Time flew; in the blink of an eye, two and a half years had passed.
Overseas, at the line of sky.
Above the boundless ocean stood a lonely island. On a remote cliff of this island, amidst layers of heavy haze, a hazy figure sat cross-legged.
"Netherworld..."
Sky-Shrouding sat on the cliff like this, gazing far towards the direction of the [Netherworld] through the line of sky. A deep longing and anger were revealed in the depths of his eyes.
He wanted to curse someone, but didn't know who to curse.
Again, that sentence: he didn't know that bastard's name!
For the past two and a half years, he had been plucking the great web of karma and scouring the traces of heaven and earth at all times, yet the other party seemed to have evaporated from the world, disappearing without a trace.
If not for the fact that [Overturned Lamp Flame] remained empty without the slightest sign of recovery, he would have even suspected his plan had actually succeeded. But every time after such reverie, he had to face reality again: after all this scheming, his situation hadn't improved at all.
It was even worse.
Sword Pavilion... that old fellow Gangxing has been in seclusion all this time. He probably gained something. Most likely, he imprinted one of the five Supreme Dao Fruit books.
Saint Sect... forget it.
The Pure Land—I'm lucky. The World-Honored One doesn't seem to intend to trouble me. This actually surprises me. It seems related to my past self...
Thinking of this, Sky-Shrouding frowned slightly.
His memory was actually incomplete.
This was normal, because he knew too much. Some forbidden knowledge was too important, to the point that he had sealed it away himself using the [Knowledge-Perception Barrier].
This seal was in his sea of consciousness. Intuition told him that only when he sought to become a Dao Lord could he undo the seal. If he undid it before then, it would inevitably bring a catastrophic disaster. Even if he were in the Netherworld, he might meet a violent end. So he had never dared to touch memories in this aspect.
However, although he didn't touch them, it didn't mean he had no clues.
As expected, this segment of memory I sealed myself should be related to the Pure Land and the World Honored One. Otherwise, it's impossible to explain why the World Honored One is so lenient towards me.
Whether it was [Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow] or others.
This was a good thing, but also a bad thing.
The good thing was that the Dao Lord who could most easily interfere with the Present World wouldn't affect him too much. The bad thing was that he might fall into a trap if he wasn't careful.
If one day he also went "hey", that would be truly despairing.
Thinking of this, Sky-Shrouding glanced at Jiangnan again, the gloom in his eyes growing heavier.
[Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao]... although he suffered a big loss this time, he ultimately imprinted a Supreme Dao Fruit book and had hope of continuing his Dao path.
Damn it, that good for nothing actually managed to rise up!
Even someone with [Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao]'s level of Dao comprehension had hope of recovering and returning to being a Great Perfected Lord, while he, with his heaven-gifted talent, could only sit idly here.
He wasn't conviced!
Thinking and thinking again, Sky-Shrouding thought of that nameless bastard again. By now, he was certain the other party wasn't some reincarnation of a Dao Lord.
Eighty percent chance he obtained the inheritance of that Dao Lord of the Dharma Body Dao.
Thinking of this, Sky-Shrouding felt dizzy with anger again.
Clearly just a troublesome little bug, not some formidable figure. Yet just like a real bug, squirming and wriggling, he actually won!
Who could accept losing like this?
However, cruel reality lay before him. Even if Sky-Shrouding had ten thousand unwillingness in his heart, he could only put it aside for now and rethink his way out.
Reviving [Overturned Lamp Flame] to return to being a Great Perfected Lord as fast as possible is hopeless.
The opportunity in [Nourishing Life Master] came only once. Gathering such a lineup again was basically impossible, and relying on himself alone couldn't kill Lu Yang.
I can only walk the path of Void Attainment.
With this thought, the void behind Sky-Shrouding instantly cracked. The [Sea of Bitterness] opened wide, indistinctly manifesting an incredibly broad high platform.
This was a strange thing.
Above the [Sea of Bitterness], apart from Dao Fruits and Great Daos, there was nothing else. A so-called high platform simply wasn't something that should appear here.
