Chapter 446 Battle with the True Lord!

“Who wishes to battle me?”

The voice rolled through the heavens like thunder. Such a deliberate provocation made the gazes of 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 and 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 turn even colder.

However, no one made a move.

Both True Lords were far from ordinary. Their eyes could pierce the heavens, and they naturally saw that Lü Yang’s current state could only be maintained for a short while—utterly unworthy of a fight.

After all, losing meant instant death, and even winning would cost half one’s life. They had descended with a mission and had already burned their own cave heavens for it. Having paid such a tremendous price, how could they waste their lives on such a meaningless contest of ego?

Seeing this, Lü Yang smiled faintly. “No one?”

He turned toward 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】, his lips curling into a grin. “I slaughtered the entire Ye Family—left not a single one alive. Fellow Daoist, don’t you want to kill me to vent your hatred?”

After speaking, he cast another glance toward 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】:

“The 『Buddha Kingdom on Earth』 of the Pure Land was destroyed by me. The Dharma Manifestation descended by the World-Honored One was also just cut down by my sword. Fellow Daoist, don’t you wish to avenge that manifestation?”

“.”

Below, the Foundation Establishment True Persons who were gazing upward at the three present-day True Lords were all dumbfounded—especially those from the Pure Land and Sword Pavilion, who could not comprehend at all.

He said that much… and they still didn’t start fighting?

For heaven’s sake, fight him already!

Yet even under such blatant provocation, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】—who bore the hatred of annihilation—remained silent and did not strike.

‘...Not worth it.’

‘I have already descended, and my cave heaven teeters on collapse. My time is limited. The foremost task is to stabilize the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 and bring it back to the Sword Pavilion.’

‘Only by doing this can other Sword Pavilion True Lords come to receive me after my death, ensuring I ascend again. As for the Ye Family—dead is dead. So long as I live, I can always reincarnate, marry dozens of wives, work hard, and rebuild it anew.’

【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 understood this perfectly.

He had already burned his cave heaven to descend; there was no retreat. He must walk this path to the end. Any amount of hatred was but a passing cloud before the Dao.

‘Therefore, not only must I not fight this man—I must win him over.’

At present, the Sword Pavilion and the Pure Land were the true mortal enemies. 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 had not descended because of Lü Yang, but to intercept him!

Originally, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 had no certainty in his heart, but if Lü Yang stood on his side and held off 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 for a while, then he would have full confidence to fully embed the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 into the Pure Land, let it gestate, and then carry it back to the Sword Pavilion intact!

Yet by the same logic, the Pure Land also understood this.

“Amitābha.”

With that single Buddha name, 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 moved—without any intention of communicating—and directly plunged downward.

That single motion caused 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s expression to change slightly.

Because Lü Yang did not stop her, but instead allowed her to pass freely, still standing before him with a half-smile that was neither kind nor cold!

“...Why?”

After a brief silence, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 finally spoke for the first time since his descent, his eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at Lü Yang.

“For no particular reason.”

Naturally, Lü Yang could not explain.

‘【Buddha Kingdom on Earth】 is now something for 【Ang Xiao】 to worry about. Best to give him something to occupy himself with, so he doesn’t come pestering me again...’

As for 【Ang Xiao】, Lü Yang knew him all too well.

He had just tricked that fellow badly. If given the chance, how could Ang Xiao not seek revenge? So why not let 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 keep him busy instead.

Likewise, on the Pure Land’s side, 【Ang Xiao】 would also act as their restraint.

Because of the existence of 【White Wax Gold】, their struggle was one of Dao opposition, irreconcilable by nature—thus, Lü Yang was not at all worried that Ang Xiao would hold back.

As for why he insisted on fighting 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】, the reason was simple: among everyone present, only 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】, like him, bore Sword Intent. To take away the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】, one must battle such a person and determine whose Sword Intent reigned supreme.

This was a characteristic determined by the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 itself.

There could be no second sword. Only the strongest had the right to possess it!

“You—”

In that instant of lightning and flint, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 finally reacted. His expression shifted slightly. “You think you can lay hands on the 【Sword Dao】?”

“Why not?”

Lü Yang laughed aloud. “With your temperament, you managed to become a True Lord. I merely wish to claim a 【Sword Dao】—what’s wrong with that?”

【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s face darkened instantly.

One should never expose another’s sore spot!

What did he mean, ‘with your temperament you still became a True Lord’? It was precisely because of that temperament that he became a True Lord! In this ruthless world, only the victor is king!

“You’re courting death. Borrowing Tingyou’s method to falsely hold a Golden Rank, your strength is barely on par with an outer-path True Lord—and not for long. How can you compare to a rightful orthodoxy like me? Force me to fight to the death, and the only one to fall will be you!” said 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 coldly.

What was the outer path?

A Fruitional Rank obtained from outside this world—that was outer path! Such True Lords existed, but their strength could not compare to those of true orthodoxy.

Lü Yang, of course, knew this as well.

For instance, that Immortal Emperor from the 【Xuanling Realm】 was a textbook outer-path True Lord—yet in the end, his entire Realm Heaven had been devoured piece by piece.

Yet Lü Yang felt no fear whatsoever.

“If Fellow Daoist does not wish to fight, then step aside.”

“Foolish delusion!” The tone of 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 grew ever more frigid. “How long can your false Golden Rank last? You really intend to leave yourself no retreat?”

Such overbearing words... yet filled with helplessness.

Indeed, he simply could not understand—did Lü Yang truly not plan any retreat? He was merely borrowing the Golden Rank, not a genuine Golden Core True Lord!

Why go so far?

But in the end, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 was a True Lord. Seeing there was no room left for negotiation, he no longer hesitated—his aura roared violently!

“Since you seek death, I shall grant it to you!”

He struck!

In that instant, the clear radiance shattered, revealing his true form. His black hair flowed in the wind as he raised his hand, seemingly summoning something.

Almost simultaneously, Lü Yang felt the genuine treasure he had seized from the clone of this man—the 【Transcending Heaven Mystical Realm Contemplative Sword】—begin to tremble. The sword’s true spirit awoke fully, broke his seal, and flew toward its rightful owner!

‘Fruitional resonance... can’t be stopped.’

Lü Yang frowned slightly. After falsely assuming the Golden Rank, he could now see through many of the veils surrounding the 【Transcending Heaven Mystical Realm Contemplative Sword】.

‘No wonder true treasures are hard to refine.’

A so-called True Treasure stood above Spiritual Treasures, its rank as far apart as Foundation Establishment and Golden Core. To cause such a difference, how could it not involve the power of Fruition?

‘Golden Core True Lords can extract Fruitional Power to condense their own Fruitional Treasure. Yet such treasures are operated by their masters themselves. A True Treasure, however, is different—it is born from the resonance between treasure and Fruition, and in some sense is even part of that Fruition itself.’

Thus, a True Treasure already had its master and was nearly impossible to seal.

After all, no seal could easily block a direct summons from the Fruition of Heaven and Earth itself—unless one used another True Treasure skilled in sealing to counter it.

“Slash!”

The moment the 【Transcending Heaven Mystical Realm Contemplative Sword】 returned to his grasp, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s aura peaked, and with a single swing, the heavens and earth thundered!

Yet Lü Yang’s fighting spirit blazed high, unafraid in the slightest.

“Come!”