Chapter 272: Inescapable!

What kind of shithole is this? A shithole! A complete and utter shithole!

At this moment, this was the only thought left in Lu Yang’s mind. To be honest, he had nearly self-destructed to activate [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] just moments ago.

It was definitely [Sky-shrouding].

Although I used a clone, I didn’t split my Divine Sense; I occupied it with my own consciousness. Yet, I was still used as a medium to influence my main body!

Lu Yang’s expression was bitter. He hadn’t split his Divine Sense to inhabit the clone precisely to prevent it from developing self-awareness and betraying him. He had taken control with his own consciousness instead. But his defenses were useless—the Perfected Lord had influenced his very self from across the void!

Being oblivious was one thing, but sobering up was terrifying.

Everything before felt like a dream. His decisions and words seemed shrouded in a layer of fog. Lu Yang didn’t even dare to recall them in detail.

I must have been insane!

I actually thought that coming overseas to find Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends to break through to the Perfection of the Middle Stage would let me fight a Great Perfected One…

Was that really me?

Leaving aside whether I could win, even if I could, why would I fight? Wouldn’t it be easier to use the battle power of a Great Perfected One to bully those at the initial and middle stages of Foundation Establishment?

The more Lu Yang thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.

But soon, a greater doubt surfaced in his heart: Why me? I’m just a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. How am I worthy of such a scheme?

Those involved are confused, while bystanders see clearly.

Once Lu Yang finally broke free from the [Knowledge-Perception Barrier], he immediately understood [Sky-shrouding]’s intent: He wanted him to find the Essence Magnetism Divine Mountain!

Luckily… luckily!

Lu Yang looked at the spiritual sword in his hand and recalled his earlier decision to “increase strength first.” A look of relief washed over him.

Thank goodness a leopard can’t change its spots.

Even under the Perfected Lord’s influence, his core belief of “playing it safe” held firm. He insisted on finding Suo Huan to refine the Spirit Treasure first, and by pure accident, it snapped him back to reality.

No… it might not be an accident.

Would a Perfected Lord allow such a variable to occur?

Lu Yang turned to look at Suo Huan beside him and lowered his voice. “Fellow Daoist, tell me the truth. Did you really have full confidence in refining this Spirit Treasure?”

Suo Huan looked over with a bitter smile. “Full confidence? If it were an ordinary Spirit Treasure, maybe. But you brought out so many. How could I possibly fuse them all with just my own ability? Unless a Perfected Lord intervened! To refine something like this, success depends at least ninety percent on the will of Heaven…”

Suo Huan’s voice trailed off.

Lu Yang looked down at the spiritual sword in his hand. It felt like holding a burning coal—too hot to hold, yet impossible to throw away.

Refining an artifact that depended entirely on the will of Heaven unless a Perfected Lord intervened.

And yet, it succeeded?

Who would believe a Perfected Lord hadn’t meddled? But if it was [Sky-shrouding], why go through the trouble of waking them from their stupor?

Unless…

…Is there a second Perfected Lord?

Does this mean everything Suo Huan and I experienced is essentially just two Perfected Lords fighting via proxies?

Lu Yang rubbed his brow. For the first time, he felt what it was like not to have a Perfected Lord backing him. Everything was like viewing flowers through the fog—he was being sold out and still counting money for the seller!

Back when [Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue] hadn’t gone into seclusion, when would he ever be reduced to this?

“Senior Brother? Senior?”

Just then, Chong Ming looked at Lu Yang blankly, then at Suo Huan. “Aren’t you two rushing to the Essence Magnetism Divine Mountain…”

Thud!

Before Chong Ming could finish, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Suo Huan looked unfazed. “Trouble you to shine that sword light on him too, Fellow Daoist.”

Lu Yang shook his head. “I did. It’s useless. The sword light’s divine wonder is good, but his cultivation is too low. Although he was only caught in the crossfire, the influence runs deeper in him than in me. Unless… that person voluntarily withdraws the divine ability, or a Perfected Lord lends a hand, I’m afraid he won’t wake up.”

