Chapter 419: The Choice Given to Suohuan

Jiangbei, Sky-reaching Sea of Clouds.

As a streak of escaping light descended, Xiang Ye, Hong Ju, and Lü Yang landed one after another on the Sacred Fire Cliff. Lü Yang, after a long absence, once again cast his gaze upon the scenery of the Saint Sect.

As he had expected, stretching his eyes across the horizon revealed a scene brimming with vigorous vitality, with all things competing to flourish.

He even saw an old acquaintance.

‘True Person Yinshan.’

True Person Yinshan, however, remained completely unaware of his gaze.

Upon seeing this, Lü Yang could not help but feel a trace of emotion. That once lofty and unattainable Foundation Establishment True Person—when viewed again now—seemed nothing special.

‘And also… the Innate True Person!’

Lü Yang had not forgotten the scene he had witnessed earlier through the 【String Puppet】. The Innate True Person Mu Changsheng was still imprisoned within the Secret Realm of Law Refinement.

That one had been thoroughly ruined by the Saint Sect’s Patriarch. After painstakingly creating 【Boundless Heaven】, he had thought himself close to attaining the Golden Core. Yet, at the most crucial moment, his soul had been plucked and hurled into the Secret Realm of Law Refinement by the invisible hand of the Saint Sect Patriarch. The result—five thousand years of wasted effort, all for nothing.

‘Mm, better stay far away from that unlucky wretch.’

Don’t let his blood splatter on me.

As Lü Yang pondered, Xiang Ye was also sizing up this so-called “wandering cultivator from beyond the heavens,” secretly mocking in his heart:

‘What heavenly outsider? All utter nonsense.’

As if he could not see through it?

‘This fellow entered the Sky-reaching Sea of Clouds as though entering his own home, and he found the Sacred Fire Cliff in an instant. If he is not a True Person of the Saint Sect, then I’ll eat my beard!’

‘This is clearly an act of distancing and cutting ties.’

Xiang Ye stroked his chin:

‘But where in the world did my Saint Sect suddenly produce such a great True Person? As if he had leapt straight out from a rock…’

Cultivation was never a solitary endeavor.

Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Blessed Land, Golden Nature—each required resources. Each demanded interaction with others. Each required striving and contending against others.

Teachers, Daoist friends, enemies—by reason, which cultivator lacked these three? In the early or middle stages of Foundation Establishment, it might not matter much, as few paid attention. But at the later stages, even at Perfection—dignified True Persons—such individuals held no small reputation in the world.

How could there possibly be someone unrecognized?

‘This person… I must know him!’

Xiang Ye prided himself on his seniority. Even Chong Guang was not his elder. Looking across the Saint Sect today, only Hong Ju had lived longer.

‘…Hm?’

All of a sudden, Xiang Ye’s thoughts paused.

‘It would be one thing if I did not recognize him, but Hong Ju is different… This one has survived for over five thousand years by relying on that 【True Lord of Heavenly Fortune and Radiant Light】.’

At Foundation Establishment Perfection, even with five reincarnations, one could only live about fifteen hundred years.

By reason, Hong Ju should have seen off several generations of the Saint Sect’s Foundation Establishment True Persons. If this truly were a great True Person returning, how could he possibly not recognize him at all?

Unless—

‘He needs to conceal himself?’

‘Who could make him conceal himself?’

Xiang Ye’s mind unraveled threads of thought one by one, until a conjecture leapt forth:

‘…Hong Yun?’

The moment he thought of this, Xiang Ye’s first reaction was:

‘Impossible!’

The legend of Hong Yun was famous throughout the Saint Sect. If the Saint Sect had a “Top Ten Annual Jokes,” Hong Yun’s tale would always claim the top spot.

Thus, the instant Xiang Ye thought of “Hong Yun,” he instinctively rejected the notion. But soon, after eliminating one impossibility after another, he could not help but reconsider:

‘Could it really be Hong Yun…? Hmph, say what you will, he was a reincarnated True Lord. Best not to underestimate him too much.’

Though Xiang Ye’s mind churned, his face betrayed nothing:

“Daoist friend, you have just arrived and have also fought a fierce battle against that Buddha Child. Why not rest here for now, recuperate a while, and afterward, you and I may speak further.”

“Many thanks, Daoist friend.”

Lü Yang cupped his hands, then entered the quiet chamber of the cave dwelling arranged for him by Xiang Ye. With a thought, he once more brought out the Myriad Spirits Banner.

As the flag unfurled and fluttered, Suohuan’s figure emerged.

“Greetings, my lord.”

Suohuan bowed respectfully, a trace of anticipation flickering in his eyes.

Immediately after, Lü Yang’s expression grew solemn, his voice weighty:

“Concerning the issue upon Daoist friend’s body, I have two solutions. It depends on which you choose.”

“Please instruct me, my lord.”

If there was one thing Lü Yang always did, it was keeping his word.

Since he had promised to aid Suohuan in this lifetime, he had naturally already thought of a method. Moreover, in his current eyes, Suohuan’s problem was not difficult at all.

