Chapter 866 - 861: Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood Obtained!
Lü Yang wasn’t surprised that Ang Xiao would come looking for him.
After all, he had broadcasted his heroic deeds across the Full Immortal Pivot. If he didn’t come looking for him, Lü Yang would suspect that he had already been killed by the Master of Dao.
However, Lü Yang didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he chuckled softly, "Please wait a moment, Senior."
Before his voice could fade, the five Abilities Lü Yang had just finished Refining around his body immediately gathered together, transforming into a beam of Seeking Gold light that shone straight onto the canopy of Heaven!
Almost at the same time, at the highest point of the sky, the Fruit Position Stars of the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood lit up. Its qi resided exactly in the east, reaching Heaven and Earth. It manifested scenes of natural disasters such as wind, rain, and snow circling its sides. However, the more fierce and magnificent these scenes were, the more upright and majestic that bright starlight became.
The next second, Lü Yang decisively lifted his Dao Foundation.
RUMBLE!
The five Abilities smelted his Dao Foundation, instantly Refining a Blessed Land. Then, the Blessed Land soared, gradually inching closer toward the direction of the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood.
Furthermore, what surprised many spectating Perfected Lords was that, facing this beam of Seeking Gold light, the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood showed absolutely no signs of resistance or rejection.
"How could this be?"
"He didn’t even set up a Gold-Seeking Device... Could it be that he used to be the Perfected Lord of the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood, and now that he has returned from his tribulation, he is merely reclaiming his position?"
"That shouldn’t be the case. As far as I know, the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood has always been in the Pure Land and has never left. If he truly were the former master of the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood, he would undoubtedly be a Bodhisattva. But he just had a falling out with the Pure Land... Could his origins trace back to before the heavenly changes?"
Meanwhile, in the Netherworld.
Inside the Enlightenment Hidden Profound Mansion, a figure hazy with smoke stood before the hall. His narrow eyes gazed toward the Current World, a trace of melancholy surfacing in his depths.
"The Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood..."
For a moment, Ang Xiao felt the Veil of the Trees seal deep within his Spiritual Space faintly tremble, seemingly resonating with something.
"...Interesting.
"Is this the Fruit I controlled before taking charge of the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood? The Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood. I see. It certainly matches my experiences back then."
Ang Xiao wasn’t entirely ignorant about his sealed memories. Sometimes, he could actually guess parts of their contents. For example, he had just figured out that he was the former master of the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood. But how did he jump from the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood to the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood?
Ang Xiao abruptly halted his train of thought.
He couldn’t think about it anymore. The memory seal had already begun issuing warnings. His intuition told him that if he truly recalled anything, it would actually be detrimental to his actions.
At this thought, he immediately shifted his gaze.
"Only in the cold of winter do pine and cedar show their enduring strength. Such a resilient nature.
"To be able to prove the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood without a Magic Instrument... It seems this person must have endured countless hardships and obstacles to achieve what he has today."
Thinking of this, he looked forward to meeting Lü Yang even more.
Perhaps I will get along very well with him. Just as my Daoists of the past have all withered away, it is time for me to replenish some new Daoists for a rainy day.
At the same time, Lü Yang’s Seeking Gold had already concluded.
The entire process lacked any suspense and went so smoothly that even he was surprised. Mainly, he hadn’t expected the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood to take the initiative to cooperate without a Magic Instrument.
But now, he understood.
"So that’s how it is," he thought. "The Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood favors the cold of the year, hiding beneath Gold, enduring wind and frost for ages. Only someone who has suffered great hardships yet maintained unyielding integrity can seek to prove this Dao.
"Looking at it this way, the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood truly should favor me."
In all fairness, in the current era, there probably wasn’t a single Cultivator who could compare to him when it came to suffering hardships. To give the simplest example...
"I saw the Bhagavat descend to the mortal realm back when I was at Foundation Establishment," he thought. "Could anyone else claim that?
"As for unyielding integrity, that goes without saying. Even after enduring so many blows, I still dare to continuously jump back and forth across the Master of Dao’s bottom line.
"If not me, then who?"
As he sighed emotionally, his Blessed Land had already merged into the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood. The aura of a Perfected Lord instantly filled Heaven and Earth, and Lü Yang himself exhaled a deep breath of Muddy Qi.
"I have finally... achieved Perfection!" he thought.
The next second, sparkling golden lightning emerged in the palm of Lü Yang’s hand. Exceptionally jubilant, it transformed into streaks of golden snakes that slithered between his fingers.
