Chapter 59: Unexpected Difficulties

Standing before the secret realm, Lu Yang carefully contemplated this "Creation of the Dao Lord" while also pondering how to configure the secret realm to best benefit himself.

"First, I certainly will not step onto the stage."

"I only need to scatter seeds, then sit and wait for them to bloom and bear fruit. If there is no mastermind behind the scenes from the start, naturally no one will investigate!"

"Secondly, I do not need a peaceful world."

"After all, only in chaotic times can heroes emerge, and only in chaotic times can one fish in troubled waters. Even if a hero truly arises who discovers the truth, they cannot stir up a great wave."

"Because I can simply let heroes fight heroes, and let good men fight good men!"

Thus, a vast array of settings were input into the secret realm.

The next second, the entire secret realm erupted with light, circles rotating; within it, Lu Yang seemed to see countless scenes of the mortal world constantly changing.

Seeing this, Luo Wuya voluntarily said, "Junior brother intends to enter the secret realm for cultivation, so I shall not disturb you. I wish junior brother success."

"I accept senior brother's auspicious words," Lu Yang replied with a bow, "I will keep senior brother's guidance in my heart. When I succeed in the future, if there is anything entrusted, senior brother need only speak."

Hearing this, Luo Wuya immediately smiled with satisfaction:

"Junior brother can accomplish great things!"

The next second, the light of the secret realm swallowed Lu Yang up.

"It's quite decent."

Inside the secret realm, Lu Yang stood atop a mountain peak, his eyes filled with curiosity, feeling that the surrounding flowers, grass, trees, and everything else seemed so real.

"However, there are still flaws; it is not perfect."

A round light appeared behind Lu Yang's head; the Taiwei Imperial Edict Treasure Talisman circulated, divining and deducing, instantly seeing through the illusion and discovering flaws utterly different from the true world.

These flaws were very small and existed within the microscopic realm; only Lu Yang, relying on the power of divination, could understand them to some extent. Ordinary cultivators, viewing from a macroscopic angle, could not see the flaws at all, and as for the "talents" who had lived in the secret realm since childhood, it was even more impossible for them to discover anything amiss.

"Rather than a world, it is better described as a massive stage set."

Flowers, birds, fish, and insects; everything was real.

However, the "world" itself composing all of this was a thoroughly fake object, its nature no different from a pigsty in a commoner's home in the countryside.

"This is the talent training base of the Holy Sect."

Lu Yang shook his head, ceasing his sighs, and turned to prepare for his great undertaking of "transmitting the Dharma," the most important part of which was the cultivation system he was creating.

"With the Ming Dao Jade Slip in hand, no wonder Luo Wuya said the Sage Thief suits me well."

Because the Ming Dao Jade Slip, this artifact of deduction, could make the cultivation system he created have fewer flaws, making it less likely to be noticed by the locals within the secret realm.

"The cultivation system cannot be too complex."

"After all, with my abilities, the more complex it is, the less it can withstand scrutiny, so simple is best; it must be understandable even by fools, cultivable by anyone."

"But it cannot be too weak either. If the strongest practitioner of this system is only at the Qi Refining first layer, although it would pose no threat to me, the fate the Sage Thief could steal would be pitifully small, which would actually be detrimental to my cultivation. So, be bold; one can completely raise the maximum combat power of the system."

Thinking of this, Lu Yang suddenly gained enlightenment.

"The True Disciple that Senior Brother Luo mentioned earlier, who was counter-killed by someone from the secret realm, probably wanted to maximize benefits just like me, but ended up accidentally failing."

"No, I must set up a safety measure."

Lu Yang pondered continuously until he finally had a framework; with the help of the Ming Dao Jade Slip, numerous details were filled in, finally forming a complete system.

After a moment, Lu Yang made a decision.

Since the Sage Thief is ultimately a body-refining technique, if one is to create a cultivation system, it must naturally focus on body refinement as well, as this yields higher cultivation efficiency.

Regarding the physique, the highest-level knowledge Lu Yang possessed was the "Taiyi Yuanjing Yuhua" obtained from Yun Miaozhen.

Therefore, he planned to use this divine technique as the foundation.

Upon thinking this, Lu Yang immediately began to activate the divine technique.

Heart fire, lung metal, spleen earth, liver wood, kidney water.

Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tendons, bones, flesh, blood, will.

Lu Yang calmed his heart and quieted his spirit, gathering all the brilliant light condensed from the five viscera and every part of his body into his interior, then guiding it to the heavenly gate atop his head, bursting forth from his crown!

The flames blazed brightly, bestowing upon Lu Yang, removing all "flaws," making his physique crystal clear like jade.

This is the "Taiyi Yuanjing Yuhua."

At the same time, Lu Yang used the Ming Dao Jade Slip to record all the changes of the divine technique; based on this, he quickly organized a complete system.

"This method is named the Martial Dao!"

"The Martial Dao prioritizes blood qi above all, mastering the five elements within the body, opening the nine orifices of heaven, and breaking the mysterious pass of creation! A Martial Dao master who reaches perfection... can rival the late stage of Qi Refining!"

"However, although the Martial Dao possesses mighty divine power, it cannot soar into the sky."

This was the safety measure Lu Yang had set: Martial Dao practitioners cannot fly!

In this way, even in the worst-case scenario where he was counter-attacked by someone from the secret realm, at worst he could simply take flight; if he couldn't win, he could at least escape.

After an unknown period of time, Lu Yang finally awoke from his meditation.

In his hand, a book recording the "Martial Dao" had already appeared.

The next second, as Lu Yang moved his mind, that book suddenly rose with Jin Guang, split into four in mid-air, and then separately vanished into the horizon.

"The chess pieces have been placed; let us see what changes the future will bring."

Lu Yang smiled slightly, then turned and returned to the temporary cave dwelling he had opened, resuming his seclusion. In cultivation, he still had many unfinished matters.

For instance, he had now cultivated the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light, the Profound Yin Form-Grasping Great Method, and the Taiwei Imperial Edict Treasure Talisman; the three divine techniques composing the "Great Yin Body-Transformation Corpse-Release True Method" were all complete, exactly like Yun Miaozhen that day. However, he still had no clue how to integrate and fuse them.

This was not because he did not know the method.

In fact, the final step of the "Great Yin Body-Transformation Corpse-Release True Method" was actually very simple; the trick was just one sentence:

"Die in the Great Yin, temporarily pass the three gates; the Great One guards the corpse, the three souls guard the bones, the seven spirits serve the flesh, the fetal spirit records the qi, thus restoring substance and form, being reborn and flying to heaven."

In short, one needs to "die once."

Transform after death; although failure means true death, if successful, one can transform into an immortal fetus, possessing some of the power of a Foundation Establishment True Person.

This step is actually not difficult under normal circumstances; it is merely a matter of whether the cultivator dares to gamble on the probability between life and death, and whether they have the luck to succeed.

However, for Lu Yang, this was an insurmountable chasm.

"Because once I die, I immediately restart!"

After restarting, everything returns to the origin; how can one speak of shedding the old after death?

Thinking of this, Lu Yang was at once amused and exasperated.

All along, the 【Hundred Lives Book】 had been his greatest reliance; no matter what danger he encountered, he had the confidence to face it, for at worst he could start over.

Yet he never in the least expected that the 【Hundred Lives Book】 would become an obstacle to his further advancement!

(End of this chapter)