As Lu Yang's voice drifted over, the light of seeking the golden stature located overseas finally revealed its true appearance, exposing the figure within.
It was not a dazzling figure.
Not as majestic as Chong Guang, nor as upright as Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon, and certainly without the grace of Empress Xiao. He was very ordinary, even slightly hunched with humility.
Yet he still stood there.
Seeking the golden stature in four directions, he had the hardest time. Dao comprehension, cultivation base, Golden Nature... each was a difficult hurdle. Yet in the end, he still stood tenaciously.
Humble, but not giving up.
Hunched, but not insignificant.
Above his head, a Blessed Land had already opened the Foundation Establishment Realm, bordering the Sea of Bitterness, echoing with a Dao Fruit from afar, approaching step by step.
At the same time, the True Body Tathagata also saw clearly the Dao Fruit the other party was seeking. It actually wasn't the [Heavenly River Water]... Or rather, the [Heavenly River Water] was just a deliberate facade. Only when He got close and looked carefully did He pierce through that layer of illusion and see clearly what Dao Fruit it truly was:
"[Wellspring Water]!?"
Suo Huan.
From the beginning, the person seeking the golden stature overseas wasn't Tian Qiu, but Suo Huan, who deliberately disguised himself as attaining the [Heavenly River Water] while actually attaining the [Wellspring Water]!
As for how he disguised it?
That had to be credited to the exchange between Lu Yang and Perfected Lord Feixue's remnant divine thought before he sought the golden core... The entire disguise was accomplished under Perfected Lord Feixue's guidance!
Lu Yang was extremely confident about this.
After all, in his life before last, Perfected Lord Feixue relied on disguising her [Ravine Stream Water] as [Eternal Flowing Water] to deal a heavy blow to [Sky-Shrouding]. This time was just repeating an old trick. Although the precision was far inferior to Perfected Lord Feixue doing it herself, the True Body Tathagata wasn't [Sky-Shrouding] either.
"It was actually a trap...!"
The True Body Tathagata turned His head abruptly, gritting His teeth as He looked at Lu Yang: "How could you have anticipated my arrangement overseas and specifically set a trap?"
This was illogical!
The True Body Tathagata couldn't understand. As a Tathagata enlightened by the World Honored One, His stature was equal to a perfected lord, and His ability to deduce karma was basically no different.
Compared to Him, Lu Yang was merely at foundation establishment.
Even falsely holding the golden core, he couldn't possibly surpass Him in the art of deduction, let alone layout a plan so far in advance to lure Him into a trap.
—And the truth was indeed so.
The reason Lu Yang left so many arrangements overseas was very simple: It was too difficult for Suo Huan to seek the golden core, so he needed this method to increase the chances of success.
Making people think it was Tian Qiu seeking the golden core overseas and disguising the concept as [Heavenly River Water] were actually ideas given by Perfected Lord Feixue. She said this could increase the success rate of seeking the golden core because [Heavenly River Water], as the supreme of the Water Element, dispersed into various waters and inherently had wonderful supportive effects.
As for other things, they were just incidental.
But looking at it now, it actually made the True Body Tathagata walk right into the trap, yielding unexpected gains... Sure enough, good deeds are rewarded; the ancients didn't deceive me!
Of course, these things couldn't be said openly.
Therefore, facing the True Body Tathagata's angry yet fearful gaze, Lu Yang just grinned: "That's right, everything is under my control!"
Boom!
Almost simultaneously, the light of seeking the golden core on Suo Huan gradually calmed down. That hunched figure gradually straightened his back, emitting a crisp sound.
Immediately after, a vigorous concept emerged!
Wellspring Water: born from metal, emerging from wood. Cold and clear, inexhaustible for nourishment. Eight families chisel it to drink together; ten thousand people rely on it for life.
"Many thanks, My Lord."
In the next second, Suo Huan flicked his sleeves and stood up. With a solemn expression, he bowed to Lu Yang without hesitation, completing his final piece of the puzzle.
Seeking the golden core in four directions created four perfected lords!
All submitted sincerely!
At this moment, enlightenment arose in Lu Yang's heart—No need anymore. What blessed land, what golden nature—none of it was needed.
The [Heavenly Fire] was mine!
The Dao Fruit favored him and wouldn't look away again!
"You..."
The True Body Tathagata wanted to say something more, but before the words could leave His mouth, He saw Lu Yang turn his gaze and glance at Him casually.
[Inscribing Heavenly Chapters]:
[Those without a Dao Fruit have no Perfected Lord Stature]
Boom!
Instantly, the True Body Tathagata's mouth opened wide. He saw His own stature plummeting, falling from the Golden Core level to the Foundation Establishment Realm in the blink of an eye!
Yes, He had no Dao Fruit!
As a Tathagata enlightened by the World Honored One, all His divine abilities manifested in response to the World Honored One. If one had to name a Dao Fruit, the World Honored One was His Dao Fruit.
