Chapter 371 : "Have Things Been Going Too Smoothly for Me Lately?"

Chapter 371: "Have Things Been Going Too Smoothly for Me Lately?"

‘【Insight】！’

As the clear radiance of the spell descended upon Lü Yang, his nearly unconscious mind instantly regained clarity.

‘Maintain tranquility to reach the utmost emptiness.’

【Sword Heart Clarity】!

This was the second realm of swordsmanship, corresponding to the Foundation Establishment True Person. Compared to other cultivators, it equated to possessing an additional innate divine ability, which now played a crucial role.

Of course, this alone was insufficient.

More importantly—

‘Purple Talent: Quite Capable!’

【Quite Capable: No matter how terrifying the attack you face, as long as it's within your capacity, you can handle it with ease—twice.】

Granted by the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes, this talent didn't require active activation. It would automatically trigger when Lü Yang encountered an attack he couldn't normally withstand but could theoretically counter, allowing him to handle it gracefully—twice.

At this moment, it took effect.

Lü Yang had just achieved 【Sword Heart Clarity】, and perhaps only had a one in ten thousand chance of perceiving the danger in the recent crisis.

However, 【Quite Capable】 made it a certainty!

Seizing this brief respite, Lü Yang reacted swiftly. While under the marvelous influence of 【Insight】, he quickly activated another divine ability.

‘【Entrapment Intent】！’

His consciousness connected with his swordsmanship avatar, and the 【Bright Harmony Eternal World Upright Golden Sword】 in its hand radiated brilliant light, followed by a crisp shattering sound.

In the recent battle with Long Yue, Lü Yang had deployed 【Entrapment Intent】 from the start! At this moment, the entire Sacred Mountain of the Myriad Poison Sect was within its range. Though he hadn't yet retracted it, now, upon Lü Yang's activation, it immediately began to reverse the unfavorable situation, turning adversity into nothingness.

“Crack!”

In the next second, the world before Lü Yang shattered with a roar. However, what caused his expression to change slightly was that he hadn't thereby erased his true body from the reality within the pool.

He remained within the Moon-Worshipping Pool.

He had merely returned to the moment he first entered, with a clear mind and before the strange drowsiness had set in. Yet, the crisis was still unresolved!

In fact, it arrived even faster!

The drowsiness emerged more swiftly than before, and a melodious whisper echoed in his ears, as if expounding the profound principles of the universe.

But this time, Lü Yang was prepared.

With a thought, he sealed his six senses. Under the augmentation of 【Sword Heart Clarity】, time nearly halted in his perception, allowing him to sit quietly within his mind.

This was another marvelous use of 【Sword Heart Clarity】: the ability to enter a space where only his consciousness existed. In this space, long periods could pass, while only an instant elapsed in the outside world. In critical moments, he could retreat here to contemplate solutions before returning to face the situation calmly.

‘What exactly is going on?’

Lü Yang's eyes shone brilliantly. Despite being in a crisis, he became even more composed, his divine intent like a sword, cutting down all negative emotions.

‘Who is secretly plotting against me, [Ang Xiao]?’

He began to review all his experiences since his rebirth, searching for anomalies.

“Have things been going too smoothly for me lately?”

Indeed, it seemed as if the heavens and earth were aiding him. Everything he did turned danger into safety. After reincarnating into the Sword Pavilion, everything went smoothly, without the slightest difficulty.

As a result, his former caution seemed to have vanished.

Encountering an unknown 【Moon-Worshipping Sacred Pool】, he hadn't examined it carefully or explored it thoroughly. Instead, he rushed in with his true body without hesitation!

Is this me? This isn't me!

“This place is naturally formed; I am of the Immortal Spirit body.”

Naturally, a thought surfaced in Lü Yang's mind: “...Is Heaven and Earth trying to harm me?”

Why? Isn't the Immortal Spirit the most favored child of Heaven?

“Wait... I remember now.”

At this moment, when Lü Yang directed his suspicion toward "Heaven and Earth," it was as if he had found the key to a previously locked door.

Had he ever doubted Heaven and Earth?

Yes, he had!

Back then, while searching for 【Shen Jin】 in the mass grave, he discovered that 【Shen Jin】's opportunity had coincidentally fallen into his hands, which raised his suspicions!

And then?

