[Ancestral Dragon's Manor].
Looking at these four large characters, Lu Yang immediately fell into a deep silence. He had completely not expected to see such a place within the Dark Void.
However, after pondering for a long time, he still circulated his profound arts, condensing a [Manifestation Body] and projecting it toward that archaic residence. Instantly, he felt the world spin. By the time he regained his senses, he had landed within a vast world. As far as the eye could see, white clouds billowed, painting a scene befitting immortal beings.
The next second, his line of sight plummeted.
All scenery vanished into nothingness. When he looked again, what entered his eyes was a small farmhouse courtyard, complete with a pond, a rockery, and a tea pavilion.
Lu Yang frowned deeply.
Fortunately, this was just an [Manifestation Body] that he could destroy at any time, so he boldly strode into the courtyard, looking around curiously.
Then he was stunned.
"This is... Void Stone."
Lu Yang's eyes widened as he looked at the floorboards in the courtyard, the base material used to build the pond, the rockery within it, and the tea pavilion building not far away.
Without exception, all the materials were Void Stones that he had once seen in the Netherworld—a rare treasure whose essence was on the same level as a Dao Lord on the Long Stairway to Divinity! Yet now, they were laid out in the courtyard as if they cost nothing. In an instant, Lu Yang's eyes turned red with envy and jealousy.
What defines low-key, luxurious, and meaningful? This was it.
Because your cultivation base was insufficient, lacking Dao comprehension related to the Long Stairway to Divinity, you wouldn't even be able to tell just how extravagant and wasteful this courtyard was.
At this moment, only one thought remained in Lu Yang's heart: Mine! It's all mine!
The Ancestral Dragon had been suppressed anyway, and this courtyard had been lost in the Dark Void for over a hundred thousand years with no one claiming it. It could be considered ownerless.
Those who find it, keep it!
"The reason the Netherworld could give birth to a Dao Lord, apart from Dao Tianqi's own peerless comprehension, was also because he obtained a massive amount of Void Stones to serve as the Netherworld's foundation. If I obtain the Void Stones of this entire courtyard, the [Arctic Exorcism Court] will truly possess the foundation of a Dao Lord!"
However, Lu Yang was soon troubled.
The essence of the Void Stones was too high; he couldn't damage them at all. If he insisted on refining them, he would have to swallow the entire Ancestral Dragon's Manor whole.
Should I try?
With a single thought, Lu Yang immediately mobilized the empowerment of the [Arctic Exorcism Court] and the [Heavenly Destiny Reckoning], beginning to elevate the stature of this [Manifestation Body].
But right at this moment, the courtyard suddenly moved.
"Creak..."
Seemingly sensing something, the tightly shut main doors of the main house in the courtyard suddenly opened, and a series of ethereal profound sounds drifted out from within:
"Is it not a delight to have friends coming from afar?"
"Fellow Daoist, please come in."
Lu Yang's expression instantly turned solemn, almost causing his [Manifestation Body] to self-detonate. He remained silent for a good while before saying in a deep voice, "Is that Senior Ancestral Dragon?"
There was no response from inside.
Lu Yang didn't dare to enter. Just as he stayed rooted to the spot, pondering his next move, a second set of profound sounds suddenly rang out from inside:
"This place was specially prepared for someone like you, Fellow Daoist."
Someone like me? What kind of person?
Lu Yang frowned deeply, but the profound sounds from inside continued: "Having created a new method, you, Fellow Daoist, are already a Variable in this world, though it's unknown whether that is good or bad."
"However, regardless of what kind of Variable you are, your every word and deed, every action and movement, will inevitably cause an indelible impact on the Light Sea in the future. I have no intention of interfering with this. However, I have left an item here that will allow you, Fellow Daoist, to personally experience the impact you cause."
"I only hope that when you impact the Light Sea, you will reconsider carefully."
The profound sounds ended there.
Lu Yang waited patiently for a while, but no further profound sounds emerged. After pondering over and over, he finally mustered the courage and walked into the main house.
