Chapter 818 - 813: There Is No Turning Back in Life
RUMBLE!
At this moment, the tremors of Nourishing Life Master gave Lü Yang the illusion that the Secret Realm was on the verge of collapse. It took a long time before peace was restored.
For a moment, he fell silent.
Though it was only a single sentence, the "taboo" contained within surpassed the sum of all the taboo knowledge he had previously mastered. Its weight was unimaginably heavy!
Thus, when he understood the meaning of Ang Xiao’s words and formed his own conjectures, his thinking instantly slowed to a crawl. His moving thoughts felt as though they had suddenly been burdened with several massive mountains, struggling to inch forward. Only after a long while did he gradually adapt and return to normal.
"PHEW...!"
Lü Yang exhaled deeply, blowing out a breath of muddy Qi. Looking up, he was met with Ang Xiao’s approving gaze. "Not bad. You truly are a man of aptitude, Daoist.
"If it were a cultivator lacking foundational depth here...
"This single piece of taboo knowledge alone would be enough to plunge their mind into eternal silence. The fact that you woke up after only half an Hour is quite impressive."
Half an Hour!?
Lü Yang did a quick calculation on his fingers and was instantly horrified. To digest the taboo knowledge Ang Xiao had spoken, his cognitive stagnation had actually lasted for half an Hour!
He thought, "This is practically a lethal weapon for Combat!
"If I just blurted this out while engaging in Combat with someone, I’d probably win instantly... Though the result would undoubtedly be both of us dying on the spot."
Keep in mind that this was still Nourishing Life Master, a place isolated from Masters of Dao. Even here, Ang Xiao speaking this taboo knowledge had triggered violent upheavals throughout the entire Secret Realm. If this were spoken in the outside world, wouldn’t Bhagavat immediately cast his gaze over and wipe out everyone who heard it with a single slap?
"This is an ultimate mutual destruction move," he concluded.
Shaking his head, Lü Yang decisively abandoned the idea of using this trick in Combat and shifted his focus to the "foundational depth" Ang Xiao had just mentioned.
What did it mean for a cultivator to lack foundational depth?
He reasoned, "The implication must refer to cultivators who are completely ignorant of taboo knowledge... Ultimately, the weight of taboo knowledge is something one can adapt to.
"The more taboo knowledge one knows, the stronger their adaptability to it becomes.
"But if someone with zero prior understanding suddenly comes into contact with it, accidents are bound to happen.
"This is the foundational depth of a Perfected Lord... Makes sense. The more taboo the knowledge, the more precious it is, and the more imperative it is to learn. Otherwise, what could one rely on to climb to the Upper Realm?"
At this thought, Lü Yang finally spoke.
"You praise me too highly, Senior.
"The weight of this taboo knowledge is indeed immense, but because of that, I find myself even more concerned... What exactly do you want from me, Senior, to treat me like this?"
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Ang Xiao had continuously revealed so many secrets, even those directly related to the Masters of Dao. Naturally, this wasn’t mere idle chatter, but a premeditated buildup.
On the other side, Ang Xiao narrowed his long eyes upon hearing this, looking like an old fox who had just snagged a piece of meat. He chuckled, "You are far too vigilant, Daoist. Given the bond between us, how could I harbor any malicious intent? Not only do I not, but I also have a massive stroke of serendipity that I wish to share with you!"
He was met with Lü Yang’s deadpan stare.
"A massive stroke of serendipity?" Lü Yang thought. "Like hell I believe you!"
Unbothered by the reaction, Ang Xiao carried on, "When the millennial grand tribulation begins, the Immortal Pivot will inevitably become the primary target of the major Great Realm Heavens.
"With the Profound Wall and Star Palace at the forefront.
"Once the tribulation starts, not only Perfected Lords but even Masters of Dao will be stretched thin. It will be the time when those big shots in Heaven have the weakest grip on the Current World.
"With your strength, Daoist, as long as you can resolve the Sword Pavilion Daoist Lord’s influence, you will surely have a chance to seize another Wood Fruit Position. You can advance to Great Perfected Lord and re-establish the Dao of Arcane Body! With the foundation of the Dao of Arcane Body, perhaps you could even attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm just like me, and step onto the Other Shore!"
Lü Yang remained completely unmoved.
