With this thought, Lu Yang was almost immediately about to take that step.
However, the next second, streaks of brilliant light descended from the sky, suppressing his aura and making the originally somewhat inflated Lu Yang regain his clarity.
He looked up at the sky.
[Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws].
As the true foundation of the Dao Court, to some extent, this was also the concretization of the Dao Court Dao Lord's will. Now, it actually stopped his act of seeking the Golden Core.
...Where is the problem?
Lu Yang looked up at the curtain of heaven. He saw [Heavenly Fire] shining brightly, obviously favoring him. However, sensing carefully, he still found something wrong.
Still not proactive enough.
If the ritual were perfect, the Dao Fruit would actively appear to guide him. Yet until now, [Heavenly Fire] only revealed its intent of favor to him.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang immediately calculated: Is it because I only pacified the five regions under heaven but haven't truly started governing them? Besides this, there is my Blessed Land? There is a problem with [Xuandu Blessed Land]. It matches my Dao Foundation, but ultimately they are not one body.
Besides this, the quantity of Golden Nature also seems not quite enough.
Lu Yang realized something in his heart, frowning slightly:
In this life, my progress speed has been too fast.
Although he's made rapid progress, a towering building starts from the ground up; ultimately, he lacks some foundational depth, and his foundation hasn't reached its current peak.
Strictly speaking, I'm actually inferior to Martial Uncle Chong Guang.
Disregarding strength, just from the perspective of seeking the Golden Core, Chong Guang did almost everything to the utmost perfection. Golden Nature, Dao comprehesion, Blessed Land—all were perfect and flawless.
There is a saying—slow means secure. No need to rush for a moment. Lu Yang knew clearly in his heart. In the previous life, when he finally saw that the Perfected Lords were about to reappear, and his life was not long, he recklessly went directly to seek the Golden Core. This time, with such a great opportunity, he couldn't just waste it casually.
Boom!
With this thought, Lu Yang retracted the foot he had just stepped out for seeking the Golden Core. Instead, he took out the five dharma aspect Golden Natures sent down by the World Honored One for the second time.
[Deprivation].
The five Dharma Aspect Golden Natures merged into the [Daoist Hong Yun] Golden Nature again, replenishing the consumption just now. Then Lu Yang cast a technique to recall the [Yama Hall] rising into the high sky.
At the same time, in the five regions under heaven, all Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones who were either using full divine abilities, borrowing formations, or calculating karma to watch him from afar involuntarily heaved a sigh of relief. Especially the Perfected Ones at Foundation Establishment Perfection; one by one, they couldn't help thinking about a question:
In the world today, who else can stop this person?
The answer to the question couldn't be clearer—
No one!
This answer made some Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones who were at Perfection and similarly aimed at the Golden Core very unhappy in their hearts, yet they dared not reveal this emotion.
After all, no one wanted such a big mountain pressing on their heads. What was even more infuriating was that in this situation, if Lu Yang didn't seek the Golden Core, who dared to? Having one's Dao path restricted by one person's hand was already a huge humiliation, but having no way to deal with the opponent was truly frustrating.
On the other side, Lu Yang also gradually dispersed the brilliant light on his body, retracting the [Yama Hall].
Release false holding state!
Thanks to the World Honored One's generous contribution, plus the domineering concept of [Heavenly Fire], the [Daoist Hong Yun] Golden Nature actually didn't suffer the slightest damage after a fierce battle!
This is an unexpected joy. retaining one chance of False Holding. Doing it one more time can also make [Heavenly Fire] more familiar with me, preparing for formally seeking the Golden Core in the future. Moreover, the water in this wretched place is so deep; heaven knows if there will be more pits. False Holding Golden Stature is my biggest confidence.
A moment later, Lu Yang stood up.
In an instant, countless gazes fell on him again. Even having exited the false holding state, the current Lu Yang was still the focus of the entire world.
