Feeling like a thief with a guilty conscience, Lu Yang fled from [Responding to Emperors].
'It's fine. It shouldn't be a big deal.'
'Didn't [Sky-shrouding] break [The Mortal World] earlier? Besides, I was careless, but he did it on purpose. His offense is way worse than mine'.
As for clearing [Responding to Emperors], according to the Black-Robed Man, there was absolutely no hope in this lifetime. However, he could always try again in his next life.
'It's a pity we didn't get to have a real fight in the end. I lost a perfectly good whetstone. Otherwise, I really wanted to test out the Dao Fruit Secret Method I formulated using [Divine Firmament Thunder] as the core. I went through all that trouble to create a sure-fire, one-strike-victory trump card, only to have nowhere to use it'.
After sighing with regret, Lu Yang immediately shifted his thoughts.
A short while later, he returned from the Seven Luminaries Heaven to the Mystic Spirit World Realm, only to find the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme standing just outside its boundaries, seemingly having waited for some time.
"Fellow Daoist Master of Tribulations!"
Seeing Lu Yang, the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme hurried over to greet him, his tone filled with relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried you might have run into danger, Fellow Daoist."
"What danger could I possibly run into?" Lu Yang chuckled.
However, a second later, the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme shook his head. "You are alone, Fellow Daoist. Two fists are no match for four hands. It's best to be cautious."
"Hmm, fair enough."
Lu Yang thought about it and realized he might have let things get to his head a little. After a brief moment of self-reflection, he followed the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme back to the heavenly court.
"Oh, right, Fellow Daoist."
Lu Yang suddenly spoke up. "I plan to refine a treasure soon, and I need some high-quality talisman paper and spiritual ink. Could you provide them?"
"Of course." The Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme didn't hesitate at all, nodding immediately. "That's a simple matter. I will pass down a decree right now and have everything gathered for you within fifteen minutes."
Truth be told, the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme's attitude toward him was starkly different from before. He was practically worshipping Lu Yang on a pedestal. After all, the safety of the entire Mystic Spirit World Realm rested solely on Lu Yang's shoulders. Under such circumstances, even if Lu Yang were to openly commune with the Mystic Spirit World Realm right in front of him, the Supreme would probably offer to lend a hand.
In short, he was at Lu Yang's beck and call.
Therefore, when Lu Yang made his request, the Mystic Spirit World Realm Supreme didn't drag his feet in the slightest. Just moments later, he delivered a bulging storage bag.
After offering his thanks, Lu Yang sent the man on his way. He then sealed his cave abode and brought out the Righteous Dao Banner. Billowing purple qi surged out, obscuring the heavenly mysteries and completely isolating the interior from the outside world.
Only after all this was done did he pull the talisman paper from the storage bag.
At the same time, Patriarch Nether Whisper materialized. He walked over to Lu Yang's side and watched as the young man solemnly laid out the talisman paper and spiritual ink on the desk.
"What are you planning to do?" Patriarch Nether Whisper asked curiously.
Lu Yang kept a serious expression. "Earlier, that Black-Robed Man painted out of thin air, using [Divine Firmament Thunder] in conjunction with talismans to draw out the profound wonders of a Dao Fruit from nothingness."
"I want to try it too."
Hearing this, a look of hesitation flashed across Patriarch Nether Whisper's face. However, after some careful thought, he decided against dampening Lu Yang's enthusiasm.
Soon, Lu Yang began his work.
'The essence of [Divine Firmament Thunder] lies in the Xun trigram. It is divided into nine heaven, with one residing in the heart. The heart is the spirit, hence it is called the Divine Firmament. Then, the qi of Yin and Yang converge to form thunder.'
This Dao Fruit Secret Method was incredibly unique. Because it wasn't based on the Five Elements Dao Fruits of the Immortal Nexus, and generally speaking, it was extremely difficult to combine foreign Dao Fruits with those native to the Immortal Nexus.
But [Divine Firmament Thunder] was an exception.
'After all, the Five Elements Dao Fruit concepts used to construct [Divine Firmament Thunder] were originally obtained from the Immortal Nexus, so the rejection reaction isn't as severe as one might think.'
The key lay in the selection and proportioning of the Dao Fruits.
It took Lu Yang three full sessions of comprehending the [Nascent Light Sea] to deduce the results. Yet, even so, this Dao Fruit Secret Method remained highly unstable.
Its name was—
'[Thunder-Sovereign Axe Dao Fruit]!'
The combination consisted of: [Divine Firmament Thunder] + [Overturned Lamp Flame] + [Pine & Cypress Wood].
'There are two crucial aspects to the nature of [Divine Firmament Thunder]: first, its essence lies in Xun, and second, Yin and Yang spawn thunder. [Overturned Lamp Flame] satisfies both of these conditions.'
What was [Overturned Lamp Flame]?
