Jiangbei, within a dense forest.
Lu Yang sat cross-legged, the Righteous Dao Banner fluttering behind him. He had already recalled the Heaven-Mending Peak Master and Chen Xin'an, reviewing the memories they had investigated from Hong Ju.
"Hong Ju... this person is indeed extraordinary."
At Foundation Establishment Perfection, having lived for over five thousand years without dying, this seniority alone was enough for him to accidentally gain insight into many secrets during the long passage of time.
Of course, Lu Yang had no interest in most of these secrets, as Hong Ju's level was limited. However, there were a very few secrets that even surprised him after learning them. Among them, the most unknown was the love-hate entanglement between Perfected Lord Feixue and [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian].
"This is somewhat unexpected."
[Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian], the third Perfected Lord of the Saint Sect. Judging from the content of his title, Lu Yang speculated that the other party's Dao Fruit should be [Grand Torrent Water].
The key lay in this person's cultivation.
"According to Hong Ju's memory, [Perfected Lord Hanguang Who Drifts Above the Heavens] is a veteran Perfected Lord of the Saint Sect. He was already in position long before Perfected Lord Feixue sought golden core and ascended to the position."
"There were disputes between the two sides even back then."
"In the end, it was under the protection of [Perfected Lord Iridescent Brocade] that Perfected Lord Feixue remained safe and sound. It wasn't until she ascended to the position and sought gold that their positions swapped."
However, the subtle part was right here.
"Five thousand years ago, when Perfected Lord Feixue had just successfully ascended to the position and sought gold, the cultivation of this [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] should have still been at the early Golden Core stage."
"Another hundred years passed, and the Dao Court Grand Preceptor invaded."
"The Saint Sect was in imminent danger."
"At that time, Perfected Lord Feixue displayed extraordinary combat power, repelling the Dao Court Grand Preceptor, and thereby thoroughly took the top seat of the Saint Sect."
"And before that, this position had always been held by [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian]... What's more infuriating is that not long after that, he should have broken through to the mid-stage Golden Core. The evidence is that his lifespan was already very advanced at that time, yet a thousand years later, he still showed no trend of falling."
This situation could only be explained by breaking through to the middle stage, where the Grotto-Heaven does not fall.
"If [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] really broke through, then he would inevitably have sought out [Perfected Lord Iridescent Brocade], asking her to attach herself to his name."
"After all, only in this way could he seek the late stage of Golden Core."
"Moreover, this was originally a win-win situation. One had [Grand Torrent Water], the other [Mulberry Silkworm Wood], and they were a man and a woman—simply a match made in heaven."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang shook his head again:
"A pity that while the falling flower has intent, the flowing water has no affection."
"At least in terms of results, [Perfected Lord Iridescent Brocade] likely rejected him back then... She didn't choose him, preferring to wait for Perfected Lord Feixue who hadn't broken through yet."
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Reading this, Lu Yang couldn't help but click his tongue, feeling somewhat emotional: "No wonder these two have bad blood. This is a naked feud of obstructing the Dao!"
No wonder [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] lived in seclusion within the Saint Sect and rarely showed his face. It was because he couldn't beat Perfected Lord Feixue, and coupled with the fact that [Perfected Lord Iridescent Brocade] also stood on Perfected Lord Feixue's side. Otherwise, the two sides would definitely have fought to the death. Not meeting was already considered restraint.
At the same time, Lu Yang had an unexpected gain.
"Hong Yun actually had a guess long ago, believing that the Perfected Lord who had been secretly supporting him in the Saint Sect all along was actually [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian]."
"Looking at it now, it shouldn't be wrong."
"After all, he definitely doesn't want to see Chong Guang attain [Overturned Lamp Flame] and help Perfected Lord Feixue break through to the late stage. Supporting Hong Yun is a matter of course."
"It's just a pity Hong Yun was a disappointment."
"Actually, he should have been secretly supporting Hong Yun for a few thousand years, but Hong Yun never managed to return to the Perfected Lord position. Eighty percent chance it broke his heart."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang's eyes suddenly lit up:
"This is actually an opportunity... If I can let him see hope of Hong Yun returning to the Perfected Lord position, and promise to attach to his Grotto-Heaven after success..."
