, he instantly regenerated the lost flesh and blood.
The two sides were thus locked in a stalemate.
Seeing this, the Yun family's ancestor sighed but did not linger. He had already lost his physical body, with only a soul remaining in the world.
While the Perfected Being from the Primal Saint Sect had yet to arrive, reincarnating as soon as possible was his best option.
Just then, the Yun family's ancestor suddenly felt a chill sweep through his heart. He looked back to see Lu Yang in the distance, smiling coldly at him.
"Why is Senior in such a hurry to leave?"
The next second, he saw that Lu Yang was holding a cluster of his own aura. Lu Yang then drew a circle of light and used the aura to project his image within it.
"...Not good!"
The pupils of the Yun family's ancestor constricted instantly. Amid his shock and anger, he was also completely baffled. "The Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art... How did he capture my aura?"
The Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art could kill an enemy from afar as long as their aura was captured. The Yun family's ancestor had long since calculated that Lu Yang had learned this divine ability, so he had been extremely careful about concealing his aura during the fight, giving Lu Yang absolutely no chance to capture it. It should have been foolproof...
But he had never expected that Lu Yang would still manage to capture his aura!
And in his current state, having lost his physical body and being left with only a soul, if this technique struck him, his soul would likely scatter on the spot, with no chance of reincarnation!
"Heavenly Lord, save me!"
For a moment, the Yun family's ancestor had to postpone his reincarnation and instead use his soul to activate the 'Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument', hoping to block Lu Yang's Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art.
"Too late!"
Lu Yang waved his hand, severing the image of the Yun family's ancestor within the circle of light. The Yun family's ancestor immediately braced himself, preparing to resist.
Then, nothing happened. The Yun family's ancestor blinked, frozen in place. The remote curse of the Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art that he had imagined did not appear. It was as if it were a fake...
"...No!"
It was a fake! He was stalling for time!
The Yun family's ancestor suddenly realized. No longer daring to linger, he waved his hand to open a black passage, his soul about to plunge into it.
Yet, in that very instant, a vast aura entered the Cultivation Secret Realm!
"Heaven and Earth, be sealed!"
A grand voice resounded inside and outside the secret realm. Like a royal edict, the black passage the Yun family's ancestor had just opened was instantly sealed shut.
"No—!!!"
The black passage was the path to reincarnation. Seeing it disappear, the Yun family's ancestor let out a wretched scream. His soul trembled violently, and he turned to Lu Yang with a ferocious expression. "You dare trick me!?"
"What can you do about it?"
Lu Yang smiled faintly. Just then, another large hand reached in from outside the secret realm, grabbed the sword qi entangled with him, and crushed it with a gentle squeeze.
No matter how powerful a divine ability was, it was useless against a higher level of existence.
'So this is the Foundation Establishment realm.'
Lu Yang sighed inwardly. Even though he had seen it many times, the absolute dominance a Foundation Establishment Perfected Being held over a Qi Refining cultivator still filled him with a sense of awe.
In the next second, the figure of Perfected Being Yin Shan appeared beside Lu Yang.
"Well done."
Perfected Being Yin Shan offered a word of praise, then turned to look at the soul of the Yun family's ancestor and laughed heartily. "So it's you, Yun Qingchuan, you old scoundrel."
"Yin Shan..."
The Yun family ancestor's eyes darted about, seemingly wanting to say something more, but before he could speak, Perfected Being Yin Shan struck his soul with a palm.
Boom!
In the next instant, all of the Yun family ancestor's consciousness was wiped out by Perfected Being Yin Shan, leaving only a blank soul held in his hand.
He had, after all, fallen from the Foundation Establishment realm. Although his soul retained a trace of its former status, it was no match for a true Foundation Establishment Perfected Being. Moreover, after the incident at Skull Mountain, Perfected Being Yin Shan's cultivation had improved. He was now at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, far beyond what the Yun family's ancestor could compare to.
Buzz!
With the death of the Yun family's ancestor, the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument was left without a master. Perfected Being Yin Shan, naturally, did not stand on ceremony. He immediately seized and suppressed it, holding it in his hand to examine.
"A fine treasure, a truly fine treasure..."
The Yun family's ancestor had used this treasure to conceal the heavenly secrets and reincarnate into the secret realm without anyone noticing. This showed its high quality, enough to tempt even Perfected Being Yin Shan.
However, this matter concerned the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, and it involved the soul of a Foundation Establishment Perfected Being. According to the sect rules, he had to report it to the Sect Master for a ruling. But once reported, this wondrous treasure could no longer be hidden. It would surely become a target for many, and with his strength and status, he might not be able to keep it...
Just then, Lu Yang suddenly stepped forward and bowed.
"Senior Brother, your Junior Brother dares to make an impudent request... I wonder if I could borrow the soul of that orthodox Foundation Establishment cultivator? I will be sure to return it in its original state within ten years."
"Oh? You want this old scoundrel's soul?"
Perfected Being Yin Shan raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "You're quite ambitious. But this matter concerns the Sword Pavilion. After I report it, the Sect Master will surely inquire. At that time, neither the soul nor the magical treasure can be kept."
"However... there might be a way around it."
At this point, Perfected Being Yin Shan's tone suddenly shifted. He looked at Lu Yang with a half-smile. "As long as certain things aren't put on the scales, a thousand pounds weigh but a few ounces."
"If you help me conceal this matter, with no one reporting it and no one investigating, then both the soul and the magical treasure can be kept."
Lu Yang was taken aback, then showed a look of confusion. "Conceal what matter?"
"...Excellent! Truly a disciple of our Primal Saint Sect. You are destined for great things!"
The two exchanged a look, and an unspoken understanding passed between them.
The next second, Perfected Being Yin Shan tossed the soul of the Yun family's ancestor into Lu Yang's hands, put away the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument, and then floated away.