'The fire of an overturned lamp is formed by pure Yang qi emanating from the Xun trigram. Its conceptual image inherently resides in the southeast Xun domain, balancing the shift between light and dark, which perfectly encapsulates the concept of Yin and Yang.'
'Of course, having only [Overturned Lamp Flame] wouldn't provide enough intensity, so I needed to find a way to fan the flames. However, the strength of the [Overturned Lamp Flame] doesn't rely on the oil, but on the wick. In that regard, [Pine & Cypress Wood] is tenacious and resilient, capable of enduring the refinement of fire. It makes for an exceptionally suitable wick.'
Therefore, [Pine & Cypress Wood] was used to bolster the aura of the [Overturned Lamp Flame].
Then, the [Overturned Lamp Flame] was used to elevate the profound wonders of [Divine Firmament Thunder]. The end result was a massive amplification of the destructive power of [Divine Firmament Thunder]'s physical manifestation.
"This is a certain-kill technique."
"For the longest time, I've lacked a truly lethal finishing move. This perfectly fills that gap... It's just a shame the side effects are so severe."
Once the [Thunder-Sovereign Axe Dao Fruit] was unleashed, all three of the participating Dao Fruits would enter a "burnt-out" state afterward, rendering them nearly impossible to use again in the short term.
That was a huge problem.
"That's why I started looking for a way to fix this flaw."
"After thinking it over, I realized that the Black-Robed Man's method of drawing out the profound wonders of a Dao Fruit in mid-air and using it as a one-time consumable talisman was an incredibly practical approach."
Lu Yang explained his thought process as he carefully drew on the paper.
Patriarch Nether Whisper listened attentively. Then, he pointed at the talisman paper in front of Lu Yang and said softly, "Pause for a moment. You drew this part wrong—"
Boom!
Before he could even finish his sentence, the talisman paper exploded, bursting into a blinding flash of flame and instantly turning to ash. An awkward silence settled over the quiet room.
A moment later, Lu Yang silently pulled out a fresh sheet of talisman paper and started over. This wasn't something he could just pawn off on Patriarch Nether Whisper, because it required his personal [Divine Firmament Thunder] to tweak the concepts. Otherwise, why would he bother doing it himself? He would have just tossed it to his talent integration and let it run wild.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just like that, intermittent explosions echoed throughout the quiet room. Patriarch Nether Whisper stood by, watching and occasionally offering corrections whenever Lu Yang made a mistake.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, two and a half years passed.
It was impossible to tell how many times he had drawn it by now, but this time, Lu Yang's movements were incredibly fluid. He completed the strokes in one smooth, unbroken motion, and three completed talismans fluttered softly onto the desk.
"Well done!" Patriarch Nether Whisper nodded slightly, his eyes filled with encouragement.
"Although it's not drawn out of thin air and the details are much cruder—meaning you'll still need to inject the mighty power of the Dao Fruit's main body to activate it—it is, at the very least, a finished product."
In his eyes, Lu Yang wasn't actually stupid. While it was true that his base comprehension wasn't very high, he was an excellent learner, and he picked things up very quickly.
Perhaps limited by his comprehension, it was difficult for Lu Yang to forge entirely new paths or pioneer novel concepts.
But if you broke something down into bite-sized pieces and explained the intricacies clearly to him, he could grasp it rapidly. He wasn't actually as dumb as a monkey.
At worst, he was an ape.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang was already drowning in the joy of his success. "Three talismans, three profound Dao Fruit wonders. Now, I just need to completely fuse them together!"
This way, the steep cost of unleashing the [Thunder-Sovereign Axe Dao Fruit] would be replaced by three consumable Dao Fruit talismans. He only needed to inject them with Dao Fruit power before each use. Upon activation, only the talismans would burn away, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about the main bodies of his Dao Fruits suffering any damage.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang immediately picked up the three talismans.
A second later, he brought his hands together, slowly forming a hand seal. In a flash, he pressed the three talismans between his palms, grinding them together until a burst of dazzling, vibrant light flared out.
A moment later, the light faded.
Lu Yang opened his hands. The three separate talismans had vanished. In their place, resting quietly on his palm, was a single talisman—its paper glowing with a radiant sheen, its characters shimmering in an iridescent glow.
Inscribed upon it were eight sharply written, vigorous seal characters.
[Thunder-Sovereign Demonbane General]
The calligraphy itself looked like jagged bolts of lightning. It emanated a misty, swirling light, and one could faintly hear the rumble of thunder just from looking at it. Ordinary cultivators would feel an inexplicable surge of terror simply by glancing at these eight words.
'Hm?'
Suddenly, Lu Yang raised an eyebrow.
Just a moment ago, [Divine Firmament Thunder] had sensed something. Far to the west of the Immortal Nexus, it seemed something had brushed against the [Master of Great Tribulations], stirring his senses.
"Is this... a second True Demon has been born?"
"In the Pure Land?!"
(End of Chapter)