Rumble!
While Lu Yang was shocked by the "livestock farming" style of the Dao Court, the battle in the sky had not ended. The invisible great net had already encompassed the [Heavenly Fire].
However, at this moment, Hong Tian moved.
He suddenly took a step forward, blocking the front of the great net. His voice fell from the high heavens, drifting straight into the Imperial Palace of the Immortal Court below:
"Does your Majesty wish to kill me?"
A calm inquiry, yet it received no answer. Under the silence, only the great net capturing the [Heavenly Fire] became a few degrees faster.
Below, Lu Yang narrowed his eyes upon seeing this. Not yet a desperate situation... As my counterpart in the [False History], Hong Tian possesses almost all the means I have. In that case, he must also know that move... Moreover, the Patriarch Nether Whisper in the [False History], that Yama Dao Perfected Lord, is in the same camp as him...
Everything was within his expectations.
In the next second, Hong Tian, having received no response, let out a long sigh. Then, a golden light abruptly lit up on his body, reaching heaven and earth, illuminating the stars.
False Holding Golden Stature.
Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, above the boundless Sea of Bitterness, besides the [Heavenly Fire], another Dao Fruit emerged at this moment—it was the [Overturned Lamp Flame]!
Hong Tian's aura surged violently during this process, leaping directly over the chasm between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core. A lamp appeared in his hand. The flame within the lamp was brimming, seemingly weak, yet carrying an intent to illuminate and break through all darkness. Held high by him, it instantly intensified and blazed.
Boom!
In an instant, firelight filled the sky. Wherever it passed, boundless darkness followed. The great net formed by the Immortal Court's [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom] was swallowed whole by the darkness.
"Oh? This is..."
Below, Lu Yang's eyes brightened slightly. He suddenly discovered that Hong Tian's method of falsely holding the [Overturned Lamp Flame] seemed vastly different from his own.
That lamp... seems to be a Grotto-Heaven!
I rely on the [Yama Hall], while he relies on the Grotto-Heaven he condensed back when he was still in the Perfected Lord position.
The effect of the latter's false holding was undoubtedly better.
Coupled with the fact that Hong Tian used to be a perfected lord of the [Overturned Lamp Flame], his false holding now displayed wondrous concepts that even Lu Yang had never seen before.
Overturned Lamp Flame—illuminates the sun and moon but not the earth, illuminates the world when it is not yet bright.
Therefore, its firelight represented not only light but also contained the deepest darkness. It could illuminate and break through darkness, but also drive darkness for its own use!
If it were me, when falsely holding the [Overturned Lamp Flame], I would either directly use the Dao Fruit to slam into the opponent head-on or borrow the most superficial conceptual fire of the [Overturned Lamp Flame] to attack. On the contrary, Hong Tian's method is very miraculous; this should be where the true concept of the [Overturned Lamp Flame] Dao Fruit lies!
Lu Yang smiled with satisfaction. I Learn something new!
If nothing else, just learning this method of applying the [Overturned Lamp Flame] concept made this trip worthwhile; it had already paid for the ticket price.
At the same time, within the Foundation Establishment Realm.
As Hong Tian held the lamp high, the darkness created by the [Overturned Lamp Flame] acted like a curtain, completely concealing the great net trapping the [Heavenly Fire] within it.
The firelight did not extinguish, and the darkness did not disperse.
Under these circumstances, the [Heavenly Fire] was about to break free from its restraints. The feeling of being close to the mortal world quickly disappeared, becoming high, distant, and ethereal once again—
"Hmph... Fighting like a cornered beast!"
Finally, a cold sneer came from within the Immortal Court.
Almost simultaneously, an imperial decree flew out from the Immortal Court, blooming with brilliance—
[Strip Hong Tian of the Grand Preceptor position. From this day forth, demoted to commoner, never to be employed again!]
Boom!
In an instant, Hong Tian's aura, originally high and mighty, reversed. His stature collapsed, and the steps condensed from all land under heaven beneath his feet instantly began to shake!
Here it comes!
Lu Yang saw it clearly. He sat up straight and his gaze burning. Direct demotion from the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws]... I'm afraid I won't be able to escape this move either...
Hong Tian was the Grand Preceptor in the Immortal Court.
Lu Yang was the regent of a puppet state in the Dao Court.