Lü Yang raised two fingers:

“The first method: You abandon the 【Lingxu Blessed Land】. I strip away your consciousness, then send your soul to reincarnate. Once the reincarnation ends and the external traces are washed away, I will return your consciousness to you. At that time, you may cultivate the Grand Dao anew.”

This plan was practically a one-and-done solution.

With the 【String Puppet】, Lü Yang could fully lock onto Suohuan’s soul. Even after passing through the baptism of the 【Netherworld】, he could still swiftly sense it.

And once cleansed by the 【Netherworld】, even Ang Xiao would no longer be able to do anything to Suohuan.

Though consciousness-severing bore an extremely high risk of failure—one misstep could lead to instant death—Lü Yang could use 【Divining Fortune Drawing Lots】 to avoid that fate.

‘Strictly speaking, through this method I could even achieve the soul’s eternal survival without Golden Nature, no different from a True Lord’s reincarnation. If word spread, countless Foundation Establishment True Persons would go mad with envy… Pity that, for me who possesses the 【Book of a Hundred Lives】, this method is utterly meaningless.’

And yet—

“I choose the second method.”

As Lü Yang had expected, Suohuan discarded the first method almost without hesitation. He could not abandon the hope of reviving the 【Huanzhu Realm】.

Even if it came with problems—he would not.

Lü Yang shook his head:

“The second method: You may retain the 【Lingxu Blessed Land】, but you must never again cultivate that 『Myriad Spirits Returning to the Void Dao Scripture』.”

At this, Suohuan did not object, but worry clouded his face:

“But without the 『Myriad Spirits Returning to the Void Dao Scripture』, I, a mere outsider cultivator, how could I hope to attain the Golden Core?”

“Just replace it with another.”

With a thought, Lü Yang quickly organized a scripture within his divine sense and handed it to Suohuan.

『Supreme True Immortal Dao』!

“This is…”

“This is the scripture corresponding to the Fruit Position of the 【Xuanling Realm】.” Lü Yang grinned. “All the True Lords are still in seclusion. The 【Xuanling Realm】 remains untouched.”

By reason, given the efficiency of the Four Great Powers, the 【Xuanling Realm】 should have been consumed long ago. Yet, thanks to Chong Guang stirring up trouble, all the True Lords had been taken away, leaving the digestion of the 【Xuanling Realm】 unfinished—its shell still remained.

Lü Yang’s plan was simple.

Abandon the 『Myriad Spirits Returning to the Void Dao Scripture』 that Ang Xiao had left his backhand within, and instead have Suohuan devour the 【Xuanling Realm】 to ascend and claim the Fruit Position!

Suohuan’s eyes brightened.

“Can this succeed?”

“…There is hope!” Lü Yang’s face was firm with conviction. But inside, his thoughts were different:

‘Hope my ass. Dead for sure!’

If Suohuan had chosen the first method, Lü Yang would have happily assisted. But the second method meant he had not escaped Ang Xiao’s schemes.

Nothing could be done.

After the journey to Seven Luminaries Heaven, Lü Yang had deeply realized—sometimes one must make a strategic withdrawal. If one never jumped off the opponent’s chessboard, one would never win.

Thus, when Suohuan chose the second method, Lü Yang simply assumed him beyond saving.

But that was fine.

According to Lü Yang’s calculations, as long as he restarted, cleansing Suohuan’s soul and 【Lingxu Blessed Land】 once with the 【Book of a Hundred Lives】 should solve the problem.

So why, then, had Lü Yang even proposed a second method?

The answer was simple: If Suohuan did not pursue the Golden Core, how could he lure 【Ang Xiao】 out?

‘Daoist Friend Suohuan, by choosing the second method, your chance lies in the next life. Since that is so, letting me make use of you in this life—shouldn’t be a problem, right?’

【Netherworld】, the Unnamable Place.

Within a towering palace, 【Ang Xiao】 sat cross-legged, quietly overlooking the river of souls flowing past his gates, as though gazing upon the most exquisite of sights.

“Mm?”

Suddenly, he lifted his head.

Though now unable to view the mortal world, nor extend his hand beyond the palace, the resonance through the Fruit Position made his brows furrow:

“The 【Obstruction of Knowledge and View】 was broken… Suohuan?”

【Ang Xiao】’s expression darkened slightly. Suohuan was his key piece for seizing the Fruit Position and dragging him into the 【Netherworld】. There should never have been a problem.

Yet a problem had arisen.

This feeling of things slipping beyond his control left 【Ang Xiao】 deeply displeased. Though he had not been entirely idle these past thirty years, he had lacked the critical opportunity to achieve merit.

Just then, his gaze shifted.

At the gates of the palace, within the boundless river of souls—

“Amitabha.”

One soul of a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had died of old age suddenly leapt forth. Its soul shone with Buddhist light as it proclaimed in a resounding voice:

“Little monk Guang Ming greets Senior 【Ang Xiao】.”