As the Old Dragon Lord's voice fell, Lu Yang narrowed his eyes instantly.
His first reaction was that something was wrong. His self-awareness was very clear:
True, the current him was considered a person of status in the sea of light.
But was his status truly very high?
Not necessarily!
At least against the backdrop of the approaching Thousand Year Great Tribulation, where Dao Lords gave tacit consent and the "Great Perfected Lord realm" was opened, he—a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator—actually didn't count for much.
Only Great Perfected Lords could sit at the table of this gluttonous feast.
As for a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, no matter how strong—even if claimed to be the number one person below the Great Perfected Lords—it had no meaning. Both stature and weight were far behind.
The reason Lu Yang could deal with many Great Perfected Lords and even attract the attention of Dao Lords was purely because he was rather jumpy. If he didn't possess the Dharma Body Dao, any Supreme Dao Fruit, or other extraordinary assets, a mere mid-stage Golden Core wouldn't even warrant a glance from a Dao Lord.
So, is the current me worth Mysterious Wall recruiting?
And recruiting me at the risk of offending the Sword Pavilion Dao Lord... no, even adding the risk of the Saint Sect's old monster—do I have that qualification?
It's not worth it!
There must be a problem here. Either Mysterious Wall's recruitment is problematic, or Mysterious Wall itself has a problem. Anyway, it's definitely not a good thing...
Two possibilities existed, each with its own logic.
The former—that Mysterious Wall's recruitment was problematic—meant the Old Dragon Lord was scheming against him. The so-called recruitment was just a trick to lure him out and slaughter him.
The latter—that Mysterious Wall itself had a problem—seemed more plausible.
Lu Yang leaned more toward this possibility. After all, he cultivated the Dharma Body Dao now and was only one step away from completely controlling it.
The Dao Lords of Mysterious Wall and Star Palace must be old acquaintances with Si Sui. Maybe there is a plan to use me as material to revive Si Sui. After all, both being of the Dharma Body Dao, rather than recruiting me, it's better to find a way to pull Si Sui back. At least he's an ally whose origins and background are known.
Lu Yang pondered in his heart, but his face remained very calm.
The next second, he looked at the Old Dragon Lord and suddenly changed the subject. "Mysterious Wall has huge influence; why would they notice a nameless person like me?"
"Could it be you told them, Old Dragon Lord?" Lu Yang said with an unfriendly expression.
Old Dragon Lord: "..."
After a moment of silence, the Old Dragon Lord said with a bitter face, "Fellow Daoist underestimates yourself too much. That sword cry fifty years ago was not only heard in the Immortal Nexus but throughout the entire sea of light."
"In this situation, how could Mysterious Wall not investigate?"
"Moreover, before that, Fellow Daoist already had karmic connections with Mysterious Wall. Fellow Daoist should have also discovered it, just didn't delve into it."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang narrowed his eyes instantly, then realized: It should be the Qi-Eating Insects! So that was indeed a dao art deliberately released by Mysterious Wall?
Thinking of this, he immediately waved his big hand, summoning Jade Maiden. As soon as Jade Maiden appeared, the Old Dragon Lord immediately shifted his gaze to look over.
After looking Jade Maiden up and down, a look of understanding surfaced in the depths of the Old Dragon Lord's eyes. "Sure enough, it's the Qi-Eating Insects that appeared briefly back then. I didn't expect there were still remnants, and cultivated to this extent in Fellow Daoist's hands. This is your karmic connection with Mysterious Wall."
Speaking of this, the Old Dragon Lord looked somewhat apprehensive.
"This insect is a dao art refined by one of the Three Great Celestial Masters of Mysterious Wall, Celestial Master Chongying Yuanyou. The connection with that Celestial Master is quite close."
"Fellow Daoist forcibly taking this branch of Qi-Eating Insects for yourself... the karma is very heavy."
Lu Yang raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this. "Old Dragon Lord seems to know a lot?"
"I just lived long enough."
The Old Dragon Lord shook his head. He only knew about it because he had once sought the Dao from Mysterious Wall and cultivated dao arts before the Grotto-Heaven Method was established.
Relying on this little bit sentiment, he managed to defect over.
But strictly speaking, he was actually extremely apprehensive of Mysterious Wall too. This could be seen from his handling of the Qi-Eating Insects back then.
