[Heavenly River Water]!
Lu Yang absolutely never expected that the positional shift between [Heavenly River Water] and [Vast Ocean Water] was actually related to the World Honored One. He truly never felt ashamed to ask and learn from his subordinates.
Furthermore, this also reminded him of his past life.
In his past life, Tian Qiu successfully attained [Heavenly River Water]. The old Dragon Lord, relying on their father-son connection, restored [Vast Ocean Water] to the Supreme position—the world at that time thought it was normal.
But looking back at it now.
'Was it really that easy for Tian Qiu to seek [Heavenly River Water]? Even with the old Dragon Lord's support, it's not like he hadn't failed in previous lifetimes!'
The lifetime involving Suo Huan went without saying; Tian Qiu was even slain by Suo Huan. And in the lifetime where he himself attained [Heavenly Fire], Tian Qiu didn't dare to attempt attaining [Heavenly River Water] until the very end, showing that his confidence was absolutely not high. How did it change in the past life, where Tian Qiu suddenly succeeded in seeking the Golden Core all at once?
Unless—
'Someone wanted Tian Qiu to succeed! Or rather, someone wanted the old Dragon Lord to restore [Vast Ocean Water] to the Supreme position, thereby resolving the hidden danger of the rift in the Foundation Establishment realm!'
Why?
Think back, under what circumstances did Tian Qiu succeed? [Sky-shrouding] fought a battle with him, ultimately falling short by a single move and being forced to leave the [Netherworld].
'Tian Qiu's success was built upon the premise of [Sky-shrouding] leaving the Netherworld. And at that time, [Sky-shrouding]'s attempt to attain the Netherworld had already entered a countdown. Therefore, Tian Qiu needed to succeed, [Vast Ocean Water] needed to return to its position, and the Foundation Establishment realm needed to be stabilized. Only then could the Dao Lords let go and fight for the Netherworld!'
Thinking of this, Lu Yang gasped.
'So in almost every lifetime, as long as the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth existed, the Pure Land always claimed that Tian Qiu had an affinity with Buddha. The World Honored One wanted to grasp this bargaining chip in his own hands!'
The experiences of his past life surfaced before his eyes.
'At that time, in a place I couldn't see, the World Honored One might have already played a game with the Ancestor of the Saint Sect, though the World Honored One probably failed in the end.'
Otherwise, [Vast Ocean Water] wouldn't have returned to its position.
However, this lifetime was different. This time, the old Dragon Lord seemed to have been frightened by the [Tribulation] and directly vanished from the face of the earth. The result unexpectedly helped the World Honored One.
For a moment, Lu Yang could only smile bitterly: 'To a certain extent, this can also be considered progress in my cultivation. In my past life, I couldn't even see the clashes between Dao Lords, let alone have the qualifications to participate... But in this lifetime, at the very least, I can catch a slight glimpse into the minds of the Dao Lords.'
'Even I myself am a chess piece used in the Dao Lords' clashes.'
Such a situation was absolutely not an isolated case.
[Sky-shrouding], Feixue, Taiyin... which of them wasn't like this?
Having reached the level of a Great Perfected Lord, one already possessed the qualifications to squeeze into the cracks of the Dao Lords' struggles. The higher one's cultivation, the more frequent this situation would undoubtedly become.
Whether one could stand out from the cracks or be ground to dust by the Dao Lords.
That would depend on their respective methods.
…
The first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak left.
Inside the monk's quarters, the World Honored One sat quietly on a meditation mat, his hands pressed together in prayer. Only when a sound came from outside the door and a young novice monk walked in did he finally snap out of it.
In the next second, a compassionate smile hung upon his face once more.
"Benefactor, you are fine now."
Before the words fully faded, Lu Yang decisively severed the connection of [One Mind]. Following that, he opened his mouth, wanting to curse the World Honored One's shameless act of taking advantage of his misfortune:
"Alas... I, I..."
Fuck your mother!
Before the words fully faded, Lu Yang ruthlessly slapped himself again. Only then did he stop speaking, subsequently circulating his Dao heart. It took a long while before he gradually recovered.
Seeing this, the World Honored One wasn't anxious, smiling as he observed Lu Yang. Just as Lu Yang predicted, he didn't intend to eat his fill in one bite and use brute force to directly enlighten Lu Yang. Instead, he planned to use the method of boiling a frog in warm water, slowly making Lu Yang give up resistance. Only this way could he prevent Lu Yang from fighting back desperately like a cornered dog.
Therefore, when Lu Yang caught his breath, he even asked cordially:
"Feeling better?"
"A bit better, thank..."
