Chapter 341: Ultimately, I Rely on Myself

This entire setup… it was all prepared for Sky-Shrouding!

At this moment, Lu Yang felt his mind was clearer than ever before. Countless clues connected together, and he finally understood the sequence of events leading up to this point.

The cause… is the Mystic Spirit World Realm.

To swallow the Mystic Spirit World Realm, the Primordial Saint Sect Perfected Lord took the lead, followed by Perfected Lords from other factions. Many of them went to the outer heavens and annihilated the Mystic Spirit World Realm.

Only one person wasn’t invited.

That was Sky-Shrouding!

Since Sky-Shrouding was in the Netherworld, he naturally couldn’t travel to the Mystic Spirit World Realm with the other Perfected Lords. Consequently, he had no way of knowing their actions in the outer heavens.

If my guess is correct, the Perfected Lords didn’t just kill the Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm. I fear Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue took the opportunity to leak Sky-Shrouding’s identity to them! That led to the subsequent division of the Heavenly Court into four fragments. These four fragments were the bait used to fish for Sky-Shrouding!

The result was exactly as they expected.

Sky-Shrouding took the bait. He proactively entered the Heavenly Court fragment, and as a result, the consciousness he used to observe the present world was sealed, severing his perception of reality!

Then…

Thinking of this, Lu Yang looked toward the direction of Jiangnan again. He knew the arrangements Chong Guang had made for Seeking Golden Core. But this timeline was too early for Chong Guang.

In other words—

…It’s Hong Yun!

To dare openly Seeking Golden Core in Jiangnan like this, he must have received the tacit approval of Chong Guang and Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue. This definitely exceeded Sky-Shrouding’s expectations!

This matter should be viewed in three layers.

The first layer is the trap set by Chong Guang and Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue using the Heavenly Court fragments. In truth, Sky-Shrouding might have anticipated this.

Therefore, the second layer is the trap Sky-Shrouding set based on that premise.

As for this trap, it’s ninety percent likely located in that Grotto-Heaven fragment beneath the waters of the Gantang Channel. If Chong Guang and Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue thought they had trapped Sky-Shrouding’s consciousness and arrogantly went to that Grotto-Heaven fragment, they would absolutely fall into the trap. Even if they didn’t die, they’d be skinned alive!

Above that lies the third layer.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn’t help but clap his hands and laugh.

Not only did Chong Guang and Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue not go to that Grotto-Heaven fragment, but they also chose to pull the firewood from under the cauldron—they directly allowed Hong Yun to attempt Seeking Golden Core!

This was the killing move!

Doing this brought no benefit to Chong Guang, but it was enough to deal a fatal blow to Sky-Shrouding. It was a classic case of harming others without benefiting oneself.

However, Sky-Shrouding must have realized something was wrong.

Because he discovered he couldn’t leave the Southern Heavenly Gate and sensed the existence of a trap, he became desperate to contact his main body in the outside world.

So, he revealed himself in front of me.

Under the enhancement of [Insight], Lu Yang’s thoughts became increasingly sharp.

His words just now contained probing thoughts and intentions of cooperation, but in the final analysis, he has only one fundamental goal: To have me kill him!

Whether he’s provoking me or deliberately triggering my resistance, these are just methods. What he wants is the result: To use my hand to commit suicide!

The influence of the Netherworld is omnipresent.

As long as one is still in this world, the soul is bound to enter the Netherworld after death. This is the key to the return of this strand of Sky-Shrouding’s consciousness.

As for why he can’t kill himself…

This was also Lu Yang’s speculation.

Otherwise, why would Sky-Shrouding go through so much trouble to borrow his hand to return to the Netherworld? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just slit his own throat? There must be a Perfected Lord’s influence involved!

Thinking of this, Lu Yang manipulated his clone inside the Southern Heavenly Gate to tentatively reach out a hand.

“Ugh!”

His movement came to an abrupt halt, unable to proceed further. Just a moment ago, he had intended to self-destruct, but this action was forbidden.

…I knew it!

Looking up, Lu Yang seemed to see an invisible, mighty force acting like a giant net, wrapping around the entire Southern Heavenly Gate, manifesting a line of talismanic script:

[Suicide is Prohibited Here!]

This is… the mighty force of a Mystic Spirit World Realm Dao Fruit! A Perfected Lord has exerted influence over it, leaving this rule inside the Southern Heavenly Gate!

This completely locked down Sky-Shrouding’s ability to commit suicide and return to the Netherworld!

This was definitely not Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue’s method.

More importantly, this rule was hidden extremely deep. At the very least, Sky-Shrouding hadn’t noticed any clues from the outside, or he would have certainly realized something was amiss.

And this layer of concealment was yet another completely different method.

In addition to that, the seal isolating the Southern Heavenly Gate from the outside world didn’t look like Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue’s handiwork either. It was obviously done by someone else.

Three… at least three Perfected Lords have made a move on this!

The whole world is his enemy… truly, the whole world is his enemy. Sky-Shrouding isn’t just being plotted against by Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue alone, but by the Perfected Lords of the entire world!

