Chapter 448: The Shit-Stirrer, Lü Yang!

Just as the 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 fell into confusion, Lü Yang once again made his move.

This time, however, he directly manifested the radiance and shadow of the 【Yama Hall】.

And then—he rammed straight forward!

“Boom!”

This attack was no longer in vain, for the 【Yama Hall】 at this moment was still anchored to the 【Overturning Lamp Fire】—it was equivalent to taking a Fruitional Rank itself and striking head-on.

In an instant, the entire world quaked violently. Blazing currents of flame evaporated the clouds for ten thousand li.

The layers of palatial structures surrounding 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 now seemed bloated, losing their prior composure, trembling for a long moment before finally dissolving Lü Yang’s collision.

“Puh!”

The next second, Lü Yang spat blood and staggered backward.

The 【Yama Hall】 fell back into his brow, and the terrifying recoil instantly crushed half of his body into minced flesh.

Yet he was still laughing.

‘After all, he’s only at the early stage of Golden Core—it isn’t an unbridgeable chasm!’

If 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 had been at the mid or late stage of the Golden Core Realm, then even if struck off guard by Lü Yang, he could have easily countered.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t.

Not only was he not, his condition was dreadful to the extreme; though his divine power and magic remained intact, the most crucial Cave Heaven was riddled with holes.

Especially after that most recent collision—though Lü Yang was gravely wounded—he had forcibly struck cracks into 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s Cave Heaven.

In the end, it was actually 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 who suffered greater loss, for to a True Lord, injuries of the flesh were of no consequence.

It was wounds to the Cave Heaven that were the true Dao Injuries!

“Continue!”

Lü Yang spat out another mouthful of blood.

His sleeve flared as a dazzling, multicolored sword appeared, its swordlight and mana compressed to the brink of eruption.

【Newly-Forged Dao Feather Nirvana Sword Art】!

He had endured blow after blow before this, each time forcing himself to stand so that the accumulated sword intent and sword art would compound—until at last they reached their current peak.

“Cut!”

Swordlight erupted, wielding the myriad mysteries of the 【Tribulation-Pass Wave】, cleaving once more into the layered palaces conjured by 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】.

“It’s useless. Mortal strength has its limits. No matter how mighty one’s Dao-techniques or sword arts, how could they compare with the power of Heaven and Earth?

Within the domain of a True Lord, the Fruitional Rank is everything!”

The voice of 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 was cold as ice.

Yet Lü Yang keenly noticed that amid the other’s wind-tossed hair, several strands had turned pale, and wrinkles had crept between his brows.

Clearly, he was far less composed than he appeared.

Thus Lü Yang’s strategy was simple—trade injury for injury, grind away 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s collapsing Cave Heaven with his own life!

When 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 finally endured the barrage and gathered his strength to counterattack—intending to seize Lü Yang in one fell swoop—

“【Ang Xiao】!”

—A sudden illusionary barrier flared, forcing 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 to halt mid-stride.

“Bastard!”

In that instant, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 and 【Ang Xiao】 cursed almost simultaneously.

Below, in the Pure Land of Jiangxi.

The 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 held a jade bottle.

Within it, a willow branch sprinkled countless silken streams that gently merged into the 【Buddha Kingdom on Earth】.

During this process, a figure shrouded entirely in smoky vapor resisted her; immense power clashed and roared, trying to rend apart the 【Buddha Kingdom on Earth】 and rescue the trapped 【White Wax Gold】 within.

Both sides contended around the axis of Yao Ye, reaching a delicate equilibrium.

“【Ang Xiao】…”

The Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon’s expression grew solemn; she recognized that smoky silhouette—it was none other than the 【World-Manifesting Aspect Outside the Law】 that 【Ang Xiao】 had once fleetingly revealed!

That avatar had once been used to block Hong Yun’s quest for the Golden Core.

Later, after Chong Guang attained the 【Boundless Heaven】, all True Lords of the world had gone into seclusion.

This incarnation was then hidden away, never able to be summoned again.

For thirty years, he had sought to reactivate it.

Originally, with ten more years, he could have revived it without paying any price—but the situation had changed, and he no longer had ten years to spare.

“Boom!”

