Chapter 453 : Counting the Spoils of War

Chapter 453: Counting the Spoils of War

The World-Honored One had departed.

The Pure Land once again returned to its former appearance. Immediately after, an elderly monk with snow-white hair and beard walked up to Lü Yang, bowed deeply with utmost respect, and said,

“Amitābha.”

“Senior Hongyun, in this great tribulation, my Pure Land has lost countless lives. A few days hence, we shall close our borders to the outside world. I must ask the donor not to linger in Jiangxi any longer.”

His tone was calm and steady. Though still carrying the humility befitting one of lower cultivation, the confidence within his words could not be concealed. Clearly, now that the united will of the Pure Land cultivators had been restored, their confidence too had returned.

By contrast, Lü Yang—though still maintaining his False Golden Fruition state—felt a chill run through his heart.

‘This damned place… truly allows no room for arrogance.’

He reminded himself sternly.

Just then, however, a sword light came streaking from the distance, tearing through the sky and plunging directly into the Pure Land. From within it emerged a man.

He wore a white robe, with a longsword hanging from his waist.

Lü Yang looked toward him, his brows arching slightly. Although the man had restrained his qi flow well and hid his divine powers, such tricks could not fool Lü Yang’s eyes at this moment.

‘【Sword-Edge Metal】.’

This man too possessed the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Perfection, with five divine abilities hidden within—one slightly weaker than the rest, clearly a newly condensed one.

With a mental calculation, Lü Yang instantly discerned the man’s identity.

‘True Person Demon-Subduer.’

Among the Sword Pavilion’s three generational Dao titles—Demon-Suppressing, Evil-Banishing, and Demon-Subduing—this Demon-Subduing True Person had never once appeared throughout the recent chaos!

‘I heard before that he was at late Foundation Establishment, yet now he has reached Perfection. It seems he secluded himself for a breakthrough. Of the three, the Demon-Suppressing True Person exhausted himself attaining the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】, while the Evil-Banishing True Person’s White Wax Metal path was hopeless. This Demon-Subduing True Person may well be the Sword Pavilion’s true heir.’

The proof lay in the 【Sword-Edge Metal】!

After all, that Fruitional Rank was the supreme of the Metal element. For him to have remained so low-profile from start to finish meant the Sword Pavilion had guarded him carefully.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang grew wary.

‘Someone like that could have stayed hidden in seclusion forever… yet he chose to emerge now. That can’t bode well.’

Indeed, events unfolded just as Lü Yang expected.

“Lord Minghe.”

The newly arrived True Person cupped his hands respectfully toward Lü Yang and said, “By decree of the 【True Lord of Rigid Form Dao-Preaching】, I have come to request Lord Minghe’s return to the sect.”

Lü Yang raised an eyebrow. That name—Minghe—was the Dao title of his Sword Dao clone in the Sword Pavilion. Yet now, the Demon-Subduing True Person had uttered it to his face. Clearly, his clone’s identity had been exposed. It was no surprise; by the end, Lü Yang had scarcely bothered to keep up the pretense.

Before he could reply, another streak of light flew in.

Lü Yang turned to see yet another unexpected figure—Jun Tong, the Foundation Establishment True Person under the True Lord of Brocade Radiance and Colored Silks of the Holy Sect!

And like the Demon-Subduing True Person, Jun Tong too had advanced to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Upon landing, she saluted Lü Yang respectfully and said,

“By decree of the 【True Lord of Clear Snow and Flying Purity】, I have come to invite Lord Hongyun back to the sect.”

At that, Lü Yang was momentarily speechless.

Minghe he could understand—after all, that was his own clone. But Hongyun? Heaven and Earth bore witness; that was merely a name others had imposed upon him! He had simply never denied it.

‘So they’re forcing me to choose, huh…’

He looked to his left and right—on one side stood the Demon-Subduing True Person representing the Sword Pavilion; on the other, Jun Tong representing the Holy Sect. Both carried the will of their respective True Lords.

