Present world, Netherworld.
At this moment, Lu Yang's shout had yet to dissipate, its echoes still lingering in the air, though his figure had just vanished from the spot right before everyone's eyes a second ago.
'A variable has arrived...'
On the [Yellow Springs Road], [Sky-shrouding] stood with his hands behind his back. Sensing the subtle changes in heaven and earth, he keenly noticed the quiet shifts in the mighty power of the two Dao Lords.
'Anomalies have appeared in the [Inevitable Fate] and the World Honored One's time scroll. The [Inevitable Fate] has weakened by roughly a third, and the time scroll has weakened by about a fifth... As expected, it's [City Rampart Earth]. That fellow Master of Tribulations has escaped into the great karmic net, and the old immortal of the Saint Sect and the World Honored One have chased after him.'
'Since that's the case, I can't just stand idle either.'
In a flash of lightning, [Sky-shrouding] had already made a judgment. At least for this moment, he and that Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma were in the same boat.
He was drawing fire over there.
So it was time to make a move over here.
Thinking of this, [Sky-shrouding] immediately took another step forward. This time, he no longer held back in the slightest. With a single step, he crossed the [Yellow Springs Road].
Following that was the [Bridge of Helplessness].
The [Home-Viewing Terrace].
The [Three Lives Stone].
These Netherworld components passed by his eyes one by one, continuously bringing thoughts to [Sky-shrouding]'s mind, yet causing not the slightest hesitation in his steps.
'The [Three Lives Stone] can awaken the past and present lives of a soul. Even for a soul that has lived five lifetimes, whose original self has been washed clean by the Netherworld to birth a new consciousness, they would still recall their innate wisdom and memories before the [Three Lives Stone]... Is this trying to make me remember the past too?'
In a daze, scenes surfaced.
Then, [Sky-shrouding] discovered—he had no past life. At least, before the consciousness known as [Sky-shrouding] was born, his soul was a complete blank.
"...Heh!"
Looking at the scenes before him, [Sky-shrouding] chuckled: "What is the meaning of this? Trying to remind me that my birth, my soul, was arranged by someone else?"
This was the only explanation.
The light sea had existed until today, with souls continuously reincarnating. Countless years had long passed; theoretically, it was impossible for a soul with only "one lifetime" to exist.
Unless this soul wasn't born naturally, but deliberately created by someone for a specific purpose. Only under such circumstances would there be only one lifetime... Such a truth was equivalent to telling someone: your life, your achievements, your everything is a meticulously planned conspiracy.
This was enough to cause self-doubt, even a breakdown.
However, [Sky-shrouding]'s expression remained unchanged. The [Three Lives Stone] that was enough to make countless cultivators halt in their tracks—he didn't pause for a single moment, simply lifting his foot and stepping past it.
"What does a conspiracy matter?"
"A conspiracy can only scheme against my past, my soul, but it cannot scheme against my comprehension, my resolve... My Dao lies solely beneath my feet!"
[Sky-shrouding] strode forward with his head held high, completely unbothered by the truth revealed by the [Three Lives Stone]. The [Four Great Ghost Domains] dared even less to block his path.
His aura was still climbing!
The number one Perfected Lord in the world—this wasn't a self-proclaimed title by [Sky-shrouding], but a fact.
The threshold that was insurmountable for many Great Perfected Lords was like clay chickens and pottery dogs beneath [Sky-shrouding]'s feet, unable to stop him for even an instant.
Boom!
Finally, [Sky-shrouding] smashed through the obstacles and arrived at the core area of the Netherworld, right before the doors of its final component, the [Netherworld Lord's Palace].
Almost simultaneously, his aura finally broke through the critical point of the Late Stage of the Golden Core. His stature, which was already at the absolute limit of the mortal dust, climbed further, brazenly breaking into an incredibly profound and mysterious level. It seemed he hadn't reached the level of a Dao Lord, yet he had already transcended the mortal dust, no longer belonging to the secular world.
Golden Core Perfection!
A stature transcending above Perfected Lords, yet situated below Nascent Soul Dao Lords. Perhaps it could be called [Dao Sovereign]. This was a realm with no turning back.
