Thinking about this, Lu Yang was somewhat frightened by his own speculation.
Up until now, Lu Yang had always regarded the Primordial Saint as his final and greatest enemy. All his strategic planning and schemes were aimed at him; he had never imagined there could be anyone else.
However, Luxian's words struck him with a sudden, sharp realization.
'The wandering soul of the Pre-Ancient Era... a being who once vied with [Jun] for transcendence, yet was left a sliver of hope, surviving all the way to today's Sea of Light...'
Lu Yang almost cursed out loud.
What was [Jun] thinking? Was he bored? He claimed to leave a sliver of hope for all sentient beings in the Sea of Light, but did he really have to leave one for friend and foe alike?
That was far too much for equality.
Did he not know that while all beings are equal, some should be "more equal" than others? Hidden dangers like Taiyuan Immortal should have been strangled in the cradle!
"Phew..."
Lu Yang let out a long breath and quickly composed himself. Regardless, the most terrifying enemies are always the unknown ones hiding in the shadows.
Now that he knew, there was much he could do.
'Furthermore, Taiyuan Immortal is likely far from being that terrifying. Otherwise, he would have warned the Primordial Saint the very first time I restarted.'
Why wait until now? Was it because he didn't want to?
'Not necessarily. It could be due to some kind of restriction; perhaps it was only in the previous life that he could manifest a shred of profound majesty through the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record].'
Lu Yang even made a bold hypothesis— perhaps it was the repeated restarts of the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] that caused the seals on the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] to loosen slightly. The more times he restarted, the closer Taiyuan Immortal came to breaking free. That was why, in the previous life—after a dozen restarts—he finally began to truly plot against Lu Yang.
'Unfortunately, this is all speculation for now.'
With no physical evidence or witnesses, he was essentially "shooting the arrow first and drawing the target later." Whether any of this was true would likely require a test to confirm.
How to test it?
Lu Yang rapidly reviewed the records he had seen in the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record], and his gaze slowly shifted to Luxian.
'The records in that book did not mention the Gatekeeper.'
Lu Yang stroked his chin:
'It makes sense. In that version of the [previous life] belonging to the Primordial Saint, I didn't exist. And without me, Luxian likely wouldn't have chosen to reincarnate.'
But now things were different.
Luxian was about to reincarnate. According to historical records, he would serve as the original Gatekeeper, establishing the Gatekeeper lineage and maintaining the integrity of the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness].
'Is there anything I can do?'
Lu Yang hesitated, but he soon realized: 'Wait, it's not a matter of what I can do—in history, I have already done it!'
At this thought, he immediately cast aside his concerns.
Judging from historical records, whatever he did didn't seem to trigger any massive trouble, which meant there was a high probability of success.
Of course, there was no rush yet.
Confirming the matter of Taiyuan Immortal was secondary. Lu Yang knew clearly that layouts and schemes were merely means; cultivation and strength were the fundamental roots of everything.
Therefore, after a moment of reflection, he spoke up:
"I ask Fellow Daoist, what are the specific knacks and methods for the metamorphosis of essence in Pre-Ancient cultivation? Earlier, you mentioned the ten Pre-Ancient Daos; could you elaborate on them for me?"
"Oh?"
At these words, Luxian was momentarily stunned, but he quickly nodded: "Of course. Since the Dao Ancestor asks, this lower cultivator will naturally tell you everything I know."
Luxian even appeared somewhat enthusiastic. The reason was simple: after the Dao Venerable departed, his cultivation as a former attendant boy had completely stagnated. After all, he cultivated [Noble Connections]—the "Noble" was gone, so who was left to connect with? But now, he seemed to see another "Noble."
'The wrong time, the wrong place.'
'Yet this person somehow found a way in. He is of extraordinary nobility, surely having the Dao Venerable's permission. With such a Noble person here, if I don't connect with him now, when will I?'