Lü Yang understood perfectly well that neither sect truly valued him as a person—they only coveted the treasure he now held: the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】.

‘The more they want it, the less I can give it!’

He had to bait them.

Once he handed it over, his value would vanish. Keeping it in his grasp, however, forced others to tread carefully around him.

‘Besides, the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 is something I intend to carry with me when I restart my cultivation. There’s no way I’d hand it over.’

With that thought, Lü Yang smiled faintly and said, “This seat intends to rest overseas for a while. There’s no rush in this matter. You two may come seek me again after a few days.”

With those words, Lü Yang didn’t give either of them a chance to speak further. He took one step forward and vanished from sight. After all, he was still a True Lord—speaking with two Foundation Establishment cultivators was only for the sake of their sects’ backgrounds. He would not truly allow them to pressure him.

—

Overseas, within the Seaheart Furnace of Earthfire.

Using 【Wall Earth】 to conceal his qi, Lü Yang, while still within his temporary False Golden state, finally began to examine his spoils of war.

‘Aside from the World-Honored One, everything went just as I foresaw.’

Even the World-Honored One’s final intervention had not affected Lü Yang’s harvest—if anything, it had removed a potential great hidden danger for him.

The 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】!

‘Originally, this thing was bound to the Pure Land’s united will. I wasn’t sure if, after I restarted, that connection would be severed.’

If severed, the Fruitional Rank might regress.

If not, he feared it would plunge the Pure Land into chaos, drawing the World-Honored One’s attention—and then he’d truly lose everything.

But now, there was no need to worry.

The World-Honored One had personally acted to make the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 independent. In this case, carrying it away through the 【Book of a Hundred Lives】 would pose no problem.

‘Beyond that, there’s also the 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】!’

At that thought, Lü Yang directed his consciousness into the Myriad Spirits Banner, retrieving a radiant, multicolored orb, within which vast images ebbed and flowed.

【Everflowing Water】!

The power of Everflowing Water extorted from Ang Xiao—sufficient to nourish and mature the embryonic 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】 into a complete Fruitional Rank!

In the next instant, Lü Yang summoned the 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】 and tossed the orb into it. The orb shattered, releasing boundless imagery that surged out like a flood, letting the 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】 devour and drink deeply, growing ever more complete and powerful in the process!

‘Now that’s a profit!’

A flicker of excitement flashed through Lü Yang’s eyes, though he quickly calmed himself.

‘Two complete Fruitional Ranks… Such a tough choice. Which should I attest to?’

To him, each had its merits.

The 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】 was easier to attain—he could even attempt it immediately if he wished.

The 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】, on the other hand, required more time, for his Sword Intent had yet to reach the near-ultimate realm once achieved by the Demon-Suppressing True Person.

Still, its potential far exceeded that of the Seven Luminaries Heaven.

‘A pity one can only attain a single Fruitional Rank—unless… I can somehow merge the two into one!’

Could it be done?

Lü Yang pondered and felt… it might be possible.

‘The Qi-Harvesting Method… With my current False Golden cultivation and my peerless intellect, I should be able to deduce a second-rank cultivation art!’

At that thought, Lü Yang immediately focused his mind.

“Ancestor, assist me!”

The next moment, the figure of Ancestor Ting You appeared, swiftly entering the state of comprehension.

At once, Lü Yang handed over control of the 【Yama Palace】 to Ancestor Ting You as well, ensuring that his unparalleled intelligence could operate at full capacity.

As for himself—he had something even more important to handle.

Aside from the two complete Fruitional Ranks, he possessed another immensely valuable trophy this time.

Evil-Banishing True Person, Wu Taian, the Buddha Child’s Dharma Aspect, Xiang Ye, Immortal Ling, Shang Zhang…

During this False Golden state, he had gathered five Foundation Establishment Golden Natures!

Once the 【Book of a Hundred Lives】 settled the results—he would gain five Golden Talents!