Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed. On this day, Lu Yang was seated atop Skull Mountain when he suddenly opened his eyes, a look of joy on his face, for his physical body had finally completed the corpse-shedding transformation! The next second, Lu Yang vanished from where he stood.
Inside the Myriad Spirits Banner. In a void-like space, twisted flesh and blood had constructed a magnificent palace. Dense blood vessels, like the roots of trees, coiled around the palace.
These root-like blood vessels all extended from the deepest part of the palace. Following them into the palace, one could see that everything, from the pillars to the walls, was constructed from ghastly white skeletons. Blood vessels were still wrapped around them, squirming quietly like living things.
Terrifying, bizarre, and strange. This was exactly what his physical body looked like after corpse-shedding. It no longer held a human form, taking on ten thousand different appearances at every moment, indescribable, like an incarnation of chaos.
"I didn't expect this Corpse-Shedding Immortal to have a final trial."
Lu Yang looked surprised. The transformation of his physical body was not the end. A cultivator had to bring the rampaging body back under control to be considered to have truly mastered it!
If one failed to control the body, they would become a monster of flesh and blood that possessed a status. However, when an ordinary cultivator reached this step, their consciousness would have long been muddled. Teetering between life and death, half-asleep, how could they possibly have the ability to control their physical body?
"This is far too difficult... a good thing I'm a cut above the rest."
With the help of the guardian god Sunü, he had successfully cultivated the "Secret of the Heavenly Silkworm by Severing Thoughts to See the Self" a month ago, and his spiritual sense had smoothly transformed into spiritual sense. And with the aid of his spiritual sense, controlling a mere physical body was naturally not a problem.
At this moment, with a thought from Lu Yang, the originally massive palace of flesh and blood immediately began to collapse. The chaotic phenomenon returned to order under his will. In the end, only a Daoist with a handsome and divine bearing remained.
The Daoist was dressed in white, his black hair like a dragon, dancing as if it had a life of its own. His entire being was filled with an ethereal sense of being detached from the material world. The Corpse-Shedding Immortal was achieved!
Lu Yang's soul entered his physical body. In that instant, spirit and flesh became one. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his original status was instantly elevated to an unimaginable height.
Looking up at the sky, Lu Yang could even see the lofty 'Foundation Establishment Realm'. In fact, if one were to say that place was the summit of a mountain, then he was now standing less than a hundred steps from it, about the same as the Listening Nether Patriarch before, or perhaps even a little higher.
Yet even so, the magnificence of the 'Foundation Establishment Realm' still made him sigh in awe. To be close was, in the end, not the same.
No matter how close one got to the 'Foundation Establishment Realm', even if it was just a single step away, without stepping in and truly building the Dao foundation, there would always be a distinction between an immortal and a mortal.
"I lament the brevity of my life, and envy the endlessness of the great river..."
Just then, a spiritual light suddenly came through the void from a distance. It had been sent from the direction of the Saint Sect. After Lu Yang received it, a Token appeared.
The Ascension Token! Just as he had expected, after they had come to an agreement about the Heavenly Corpse Killing Qi, Daoist Master Yinshan naturally wouldn't be stingy with a mere Foundation Establishment wondrous object.
"... Everything is ready!"
At this moment, Lu Yang was filled with determination. There's no time like the present. I'll attempt Foundation Establishment now!
With a single thought, Lu Yang made a swift decision and stepped directly toward the 'Foundation Establishment Realm'. The next second, he walked into the 'Foundation Establishment Realm'! He had practically completed the ascension in a single step!
"This is so much easier than my last life..."
In his previous life, he only had the status of the Sage's Theft. The ascension alone had consumed more than fifty percent of his True Qi. This life, however, was completely different.
With third-grade True Qi, the Corpse-Shedding Immortal and the Sage's Theft, coupled with his Foundation Establishment-level spiritual sense, plus the Ascension Token to unlock the nine heavenly gates, Lu Yang had entered the 'Foundation Establishment Realm' with almost no effort.
He had ample True Qi to construct his Dao foundation and wouldn't be in a tight spot like in his previous life.
"Next is the invasion of the heart-devils..."