Either ascend and step onto Paramita.
Or plummet, body dying and Dao vanishing!
Breaking through to this realm was like taking a leap off the edge of a cliff. Only a cultivator with immense courage, immense perseverance, and immense resolve could walk this path.
At this exact same moment.
The [Netherworld Lord's Palace] moved. The doors of the towering palace opened. Faintly, a silhouette of light seemed to surface, weak and withered to the extreme.
In an instant, the World Honored One, the Dao Lords of Spiritual Power and Dao Arts, the Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion, the Dao Lord of the Dao Court, and even the lofty Ancestor of the Saint Sect, who were in the midst of fierce battle, all seemed to experience a subtle stagnation. For a moment, they set aside their respective opponents and unanimously cast their gazes toward the silhouette of light within the palace.
A variable had appeared.
In the past life, until [Sky-shrouding] rammed himself to death upon the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak lying dormant within showed no signs of waking up.
He just perished together with [Sky-shrouding] in a state of hazy unconsciousness.
However, in this lifetime, the situation changed.
Because within [Responding to Emperors], Lu Yang had stimulated the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak beforehand, causing this true master of the Netherworld to regain a portion of his lucidity in advance!
Thus, at this moment, he woke up!
Undoubtedly, this exceeded the expectations of all the Dao Lords present. Instead, it was [Sky-shrouding] whose eyes revealed an "as I expected" expression.
'I knew it. Normally, the vast majority of the Netherworld's components are in a dormant state. Even the [Four Great Ghost Domains] are almost completely sealed off from the outside, isolated from the mortal dust. But now they are reviving one after another, and the [Three Lives Stone] even actively came out to block the way. It really is because the master of the Netherworld has woken up.'
At this thought, [Sky-shrouding] also felt a faint sense of urgency in his heart.
'Master of Tribulations, what exactly are you doing in the great karmic net? I have delayed taking the final step and retrieving [Overturned Lamp Flame]. You had better not disappoint me...'
[Sky-shrouding] hesitated inwardly. Right now, the [Inevitable Fate] still hung overhead, and with the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak blocking the way, even with two lives, it would be difficult for him to break through.
However, right at this moment.
The silhouette of light within the [Palace of the Netherworld Lord] suddenly moved. A weak voice carrying melancholy drifted out faintly: "Must you push things to this extent?"
"Master..."
A sorrowful voice drifted out. For a moment, [Sky-shrouding]'s vision changed.
This seemed to be a scene only he could see.
He saw that silhouette of light—which, although weak to the extreme, still possessed an unbelievably powerful essence—suddenly transform into a teary-eyed youth.
He was sighing.
In the next second, he glanced at [Sky-shrouding] again. First looking dazed, then seeming to understand something, he nodded slightly.
Following that, he shifted his gaze toward the time scroll coalesced by the World Honored One. The faint voice sounded once more, spreading throughout the inside and outside of the Netherworld:
"Senior Brother Myriad Treasures, are you involved in this too?"
A flash of sudden realization crossed the youth's hazy, tearful eyes. Subsequently, he transformed back into a silhouette of light, severing all connection with the outside world, leaving only one final sentence:
"Master wants to kill me, Senior Brother wants the Netherworld. Then, let this great tribulation be—
Let me fulfill your wishes."
Rumble!
At this moment, this variable—ignited by Lu Yang, and one that even Lu Yang himself hadn't anticipated—finally brought a crucial, dramatic shift to this grand situation.
Within the [Netherworld Lord's Palace], the silhouette of light violently fluctuated, then quietly shattered.
No soul, no divine sense.
Shattering, annihilating, leaving no remnants... All the Dao Lords had their gazes cast upon this place; there was no room for doubt regarding this outcome.
The first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak has committed suicide!
At the same time, due to the death of its master, the originally revived [Netherworld Lord's Palace] instantly lost its luster.
The Netherworld was left vacant!
In this instant, the time scroll, which hadn't wavered in the slightest regardless of what the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak had said previously, finally rippled slightly.
(End of Chapter)