In the Divine Land, Lu Yang stood with his hands behind his back.
Before him was a vast and unfathomable profound light. The light was covered in dense cracks, appearing as if it could shatter at any moment, yet it remained miraculously intact.
At the center of the light.
Lu Yang gazed upon a perfectly round, shining pill-like object. It pulsed like a heart, its light flickering rhythmically.
It was the True Spirit of Guiming.
"He actually succeeded..."
Lu Yang lowered his eyelids, unable to conceal the shock in his heart. If Guiming's plan had failed, this True Spirit would have long since fallen into complete silence.
However, the fact that it was pulsing so vigorously meant that not only had Guiming succeeded in reincarnating into the future Light Sea era, but—just as he had said—he had truly attained the status of Dao Lord. Only by appearing in a brand-new identity in this era could he resonate with this True Spirit from across time.
"...Who is it?"
In an instant, the names of all the Dao Lords who had entered the Heaven Beyond Heaven flashed through Lu Yang's mind. Which Dao Lord was the reincarnated form of Guiming?
Just as Lu Yang was pondering this.
Suddenly, a palm covered in wrinkles appeared out of thin air. With a gentle grasp, it seemed to catch heaven and earth within its palm, and space itself shifted accordingly.
In the next second, Guiming's True Spirit was about to disappear!
But before that could happen, Lu Yang had already reacted. The Light of Order spilled forth from thin air, forcibly pinning the about-to-be-snatched True Spirit in place.
"Taking without speaking is thievery, taking without permission is theft."
"Fellow Daoist, you've crossed the line."
Lu Yang flicked his sleeves and pulled Guiming's True Spirit into his sleeve. He then turned his gaze toward an old man in hemp clothes who had appeared out of thin air nearby.
He was very old. The hemp clothes on his body seemed not to have been mended in a long time, and his face was covered in age spots. Only those eyes remained clear and bright. His back was no longer straight, forcing him to lean on a cane; he looked less like a great cultivator and more like a dying mortal.
Yet, when he stood there.
All things in heaven and earth, spiritual opportunities, and phenomena seemed to be concentrated upon him alone, as if he were the inescapable core of all existence.
The Dao Ancestor of [Feng Shui], Zhu Liuxian.
He had struck suddenly and viciously just now, intending to eliminate Guiming beforehand, yet he hadn't left; he had been lurking in the shadows all along.
"It seems cultivation in later ages still has its merits."
The old man examined Guiming's True Spirit seriously before shaking his head: "Guiming's path is impossible to walk."
"How can one leap over the Final Tribulation?"
"Let alone space, even time cannot transcend the influence of the Final Tribulation. How could he possibly cross the Final Tribulation and reincarnate into the next new era?"
Lu Yang chuckled at this: "Since that is the case, why bother with Guiming's True Spirit, Senior? He is destined to fail; you could have just left him alone... Besides, since you stayed here and intended to seize the True Spirit, it means you actually know that there is hope, don't you?"
The old man did not evade the question and nodded frankly:
"Indeed."
"Because this moment is different from before. When the Dao Venerable personally promised that the opportunity would arrive, all things in this moment had a sliver of hope."
"This is also why Guiming chose to take such a risk only at this moment."
"Were it not for this, I wouldn't have even paid him any mind. But now, the situation is special. Therefore, just to be safe, I cannot leave his True Spirit be."
"Otherwise, if he truly kills everyone, the 'Three Talents'—Heaven, Earth, and Man—will be flawed, and my Feng Shui Grand Formation will have defects. This is a struggle for the Great Dao that cannot be tolerated."
Zhu Liuxian's tone was extremely calm.
Yet, it was this calm that made Lu Yang feel his firm resolve. Guiming had his own path, and did not he have his own? There was no possibility of retreat.
'No wonder...'
Lu Yang glanced at Guiming's True Spirit in his sleeve, reaching a realization: 'This fellow must have anticipated this, knowing his True Spirit could not be preserved.'
'However, if the goal is just to complete that plan of guiding all sentient beings, preserving Guiming's True Spirit might not be necessary. One only needs to extract his secret method for [Fate] cultivation, which allows one to cross the Final Tribulation and reincarnate into the Light Sea era, and then pass it on to his reincarnated self.'
So, "Success does not have to be achieved by me."
'This is also... his payment to me.'
'Guiming's True Spirit is something this Dao Ancestor of [Feng Shui] is determined to obtain. In other words, it is also the best bargaining chip I have to win him over and request his help.'
What a brilliant scheme!
At the cost of completely abandoning his self and fully reincarnating into another person, he had achieved an almost perfect layout. If there was only one flaw, it was Lu Yang himself.
'If I don't cooperate, then there is nothing.'
But, why wouldn't he?
'In any case, I have the anchor points bound by the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] and sufficient opportunities to slowly test my mistakes. Moreover, this could also gain me an ally.'
At this thought, Lu Yang smiled:
"Since you insist, Fellow Daoist, I can hand over the True Spirit."
"...Oh?"
At these words, the Dao Ancestor of [Feng Shui] was somewhat surprised, but he quickly reacted: "Then what is the price? What do you need me to do for you?"
"Compete for the Seed of the Great Dao?"
Lu Yang nodded with a smile: "Fellow Daoist holds the [Feng Shui] Dao. Nowadays, inside and outside the Divine Land, no anomaly could escape your eyes."
"The Seed of the Great Dao has not yet manifested. I need you to monitor the Divine Land for me. As soon as it manifests, send me to its specific location immediately. At the same time, you must also help me block one opponent. If you can do these two things, Fellow Daoist, Guiming's True Spirit is yours to take. What do you think?"
The old man shook his head:
"Not good enough... Junior Brother Xuande, helping you find the Seed of the Great Dao and helping you compete for the Seed of the Great Dao are two different matters. The price of Guiming's True Spirit is not enough."
Lu Yang instantly understood the Dao Ancestor of [Feng Shui]'s hidden meaning.
In short, the price needs to be higher!
At this thought, Lu Yang smiled: "Fellow Daoist, please speak your mind."
Zhu Liuxian held up a finger:
"My Feng Shui Grand Formation has already spread throughout the vast majority of the present Divine Land, with only one exception. That place prevents my formation from becoming complete."
"I hope Junior Brother will take a trip for me."
In the next second, the old man reached into his sleeve and took out a long pillar carved from white jade: "Find a way to place this object in that region."
"If you do that, I will agree to both of your requests."
"...What is that region?" Lu Yang asked curiously.
"It is named [Nurturing Immortal Land]."
Zhu Liuxian said lightly: "It is currently in the hands of the Dao Ancestor of [Health Preservation], Shan Qiu. This man has formidable means for avoiding misfortune and seeking luck; I truly cannot catch him."
Divine Land, an unnamable location.
In a grotto-heaven within this territory, there were sunrises and moonsets, and the four seasons revolved. Within the dense mountain forests, one could strikingly see a layout of magnificent palaces and jade pavilions.
However, just then.
"Hiss!"
Inside a certain cave dwelling here, a young man who looked shifty-eyed suddenly opened his eyes. He then gasped, his face filled with terror.
"Damn it! Someone's trying to harm me again?"
(End of Chapter)