Chapter 676: Take a Look at the Outside World

Tathagata, come out and take a beating!

For a very long time, Tathagata was Tang Luo's hypothetical final boss; moreover, Tathagata, the Three Pure Ones, and the others were the ceiling of the Mountains and Seas World.

Taking Tathagata as a target and a unit of combat power measurement was perfectly fine.

Erlang Shen neither confirmed nor denied Tang Luo's answer, calmly returning to the back of the Howling Celestial Dog.

You say it is, so it is; even back then, Erlang Shen couldn't truly see clearly or determine the "position" where the Three Pure Ones, Tathagata, and the others resided.

Glancing at the mission progress, it had already reached 90%, only 10% short of completion.

Homeguard Watch suffered an unprecedented severe blow; in terms of subsequent impact, even if Tang Luo and the others did nothing, in ten days or half a month.

Homeguard Watch would also completely fall apart.

The destruction of an organization or power doesn't require total extermination, wiping out the entire clan, leaving not a blade of grass.

Besides, Tang Luo and the others' mission only required eliminating the effective fighting force.

Homeguard Watch's core upper echelon suffered heavy casualties; the Black Watch, scientific and technical personnel, important talents — losses were grievous.

Even if only one of the ten major bases was heavily damaged while the rest remained intact, it could only count as preserving the spark.

Naturally, completing the mission was just a step away.

It also happened to fit Tang Luo and the others' requirements; if it were achieved in a single leap, there'd be nothing to talk about... still had to use the Summoning Heart to chat with Erlang Shen across space.

This costs "money".

If it can be avoided, best not to use it; if it runs out of juice when it's actually needed, that would be awkward.

"Let's go, let's go, lots of things to say." Having swindled Tathagata once more, Tang Luo felt satisfied.

Ao Yulie transformed into his White Dragon form; one dog and one dragon soon vanished into the horizon.

"No matter, the foundational core wasn't injured; given time it can recover. It also counts as a kind of tempering — with some reinforcement, it's actually beneficial."

On the dragon's back, Pigsy examined the slightly damaged Glazed Pure Garment.

In the battle just now, Sandy, with his Glazed Pure Garment body, had blocked quite a few attacks.

On the Howling Celestial Dog keeping pace with Ao Yulie, Erlang Shen glanced at Sandy twice, then lowered his head to look at the umbrella sitting cross-legged, letting out a light sigh.

"I have some things to say; you listen, and you must absolutely not get agitated." On the dragon's head, Tang Luo spoke.

His current bald little monk appearance made Pigsy and the others slightly unaccustomed.

The contrast was too great.

Who would've thought that such a little baldy who could instantly become an internet-famous monk by posting a photo online, causing numerous female devotees to scream, would actually be the dangerous Victorious Fighting Buddha?

Huh, why would Victorious Fighting Buddha be very dangerous?

Forget it, this isn't important.

"Would I get agitated?" Facing Tang Luo's admonition, Erlang Shen was very calm.

As if the one who chased Tang Luo for a hundred and eight thousand li back then wasn't him.

"Fine." Since this guy was so confident, Tang Luo said, "The one lying on your lap right now is your sister."

"... I know." Erlang Shen fell silent for two seconds, nodding slightly.

Tang Luo turned to look at Erlang Shen; this reaction wasn't big — could it be that when he threw out the Precious Lotus Umbrella to break the siege, Erlang Shen had already discovered it and was mentally prepared?

He continued: "You also have a nephew named Liu Chenxiang; on the surface he's your son, but in reality he's your nephew."

"What do you mean?" Erlang Shen frowned and asked.

Pigsy and Ao Yulie instantly pricked up their ears, stealing glances at Erlang Shen with their peripheral vision.

The Howling Celestial Dog's ears also twitched.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense; even the wild wind was filled with the flavor of spectating a drama.

"This... is a bit complicated to explain." Tang Luo recounted the matter of the "Precious Lotus Lamp" in full.