Smack! Another slap.
After another moment, Lu Yang panted heavily, temporarily shaking off the post-possesion syndrome, and said in a deep voice: "Time is limited, Senior. I need to leave this place."
"You cannot leave." The World Honored One shook his head.
"The karma of the five thousand years before and after seventy thousand years ago is already under surveillance. Any anomalous karma will be discovered, so it is impossible for you to leave."
"If you truly wish to leave, the only method is to spend true years within this karmic scene, flowing downstream. Only then will you be unaffected."
"...What?"
Lu Yang's expression instantly turned incredibly ugly. This was seventy thousand years ago! True years—did he have to stay in the karmic scene for seventy thousand years?
Traversing karma was different from shuttling through time. It wasn't that you could spend seventy thousand years in a karmic scene and wake up back in reality. Sinking into a karmic scene for seventy thousand years, one would be one hundred percent lost within it, ultimately only reincarnating continuously within those seventy thousand years. It was impossible to return to the present world through this!
"You misunderstand."
Seeing this, the World Honored One smiled: "It doesn't need to be as long as seventy thousand years. You only need to flow downstream for about five thousand years, jump out of the surveillance range, and then you can leave."
"I see..."
Only then did Lu Yang let out a sigh of relief. But soon, he frowned again: "Five thousand years is too long. I'm worried unexpected accidents might happen to the things I want to do."
Lu Yang didn't explicitly state his plan to destroy the Foundation Establishment realm, and the World Honored One didn't ask. The two of them had a tacit understanding. After all, "whatever is spoken must be known." Once such a thing was said out loud, it would touch upon karma. Given the Ancestor of the Saint Sect's vigilance, he might instantly sense it and discover something was wrong.
Anyway, he had actually already grasped the method to destroy the Foundation Establishment realm.
'The rift in the Foundation Establishment realm appeared because of the positional shift between [Heavenly River Water] and [Vast Ocean Water]. In that case, I just need to widen the rift.'
When the rift widened to a certain extent, the Foundation Establishment realm would naturally collapse.
Then how to widen it?
'Two methods. First, create another Supreme positional shift to increase the number of rifts. Second, make a Perfected Lord of the Supreme [Heavenly River Water] fall!'
The former went without saying; the principle was very simple.
As for the latter, it was relatively unique: 'When a Perfected Lord falls, their Grotto-Heaven shatters. The fragments will first plummet into the Foundation Establishment realm, and then enter the present world from the Foundation Establishment realm.'
'The rift in the Foundation Establishment realm was born because of [Heavenly River Water]. Therefore, the greater the impact from [Heavenly River Water], the easier it is to trigger a reaction from the rift. From this perspective, what has a greater impact than a Grotto-Heaven collapsing? Of course, the premise is that [Heavenly River Water] is still the Supreme Dao Fruit.'
Because the Supreme Dao Fruit [Heavenly River Water] was the very foundation for the rift's existence.
Once [Vast Ocean Water] returned to the Supreme position and the rift was repaired, no matter how many [Heavenly River Water] Perfected Lords died, it wouldn't be of any use; their deaths would be in vain.
Unfortunately, he had the method, but no opportunity.
"Who said so?"
Right at this moment, the World Honored One smiled: "The thing you want to do actually doesn't require you to leave. In these seventy thousand years ago, an opportunity just happens to exist."
"Hm?" Lu Yang's eyes flickered.
Following that, the World Honored One said faintly: "At this point in time, within the overseas Dragon Palace, the lifespan of the old Dragon Lord's twin brother is nearing its end, on the verge of falling."
"What he cultivates is [Heavenly River Water]."
"After his fall, a portion of his Grotto-Heaven fragments is collected by the old Dragon Lord, and the rest is taken by me, ensuring his fall will not trigger the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm."
"And while I'm at it, I shatter his soul to avoid subsequent trouble."
"However, with Fellow Daoist's abilities, you can entirely help him extend his lifespan, letting him live on temporarily and die at a more appropriate time... Is that not so?"
For example, seventy thousand years later, when [Sky-shrouding] attempts to attain the Netherworld.
Hearing this, Lu Yang paused, then shook his head: "I cannot travel overseas. Otherwise, if anomalous karmic fluctuations appear, I will be discovered immediately."
"Benefactor can put your mind at ease." The World Honored One smiled:
"The young novice monk you are right now is precisely the incarnation I dispatch overseas to collect Grotto-Heaven fragments in the predetermined history. If you borrow his identity, there will be no anomalies."
Lu Yang: "..."
This old bald donkey truly had this planned for a long time!
(End of Chapter)