Chapter 339: I

「【Li Jie Bo】! 」

Almost instantly, Lu Yang's main body at the Sword Storage Manor pulled out 【Li Jie Bo】 and activated 【Dong Ming】 to frantically bathe himself in its light.

After a long while, he finally exhaled.

「Good, at least my main body should be safe. 」

What was going on?

Why did he suddenly feel like he'd forgotten something? Was it really Zhi Jian Zhang PTSD—seeing Zhi Jian Zhang in everyone?

「These True Persons are so shameless! All of them love to bully the weak. 」

Lu Yang took a deep breath and regained his composure; at least he was still alive, and that was the strongest proof he hadn't been exposed—he couldn't let himself panic.

「Logically, using 【Ti Xian Mu Ou】 to control my avatar and observe from outside should let me immunity Zhi Jian Zhang. No, too optimistic—【Ang Xiao】 is no ordinary figure; even summoning his own body got him twisted into near-death. 【Ti Xian Mu Ou】 isn't necessarily safe. 」

But regardless, his main body hadn't been caught yet.

「Respond to all changes with constancy! As long as my main body is safe, the avatar can suffer—but there's still room to maneuver, no need to restart. 」

Thinking this, Lu Yang activated 【Ti Xian Mu Ou】 again and turned his gaze toward the avatar.

Meanwhile, the Demon-Purifying True Person withdrew several blank jade slips, inscribed them with his spiritual sense, then distributed them to those present.

「What is this? 」

Lu Yang scanned the jade slip with his spiritual sense and saw it contained a cultivation method titled 【Tong Xuan Ling Ying Jing】, whose content felt strangely familiar.

But he quickly realized:

「This is a Second-Rank True Scripture! 」

The Second-Rank True Scripture of 【Xuan Ling Jie】!

Then the Demon-Purifying True Person explained: 「This is the collective result of our lords' joint calculations—simple and easy to understand; all of you should master it quickly. 」

The Demon-Purifying True Person's tone was calm, even indifferent: 「For 【Xuan Ling Jie】, our lords have reached an agreement: the Heavenly Court is divided into four parts. Each faction sends people to gather Qi. Mutual interference is permitted. The final distribution of this fruit position will be based on the amount of Qi gathered. 」

The one who gathers the most Qi gets the largest fragment of the fruit position.

So complicated?

Lu Yang's heart stirred, but he said nothing; instead, he used 【Ti Xian Mu Ou】 to make True Person Xiu Xin ask: 「Why involve us in such a major matter? 」

If all the True Persons have united, what could possibly stand in their way?

More importantly, this means granting benefits to Foundation Establishment True Persons—yet given the True Persons' consistently aloof demeanor, how could they possibly grant benefits to Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Upon hearing this, the Demon-Purifying True Person's lips curled slightly: 「It is unavoidable. 」

「Although the Supreme of 【Xuan Ling Jie】 has been sent into reincarnation by our lords, a fruit position is still a fruit position—when cornered, would it not resist at all? 」

「True Persons can certainly suppress it. 」

「But if we do, 【Xuan Ling Jie】's fruit position will fight to the death; even if we win, we'll only obtain shattered fragments. 」

「Not worth it. 」

「That's why we need you to gather Qi, slowly eroding 【Xuan Ling Jie】's fruit position until it loses all resistance—then we move in to divide it. 」

If before was a feast of gluttony.

Now it is slow, deliberate chewing.

Only this way can we maximize profit—gorging ourselves at once. As for the scraps, the True Persons don't mind rewarding their Foundation Establishment True Persons.

「So, will you also enter? 」

「I cannot. 」

The Demon-Purifying True Person shook his head: 「Not just me—even True Persons at late Foundation Establishment have begun to connect with the fruit position; they will draw 【Xuan Ling Jie】's hostility. 」

「Thus, only those at mid- and early Foundation Establishment may enter. 」

Really?

Lu Yang rubbed his chin; was he considered a Great True Person? Probably not—he was still strictly early Foundation Establishment!

Whether 【Chi Fa】's marvels are real doesn't matter—if you don't use them, they're nonexistent. The Grand Void Arts are the same—they don't occupy any technique slot. Who knows how 【Xuan Ling Jie】 will judge? If Great True Persons attract 【Xuan Ling Jie】's hostility because they connect with the fruit position—

Then what about 【Wan Ling Fan】?

In this life, his foundation for pretending to be a Great True Person lies in the mysterious power within 【Wan Ling Fan】, suspected to be a prototype of 【Wu You Tian】, not a fruit position.

Will 【Xuan Ling Jie】 accept it?

「No, 【Wan Ling Fan】 was already purified by 【Bai Shi Shu】—no cause, no effect; 【Xuan Ling Jie】 might not even detect it! 」

「If it doesn't detect it…」

Then even inside the Heavenly Court fragment born from 【Xuan Ling Jie】, he could pretend to be a Great True Person without fear of triggering its rage!

Lu Yang was overjoyed.

「Does this mean I can challenge higher ranks? 」

Even one minute as a Great True Person would let him crush mid- and early Foundation Establishment cultivators—palms down, one at a time, like a tiger among sheep!

「And if the Demon-Purifying True Person is right, True Person-level power cannot enter the Heavenly Court fragment; forcibly entering would inevitably trigger 【Xuan Ling Jie】's fruit position to erupt—making it obvious to me—unless it's an extremely rare, stealth-specialized True Person power. 」

This might actually work?

Thinking this, Lu Yang's mind sparked with possibilities—if his theory was correct, this Heavenly Court fragment was his golden opportunity!

「Massacre! Loot everything! 」

「Go all out—I'm already dead anyway. 」

「First destroy all evidence, then send the Yun Clan Ancestor and True Person Xiu Xin out—declare publicly that the Yushu Jiange won. 」

As for the details, since both the Yun Clan Ancestor and True Person Xiu Xin are my 【Ti Xian Mu Ou】, I can fabricate anything: say I sacrificed myself in a final stand, dying alongside the enemy to preserve the Yushu Jiange's honor—and use this deed to gain entry into the Yushu Jiange.

A flawless plan!

「Friend Yu Shao, I must rely on you this time. 」

As his words ended, following the Demon-Purifying True Person's gaze, Lu Yang also turned toward Yu Shao, the Immortal who had been grievously wounded by Cheng Xian and still bore a deathly pale complexion.

Since we are to explore the fragments of the Heavenly Court, what could be more suitable than a guide?

However, Yu Shao heard this and gave a bitter smile, saying, "In the past, I was merely a minor official of the Heavenly Court, holding neither position nor power, and may not be able to help you, Daoist friend, much."

"It is better than nothing."

Speaking thus, True Person Dangmo said solemnly, "However, do everything according to your ability; your own safety must come first."

At the same time, Lu Yang narrowed his eyes.

'Originally, I just did not want to waste it; I did not expect an unexpected gain.'

With this thought, Lu Yang immediately sank his divine sense into the Myriad Spirits Banner, looking at one of the banner spirits currently being nurtured within—indeed, it was that Honored Immortal Chengxian!

Compared to Yu Shao, as a direct disciple of the Supreme of the Profound Spirit Realm, Chengxian's status was undoubtedly much higher, and his understanding of the Heavenly Court must certainly be even clearer!

Thinking of this, Lu Yang even felt somewhat expectant.

'Indeed, compared to True Person Dangmo, True Person Chongguang, Ang Xiao, or Fei Xue—who are either at the peak of Foundation Establishment or are True Lords—they are simply not suitable for me.'

High-level games are too hard to play.

I am going to bully the weak!

(End of this chapter)