A faint, bone-chilling killing intent emanated from Erlang Shen: "You should have left one for me."

"Even if I left one for you, you couldn't go there anyway." Tang Luo said, "The Mountains and Seas World is shattered; now the myriad worlds are disconnected, spacetime turbulence — more dangerous than above the Nine Heavens, deeper than the Endless Sea."

"So this poor monk conveniently helped you avenge the grudge, and incidentally put the enemy's corpse remains to good use."

Xuan appeared in his hand; Tang Luo gestured toward Erlang Shen twice.

"Brother, be strong."

Then he patted Erlang Shen's shoulder through the void.

Don't lower your head, the crown will fall; bear its weight, and you shall be crowned king.

Erlang Shen gave Tang Luo a speechless look; although he didn't know the specific meaning of this guy's action, it was absolutely mocking him.

The impulse from back then when he chased Tang Luo for a hundred and eight thousand li nearly resurfaced.

"Liu Chenxiang is not my nephew." Suppressing the impulse, Erlang Shen said.

"Come on, you don't need to raise him, but you still have to acknowledge him." Tang Luo said.

Didn't expect you to be this kind of Erlang Shen.

"Chang'er is the Precious Lotus Lamp's artifact spirit; strictly speaking she is a stone woman — how could she consummate and bear a child?"

"What?"

"Hah?"

Pigsy and Ao Yulie both stopped pretending they weren't listening, directly turning their heads.

What situation is this? There's no such plot in Master's documentary masterpiece "My Sister".

"Same as Sandy." Erlang Shen said, "Back then when Chang'er perished, I happened to obtain the Precious Lotus Lamp..."

A very, very long time ago, Erlang Shen was in his "mortal period"; it was a story from that time.

At that time, he had not yet entered Yuanshi's sect; he was a minor cultivator who clawed his way up relying on his own talent.

Bringing Yang Chan along, later an accident occurred; Yang Chan perished, fortunately the Precious Lotus Lamp was at her side, her soul entered the lamp.

She ultimately became the Baolian Lamp's artifact spirit.

It's much the same as Sha Wujing's situation — different paths, same destination.

"Never heard of it." Zhu Bajie asked doubtfully.

There were rumors that Yang Chan wasn't Yang Jian's biological sister; could it be related to this?

The Baolian Lamp's artifact spirit — put that way, Yang Chan and Yang Jian truly have no blood relation.

"It's nothing good; what's there to talk about?" Yang Jian's tone was cold.

The suffering he endured back then would not become Yang Jian's inspirational tale of hardship.

And for Yang Chan, being reborn as the Baolian Lamp's artifact spirit was actually a good thing.

At least she didn't have to cultivate painstakingly.

"The Baolian Lamp is similar to your merit jade lotus; it enjoys incense merit to a certain extent." Yang Jian continued, "No wonder Chan'er was so deeply affected by it."

"Then she now…"

"Let nature take its course." Yang Jian put away the Baolian Umbrella decisively, signaling the end of this topic.

"Who exactly is Liu Chenxiang?" Ao Yulie asked strangely.

"Don't know; probably adopted. That's too tragic." Zhu Bajie observed a few seconds of silence for Liu Chenxiang.

Young man, you really are a victim of circumstance.

Tang Luo said: "Not necessarily. Liu Chenxiang might be of Yuan Hong's bloodline."

Artifact spirit Yang Chan and Yuan Hong, who thought he was Yang Jian, in a platonic relationship, then to have a child to cheer Yang Chan up, Yuan Hong sought another way and produced Liu Chenxiang?

Not your son, but at least my son — you can't just adopt some random child, right?

This is so Greek mythology.

Yang Jian, your family is quite a mess.

Good thing Master Xuanzang acted, cutting through the knot with a swift stroke — no 'even an upright official can't judge family affairs'; as long as the people are gone, there aren't so many messy family matters.

Remarkably effective; currently Yang Jian shows emotional stability.