Lu Yang moved with lightning speed. The moment he entered the 'Foundation Establishment Realm', he summoned Sunü. The Yama Demon Hall was instantly reassembled, and an immense power erupted forth.
Guardian god!
With Sunü present, it was as if Lu Yang had grasped a Foundation Establishment status ahead of time. Using this to protect himself was enough to resist most of the heart-devils in the 'Foundation Establishment Realm'.
"Eighty percent... as expected, it's so much easier than thirty percent."
Lu Yang was unhurried. The third-grade True Qi, True Dragon Killing Qi, roared out and then coiled at his feet. Its scales opened and closed, breathing out thousands of wisps of cloud qi.
Clouds follow the dragon! The next level up from the "Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art" was the "Myriad Chariots Dragon-Riding Ascension Precious Scroll". The Dao foundation built from this was a chariot covered by a magnificent canopy.
To ride a dragon, pulling a chariot of ten thousand and ascending! Soon, as the cloud qi gathered and the brilliant light converged, the form of a chariot gradually emerged. This also made Lu Yang's aura become increasingly lofty and ethereal.
However, Lu Yang's brows gradually furrowed.
"Something's not right..."
His sensitivity to karma was exceptionally sharp. Therefore, as his level drew closer to Foundation Establishment, he felt his heart pound with a growing sense of dread, and a shadow emerged in his mind. Karma that he could not sense before was now exceptionally clear.
Strands of it wrapped around him. The more he pushed for Foundation Establishment, the more it felt like a moth flying into a flame, or a butterfly falling into a spider's web. This feeling made Lu Yang's expression turn increasingly grim, and a sudden enlightenment dawned in his heart: "Someone is plotting against me!"
Who is it? Daoist Master Chongguang, Daoist Master Yinshan, the Heaven Mending Peak Master, even the Listening Nether Patriarch... in an instant, the faces of everyone he knew flashed through Lu Yang's mind. No, that's not right!
"The Listening Nether Patriarch was killed by Golden Core sword qi, it's impossible for him to be alive. The Heaven Mending Peak Master was so badly injured, there's no way he could have fully recovered in just three months."
"As for Daoist Master Chongguang and Daoist Master Yinshan, that's even more impossible."
The next second, a name finally jumped out from the depths of Lu Yang's mind. That person's situation was so special that he had overlooked them until now. Suddenly, Lu Yang let out a long breath of turbid qi and stopped thinking about it.
It wasn't that he was giving up on finding the truth, but at this point, it was already too late to figure it out. Lu Yang gazed into the distance and saw a figure slowly walking toward him within the vast and empty 'Foundation Establishment Realm'. The newcomer's movements were composed, each step exceptionally firm.
The sound of their footsteps echoed in the 'Foundation Establishment Realm' like the tolling of a great bell, akin to a clear dragon's cry. When Lu Yang first looked, the person was still extremely far away, but after just a few steps, they had arrived before him.
Golden lotuses bloomed wherever they passed, and the sound of sonorous Buddhist chanting was deafening. Just by standing in front of Lu Yang, they made it impossible for him to look away.
"... As I thought, it's you."
Lu Yang's voice was chilling as he stared intently at the newcomer. He saw that the person had a full forehead, wore golden Zen robes, and held a nine-ringed tin staff in his hand. The person had the appearance of a youth, with red lips, white teeth, and a compassionate face.
However, the small, baring-fanged dragon he held in his hand was the complete opposite. It was ferocious and menacing, its pair of golden eyes filled with killing intent as it stared at Lu Yang. The next second, Lu Yang felt his entire body stiffen.
The small dragon let out a low roar. Its dragon pupils didn't even blink as they reflected the entire scene around Lu Yang, trapping him within those eyes. Dragon pupils, golden eyes, framing heaven and earth in their gaze!
Seeing this, Lu Yang's expression did not change. He only said in a chilling tone: "Daoist Master Panlong!" As the other party appeared, the deeply hidden karma finally revealed itself.
The newcomer was none other than Daoist Master Panlong, whom Lu Yang had previously thought to be long dead!
(End of this chapter)