Heaven-Reaching Boy's voice resounded through the completely tranquil world, deafening like thunder, causing Lingxiao's expression to fall into a dead silence for an instant.
However, the next second, he recovered.
This unwavering Daoist was seen chuckling lightly, saying: "Whatever the Ancestor says, goes. This junior seeks nothing else, only a path to the Dao."
Heaven-Reaching Boy did not answer.
However, the profound light in the depths of his eyes grew increasingly bright, as if a supremely majestic will was truly passing through him to converse with Lingxiao before him.
"Lin Xiao, do you know why I picked you back then?"
"I dont know." Lingxiao shook his head.
"You were created by me using the true spirit of Pill Cauldron. This is not reincarnation, but a complete remolding. That is why Myriad Treasures favors you so much."
Heaven-Reaching Boy's tone was calm, directly revealing a massive, unknown secret. This was equivalent to telling Lingxiao that his entire life was actually within his control, and even his own birth was no exception. However, Lingxiao turned a deaf ear to it; neither his expression nor his state of mind wavered in the slightest.
Seeing this scene, Heaven-Reaching Boy nodded slightly:
"If you had been born a bit earlier, you would have had hope for the Primordial Spirit."
"Besides this, since I created the Grotto-Heaven Method, you are the only one to attain all Five Elements. Although you took a shortcut, it is already stunning enough."
Lingxiao's strength was comprehensive.
In the First History, he cultivated [Pine and Cypress Wood], then took advantage of the World Honored One attaining the Dao to switch to cultivating [Great Forest Wood], subsequently using [Inversion] to reverse the Yin and Yang of Chen Earth.
Finally, relying on this, he single-handedly controlled five Dao Fruits and broke through to the Late Stage of Golden Core.
It sounded simple, and he even borrowed external force, but in reality, this was absolutely not the case, because controlling Dao Fruits required sufficient Dao comprehension!
Without enough Dao comprehension, the result would only be exploding and dying.
Yet Lingxiao did it.
He could do it not because others helped him, but because long before switching to cultivate [Great Forest Wood], he had already comprehended [Inversion] out of the void, and had pushed his Dao comprehension related to the Five Elements to the level of Late Stage Golden Core. He only held off on breaking through for the sake of cultivating [Great Forest Wood].
Borrowing external force was not a lack of ability.
On the contrary, it was precisely because his ability was strong enough that he could gain the World Honored One's recognition, and only then was he qualified to borrow the external force when the World Honored One attained the Dao.
"Solely in terms of cultivation, Pill Cauldron is inferior to you."
Speaking of this, Heaven-Reaching Boy shook his head and said:
"Truly a talent."
A heartfelt praise.
Only those who knew the Primordial Saint would understand just how weighty this sentence of praise was. Through the ages, only the first-generation Four Peak Masters had been treated by him like this.
"This lowly one is extremely honored." Lingxiao bowed in salute.
However, what responded to him was an icy sigh:
"What a pity, I have no use for you anymore."
Behind the plain tone was extreme indifference. Even with Lingxiao's disposition, he currently only felt as if a venomous snake was crawling onto his heart.
However, he still held his thoughts steady:
"Since that is the case, why did the Ancestor come to see me?"
"To ask you a question."
As his words fell, crisp crackling sounds abruptly erupted from Heaven-Reaching Boy's body, seemingly somewhat unable to withstand the majestic will blessing his body.
A moment later, he continued: "Who is it?"
The question almost caused Lingxiao's expression to freeze, yet Heaven-Reaching Boy's words did not stop:
"It is not that nameless Dao Lord. Many things are not for you to know. There is another person behind you, directing you to come to me and execute the plan of sacrifice the lesser to preserve the greater.."
"Who is this person?"
Boom!
A thunderous roar shattered the tranquility. In a daze, Lingxiao seemed to see a lofty shadow appear above the Immortal Nexus, suppressing his mind.
Only the increasingly grand profound sound remained in his ears: "You don't need to tell me immediately."
