Chapter 391: Sudden Change
Outside [Li Hen Heaven].
The entire White Lotus Sect had arrived, even bringing their Incense Divine Realm, [Void Home], with them. The soaring power of their Incense almost set the Cloud Sea ablaze.
If anyone on the ground were to look up at the sky, it would be as if a second Sun had risen within the Cloud Sea. To put it bluntly, if this [Void Home] were to fall, it would immediately cause the Fall of Heaven and sunder the earth. When that happened, neither the Divine Dao nor the common folk would be spared—all would die without a place for burial!
Therefore, at this moment, the Black Lotus Divine Venerable was filled with confidence.
’A mere [Li Hen Heaven], a pathetic heretical sect. Today, I’ll uproot it completely. This is the perfect chance to set the world straight and teach people not to underestimate our authority...’
The Black Lotus Divine Venerable was aware of Lü Yang’s little schemes.
This included developing Incense for [Li Hen Heaven] from within the White Lotus Sect’s own followers—an act of using their resources to build his own power, Depriving the White Lotus Sect of its very foundation. Naturally, he could not tolerate it.
And that was why they had assembled such a force today.
’Our entire sect is mobilized, with dozens of Divine Monarchs and Great Divine Monarchs. We’ve even brought [Void Home] itself. If necessary, the Mother of Non-Birth can even intervene...’
How could they possibly lose?
The moment this thought surfaced in the Black Lotus Divine Venerable’s mind, a vast spiritual perception suddenly erupted from [Li Hen Heaven] before him!
"They’re here!"
The Black Lotus Divine Venerable’s expression turned grave. The very next second, he felt the Incense that belonged to his sect begin to drain away, flowing bit by bit toward the enemy.
Still, he remained full of confidence.
’How many years has my White Lotus Sect commanded its followers? A mere [Li Hen Heaven] thinks it can gut our foundation in just ten years? How utterly absurd!’
However, as time passed...
He gradually realized something was wrong. The drain on their Incense didn’t slow as he’d anticipated. On the contrary, it only intensified, growing faster and faster!
Correspondingly, the Qi trace of [Li Hen Heaven] grew stronger and stronger!
"This is bad!"
In an instant, the Black Lotus Divine Venerable roared, ordering all the White Lotus Sect’s Incense Fire Gods to attack. But in the next second, a scene that plunged him into despair unfolded:
[Li Hen Heaven] lit up.
It was as if a sun had been ignited. Dazzling Incense Fire Divine Light converged upon it, manifesting myriad scenes of bustling cities, grand pavilions, and ornate towers.
In stark contrast, the once-brilliant [Void Home] suddenly dimmed. The Black Lotus Divine Venerable looked beside him, his face a mask of terror. A Divine Monarch of the White Lotus Sect stood there, but his Incense had completely scattered, and his eyes were wide with a lingering, profound horror.
"Help—"
Before the Divine Monarch could even force the word from his throat, his Incense vanished completely. His body, as if losing its very foundation, instantly exploded in a burst of light!
And he was only the first.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Black Lotus Divine Venerable looked out across the sky and saw bursts of light exploding one after another. Each one was an Incense Fire God!
This was the fatal flaw of the Incense and Candle Divine Dao!
Within [Li Hen Heaven], Lü Yang manifested as a being of light, calmly gazing down at the Incense Fire Gods below as a new understanding of their cultivation system dawned on him.
’This system... it’s all for show!’
It was simple: the reliance on Incense and other external forces was too great.
And yet, their starting point was paradoxically high. Even the weakest Earth God possessed power equivalent to the Fake Foundation Establishment realm. Strictly speaking, they were capable of wiping out entire species.
This led to a very awkward situation.
If they ever truly fought without restraint, the collateral damage would inevitably harm the ordinary people who provided their Incense, which would then cause the Incense Fire God they worshipped to die an abrupt death.
What was even more awkward was that Incense Fire Gods, like the Earth God and the City God, could only unleash their full power in the areas where their worshippers congregated. However, the moment they did so, the shockwaves from their power would instantly kill those same worshippers, and they would die right along with them as their Incense completely dissipated...
’What a massive trap!’
Lü Yang couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. In other words, the so-called Incense Fire Gods were just hollow facades, completely incapable of true Combat.
An Earth God with Fake Foundation Establishment power? It was just a bluff!
