Chapter 358: Lord Hong Yun's Farsightedness!

That’s right, he should suspect me.

With a turn of thought, Lu Yang already understood the source of Hong Ju’s doubts. It was most likely that he had detected something unusual in the Divine Ability used to suppress Arhat Fu Long just now.

Hong Yun cultivated [Overturned Lamp Flame].

But I cultivate [Pomegranate Wood].

And there is no [Xin Metal] Divine Ability in [Overturned Lamp Flame]. Different Dao paths—this is almost irrefutable proof. It’s perfectly normal for him to harbor suspicions.

That said, Lu Yang wasn’t panicked in the slightest.

After all, with Hong Yun’s Golden Nature in his hands, he effectively held Hong Ju’s lifeline. He could even make Hong Ju drop dead at any time if he wished.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to meet a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator in his true body.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang immediately put on a composed smile, looking at Hong Ju and saying faintly, “What’s the matter? If you have any doubts, just speak up.”

“…Hong Ju awaits Lord’s orders; I have absolutely no doubts!”

In an instant, Lu Yang felt Hong Ju’s emotions change. All doubts turned into panic, yet he forcibly maintained a facade of calmness and composure.

However, Lu Yang didn’t intend to muddle through like this. Since he wanted Hong Ju to work for him, he had to make the man genuinely convinced. Otherwise, even if the other party couldn’t refuse, feigning compliance while acting in opposition would create a lot of trouble out of thin air. Thus, after pondering for a moment, Lu Yang said crisply:

“No need for this.”

Recalling Hong Yun’s attitude towards Hong Ju in the past, Lu Yang smiled. “Hong Ju, you are a smart person. I have hidden this matter for a long time, and it is time to tell you.”

“Look at this body of mine.”

After speaking, Lu Yang deliberately revealed a bit of his background. Hong Ju took one look and was instantly stunned on the spot: Immortal Spirit… This person actually has the body of an Immortal Spirit…?

Wait, no!

With Hong Ju’s vision, he naturally could see that the current Lu Yang had not yet emerged into the world. In other words, this Immortal Spirit body had not yet reached the point where no further progress could be made!

On the other side, Lu Yang didn’t care about his identity being exposed. Now that the Perfected Lords were in seclusion and Hong Ju was controlled by Hong Yun’s Golden Nature, revealing a bit of his background was harmless. As his thoughts raced, he chuckled lightly: “Do you really think I haven’t done anything for the past five thousand years?”

As these words came out, Hong Ju was instantly shocked in his heart.

Wasn’t it like that?

After all, in his view, Hong Yun had been constantly looping all these years: attempting [Overturned Lamp Flame], dropping dead, attempting [Overturned Lamp Flame], dropping dead… without any change.

“Hmph… You think too simply of this seat.”

Lu Yang smiled coldly. “Failing to attain [Overturned Lamp Flame] for five thousand years… even a fool could guess there was a problem. How could this seat keep bashing my head against it?”

After speaking, Lu Yang’s aura suddenly expanded.

[Master of Armaments], [Unyielding Metal], [Solemn Mystic Frost]. Three Innate Divine Abilities were blatantly revealed before Hong Ju’s eyes, causing his pupils to shrink instantly:

“These three Divine Abilities… The mysterious cultivator overseas back then was actually my Lord!?”

Lu Yang admitted it readily: “If not for my layout overseas, triggering the emergence of [Wu You Heaven], how could there be today’s excellent opportunity with all Perfected Lords in seclusion?”

Hearing this, Hong Ju was stunned.

However, he thought about it carefully and suddenly felt… it seemed there was no problem?

Lu Yang indeed played a significant role in the emergence of [Wu You Heaven]. He was also the one who suggested going to the overseas Emerald Sun Cultivation World at the beginning.

And whose territory was the Emerald Sun Cultivation World?

Lord Hong Yun’s!

In an instant, Hong Ju suddenly realized: It clicked! The logic clicked now! Could it be that [Wu You Heaven] was Lord Hong Yun’s true arrangement back then?

Thinking of this, Hong Ju felt enlightened. I was saying, why would the Lord spend so much effort in the Emerald Sun Cultivation World? How could it be just for a scrapped semi-True Treasure? That would be too petty. [Wu You Heaven] fits the Lord’s former stature as a Golden Core Perfected Lord!

