Endless waves, thunder rolling through the sky. Lu Yang simply stood upon the Dharma Body Dao, looking up at the sky, watching the unsolvable [Inevitable Fate] that pronounced his death sentence.
He didn't feel despair; instead, joy welled up in his heart.
Because at the exact same moment this [Inevitable Fate] appeared, over in the Netherworld, soaring streaks of iridescent clouds suddenly surfaced, converging into a sea of clouds.
The Dao Lord of the Dao Arts!
In his past life, it was ultimately this Dao Lord who intervened, momentarily shaking the [Inevitable Fate] written by the Ancestor of the Saint Sect, though unfortunately falling short at the final hurdle.
But this time, when the second [Inevitable Fate] appeared, the Dao Lord of the Dao Arts intervened again. The shaking of the [Inevitable Fate] descending upon the Netherworld was far more violent than in his past life, nearly shattering it completely. Clearly, the appearance of the second [Inevitable Fate] meant he had indeed diverted the Ancestor Master of the Saint Sect's energy.
'Excellent!'
Lu Yang's heart surged with excitement. Aside from the changes in the Netherworld, the silhouette of [Paramita] resting high above in the sky also seemed significantly dimmer compared to before.
'As expected, Dao Arts and Spiritual Power still have some bite!'
At the very least, in terms of interfering with the present world, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect was indeed tied down by them. But more importantly, it was because the World Honored One had chosen to betray.
'Next, it all depends on the choice of that old immortal from the Saint Sect.'
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but grin: 'Me re-establishing the Dharma Body Dao is a massive blow to the Grotto-Heaven Method in the long run.'
'But that still requires a certain amount of time to ferment.'
'The Netherworld, however, is different. [Sky-shrouding]'s Dao attainment is right before your eyes; can you just let it happen? Letting [Sky-shrouding] become a Dao Lord is a disaster right at your doorstep!'
"Choose me, or choose [Sky-shrouding]?"
The answer to this question couldn't be simpler.
Especially since the moment the Netherworld's [Inevitable Fate] nearly shattered, [Sky-shrouding] had already made his move, rapidly advancing towards the core of the [Netherworld]!
If not stopped now, he truly had hope of attaining the Dao!
Even if the consciousness of the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak still resided within the core of the Netherworld, one couldn't forget that the World Honored One still held a life that [Sky-shrouding] had left behind back then!
He had two chances!
One chance to ram the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak to death, and the second chance to directly attain the Dao—if the Ancestor of the Saint Sect didn't stop him, this result was practically a foregone conclusion.
What to do?
In the next second, a choice matching Lu Yang's expectations arrived from [Paramita]: The Netherworld's [Inevitable Fate], which had been on the verge of shattering, instantly returned to its original state.
In exchange, the power of the [Inevitable Fate] on his end plummeted sharply.
If the [Inevitable Fate] binding him was previously an indestructible iron chain, it had now become a rope that could be snapped.
However, this so-called "can be snapped" was an outcome considered from the domain of a Dao Lord. To lower-level cultivators, it remained an unshakable existence.
But to have reached this stage was already enough!
Lu Yang let out a long breath—as the most crucial chess piece, he had single-handedly orchestrated the stormy changes of the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation, even forcing Dao Lords to intervene.
"Aside from me, who else can the [Tribulation] favor?"
As if responding to Lu Yang's sigh, in the next second, that heaven-spanning Great Dao standing tall in the [Sea of Bitterness], seeming to lead straight to [Paramita], descended across space!
[Tribulation]!
An Primordial Great Dao on the same level as [Inevitable Fate], at this moment, it finally resonated with Lu Yang's existence. The origin laws of the light sea rumbled and trembled!
To some extent, this was mighty power at the level of a Dao Lord!
Therefore, the moment the [Tribulation] descended, the [Inevitable Fate] that had landed on Lu Yang immediately began to shake violently, shockingly revealing cracks!
However, relying solely on the [Tribulation] wasn't enough. After all, the [Tribulation] currently had no Dao Lord; it was merely a spontaneous resonance. Meanwhile, the [Inevitable Fate] not only had the Ancestor Master of the Saint Sect micromanaging it, but its own strength was also terrifyingly high. The result of the collision between the two was nothing more than the [Inevitable Fate] showing slight wavering.
This wavering was not worth mentioning to lower-level cultivators.
Under [Inevitable Fate], the process could be changed, but the result remained the same. As long as it wasn't completely shattered, no matter what Lu Yang did, the Dharma Body Dao would ultimately fall silent.
Unless—another Dao Lord intervened.
"Di Muni!"
Lu Yang abruptly shouted the true name of the World Honored One. Drawn by the karma of his true name, the World Honored One's power of interference in the present world instantly exceeded the other Dao Lords by a margin!