He knew very well that despite Ang Xiao’s pretty words making it sound viable, doing so would essentially be suicidal.
He scoffed inwardly, "The Dao of Arcane Body? Stop joking.
"Possessing four complete elements is likely the absolute limit of tolerance for the old fogies of the Stain Sect. Including the other three Masters of Dao, how could they possibly allow me to re-establish the Dao of Arcane Body?"
Lü Yang sneered in his heart.
He thought, "This innately wicked old ghost clearly wants to bait me out to re-establish the Dao of Arcane Body just so I can draw enemy fire for him! What a shameless bastard."
With that in mind, he let out a long, slow sigh. "What you say isn’t wrong, Senior, but how can my meager Cultivation resolve the influence of the Sword Pavilion Daoist Lord? As for borrowing the hands of other Masters of Dao... as a lowly Lower Cultivator, I’m truly terrified of the schemes and calculations of you Upper Cultivators."
Lü Yang’s response caught Ang Xiao somewhat off guard.
Ang Xiao thought, "This shouldn’t be.
"True, this animal’s current situation makes him no different from a dead man walking, but with his Dao Heart, how could he not even entertain the thought of taking a gamble?"
He and Lü Yang shared the same view on one particular issue.
That was: Lü Yang was beyond saving.
Not only had the Sword Pavilion Daoist Lord severed all of Lü Yang’s karmic links and future with a single sword strike, but the very nature of the Dao of Arcane Body meant that practicing it was practically a death sentence.
That was why, back in the Human World, Ang Xiao had looked upon Lü Yang as a dead man.
Though, for a dead man, Lü Yang had thrashed about quite vigorously, it only changed the process; the final result dictated by a Master of Dao’s will would never alter.
However, people always harbored a sense of wishful thinking.
In Ang Xiao’s eyes, despite being trapped in a hopeless predicament, Lü Yang would surely have the mindset of a cornered beast fighting back. It should have been easy to goad him into action.
Yet, Lü Yang’s composure was so solid it was frightening.
Ang Xiao wondered, "Has he truly abandoned his path? Is he content to accomplish nothing within this Celestial Human Residual Consciousness, die alone, and ultimately let his life’s Cultivation crumble to dust?"
Impossible.
Even an ant clings to life, let alone a Perfected Lord. No matter how slim the hope, he shouldn’t resign himself to fate without even attempting a struggle.
Unless—
Ang Xiao realized, "He has a trump card up his sleeve!?"
At this thought, Ang Xiao slowly narrowed his eyes. However, he didn’t voice his question. Even if he asked, there was no way this animal would tell him the truth.
He concluded, "Whatever. It’s not a big issue.
"So what if he has a trump card? Barring the unexpected, this will be the final millennial grand tribulation. As long as his heart is set on the Great Dao, this is his last chance.
"In that case, I might as well help him along."
Ang Xiao took a deep breath and suddenly relaxed. With a wave of his hand, he directly sent the Old Dragon Monarch’s Gold Attribute, which he had just snatched, over to Lü Yang.
SWISH!
Reacting with lightning speed, Lü Yang snatched it up and pocketed it in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Ang Xiao gave a light chuckle. "Since your heart was set on this item, Daoist, I naturally wouldn’t snatch away what you love. I hope you’ll be able to give me a pleasant surprise later."
The affairs of the world were full of Impermanence. Although he had once wanted nothing more than to slaughter Lü Yang, he was now no longer averse to the man growing stronger. He was even somewhat happy to see it happen. After all, the stronger Lü Yang became, the more the Masters of Dao would fixate on him due to the traits of the Dao of Arcane Body, making him all the better at drawing fire at crucial moments.
Ang Xiao thought, "Regardless, he will make a move.
"At most, the timing and intensity of his actions will be out of my control, and it might not achieve the exact effect I want... but he definitely won’t just sit back and watch."
This was the purpose of Ang Xiao’s visit.
Simply put, it was to confirm Lü Yang’s state. In his view, as long as Lü Yang also stood at the Critical Point of seeking the Dao, it was impossible for him not to take a risk.
Ang Xiao mused, "After all, there is no turning back in life. With an opportunity to achieve the Dao so rare it hasn’t been seen in ten thousand years placed right before him, if he misses it, there won’t be another chance to try again."