“My Lord… is farsighted!” Hong Ju bowed down again.

Thinking back to the Lord’s constant attempts to charge at [Overturned Lamp Flame] over the past five thousand years… he used to think it was foolish, but now it seemed it was all a disguise!

On the surface, he deliberately pretended to be an unlucky ghost to confuse the enemies in the dark. In reality, he had long laid down the backup plan to shed the golden cicada’s shell and turn the tables against the wind!

And now… he succeeded!

With the Perfected Lords in seclusion, no one could stop the Lord from Seeking Golden Core anymore… Hm? But in this case, why didn’t the Lord go for Overturned Lamp Flame again?

Just as the doubt arose, Hong Ju gave himself an explanation.

After all, re-attaining [Overturned Lamp Flame] would definitely offend that [Sky-Shrouding] to death. The other party was at the Golden Core Late Stage; why create such an enemy unnecessarily?

Changing a path opened up a wider sky!

As for how ‘Lord Hong Yun’ managed to switch paths with the body of a Perfected Lord, since it involved the methods of a Perfected Lord, Hong Ju felt that no matter how outrageous it was, it wasn’t incomprehensible.

With this thought, Hong Ju’s mood, which had been somewhat lost due to Hong Yun failing Seeking Golden Core again, instantly cheered up.

Even his previous stereotypical impression of Hong Yun diminished significantly—although there were some differences from the Lord Hong Yun of the past, wasn’t that intentional disguise before?

This is Lord Hong Yun’s true face!

“My Lord has a profound mind; this subordinate admires you!”

In the next second, Hong Ju bowed down again. This time, the emotions in his heart were extremely stable. The previous doubts and panic had completely disappeared.

Seeing this, Lu Yang also nodded with satisfaction.

Then he talked with Hong Ju about past events. With the memories of Hong Yun squeezed out by [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes], he handled these topics with ease.

Such actions naturally made Hong Ju even more certain of his thoughts.

After all, a Perfected Lord couldn’t possibly be soul-searched. To be able to discuss the past so clearly, this person must be Lord Hong Yun, and could only be Lord Hong Yun!

“Hong Ju, I have three tasks for you.”

Having taken pains to subdue Hong Ju, Lu Yang naturally wanted to make full use of him. He said immediately, “First, I want you to go to the Myriad Martial World Realm and gather Qi for me once.”

After all, he wasn’t a Saint Sect person anymore.

Plus, his clone had already joined the Sword Pavilion and couldn’t move freely. If he wanted to go to the Myriad Martial World Realm again, he could only go with his main body—which would be too dangerous.

But letting Hong Ju do it on his behalf was much simpler.

“This subordinate accepts the order!”

Hong Ju didn’t disappoint Lu Yang and readily accepted the task. Seeing this, Lu Yang didn’t delay and stated the remaining two tasks together:

“Secondly, do you know where Chong Guang’s [Xin Metal] body is?”

Although Arhat Fu Long also had clues to [Xin Metal], if he could get the [Xin Metal] directly from Hong Ju, why take the risk?

However, Hong Ju shook his head upon hearing this:

“Replying to my Lord, the [Xin Metal] in Chong Guang’s hands was transformed from his past life’s Immortal Spirit. This subordinate has no clues here; it should have been taken away by him.”

“Then forget it.”

Lu Yang felt regretful internally but appeared very carefree verbally. “Finally, I intend to make a trip to [Moon Goddess’s Palace]. Wait for my news so you can make the trip for me.”

How could he not use a free thug?

Now that the Perfected Lords weren’t emerging, Hong Ju at Foundation Establishment Perfection was undoubtedly a top-tier powerhouse. He was simply perfect for exploring [Moon Goddess’s Palace].

“Yes, sir!”

Hong Ju respectfully withdrew. Once he returned from gathering Qi in the Myriad Martial World Realm, Lu Yang’s [Qian Heaven All-Governing Myriad Phenomena Dharma Body] could also progress further.

Just then—

Boom!

In the distance, a loud noise suddenly rang out from the direction of [Skull Mountain]. Lu Yang immediately turned his head, realization dawning in his heart: “The Shaman-Ghost Dao Secret Realm has finally emerged!”

In other words, the Patriarch Nether Whisper of this life should be out too!

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