This was an ability only the World Honored One possessed. Not just because of the karma of his true name, but more so because he stood low enough. For someone halfway up a mountain to contact the foot of the mountain was simply easier than for someone at the peak. This usual flaw had now become the key to reversing the situation!
In the next second, Lu Yang split into two.
Two Lu Yangs—one real, one illusory; one was his true body, while the other was the [Lu Yang of the Previous Instant], opposing each other like two sides of a mirror.
Subsequently, the [Lu Yang of the Previous Instant] soared into the sky.
Bang!
This illusory figure shattered just like that, fulfilling the unseen [Inevitable Fate]: Lu Yang had "died," and the Dharma Body Dao had "currently" indeed failed to reappear in the world.
The [Inevitable Fate] abruptly dimmed, losing its light.
In an instant, the silhouette from [Paramita] suddenly lit up. Lu Yang even faintly saw an extremely minuscule figure within that vast silhouette.
Minuscule, not because it was weak.
Quite the opposite. The higher a person climbing a mountain stood, the more minuscule they appeared in the eyes of those at the foot of the mountain... This was a symbol of absolute power!
'The Ancestor of the Saint Sect?'
Lu Yang didn't overthink it. The opportunity the World Honored One had bought him lasted only for an instant. The recently dimmed [Inevitable Fate] already showed signs of relighting.
This was the optimal opportunity.
If he missed this moment and waited for the [Inevitable Fate] to be re-established, he believed the Ancestor of the Saint Sect definitely wouldn't give him and the World Honored One another chance to exploit a loophole.
Therefore, Lu Yang grabbed this instantaneous opportunity without any hesitation. The [Future Life Aspect] and [Past Life Aspect] completely took up positions at the head and tail of the Dharma Body Dao, then merged into it. His stature, which was already on the verge of its limit, shockingly broke through that limit at this moment with the momentum of breaking out of a cocoon and experiencing rebirth!
Following that, the Dharma Body Dao vanished.
Above the [Sea of Bitterness], only Lu Yang remained alone.
And only now did Immortal Venerable Taiyin break through the heavenly chasm left by the [Heaven-Sun Axis Dao Fruit] and arrive before him, her beautiful face bearing a complex, indescribable expression.
The Lu Yang of this moment was no longer the same existence as the Lu Yang of the previous moment. He truly stood in the same domain as her. All his profound wonders had sublimated to the absolute limit. With the augmentation of the [Tribulation], he even instilled a strong sense of crisis within her. This was a formidable foe truly capable of rivaling her!
Dharma Body Dao, Great Perfected Lord!
Meanwhile, not far away, the six Great Perfected Lords of the Star Palace, the Star Palace Perfected Lords on the Celestial Court battlefield, and even the Mysterious Wall Dao Arts Perfected Lords far away in the outer heavens all felt it.
Not only that.
Even the cultivators practicing the Grotto-Heaven Method felt the same. Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core—their originally frail lifespans were all growing frantically at this moment!
Even mortals were no exception!
Boundless life aura erupted from the bodies of every living being, overflowing the World Realms and filling the light sea, drawing forth billions of auspicious clouds and immortal light that covered the sky!
From this day forward, mortals would have a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years.
Qi Refining cultivators—two hundred years at the Early Stage, five hundred at the Middle Stage, one thousand at the Late Stage, and three thousand at Perfection!
Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones—ten thousand years at the Early Stage, thirty thousand at the Middle Stage, eighty-four thousand at the Late Stage, and one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred at Perfection!
Golden Core Perfected Lords—boundless lifespan!
Furthermore, with the revival of the Dharma Body Dao, the Three Foundations were reunited. The mighty power of the Spiritual Power Dao and the Dao of Dao Arts synchronously elevated, as if filling a void!
For a time, the myriad living beings of the light sea cheered endlessly.
And Lu Yang's figure, wielding the Dharma Body Dao, appeared in every World Realm and every corner of the light sea under the resonance of the [Sea of Bitterness].
Under the watchful eyes of the masses, with Dao Lords looking down, he appeared utterly relaxed and completely unbothered.
Gazing up at [Paramita] indulgent and unrestrained, he recited with a faint smile:
"Alone I walk the Great Dao, guarding heaven's primal truth;
Within the secluded realm, a lingering awareness nourishes the mystic root.
Harmonizing the Five Elements and the qi of heaven and earth,
With a single force, I can part the seas and scatter mountain dust.
At leisure, I laugh and watch the River of Stars revolve;
In stillness, I sit, forgetting the depths of passing years.
True Suchness refined becomes an unchanging essence—
Through myriad tribulations, this immortal body cannot be worn away."
(End of Chapter)