However, this was clearly not the norm.
Therefore, since it was inherently contrary to the world order, Lu Yang encountered almost no resistance when inscribing this iron law. The moment he inscribed it, the True Body Tathagata's stature ceased to exist. Unless the World Honored One sensed it and personally intervened, there was hope to retrieve the lost stature.
But would the World Honored One act for a mere enlightened body?
At this thought, the True Body Tathagata's Buddha face instantly revealed intense bitterness. He could only take a deep look at Lu Yang before clasping His hands in front of His chest.
"Suffering..."
Before His voice fell, a scorching wind brushed past His golden body. Without the blessing of stature, He was helpless against divine abilities He could once easily block.
Boom!
After a loud noise, the True Body Tathagata lost his divinity. His golden body turned into earth and stone, collapsing like a mountain, adding another island to the overseas region from then on.
Only Lu Yang looked up at the sky.
At this moment, the gloom was gone, revealing a clear sky. The [Heavenly Fire] hung high in the center, while the other five Dao Fruits clustered around it.
Seeking the golden core, no more obstacles.
Thinking about it now, my initial thought was a bit reckless.
Lu Yang chuckled lightly. Back then, he had wondered if he could take advantage of everyone's distraction to enter the Dao Fruit at maximum speed, and felt it a pity he couldn't succeed.
But looking back now, even if the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws] hadn't blocked him then, he wouldn't have succeeded.
The [Heavenly Fire] governs dominance and ruling the world. If he forcibly attained it while in a dangerous situation surrounded by enemies, it would be like a whirlwind lasting less than a morning—dominance would be hard to maintain.
He couldn't attain it that way.
To attain it, it had to be like now.
Surrounded by enemies? Then defeat all enemies, execute the rebellious subjects. Ascending the position in such a manner was justifiable and truly accorded with the concept of the [Heavenly Fire]!
In the next second, Lu Yang closed his eyes.
The [Yama Hall] disintegrated with a boom, and the falsely held stature dissipated from his body. Yet almost simultaneously, the [Heavenly Fire] fell toward him on its own initiative.
Like the flash of a spark, the two seamlessly connected.
At this moment, Lu Yang's soul seemed to sink into an endless abyss. All he could see was darkness, until a point of bright light exploded from within the darkness.
[Xuandu Blessed Land].
Instantly, this Blessed Land merged perfectly with the [Heavenly Fire]. Then the Blessed Land disintegrated and melted, until a thunderclap rang out from within—
Boom!
Amidst the rolling thunder, beneath the disintegrated shell of the [Xuandu Blessed Land], a magnificent and vast realm rose slowly. Like the sun clinging to the sky, reflecting the brightness of the Li trigram, the two shone upon each other while jointly clustering around a point of profound light in the center, with mountains, rivers, and stars arranged around them.
[Heavenly Pillar Profound Governance Grotto-Heaven]!
If someone compared it in detail right now, they would find that the internal arrangement of this new Grotto-Heaven was almost identical to the five regions under heaven at this moment.
In the next second, Lu Yang's Dharma Body drifted down.
He stood within the Grotto-Heaven. Without needing to do anything, he naturally became the center of the Grotto-Heaven. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers all bowed in submission.
It really worked?
Until this moment, Lu Yang still felt a bit of disbelief. He looked around, and enlightenment dawned in his heart—At this moment, from the Sea of Bitterness above to the deepest Netherworld below, all reigning golden core perfected lords sensed his existence and were looking toward him in unison.
And not just perfected lords.
Rumble!
In the eight directions and six harmonies, dark clouds gathered and golden snakes danced wildly, yet they didn't truly approach, only dropping an inexplicable, mighty pressure onto Lu Yang.
Someone else might not know where the pressure came from.
But Lu Yang knew all too well—
Although far less heavy than the weight cast by the World Honored One when [Wall-Top Earth] fled in the previous life, the essence is the same... it's the gaze of Dao Lords!
And not just one, but four gazes!
The four Dao Lords, more or less, all cast a sliver of their gaze toward him at this moment!
Even if it only distracted the Dao Lords slightly, it was undeniable that at this moment, having attained the [Heavenly Fire], he was truly seen by the four Dao Lords!
After a moment of silence, Lu Yang had thousands of feelings in his heart, but in the end, they all turned into a smile. Looking up at the sky, he met the gazes from all sides calmly and recited loudly:
"Accumulating years and lives in reverence of cultivation,
The vast ocean beneath the sleeve, thunder startles the sea of clouds.
Cutting light into a cloak, draping dawn as a banner,
The sun and moon shine brightly.
Through a thousand tribulations, my heart remains unchanged,
Sighing at how many times the boat capsized in the sea of dust.
Stars arrange in formation, mountains and rivers offer rites.
Snow clears, sky brightens, the Great Dao is inscribed by me!"