"La la la, la la la, I am the little expert of restarting..."
On the endless abyssal surface, Lu Yang hummed a cheerful little tune. He had successfully advanced to the next lifetime. This time, he couldn't even be bothered to review the situation and decisively chose to return to the initial anchor point.
[Relying on a weakness that exceeded the Primordial Saint's expectations, you miraculously snatched a large piece of Origin Jade from his hands, making him firmly remember you.]
[Current remaining pages of The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes: 84]
[Restarting a lifetime. You may choose one of the following rewards from your past life: One: Treasure. Two: Cultivation Base. Three: Cultivation Method. Four: Forfeit all rewards and randomly awaken a talent based on your past life experiences.]
I choose Treasure!
Lu Yang looked forward to the options in [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] with great anticipation. Soon, a patch of ruins and broken walls surfaced before his eyes—it was precisely his spoils of war from the previous lifetime.
A full one-third of the [Ancestral Dragon's Manor].
Besides that, the state of getting lost caused by forcibly elevating his stature was also erased after restarting, allowing Lu Yang to let out a long sigh of relief.
This feeling was like returning to land from the bottom of the sea. An unprecedented sense of security filled his entire body, making Lu Yang appreciate the terror of getting lost in the Dark Void even more: If I hadn't activated [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] before getting lost, I'm afraid I would have directly lost all consciousness and the chance to restart.
What was worse, the state of getting lost was very hard to define.
Although he could roughly estimate how long he could hold on, it was highly inaccurate. It could be later, or it could be earlier; the chaos was unpredictable.
I have to use this move cautiously in the future.
Moreover, as my cultivation gets higher and higher and I come into contact with more and more secrets, it seems I've returned to the past, becoming more prone to sudden death.
This wasn't surprising, though.
After all, given that the path upward in the Light Sea was now almost completely sealed off, every step forward could be considered a test of life and death. One wrong step meant eternal damnation.
Besides, it was cultivation, after all. Since when was there no risk involved?
Lu Yang smoothed his brow. Although there was solemnity and thoughtfulness in his eyes, joy ultimately gained the upper hand. After all, he had made a huge profit this time.
The subsequent process went as usual. After finding Yu Suzhen and fiercely suppressing his shock on her, Lu Yang finally returned to the [Arctic Exorcism Court]. He then took out the Void Stones he had obtained. Almost simultaneously, the [Arctic Exorcism Court] transmitted a strong desire to devour them.
"Don't rush, take it one bite at a time."
Lu Yang chuckled lightly. Then he saw that piece of Void Stone hover in mid-air and subsequently melt into the endless brilliance within the [Arctic Exorcism Court].
Instantly, this Supreme Treasure transformed.
The original [Arctic Exorcism Court], although grand and majestic, always gave Lu Yang a feeling of being golden jade on the outside but ruined cotton on the inside—empty within.
Now, however, he saw both the inside and outside of this Supreme Treasure covered in a layer of gentle shimmer. Then, just like a child growing into a strong adult, the beams, pillars, walls, and palaces of the entire hall were elevating and skyrocketing layer by layer. Looking at it, how was this merely a single grand hall?
It was impressively a [Heavenly Palace]!
"Hahaha!"
At this moment, Lu Yang couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, because the slight remaining foundation that the [Arctic Exorcism Court] lacked had been completely supplemented by this Void Stone.
Plane Perfection!
Heaven Treading Great Perfected Lord!
In an instant, Lu Yang's aura skyrocketed rapidly, landing directly at the absolute summit of the [Arctic Exorcism Court], his gaze overlooking everything from top to bottom.
And under his watch, the qualitatively transformed [Arctic Exorcism Court] also began to rapidly reorganize, following his will: "The [Paramita] still has its merits. Different cultivation bases and statures should be placed in different locations. In this regard, perhaps I can reference the design of the Netherworld."
Soon, new buildings emerged.
Lu Yang formed hand seals. Under his will, at the very bottom of the [Arctic Exorcism Court], the endless waves of light converged into a vast ocean.
[Ascension Pool].
It corresponded to the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages of the Investiture of the Gods Method. The divine idols condensed by Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones were also in the pool. Only by attaining the stature of Divine Lord could one walk out of the pool.
Lu Yang's gaze didn't stop. Wherever his line of sight passed, exquisite jade pavilions and palaces rose from the ground.
[White Jade Capital].