However, looking closely, one would discover the truth of this high platform: it was also a Great Dao. But unlike [Immortal Venerable Taiyin]'s [Money] Great Dao and [Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon]'s [Sword Dao] of the past, this Great Dao did not point towards the unseen [Paramita] above the [Sea of Bitterness].
Instead, it pointed below the [Sea of Bitterness]!
The entire Great Dao started from the surface of the [Sea of Bitterness], with the majority penetrating deep into the seabed. Only a small section manifested above the surface, looking like a high platform.
It was upside down!
Back then, I planned to use the [Reversal of Chen Earth] to bury this Great Dao inside, borrowing the intent for cultivation, which also happened to fit the special stature of the Netherworld.
Now, it's useless.
Sky-Shrouding sighed deeply. Was this Great Dao strong? Of course it was strong! It could even be said bluntly that the stature of this Great Dao was also at the level of a Great Perfected Lord!
But the problem was, he couldn't use it.
Because the main body of the Great Dao was located below the [Sea of Bitterness]. Walking further was futile.
The only part that could truly empower him was that small section of the high platform exposed above the surface. Everything else was covered and buried by the endless water of the [Sea of Bitterness]!
This was the wrong route; the harder he worked, the more wrong it became.
Of course, this predicament only existed in the [Sea of Bitterness]. If in the Netherworld, this Great Dao not only wouldn't be restricted but could unleash its full power.
In other words, Sky-Shrouding's true peak state in this life was actually in the Netherworld. Because there, he was not only a Grotto-Heaven Method Great Perfected Lord with perfect Five Elements, but also a Great Perfected Lord with a Void Attainment Dao Fruit. With double stature enhancement, even if a Dao Lord descended to the mortal world, he would dare to bare his teeth to their face!
Alas, a tiger down on the plains is bullied by dogs...
Thinking of this, Sky-Shrouding felt disheartened. Of course, at this point, he could still pull the Void Attainment Great Dao out of the [Sea of Bitterness].
In that way, he could immediately recover the stature of a Great Perfected Lord.
However, doing so would mean completely giving up on the Netherworld. What was the point? Just one more Great Perfected Lord? How could he stop there!
Just then.
BOOM!
Accompanied by a heaven-shaking, earth-moving loud noise, the entire dark voi and sea of light and billions of World Realms sensed it again. Countless living beings looked up at the sky one after another.
Immediately after came a burst of arrogant laughter:
"Hahahahaha!"
Amidst the laughter, a majestic human figure slowly emerged. It was impressively the Dharma Body Dao. For a moment, who knows how many Perfected Lords within the Immortal Nexus held their breath.
Again!?
In the next second, the majestic figure moved. He raised his fist high, and then, under the horrified gazes of countless people, slowly raised his midle finger.
"Sky-Shrouding, fuck your mother!"
"I'll wait for you in [The Mortal World] for three days. If you come, you definitely won't have a good time. I must pull down that fog of yours and beat your face until it's swollen!"
Soon, the light and shadow dissipated.
On the other side, Sky-Shrouding sighed. Although provoked by Lu Yang broadcasting across the entire light sea like this, he was very calm, without the slightest anger.
Bang!
Casually smashing the lonely island beneath him, Sky-Shrouding stood up calmly. Correct, with a Dao Heart as firm as his, how could he get angry because of a junior?
"Want to settle grudges with me?"
Sky-Shrouding sneered. "It seems he has gained something, made progress in the Dharma Body Dao, and also healed his injuries, returning to his peak. So he doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, thinking he can really fight me."
Arrogant junior!
Actually thinking he can fight me to a draw? Before, it was because I wasn't sure I could kill you, so I deliberately held back, planning to kill you at the critical moment.
Perfect. Since that junior is so arrogant, I'll beat him at his own game... Although I can't kill him, if I go all out and add some methods, temporarily suppressing and sealing him should still be possible. During the seal, I might find a method to kill him completely.
With this thought, Sky-Shrouding pulled himself together.
Immediately after, he began preparing nonstop—setting up formations, refining secret treasures. Only after making complete preparations did he step into [The Mortal World].
But, Lu Yang didn't come..
Sky-Shrouding was driven mad with anger.