"You think this is enough to crush my sea of consciousness?"
Lu Yang steadied his mind. His soul-light shone brilliantly, like a heavenly sun suspended in the void, instantly isolating the terrifying pressure of the Old Dragon Lord's memories.
"As I thought, it's still not enough."
Lu Yang's brow furrowed, his expression grave. If not for his quick reactions and preparation, that surge of memory-flow would have been enough to force him into another restart on the spot.
"It's all forbidden knowledge."
"The Old Dragon Lord knows too much; his memories have undergone a qualitative change. Only someone of his age can endure such things."
After all, he was a first-hand witness to most of that forbidden knowledge.
That status alone reduced the harm of forbidden knowledge to its minimum. For Lu Yang, however, these memories were lethal.
"I have no choice but to separate them."
Lu Yang shook his head and began extracting the memories. Gleaming wisps of light were carefully pulled out—all of them representing Dao comprehension related to Dao Fruits.
He had to admit, the Old Dragon Lord was a master of almost the entire Water element. He possessed Perfected Lord-level Dao comprehension in [Vast Ocean Water], [Ravine Stream Water], [Grand Torrent Water], [Wellspring Water], and [Heavenly River Water]. This was quite strange, as the Old Dragon Lord had never actually attained those other Water-element Dao Fruits.
"After all, he isn't me."
I have the accumulation of [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]; I can only do this because I'm cheating. But what about the Old Dragon Lord? How did he manage it? Did he use a cheat like I did?
Lu Yang looked back at the [Old Dragon Lord's Reminiscence].
He extracted the memories he deemed harmless, including the Old Dragon Lord's whereabouts at this specific point in time.
"Unexpected."
"At this moment, he is actually directly beneath the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas Sect, burying himself in the seabed. What is he trying to find down there?"
It's not like he actually turned into an old loach.
Lu Yang rubbed his chin, a realization dawning on him. "Is it the Ancestral Dragon? The Old Dragon Lord is clearly connected to the Ancestral Dragon. Is he looking for something the Ancestral Dragon left for him?"
The moment Lu Yang formed this hypothesis, the [Old Dragon Lord's Reminiscence] reacted. A segment of memory that had been a threat suddenly unlocked, no longer lethal. This change made Lu Yang raise an eyebrow—did the forbidden knowledge lose its lethality because I guessed correctly?
The Ancestral Dragon really did leave something for the Old Dragon Lord! Because I guessed it, the related forbidden knowledge has unsealed itself for me.
Joy flickered in Lu Yang's eyes as he took the unsealed memory into his hand.
In the next second, light and shadow surfaced.
It was a deep, dark palace surrounded by flowing seawater. The Old Dragon Lord lay prone and silent within the hall, his dragon-pupils the only thing lighting the gloom.
"You actually dare to come see me?"
A voice thick with rage echoed through the palace, stirring the currents. It struck out at the figure the dragon-eyes were glaring at, but the figure remained unmoved.
The figure even laughed with delight:
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
"Old Dragon Lord, you've lived all these years; do you still not know what kind of person I am?"
The laughter dispersed the currents and caused the rage in the Old Dragon Lord's eyes to vanish instantly, replaced by a cold calm : "Of course I know... Wu Wei. Who doesn't know you?"
"Indeed."
The newcomer laughed even harder. "One who practices Wu Wei leaves nothing undone! I've come here to strike a deal with you. We're going to do something big together!"
"I'll pass."
The Old Dragon Lord's answer was instantaneous. "Beast Taming is dead. Heaven-Mending is missing. You're just making a desperate gamble. 'Doing something big'? You're just looking for someone to die with you!"
"If you ask me, you'd be better off seeking out the World Honored One."
"He is your fellow disciple, after all. There's some sentiment left between you; he might actually save your life."
The newcomer did not reply. Instead, he scrutinized the Old Dragon Lord with an incredibly strange expression, making the dragon feel uneasy.
"...What is it?"
"Hahaha, it's just a bit of a surprise. I thought that since you've lived so long and have such a deep background, you would remember. I didn't expect you truly wouldn't know."
The man shook his head, then seemed to reach an understanding. "No, it's better that you don't know. Your background is too deep; knowing would only be a burden. Perhaps you chose to forget it yourself, unwilling to be tainted by my Senior Brother's karma. A rare bit of confusion, indeed—a rare bit of confusion."
The Old Dragon Lord was utterly bewildered.
Beside him, however, Lu Yang—watching this historical fragment through the memory—realized the truth. "What this man is talking about is the karma of the World Honored One's enlightenment!"
The World Honored One attained enlightenment by altering causes and shifting effects.
The Old Dragon Lord knew nothing of this, but the mysterious man clearly understood. He even referred to the World Honored One as "Senior Brother". Given his appearance—
"I don't recognize him."
Of the four first-generation Peak Masters of the Saint Sect, there is only one I haven't met. If that's the case, this mysterious person is the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak?
At this realization, Lu Yang's eyes lit up.
"I've really caught a big fish now!"
"What does the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak want from the Old Dragon Lord?"
Under Lu Yang's expectant gaze, the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak spoke. His next words made Lu Yang jump.
"Forget it, I'll just say it plainly... Old Dragon Lord, I intend to refine a Nascent Soul Pill."
A Nascent Soul Pill!?
Lu Yang was jolted; his boiling divine sense nearly shattered the memory-projection. Is it the kind of Nascent Soul Pill I'm thinking of? The kind that makes you a Nascent Soul expert just by eating it?
In the memory, the Old Dragon Lord reacted exactly like Lu Yang. His booming dragon-roar was thick with disbelief:
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! From ancient times until now, I have never heard of a Nascent Soul Pill. Forget a Nascent Soul Pill; there isn't even a Perfected Lord Pill. Pills are for healing or support at best. So-called realm-breaking pills are only useful at the Qi Refining level."
"Once you become a Foundation Establishment Perfected One, you must have Dao comprehension to break through."
"No matter how good a pill is, it can only boost comprehension slightly. Swallowing one to immediately raise your realm is impossible!"
The Old Dragon Lord immediately voiced his rebuttal.
Lu Yang, however, could tell this wasn't true disbelief. On the contrary, the Old Dragon Lord's argument was built upon a foundation of belief.
The Old Dragon Lord believes this man can actually do it?
No matter how impractical a Nascent Soul Pill is—something that theoretically shouldn't exist—he subconsciously believes the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak can refine it?
Lu Yang's expression was one of shock.
Truly, every one of the four first-generation Peak Masters has their own specialty. So, how does he plan to do it?
In the memory, the Old Dragon Lord asked that very question.
The First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak smiled. "How? It's simple. To refine the best pill in the world, one must naturally use the best ingredients in the world."
"...The Ancestral Dragon's Remnant Bloodline."
Instantly, a familiar sensation washed over Lu Yang's sea of consciousness—the weight of forbidden knowledge. It made the voices in his ears seem to slow down.
"Heaven-Mending died for his Dao Fruit. Beast Taming's soul returned to the Netherworld. Myriad Treasures escaped with his life."
"Dammit, a bunch of useless cowards!"
At this point, the First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak actually cursed. "Why didn't they dare to have a go at that old bastard? Such talent, yet they don't know how to use it!"
After his outburst, he returned to a state of calm indifference.
"I am different."
"I dare to do what they did not."
"I shall use the Immortal Nexus as my cauldron, the Ancestral Dragon as my herb, and my life's cultivation as the fire to refine a Supreme Celestial Pill... and fight that old bastard to the death!"
(End of Chapter)