In an instant, Lu Yang truly felt a myriad of emotions.

These figures who can become Perfected Lords… every single one of them is ruthless. Even someone like Sky-Shrouding could crash and burn if he isn’t careful!

Hong Yun doesn’t have the shackles of Chen Earth. Once he succeeds in Seeking Golden Core and reclaims the Overturned Lamp Flame, he will inevitably dismantle all of Sky-Shrouding’s arrangements, causing him to fall from the rank of the Golden Core Late Stage.

This is a feud over the Great Dao that will not end until one side is dead! For this reason, Sky-Shrouding would likely pay any price to stop it.

Can Hong Yun succeed?

It’s hard…

Lu Yang shook his head internally. It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in Hong Yun, but rather that he had confidence in Sky-Shrouding. This Great Perfected Lord of the Golden Core Late Stage simply had too much substance.

But it was undeniable.

After Sky-Shrouding was plotted against like this, Hong Yun had already seized the initiative. If there was zero hope for Seeking Golden Core before, now he had at least a thirty percent chance!

…There is only one question.

Where is Chong Guang?

In this layout targeting Sky-Shrouding, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue and Chong Guang obviously put in a huge amount of effort, yet the result is that Hong Yun gains the most.

What benefit do they get?

…

Jiangnan, Gantang Channel, Eternal Brilliance Precious-Light Grotto-Heaven.

While Hong Yun was Seeking Golden Core and the eyes of the world’s Perfected Lords were watching him, a man with ordinary features but eyebrows sharp with spirited vigor arrived calmly at this place.

His body was overflowing with colorful brilliance.

The magnificent colors converged upon him into a beam of pure Divine Ability light, resembling a bright yellow lamp flame, illuminating the bottom of the lake and revealing the appearance of the Grotto-Heaven.

“Looks like this is the place.”

The man smiled faintly and walked into the Grotto-Heaven without hesitation.

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, a towering giant serpent transformed from Si Fire was stretching its limbs to its heart’s content. The palace gates located at the serpent’s head were flung wide open, revealing the scene within.

The interior of the palace was incredibly simple: a chess table and two prayer mats.

A phantom figure was already seated on the inner prayer mat. Seeing this, the man didn’t pause; he walked directly to the outer prayer mat and sat down calmly.

“My Lord, Chong Guang offers his greetings.”

Chong Guang looked calm, his eyes carrying a measure of scrutiny as he looked across the chess table. There, sat a human figure completely obscured by mist.

“Remarkable.”

The mist roiled, and a voice that sounded both male and female, old and young—impossible to define by gender or age—emerged from within, carrying a hint of admiration and lament:

“The Primordial Saint Sect truly produces talent after talent.”

Originally, Sky-Shrouding was lying in ambush inside the Grotto-Heaven, waiting for Chong Guang and Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue to take the bait. Instead, he received a warning from his divided spirit inside the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Only then did he realize the changes in the outside world.

Undeniably, he was now in a dilemma. He still had ways to stop the current Hong Yun from Seeking Golden Core, but he would inevitably have to pay a huge price.

Thinking of this, Sky-Shrouding also harbored the same doubt as Lu Yang:

“You exhausted your mind and ruined my layout, only to benefit Hong Yun in the end… What is it that you seek?”

“Only to seek the Dao.”

Chong Guang looked calm. “The Overturned Lamp Flame is no longer verifiable for me. My Lord is, after all, at the Golden Core Late Stage. If you truly wish to salvage the situation, there are ultimately ways.”

“However, My Lord obviously aspires for something higher and is unwilling to pay the price.”

“Everything depends on how My Lord chooses. If My Lord can find another path for me to verify a Golden Position, I can naturally help My Lord resolve this crisis.”

Sky-Shrouding fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then realized the reason:

“Haha, hahahaha! So that’s it, so that’s it! This wasn’t your scheme; it was Xue Feihong’s scheme! You have been reduced to a discarded pawn!”

Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue only wanted a Overturned Lamp Flame Perfected Lord. As for who it was, she didn’t care!

This person could be Chong Guang, or it could be Hong Yun.

She didn’t acknowledge Hong Yun before because he hadn’t returned to his position for five thousand years, so she never counted on him. That was why she poured her efforts into Chong Guang.

But now, it was different.

Hong Yun had traded with Lu Yang for the True Interpretation of Hollow Void Inner Observation of Heaven and Earth and the Upper Bright Golden Lamp Jade Light, retrieving the foundation he used in the past to return to his position.

More importantly, he didn’t have the hidden danger of Chen Earth.

“Compared to you, Hong Yun undoubtedly has a greater hope of Seeking Golden Core. No wonder Xue Feihong views you as a discarded pawn, and no wonder you have come to find me alone today!”

Chong Guang cupped his hands upon hearing this. “My Lord sees clearly.”

Facing Sky-Shrouding’s intentional or unintentional mockery, his expression remained composed. The sharpness between his brows didn’t break in the slightest; it remained awe-inspiring.

“Ultimately, I only rely on myself.”

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