Lu Yang naturally didn't truly spend thousands or tens of thousands of years within the great karmic net.
It was impossible for him to stay that long either. In fact, after staying for just a few years, he faintly showed signs of getting lost, demonstrating the mysteriousness of karma.
Therefore, after ensuring he had modified [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao]'s karma, he immediately returned to the present world. He consumed the final ring of the [Realm Sovereign], firmly anchoring the altered karma into the present world, subsequently triggering the miraculous resurrection of [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao] after his death.
"Incredible."
Lu Yang stretched his limbs, feeling the profound wonder of karmic recreation. Because the [Dragon Lord Yu Zhao] currently appearing in the present world was no longer just karma.
He had truly recovered his physical body.
Besides that, the Grotto-Heaven corresponding to [Heavenly River Water], Dragon Lord Yu Zhao's Golden Nature, and even his true dragon bloodline—all had recovered.
At this thought, Lu Yang hesitated no longer.
Rumble!
Accompanied by a loud boom, the recently acquired [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven] violently plummeted, transforming into a ball of light as bright as a star.
As for the Supreme Dao Fruit [Heavenly River Water], Lu Yang had absolutely no interest in it. What he wanted was the Supreme [Vast Ocean Water].
[Heavenly River Water] was still too useless, lacking any real utility. At most, he didn't mind collecting some of Dragon Lord Yu Zhao's Golden Nature to see if he could roll a useful talent afterwards.
Meanwhile.
The anomaly of the Grotto-Heaven's collapse was instantly sensed by the myriad living beings of the Immortal Nexus—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core... and even the lofty Dao Lords.
"Hm..."
Among them, the most pleasantly surprised was the World Honored One. To be honest, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect's previous action of destroying the great karmic net of seventy thousand years ago had made him give up hope.
Yet now, a change had occurred in the karma.
His plan had clearly succeeded. That Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma actually dodged the First Saint's sweep and successfully triggered the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm?
'Well done!'
'But... how did he do it?'
At this moment, besides pleasant surprise, doubts also filled the World Honored One's heart—pleasant surprise naturally because the plan unexpectedly succeeded, and doubt regarding the reason behind it.
Why did it succeed?
Which Dao Lord intervened?
'Relying solely on that Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma, it is absolutely impossible for him to dodge the First Saint's sweep. There must be another Dao Lord secretly helping him...'
Who could it be?
Thinking of this, the World Honored One couldn't help but look up at the fourth tier of [Paramita]. To be exact, he looked towards the Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Lord of the Dao Court.
'...Is it them?'
The Dao Lord of the Sword Pavilion, the Sword Lord.
The Dao Lord of the Dao Court, Cang Hao.
Ordinary people didn't understand the secrets between Dao Lords, but the World Honored One was completely clear about them. He knew that these two Dao Lords walked a different path from the others.
Whether it was the great karmic net or the Netherworld, these were all the Primordial Saint's arrangements and were heavily related to him. Therefore, it had always been him and the Primoridal Saint manipulating the board. The Sword Lord and Cang Hao actually hadn't interfered much. At most, they stood on a supportive standpoint regarding the matter of not wanting the Netherworld to have a master.
'Especially the Sword Lord.'
The World Honored One's gaze ultimately locked onto that heaven-piercing sword light on the fourth tier. Toward this Dao Lord, he actually always harbored a hint of wariness in his heart.
Because according to what he knew—
'Cang Hao is one thing; perhaps his strength truly lies at the fourth tier. But the Sword Lord is not like that. He is on the fourth tier simply because he doesn't want to walk higher...'
The paths of Dao Lords were also different.
Some Dao Lords wished to continuously walk higher, while others hoped to remain closer to the present world, only forced to walk higher due to the pressure from competitors.
For a moment, thoughts flowed rapidly in the World Honored One's mind.
Meanwhile, the Dao Lords had already deduced the source of the change, and the lights symbolizing them upon [Paramita] underwent anomalies one after another.
[Someone altered the karma!]
[The sudden appearance of the Heavenly River Water Dragon Lord... World Honored One, is this your doing?]
[Can it be stopped?]
—The above were all Lu Yang's own guesses. After all, he couldn't hear the conversations on Paramita either. But he estimated the content shouldn't be too far off.
