"You again... why does you old ghost refuse to disapear?"
Lu Yang stood still and sighed deeply, too lazy to even make a move. After all, acting against Sky-Shrouding, a Great Perfected Lord, would only bring humiliation upon himself.
"...How long has Senior been watching?" Lu Yang asked softly.
"Not long."
Sky-Shrouding smiled slightly. "I just finished my preparatory work and had nothing to do, so I came to take a look. I didn't expect to stumble upon such a good show."
After speaking, he twirled the point of light in his hand, asking curiously, "Fellow Daoist previously demanded my Golden Nature, and now you have fought heavily with the Old Dragon Lord just for this bit of Golden Nature. I wonder what use it actually has for you? Logically speaking, Fellow Daoist should wish to avoid it."
"Oh? Why?" Lu Yang asked casually.
"Naturally, because you cultivates the Ancient Method," Sky-Shrouding replied as if stating a fact. "An Ancient Method Golden Core should naturally avoid Golden Nature."
"There is no need for Senior to worry about that."
Lu Yang spread his hands. "Alright, Senior, just say it straight. What exactly do you want? What do I need to pay to get this Golden Nature?"
In his view, since Sky-Shrouding hadn't slapped his incense incarnation to death while snatching the Old Dragon Lord's Golden Nature, it meant there was room for negotiation. Or rather, the reason Sky-Shrouding snatched the Golden Nature was to gain a bargaining chip.
And that was indeed the case.
Seeing this, Sky-Shrouding's eyes flashed slightly. Although he held an absolute advantage over Lu Yang, he didn't underestimate this little monster in the slightest.
"Then I want the coordinates of [Responding to Emperors]..."
"No way." Lu Yang made a gesture to leave.
"...That is impossible."
Seeing that Lu Yang was about to self-destruct the incarnation immediately, Sky-Shrouding changed the subject at once. "Fellow Daoist, look, you are being impatient again. Rash and impetuous—where is the decency?"
"Hmph!"
Lu Yang sneered. "If Senior plays this trick again, don't blame me for leaving directly. At that time, it will be difficult for you to see me again."
As his voice fell, Sky-Shrouding actually nodded in agreement. "Indeed, if nothing unexpected happens, this should be the last meeting between you and me... After all, the Millenial Great Tribulation is approaching. My preparations are basically complete. Whether I succeed or fail, I will inevitably be separated from Fellow Daoist forever."
"...Hmm?"
Lu Yang's expression changed slightly. What does this mean? Preparations? Succeed or fail? Separated forever... What does this evil old ghost want to do?
The doubt lasted only for an instant.
The next second, he connected the dots. His originally calm expression shifted instantly, and he lowered his voice. "You want to attempt to attain Nascent Soul!?"
"Fellow Daoist indeed understands me."
Sky-Shrouding nodded slightly. Although his face was obscured by the smoke cover, Lu Yang could feel that he was chuckling.
"To be honest, if Fellow Daoist hadn't forced me to leave the Netherworld, my chance of success in breakthrough for the Nascent Soul Realm would have been thirty percent higher according to my plan."
"Is that so?" Lu Yang made no comment.
"Fellow Daoist had best believe it."
Perhaps because he was approaching the moment of life and death, Sky-Shrouding appeared very talkative. "If not for Fellow Daoist, I could have waited until the Thousand Year Great Tribulation."
"Just a few decades, or perhaps a hundred years."
"I would have waited until the Great Tribulation began, when the Immortal Nexus is in turmoil. The backup plans I prepared were enough to help me collect all Five Elements Dao Fruits into the Netherworld as my stepping stones."
"After all, at that time, when I emerged again, no one would have had the spare energy to manage me. It wouldn't be like last time with Fellow Daoist, where all the Perfected Lords in the world came to stop me from collecting Dao Fruits—let alone allowing that guy Hong Yun to return to his position. Without Fellow Daoist's help, according to my calculation, giving him another five thousand years would still have been useless!"
"If my plan had been implemented perfectly..."
"Residing in the Netherworld, seeking the Netherworld Revered Position, the Four Great Dao Lords would also have been unable to interfere. The hope of becoming the Lord of the Netherworld in the future would be at least seventy percent!"
"Why would it come to this?"