‘Nothing followed—because after the mass grave incident and the subsequent events in the 【Mystic Spirit Realm】, I naturally overlooked it!’

Were there other instances?

‘Yes... Hong Yun!’

Ten years ago, he had defied a Golden Core True Person, refining Hong Yun's golden nature using the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes, thereby obtaining the accumulation of Hong Yun's countless years of cultivation.

What a tremendous fortune!

But in reality?

‘I didn't utilize it at all; I merely treated Hong Yun's golden nature as a shell, and hardly reviewed the contents settled by the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes.’

At this thought, Lü Yang felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, drenched in cold sweat:

‘That's it—because Hong Yun, like me now, was also favored by Heaven and Earth. His connection with Heaven and Earth was even closer. Yet, in the end, he chose to abandon this world. In his memories... there are likely parts that Heaven and Earth don't want me to know!’

This is the 【Obstruction of Knowledge】!

‘[Ang Xiao] secretly targeting me? No, that's not right. If it were [Ang Xiao], I wouldn't have been able to kill Hong Yun and obtain the golden nature.’

Then why?

Both events occurred while he was interacting with [Ang Xiao]. This feeling resembled an influence exerted by [Great Forest Tree] itself.

‘In that case, if Heaven and Earth so desired, perhaps they could also invoke the power of the fruit position?’

‘True Persons aren't the true masters of Heaven and Earth's fruit positions!?’

At this realization, Lü Yang instead felt a sense of relief: ‘No... Heaven and Earth itself must have limitations and cannot act recklessly against me.’

Perhaps because the Dao Lord still existed, like a tiger or wolf nearby. In any case, even if Heaven and Earth truly intended to deal with him, it would have to painstakingly set up traps.

The bad news was, he had already fallen into one.

‘Wait... still not right. Even if they wanted to deal with me, isn't this timing too early? I haven't even cultivated the Immortal Spirit to perfection yet.’

He was still missing the final 【You Metal】.

Although Lü Yang could use 【Holding the Law】 to preemptively evolve the 【You Metal】 divine ability, a counterfeit remained a counterfeit; he hadn't truly obtained 【You Metal】.

Therefore, his Immortal Spirit body was not yet complete.

‘Even if Heaven and Earth truly harbored ill intentions toward me, they should have been more patient, waiting until I obtained 【You Metal】 and completed the great work before taking action.’

At this point, Lü Yang already understood Heaven and Earth's intentions.

Simply put, Lü Yang had been playing a full development game, finally reaching max level with full equipment, ready to enjoy himself. Then Heaven and Earth told him, "You can hand over the mouse now."

‘Bastards!’

This was clearly an attempt to seize his hard-earned fruits of victory!

But still, it was too early. He hadn't obtained 【You Metal】 yet. Or was there some reason compelling Heaven and Earth to act prematurely?

At that moment—

“Boom!”

A sudden loud noise interrupted Lü Yang's thoughts, forcing him out of the 【Sword Heart Clarity】 state, and time resumed its flow.

The intense drowsiness struck once more.

However, this time, Lü Yang still managed to handle Heaven and Earth's mental intrusion with ease, using 【Tribulation Wave】 and 【Sword Heart Clarity】.

【Quite Capable】!

One instance just now, another now.

In the next second, Lü Yang reactivated the divine ability 【Entrapment Intent】. With the transformation between reality and illusion, he erased the unfavorable conditions, restoring his state to clarity.

This time, the whispering in his ears finally changed.

Moreover, it wasn't just whispers; several images accompanied them. In the images, Buddhist light filled the sky, reflecting a compassionate golden Buddha statue.

He rode a six-tusked white elephant, with a white lotus in its mouth. Seated in meditation, he formed the Demon-Subduing Seal, and the light of prajna could eliminate all worldly greed and desires. Like a bright sun hanging in the clear sky, it was perfect and flawless, radiating boundless light, nearly blinding Lü Yang.

However, in the next second, all these visions dissolved.

The golden body vanished, the Buddha statue disappeared.

What met his eyes was merely a young monk with hands clasped together and a compassionate smile. The familiar face brought sudden realization to Lü Yang's eyes.

‘Guang Ming.’

Why was Heaven and Earth acting so hastily?

Because Guang Ming had arrived! More precisely, the 【Buddha Child】 had arrived. But what else could the Buddha Child of the Pure Land be? Frankly, he was the representative of the World Honored One!