Chapter 62: Foundation Establishment Triggers a Killing Tribulation; Wind and Clouds Rise with a Single Thought

"With my current strength, killing that little demon will likely not be easy."

The Yun family Patriarch wore a thoughtful expression; after all, he had just reincarnated into an infant's body, and aside from his powerful soul and divination abilities, he possessed no combat strength whatsoever.

"... ut it matters not."

The Yun family Patriarch was in no hurry; since Lu Yang could not possibly discover him, he could fully take his time to develop, recovering to the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation within ten years.

"However, that brat is slippery as an eel and currently controls this Dharma Refining Secret Realm; once he realizes he is trapped in danger, he can exit the realm at any time. Even if I recover to the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, killing him will still require careful planning—I must devise a way to lure him into my trap so he cannot escape."

While pondering, the Yun family Patriarch continued his divination.

"The three steps of the Martial Dao: mastering the Five Elements within the body, opening the nine orifices that connect to heaven, and breaking through the Creation Mystery Gate. A Great Accomplished Martial Artist can rival the Late Stage of Qi Condensation. What a marvelous technique!"

The Yun family Patriarch's face showed astonishment.

Having achieved Foundation Establishment in two lifetimes and lived for over six hundred years, he had seen countless demons, including some who had cultivated the Saint Thief, yet few were like Lu Yang.

"Without reaching Foundation Establishment, one cannot know the Mandate of Heaven; one's divination and deduction abilities fall far short of the standard required to create a technique. Even if one勉强 creates something, it will be mere clay and tiles, shattering at a touch. Those who achieve Great Accomplishment can rival the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation, which is already considered formidable; reaching the Late Stage of Qi Condensation can be called perfect."

"That demon actually possesses such talent?"

Amidst his astonishment, the Yun family Patriarch's wariness deepened, and he resolved that Lu Yang must not be allowed to break through to Foundation Establishment, lest he add to the strength of the Demonic Path.

However, how should he proceed?

"The Saint Thief steals the fortune of all under heaven, consuming merit; those who achieve Great Accomplishment will inevitably face tribulation... Thus, my reincarnation this time is likely his tribulation."

Piercing the heavenly secrets, the Yun family Patriarch attained sudden enlightenment in his heart:

"However, with the 'Instrument of Ultimate Heaven' protecting me, he cannot divine my existence, whereas I can easily track his movements. This should be my great advantage."

"Since that is the case, I can simply devise a 'tribulation' for him. This 'tribulation' must neither be too easy to resolve nor too difficult; it must offer him a glimmer of hope for resolution, so that he will personally intervene. I will use this 'tribulation' to lure him into my trap and make him fall into my snare..."

As the saying goes, even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength.

Having already reincarnated once, the Yun family Patriarch did not maintain the airs of a Foundation Establishment expert, nor did he underestimate Lu Yang; his planning and scheming were solemn to the extreme.

"So, what shall this 'tribulation' be?"

After pondering for a moment, the Yun family Patriarch smiled slightly, having formed a plan: "For this youth, nothing is more worrisome than an error in the cultivation of the Saint Thief."

"In that case, I shall lend him a hand!"

"He created the three steps of the Martial Dao; I shall create the fourth step for him. However, this step will no longer be confined within the framework of the system he created..."

Thinking thus, the Yun family Patriarch immediately began to manipulate karma.

In the blink of an eye, another ten years passed.

During these ten years, heroes rose everywhere under heaven; the development of the Martial Dao reached an apex, and the three steps of the Martial Dao became widely known, studied by all under heaven.

It was precisely in this era that revered martial prowess that one late night, sudden thunder crashed over Tianjing City, dragons and snakes rose from the earth, and torrential rain poured down. Subsequently, the common people of the entire city saw a pillar of righteous qi shoot straight into the clouds, piercing the rain clouds and reversing the celestial phenomena; in less than an hour and three quarters, the clouds parted and the sun shone bright!

The next day, news spread like thunder across the world.

Wang Poyuan, the Dean of the Haoran Academy, who wielded a volume of the Heavenly Book and was known as the 'Saint-Hearted Scholar', had comprehended the Dao overnight, penetrated the mysterious mechanisms, and actually walked out the fourth step of the Martial Dao!

The first step of the Martial Dao: Mastering the Five Elements within the body.

When the heart, lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys—the five viscera—are perfected, one becomes a Martial Artist.

The second step of the Martial Dao: Opening the nine orifices that connect to heaven.

When the nine orifices of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tendons, bones, flesh, blood, and intent are all opened, one may be called a Martial Master.

The third step of the Martial Dao: Breaking through the Creation Mystery Gate.

