Inside the dim thatched cottage, amidst the profound darkness created by [Driving Night], vast white light rolled through like flowing water, embellishing the darkness with mottled, psychedelic colors.
Lu Yang made the first move.
"Strike!"
He formed a hand seal single-handedly, condensing massive spiritual power at his fingertips. Using the method from the [Precious Life Perfect Form Scripture], he began to devour the remaining half of Suo Huan's skull.
Shortly, Suo Huan's body was completely occupied by him. Up until this moment, Suo Huan remained the Perfected Lord of [Wellspring Water]. Following this connection, he unhesitatingly extended his spiritual power toward [Wellspring Water]. However, upon detecting Lu Yang's spiritual power, [Wellspring Water] actually resisted.
It actually resists?
Lu Yang's expression shifted slightly. This step exceeded his expectations. When he devoured [Overturned Lamp Flame] previously, it hadn't resisted.
Is it because of the completeness of the [Life Form Body]?
Hong Yun was in peak condition after all; his [Life Form Body] was intact and flawless. Suo Huan only has half a skull left, so he cannot suppress [Wellspring Water].
Unexpected... but manageable.
Lu Yang remained calm. After encountering so many turns and events, he was accustomed to variables. Besides, this variable wasn't too significant.
The next second, Suo Huan moved.
Boom.
A loud sound exploded within the thatched cottage, only to be quickly swallowed by the darkness. It was Suo Huan decisively extracting his own [Universe Ruins Heaven]!
This extraction directly stripped away half of [Wellspring Water]'s mighty power!
[Wellspring Water] was not like [Eternal Flowing Water]; it possessed no "Boundless" concept. Now, with half its power stripped away, it instantly withered!
Of course, for a Dao Fruit, this withering was only temporary. A Dao Fruit formed a self-contained cycle; give it some time to recuperate, and the stripped power would regenerate. However, with Lu Yang eyeing it covetously right before him, this moment of weakness in [Wellspring Water] immediately exposed a flaw.
"Stop struggling, you are mine!"
Lu Yang grinned, channeling his spiritual powerto crash into it, finally penetrating the interior of [Wellspring Water] and forming an inseparable connection with the Dao Fruit.
What followed was easy.
Following this connection, Lu Yang frantically devoured the concept and wonder of [Wellspring Water], while the weakened Dao Fruit had no way to resist.
Almost simultaneously, on the other side of the altar.
"Now!"
In an instant, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's divine sense echoed. Patriarch Nether Whisper raised the spiritual light in his hand the moment he heard the signal.
Their coordination was incredibly precise.
In a flash, the [World Realm Seed] in Patriarch Nether Whisper's hand expanded explosively, catching the falling [Universe Ruins Heaven] exactly at the moment before it could disintegrate!
Up to this point, not a single ripple had been stirred in the outside world. This was because the [Sea of Bitterness] was currently open, and the entire process took place within it. Even if there were slight tremors in aura, they were contained within the thatched cottage and masked by Lu Yang's [Driving Night] before they could spread.
At this moment, the [Universe Ruins Heaven] trembled violently.
Lu Yang looked over and saw that Suo Huan's [Universe Ruins Heaven] was even more complete than his own Grotto-Heaven from the past. Birds, flowers, fish, insects, mountains, and rivers—it contained everything.
Rather than a Grotto-Heaven, it was more like a World Realm.
Or rather, [Universe Ruins Heaven] was Suo Huan's World Realm. All these years, rather than comprehending the Dao, he had focused more on reviving his former World Realm.
Lu Yang even saw human figures inside.
Countless scenes flashed by in a glance. The next second, the [Universe Ruins Heaven] fell squarely into the [World Realm Seed] woven by Patriarch Nether Whisper.
Suo Huan's Golden Nature Soul also threw itself in.
It's now!
Seeing this, Patriarch Nether Whisper's gaze grew incredibly grave. The hand seal in his hand changed, finally extending an index finger to tap lightly against the [World Realm Seed].
Clang clang!