Behind 【Ang Xiao】, a vast Cave Heaven appeared riddled with countless fine cracks—one corner even burned with raging flames!

Burning his Cave Heaven!

Normally, with 【Ang Xiao】’s foundation, this level of strain wouldn’t have shaken his Dao Base— But unfortunately, there was a damned shit-stirrer present on the field.

“【Ang Xiao】!”

Lü Yang’s thunderous voice resounded again.

Each time it came, 【Ang Xiao】 was forced to divert part of his focus to help veil Lü Yang from 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】, preventing him from reversing the Earth of Chen.

‘Beast!’

【Ang Xiao】 gnashed his teeth in hatred.

Were it not for the 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】 restraining him, seeing Lü Yang beaten so miserably, he would never have helped—he’d have struck while the iron was hot and ensured Lü Yang’s instant death before any reversal of Chen Earth could occur.

Yet there was that damned 【Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon】.

This Pure Land Bodhisattva well understood that Lü Yang was stalling 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】.

If Lü Yang perished, misfortune would be hers instead.

So she cooperated.

Neither allowing 【Ang Xiao】 the freedom to slay Lü Yang, nor entirely stopping him—thus forcing 【Ang Xiao】 to assist Lü Yang.

And as 【Ang Xiao】 expended power helping Lü Yang, the Bodhisattva of Vase and Water Moon gained the upper hand.

Unseen, Lü Yang had actually formed an alliance with the Pure Land.

Originally, 【Ang Xiao】 should have stood on the same side as 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】,

Yet now, coerced by Lü Yang’s control over the Earth of Chen, he was forced to help Lü Yang instead!

‘Utterly a shit-stirrer!’

At that moment, 【Ang Xiao】 was filled with both fury and grudging admiration— After all, with this one ploy, Lü Yang had become the greatest winner on the field!

“Boom!”

Another deafening explosion.

Lü Yang staggered backward, reconstructing his Law-Body, while 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】, who was about to press the attack, froze once more in place.

At last, a trace of grief and humiliation appeared on the True Lord’s face. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“It’s not fair…”

He was the only one taking hits!

Clearly, Lü Yang was no match for him; in this duel of divine arts, he’d had at least nine chances to kill him outright—yet each time 【Ang Xiao】 had interrupted.

The result was that he had paid a massive price, forcefully driving his already-shattered Cave Heaven to display the wonders of Fruition, yet could never finish Lü Yang off.

Instead, he himself neared the limit—his once-flourishing vital spirit fading away, his Cave Heaven behind him showing signs of disintegration!

Seeing this, 【Ang Xiao】 sighed.

‘He can’t hold out anymore…’

“You like this—how could the 【Sword Dao Fruitional Rank】 ever acknowledge you?”

At the final moment, 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 fixed Lü Yang with a death-stare, voice heavy with unwillingness.

Lü Yang burst into laughter. “How could the 【Sword Dao】 be something so petty and inflexible?”

For other sword intents, perhaps it would be true—for from start to finish he had never been

【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s equal, relying only on tenacity and relentless struggle.

But he was different!

‘My sword intent… has always been unyielding!’

A single victory or defeat meant nothing.

Only the one who laughed last laughed best—and Lü Yang’s approach most perfectly embodied his current 【Sword Intent】!

“Boom!”

Lü Yang had never hesitated to bully the old, the weak, or the wounded.

At this moment he again raised the 【Yama Hall】 and smashed it down—finally shattering the layered palaces.

【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 was blasted away, blood spraying.

The 【Jade Palace Treasure Gui Cave Heaven】 behind him had already collapsed by more than half; it was held together only by his remaining essence, spirit, and vitality.

It was merely a matter of time before total ruin.

By contrast, though Lü Yang was gravely injured, his life was not in danger.

At this instant, hatred surfaced at last in 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】’s eyes.

The man before him had slaughtered the Ye Family and ruined his mission.

More importantly, Ting You still followed beside him—and she had already achieved Foundation Establishment Perfection.

If he died here, perhaps he could never regain his position again!

“Kill!”

【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 roared.

Behind him, his Cave Heaven collapsed and ignited, the released brilliance flooding and drowning the sunlit sky.

The final strike!

For the sake of his Dao-path in the next life—he would slay Lü Yang!