Clear, bright light and dense purple qi filled the air.
Lu Yang stood within it, feeling as if all the spiritual power he had exhausted and the injuries he had sustained were entirely left behind in his broken body.
At this moment, he returned to his peak!
Even he hadn't anticipated this change. It felt more like a resonance with the Great Dao—a wondrous transformation triggered by aligning with a certain concept.
Is it the [Heavenly Destiny Reckoning], or something else?
While Lu Yang was still pondering, he saw the Primordial Saint not far away, scrutinizing him with an unprecedented gaze, his eyes filled with complex and diverse emotions.
Then, he spoke.
"...[Transcendence]."
His eerie tone carried indescribable emotions. "Fellow Daoist's Great Dao, if I must say, is an unorthodox path of [Transcendence]."
"To think that back then, the Ancestral Dragon attempted to devour the Five Great Heavenly Destinies with the [Five Elements] but ultimately failed, yet Fellow Daoist has achieved it today. What a pity you don't control the [Five Elements]. You lack a foundation, and your cultivation level isn't high enough. Otherwise, you wouldn't just be escaping with your life right now."
"You would have directly transcended."
At this point, a hint of expectation surprisingly colored the Primordial Saint's tone. "Leaping out of the Light Sea, no longer in the Dark Void, achieving great freedom and liberation from then on..."
The so-called [Transcendence] was not a Great Dao.
It was a [Great Merit].
A peerless [Great Merit] originating from a bygone, ancient era. Because of this merit, the corresponding concept was born in the Light Sea.
Because of this merit, the Light Sea ranked [Variable] first.
The next instant, the Primordial Saint retracted all his thoughts, his gaze turning cold again. His eyes, fixed on Lu Yang, practically overflowed with chilling killing intent.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Long River of Time.
In the [Present] time period, the Primordial Saint looked at the four people before him—Sword Lord, Cang Hao, Myriad Laws, and Du Xuan. He suddenly took a step back, actively withdrawing from the battle.
"Everyone, isn't this enough?"
His tone was calm and faint. "In the end, you only wanted to probe my true strength. Do you really want to fight me to the death?"
"Do you want to pave the way for Sisui?"
"The lives you risk are your own, but the benefits will go to Sisui. Why bother?"
"By forcing me to this point, your goal has already been achieved. If you push any further, I will truly have to put my life on the line. Which one of you wants to be taken down with me?"
"Why not step back for now and wait for Sisui to emerge? Let him lead the charge while you hold the line. Wouldn't that be better? Reaping the benefits without the effort—isn't that ideal?"
He spoke with complete candor.
Hearing this, Sword Lord and the others' expressions flickered. They could actually guess the Primordial Saint's intention. Did he want them to stop so he could free up strength to deal with the others?
Despite knowing this, the movements of Sword Lord and the others subconsciously slowed down, and their wonders slightly retracted. It wasn't that they didn't understand the Primordial Saint's scheme; everyone understood the logic. But the old saying held true—better the death of a fellow Daoist than myself. If the Primordial Saint really intended to kill a Dao Lord, would they escape unscathed?
Therefore, Sword Lord and the others also had their own calculations.
Whether the Primordial Saint wanted to free up strength to deal with Lu Yang or the World Honored One, he would inevitably pay a heavy price. They could very well wait until then to strike.
Trading the life of an outsider for heavier injuries on the Primordial Saint.
Wouldn't that be beautiful?
Meanwhile, the Primordial Saint, sensing that Sword Lord and the others had indeed retracted 30% of their wonders, smiled coldly. He knew his words had taken effect.
It was still an open conspiracy.
Everyone knew he was sowing discord, yet they obediently allowed themselves to be manipulated. This was the highest realm of a scheme, rendering people powerless to resist.