’Even if I were just a Qi Refiner, if I seized the right moment to slaughter an entire village, no matter how powerful the local Earth God was, he’d still be dead!’
A Qi Refiner Killing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator—it was actually possible here!
’Borrowing external power is one thing, but relying on it completely... the result is what happened to these Incense Fire Gods,’ Lü Yang murmured, shaking his head.
A person must rely on themself.
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back now, that saying was truly applicable everywhere.
Soon, however, Lü Yang shook off these thoughts. While it was true one should rely on themself, external resources were still a valid means to break a stalemate.
’The flaws of the Incense and Candle Divine Dao are great, but for me, they’re hardly flaws at all. After all, as soon as they enter my Myriad-Soul Banner, I can instantly circumvent these issues. As for their actual combat strength... so what if it’s all for show? Their Position is real, at the very least, and that’s enough!’
With this thought, Lü Yang no longer hesitated.
Incense empowerment!
Finally, as more than ninety percent of the White Lotus Sect’s Incense drained away, all of its Incense Fire Gods, including the Black Lotus Divine Venerable, exploded into clouds of flying ash.
Just then...
"Who is it...?"
From within [Void Home], a bewildered voice asked. A graceful, enchanting figure emerged—a beautiful female Cultivator dressed in white.
She was the [Mother of Non-Birth].
She had been in a deep slumber until the massive loss of Incense woke her. Before she could even react, Lü Yang seized her.
BOOM!
Lü Yang now stood in midair, a piercing pain stabbing at his mind. The boundless Incense now empowering [Li Hen Heaven] made him feel as though he were ascending infinitely, reaching a plane with nothing beyond it. In contrast, the Mother of Non-Birth before him seemed to shrink, bit by bit.
In the end, she was in the palm of his hand, having transformed into a doll no bigger than his palm.
’So this is Position...’
The Position of Foundation Establishment Perfection!
The disparity was just like that between a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a Qi Refiner. One high, one low. All of the latter’s techniques were completely useless before him now!
At the same time, however, Lü Yang felt a stabbing pain in his head and heard a faint, chaotic static in his ears. It was the cacophony of emotions contained within the Incense from the masses—prayers for fame, for fortune, for divination, even for children...
’No wonder the Grandmaster said Incense could be used to temper one’s Sword Intent!’
Lü Yang took a deep breath and entered the state of [Sword Heart Clarity] once more. Even so, the headache was still unbearable.
’Three minutes... No, one minute at most.’
With his Sword Heart, he could only endure this level of Incense for one minute. If he exceeded that limit, he would suffer irreversible damage.
But for now, one minute was enough.
After all, with the White Lotus Sect’s Incense transferred to him, his Position had risen while the Mother of Non-Birth’s had naturally fallen, stripping her of her former power.
POP!
Lü Yang gave a gentle squeeze, crushing the Mother of Non-Birth in his hand as if popping a balloon. Then, with a turn of his palm, he refined her into a Banner Spirit.
Only after finishing all this did he exit the state of Incense empowerment.
The situation was settled!
’The plan to use their resources for my own gain was a success. Next, I can use the same trick to Deprive the entire City God System and cultivate nine Incense Fire Great Gods at the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm!’
’It went almost too smoothly...’
At the thought, Lü Yang couldn’t resist scanning himself with a [Tribulation Wave], afraid that this was all a dream and he would wake up to find himself still standing before the gates of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect...
But just then.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Lü Yang felt a stir inside him. His [Puppet] Talent Skill was activating. After a moment of sensing the change, a peculiar look crossed his face.
’The Ancestor of the Yun Family... reincarnated? And went to a Simulation Realm?’
Something’s not right!
’Normally, the Yun Family’s Ancestor shouldn’t have reincarnated for several more decades. Then, under orders from the Sword Pavilion Master, he would have secretly traveled to the Stain Sect’s Simulation Realm...’
Why did it happen early?
This deviation from his past life instantly snapped Lü Yang out of the relaxed state he’d been in after his fish-in-a-barrel victory. He immediately cast his senses through his [Puppet] Talent Skill.
The next second—
"HAHAHA!"
Lü Yang suddenly heard a burst of wild laughter. Looking up, his gaze fell upon a powerful Soul that was furiously cursing the heavens:
"You sons of bitches from the Demon Sect! You animals!"
"You monsters!"
"I, Mu Changsheng, will never rest until you are all dead—!!!"