Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Another Attempt at Foundation Establishment, Panlong Appears!
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Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
On this day, Lu Yang sat cross-legged atop Skull Mountain. He suddenly opened his eyes, a look of joy on his face, for his physical body had finally completed the transformation of corpse liberation!
The next second, Lu Yang vanished from the spot.
Inside the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner.
In a void-like space, a magnificent palace was constructed from twisted flesh and blood. Dense blood vessels, like the roots of trees, coiled around the palace.
These root-like vessels all extended from the deepest part of the palace. Following them inside, one could see that everything, from the pillars to the walls, was crafted from ghastly white skeletons, still entwined with blood vessels that pulsed quietly like living things.
Terrifying, bizarre, and grotesque.
This was the state of his physical body after corpse liberation—no longer human in form, constantly shifting into countless shapes, indescribable, like an incarnation of chaos.
“I never expected this ‘Corpse Liberation Immortal’ to have one final trial!”
Lu Yang’s expression was one of surprise. The body's transformation wasn't the end; a cultivator had to bring the rampaging flesh back under control to truly master it!
If one failed to restrain the body, they would become a monster of flesh and blood, albeit one with a certain status.
However, by the time most cultivators reached this stage, their consciousness would already be clouded, hovering between life and death, half-asleep. How could they possibly have the strength to control their body?
“The difficulty is far too high... Thankfully, I was a cut above the rest.”
With the help of his guardian spirit, Su Nü, he had successfully cultivated the *Heavenly Silkworm Secret: Severing Thoughts to See the Self* a month ago, smoothly transforming his spiritual sense into divine sense.
And with the empowerment of divine sense, controlling a mere physical body was naturally no trouble at all.
Now, with a mere thought from Lu Yang, the vast palace of flesh and blood immediately began to collapse. The chaotic apparition returned to order under his will.
In the end, all that remained was a handsome and spirited Daoist.
The Daoist was clad in white, his black hair dancing like a living dragon. His entire being emanated an ethereal aura, as if transcending the material world.
‘Corpse Liberation Immortal’—achieved!
Lu Yang’s soul entered his body. In that instant, spirit and flesh became one. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as his original status was instantly elevated to an unimaginable height.
Lifting his head to the heavens, Lu Yang could even see the lofty ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’. In fact, if that realm were a mountaintop, he was now standing less than a hundred steps from the peak, about the same as Patriarch Ting You before, perhaps even a little higher.
Yet even so, the grandeur of the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’ still made him sigh in admiration.
Close, but ultimately not the same.
No matter how close one got to the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’, even if it was just a single step away, without taking that step and truly establishing a Dao foundation, the distinction between mortal and immortal would always remain.
“To mourn the brevity of our lives, and envy the endless flow of the great river...”
Just then, a spiritual light suddenly streaked through the void from afar. It had been sent from the direction of the Primal Saint Sect. When Lu Yang caught it, a token materialized.
The Ascension Token!
Just as he had expected, after they had come to an agreement regarding the ‘Heavenly Corpse Baleful Qi’, Perfected Being Yin Shan would naturally not be stingy with a mere Foundation Establishment wondrous treasure.
“...Everything is ready!”
At this moment, Lu Yang was filled with determination.
There's no time like the present. I will break through to Foundation Establishment now!
With that thought, Lu Yang acted decisively. He took a step toward the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’, and in the next second, he walked right into it!
He had practically completed the ascension in a single step!
“This is so much easier than my last life…”
In his previous life, he only possessed the status of ‘Sage Thief’. The ascension alone consumed over half of his true qi. This life, however, was completely different.
Third-grade true qi, the combination of ‘Corpse Liberation Immortal’ and ‘Sage Thief’, Foundation Establishment-level divine sense, and the Ascension Token to unlock the seals of the nine heavenly passes—Lu Yang entered the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’ with almost no effort at all. He had ample true qi to build his Dao foundation, avoiding the desperate situation of his past life.