Back then, Qi-Eating Insects appeared once Overseas, controlled by a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. Normally, they should have used Overseas as a base. But the result was inexplicably killing their way to the Pure Land... Looking at it now, it might be the Old Dragon Lord diverting disaster to the east, not wanting to be tainted by karma.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang laughed instantly.
This old loach... it seems he expanded his skill of playing both sides among the four major forces in the past, now applying it to the Immortal Nexus and Mysterious Wall!
"...Tell me about it."
After a moment of silence, Lu Yang revealed a look of interest. "My current situation is no different from being dead. Does Mysterious Wall possess a dao art that can help me escape this predicament?"
"Of course there is."
The Old Dragon Lord breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He hurriedly took out a jade slip and said solemnly, "This Dao art is called the [Supreme Dao Lord's Scripture of Everlasting Purity and Tranquility]."
"Once Fellow Daoist successfully cultivates this Dao art, even with only the Initial Truth Precept, it will suffice to enter a state known as [Profound Eternal Stillness—Stillness Beyond Stillness], thereby avoiding the influence of that sword cry. If cultivated to the perfection of the Heavenly Immortal Great Precept, one may even transcend the Sea of Bitterness."
"Really?"
I don't believe it!
Lu Yang sounded excited on the surface, but his eyes were icy cold. How could there be such a good thing as pie falling from the sky? Taking me for a fool?
"Fellow Daoist, Mysterious Wall is truly sincere."
The Old Dragon Lord advised earnestly. After all, coming to recruit Lu Yang this time was originally a task assigned to him by Mysterious Wall, also considered his certificate of allegiance.
He also had selfish motives, he want to use Lu Yang to attract firepower. After all, in his view, with this lord's ability to stir up trouble, as long as he could come out, the Dao Lords definitely wouldn't have the mind to care about him anymore. Moreover, this lord was very tough—a typical durable goods; his quality as a shield was unquestionable.
Thinking of this, he became even more sincere.
"Fellow Daoist also doesn't want to stay in the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] for a lifetime, right? Moreover, this Thousand Year Great Tribulation is a change unseen in ages; how can Fellow Daoist miss it?"
After speaking, he took out a grotesque and colorful stone from his sleeve, whispering, "This item is named [Supreme Resonance Stone]."
"Using this rare treasure as material, one can refine the [Supreme Dao Lord's Scripture of Everlasting Purity and Tranquility]."
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
In the depths of his eyes, the [Immortal Nexus Survival Guide] quickly bloomed with light, locking onto the [Supreme Resonance Stone], finally converging into a line of big characters:
[Giant Trap, Please Stay Away ASAP!]
"..."
I knew it!
While cursing loudly in his heart, Lu Yang remained calm on the surface, looking at the Old Dragon Lord. "Your invitation is very sincere."
"But I have another request."
"Fellow Daoist, please speak," the Old Dragon Lord said hurriedly.
"A sliver of Golden Nature."
Lu Yang held up a finger, saying faintly, "As long as you willing to part with what you treasure and give me a sliver of Golden Nature, I will agree to cultivate this dao art and defect to Mysterious Wall."
"How about it?"
As his voice fell, the Old Dragon Lord, who was looking ardent just now and clearly hoping Lu Yang would agree, instantly restrained his expression, showing no emotion anymore.
"...Fellow Daoist better not think too much."
Lu Yang frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Just a sliver of Golden Nature... I'm not asking for much. It shouldn't be anything very important to you, right?"
Hearing this, the Old Dragon Lord frowned tightly. Seeing Lu Yang's look of a curious baby, seeming genuinely unaware of the inside story, he explained in a low voice, "After cultivating the Grotto-Heaven Method to our realm, Golden Nature is crucial, even closely related to the future Dao path. Not the slightest bit can be damaged."
"So that's how it is."
Lu Yang sighed, revealing a look of helplessness. "Since that's the case, then sorry. Old Dragon Lord, don't blame me; I'm also very heartbroken."
As soon as these words came out, the Old Dragon Lord was stunned.
Holy shit! Not good!
The next second, the Old Dragon Lord had a sudden flash of insight, his whole body's aura exploding. But before that, Lu Yang's big hand had already ruthlessly grabbed his body.
In an instant, the Old Dragon Lord only felt his body tighten, blood surging up.
On the other side, Lu Yang grinned ferociously.
Since gentle means don't work, then use force.
He had been coveting the Old Dragon Lord for a long time. The result was he actually delivering himself to the door today. It was a heaven-sent opportunity for him to seize his golden nature!
(End of Chapter)