By this point, he was one hundred percent certain: "This is definitely not the Ancestral Dragon's manor. That plaque outside was most likely carved later. This place was obviously built by a human cultivator."
If this really were the Ancestral Dragon's manor, given the Ancestral Dragon's size, this courtyard would have to be at least a few hundred times larger. It shouldn't look like this.
Then the question arose.
Who was the person who built this residence? The legendary Deity Transformation cultivator?
Entering the main house, Lu Yang carefully surveyed the scene inside, then frowned slightly. "Didn't they say an item was left here?"
As far as his eyes could see, it was completely empty.
There really was nothing; it was just an empty room. Lu Yang was utterly bewildered. Had someone beaten him to it...
"Hiss!"
Instantly, Lu Yang drew a sharp breath of cold air.
Only those who created a new method can arrive here. So before me, who was the one who created a new method? The Grotto-Heaven Method! The one who beat me to it is the Primordial Saint!
Thinking of this, Lu Yang judged others by himself and immediately understood why the room was empty. After all, since it was the Primordial Saint who got there first—given that old bastard's style of 'predecessors chopping down trees, descendants suffering the consequences'—he would definitely empty the room completely, leaving not even half a fortuitous encounter for latecomers.
Then the question arose— What did the Primordial Saint take away?
Lu Yang recalled the content of the profound sounds just now: 'Allow me to personally experience the impact I cause.'... [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]? The chance to restart?
False history!
I understand! The missing page of [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] was stored here! The Primordial Saint's method for creating the false history was obtained from this place!
No, wait, there was still a problem.
Lu Yang's brow furrowed—
The Primordial Saint was definitely not the only person who arrived here before me. There's also Sisui. Sisui definitely also met the conditions to arrive here.
In other words, Sisui should have been here as well.
But he's different from the Primordial Saint. He most likely didn't try to take away the fortuitous encounter here, but generously left it for latecomers, and then left.
Until the Primordial Saint came.
He scoured everything and forged the false history... And this action could not have gone unnoticed by Sisui, the forerunner.
The Primordial Saint at the time should have still been in a period of good guy. A rough estimate puts it around the time after the Ancestral Dragon was suppressed. But it was also at that time that Sisui discovered the Primordial Saint's action of scouring this courtyard, became suspicious, and then saw through the Primordial Saint's plan.
Thus, the Dao Lord battle broke out!
So the Dao Lord battle 129,600 years ago was initiated by Sisui. He knew that if he didn't act then, it might be too late.
Alas, it was still too late.
The Primordial Saint created the false history and used a brilliant layout spanning over a hundred thousand years to plunge Sisui into the prison of time, ascending to the summit of the Light Sea from then on.
And after that...
...Hm?
Lu Yang's train of thought abruptly halted.
After that, was there anyone else qualified to arrive here?
Of course there was!
The First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak, Dao Tianqi! He created the Netherworld Dao Lineage, which was even more perfect than his Investiture of the Gods Method. He definitely was also qualified to come here!
But he was heavily injured and fell into a deep slumber.
Why?
The Netherworld back then should have been exactly like my [Arctic Exorcism Court] now—both had jumped out of the Dao Lords' sight and penetrated deep into the Dark Void.
Since that was the case, why was the Netherworld exposed?
It wasn't Dao Tianqi who leaked the secret himself. If the Primordial Saint knew the Netherworld's design from the very beginning, he would not have supported him in building it.
So it was discovered later.
How did the Primordial Saint discover it?
...Oh no!
Instantly, Lu Yang felt his hair stand on end and his whole body go cold.
It's this place! This place is controlled by the Primordial Saint; it's a bait!
It was because Dao Tianqi entered this place back then that the Primordial Saint discovered clues about the Netherworld!
Lu Yang abruptly looked up.
In his sight, the Dark Void was cavernous. He saw a tiny figure that seemed to have been standing there for tens of millions of years, looking at him coldly!