Confidence is one thing, but [Sky-Shrouding] wouldn't truly underestimate Mu Changsheng because of it. After all, currently, he was just a divine soul thought.
This thought was the one he previously used to manipulate Perfected One Xiaohai.
In a short time, it's hard to add more stakes.
[Sky-Shrouding] knew his own situation. His main body was in the Netherworld, and his output was limited. This single thought was already the entirety of the interference he could exert on the present world.
Even this was already not easy.
Under normal circumstances, he couldn't enter or exit the Netherworld. He couldn't even send out a divine soul thought. Being able to send one out was due to arrangements made many years ago.
Of course, if he disregarded the cost and directly took out the [World-Retribution Incarnation] to throw into the present world, there wouldn't be any restriction on divine soul thoughts. But the [World-Retribution Incarnation] was his final trump card. Using it here would simply be using a cannon to shoot mosquitoes, a meaningless action.
For the present plan, it's most appropriate to find a way to strengthen the divine soul thought.
So how could it be strengthened?
The method was also very simple. Just open a channel linking to the Netherworld, allowing his main body to strengthen the divine sense across the Netherworld.
With this thought, [Sky-Shrouding] made a prompt decision.
Boom!
He blew up the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot].
This superior Spirit Treasure was refined by him using Hong Yun's [Eternal Brilliance Precious-Light Grotto-Heaven] fragment. However, its significance wasn't limited to merely being a superior Spirit Treasure.
What was important was the Grotto-Heaven fragment.
As bait prepared back then to hook Hong Yun, this Grotto-Heaven fragment originally contained a Netherworld portal he had meticulously crafted inside.
Precisely to preserve this portal, he spent effort after possessing Perfected One Xiaohai to forge the Grotto-Heaven fragment into the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot], this superior Spirit Treasure. The purpose was to reopen the Netherworld portal by detonating this Spirit Treasure when necessary.
What a waste of such a spiritual treasure.
Originally, I planned to let that Yuan Tu fulfill his wish, actively letting myself be killed by him, and incidentally delivering the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot] into his hands to gather intelligence...
This was also a habitual move.
After all, in most people's eyes, getting a Spirit Treasure meant they would definitely use it. That was their opportunity; rarely would anyone suspect a problem.
And the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot] containing a Grotto-Heaven fragment meant he could not only monitor Yuan Tu through this Spirit Treasure but also use the Knowledge-Perception Barrier to influence the opponent secretly. He could even appear directly beside the opponent when necessary, then grab him and refine him instantly.
It could only be described as being extremely insidious.
Of course, now that the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot] exploded, the previous scheme came to naught. Although [Sky-Shrouding] felt it a pity, he didn't care too much.
After all, compared to before, his attitude towards Yuan Tu had also changed. No longer thinking 'I must protect the person Hong Yun wants to kill', but intending to eradicate weeds by the roots!
...Whatever.
In a flash, as the [Sea-Faring Bright Light Pot] exploded, the Netherworld portal opened, and the majestic divine sense of [Sky-Shrouding]'s main body surged out!
Facing Mu Changsheng's possession attempt, his response method was incredibly simple.
Don't you want to possess? I'll let you possess. If one isn't enough, I'll give you a thousand, ten thousand. Let's see if you possess me, or if I crush you!
In other words, pure power!
After all, my realm is higher than yours. Why play clever tricks? Just suppress people with brilliant momentum directly. We Saint Sect members love challenging those of higher levels!
Fortunately, this was also within Mu Changsheng's expectation.
[Sky-Shrouding]... that Supreme One already informed me of the intelligence. Late Golden Core Great Perfected Lord—such strength allows me no more concealment.
Why try to possess [Sky-Shrouding]'s divine soul thought?
The answer was simple, because the method of possessing the divine soul came from the Zhaomu Order Scripture given to him by Lu Yang. This was already an instruction that couldn't be more obvious.
Moreover, this was indeed a path to life.
Mu Changsheng felt heavy in his heart, but he saw it very clearly.
At this moment, apart from this path Lu Yang had planned for him early on—possessing [Sky-Shrouding]'s divine soul thought—he had no other way to go.
At least the Supreme One... that mysterious Saint Sect Perfected Lord also wants to deal with [Sky-Shrouding]. By fighting [Sky-Shrouding], I can get the other party's support. But if I stay out of it and don't fight [Sky-Shrouding], I'll be useless to him. With the style of Saint Sect Perfected Lords, I will definitely die!
As for defecting to [Sky-Shrouding]?
Stop joking. What about him was worth a late Golden Core Great Perfected Lord's attention? [Wu You Heaven]? It would probably only amuse the other party.
The key to defecting lies in being useful.
And he was useful to that mysterious Saint Sect Perfected Lord, but useless to [Sky-Shrouding]. Grasping this core contradiction, making a choice wasn't difficult.
On this point, if Mu Changsheng knew Lu Yang's true identity, perhaps he would have disloyal thoughts.
However, Lu Yang was very steady in this regard. From beginning to end, he shrouded himself in shimmering light and changed his voice, giving Mu Changsheng not a single clue.
So he had no choice.
"Banner, come!"
In an instant, Mu Changsheng's consciousness fluctuated, almost instantly alerting Yuan Tu who had already fled thousands of miles away. A storage bag was propped open by a treasure light.
Within the treasure light, the Myriad Spirits Banner emerged.
"Someone is summoning it."
At this moment, Sisui had returned the body to Yuan Tu, feigning weakness as he said: "Let go, give it to him. We need someone to delay time."
Hearing this, Yuan Tu had a look of reluctance. However, out of trust in Sisui and the decisive character inherited from Lu Yang in his bones, he finally let go. He allowed the Myriad Spirits Banner to transform into a spiritual light and speed away, breaking through the void, arriving beside the Primordial Dao Sin in just a blink of an eye.
"Merge!"
Under Mu Changsheng's influence, the Myriad Spirits Banner immediately merged with the Primordial Dao Sin. Then the [Eternal Flowing Water] concept began to pour madly into the banner!
At the same time, Mu Changsheng also formed hand seals, chanting: "When false is taken for true, true becomes false; where non-existence is taken for existence, existence becomes non-existence."
The sound of the dharma incantation echoed faintly. A secret realm that seemed both real and illusory expanded along with it, spreading towards the Five Regions under heaven.
[Wu You Heaven] was born!
At the same time, as [Wu You Heaven] reached perfection, the appearance of an Unorthodox Dao Fruit reversed the suppression of [Sky-Shrouding]'s divine soul thought on Mu Changsheng.
It even formed a counterattack!
[Wu You Heaven] closed, actually locking down all of [Sky-Shrouding]'s added divine soul thoughts in return.
So many divine soul thoughts, and coming from a late Golden Core Great Perfected Lord. As long as I possess them, I can use this to re-refine a useful body!
This was Mu Changsheng's desperate gamble.
If successful, there was life.
If not, death was just death!
Seeking a chance of victory, Mu Changsheng's voice rode upon [Wu You Heaven], sounding from overseas and spreading across the Five Regions under heaven along with [Wu You Heaven]:
"[Sky-Shrouding] has long reversed Chen Earth, achieved Five Elements Perfection, ascended to the late Golden Core stage, and the Nascent Soul is in sight!"
Hearing this, [Sky-Shrouding]'s expression instantly changed slightly.
He had been exposed!!