There are gods three feet above one's head; by circulating the body's essence and qi through the five viscera and mobilizing the power of heaven and earth through the nine orifices, one achieves internal and external harmony, breaks through the mystery gate atop the head, and can perceive the 'gods'.

The world believed that the Martial Dao ended here, that one could become a generation's Grandmaster but had no path forward.

However, with the breakthrough of the 'Saint-Hearted Scholar' Wang Poyuan, all martial artists under heaven were invigorated, and Wang Poyuan, filled with great righteousness, did not keep his insights to himself.

"The fourth step of the Martial Dao is named 'Investigating the Transformation between Heaven and Man'!"

"To achieve this method, one must break free from the shackles of the Martial Dao, no longer bound by the Martial Dao itself, but instead walk one's own path, thereby achieving the transformation between heaven and man!"

The Saint-Hearted Scholar had penetrated this truth; no longer confined by the Martial Dao, he created the 'Art of Observing Fortune', capable of knowing the Mandate of Heaven, observing heavenly luck, and even altering heavenly secrets. All because his heart was devoted to the nation, wishing to use the Art of Observing Qi to extend the fortune of the Great Zhou Dynasty, establish an impregnable realm, and usher in ten thousand generations of peace.

And with the Saint-Hearted Scholar's breakthrough, karma shifted, causing sudden upheaval across the world.

The second to break through was the current Walker of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain, the 'Barefoot Daoist' Chang Qingjing, who attained sudden enlightenment and broke through while practicing medicine.

The third was the 'Suffering-Relieving Divine Monk' Xuan Ku of the Xuankong Temple, who attained sudden enlightenment and broke through during morning scriptures.

The fourth... the fifth... the sixth...

In merely ten years, seven Martial Heaven-and-Man experts emerged consecutively under heaven, proving the viability of this path and completely shattering the Martial Dao framework Lu Yang had initially established!

"Hmm?"

In the far western region of the Dharma Refining Secret Realm, amidst layers upon layers of mountain forests, within the Blood-Washed Heavenly River Sword Formation Diagram surrounded by countless talismans, Lu Yang suddenly opened his eyes.

All that met his gaze were dark clouds covering the sky; no blue sky or bright sun was visible.

The next second, a halo of light erupted behind Lu Yang's head; the Taiwei Treasure Register operated, and the many changes of the past ten years immediately flooded his mind, fully grasped by him.

"The fourth step of the Martial Dao, Investigating the Transformation between Heaven and Man... so fast!"

At this moment, Lu Yang felt both delight and suspicion; he was delighted that the Martial Dao had undergone such changes in such a short time, yet suspicious for the very same reason.

How could it be so fast?

Yet the cause and effect deduced fit together seamlessly, revealing not a single flaw.

"The Martial Dao I created allows one to rival the Late Stage of Qi Condensation upon reaching the third step. Now, people within the Secret Realm have walked out the fourth step; roughly estimating, these so-called Martial Heaven-and-Man experts likely possess formidable strength, perhaps even rivaling the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation. But if that is the case, it is no longer the Martial Dao!"

Thinking thus, Lu Yang's expression gradually turned serious.

The events deduced were without issue...

The shifts in karma were without issue...

Everything was reasonable and logical; there was only one problem: the Martial Dao was spiraling out of control, the Saint Thief was about to fail, and only his personal intervention could correct it.

"... his is wrong!"

Alarm bells instantly rang loudly in Lu Yang's heart; naturally, he could not see through the Yun family Patriarch's schemes, nor could he sense the Patriarch's actions in manipulating karma.

He knew only one thing:

"No one must make me leave this place!"

Here, he had countless talismans at his disposal and the protection of formations; even if ten or so experts at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation came, he would not fear them, making this a position of absolute stability.

But once you leave this place, that is another matter entirely.

Moreover, he was now a player holding the chess pieces, standing above the mundane world; if he chose to enter the world and become widely known, it would be equivalent to stepping onto the chessboard as a piece himself.

One slight mistake, and the entire game would be lost.

Thinking thus, Lu Yang immediately calmed down; although the emergence of Martial Heaven-and-Man experts could disrupt his Saint Thief, it would still require a certain amount of time.

"I'll first use a clone to scout the way..."

With a thought, Lu Yang caused the Myriad Souls Banner to appear in his palm, whereupon a white qi manifested at his fingertips, distinctly a strand of pure 'Primordial One Qi'.

This was what he had condensed after refining himself during his second life.

In the past, this strand of 'Primordial One Qi' had extraordinary effects; in his third life, it even aided him in breaking through to the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation, but unfortunately, in subsequent lives, it gradually became useless.

"Now is the perfect time to put this waste to good use..."

(End of Chapter)