Lu Yang was naturally unaware that [Sky-Shrouding] had already seen through his arrangement, and also knew that his backup plans had been mostly crippled by the other party.
However, he could roughly guess.
After all, that's [Sky-Shrouding]. He should have guessed it.
Lu Yang was very calm. Things having reached this point, he had already arranged everything. It was only one step away from the end. The only thing he had to do next was wait.
In the current situation, pulling one hair moves the whole body. On Suo Huan's side, [Sky-Shrouding] has probably discovered something wrong, but when the time comes, it can still be activated. The problem lies with Martial Uncle Chong Guang. When Martial Uncle Chong Guang begins seeking golden core, only then will this grand scheme truly begin.
Fortunately, Lu Yang didn't wait long.
Just three months later, Jiangbei, Royal Court of the Kingdom of Qing.
"You!"
The current King of Qing looked at Zhong Xin, the Top Scholar he personally appointed, with astonishment on his face, yet he couldn't stop the fresh blood gushing from his chest.
Regarding this, Zhong Xin... or rather Chong Guang, didn't even intend to waste words.
A flash of sword light, and the King of Qing perished completely. Chong Guang, holding the Imperial Insignia of the Son of Heaven, instantly became the person with the highest authority in the Kingdom of Qing. He sighed deeply:
"I still missed by a breath in the end..."
According to his vision, the person assassinating the King of Qing shouldn't have been himself, but a Saint Sect Perfected One cultivated by him.
Previously, he favored Yuan Tu.
Unfortunately, the Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land were truly too shameless, actually taking action personally to convert him to Jiangxi. Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to go into battle himself.
The result was that the [Reversal] as a gold-seeking ritual was not perfect.
Regicide and seizing power were best completed entirely within the Dao Court's system. However, under the Dao Court's system, the current King of Qing was the strongest cultivator.
Theoretically, he couldn't be assassinated.
And to achieve this, Chong Guang used his own power—power that jumped out of the Dao Court's system. In short, it was an unorthodox move.
If Yuan Tu had assassinated the King of Qing, at most I would be guilty of failing to rescue the king, but I could smoothly take over the highest authority within the Dao Court's rules, irreproachable. But I used my own cultivation to kill the King of Qing. The Dao Court rules obviously won't recognize it. The effect of the ritual remains at most sixty percent.
Even more than that.
According to the plan, I will finally blood sacrifice the Kingdom of Qing. As a wonder of heaven and earth, destroying the Kingdom of Qing will inevitably incur heavenly punishment. Originally, Yuan Tu should have borne it for me...
The result was that now Yuan Tu was gone, and everything turned into him doing it personally. One could imagine that the final heavenly punishment would be hard to avoid and would only fall on him.
Though so, Chong Guang quickly cheered up:
Whatever, whatever... In the end, it wasn't a failure. With my current Dao comprehension and cultivation, I can still try my best. It's better than having no hope at all.
"Finally started."
Jiangbei, in the dense forest where Hong Yun was hiding, Lu Yang stood with hands behind his back, seeing the firelight rising from the Kingdom of Qing that almost illuminated half of Jiangbei.
Chong Guang seeking golden core!
And seeing heaven and earth responding to this, with majestic heavenly punishment crashing down, Lu Yang seemed to think of something and instantly chuckled.
"Hehehe..."
"That's for pitting me back then, making me bear the heavenly punishment for you... Now it's what you deserve. Something like heavenly punishment should be borne by yourself."
"One must rely on oneself, Martial Uncle Chong Guang."
At the same time, Hong Yun also walked over quickly, looking excited: "Chong Guang has already sought gold... Fellow Daoist, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Hearing this, Lu Yang looked over. He saw that the current Hong Yun had actually recovered his aura to the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm. Clearly, it was thanks to the Precious Life Perfect Form Scripture. He was now a perfect [Life Form Body], only one step away from completion. No wonder he was so impatient.
But soon, Lu Yang shook his head:
"Look at you, rushing again."
"[Sky-Shrouding] hasn't made a move yet. If Fellow Daoist Hong Yun rushes to seek gold like this, it will play right into his hands. At that time, the first one to die will be you."
Lu Yang's heart was cold and calm.
Based on the experience of previous lifetimes, at this time [Sky-Shrouding] should have already discovered Chong Guang seeking golden core, [Overturned Lamp Flame] shaking, and decisively taken action.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang raised his head again and glanced at the sky overhead. Yet not a bit of purple qi emerged. Clearly, [Sky-Shrouding]'s reaction was completely different from his memory. He seemed to have no intention of acting at all. Such abnormal behavior made him even more certain of his previous guess:
That old bastard indeed discovered it!
He is waiting for me, or rather waiting for Hong Yun to seek golden core! In his eyes, compared to Martial Uncle Chong Guang, Hong Yun is the thorn in his eye.
In that case, it was a contest of patience.
Let's see if he loses his cool first and uses that Perfected Lord-level incarnation, or if I lose my cool first and let Hong Yun seek golden core... This is the key to this game!
On this point, both sides had advantages and disadvantages.
Lu Yang's advantage naturally was being the planner, occupying the initiative. At the same time, this was also [Sky-Shrouding]'s disadvantage; he was the passive party.
But conversely, it was the same.
For Lu Yang, trapping and killing [Sky-Shrouding] was secondary. More importantly, it was to use the momentum of trapping and killing [Sky-Shrouding] to let Hong Yun swallow [Overturned Lamp Flame].
After all, he wasn't genuinely helping Hong Yun. In the end, he still wanted to refine him as a [Life Form Body]. So he also needed [Sky-Shrouding]'s existence. Only by using [Sky-Shrouding] to pressure Hong Yun could Hong Yun, who succeeded in swallowing [Overturned Lamp Flame], fall into the trap he prepared.
But if [Sky-Shrouding] died midway, or couldn't threaten Hong Yun anymore—
Then after Hong Yun succeeded in seeking golden core, he would naturally break free from control. Wouldn't that be hitting a dog with a meat bun—gone and never to return? He couldn't accept this result.
There is a balance in between.
Lu Yang pondered in his heart, his expression grave.
I must grasp a critical node where I can both trap and kill [Sky-Shrouding] and use [Sky-Shrouding]'s power to force Hong Yun to follow my plan.
One wrong step, and the whole game is lost.
Similarly, it's the same for [Sky-Shrouding]. He must effectively kill Hong Yun before his momentum is gone to achieve a desperate turnaround.
In other words...
"This is a fair contest."
Netherworld, [Sky-Shrouding]'s gaze pierced through to the present world, murmuring in a low voice: "Let's see whose methods are higher, who can force the other to the point where they have to act."
In his eyes, the present world at this moment had turned into a chessboard. He sat on one side of the chessboard, while on the other side sat that mastermind who could be called his soulmate. Both sides held several chess pieces in their hands, each having a trump card. Victory or defeat depended entirely on each other's methods.
"Since that's the case, let me make the first move."
The next second, [Sky-Shrouding] moved. He raised his hand first, consciousness roaring out, directly activating the backup plan on [Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow]!
Boom!
Almost simultaneously, on the Pure Land side, the three Orthodox Bodhisattvas exploded with aura at the same time. Buddhist light pierced straight through the clouds, illuminating the firmament, transmitting a majestic voice containing anger:
"It really is you! [Sky-Shrouding]!"
"World Honored One above, whaat an audacity!"