Everyone was pondering—
What else does this demon dragon want to do?
The Pure Land was slaughtered empty by him. The Dao Court and overseas were originally solely controlled by his family. The Saint Sect seems to have reached cooperation with him too. Only the Sword Pavilion remains.
Didn't the Sword Pavilion also send a Vanquishing-Demon?
You fool, didn't you see only one Vanquishing-Demon went from Jiangnan? As everyone knows, that sword cultivator acts independently and isn't a mainstream figure in the Sword Pavilion...
Finally, under the gaze of everyone, Lu Yang extended his palm. The brilliant light transformed from the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws] wove into a net, rapidly covering the Pure Land which already had no Buddhist cultivators, only mortals remaining. With one command, a large batch of officials from the Dao Court immediately flooded in like wolves and tigers.
"After today, the Pure Land exists no more!"
Lu Yang's voice rode the mighty power of the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws], spreading throughout the world in an instant. The [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws] replaced Buddhist laws, occupying the entire Jiangxi!
Such a scene caused the world to fall into a trance again.
The land of Jiangxi, the Buddhist Cultivator Pure Land, a behemoth that had stood for unknown years, was actually gone just like this? This was simply something unprecedented since ancient times!
"No, it's just temporary."
"The Pure Land still has several Bodhisattvas. How could it really be destroyed like this... At most, it just won't flourish during the reign of this Emperor Huan Ming."
Discussions were rife in the world.
However, no matter how many words of self-comfort the cultivators leaning towards the Pure Land spoke, they ultimately couldn't erase a fact that the Pure Land Buddhist cultivators were about to go extinct!
Simply because above the heaven, that line of bright and resplendent large characters reminded them at all times:
[Until my thousand-year lifespan ends, only then shall Buddhism flourish!]
At this moment, many cultivators in the five regions under heaven who had once cultivated Buddhist laws or read the Pure Land's Mahayana Fundamental Sutra suddenly suffered the tribulation of burning by heavenly fire. It scared many cultivators into hurriedly cutting off their thoughts, daring not have the slightest involvement with Buddhist cultivators anymore, fearing they would also be burned to an ashes by a heavenly fire.
…
Jiangdong, Tianwu City.
At this moment, it was early morning. Sunlight fell on this magnificent ancient city, dispelling silence and darkness. Pedestrians and vendors had already appeared on the streets one after another.
Yesterday's great battle seemed to have no effect on them.
This wasn't because they were unaware of it. On the contrary, every one of them still bore injuries caused by the aftershocks of Lu Yang and [Sky-Shrouding]'s hard clash.
But they still went out.
The reason was simple—going out didn't necessarily mean death. Mortals might not suffer when immortals fought. But not going out, not working, would definitely mean starving to death.
"..."
Lu Yang stood with hands clasped, bought a pancake at a street stall, and ate it with relish. Empress Xiao followed by his side.
At this time, Empress Xiao's gaze was already completely different. If previously both sides were mutually beneficial, now when Empress Xiao looked at Lu Yang again, her beautiful eyes unconsciously rippled with autumn water.
Deep in her eyes, there was even a bit more adoration. Even her movements and expressions were much more restrained.
Naturally, Lu Yang also felt this change.
He could only lament that a pitiful, thick barrier had formed between him and Empress Xiao, like the difference between immortals and mortals—this was not what he wanted.
We aren't heartless people; how can it be like this?
So Lu Yang decisively found an inn, then pulled Empress Xiao in.
A day later..
Until the sun went down, Lu Yang supported the limp Empress Xiao out of the inn. The atmosphere between the two returned to the previous appearance.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you seek next?"
Facing Empress Xiao's inquiry, Lu Yang had long planned— The cultivation atmosphere of this wretched place was really terrible. He must do something.
This would also allow him right to achieve [Heavenly Fire]'s requirement for "governing."
"What I seek..."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang then said unhurriedly:
"One Nation Under Heaven!"