At the exact moment Cang Hao transformed his Primordial Spirit and cast aside the [Threads of Sentiment], on the other side of the Light Sea, the Primordial Saint felt a resonance, a faint ripple of thought surfacing in his eyes.
"Cang Hao has switched to the present."
His gaze fixed intently on the realm where the Sword Lord and Lu Yang were locked in a duel, but he saw only a five-colored precious seal, sealing all phenomena within a void.
It couldn't be helped; things were no longer as they were in the past. Under the concealment of the [Heavenly Dao], he could hardly peer through the blockade without restoring his Dao Lord cultivation. That he could sense even a few anomalous omens was a testament to the depth of his cultivation and an essence that surpassed other Dao Lords; otherwise, he truly would have been left in the dark.
Nevertheless, the Primordial Saint pondered for a moment and could roughly deduce the situation: 'As expected, Cang Hao has finally found his opportunity and is prepared to strike against Nian Yao.'
Just as Lu Yang had anticipated, while the two Dao Lords—one governing [Destiny] and the other wielding [Fortune]—seemed a perfect match, the Primordial Saint would certainly not sit idly by.
Besides, between Dao Lords, there is no such thing as a perfect match.
To put it plainly, back before Cang Hao had attained the Dao, he had been ambushed by the Sword Lord; he had followed along with half-hearted reluctance, which led to their current state.
In the beginning, Cang Hao and the Sword Lord were genuine Dao companions. The Sword Lord practiced with [Threads of Sentiment], which actually served to nourish Cang Hao's Primordial Spirit. However, as time passed and the threads multiplied, eventually reaching the state of [Deep-Rooted Affection], Cang Hao discovered he had been schemed against by the Sword Lord.
Such Dao companions naturally shared no real affection.
Still, the two joining forces was indeed a trouble. Although the Primordial Saint did not fear them, he believed in providing for a rainy day; being cautious in one's dealings was never wrong.
The results proved him right:
"The hidden pawn left back then has finally come in handy."
The [Seven Emotions Reaching Heaven Incantation] was practically the natural enemy of [Threads of Sentiment]. As long as Cang Hao switched to this Primordial Spirit method, he would become a fellow traveler of the Primordial Saint.
Why not welcome a free ally?
"However... I cannot truly let Nian Yao die. If Cang Hao returns to his Dao Lord position, a new variable would be created, which would be like lifting a rock only to drop it on my own feet."
At this thought, the Primordial Saint frowned again.
From his perspective, it was best for the Sword Lord and Cang Hao to remain in a state of "conflict without collapse"—turning against each other yet unable to overcome the other.
If one side emerged victorious, it would instead be a problem.
That said, there was no need for excessive worry.
He hadn't only guided Cang Hao back then; he had also made preparations on the Sword Lord's side. Now that one side had moved, the other was likely not far behind.
"BOOM!"
The Dark Void echoed with a hollow roar. Just as Cang Hao shed the dense, immeasurable [Threads of Sentiment] from his Primordial Spirit, the Sword Lord was immediately hit by the backlash.
The first things to return were the injuries she had previously transferred away; they were now returned in full, even doubled. The wonder of [Fortune] she had previously borrowed, once as easy to use as her own limbs, became a hot potato. The boiling profound light caused her entire body to sting as if it were on fire.
Yet, she remained steady.
Her peerlessly beautiful face rapidly disintegrated, and her curvaceous figure collapsed into rolling auspicious clouds. Radiant light stretched out in all directions.
After several such transformations, the clouds gathered once more. She no longer manifested a human form but instead became a translucent, three-foot azure blade woven from infinite threads of sentiment.
"CLANG—CLANG—"
Boiling majesty churned the Dark Void. Faintly, a long river could be seen surging forward. Within the deafening sword cries, there was an unspeakable fury.
"Cang Hao, how dare you... you actually dare..."
She could accept Cang Hao harboring ill intent or having schemes, because with [Threads of Sentiment] as the bond, everything was within her control.
But now it was different.
