Chapter 225

Overseas, in a remote sea region.

Only to see a beam of escaping light speed past, and within the light was a young man with a gloomy expression: "Mother... is it truly as Father said, that she intends to harm me?"

The young man was none other than Chong Ming.

Ever since the trip to 【Qing Country】, this young man had aged considerably; though his lifespan had not actually been diminished, several strands of white hair had appeared at his temples.

The escaping light sped across the overseas seas for a while before finally landing on a deserted island, yet it seemed to pass through a transparent curtain of water; viewed from outside, the island appeared desolate and dead, but upon entering, one discovered that a fair-skinned, red-lipped young Daoist priest had suddenly appeared by the shore.

"Fellow Daoist Xu."

A complex look flashed through Chong Ming's eyes; he sighed, stepped forward, and cupped his fists: "I have troubled you, Fellow Daoist. I, Chong Ming, will surely repay your kindness in the future."

Had Lu Yang been present, he would certainly have recognized him.

This young Daoist priest before him was none other than Xu Xin, who had been extremely at odds with Chong Ming back in the Dao Seizing Battlefield; unexpectedly, he had now also become a Foundation Establishment True Person.

"Cut the nonsense."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xin shook his head, then his figure suddenly turned illusory: "I have no desire to get entangled with you; look out for yourself, Young Master."

With that, his figure quietly shattered.

Seeing this, Chong Ming could only sigh, thinking to himself: "Father says Mother wants to harm me, so why did he still instruct me to follow Mother's orders and go out to sea?"

In 【Qing Country】, when Chong Guang sent Chong Ming away from 【Dongyang Blessed Land】, he had left a few instructions; out of trust in his father, Chong Ming strictly adhered to Chong Guang's directives, and although Mother True Person Miaoyin's heartless actions left him deeply disappointed, he still pulled himself together:

"No matter what, I cannot return to the Holy Sect."

Chong Ming took out a Bagua compass from his robes; this was a treasure for concealing heavenly secrets given to him by Chong Guang, and with this treasure's protection, no one should be able to find him.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang's figure suddenly flashed through Chong Ming's mind.

"At worst, I'll just outlast her!"

"Outlast Mother until she dies!"

As the most outstanding disciple of the younger generation of the Holy Sect, Lu Yang's deeds had long spread far and wide, including his achievements of outlasting Arhat Fu Long until death and tricking Peak Master Senior Butian to his demise.

With the advanced experience of Senior Chusheng as a reference, Chong Ming was not too confused and quickly established his strategy: "Youth is my greatest advantage; Mother is already in her third life now; in terms of combat and scheming, I cannot compare to her, so I will fight her on lifespan; I will surely outlast her until the day she dies!"

If luck is good and True Person Miaoyin dies during Tribulation Crossing, it won't be many years.

If luck is bad and True Person Miaoyin breaks through to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, it doesn't matter; it just means waiting two more lifetimes; as long as I keep a low profile, there will always be a chance.

Thinking of this, Chong Ming calmed his emotions.

However, just as he turned around, he discovered with immense horror that on the island's shore, atop the emerald-white waves, a figure had suddenly appeared!

"Crash, crash, crash."

The sound of waves drifted from afar, crashing against the reef by the shore and also crashing into the depths of Chong Ming's heart, making him instantly feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The newcomer rode the waves, stepping on the spray, and landed lightly on the shore; his carefree demeanor resembled that of a scholar outing to enjoy spring, with an amiable smile constantly hanging on his face, yet although he was smiling, his eyes were cold enough to chill one to the bone, revealing not a trace of mirth.

"You really gave me quite a hard time finding you."

In an instant, Chong Ming's expression stiffened slightly; he intended to resist, yet an indescribable, overwhelming pressure had already settled upon him.

'It's over!'

Although Chong Ming had only just reached Foundation Establishment, he had seen the world after all; even facing a True Person at the Mid Stage of Foundation Establishment, he would at least possess the strength to make a move.

But the True Person before him merely stood in front of him, sealing off his magic power and thoughts; let alone making a move, the fact that he could still think at all was only because the other party had not sealed his consciousness; this terrifying oppression, akin to a gap in hierarchy, could only be achieved by a Great True Person at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!

At this moment, despair filled Chong Ming's heart.

However, to his surprise, the newcomer did not grab him and refine him on the spot; instead, after sizing him up for a moment, he voluntarily released the suppression.

Immediately after, the newcomer stared straight at him.

"You know me."

These simple four words carried no hint of questioning, full of certainty, as if the fact had long been confirmed, causing Chong Ming to involuntarily lower his head:

"... heard Father mention it a few times."

"Fellow Daoist Chong Guang, then." Seeing Suo Huan hear this, he smiled, then clasped his hands behind his back and walked to stand before him, speaking in a calm tone: "You have a good father."

