Mighty Buddha light flowed from the heaven and earth covered by sword qi like a bursting dam, flooding the sea of clouds. bove and below split in two, heaven and earth both turned into a void.
In an instant, all was silent.
Even above the dome of the sky, the battle between Emperor Jiayou and the old Dragon Lord halted. Shocked gazes were cast upon Lu Yang one after another.
"She was actually killed..."
That Bodhisattvais the leader of the Pure Land Buddhist cultivators on the surface after all, and she has even cultivated the Dao-Seeking Immortal Method. Even so, she was actually killed.
Incredible!
But in the next second, with the melodious sound of bells and chimes echoing, in an ordinary household in Jiangxi, a newborn baby girl opened her eyes.
"Amitabha."
The Buddha's chant sounded like thunder. The shattered Buddha light instantly gathered. The baby girl landed and grew into an adult, regaining the appearance of [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer]. Her aura was still at its peak. Aside from the extremely ashen look on that charming face, her spiritual power and stature were completely undamaged!
Seeing this scene, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh.
Mid-stage Golden Core with an undying Grotto-Heaven... still too hard to kill.
That shocking sword strike just now almost drained sixty percent of his spiritual power. At this stage, his spiritual power was already bound together with his soul and golden nature.
Given time, recovering would take only a moment.
But now, with both sides engaged in a battle and auras colliding, how could he have time to calmly regulate his breath and recover spiritual power? Taking your life while you're weak was only logical!
—I can't win.
At this moment, Lu Yang clearly realized this fact: Although he attained a supreme Dao Fruit and his combat power was strong enough to rival a mid-stage Golden Core perfected lord...
Even gaining the upper hand and killing the opponent once.
Ultimately, he could only win for a moment, not forever. As long as the opponent's Grotto-Heaven didn't fall, dying countless times was just an insignificant number.
And I can't interfere with the opponent's Grotto-Heaven!
The Grotto-Heaven of a mid-stage Golden Core perfected lord was completely hidden within the Dao Fruit. Even using [Inscribing Heavenly Chapters], he couldn't touch it, let alone forcibly shoot it down.
Unless—
...Unless I have [Sky-Shrouding]'s cultivation, the stature and Dao comprehension of a late-stage Golden Core. Perhaps then I could forcibly peel open the Dao Fruit and kill a mid-stage Golden Core.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but recall Perfected Lord Feixue's outrageous battle record. Just a hundred years after seeking the golden core, she fought to the death with a mid-stage Golden Core and killed the opponent more than fifty times in a row... despite not having a supreme Dao Fruit, yet she could achieve such a feat. No wonder she shook the world back then.
How did she do it?
Lu Yang frowned slightly, already having an answer:
Something's not right... Back then I only felt shocked, but looking at it now, this isn't the intensity an early-stage Golden Core should have. Perfected Lord Feixue definitely cheated!
Both were facing against a mid-stage Golden Core.
"I, with my supreme Dao Fruit, am already exhausted after killing once. You, with a mere [Ravine Stream Water], killed over fifty times. That clearly defied common sense!"
While Lu Yang was pondering.
On the other side, [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer], who had just returned from reincarnation, looked terrible. Her eyes twitched constantly, her face alternating between green and red.
Died... I actually died once!
Even if it was by a supreme Dao Fruit, being killed once was a complete loss of face for [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer]. From now on, she feared she would become a laughingstock.
With this thought, a cold light flashed in [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer]'s eyes. Looking at Lu Yang, whose aura was currently weak, she was about to strike again... But just as this thought arose, a heavenly river rolled across the sky, spanning heaven and earth, cutting off the space between her and Lu Yang.
"Xue Feihong... you!?" [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer]'s expression changed slightly.
"Lost is lost; why are you still standing there?"
From the mighty heavenly river, an arrogant and domineering voice surged out. One could almost see the figure of a woman with hands on her hips, acting presumptuously:
"Get lost!"
Hearing these words, the killing intent in [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer]'s eyes instantly stalled. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Today... I'm afraid Jiangxi is really lost!
The battle had reached a conclusion.
Lu Yang had the old Dragon Lord holding the line and Perfected Lord Feixue backing him. Unless that [Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao] from the Sword Pavilion acted, his position was as stable as Mount Tai!