Cang Hao had switched to the [Seven Emotions Reaching Heaven Incantation] and entered the state of Forgotten Emotion. [Threads of Sentiment] no longer held any sway over him; he had completely jumped out of the cage she had set.
Outrageous!
The three-foot azure blade hung in the air, wishing it could strike Cang Hao immediately. Yet, the moment her many emotions reached their peak, the Sword Lord suppressed them.
Because right in front of her, Lu Yang would not miss this golden opportunity created by Cang Hao. Just as the Sword Lord was being ravaged by the backlash, he had already arrived before her. He formed a seal, and a graceful light—leaping like a swimming dragon—coalesced at his fingertips, pointing toward the body of the blade.
[Heavenly Destiny Reckoning]!
As his finger fell, the blade suddenly grew heavy, as if it had instantly fallen from a brilliant jewel to a common stone. The profound wonder could hardly be maintained.
Stature Degradation!
This was the Sword Lord's weakest moment, and Lu Yang had added another push. Under the pressure from both within and without, he managed to suppress her stature by a fraction!
Lu Yang was ecstatic!
Though it was only a fraction, this sliver of difference could elevate him from a thirty-percent win rate to a fifty-fifty standing against the Sword Lord.
Gaining twenty percent more chance of victory was a massive profit!
However, in the next second, the slightly dimmed blade vanished. Almost simultaneously, Lu Yang's Primordial Spirit issued a warning, and he felt a sharp pain in his brow.
'It's coming!'
In the spark of a flint, he seemed to see the blade—the Sword Lord's incarnation—pushing through everything. She used the threads of sentiment to weave a net and pave a path, striking directly at his Primordial Spirit.
Almost at the same time, Lu Yang drove the Heaven's Bane Sword to meet her. But this time, the Sword Lord did not only use [Threads of Sentiment]; a long river surged forth, overlapping with her sword light. It manifested the changes of fate, and the collapsing future became a destined ending of death!
In this moment, time seemed to stand still.
'Living beings are born into the world with kinship; they interact with others through friendship and love. The destiny of all beings shifts according to the intervention of "Affection"...'
Infinite changes and profound wonders were condensed into this single instant. Only a cold and chilling Daoist tone echoed, as if interpreting something.
Under the influence of her rage, the Sword Lord displayed a method similar to that of the Primordial Saint and Sisui.
[The Great Dao Responds to Me]!
Under her interpretation, the changes in [Destiny] were nothing more than the movements of [Affection]. Driven by this, she greatly amplified the profound influence of [Destiny]!
If the previous Lu Yang had been here, he likely would have ended up like the World Honored One in his previous life, or like himself when he first clashed with the Primordial Saint. Despite having equal cultivation and even a slight advantage, he would have lacked any power to resist and would have been instantly slain by this sword.
But things were different now.
'[The Great Dao Responds to Me]... The Sword Lord's level in this aspect is far inferior to Sisui or the Primordial Saint. No wonder Sisui said she gave up halfway.'
This sword was not so easily struck.
Lu Yang burned his Light of Wisdom and instantly saw through the Sword Lord's reality: 'This isn't true [Great Dao Responds to Me]; it's just a forced interpretation and a strained connection.'
It wasn't that the Sword Lord's cultivation had reached the level of [The Great Dao Responds to Me]; she was merely relying on her long-term connection to the Great Dao of [Destiny] to forcibly integrate [Threads of Sentiment]. Although it allowed for a momentary explosion of brilliance, the aftermath would surely result in a mutual downfall.
To kill the enemy at a heavy cost to oneself.
'Going to such lengths shows she is truly desperate. She's gambling everything on this one sword to achieve a quick victory and seize a sliver of hope for herself.'
A pity—
"Your [Variable] is not at this moment. If you truly wanted to seize a sliver of hope, you shouldn't have agreed to the wager in the beginning. By now, the opportunity has passed!"
And, did you think I couldn't do it too?
As his words fell, infinite radiance coalesced at Lu Yang's brow. In a daze, a Great Dao seemed to pierce through the realm, illuminating the Dark Void in all directions!