The former was not truly the sole supreme ruler, while the latter, although the sole supreme ruler, lacked legitimate lineage. Therefore, both faced the possibility of being demoted.
How will you respond?
Under Lu Yang's gaze, Hong Tian smiled faintly. Holding the [Overturned Lamp Flame] in his hand across his chest, he chuckled lightly under the blessing of the firelight:
[This is a illegal decree; I do not accept the edict!]
In the next second, from various places in the Immortal Court, two more radiances shot up from the ground. They were the [Eternal Flowing Water] and the [Wall-Top Earth]. Simultaneously, Dao sounds transmitted:
"Illegal decrees are not accepted!"
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes, knowing these were the counterparts of Perfected One Primordial Mu Changsheng and Patriarch Nether Whisper in the [False History]. At this moment, both were already perfected lords!
I understand now. This is his method... sending the two perfected lords of the Yama Dao into the Immortal Court's system. With the stature and karma of perfected lords, their status within the Immortal Court is unquestionable, enough to gain partial control over the [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom], and then use this to counter the Immortal Court's demotion...
Instantly, intense disappointment surfaced in Lu Yang's eyes.
It was a good method. Although it didn't cure the root cause, it treated the symptoms, enough to withstand Hong Tian's downward momentum and buy him precious time.
But the problem was—
Dammit, I can't use it!
First, he couldn't find two perfected lords in the present world to help him seize control of the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws]. Second, even if he could find them, it would be useless.
Because the one launching the attack then would be the Dao Court's Dao Lord!
When that time came, let alone two golden core perfected lords, even if all the perfected lords in the world came to help him, they couldn't possibly compete with the Dao Court's Dao Lord for control!
Lu Yang suppressed his disappointment and continued to watch.
Regardless, at least he confirmed that the Dao Court had hidden means of demotion. He would figure out a way later. The urgent question was, was there anything else?
If I could guess the demotion, and Hong Tian successfully countered it, it means this isn't the final trump card... The Immortal Court's killing move should be coming out soon!
It was just as Lu Yang expected.
Seeing that the demotion from the [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom] was held off by Hong Tian and the joint efforts of the two Yama Dao perfected lords, a voice came from the Imperial Palace of the Immortal Court once again:
[Imperial Preceptor Hong Tian, defying the court order, violating the heavenly principles. Order: confiscate all Dao comprehension!!]
At this moment, Hong Tian froze.
Simultaneously, Lu Yang below also froze on the spot, feeling a chill rush straight to his head. So it's like this... they can actually do this!
Confiscating Dao comprehension!
Lu Yang looked up at the sky and saw the concepts on Hong Tian's body, originally perfectly compatible with the [Heavenly Fire], melting away inch by inch. The divine abilities around him also rapidly dimmed.
Dao comprehension was disappearing!
All the Dao comprehension previously obtained from the [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom] was flowing back at this moment. No matter how Hong Tian tried to recall, those memories were already drifting far away from him.
The most direct consequence was that the five life bound and innate divine abilities around him began to riot violently. The [Heavenly Fire], originally incomparably close to him, instantly developed a sense of rejection. Between heaven and earth, he seemed to suddenly become a solitary man, standing alone in the world!
This was the Immortal Court's killing move!
For a time, Lu Yang couldn't tell if he felt joy or sorrow. The joy was that at least he finally learned of the massive pit the Dao Court had hidden in the dark.
The sorrow was:
Is this the end?
Lu Yang looked up, staring directly at Hong Tian above. No one expected the Immortal Court's method of confiscating Dao comprehension; naturally, Hong Tian wouldn't be prepared either.
At this moment, all his trump cards flashed through Lu Yang's mind.
If it were me, would I have a way to counter?
I should have... but I can't falsely hold the [Overturned Lamp Flame]. If I falsely held the [Heavenly Fire] from the start, perhaps there would be a way to seize back the Dao comprehension.
However, that was under the premise that he knew beforehand the Dao Court had this move. Hong Tian clearly didn't have that opportunity.
Is it over?
Just the moment this thought arose in Lu Yang's mind—
"...Not necessarily!"
Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, Hong Tian suddenly raised his head. Rays of rosy light capable of breaking through darkness abruptly surfaced in his eyes, followed by a resounding sword resonance!