Besides, strictly speaking, the judgment of Sword Lord and the others wasn't wrong. If he freed up his spare capacity here to fully strike down Lu Yang, he would inevitably be affected by Lu Yang's dying counterattack. And if Sword Lord and the others seized the opportunity to press the attack, he would definitely have to pay a considerable price... It was just that he could afford this price.
And he was willing to pay it.
The next instant, the Primordial Saint mobilized all the mighty power originally belonging to the [Present] and cast it into the [Future], looking at Lu Yang through his future self.
Kill this person and seize the unorthodox path of [Transcendence]!
If this unorthodox path of [Transcendence] could be added to the newly established [Paramita], the success rate of ascending to Deity Transformation again in the future would increase significantly!
At this thought, the Primordial Saint struck again.
Endless mighty power was entirely imbued in his fingertips, condensing into a bright light of [Inevitable Fate], stabbing toward Lu Yang!
His action was decisive.
However, all of this was decided only after witnessing Lu Yang's wonders with his own eyes and understanding that its essence was an unorthodox path of [Transcendence].
And before him, someone else had already seen through this secret.
Based on this, the other party accurately calculated the Primordial Saint's reaction upon discovering this secret and made targeted arrangements in advance.
Therefore—the opportunity was lost.
Rumble!
In an instant, the originally stable Long River of Time violently turbulent. The Primordial Saint's Three Lives Incarnations also blurred abruptly, the bright light dimming as if interrupted.
"..."
The Primordial Saint said nothing, but anger flared in his eyes like ripples on a calm lake. Then, he stared straight outside the Long River of Time.
"I have arrived!"
In the Dark Void, Xiu Zhen laughed loudly, unleashing his aura and mighty power to the fullest, feeling the suffocation of countless years swept away.
Is this what it feels like to have cultivation?
Is this Golden Core Perfection?
Exhilarating!
Thinking of this, he even felt a bit of pity. If [Paramita] hadn't collapsed, given his current state, he might have been able to progress even further!
But he quickly calmed down and looked at the scene before him. It was a mass of blended light—the manifestation of [Time] in the Dark Void. It was like a seal, unbelievably solid inside. Even the seven Dao Lords couldn't break it open and could only let the Primordial Saint divide them.
However, it also had flaws.
The Primordial Saint clearly hadn't anticipated the existence of Xiu Zhen, so he had concentrated all his wonders inside the Long River of Time, leaving the outside completely undefended.
At least, that was how it looked to Xiu Zhen.
The Long River of Time before him was like a bubble. He didn't even need to poke it with his finger; a single breath would burst it.
So he did just that.
After all, he didn't recognize what this thing was.
With his experience, he couldn't even witness the Primordial Saint's Great Dao. Even now, he thought it was Lu Yang, the World Honored One, and Dao Tianqi fighting against Sword Lord and the others.
Therefore, he was quite confident.
Master asked me to come out now; he must have calculated that I could play a key role. Since that's the case, how can I just stand and watch? It's time to display my divine might!
At this thought, he attacked fiercely!
Bang!
In an instant, the Long River of Time shattered!
Following that, looking at the figures of the Dao Lords flying out from within, the originally confident Xiu Zhen, who was preparing to join the battle, suddenly halted his steps.
Huh?
Something seems wrong!
Especially upon seeing Sword Lord, Cang Hao, and the others actually flying out together with Lu Yang, showing no intention of fighting whatsoever. This was even more wrong.
What happened?
The next second, all the Dao Lords turned to look at him. Surprise, confusion, relief, shock... various emotions intertwined, finally turning into the purest form of—sympathy.
Xiu Zhen: "...Ah?"
At this moment, Xiu Zhen subconsciously stepped back, wanting to return. However, an icy gaze originating from the Long River of Time locked onto him.
Only then did Xiu Zhen react, his hair standing on end!
Oh no! Master, you set me up!
Meanwhile, a cold voice drifted from the Long River of Time, carrying a hint of sudden realization. "Fellow Daoist Sisui, you have indeed bested me in this round!"