Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Has Brother Yang come out of seclusion?"

The visitor, dressed in a white robe, had an extraordinary air. His aura was scorching hot, yet it also carried an ancient and noble quality. He posed the question to a servant waiting outside.

He was, of course, Lu Fangliang—Yang Xiao's best and only friend in the Lu Family.

Currently, throughout the entire Lu Family, regardless of age or strength, he was the only one who dared to call Yang Xiao "Brother Yang."

Everyone else had to respectfully address him as the Saint Prince.

And because of this very fact, Lu Fangliang's power and status within the Lu Family had risen dramatically. He had already gained the attention of the upper echelons after fusing with the Golden Crow Skeleton and cultivating the Golden Crow Divine Aspect. Now, he was the disciple of the younger generation with the best treatment and the most favor from the elders.

All of this was because of Yang Xiao.

Lu Fangliang knew this well.

Therefore, he cherished his friendship with Yang Xiao even more.

The servant waiting there also knew this and naturally didn't dare to be negligent upon his arrival.

However, just as he was about to respond,

a voice rang out.

"Brother Lu, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to look for you to go see the Greater Yang Pool."

Yang Xiao walked out with a smile.

Compared to the other members of the Lu Family, Lu Fangliang had left the best impression on Yang Xiao.

Leaving aside how they had faced life and death together when they first met, Lu Fangliang had helped him repeatedly when he was weak, taken in his family, and secured him the opportunity to enter the Rising Dragon Tower.

Although Yang Xiao had already repaid much of this debt in various ways,

he still remembered it well.

Not to mention, Lu Fangliang's own temperament was very much to his liking.

Take the current situation for example. If others saw him become the Saint Prince, with their own family becoming his vassals, they would likely grow awkward, distant, and overly deferential.

But Lu Fangliang hadn't.

He still called him Brother Yang without a hint of awkwardness, which Yang Xiao greatly appreciated.

This meant that no matter how their statuses changed, in their hearts, they still saw each other as friends—true friends.

"The Greater Yang Pool?"

Hearing Yang Xiao's words, Lu Fangliang smiled.

He had indeed come at the perfect time. His very purpose for this visit was to invite Yang Xiao to the Greater Yang Pool.

"I imagine Brother Yang doesn't know, does he? Today is the annual opening of the Greater Yang Pool. If Brother Yang wants to go, we must head there now. Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't get a good entrance."

Lu Fangliang said.

"Oh? What a coincidence!"

Yang Xiao was slightly taken aback.

However, he truly knew very little about the Greater Yang Pool.

So, he began to ask questions.

Lu Fangliang, naturally, held nothing back and answered everything in detail.

The Greater Yang Pool, despite its name, was actually an extremely impressive Magical Treasure. It could only be opened once after accumulating a massive amount of energy.

It wasn't a place one could visit whenever they pleased.

That was why Lu Fangliang had taken the liberty of seeking him out upon learning that Yang Xiao was in seclusion.

After all, for anyone, entering the Greater Yang Pool was a tremendous opportunity, even for those who didn't cultivate Greater Yang Power. And that wasn't even mentioning Yang Xiao, who not only cultivated Greater Yang Power but had attained a profound level in it.

It was far more profound than his own.

Lu Fangliang naturally didn't want him to miss this opportunity. Once missed, he would have to wait another year to enter.

"As for the entrances I mentioned, it's because the Greater Yang Pool is an incredible Magical Treasure. Theoretically, you can enter from any of them. In practice, however, different entrances expose you to Greater Yang Power of varying concentrations."

"With Brother Yang's current status, you should be entitled to the best True Dragon Nest. But if we're late and all thirty-six True Dragon Nests are taken, we'll only be able to enter one of the seventy-two Flood Dragon Nests. In comparison, the True Dragon Nests far surpass the Flood Dragon Nests in terms of size, as well as the quantity and quality of Greater Yang Power."

Hearing this, Yang Xiao began to feel a sense of urgency.

'Although the Lu Family isn't numerous, after over a million years of development, they've accumulated a large number of True God Level powerhouses. These individuals all hold entry quotas for the Greater Yang Pool. The thirty-six True Dragon Nests will likely be snatched up by them in minutes. If I miss out, will I have to settle for a Flood Dragon Nest?'

Besides, if others missed out this time, it was no big deal; they could go next time.

But Yang Xiao was different.

Not much time was left in the one-year agreement he had with Nangong Tianling.

The next opening a year from now…

He definitely wouldn't be here for it.

'Although I could send a Clone, how could the effect possibly compare to my true body?'

Naturally, Yang Xiao grew anxious.

So, the two of them hurried toward the secret location of the Greater Yang Pool.

Along the way,

Yang Xiao and Lu Fangliang noticed many others, just like them, rushing toward the Greater Yang Pool.

And every single one of them had an incredibly powerful aura.

The vast majority were existences at or above the True God level.

Among them were influential figures of the Lu Family at or above the level of a Tier Five Divine General.

The rare few they encountered below the True God level had extremely youthful Life Auras, marking them as members of the younger generation with extraordinary potential.

However, when these people noticed Yang Xiao's presence,

whether they were the beings at or above Tier Five Divine General or the prodigies of the younger generation, they all slowed down,

allowing Yang Xiao to pass them.

It was clearly a gesture of goodwill toward Yang Xiao.

Seeing these people,

a thought stirred in Yang Xiao's mind.

'It seems the Lu Family is truly sincere about submitting to me. Otherwise, it's unlikely these people would be so deferential.'

The Greater Yang Pool was important to him.

It was equally important to these people.

'Among them, many probably feel the same as I do, dead set on securing a spot in the Greater Yang Pool this time. Yet they're still stopping to let me go ahead.'

This was clearly an instruction from the Lu Family's upper echelons.

Therefore, Yang Xiao could occasionally glimpse reluctance in the eyes of some of the younger disciples.

'Looks like the Twelve Heavenly Forbidden Techniques that Cousin Xuanyuan taught me are really having an effect. Otherwise, this trip to the Greater Yang Pool would probably descend into total upheaval.'

Yang Xiao smiled faintly. He was well aware that this kind of deference, forced by suppression, would inevitably cause many to feel dissatisfied with him, even to the point of harboring ill will.

If the temptation of his Divine-Demon Body were added to the mix, he would likely be endlessly bothered.

But now,

with the constraints from their elders, these people could only dare to be angry but not to speak. And after a while, this resentment would surely dissipate.

And because of the nominal vassalage, especially with the endorsement of the Lu Family's leadership, including Elder Long, some of these people did hold a degree of approval for him.

This recognition,

though it wasn't stable or deep,

was enough for Yang Xiao to feel that the Power of the Emperor within him had increased considerably. The more people he encountered, the faster it grew.

It seemed he was about to break through the limits of a Tier Four True God and advance to Tier Five True God.

By his calculations, it had more than doubled.

'Just a nominal submission gives me more than the faith of the entire Profound Sun Continent. It seems the Lu Family's allegiance is of immense benefit to me. If everyone in the Lu Family submitted sincerely, my Power of the Emperor would probably grow explosively.'

Of course, Yang Xiao knew this matter couldn't be rushed.

It had to be taken slowly.

And amidst this rapid growth, Yang Xiao and Lu Fangliang saw a strange river of light. It looked like a nebula formed from the convergence of countless suns.

Around this nebula stood several gateways.

Some were large, some small.

A quick count revealed exactly thirty-six large gates and seventy-two small ones.

Seeing this strange scene before him,

Yang Xiao knew, without Lu Fangliang having to say a word,

that they had arrived at the Greater Yang Pool.