Chapter 445: Times Change and the World Shifts; Now I Am the Player, and the Saints Are the Pieces!

After the Immortal-Slaying Gourd acknowledged her as its master, a wisp of divine sense left behind by Lu Ya appeared before Tang An.

This wisp of divine sense was meant to resolve Tang An's doubts.

And under the guidance of Lu Ya's divine sense, Tang An confirmed one thing.

Before this, Tang An had once gone to visit Taishang Laojun, and from him, she learned that Xuandu Dafa Shi had already become aware of the secrets of the Outer Realm Demon Race.

The reason Tang An still wanted to confirm it with Lu Ya was for fear that there might be a trap. Only by gathering evidence from multiple sources could she ensure the truth of the matter.

The Outer Realm Demon Race is a thing condensed from the dark, gloomy Qi of the Outer Domain. The first being to condense the Ancestral Demon body, who is also revered by the Ancestral Demons as the Primordial Demon, expanded the entire Outer Realm Demon Race group.

Although their realms are divided into Soul-Po Demon, Soul-Hun Demon, Charm Demon, Dark Demon, Origin Demon, God Demon, Ancient Demon, Half-Step Demon Ancestor, and Ancestral Demon.

However, those below the Charm Demon have no consciousness; they only know how to obey orders and carry out suicide attacks.

Charm Demons possess intelligence and are most skilled at attacking the human heart. Dark Demons have strange and unpredictable movements, excelling at instant kills and assassinations. The Origin Demon body has transformed and evolved its demon soul, excelling at sonic attacks against the Primordial Spirit.

The God Demon body is comparable to a physical tank, with great strength and defense. The Ancient Demon is even comparable to a Great Luo Golden Immortal, gathering the advantages of all previous Outer Realm Demon Races into one body.

The cultivation of a Half-Step Demon Ancestor is equivalent to a Half-Saint; they grasp and comprehend different Law Power and can already contemplate the Great Dao.

The Ancestral Demon is the supreme and holiest of the Outer Realm Demon Race. They are also the ones who set up the Great Array and personally sacrifice themselves to guard it, thereby repeatedly weakening the power of the Heavenly Dao, creating opportunities for the Outer Realm Demon Race to breach the Three Realms.

And the biggest secret within this is the source from which the Outer Realm Demon Race continuously absorbs strange power from the outside world.

That relies on something like a lair; as long as the lair is not destroyed, they can use it to continuously absorb the power of the Outer Domain to regenerate.

In recent years, the Outer Realm Demon Race has become increasingly difficult to deal with, and the demon army has increased exponentially. If the Outer Realm Demon Race is allowed to continue developing, the decay of the Heavenly Dao and the destruction of the Three Realms will only be a matter of time.

"Every generation of Guardian bears even greater pressure than the last."

"I think Nuwa must have exhausted many methods to cultivate you. The suffering you have endured should be no less than mine."

"Even if you hold on, can the Guardians after you hold on?"

"If the root is not destroyed, the Three Realms will eventually be destroyed. But even a Saint cannot destroy its root."

"Because the Outer Realm Demon Race has twelve Ancestral Demons, and the Primordial Demon is even comparable to the power of Nuwa."

"When a Saint faces an Ancestral Demon, there may be a difference in strength. But no matter how strong a Saint is, if besieged by multiple Ancestral Demons, and the opponent is immortal and indestructible, no one can afford the attrition. The Saints cannot take this risk."

"Because the Saint position is the foundation of the Heavenly Dao; if the Saint position is lacking, the Heavenly Dao will surely suffer heavy damage. In this way, it would also be a catastrophic disaster for the Three Realms."

"Taishang Laojun must know about this; he should have tried it too. But if he had succeeded, you, this Guardian, would not have been born."

Tang An did not deny it, "Yes, even my Martial Uncle failed to destroy the lair of an Ancestral Demon."

It was not that Taishang Laojun lacked strength, but that he had tried and simply could not find the location of the lair. He would kill an Ancestral Demon to find the lair, and just as he confirmed its position, the Ancestral Demon would reincarnate and immediately change the location of the lair.

The Outer Domain is so vast that trying to find them again is truly like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Frustrating." The more Tang An thought about it, the more frustrated she felt; whoever fights this war feels frustrated.

It is not that one cannot win, nor that they cannot be killed. Sigh, it is just that they can constantly regenerate, messing with your mentality, and they could annoy you to death.

"However, I am good at 'stealing the home base'." Tang An seemed to have an idea.

"The Two Sages of the West pushing you, this dead piece, forward—it really shows that no matter how you are used, you have utility value."

"If you kill me, everything is fine; if you cannot kill me, they can also use your mouth to tell me these truths, which also ruins my mentality."

"If my Dao Heart is damaged and I develop a trace of fear, anxiety, or anger toward the Ancestral Demon race, a single lapse in judgment when facing the Outer Realm Demon Race in the future could lead to a total loss."

"Since they sent me such a good piece, I must properly return a grand gift."

Tang An was very expectant, looking forward to the scene where they completely fall into her hands when she faces the Two Sages of the West again.

Lu Ya suddenly realized a problem, "You already knew the secret of the Outer Realm Demon Race before you came back."

"What you wanted was just the corroboration from my mouth."

"Is the task you want to accomplish upon returning this time also to secretly find a way to truly deal with the Outer Realm Demon Race?"

Tang An smiled faintly and nodded, "Congratulations, you finally see the whole picture."

Lu Ya still had doubts, "What if I didn't know the secrets of the Outer Realm Demon Race?"

"It wouldn't matter; as long as you, this piece, moved, my goal would be achieved."

So from the very beginning, Tang An did not care at all what methods they would use.

She took the first step to open the chessboard, entered the game with her own body, and when she successfully lured the Two Sages of the West into the game, she was already leading them by the nose. What she needed was for the Two Sages of the West to take the initiative to send a piece over.

Whether this piece was Lu Ya, a water duck, or a wild goose, that was not important. What was important was that Tang An wanted this piece for the sake of having a legitimate reason to act.

The bigger the waves the piece makes, the more excuses she will have to hold the Two Sages of the West accountable in the future.

Based on this, even if the piece did not know the secrets of the Outer Realm Demon Race, the Two Sages of the West would certainly know, and they would only know more than the piece.

"One wrong move, and the whole game is lost."

In the past, she was the piece, and the Saints were the players. Now that times have changed, the identities of the player and the piece had long been subtly swapped by her.

And the Two Sages of the West have long since lost the opportunity to withdraw from her game. In the future, they will inevitably be restrained by her at every step.

"Now I am the player, and the Saints are the pieces."

"Just watch how I, Tang An, use offense as defense to completely eradicate the Outer Realm Demon Race and open up eternal peace!"

Lu Ya looked at the grand ambition in Tang An's eyes, and was even infected by her emotions, producing an urge to follow her and go all out.

"Before my divine sense dissipates, being able to witness your strategy and layout, I have no regrets in death."

"Then I wish you a smooth path ahead, and may all your wishes be fulfilled."

"Lu Ya, farewell." He bowed to Tang An.

Tang An returned the bow, "Thank you."

As the sound faded, the divine sense dissipated completely; from then on, there was no more Lu Ya Daoren in heaven and earth.

With the matter of Lu Ya concluded, Tang An also found the head of the other little ghost and had him send a dream to his relatives and friends.

When the relatives and friends woke up from their dream and discovered the place they had dreamt of, they hurriedly went to retrieve the little ghost's head, finally allowing him to be laid to rest.

She handed the little ghost over to Bai Wuchang, and after letting Bai Wuchang give him some time to see his loved ones again, he could be taken away.