Chapter 167: Grotto-Heaven Collapses and Crumbles, Fruit Position Hangs Empty!

At this moment, not only did Lu Yang sense it, but every mortal, Qi Refining cultivator, and even Foundation Establishment True Person across the entire world felt a resonance and looked up at the sky canopy.

Immediately after, a wave of sorrow suddenly surged into everyone's hearts.

Mortals could hardly control themselves from wailing aloud, Qi Refining cultivators shed tears involuntarily, and only Foundation Establishment True Persons merely felt a stinging acidity in their eyes.

Then, the entire sky canopy turned a scarlet red; rain crashed down, each drop crystal clear, remaining as surging rain before hitting the ground but transforming into rolling red jade stones upon impact, merging into the earth veins, merging into spiritual energy, and merging into all things within this heaven and earth.

Heaven and earth wept blood; all creation shared in the grief!

Seeing this, Patriarch Ting You could not help but sigh: "A Golden Core True Person has fallen, and their fruit position responds; even heaven and earth feel sorrow for the True Person's demise."

However, Lu Yang on the other side did not think so.

"Something is wrong..."

As a True Person of the Holy Sect, he never hesitated to consider matters from the worst possible angle.

Lu Yang looked around; after the blood rain fell and merged into heaven and earth, it caused not the slightest harm to the world but instead brought great benefit.

In other words, this blood rain following the death of a Golden Core True Person was actually a good thing for heaven and earth.

Did heaven and earth truly weep because a Golden Core True Person died?

Could it be faked?

Even so, Lu Yang dared not voice this speculation aloud, for what if he incurred heavenly punishment? One must remember that disaster springs from the mouth.

Just then, another loud boom resounded, this time not in the present world; mortals and Qi Refining cultivators sensed nothing, only Foundation Establishment True Persons could perceive it. Lu Yang immediately shifted into the Foundation Establishment realm, looked up, and saw that a vast region within the Foundation Establishment realm was collapsing on a massive scale!

"What is... this?"

The sky has collapsed!

Lu Yang stared dumbfounded at the collapsing region, only then realizing it was not the Foundation Establishment realm itself collapsing, but rather the area above it.

The environment of the Foundation Establishment realm was extremely unique.

Its upper and lower bounds were distinct; below lay a sea of dim obscurity where the 【Bi Wind】 never dispersed year-round, while above stretched high and ethereal, impossible to see the end of with a single glance.

Yet now, an "end" had appeared in the collapsing region.

At that endpoint, myriad brilliant colors carrying surging auspicious qi were falling bit by bit toward the Foundation Establishment realm, giving Lu Yang an extremely familiar sensation.

It was just like—

"Sky Collapse?"

Beside him, Patriarch Ting You voiced the same doubt, which suddenly enlightened Lu Yang: "Correct! It is Sky Collapse! This feeling is exactly like Sky Collapse!"

Sky Collapse was a technique he had learned from Patriarch Ting You back when he was still in Qi Refining: first ascend to the Foundation Establishment realm, then actively plummet downward to unleash terrifying destructive power... and now, the myriad brilliant colors falling from the sky felt exactly the same as during Sky Collapse!

Something was plummeting!

Lu Yang gazed into the distance, seeing within those myriad brilliant colors magnificent towers and jade palaces, mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, yet also seeing vast mountains of corpses and seas of blood...

This scene reminded him of the small worlds plucked away by the various True Persons during the Battle for the Dao.

"What exactly is that?" Lu Yang could not help but murmur softly.

The next second, a response rang out in his ears:

"That is a Grotto-Heaven."

The speaker said with measured cadence: "True Person Chengtian Zhengde has fallen, his soul entering reincarnation; the 【Yujue Baogui Grotto-Heaven】 has plummeted, and the fruit position hangs empty..."

At this moment, Lu Yang felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold.

However, upon clearly recognizing the speaker's voice, his tensed body suddenly relaxed, and he turned back helplessly: "Was Senior Uncle doing that on purpose?"

"Hahaha." True Person Master Chongguang laughed loudly: "Were you frightened?"

"No."

Lu Yang insisted stubbornly, then turned back to continue watching the gradually crumbling myriad brilliant colors, sighing: "So, that True Person from the Sword Pavilion has already perished?"

"It is not that easy."

True Person Master Chongguang shook his head: "A Golden Core True Person refines their golden nature to ascend to a blessed land, transforms a Grotto-Heaven to attain the true fruit; the plummeting of the Grotto-Heaven is merely the first step of demise."

