Chapter 339: Third Encounter with Ang Xiao
Chapter 339: Third Encounter with Ang Xiao
Lv Yang admitted to himself that he’d panicked for a fleeting moment.
But the next instant, he regained his composure. As always, the Immortal Spirit’s main body hadn’t been seized yet—suffering through the clone’s pain was a small price to pay.
"Tribulation Tempest Blade!"
Even so, Lv Yang activated Insightful Clarity several times, bathing his clone in Divine Essence. After a few deep breaths, he faced Xiao Hai’s True Man form calmly.
"It’s simple", Lv Yang said, his expression unreadable. "I have some rapport with Mu Changsheng. Why shouldn’t he lend me his Divine Abilities?"
"Really?"
Xiao Hai’s True Man—or rather, the entity using that form, Ang Xiao—smiled faintly, his skepticism written plainly across his face.
"That No Heaven Realm was indeed intriguing, but nothing more. The True Monarchs will never allow Mu Changsheng to ascend through it. In fact, anyone else might ascend, but not him. His path was doomed from the start. Why ally yourself with a lost cause?"
Ang Xiao’s gaze sharpened. He’d long been curious about this opponent who’d not only uncovered his identity and schemes but also bested him indirectly.
On the other side, Lv Yang remained silent.
"I’m no True Monarch. I don’t know half the secrets here. The more I speak, the more I’ll slip up. Better to stay quiet and let the silence speak for itself."
"You won’t answer?"
Seeing Lv Yang’s silence, Ang Xiao smirked, leaning back with feigned nonchalance. "Or perhaps you dare not answer?"
Lv Yang simply smiled.
"Earlier, I assumed you were a reigning True Monarch, but now I see I overestimated you. You’re a Reincarnation of a True Monarch, much like Fortune, aren’t you?"
"There’s another matter I’ve wondered about."
Ang Xiao rose slowly, his eyes reflecting Lv Yang’s figure. "I’ve watched your battles for some time now."
"From the moment you faced Cheng Xian’s Human Immortal to your slaughter at the Heaven’s South Gate, you’ve used the Sea of Sorrowful Affliction, Multifloral Marrow, Armaments Sovereign, Adamantine Sovereign, two Tai Xu Divine Abilities, and two innate Divine Abilities. Yet, you only forged a false Great True Sovereign."
"Isn’t that peculiar?"
Here, Ang Xiao narrowed his eyes, as if sighting prey.
"I initially thought you’d hidden your Life-Bound Divine Ability. After all, two or three Divine Abilities at the Mid-Stage of Foundation Building isn’t unusual."
"But now, that doesn’t add up."
"If you still possess a Life-Bound Divine Ability, combined with the four I’ve named, five total Divine Abilities should have elevated you to Foundation Building Perfection. Where is your cultivation realm? Where is your Life-Bound Divine Ability?"
"As far as I know, no sect cultivates Life-Bound Divine Abilities retroactively. The only exception would be a being born from Heaven and Earth themselves."
Suddenly, Ang Xiao paused, his smirk widening into a hunter’s grin.
"You’re not… a mere Immortal Spirit now, are you?"
Lv Yang’s smile never wavered.
Though Ang Xiao had pierced part of his secret, he felt no urgency. Ang Xiao’s assault was purely verbal.
"A True Monarch’s skills? Where are they?"
"If not Soul Scrying, at least try to seize control of me?"
Back in his past life, Ang Xiao’s presence had been suffocating, a force he couldn’t withstand. But this time, something was off.
"Strange, yes, but not formidable. What power does Xiao Hai’s True Man hold? An Early-Stage Foundation Builder—how could he bear True Monarch might? Last life, Chongguang’s Dao Aberration made Ang Xiao terrifying. This time, he’s all flash, no substance."
All show, no strength!
Otherwise, why the endless chatter? Why not reach into his dantian, seize the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner, and refine it outright? Why hesitate?
Lack of will?
"No—lack of ability!"
Lv Yang steadied himself. A revelation struck him: "You’re not here by choice. You’ve been manipulated!"
"The Holy Sect has no saints—Chongguang the scoundrel! He told me to linger at the Heaven’s South Gate, but it was a trap all along!"
Lv Yang was certain Chongguang had used some method to anticipate Ang Xiao’s pursuit. Their earlier transaction, his prolonged stay—it was all bait. Now that Ang Xiao had bitten, Chongguang had surely begun his move.
Yet, to Lv Yang’s surprise, Ang Xiao merely laughed after hearing this.
"Manipulated by others? You mean Xue Feihong?"
"Speaking of which, we haven’t settled that yet."
"You betrayed my identity to Xue Feihong, causing me no end of trouble. We hold no grudge—why make things difficult for me?"
Lv Yang’s smile remained.
Ang Xiao sighed, realizing his bluff had been called. His current vessel lacked real power.
"This body… it’s simply too weak."
A mere Early-Stage Foundation Builder, hiding within the Veil of Cognition was already a stretch. Any more strain, and the Spiritual Body would disintegrate.
Strictly speaking, he couldn’t even match Lv Yang now.
Else why the endless banter? Why not subdue him first and interrogate later?
Resigned, Ang Xiao dropped the pretense.
"Let’s strike a deal. If I’m right, you seek to cultivate the Pomegranate Wood to break into Golden Core Late. I can help."
"He’s mistaken."
Lv Yang understood. Ang Xiao assumed he was a True Monarch, but why would a True Monarch pursue another Fruit Position? The answer was clear: Golden Core Late.
Only Golden Core Late required auxiliary Fruit Positions to sustain advancement. To Ang Xiao, Lv Yang was merely plotting a late-stage breakthrough.
"Logical."
Finally, Lv Yang spoke. "How do you propose to assist me?"
Seeing Lv Yang’s silence broken, Ang Xiao smiled. "You’ve joined the Sword Pavilion for the Pomegranate Wood and Sword Pavilion’s Sword-Fang Gold, haven’t you?"
"But this approach is too slow and risky."
Ang Xiao’s voice softened. "Golden Core Early and Mid-Stage rely on single-element mastery. To reach Golden Core Late, two more elements must be integrated to form a cycle. Dual-element cultivation breeds conflict, often collapsing one’s Cave Heaven. This is but a low-grade path. The true path requires full Five-Element harmony, the only way to achieve perfection."
"But how many cultivators can master five Fruits? The variables are endless, and the True Monarchs will oppose anyone who monopolizes such power. Hence, fewer than five Golden Core Late True Men exist in the world."
"Most rely on alliances rather than monopoly."
"Take Xue Feihong, for instance. She’s Golden Core Mid-Stage, her Cave Heaven eternal. Lower-ranked True Men ally with her, tethering their Cave Heavens to hers to gain stability. Even at the end of their millennium lifespans, her guidance ensures swift rebirth."
"But how does collective cultivation compare to sole dominion?"
Here, Ang Xiao’s pride shone. "I need not master five Fruits myself. I only need to ensure no one else can!"
"Reversing the Chen Earth is my method."
"In one stroke, I achieve Five-Element perfection without fear of betrayal. This is the true path of Heaven!"
He fixed Lv Yang with a piercing gaze. "What say you?"
"I’ll share this reversal technique if you agree to one simple condition."
Lv Yang hesitated. "What condition?"
Ang Xiao’s eyes darkened with lethal intent.
"I’ll lure Xue Feihong into the Underworld and end her—permanently!"
(End of Chapter)
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