Xiu Zhen was completely unaware of any abnormality within himself. Under the [Script] written by the [Off-Stage Observer], his actions were entirely self-motivated, and he quickly slipped back into the Extreme Heaven Cliff of the Sword Pavilion.
Within a secluded cave-dwelling on Extreme Heaven Cliff, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits was practicing when he suddenly felt a cold wind strike his body, causing him to fall into a state of ignorance and fainting.
This was Xiu Zhen's doing; the cold wind was a manifestation of his Primordial Spirit thoughts. By attaching himself to the Perfected One, he caused his silhouette in the current world to dim, instantly transporting him into a pitch-black universe dominated by the vast, unfathomable Great Karmic Net.
Currently, the Dao Lords were still wrestling within it. Sword Lord and Cang Hao joined forces, their magnificent sword-light severing ten thousand ages.
The river of destiny surged, cutting off all future scenes attempting to approach the source of the False History. The Primordial Saint assisted from the sidelines.
On the opposing side, Myriad Laws and Du Xuan were the primary forces assaulting the False History, with the World Honored One assisting. The six Dao Lords hung like suns and moons in the sky, their majesty agitating the False History.
Despite the intensity, they were currently exercising restraint. This was especially true for the Primordial Saint; he had to suppress the False History while simultaneously maintaining the [Paramita] and stabilizing the current world.
Furthermore, since his stature had dropped from the seventh layer to the fifth, most of his strikes were perfunctory, at most intercepting the World Honored One.
Informally, the Dao Lords had reached a tacit agreement— while it was impossible for a Dao Lord to trace back to the source of the False History, they could turn a blind eye to lower cultivators.
This shifted the conflict from a direct martial struggle to a more calculated one, using lower cultivators as chess pieces where victory or defeat would not necessarily damage their relationships. Xiu Zhen took this opportunity to sneak toward the source of the False History—his specialty.
Lu Yang silently observed his movements through his [Observation State]. In the previous life, Xiu Zhen had managed to slip into the False History under the noses of the Dao Lords. Lu Yang wondered if he would succeed again this time.
"RUMBLE!"
Suddenly, Xiu Zhen, who had already entered the False History and was tracing back to the source, felt the world turn white as his vision was obscured. An undisguised, cold gaze descended from atop the [Paramita], piercing through layers of Karma to lock onto him.
"I have finally waited for you..." the Primordial Saint's voice drifted down hollowly. Ever since seeing the traces Xiu Zhen left on Extreme Heaven Cliff, the Saint had been wary of this mysterious Primordial Spirit.
In his view, this mysterious figure was allied with Lu Yang and was clearly plotting something within the False History.
Xiu Zhen grit his teeth. Had his previous information leak allowed the Saint to track him despite his high-level concealment? Even though he had fled quickly, the Saint had found enough clues to expose him.
In the next second, the [Paramita] manifested as a towering outline like the sun and moon. At its peak, a magnificent figure—no longer tiny but vast to the extreme—struck out.
He used a single finger, which seemed to condense infinite years, moving with the speed of a fleeting shadow toward Xiu Zhen's brow—specifically, the brow of Perfected One Subduing-Spirits, to whom Xiu Zhen's thoughts were attached.
Xiu Zhen's thoughts agitated violently, desperate to escape, but his efforts were futile.
Just then, a palm intercepted the finger at the critical moment. Although its power was far inferior to the Primordial Saint's, it relied on the immortal nature of the [Dead Cycle] to endure the attack.
The Saint's strike had simultaneously targeted the past, present, and future to erase Xiu Zhen fundamentally.
"As expected..." atop the [Paramita], the Primordial Saint narrowed his eyes while holding an ancient golden book—the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record]. After a decade of searching within the [Supreme Grandmaster], he had finally retrieved it.
"...Lu Yang?" the Saint's gaze, sharp as a blade, turned toward the figure in the Netherworld. The records in the book regarding the [previous life] were quite complete.
'Sisui is the key. He must not be allowed to escape under the current circumstances; even if he does, he cannot be permitted to recreate the world. The Heavenly Scripture must be reclaimed, and then there is Myriad Treasures... '
The Saint looked at the World Honored One, who had dropped to the first layer of the [Paramita]. Without the records, he would never have believed the World Honored One would sacrifice his own foundation in [Karma] to forcibly release Sisui.
'I must defend against this. Fortunately, the records show that the [previous life] was a special case where Myriad Treasures dared to do this because the [Paramita] was collapsing and every Dao Lord's stature was falling.'
In this life, the [Paramita] was intact. If the World Honored One abandoned [Karma], the Primordial Saint could kill him immediately. For now, that threat was contained.
'He is still a hidden danger. Once this situation is resolved, I must find a chance to deal with Myriad Treasures; after nurturing him for so long, he is finally useful... '
With a sudden decision, the Primordial Saint stomped his foot, sending a surge of majesty into the False History. The resulting waves and light forced Xiu Zhen out of the False History and into the Great Karmic Net of the True History.
"Dammit..." Xiu Zhen frowned. If the palm from the Netherworld hadn't protected him, that stomp would have crushed him rather than just expelling him.
Suddenly, an ethereal voice spoke: "The True History is also acceptable. Go to 129,600 years ago—the True and False Histories intersect at that node. You can find a way into the False History from there."
Xiu Zhen was stunned by the suggestion but felt a surge of adrenaline, casting aside his usual caution. He decided to risk it and surged through the Great Karmic Net, racing back toward the Dao Lord battle of 129,600 years ago.
The Primordial Saint watched, realizing Lu Yang's intent to use the Dao Lord battle as a springboard from True to False History. He doubted Lu Yang could succeed given his own remaining power and that of Sword Lord and Cang Hao.
As if in response, the Primordial Saint refrained from acting, while Sword Lord turned her gaze toward Xiu Zhen. Yet Lu Yang also did not move. Instead, deep within the Netherworld, Dao Tianqi stepped out of the Netherworld Lord's Palace and held the [Wheel of Reincarnation] above his head.
In the next instant, the world inverted. Sword Lord, who had been high atop the [Paramita] and striking into the False History, vanished and suddenly reappeared within the Netherworld.
The gates to the False History were now wide open!