"Perhaps I can gain massive assistance for free."
Don't look at how [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] has been suppressed by Perfected Lord Feixue for so many years; that's because Perfected Lord Feixue is too fierce, far beyond comparison with normal people.
In fact, according to Lu Yang's speculation, the strength of [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] is definitely not bad. Being able to sit firmly in the top seat of the Saint Sect before Perfected Lord Feixue shows that he is very likely the kind of stunning Perfected Lord who can exchange a few blows with a mid-stage Golden Core, just that he couldn't beat Perfected Lord Feixue.
And after all, he is a veteran Saint Sect Perfected Lord.
Even if suppressed by Perfected Lord Feixue with brute force, could he really have achieved nothing at all? Maybe he was just keeping a low profile on the surface while holding back bad intentions in the dark.
After organizing the intelligence, Lu Yang came to a conclusion:
"This person is worth paying attention to!"
Currently, he already planned to refine Hong Yun into a [Life Form Body], thereby swallowing [Overturned Lamp Flame]. It was foreseeable that offending Perfected Lord Feixue was inevitable.
However, in this lifetime, he intended to hide in the dark.
So he needed a 'white glove' to block Perfected Lord Feixue for him, and [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] was undoubtedly a suitable candidate.
As for Martial Uncle Chong Guang... I wish him good luck.
Immediately after, Lu Yang removed the Celestial Mother Transformation Profound Light from Hong Ju's body, releasing this Foundation Establishment Perfection Great Perfected One who had just suffered devastation.
At this moment, Hong Yun was still studying how to refine himself into a [Life Form Body].
Yuan Tu's side was also not something that could be done overnight.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang simply settled his mind. His divine intent condensed slightly, his brows lifted, and he instantly opened the [Sea of Bitterness], then stepped inside.
Until today, I should also cultivate properly.
After all, from seeking gold in my previous life until now, I have only been seeking speed on the cultivation path and have never truly settled my mind to cultivate.
What is cultivation?
In the past, when he first opened the [Sea of Bitterness], Immortal Venerable Taiyin once told him about the cultivation methods of [Seeking the Dao] , [Chasing the Dao], and [Attaining the Dao].
But at that time, he didn't take it to heart.
After all, back then he had made up his mind to devour unorthodox Dao Fruits to quickly condense True Treasures. Although he perceived the [Sea of Bitterness], he didn't truly take it seriously.
At most, he treated it as a tool for combat.
Now entering the [Sea of Bitterness] again with the mind of "cultivation," Lu Yang instead gave birth to some brand-new insights.
"What is [Chasing the Dao]?"
Lu Yang looked around at the infinite sea of concepts before him. He saw the seawater churning, tides rising and falling, and layer upon layer of waves expanding in all directions.
Suddenly, enlightenment dawned in his heart:
As the saying goes, there are no waves without wind. [Chasing the Dao]... perhaps it means chasing these waves in the [Sea of Bitterness], seeking the sources that stir up the waves!
Thinking of it, he did it. Lu Yang immediately tried it out.
He randomly found a wave, then went upstream, chasing in the [Sea of Bitterness]. He didn't know how long passed before he suddenly stopped his steps.
"This is..."
In an instant, Lu Yang's gaze shook violently.
What entered his eyes was a hollow bright light, sitting amidst infinite concepts, yet effortlessly stripping out the required parts from it.
In a trance, he seemed to see a boundless territory, where crops grew and provided nourishment, vegetation was lush and smooth, flowers, birds, fish, and insects each manifested their ecology, and all living beings could find their place within... Layer upon layer of concepts piled up like this, finally turning mustard seed into Sumeringu, converging into a bright light.
...Holy shit!?
Lu Yang abruptly held his breath.
The next second, without any hesitation, he directly pulled back and retreated. With a flash of his figure, he disappeared from the [Sea of Bitterness], looking at that bright light no more.
Almost simultaneously, within the bright light, a pair of eyes suddenly opened.
In an instant, the bright light collapsed. It was no longer the boundless territory from before, but transformed into a face wearing a ceremonial crown with pearl tassels half-covering it, casting down a majestic gaze.
Then, a magnificent voice echoed:
"Who is it?"