Lingering sentiments and deep, earnest affection manifested like a sky-obscuring net, weaving through every crack in the void, making escape nearly impossible.
Lu Yang's eyes narrowed instantly as he recognized the technique: [Threads of Sentiment].
This Great Dao, which used emotion as a blade, had been deeply hidden by the Sword Lord for years. Now that it had finally been unsheathed, its sharpness was overwhelming, leaving no room for evasion.
On the other side, Sky-shrouding, who was caught in the wake of the spreading profound wonder, felt his mind grow hazy. As he gazed at the peerless woman before him, he felt as if he had suddenly returned to his days as a mortal, remembering a lover from midnight dreams and feeling unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest harm.
"...Wait, something's wrong!"
Being a figure of significant stature, Sky-shrouding realized the problem the moment the thought surfaced, yet the heart-born feeling proved impossible to erase. It was not until Lu Yang's voice rang out.
"Fellow Daoist, I wonder for what reason you seek this humble cultivator?"
The calm voice, resembling the sound of high mountains and flowing water, immediately shattered Sky-shrouding's emotions. All surging feelings vanished in an instant, returning to a state of tranquility.
This was not [Supreme Forgotten Emotion].
Even the most passionate lovers are inevitably eroded by time over thousands of years; when passion reaches its peak, it turns thin, and when fate reaches its depth, it grows cold.
In a single thought, Sky-shrouding, whose Dao Heart had been ensnared by countless threads from the aftershocks of the [Threads of Sentiment], suddenly attained enlightenment. All the threads began to burn, no longer acting as a restraint but instead turning into flames that tempered his Dao Heart.
"...Hm?"
Almost simultaneously, the Sword Lord let out a confused soft cry. Her cold, beautiful eyes finally shifted from Lu Yang to Sky-shrouding.
What kind of method was this?
Since refining the [Threads of Sentiment], she had encountered almost no rivals; even fellow Dao Lords like Cang Hao and the Dao Arts Dao Lord had been deeply influenced by her.
Only the Primordial Saint had been immune to her [Threads of Sentiment] in the past, thanks to a special Primordial Spirit refined through [Supreme Forgotten Emotion]. However, she was never worried about him, as the price for [Supreme Forgotten Emotion] was too high—it was virtually equivalent to abandoning oneself, and no other Dao Lord had chosen that path.
Yet now, she saw a peculiar method that was entirely different from [Supreme Forgotten Emotion], yet could still resist the [Threads of Sentiment] and even turn them to its own use.
How was it done?
On the other side, Sky-shrouding, having finally escaped the influence of the threads with Lu Yang's help, did not hesitate to pull back and flee into the distance.
The Sword Lord knit her brows slightly and prepared to intervene, but her line of sight was blocked by a fluttering sleeve. Suddenly, all things in heaven and earth seemed to be peeled away by this single sleeve. The previously clear scenery transformed into a chaotic landscape, leaving only Lu Yang and the Sword Lord standing opposite each other.
Seeing this, the peerless woman stopped her pace, her cold eyes filled with praise.
"Impressive methods. Fellow Daoist's Great Dao is indeed as I expected—a supreme path of the world that fits me perfectly. It truly ought to be used by the Heavenly Dao," she remarked.
As she spoke, the Sword Lord did not forget to survey her surroundings.
The small area was rapidly extending; the chaotic colors dissipated, replaced by a scene of blue seas and clear skies. There were towering mountains, rivers flowing into the sea, and a line of egrets flying across the horizon with melodious cries.
At first glance, it appeared as if a brand-new universe had been opened, everything looking vivid and lifelike. However, the Sword Lord could tell that all of this was merely a manifestation of Lu Yang's intent in a single thought.
It was incredible.
Opening a World Realm was not difficult for a Dao Lord, and the Sword Lord could do it herself, but opening one so completely in a single thought was another matter entirely.
Among the various Dao Lords, only the Primordial Saint could achieve this. This was because to reach this step, one must have an extremely profound understanding of heaven and earth and know the principles of their operation to construct them in a single thought.
The Primordial Saint can do it because he stands above the Light Sea, governing all phenomena with Inevitable Fate. How does this Xuande do it? Is it an inheritance from the pre-ancient era, or is that so-called extraterrestrial immortal sect truly powerful enough to provide its disciples with the means to practice within the Light Sea?
The Sword Lord felt a mix of shock and suspicion in her heart.
Then again, since this Dao Ancestor Xuande was so proficient in the principles of heaven and earth's operation, he was a match made in heaven for her Heavenly Dao!
She wanted him even more.
On the other side, Lu Yang did not focus his thoughts on the Sword Lord. Instead, he carefully sensed the outside situation and sighed inwardly.
It won't work...
In the unseen depths, the gaze falling from the apex of the Paramita remained locked onto his aura, entirely unblocked by the world he had constructed.
One who stands high sees far.
As long as the Primordial Saint stood at the absolute peak of the Paramita, there were few places in the Light Sea he could not see; at the very least, the current Netherworld lacked the power to block him.
Unless... Dao Tianqi wakes up.
This might be the chance.
Lu Yang's mind stirred as he recalled experiences from previous lifetimes. At the very least, in the deepest parts of the Netherworld, a conscious Dao Tianqi could block the Primordial Saint's vision.
This was not because Dao Tianqi's cultivation was exceptionally high, but rather a characteristic of the Netherworld itself. The deeper one went into the Netherworld, the lower the stature became, making it harder for the majesty of a Dao Lord from the Paramita to penetrate. Forcing penetration would only damage one's own cultivation, a fact that applied even to Lu Yang.
This explained why, throughout Lu Yang's many lifetimes, the various Dao Lords had always acted from outside whenever they broke the Netherworld or interfered with it using their majesty.
No Dao Lord had ever proactively entered the Netherworld with their true body.
Lu Yang was the same.
At this moment, his true body was still sitting within the Dark Void outside the Light Sea. What had descended into the Netherworld was merely a Primordial Spirit thought imbued with majesty.
The Primordial Saint who had appeared earlier and the Sword Lord currently present were essentially the same, both being manifestations of a single thought. Yet, in the eyes of lower cultivators, even a single thought from a Dao Lord was enough to easily overturn the entire Light Sea; a Great Perfected Lord at the Heaven Treading stage was nothing more than an ant that could be extinguished with a flip of a palm.
With this thought, Lu Yang lowered his eyelids to hide his emotions.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
If Dao Tianqi awakened and the Netherworld went out of control, blocking the vision of the various Dao Lords—including the Primordial Saint—then he could take the opportunity to observe the Ancestral Dragon!
Of course, this was no easy task.
This must be done without leaving a trace, making it look natural; otherwise, if the Primordial Saint grows suspicious, it will be like beating the grass to startle the snake.
Just then.
"Fellow Daoist Xuande..."
The impatient Sword Lord spoke again. She knew that the Lu Yang before her was not his main body but only a manifestation of a thought; however, that single thought was exactly what she wanted.
The influence of the [Threads of Sentiment] was not something that could be achieved overnight. Her plan was to first plant the [Threads of Sentiment] into this thought of Lu Yang's and then let it return, subsequently influencing his main body. Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, she would slowly turn him into her puppet.
With this in mind, the Sword Lord spoke:
"My heart yearns for your methods, Fellow Daoist. However, I also have a method here that I am willing to show you. I invite you to critique it and offer your guidance; I am willing to have a long talk with you through the night".
Surging [Threads of Sentiment] spread out like a dense net.
The Sword Lord was like a mother spider controlling this massive web, her seemingly affectionate eyes actually watching her prey with coldness as it fell into the trap.