Chapter 277

What a shitty place, shitty place, shitty place!

At this moment, Lu Yang's mind held only this thought: to be honest, just a moment ago he nearly self-destructed to activate the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes.

'It's definitely 【Ang Xiao】!'

'Though I used a clone, I didn't split my spirit consciousness—I merely infused my awareness into it, yet it was used as a medium to influence my original body!'

Lu Yang's expression was bitter; he hadn't split his spirit consciousness to inhabit the clone precisely because he feared the clone might be exploited and develop self-awareness, betraying his original self—so he had infused his own awareness to control it, only to be defenseless against the True Lord's distant influence over his own mind!

And it was worse when he became clear-headed—clarity only deepened the terror.

Everything before felt like a dream; his decisions and words had been veiled in illusion, so much so that Lu Yang dared not even recall them.

'I must have gone mad!'

'I actually thought that coming overseas, if I found the Cheng Tian Gang and Wan Wu Jie and broke through to the peak of Foundation Establishment, I could even fight a True Person!'

Is this me?

'Forget whether I could fight—even if I could, why would I? Isn't it easier to use True Person-level power to bully those at Foundation Establishment middle and early stages?'

The more Lu Yang thought, the more his scalp prickled.

But soon, a greater question rose in his heart: 'Why me? I'm only Foundation Establishment middle stage—what merit or ability do I have to be so schemed against?'

The player is confused; the observer sees clearly.

Once Lu Yang finally broke free from the influence of his perceptual barriers, he immediately understood 【Ang Xiao】's intent: he wanted Lu Yang to seek out the Magnetic Shenshan!

'Thank goodness. Thank goodness!'

Lu Yang looked at the magic sword in his hand, then recalled his earlier decision to 'first enhance his strength'—his eyes instantly filled with relief.

Thank goodness his nature remained unchanged despite the change of circumstances.

Even under the True Lord's influence, he had clung to the thought of 'playing it safe'—first seeking the materials to forge a spiritual treasure—and by accident, this very act had jolted him awake.

'No… it wasn't necessarily an accident.'

'How could the True Lord allow such a variable to occur?'

Lu Yang turned his head and looked at Seeing Suo Huan, whispering: 'Comrade, be honest with me—do you really have full confidence in forging this spiritual treasure?'

Seeing Suo Huan looked back, offering a bitter smile: 'Full confidence? If it were an ordinary spiritual treasure, maybe—but you've brought out so many of them; how could I possibly melt them down alone? Only a True Lord could do it! To forge this, you'd need at least nine parts fate.'

Seeing Suo Huan's voice grew quieter with each word.

Lu Yang stared at the magic sword in his hand, feeling as if he held a burning coal—too hot to hold, too hot to drop.

Forging without a True Lord's intervention—entirely dependent on fate.

And yet it succeeded?

Who would believe no True Lord intervened? But if it was 【Ang Xiao】, why go through the trouble of making both of us awaken from the illusion?

Or perhaps…

'…could there be a second True Lord?'

'So my experience and Seeing Suo Huan's were merely a duel between True Lords?'

Lu Yang pressed his temples—he felt for the first time what it meant to have no True Lord backing him; everything was like viewing flowers through mist, sold off and still counting the coins for the seller!

When Qingcheng Feixue True Lord hadn't yet entered seclusion, how could he have ended up like this?

'Brother? Elder?'

At that moment, Chongming looked at Lu Yang with a blank expression, then turned to Seeing Suo Huan: 'Aren't you two still rushing to the Magnetic Shenshan?'

'Bang!'

Before Chongming finished speaking, his eyes rolled back and he fainted; Seeing Suo Huan remained expressionless: 'Trouble you to shine that sword-light on him too.'

Lu Yang shook his head: 'I already tried. The sword-light's mystery is indeed powerful, but his cultivation is too low. Even though he was only caught in the collateral effects, his influence ran deeper than mine—unless that one withdraws the technique, or a True Lord intervenes, he won't wake up.'

