"It's you!"
Lu Yang's sudden appearance instantly drew Ye Shaoying's gaze, causing the Ye Family Patriarch's expression to twist in shock.
As an "outer heavens Rogue Cultivator," Lu Yang's prowess was legendary in this era where Perfected Lords remained in seclusion. Even a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator couldn't guarantee a victory against him. Ye Shaoying, merely a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Great Perfected One, could barely hold his own against such power—and only with the aid of his formations.
If Lu Yang were outside the gates, Ye Shaoying might have had a fighting chance.
But now, Lu Yang had bypassed the grand array meant to block foreign enemies and infiltrated the heart of the family. The defenses were completely useless!
There was no time to think.
"Kill!"
At Lu Yang's command, the Myriad Spirits Banner unfurled. Aside from Patriarch Nether Whisper , the entire legion of Banner Spirits surged forth, unleashing a storm of blood and slaughter.
Banner Spirits knew no fear of death.
Ye Shaoying's eyes turned blood-red at the sight. If these spirits were allowed to rampage unchecked, the mighty Ye Family would face extinction!
With a roar, Ye Shaoying attempted to mobilize the formations to intercept Lu Yang. But the moment he moved, a majestic wave of incense Qi rolled out from the Myriad Spirits Banner, pressing down like a mountain and suppressing the operation of every array inside and outside the Ye Family grounds. Simultaneously, several Banner Spirits moved to block his path.
"Get lost!"
Ye Shaoying slashed out with his sword. The blade light struck the spirits, but a surge of incense brilliance dissolved the attack into nothingness.
An instant later, a terrifying weight of stature crashed down.
Bang!
Banner Spirit Long Yue , Unborn Venerable Mother , Yan Taizu , and the Capital City God —four Incense Offering Deities struck in unison. Ye Shaoying's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"Foundation Establishment Perfection... four of them!?"
Is this a joke?!
Ye Shaoying desperately channeled the power of the formation to reinforce himself. Thanks to the inherent weakness of Incense Offering Deities, he wasn't instantly crushed to death by the four of them.
Even so, the overwhelming disparity in power filled him with despair.
Countless countermeasures flashed through his mind, only to be discarded one by one. Rely on a backer? Perfected One Warding-Evil? He couldn't even save himself!
In the end, there was only one option left.
"Vanquishing-Demon... Guangji!"
Abandoning all hesitation, Ye Shaoying pulled out the jade slip used to contact Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon and frantically injected his divine sense.
Meanwhile, at the border of Jiangnan.
"...Calling for help?"
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon, who had been traveling toward Jiangxi, suddenly stopped. He took out a jade slip, glanced back, and a trace of a sigh flickered in his eyes.
"Master?"
Lu Yang, monitoring Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon through his Sword Dao Incarnation, felt a jolt of surprise. He stepped forward respectfully to inquire.
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon quickly withdrew his gaze. In truth, Perfected One Warding-Evil had been right about one thing: he was a cold, heartless man. When Warding-Evil asked which of the two sword intents—[No-Kill] or [All-Slaying]—truly belonged to him, he hadn't answered.
The truth would have shocked everyone.
The sword intent that truly belonged to him was [All-Slaying]. [No-Kill], the principle he had upheld for nearly half his life, was merely a legacy from an outsider.
Perhaps I really am not a benevolent person...
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon sighed inwardly. To him, he had simply practiced [No-Kill] for so long that habit had become second nature.
"It's nothing."
Recovering his composure, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon spoke indifferently. Before his words faded, he crushed the jade slip in his hand, ignoring the turmoil erupting in the Sword Pavilion behind him.
Phew...
Back at the Ye Family, Lu Yang, who had been tense and ready to flee at a moment's notice, breathed a sigh of relief. A thrill of excitement rose in his chest.
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon isn't interfering!
The outcome is set!
Seizing the moment, Lu Yang drove his escaping light straight into the deepest part of the Ye Family estate. Perfected One Xiu Xin had already secretly pinpointed the location of the Ye Family treasury.
[Upholding Heaven Hall]!
Stepping into the treasury, a powerful aura washed over him. Even with his current cultivation base, Lu Yang felt a heavy pressure.
Dao Fruit residue...
Lu Yang knew immediately that this treasury had likely been sealed by [Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde] using the power of his Dao Fruit. It was an impregnable fortress. Only because the Perfected Lords were in seclusion and the Dao Fruit's power had dissipated significantly did he have a chance to enter. Otherwise, it would have been suicide.
This method surpasses even the Dragon Palace.
Lu Yang wasn't surprised. The foundation of the Sword Pavilion far outstripped that of the True Dragon clan. Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde had the advantage of a profound Dao Lineage.
Entering the main hall.
A pitch-black, imposing gate loomed before him. A formation glowing with the color of blood was carved into its surface, replacing the door ring.
Lu Yang frowned. Should I use the [Profound Thunder Entering Dao Cloud] again?
He dismissed the idea instantly. The power of the [Profound Thunder Entering Dao Cloud] was too immense; unleashing it here could destroy the entire treasury.
Moreover, the True Treasure was refusing to cooperate.
[Profound Thunder Entering Dao Cloud] is a True Treasure refined by Perfected Lord Hanguang Who Drifts Above the Heavens, the backer of Xiang Ye. With the Perfected Lord in seclusion, its condition is poor.
Forcing it to act once was already pushing its limits.
It needed slumber to maintain its state and avoid depletion. It wouldn't act again just to help him loot and kill.
Fortunately, I prepared for this.
With a thought, Lu Yang tossed out the Ye Family Perfected One he had suppressed earlier. Using the [Marionette] technique, he marched the captive toward the treasury gate step by step.
Whoosh!
Detecting the Ye Family's direct bloodline, the treasury gate swung open, revealing a passage. Lu Yang grinned.
But a moment later, he froze.
Behind the gate lay not a treasury filled with sky-illuminating spiritual light, but a gloomy, dark, deathly silent chamber.
"This is..."
Lu Yang looked up to see dense writing scrawled across the walls of the chamber. The characters were twisted and blurred, corroded by time.
It was a cultivation method.
Its name—[Ascending Mystic Realm Visualization Register]!
Lu Yang recognized the origin of this method instantly; the [Upper Bright Golden Lamp Jade Light] he had seen in Daoist Hong Yun's memory was of the same type.
This is... a method to sense the Dao Fruit!
Of course. [Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde] didn't have much time left in this life. To reconnect with his Dao Fruit after reincarnation, he must have left a trump card.
Through this method, one can sense the [Wall-Top Earth]!
A sudden, intense sense of crisis swept through Lu Yang's heart. He instinctively took a step back, staring into the gloom of the quiet room.
"...Something's wrong."
In such a massive treasury, how could there be only one cultivation method?
And regarding [Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde]'s contingency plans, how could he rely on just a single secret method to sense the Dao Fruit? Even Hong Yun had prepared several backups!
Tap, tap, tap...
Heavy footsteps echoed from the shadows of the chamber. A figure emerged into Lu Yang's view—a sword-wielding youth with red lips and white teeth.
Hiss!
Lu Yang sucked in a cold breath.
Patriarch Nether Whisper reacted even more violently. His eyes turned blood-red, and a furious voice squeezed through his gritted teeth:
"Zhengde..!!!"
Impossible... No, this isn't the main body!
I understand... Just as Hong Yun created Hong Ju, [Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde] left a similar backup. This is his manifestation!
Lu Yang's eyes blazed with light.
Inside the sword-wielding youth before him, he saw a wisp of light—faint, but incomparably pure, burning like a flame!
Golden Nature!
Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde's Golden Nature!!!