'Except for that old immortal...'
Lu Yang looked up at Paramita. The scenes of the [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven] smashing the Foundation Establishment realm and causing the Dao Lords to change their expressions were all captured in his vision.
Yet, he felt no joy in his heart.
Because the person he valued the most, the one who should have shown the most emotional fluctuation due to the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm—the Ancestor of the Saint Sect—was currently so calm it made one feel uneasy.
On the sixth tier of [Paramita], that minuscule figure with a faintly visible silhouette still stood as unyielding as a heavenly pillar. He merely looked down upon the present world with cold indifference, completely uncaring about the collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm. He was neither angry nor surprised, as if looking at a plaything in his palm.
This attitude was clearly wrong.
Did he still have a contingency plan?
This wasn't strange. Although the plan to collapse the Foundation Establishment realm was the World Honored One's meticulous arrangement, a result of deception, the Ancestor of the Saint Sect was no pushover?
But regardless—
'At least, let me see your trump card!'
With the arrow already nocked on the bowstring, it had to be fired. Lu Yang simply gave up thinking and didn't ponder any further. The hand seals in his hands changed, directly detonating the [Heaven-Covering Mystic-Cleansing Grotto-Heaven]!
In this instant, the rumbling sound vanished from heaven and earth.
The greatest sound is silence.
At the same time, the sky above the entire present world was shattering. An expansive, vast dark blue sky—normally difficult to spy upon in the past—surfaced and shattering into countless ribbons of light.
These ribbons of light, like flowing robes, descended from the heavens, each from which countless starlight trembled. They crashed into the present world from the distant horizon, only to explode upon contact with the earth due to the immense fluctuations in their spiritual power, transforming into streaks of fire that illuminated the heavens and earth.
Such scenery could be seen everywhere across the light sea.
This was the result of the Foundation Establishment realm collapsing. If cultivation was like climbing a high mountain, then the Foundation Establishment realm was a resting place built halfway up the mountain.
Many people rested here.
But suddenly one day, this resting place was pulled away by someone.
Therefore, everyone resting here would plummet to the foot of the mountain. Such a massive drop in stature was enough to smash a person to pieces!
This was also within the World Honored One's expectations. But they were merely Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones; no matter how many died, why would he care?
However, right at this moment.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the World Honored One let out a soft exclamation. Because he discovered that Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones didn't seem to instantly meet the ending of complete annihilation due to the destruction of the Foundation Establishment realm.
Some people survived.
'Immortal Nexus, Star Palace, Celestial Court... Several super World Realms. Those Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones who have forged Dao Foundations, although their statures also dropped, they didn't perish directly.'
Why was this so?
Such thoughts flashed fleetingly in the World Honored One's mind. Then, as if thinking of something, faint ripples formed once more in the originally tranquil Buddhist light.
'Is it you again, Beast Taming...'
The first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak also knew about the flaw in the Foundation Establishment realm!
Although seventy thousand years ago, he failed to persuade the World Honored One to repair the Foundation Establishment realm and they parted on bad terms, this didn't mean he did nothing.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
He made the greatest possible compensation.
'Is it the Dao Foundation?'
Immortal Nexus, Celestial Court, Star Palace... Or rather, all Foundation Establishment cultivation methods passed down from the Ancient Era were different; they all required the forging of a Dao Foundation.
In contrast, Unorthodox World Realms that were born relatively late, like the Mystic Spirit World Realm, had no so-called [Dao Foundation]. They were also the hardest-hit areas after this collapse of the Foundation Establishment realm. On the contrary, Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones with a [Dao Foundation], although their statures were also dropping, had a buffer.
All along, the first-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak seemed to have been doing similar things.
When Paramita tilted, he established the Netherworld to repair it.
When the Foundation Establishment realm collapsed, he created the Dao Foundation to compensate.
'...What's the meaning of this?'
The World Honored One smoothed the ripples of Buddhist light, regaining his eternally unchanging coldness: 'Willingly falling into depravity, unable to control oneself, is ultimately just a reflection in water, a flower in a mirror.'
Why bother taking it to heart?
Do you truly not understand that doing this will get you killed?
I understood this principle early on, which is why only I became a Dao Lord. Yet you, having reached this state, actually still don't understand it. Then you deserve to die!
(End of Chapter)