This tap was like painting the eyes on a dragon. It injected all the mighty power Suo Huan had stripped from [Wellspring Water] within the [Universe Ruins Heaven] into the [World Realm Seed]. This caused the seed to rapidly evolve, steaming with watery light that coiled into rings, manifesting concepts and wonders.
Embryonic Dao Fruit... Unorthodox Dao Fruit... Orthodox Dao Fruit!
In just the blink of an eye, the [World Realm Seed]'s stature climbed steadily. From an Embryonic Dao Fruit to birthing concepts, then to birthing wonders—it was accomplished in one go!
"The final step..."
Patriarch Nether Whisper dared not slack off. Even though his spiritual powet was nearly exhausted by that dragon-eye-painting finger tap, he forcibly roused his essence, qi, and spirit.
The next second, [Wu You Heaven] emerged at his glabella.
Transformation of void and reality!
Soon, streams of illusory spiritual power began to flow within Patriarch Nether Whisper's body again. Through the change in concept, they turned into real spiritual power!
However, as his spiritual power expanded, Patriarch Nether Whisper's face grew paler. This transformation from void to reality was not creating something from nothing; essentially, it was squeezing Patriarch Nether Whisper's essence, qi, and spirit. Even the power of [Wu You Heaven]... but even so, his fingers forming the seal did not tremble.
"...Seal!"
Patriarch Nether Whisper opened his lips and let out a shout. Rolling spiritual power drove the concept, sealing the [World Realm Seed]—now turned Orthodox Dao Fruit—from the inside out.
Boom!
Another loud bang. The dim thatched cottage suddenly bloomed with a blinding brilliance, illuminating the entire room almost transparent.
Only at the very edges, by the doors and windows, did darkness still linger, locking all the light within the cottage so not even a speck leaked out.
This lasted for several full minutes before the blinding brilliance finally dimmed. On the altar, a figure had appeared out of thin air. With a smile on his lips, a straight back, and a point of light shimmering at his glabella like a wellspring gushing with flowing light—it was none other than the fully intact Suo Huan!
"It's done!"
Seeing this, Patriarch Nether Whisper finally revealed a look of joy. Then, he staggered, but before he could fall, two pairs of hands steadied him from the left and right.
It was Suo Huan and Lu Yang.
The next second, two wonders emerged simultaneously.
One was [Wellspring Water]'s fundamental wonder, [Shared Nourishment]. The other was extremely similar but held slight differences.
But without a doubt, both could take on injuries!
Under the baptism of the mystic brilliance, Patriarch Nether Whisper, whose face had been deathly pale, quickly recovered. He exhaled slowly, his aura stabilizing.
Immediately after, he looked expectantly at Lu Yang.
"...Did you succeed too?"
Lu Yang smiled and nodded slightly.
Behind him, the aura of the [Past Life Aspect] had risen significantly. Aside from [Holding Candle Driving Night Light], there was now an additional new wonder!
Of the two wonders that just protected Patriarch Nether Whisper, Suo Huan's was identical to [Wellspring Water] because it was a one-to-one replica by the Patriarch. However, Lu Yang was different. He had re-derived the Dao Fruit wonder through the Dharma Body Dao after devouring [Wellspring Water]!
Although roughly the same, there were variations.
However, what left Lu Yang somewhat regretful was that despite devouring a second Dao Fruit, he didn't feel any special change in his own stature.
This is strange.
Devouring two Dao Fruits, logically speaking, I should be about the same as those mid-stage Golden Cores who have an early-stage Perfected Lord attached to them. Yet my Stature hasn't improved.
At this rate, even if I devour a third Dao Fruit and gather three elements, I won't be able to become a Great Perfected Lord?
Why is this?
Could it be because I only obtained the Dao Fruit's concept and wonder, but not its stature, so I can't trigger a qualitative change?
Of course, it wasn't completely without change.
Lu Yang raised his head, pondering: Devouring two Dao Fruits... I should now be able to occupy three-tenths... no, four-tenths of the Dharma Body Dao!
One Dao Fruit is one-fifth?
In that case, as long as he gathered five Dao Fruits, the Dharma Body Dao would be his!
He believed that when that time came, even without obtaining the Dao Fruit's Stature, he would inevitably become a Great Perfected Lord!