Absolutely not something the Pure Land could shake!
As for the World Honored One descending... [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer] hadn't failed to consider it. In fact, she had been trying to contact the World Honored One from the very beginning.
However, the World Honored One didn't reply.
The attitude behind the silence was revealed completely. This made [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer] even more helpless, knowing that persisting was meaningless.
"...Amitabha."
[Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer] sighed deeply. Then her brows relaxed, dispersing the cold killing intent, and a charming and compassionate smile reappeared on her face.
In the next second, she looked straight at Lu Yang standing in the sky and chuckled lightly: "Benefactor attaining the [Heavenly Fire] has certainly created a miracle unprecedented in history. But you also chose the wrong time. The thousand-year great tribulation is approaching. As a newly ascended perfected lord, Benefactor will inevitably become a target for all. Do you have a method to avoid the tribulation?"
"Fellow Daoist jests."
Lu Yang smiled calmly upon hearing this. "A great tribulation is also an opportunity. Cultivators of my generation should cut through thorns and face difficulties head-on. How can there be reason to hand over an opportunity?"
As these words came out, [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer] was stunned, then sneered.
Did he really think the thousand-year great tribulation was just lower cultivators fighting, with everyone stopping at a point? That was a true Dao struggle; even the fall of a perfected lord was common!
"Arrogant junior..."
"Hahaha! Well said!"
On the other side, Perfected Lord Feixue laughed loudly, her beautiful eyes looking at Lu Yang with approval: "Having such spirit makes you worthy of being one of us!"
Lu Yang clasped his hands in return, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his deliberately calculated words had hit Perfected Lord Feixue's sweet spot, making her think highly of him. With this, it wouldn't be difficult to have her stand up for him and stabilize the situation with various parties.
Yes, Lu Yang deliberately spoke so heroically.
After all, he was different from other perfected lords. If other perfected lords died in the thousand year-great tribulation, they stayed dead; they only had one life. But If he died, he could just restart.
With a cheat in hand, no panic in heart!
In the next second, [Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer] simply dispersed her Buddha light, and her graceful figure vanished.
On the other side, the surviving Grand Tutor and Grand Guardian of the Dao Court were nowhere to be seen, clearly having run away decisively back to Jiangdong.
Meanwhile, the battle deep in the dome of the sky also came to an end.
Boom!
With a loud bang, Emperor Jiayou broke free from the ocean concept created by [Vast Ocean Water], then fled rapidly back to the Jiangdong region without looking back.
When they came, seven perfected lords were menacing.
When they left, only four perfected lords retreated in disarray. Of the remaining three, two Bodhisattvas were forced into seclusion, and the Dao Court's Grand Preceptor was slain directly by Lu Yang!
Thus—this counted as the battle to establish his foundation!
Whoosh!
Lu Yang's figure descended. Rolling spiritual power surged, turning into rising flames above his head, reflecting thousands of red clouds, enveloping the land of Jiangxi.
In the next second, the billions of living beings in Jiangxi and the foundation establishment cultivators observing the battle widened their eyes. They saw the land of Jiangxi, originally covered in Buddha light and temples, ignite with monstrous fire at this moment. Rosy clouds surged like a tide, actually plowing through the entire Jiangxi from end to end!
"Today, this seat establishes the [Righteous Dao]!"
Lu Yang had always believed that the sects in this wretched place, large or small, were all demonic paths without exception. The so-called righteous path didn't exist; it was all a lie.
With this thought, he made up his mind:
Since no one can be the righteous path, I will be this righteous path!
"Cultivators of the world, regardless of righteous or evil, regardless of background—as long as you are willing to enter my gate and call my name, you can all be my disciples and be taught divine abilities and cultivation methods."
As the booming grand voice passed, the entire Jiangxi was changing.
Rivers changed course, floods flowed backward, mountains shifted, and the earth gathered. Obeying Lu Yang's will, it gradually took on the appearance he desired.
Whipping mountains and moving stones, carving rivers into land.
Everything was incredibly fast, as if it wasn't Lu Yang using great spiritual power to change heaven and earth, but heaven and earth actively changing themselves to accommodate his will!