After speaking, both fell silent.

Lu Yang subconsciously started to pinch his fingers to divine the situation, but then gave up. This was obviously a setup by a Perfected Lord. What was the point of divining? He’d probably just be misled.

Can I just not go and return to the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea?

Lu Yang’s first thought was to run. But he quickly realized something chilling: He had successfully left the Saint Sect!

Lu Yang didn’t believe the Perfected Lords couldn’t see he was influenced by [Sky-shrouding]. Yet he had left the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea without any hindrance, as a matter of course. He hadn’t thought much of it then, but thinking back now was terrifying… Did this indirectly reflect the Saint Sect’s attitude?

Have I been abandoned?

It wasn’t strange. In the eyes of most, he was just a Perfected One with a severed Dao path. No matter how brilliant, he was useless and certainly not indispensable.

If there’s something more important, abandoning me is only logical.

But what is this ‘thing’? What role do I need to play? What effect does the Perfected Lord behind the scenes want me to achieve?

Thinking of this, Lu Yang suddenly turned his head.

Almost simultaneously, Suo Huan looked sideways at him, the corner of his mouth curling into a bitter smile. Clearly, his realization wasn’t any slower than Lu Yang’s.

Just like back in the [Myriad Martial World], I’m just an accessory. Suo Huan is the target!

[Sky-shrouding]’s real target is him. Using me to get Suo Huan to find the Essence Magnetism Divine Mountain? Impossible. Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends are useless to him…

Under the illumination of the sword light, Lu Yang’s thoughts became clearer, spinning like lightning.

The next second, he looked down sharply at the spiritual sword in his hand.

This spirit sword was refined because a Perfected Lord secretly intervened. And it’s precisely because of it that Suo Huan and I could wake from the delusion…

That’s it! That is my purpose!

“My purpose was to wake Suo Huan up!”

In an instant, a look of sudden realization finally dawned on Lu Yang’s face. Wrong! It’s all wrong! The mastermind isn’t [Sky-shrouding]!

Until just now, Lu Yang thought [Sky-shrouding] had hooked their destiny to force them into the trap, and then a mysterious Perfected Lord saved them.

But the truth was likely the exact opposite.

[Sky-shrouding] was the one saving them!

Suo Huan was trapped in a scheme without knowing it. [Sky-shrouding] used me to hook him out, refine this spiritual sword, and thereby wake him up!

That made sense!

As he realized this, Lu Yang’s expression grew even more bitter. “If that’s true… then this means he wants Suo Huan and me to act together!”

After all, both relied on the spiritual sword’s divine wonder to stay lucid.

If they separated, he might be fine, but Suo Huan would inevitably fall back into ignorance. In that case, how could [Sky-shrouding] allow him to leave?

If I’m not mistaken, I’ve probably provoked a powerful enemy by now… Yes, the Four Seas Sect! Because I killed Dragon King Sui Ying! Originally, the Investigating Heaven Sphere covered the karma, so no one should have been able to calculate it. But now, it’s hard to say…

If the karma has really been calculated by the Four Seas Sect, and I’m currently overseas, I fear only Suo Huan can protect me. If I leave him unauthorized, I will surely die at the hands of the Dragon Clan!

What mystical karma? This was clearly just another form of a Perfected Lord battle!

Thinking this, Lu Yang couldn’t help looking at Suo Huan.

“Senior… what exactly did you do?”

Suo Huan glanced at him and smiled bitterly. “I sought a path to survival. But unfortunately… it seems someone won’t even grant me that one path.”

“I’ve dragged you into this, Fellow Daoist.”

“Don’t say that.”

What’s done is done. Lu Yang certainly wouldn’t complain now. After all, no matter what, they were now firmly tied together like grasshoppers on a string!

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