"Just like with Hong Yun, when the Grotto-Heaven plummets, a strand of golden nature protects the soul through reincarnation; although the soul does not die and will never be affected by the mystery of the womb, they lose the mighty power of a True Person, unable to immediately return to their fruit position after reincarnating, and can only waste time, slowly waiting for the opportunity to resume their seat."

"Of course, he would not have lived much longer in this life anyway."

Hearing this, Lu Yang felt somewhat emotional: "So he did not wish to die on his sickbed, which is why he actively left the Sword Pavilion to choose a life-or-death battle with True Person Qingcheng Feixue?"

"Is that what you think?"

Upon hearing this, True Person Master Chongguang glanced at Lu Yang with a strange expression: "It seems your understanding of those mad sword-wielders in the south is not yet clear."

"In the final analysis, he was seeking karma."

Speaking thus, True Person Master Chongguang also glanced at Patriarch Ting You beside him, saying: "After all, this 【True Person Chengtian Zhengde】 did not possess great talent."

"A thousand years have passed, and he is still only at the Early Stage of Golden Core."

"In that case, even if he avoided combat and chose to hide, after death he still would not have been able to sustain the 【Yujue Baogui Grotto-Heaven】; the result would be no different."

"Therefore, he actively went to war, hoping to rely on self-destroying his Grotto-Heaven and sacrificing himself to severely injure True Person Qingcheng Feixue, thereby exchanging a portion of karma with the various True Persons of the Sword Pavilion, so that other True Persons might guide him back in the future and give him a chance to return to his fruit position—I estimate this was his true intention!"

True Person Master Chongguang's evaluation was utterly blunt.

"The Jiangnan region emphasizes karma; nine out of ten disciples there are reincarnated. Just wait; within a few years, the Sword Pavilion will produce an unparalleled genius."

Just then, a laughter like silver bells suddenly rang out:

"With just him, he thought he could injure me?"

As the words fell, Lu Yang subconsciously turned his head, and his eyes immediately met a pair of eyes like autumn water, within whose pupils faint traces of scarlet still lingered.

"Relying on self-detonating his Grotto-Heaven, he barely escaped with his life from my hands; a single strand of golden nature carried his soul into reincarnation, and before leaving, I bit off one-third of his golden nature with a single bite. Do not even think about reincarnating for another thirty to fifty years! Indeed, the golden nature of an incumbent True Person tastes far more satisfying!"

After speaking, the newcomer even stuck out her tongue, licked her lips, and wore an expression of lingering relish.

True Person Qingcheng Qingcheng Feixue!

This True Person, known to outsiders as the "Mad Woman," appeared as a quiet and dignified young lady from a noble family as long as she restrained her initial arrogance.

"True Person, these are the many precious materials this disciple has gathered for you."

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yang directly handed over the pile of magic treasures he had just scavenged from corpses, including the 【Imperial Palace Golden Seal Doushui True Edict】.

"Hehe..."

Seeing this, True Person Qingcheng Qingcheng Feixue immediately covered her mouth with a light laugh, then waved her hand generously: "Keep them yourself; there is no need to consult me on such minor matters in the future."

"This time, I have accepted all manner of karma on your behalf; whether it is the Pure Land or the Dao Court, as long as I do not make a statement, they should not make things difficult for you until you reach the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment."

"Thank you, True Person!"

Only then did Lu Yang put away his storage bag; while feeling relieved, he did not take True Person Qingcheng Qingcheng Feixue's polite words too seriously. This time, because he had voluntarily handed everything over, she spoke thus to show magnanimity, but had he not handed them over, her attitude would likely have been entirely different.

After all, she could choose not to accept the items, but he could not choose not to offer them!

If the items were offered, she could bestow them back; if they were not offered, that would be a matter of principle regarding absolute loyalty, and the Holy Sect's iron fist would come crashing down.

Immediately after, True Person Qingcheng Qingcheng Feixue turned around and looked at True Person Master Chongguang:

"Master Chongguang, I have already killed Hong Yun."

"He did not expect that I had already broken through to the Mid Stage of Golden Core; without the protection of a Grotto-Heaven, a single strand of golden nature was insufficient to allow him to escape into reincarnation from my hands."

"Everything is ready; prepare to ascend to the position."

Having spoken, True Person Qingcheng Qingcheng Feixue vanished from the spot.

On the other side, a trace of indescribable excitement finally appeared on True Person Master Chongguang's usually steady face, and he immediately turned to look at Lu Yang:

"Yuan Tu, return quickly to the Cloud Sea and come with Yinshan to meet me at the Sacred Fire Cliff."

"I have an important matter to entrust to you."

(End of Chapter)