"I have long been overseas, making it difficult to communicate with the elders inside the Holy Sect, so I needed some concealment to confuse things with karma; your father fought to secure this position for you, which essentially saved your life and extracted you from the whirlpool; truly a fortunate fate, truly a fortunate fate indeed."

"Much better than mine."

Suo Huan shook his head and sighed, while Chong Ming looked completely bewildered.

'What does he mean?'

However, soon his thinking stalled, and on his body, a faint light slowly emerged, weaving together into a graceful, beautiful silhouette.

Seeing this scene, Suo Huan hurriedly stepped back.

"This humble one greets True Person Qi Luo."

The appearance and features of that graceful silhouette were none other than 【Zeng Cai Qi Luo True Person】, who had once refined pills for Lu Yang; unexpectedly, she had now appeared overseas!

Seeing this, Suo Huan felt a chill run through his limbs and sneered inwardly:

'That Miaoyin is indeed stupid without realizing it; does she not consider that as Chong Guang's Dao companion, every move she makes would inevitably be watched by the True Persons above?'

'On the surface, this matter appears to be a transaction between me and Miaoyin, where she sends her biological son Chong Ming out to me for 【Qi Gathering】, with clear karma that is irrefutable; in reality, however, the True Person is using Chong Ming's karma to meet with me in secret, and Miaoyin is nothing more than the True Person's mouthpiece!'

Just then, 【Zeng Cai Qi Luo True Person】 finally spoke: "Speak, what is the reason for seeking an audience with me?"

"This humble one only wishes to share the burden for Your Honor."

Suo Huan spoke calmly, performing a Daoist bow with perfect etiquette, and said softly: "Regarding the major events of recent days, although this humble one resides overseas, I have also heard of them."

"Fellow Daoist Chong Guang is truly worthy of being the trendsetter of the contemporary Holy Sect, moving the entire world with his own strength; pity that he ultimately failed at the last hurdle, making one unable to help but sigh."

"This humble one does not possess the means of Fellow Daoist Chong Guang; I am merely a homeless dog, a small figure."

"Small figures can only drift with the tide."

Speaking to this point, some fluctuation finally appeared in Suo Huan's tone: "This humble one is willing to prove 【Long Flowing Water】 to share the burden for Your Honor and break open the current predicament."

His expression solemn, he said respectfully:

"Your Honor surely knows that this humble one is an extraterrestrial cultivator; I do not cultivate a natal essence nor refine innate talents; up until now, I have always used the Qi Gathering method, and the 【Lingxu Blessed Land】 in my hand is of the Water attribute; in other words, for any fruit position of the Water attribute, this humble one actually has a sliver of a chance to achieve it."

"Even 【Long Flowing Water】!"

As soon as Suo Huan finished speaking, 【Zeng Cai Qi Luo True Person】 immediately narrowed her eyes: "You certainly have boldness; the description 'drifting with the tide' is indeed apt."

This was indeed a blind spot!

As an extraterrestrial cultivator, Suo Huan had no need for 【Chen Earth】; in essence, he used the Qi Gathering method to strip away the fruit positions of this world!

Once 【Long Flowing Water】 was stripped away by him, it would be tantamount to proving it indirectly.

And with 【Long Flowing Water】 lost, that mysterious True Person, suspected to be Ang Xiao, would from now on lack completeness in the Five Elements and would immediately fall from the position of Late Stage Golden Core!

However, this was not entirely beneficial; although Suo Huan seeking gold did not require 【Chen Earth】, it also made it difficult for him to resonate with the fruit position, and as an extraterrestrial cultivator, devouring the fruit positions of this world would inevitably invite great trouble, and he would certainly form a deadly feud with the mysterious True Person!

Under these circumstances, the difficulty of seeking gold was several times greater than that of Chong Guang.

Even if he succeeded, it would be very difficult to hold the position of True Person steadily, especially with the Millennium Great Tribulation approaching; a slight misstep could make him the next Daoist Hong Yun.

Yet Suo Huan did not hesitate in the slightest.

He too had once been a chosen son of destiny in a realm of heaven, high-spirited and proud, yet now he bent his waist with utter naturalness, like an old man in the twilight of his years.

"This humble one asks for nothing else."

Lowering his head, he spoke humbly: "I am willing to have Your Honor plant a restriction upon me and serve Your Honor unto death, asking only for a pill fruit... even if it lasts only one lifetime."

Chusheng Sect, Clouds Connecting to the Sky.

With the three-month deadline approaching, Lu Yang pushed open the door to the quiet room, stepped inside, and saw that in the center of the room, seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, was a handsome young man.

His appearance was identical to Lu Yang's, except for a sharp aura filling the space between his eyebrows; after all, he was cultivated using a flying sword as an embryo, so his foundation was mixed with the sharp qi of a sword cultivator, difficult to erase; as his lips parted and closed, his heartbeat and breathing were completely synchronized with Lu Yang's main body.

Seeing this, Lu Yang immediately revealed a look of satisfaction:

"The Immortal Fetus has succeeded!"

(End of Chapter)