"If there's a chance later we can meet; if he's not mediocre, taking him as a disciple wouldn't be out of the question." Yang Jian said.

"Liu Chenxiang is quite old already, and he might not be willing either."

My father isn't my father, the one I thought was my father isn't my father either, my mother isn't my mother.

Who is whose father, who is whose mother, who is whose son.

Put in an 8 PM drama slot, you could film 100 episodes of a melodramatic soap.

As a weathered old man, Liu Chenxiang probably wouldn't want to get entangled in these messy broken affairs again.

"Regarding the Shanhai Realm's shattering, what do you know?" Tang Luo raised the topic from household gossip to the level of the world's rise and fall.

"When the Shanhai Realm shattered back then, I suffered severe damage, nearly perishing in body and Dao." Yang Jian frowned. "Don't know how long I was unconscious; Venerable saved me."

"Oh, so it really was Taishang Laojun who put you in the Bagua Furnace?" Tang Luo asked.

As expected, big shots of the Three Pure Ones' caliber, even with the Shanhai Realm shattered, still maintain an awesome, imposing bearing.

Others critically injured and near death; Taishang Laojun just put Yang Jian in the Bagua Furnace to "refine" and recuperate — the gap is embodied just like that.

"Correct."

"Did he say anything to you? Why the Shanhai Realm shattered, who else was where?" Tang Luo asked in rapid succession.

Yang Jian said: "Back then I was muddleheaded; Venerable temporarily sealed my true spirit, lessening the shattered soul's burden — how would he have said much to me."

Like a life-threatening major surgery; the chief surgeon doesn't chat with the patient on the operating table.

At most a couple of sentences before and after the operation.

"But I seem to have heard a line: 'Such injuries, afraid he'll miss it, what a pity.'"

Catching his breath, Yang Jian added another sentence.

This line was clearly pitying Yang Jian — pity that he would miss out?

Miss what?

Sure enough, this bunch of former Shanhai Realm bigwigs were up to something.

Besides Taishang Laojun saving Yang Jian, his experience actually didn't differ from the old acquaintances Tang Luo met.

All of them: in an instant heaven and earth changed drastically, a catastrophic disaster descended.

No one knew anything, had any preparation.

Frankly, Tang Luo, Yang Jian, Nezha and them count as Shanhai Realm big shots.

Yet they all knew nothing about the Shanhai Realm's shattering.

Those who could know more are truly few and far between.

Or perhaps someone got lucky and discovered something.

But so far, those who survived unscathed and lord it over various worlds — all count as great fortune.

Injured but not dead — also a small fortune.

Yang Jian's case is actually rather unlucky; if not for Taishang Laojun's intervention, perhaps they'd never meet again from then on.

"Sigh, why does it feel like Rulai is taking the blame again." Tang Luo sighed.

Thinking conspiratorially, Rulai would be the first to jump out and take the blame again.

What, why not Taishang Laojun?

Because from his act of saving Yang Jian, the Shanhai Realm's shattering most likely has nothing to do with him.

Can't have Taishang Laojun both shatter the Shanhai Realm and save the dying Yang Jian — did he suffer a cultivation deviation, split personality, to do such a thing?

"What about you all?" Yang Jian asked. "You say the myriad worlds now don't connect; how did you get into the Bagua Furnace?"

Now it can be confirmed: the Bagua Furnace is in an "unmanned" state.

Where is the Eight Trigrams Furnace?

Is it in some world, or drifting in the "river" of chaotic spacetime?

"We have a special traversal technique, but for some reason we can't say, so don't ask." Tang Luo was very direct.

Yang Jian didn't press further.

"Can you control the Eight Trigrams Furnace's grand array?" Tang Luo suddenly asked.

"What?" Yang Jian froze for a moment.

"I want to go outside the Eight Trigrams Furnace and take a look, see what place it's in, but we can't exactly smash it open, right?" Tang Luo looked up at the sky.