"Break through."
"I permit you to ascend the Paramita and attain the status of Dao Lord. Once you step onto the Paramita and become a Dao Lord, you can answer me then, and I will go kill the person behind you."
"We will use his death to lay the foundation for your position in the Paramita."
"How about it?"
An ultimate temptation was placed before Lingxiao.
Perhaps the Primordial Saint also knew his own credibility wasn't high right now, so he offered an unprecedented price, actually allowing Lingxiao to get on the bus first and buy the ticket later!
How much is true? How much is false?
This thought flashed through Lingxiao's mind.
However, the next second, the boiling greed, the chaotic thoughts, and all emotions were entirely suppressed by him, making him lower his eyelids, not speaking for a long time.
Because truth and falsehood were no longer important.
Facing the conditions given by the Primordial Saint, Lingxiao only wavered for an instant before decisively choosing to give up. He had absolutely no thought of betraying and reporting Lu Yang.
Not out of loyalty.
Even less because of shared ideals.
But because—fuck that, my Golden Nature has already been taken away! Attain what bullshit Dao! Why didn't you say you had these conditions earlier?
Taking a ten thousand steps back, Lu Yang isn't a Dao Lord either. Even if you kill him, there still wouldn't be a spot for me in the [Paramita]. It's simply a losing proposition.
Thus, he was temporarily speechless.
After a long time passed, Heaven-Reaching Boy slowly curled the corners of his mouth and smiled: "So that's how it is. It's not a Dao Lord, but a lower-realm cultivator. Is Pan Huang his subordinate too?"
Lingxiao still didn't speak, just standing blankly in place.
He is bluffing me.
The plan of sacrificing the lesser to preserve the greater had failed, and the Primordial Saint had seen through the clues. But it didn't matter. The goal of adding variables and confusing the Primordial Saint's judgment had still been achieved.
Because this was an open scheme.
After all, the nameless Dao Lord truly exists; you can't exactly not take precautions, right? The false history and the [Five Elements] seal are also truly in danger; you can't exactly ignore them, right?
Lu Yang and Lingxiao never expected to hide it from the Primordial Saint.
On the contrary, what they wanted was precisely for him to find out, for him to pay attention. The more variables created, the more of his energy would be drawn, and the larger his flaws would become!
Instantly, heaven and earth turned white.
Looking back, the incarnation Lingxiao refined using the Hong Yun Grotto-Heaven had already collapsed, transforming into sky-filling flowing light and vanishing without a form. Only Heaven-Reaching Boy stood in place.
A moment later, a beautiful silhouette surfaced.
It was precisely Perfected Lord Feixue.
"Greetings, Venerable One." Perfected Lord Feixue bowed in salute with a calm expression.
The next second, Heaven-Reaching Boy turned around. The profound light in the depths of his eyes had dispersed at some unknown time. This artifact spirit of a Supreme Treasure had recovered his usual laziness.
"Do you think they can succeed?" The boy chuckled lightly:
"Feixue, I know your thoughts, but I also advise you, it is best not to pin your hopes on others. Right now, no one can save you."
"Whether it's the [Five Elements] seal or the Heavenly Scripture's false history."
"Making a feint to the east while attacking the west? Bluffing and blustering? It all doesn't matter."
"No matter which their target is, it won't harm the overall situation. To this day, the Master's strength is already far beyond what these scoundrels can imagine."
"So what if Sisui returns?"
"So what if the Ancestral Dragon breaks free?"
"It is nothing more than cleaning up the Light Sea once again."
"Since that Battle of the Dao Lords ended one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years ago, the only one still qualified to play chess against the Master is [Variable]."
As his words fell, Heaven-Reaching Boy raised his head.
In a trance, he felt an undisguised sense of joy within the vast, sea-like thoughts of that tiny figure standing above the heavenly dome.
After playing for so long, I've finally waited until you took your seat,
[Variable].
(Author's Note: End of chapter)