Both fell silent.

Lu Yang instinctively calculated with his fingers, then abandoned it—this was clearly a scheme laid by a True Lord; what use was calculation? He'd only be misled further.

'Can we just not go? Return to Jietian Yunhai?'

Lu Yang's first thought was to flee—but quickly, a chilling realization struck him: he had successfully left the Sacred Sect!

Lu Yang didn't believe his influence by 【Ang Xiao】 went unnoticed by any True Lord—but he had left Jietian Yunhai without the slightest obstruction, as if it were natural. Back then, he hadn't thought much of it; now, the implications chilled him—was this an indirect reflection of the Sacred Sect's stance?

'Have I been abandoned?'

It wasn't surprising; to most, he was just a True Person whose path was severed—no matter how brilliant, he wasn't indispensable.

'If something more important arose, abandoning me would be perfectly reasonable.'

'But what is that thing? What role am I meant to play? What effect does the hidden True Lord want me to produce?'

At this thought, Lu Yang suddenly turned his head.

Almost simultaneously, Seeing Suo Huan also glanced at him, then smiled bitterly—clearly, his thoughts had not lagged behind Lu Yang's.

'Just like back in 【Wan Wu Jie】, I was just an afterthought—Seeing Suo Huan is the real target!'

'【Ang Xiao】's true target is him—he's using me to steer Seeing Suo Huan toward the Magnetic Shenshan? Impossible—the Cheng Tian Gang and Wan Wu Jie are useless to him…'

Under the sword-light's glow, Lu Yang's thoughts sharpened, racing like lightning.

The next instant, he lowered his head and stared at the magic sword in his hand.

'This sword was forged because a True Lord secretly intervened—and precisely because of it, Seeing Suo Huan and I awakened from the illusion.'

'Of course! This is my purpose!'

'My purpose is to make Seeing Suo Huan awaken!'

In an instant, understanding finally dawned on Lu Yang's face: 'Wrong! All wrong! The mastermind isn't 【Ang Xiao】!'

Until just now, Lu Yang had believed 【Ang Xiao】 had lured him and Seeing Suo Huan into the trap, then a mysterious True Lord rescued them.

But the truth was likely the opposite.

【Ang Xiao】 was the one who saved them!

'It was Suo Huan who drew himself deep into the trap without realizing it; Ang Xiao used my hand to lure him out, forged this magical sword, and thus made him come to his senses!'

Only this makes sense!

As realization struck, Lu Yang's expression grew even more bitter: 'If this is truly the case, then this means they want me and Suo Huan to act together!'

After all, both of them relied on the wonders of the magical sword to regain their clarity.

Once separated, though he himself wouldn't mind, Suo Huan would inevitably fall back into ignorance; under such circumstances, how could Ang Xiao possibly allow him to leave?

'If my guess is correct, I must have already provoked a formidable enemy. Yes, the Four Seas Gate! Because I killed the Dragon King Suo Ying! Originally, the Ultimate Heaven Instrument should have concealed the karmic cause, so no one should have been able to calculate it, but now it is uncertain.'

'If the karmic cause is indeed calculated by the Four Seas Gate, and I am now overseas, I fear only Suo Huan can protect me; if I leave him on my own, I will surely die at the hands of the Dragon Clan!'

What karmic mysteries? This is clearly another form of True Lord combat!

Thinking this, Lu Yang could not help but look at Suo Huan.

'Senior, what exactly have you done?'

As the words fell, Suo Huan also glanced at him and said bitterly, 'I sought a path to survival; unfortunately, it seems someone won't even grant me this one path.'

'I have only dragged you, Daoist friend, into this.'

'Do not say that.'

The wood is already made into a boat; Lu Yang naturally would not utter any more complaints, for after all, regardless of what happened, they were now clearly grasshoppers tied to the same rope!

(End of this chapter)