It corresponded to cultivators who had completed [Sincere Heart and Righteous Intent] and were at the Early Stage Divine Lord realm.
Above the jade palaces stood a majestic golden hall, reflecting endless majestic light that pierced through the clouds and rosy mists. In a daze, one could see the light and shadows of palaces flickering within.
[Lingxiao Hall].
Only cultivators at the Middle Stage Divine Lord realm could step into this place, which was referred to as "joining the ranks of immortals." From then on, their true spirit would remain in the hall, allowing them to resurrect even if they died.
Above the palaces, there was still a grand expanse of heaven, within which sat a main hall specially prepared for Great Divine Lords. Standing before the hall with his hands behind his back, Lu Yang looked up only to see the plaque completely blank. He immediately revealed a thoughtful expression, then chuckled lightly, took up a brush, and wrote to set a name for this place.
[Miluo Palace].
The absolute limit for all Investiture of the Gods Method cultivators was here. In their eyes, this was the core of the [Arctic Exorcism Court], and there was nothing else above it.
Of course, that was not the truth.
Lu Yang's figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he drifted above the [Miluo Palace]. This was an authority he alone possessed as the master of the [Arctic Exorcism Court].
What entered his sight was a Dao platform.
[Da Luo Heaven]!
This was the true absolute summit of the [Arctic Exorcism Court]. No matter what realm subsequent cultivators of the Investiture of the Gods Method reached, they would always have to bow their heads to him!
"At this stage, calling it the [Arctic Exorcism Court] is no longer fitting."
Standing on the Dao platform and feeling the endless mighty power surging within his body, Lu Yang sighed: "Below the mortal world lies the Netherworld, and above the mortal world lies the [Paramita]."
"Since that is the case, I shall call you [Heavenly Palace]."
"I only hope that one day, you can join me in overthrowing the [Paramita] above the mortal world."
Before Lu Yang's words fell, a clear sound suddenly rang out in the heavens.
It was as if the [Heavenly Palace] was responding.
Only then did Lu Yang nod slightly. With a sweep of his long sleeves, he sat firmly on this Dao platform, lowered his eyes, and gazed distantly toward the direction of the mortal world.
As for the unseen resonance coming from the [Ancestral Dragon's Manor], he completely ignored it.
The Void Stones he obtained in his past life were already entirely sufficient anyway. Although he still had quite a few chances to restart, there was no need to waste them on this anymore.
Atop the [Da Luo Heaven], Lu Yang sat cross-legged just like that. It wasn't until a full three years had passed that he slowly opened his eyes, emerging from his trance-like state.
In this lifetime, he already had a plan.
First of all, I have now completely jumped out of the Dao Lords' sight and am a Heaven Treading Great Perfected Lord. Before the [Paramita] falls, I must not expose myself under any circumstances.
He had to continue living in seclusion behind the scenes.
And he had to do it more thoroughly than in the lifetime before the last. It was best not to let anyone know of his existence—not even Dao Tianqi, nor [Sky-shrouding].
Then the question arose.
Under these circumstances, how should I spread my Dao Lineage?
This was an unsolvable puzzle. After all, given the Dao Lords' level of surveillance over the Light Sea, as long as the Investiture of the Gods Method could spread, it was impossible for it to go undiscovered.
Fortunately, after three years of hard thinking, Lu Yang had also come up with a solution.
A backdoor listing.
He just needed to find a reasonable shell for the Investiture of the Gods Method.
Isn't there already one? Something proven by history that, even if it spreads throughout the entire Immortal Nexus and distributes divine abilities everywhere, will not be targeted by the Dao Lords.
[Heaven of Nothingness]!
[Translator's Note]
The terms Da Luo Heaven, Miluo Palace, and Lingxiao Hall all belong to the same celestial hierarchy in Daoist-inspired cosmology.
Da Luo Heaven (大罗天) refers to one of the highest heavens—an ultimate, transcendent realm that stands above ordinary celestial domains. It represents the peak of spiritual attainment and authority.
Within this supreme heaven lies Miluo Palace (弥罗宫), a sacred and central palace often associated with primordial or supreme deities. It can be understood as the core seat of power within Da Luo Heaven.
Lingxiao Hall (凌霄殿) by contrast, is typically depicted as a grand audience hall within the Heavenly Court system. It is the place where divine rulers hold court, issue decrees, and govern the universe.