[Tianhuang].
Above the canopy, as the Long River of Time surged forward, a sword light glided downstream. It attempted to pierce the barrier but remained blocked outside the firmament.
This was the manifestation of Sisui's essence of transcendence.
Because of this, [Tianhuang] possessed transcendent properties; for cultivators whose essence did not meet the standard, reaching it was impossible even if they spent their entire lives trying.
However, the intent of the sword light was not to enter [Tianhuang]. It merely signaled a desire for entry before coming to a halt outside. The light then split into three, manifesting the figures of the Sword Lord , Cang Hao , and Myriad Laws. They did not speak, standing in silence as they waited.
Before long, the three looked up simultaneously.
Before their eyes, celestial light flooded the area. A young Daoist stood within the radiance, the shimmering shadows of a towering Heavenly Palace, countless deity, and trillions of living beings manifesting behind him.
"It is you..."
Cang Hao was the first to recognize Lu Yang. His brow furrowed immediately; they had come to see Sisui , yet he had not expected Lu Yang to be the one to meet them.
On the other side, the Sword Lord also frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes flashing with sudden shock and suspicion.
Once, Lu Yang was utterly insignificant in her eyes. In a one-on-one duel, she had absolute confidence she could take him down, sustaining only minor injuries at most.
But this time was different.
Though his cultivation level had not changed, she keenly sensed the circulation of the aura on his body, which felt far more unfathomable than before.
More importantly, looking at Lu Yang, a sense of crisis surged in her heart—a true crisis of life and death. This was a spontaneous response from her Primordial Spirit, warning her that if she underestimated the man before her, a single lapse in judgment could lead to her fall! This conclusion was difficult for her to accept.
How long had this person been practicing?
Clearly, he had been in a wretched state before, yet in just ten years, how could he have made such rapid progress? How did he achieve this?
"Greetings, three seniors."
Lu Yang stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped. He then smiled and said, "I apologize for the lack of a formal welcome for your visit. Do the three of you intend to be guests of [Tianhuang]?"
Upon hearing this, the Sword Lord instantly suppressed her negative emotions. Her eyes became cool and calm as she spoke with blunt directness: "We are here to surrender."
Indeed, Lu Yang had guessed correctly.
Ten years ago, ever since the three of them discovered the Primordial Saint was making secret moves yet could find no evidence, they knew something was wrong.
At that time, the Sword Lord had wanted to turn against him. However, Cang Hao sensed through fortune that the Primordial Saint's state had somehow surged significantly. Had they truly fought, they likely would have failed to suppress him and instead suffered a major loss. Thus, they had restrained their impulse to act.
Now, ten years had passed.
Seeing that the Primordial Saint's aura showed no fluctuation—only becoming deeper and more difficult to fathom—the three Dao Lords knew the situation had spiraled out of control.
"...We can help you deal with the Primordial Saint."
The Sword Lord said in a heavy voice, "The Primordial Saint cannot be killed, but he can be suppressed. Just as Sisui was suppressed in the past, the [Heavenly Dao] can now suppress the Primordial Saint as well."
"...Oh?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang did not show joy. Instead, he frowned, seeing through the surface to the essence: 'These three never act without seeing the benefits.'
'Why would they come to surrender for nothing?'
'Unless they have already sensed a crisis. What has the Primordial Saint done? So, Sisui's urgency over these past ten years was because of the Primordial Saint?'
Given his extraordinary emotional intelligence, he naturally saw the hidden anxiety and urgency within Sisui. However, he had not spoken of it, as that would only cause unnecessary distress. Instead, he had immersed himself more deeply in cultivation. As his practice became more perfected, Sisui's mood had visibly relaxed.
At this thought, Lu Yang got straight to the point:
"What did the Primordial Saint do?"
The Sword Lord was not surprised by the question. She immediately used her divine sense to describe what they had seen ten years ago, including that void of extinction they had witnessed after tracing back time.
"There is definitely a problem."
Speaking to this point, the Sword Lord felt somewhat helpless, forced to admit there was a gap between her methods and those of the Primordial Saint. "But we cannot find the specific issue."
Just then.
Beside Lu Yang , the Primordial Spirit shadow of Sisui emerged. He stared intently at the void of extinction manifested by the Sword Lord and spoke in a low tone:
"It is the Terminus Tiger, the second Innate Dao God."
Ten years ago, only he—by virtue of his Dao Lord stature —had crossed through time to witness the conversation between the Primordial Saint and Terminus Tiger. It was this that had sparked his sense of urgency.
Now that the Sword Lord had brought it up and Lu Yang was present, he simply stopped hiding it. He recounted what he had seen and heard, finally looking at the Sword Lord and saying heavily, "Nian Yao , if you wish to surrender , you must first hand over the [Heavenly Dao] and cooperate with me to integrate it into Lu Yang's Dao-attaining land."
Sisui's tone allowed for no retreat.
The current [Heavenly Palace] was almost at the final step. If the [Heavenly Dao] could be filled in as a framework, it would surely elevate a new Dao Lord.
On the other side, the Sword Lord's eyes narrowed.
She almost instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, the [Heavenly Dao] was her foundation and the key to her future path; she could not easily give it to another.
At that moment, Cang Hao suddenly spoke:
"The [Heavenly Dao] has been refined by Nian Yao for many years, and her Primordial Spirit is tied to it. If she hands it over, her foundation will surely be damaged. This is absolutely unacceptable."
His words seemed entirely focused on the Sword Lord's well-being.
However, Lu Yang's eyes suddenly lit up. He took a deep look at Cang Hao and said heavily, "This is simple. We only need to have a bout."
"Senior should still have fragments of the [Paramita] in hand, correct?"
Speaking to this, Lu Yang pointed at the Sword Lord and then at himself. "You and I shall have a wager. We will use the [Paramita] fragment and the [Heavenly Dao] as the stakes."
"If I win, Senior must hand over the [Heavenly Dao] intact."
The Sword Lord frowned slightly. "...And if I win?"
Lu Yang made a grand gesture. "Then I shall fill the Ancestral Dragon's sea of consciousness beneath the [Paramita] fragment for you, assisting you in returning to the position of Dao Lord."
The moment these words were spoken, the Sword Lord's eyes narrowed.
"...Truly?"
"I speak no lies!"
Lu Yang's words caused the Sword Lord to change her mind instantly. She immediately said, "I swear upon the [Heavenly Dao]. If you are willing, I accept this wager."
"It's a deal," Lu Yang said decisively.
The Sword Lord nodded. "Then three days from now, at this very spot."
Having said that, she withdrew her divine sense and vanished along with Cang Hao and Myriad Laws.
Afterward, Sisui looked at Lu Yang with some confusion. "Why do this? In a duel with Nian Yao now, your chances of winning are thirty percent at most."
This wasn't because Lu Yang was weak; on the contrary, he at least had a chance of victory now rather than certain defeat. However, the gap in their years of cultivation was simply too vast. Even with the Light of Wisdom from Dao Tianqi and personal guidance from Sisui, it was difficult to bridge this chasm in such a short time.
Yet Lu Yang appeared full of confidence.
He had even declared that if he lost, he would help the Sword Lord fill the [Paramita] fragment, which was equivalent to placing the lives of trillions on the gambling table.
By now, Sisui did not believe Lu Yang was that kind of beast.
In that case—
"You are certain of victory?" Sisui was somewhat astonished.
Lu Yang smiled and nodded:
"Rest assured, Senior. If my expectations are correct, this so-called wager was actually decided the moment the Sword Lord agreed to it..."