“Next is the invasion of inner demons…”
Lu Yang moved swiftly. The moment he entered the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’, he summoned Su Nü. The ‘Yama Hall’ instantly reformed, and an immense power erupted forth.
Guardian Spirit!
With Su Nü, Lu Yang essentially had an advance grasp of the Foundation Establishment status. Using this to protect himself was enough to resist most of the inner demons in the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’.
“Eighty percent… It really is much easier than thirty percent.”
Lu Yang remained calm and unhurried. His third-grade true qi, the ‘True Dragon Baleful Qi’, roared out and coiled beneath his feet. Its scales opened and closed, breathing out thousands of clouds.
Clouds follow the dragon!
Above the *Nine Transformations of the Dragon Art* was the *Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding Ascension Treasure Scroll*. The Dao foundation built from this was a chariot covered by a magnificent canopy.
Ride the dragon, pulling the chariot of ten thousand to ascend!
Soon, as the clouds gathered and the brilliance receded, the form of a chariot gradually emerged, causing Lu Yang’s aura to become even more lofty and ethereal.
However, Lu Yang’s brow gradually furrowed.
“Something’s not right…”
His perception of karma was exceptionally keen. Thus, the closer he got to Foundation Establishment, the more his heart pounded with fear, a shadow creeping into the depths of his mind.
Karma he could not sense before was now exceptionally clear, wrapping around him strand by strand. The more he pushed toward Foundation Establishment, the more it felt like a moth drawn to a flame, or a butterfly caught in a spider’s web. This feeling made Lu Yang's expression darken as a sudden realization dawned on him:
“Someone is plotting against me!”
Who?
Perfected Being Chong Guang, Perfected Being Yin Shan, the Heaven Mending Peak Master, even Patriarch Ting You… In an instant, the faces of everyone he knew flashed through Lu Yang’s mind.
No, that’s not right!
“Patriarch Ting You was killed by Golden Core sword qi; there's no way he could be alive. The Heaven Mending Peak Master was so grievously injured; it’s impossible for him to have fully recovered in just three months.”
“As for Perfected Being Chong Guang and Perfected Being Yin Shan, it’s even more unlikely.”
The next second, a name finally surfaced in Lu Yang’s mind. The person’s situation was so peculiar that he had overlooked them until now.
Suddenly, Lu Yang let out a long breath. He stopped pondering. It wasn't that he had given up on finding the truth, but at this point, it was too late to figure it out.
Lu Yang gazed into the distance and saw a figure slowly approaching within the vast, empty ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’.
The newcomer moved with composure, each step firm and steady. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the ‘Foundation Establishment Realm’ like the tolling of a great bell, or the clear cry of a dragon.
When Lu Yang first saw him, the figure was still far in the distance. But after just a few steps, he was already close. Golden lotuses bloomed wherever he passed, and the sound of profound Buddhist chants was deafening. Merely by standing before Lu Yang, he commanded all of his attention, making it impossible to look away.
“…So it really was you.”
Lu Yang’s voice was icy as he stared fixedly at the newcomer. The person had a full forehead, wore golden monastic robes, and held a nine-ringed khakkhara staff.
The visitor had the appearance of a youth, with red lips and white teeth, and a compassionate face.
However, the small, ferocious dragon clutched in his hand was his complete opposite—fierce and malevolent, its pair of golden eyes glaring at Lu Yang with killing intent.
The next second, Lu Yang felt his entire body freeze.
The small dragon let out a low roar. Its draconic pupils, unblinking, reflected everything around Lu Yang, trapping him within their gaze.
Draconic pupils, golden eyes, framing heaven and earth!
Lu Yang’s expression remained unchanged at the sight, but his tone was frigid as he said:
“Perfected Being Panlong!”
With the figure's appearance, the deeply hidden karma finally revealed itself. The newcomer was none other than Perfected Being Panlong, whom Lu Yang had long believed to be dead!
(End of this chapter)