"Although I have the stature of a Great Perfected Lord, I only gathered three elements, and my foundation is locked. Seeking two more Dao Fruits to complete the Five Elements is impossible."
This was the drawback of the Grotto-Heaven Method.
The Great Dao allows no regrets. Once three-element perfection is chosen, it is impossible to pursue Five Elements Perfection again. Even seeking Nascent Soul can only be done using three elemental Dao Fruits.
If not forced by circumstances, Sky-Shrouding absolutely wouldn't have temporarily chosen two Perfected Lords to attach to and gather three elements to break through. The situation was truly urgent back then. Seeing multiple Great Perfected Lords about to emerge, if he hadn't done this, he would inevitably have become a prize in the eyes of those Great Perfected Lords in the future.
Becoming a Great Perfected Lord was impressive, but when it came to seeking Nascent Soul, it immediately became an obstacle, causing his hope of success to drop by at least ten percent out of thin air.
Talking and talking, Sky-Shrouding sighed again.
"Pity, my luck is poor!"
Hearing this sigh, Lu Yang's expression didn't change. He turned a blind eye to Sky-Shrouding's resentful gaze, assuming an appearance of "this has nothing to do with me."
Seeing this, Sky-Shrouding instantly became angry.
"Fellow Daoist, I have been candid today... I wonder if you can also be candid with me. Dare I ask Fellow Daoist, exactly which Perfected Lord's reincarnation are you?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang also revealed a sincere expression.
"Alright, since Senior puts it that way, I will also be open and honest with you... Correct, actually my previous life was [Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light] (Perfected Lord Huangshi Duiguang)!"
A moment later, the smoke-hazy Daoist shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you're lying!"
"[Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light]? Do you think I don't know him? Five thousand years ago, I even met him! That one... Hehe! To think you dare claim this!"
Holy shit!
Lu Yang raised his eyebrows slightly. Sky-Shrouding's reaction exceeded his expectations. He actually met [Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light]... There really was such a person?
I thought it was a title randomly fabricated by that Formation Spirit of the Saint Sect just to fool me! The result was actually a Perfected Lord who really existed?
"This is interesting."
Lu Yang smiled. "This [Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light], what are his origins?"
Hearing this, Sky-Shrouding was instantly speechless, his narrow eyes raising slightly. "Didn't Fellow Daoist say you are his reincarnation? How come you are asking me now?"
"Not to hide it from Senior, after reincarnation, I forgot many past events, and my memory is lacking." Lu Yang showed no embarrassment at being exposed. Instead, he looked calm. "If you don't believe me, Fellow Daoist can go to the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea to ask. My origins were personally verified by that Senior Formation Spirit over there."
"Formation Spirit?"
Sky-Shrouding blinked upon hearing this, then understood. "So it's that Senior. Then it's not strange. Who asked you to attain [Heavenly Fire] at that time?"
"So?" Lu Yang asked curiously. "Did [Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light] really control [Heavenly Fire]?"
"Of course not!"
Sky-Shrouding shook his head. "What [Heavenly Fire]? He cultivated [Mountain-Base Fire]! He only borrowed the Heavenly Radiance, thus possessing the power of [Heavenly Fire]..."
Another big scoop!
Lu Yang's heart moved slightly. Using [Mountain-Base Fire] to borrow the light of [Heavenly Fire]... Could it be the same borrowing method as the [Kan-Li Correct Position Phase Shift True Technique]?
Wrong...
Lu Yang suddenly realized: The [Kan-Li Correct Position Phase Shift True Technique] was originally a method passed down in false-history. Existing in false-history meant the original version of this method definitely existed in the present world.
In other words, back then, the Hong Tian I saw in the false-history—although molded specifically for me by the Saint Sect's old immortal—might not have been without elements borrowed from historical figures. At least this method of borrowing [Heavenly Fire], in real history, might just have been created by [Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light]!
Then the problem arose.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang spoke faintly:
"Using [Mountain-Base Fire] to borrow [Heavenly Fire], finding a new path to control a Supreme Dao Fruit. Such a shockingly talented and brilliant figure—why did he perish in the end?"
Hearing this, Sky-Shrouding laughed instantly.
"Who told you he perished?"
(End of Chapter)