With this thought, Luxian became increasingly solemn.
"Fate, Fortune, Feng Shui, Accumulated Merit, Education, Name, Form, Reverence for the Divine, Noble Connections, and Health Preservation—these ten Daos are illusory designations."
"After all, the Great Dao is formless. How could there be a Great Dao that manifests physically in the world?"
Lu Yang: "..."
There are. Of course, there are. Every one of the ten Daos in the Sea of Light is real and unmistakable; one look and you see a literal broad Dao that you can even touch.
But it seemed the Pre-Ancient Era was clearly different.
"The so-called ten Daos are essentially ten methods that people have walked and successfully completed. They aren't ranked by strength, but by the time they reached the Dao."
Luxian said in a low voice:
"Therefore, the ten Daos aren't separate entities; they all exist under the same roof. For instance, although I primarily cultivate [Noble Connections], I am also proficient in the methods of [Fate]."
"[Fate]?" Lu Yang asked curiously.
"It's reincarnation," Luxian laughed. "In the Pre-Ancient Era, those who cultivated [Fate] were mostly mortals. They practiced bitterly for a lifetime, from childhood to old age, without a shred of supernatural power or spiritual energy."
"Their lifelong cultivation was solely to retain their memories and then be reborn into a good life. The higher the cultivation in [Fate], the better the reincarnation after death, and the greater the subsequent achievements. Therefore, cultivators of [Fate] were the most feared in the past; most people kept a respectful distance when they met one."
"After all, there is a famous precedent."
At this point, a hint of admiration appeared in Luxian's tone: "Legend has it that before the Dao Ancestor of [Fate] attained the Dao, he was a mere mortal."
"Before a [Fate] cultivator reincarnates, their cultivation is not apparent."
"Because of this, a reckless cultivator who was blood-sacrificing sentient beings happened to sacrifice the Dao Ancestor of [Fate]... Guess what the result was?"
Without waiting for Lu Yang to answer, Luxian laughed loudly: "That cultivator killed the Dao Ancestor of [Fate] one moment, and the next, the Dao Ancestor of [Fate] crossed through time and space, reincarnating before the start of the era! He was born as a Innate Dao God, attained the status of Dao Ancestor, and then returned to slap that cultivator to death!"
Lu Yang: "..."
Wait? You can even do that?
Lu Yang was stunned. Under Luxian's description, a cultivation system entirely different from the Sea of Light, yet equally vibrant and colorful, vividly appeared before him.
"Talented individuals emerge in every generation. After the ten Dao Ancestors opened the ten Daos, another seven Dao Ancestors followed in their footsteps, attaining the status of Dao Ancestor, totaling seventeen... However, none were equal to the Dao Venerable! Although the Dao Venerable was a latecomer born from humble beginnings, he relied on his staggering comprehension to finally achieve transcendence!"
By the end, Luxian's voice held a touch of fanaticism.
After listening seriously, Lu Yang asked in a low voice: "In that case, after the Dao Venerable transcended, where did the other Dao Ancestors go? Do you know, Fellow Daoist?"
"This..."
Luxian's expression suddenly froze, and he shook his head dejectedly: "This place was transformed from the Dao Venerable's last lingering attachment to the current world, stopping exactly before his transcendence."
"Since then, I have always resided here."
"As for what the Dao Ancestors did, what happened, or where they went after the Dao Venerable transcended... I ask the Dao Ancestor's forgiveness, but this lower cultivator truly does not know."
"However, transcendence is likely impossible."
"Thinking about it, they probably just delved deep into the Dark Void and went to another realm, right? After all, the collision between the Divine Land and the Vast Sea meant our days were numbered."
The more Lu Yang listened, the more peculiar his expression became.
So the cultivators of the Pre-Ancient Era really left the Sea of Light and escaped into the Dark Void? It seemed his made-up identity as "Dao Ancestor Xuande" was becoming more and more real!
(End of Chapter)