In the exact moment he thoroughly gained control over the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood, Lü Yang finally pierced through that last layer of paper. Endless comprehensions swarmed out at this moment, causing his inspiration to flow like a spring. All he wanted to do was immediately return to the Profound Spirit Realm to enter secluded cultivation and fill in the final Wood Element that the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder lacked!
And it was even more than that.
As long as he wanted, he could now begin Refining his main body into a Life Form Body, then swallow the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood, bringing his Dharma Body to Perfection and regaining control of the Dao of Arcane Body!
When that time came, he would be the Great True Monarch of the Dharma Body!
Not only that, but because the Dao of Arcane Body had re-emerged, even though it was still in a severed state, the Lifespan of all Cultivators in the world would still receive an initial restoration.
The foundation of the Pocket World Technique would also be shaken as a result.
What would happen then? Would the Saint Sect Ancestral Master be extremely angry? Would hiding in the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness be of any use? He wouldn’t be dragged out by someone, would he?
"Hiss... No, I have to hold back," he thought.
Thinking of this, Lü Yang hurriedly suppressed his suicidal thoughts. To swallow the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood was merely a matter of time, but once he made his move, it would inevitably not be tolerated by the Master of Dao.
"There’s no rush. Patience ensures perfection.
"I should only swallow the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood when I decide to restart everything. It’s meant to be used to flip the table against the Master of Dao. For now, I can still live a little longer."
Lü Yang took a deep breath, choosing to stop right at the edge. He suppressed the desire to experience the thrill of immediately becoming the Great True Monarch of the Dharma Body.
Immediately after, he examined the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood that surrounded him and felt incredibly close to him. He planned to first test out this Fruit Position Profound Mysterious.
Its name was—
"Righteous Perseverance!"
The usage of this Fruit Position Profound Mysterious was extremely special. If summed up in one sentence, it was: "That which does not succeed in Killing me, will only make me stronger."
He thought, "Once this Fruit Position Profound Mysterious is used, the heavier the injuries I sustain, the faster my injuries will recover, and the harder it will be for my life to be ruined.
"Building upon this foundation, as long as the Master of Fruit Position can maintain this Profound Mysterious without it dispersing and preserve their life, not only will their injuries improve, but they will also gain a certain amount of resistance. The next time they encounter the same attack, the opponent will inexplicably be weakened by thirty percent when facing the Master of Fruit Position.
"What’s even more impressive is that this Profound Mysterious can be stacked.
"If I firmly maintain this Profound Mysterious while engaging in Combat with someone, as long as the opponent doesn’t end up Killing me, then by the end, all of his methods will have absolutely no power against me!
"Moreover, the effect is not temporary.
"As long as someone has fought with the Master of Fruit Position and their attacks have been recorded by this Profound Mysterious, the effect is permanent! It will only be refreshed if the Master of Fruit Position falls."
Lü Yang’s eyes were bright, filled with a bit of pleasant surprise.
"Righteous Perseverance truly suits me," he thought. "After all, since I am Cultivating the Dharma Body Dao, my greatest strength is my thick skin and resilient flesh. With this, I can become even more tanky!
"From this perspective, the Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood probably also has the potential of a Supreme Venerable. It just needs a certain amount of time to develop, and it requires frequent Combat."
Giving it to the Pure Land was a total waste. Only he could bring out its true potential!
After pondering for a moment, Lü Yang finally hid the Fruit Position Stars. Standing with his hands behind his back in the Cloud Sea, he said softly, "The matter is concluded. Senior may now reveal yourself and meet me."
Before his voice had faded, a figure appeared.
Following it was a hazy layer of smoke that covered Heaven and Earth, enveloping Lü Yang’s surroundings and making Heaven and Earth seem as though they were draped in a thin veil.
Almost simultaneously, the various Perfected Lords who had been keeping an eye on this place suddenly blinked. Then, they naturally diverted their gazes, no longer paying any attention. It was as if they had forgotten that a person named Lü Yang even existed. Just like that, he detached himself from the observation of All True Monarchs.
"Immortal Monarch of Tribulation?"
Ang Xiao spoke faintly, his gaze scrutinizing. Clearly, he had come prepared; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to call out Lü Yang’s Honorary Title that had been certified by the Profound Spirit Realm.
"Greetings, Senior," Lü Yang said, cupping his hands with a smile.
However, Ang Xiao was in no mood for idle chatter and got straight to the point. "Do I know you, Daoist? How did you uncover the matter regarding the Earth of Chen?"
"If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it."
Lü Yang narrowed his eyes and said softly, "Senior, you and I are friends, not enemies... However, this place is not suitable for discussing the profound Dao. Why don’t we go to the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness?"