「North, the Sea of Clouds.」

As a streak of flying light descended, Xiang Ye, Hong Ju, and Lü Yang landed one by one on Holy Fire Cliff. Lü Yang took a moment to observe the Saint Sect's scenery, which he hadn't seen in a long time.

Just as he expected, the view before him was one of vibrant life and flourishing growth.

He even saw an old acquaintance.

'Perfected Yin Shan...'

Perfected Yin Shan was completely unaware of his gaze.

At this, Lü Yang couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. A Foundation-Stage Cultivator, once an unreachably lofty figure, now seemed rather ordinary in his eyes.

'And... the Primal Daoist!'

Lü Yang hadn't forgotten the scene he had witnessed through [Puppet]. Primal Daoist Mu Changsheng was still locked up in the Simulation Realm.

That man had been royally screwed over by the Saint Sect Ancestral Master. He had painstakingly created [No Heaven], thinking he had a shot at Seeking Gold. But in the end, his crucial soul was tossed into the Simulation Realm by the invisible hand of the Saint Sect Ancestral Master. The result was five thousand wasted years, all for naught.

'Right, I'd better stay far away from that unlucky bastard.'

'Don't want his blood splattering on me.'

As Lü Yang was lost in thought, Xiang Ye was also sizing up this "Outer Heaven Wanderer," smirking to himself. 'What Outer Heaven Cultivator? It's all a damn lie to fool people!'

Did he think I couldn't see through it?

'The guy walks into the Sea of Clouds like he owns the place, and he found Holy Fire Cliff at a single glance. If he's not a Saint Sect Zhenren, I'll eat my hat!'

'So he's trying to make a clean break.'

Xiang Ye stroked his chin. 'But where on earth did the Saint Sect suddenly get a Great Trueman like him? It's like he just popped out of a rock...'

Cultivation has never been a solitary affair.

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, a Blessed Land, the Gold Attribute... which of these doesn't require resources? Which doesn't require you to interact with people? Which doesn't require you to fight and snatch things from others?

A master, fellow Daoists, enemies—logically speaking, what cultivator doesn't have all three? If he were in the Early Stage or Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, it would be understandable, as not many would pay him any mind. But a Late Stage, or even Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator—a bona fide Great Trueman—would have at least some renown throughout the lands.

How could it be that no one recognizes him?

'This man... I must know him!'

Xiang Ye considered himself quite senior; not even Minor Metal was his equal in that regard. Looking across the entire Saint Sect today, probably only Hong Ju had lived longer than him.

'...Hm?'

Suddenly, a thought struck Xiang Ye.

'It's one thing for me not to recognize him, but Hong Ju is different... Backed by that [True Monarch of Celestial Destiny], he's lived for at least five thousand years.'

A cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection can reincarnate five times, but that's still only fifteen hundred years.

By that logic, Hong Ju has seen several generations of the Saint Sect's Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators come and go. If this really were a returning Great Trueman of the sect, how could Hong Ju possibly not recognize him?

Unless...

'Hong Ju needs to conceal the truth?'

'Who could make him conceal it?'

Xiang Ye unraveled his thoughts thread by thread, and a single guess leaped to the forefront:

'...Fortune?'

At this thought, Xiang Ye's first reaction was:

'Impossible!'

The legend of Fortune was well-known among the Saint Sect Zhenren. If the Saint Sect had an annual list of its top ten jokes, Fortune's life story would undoubtedly be number one.

So when the name "Fortune" came to mind, Xiang Ye's subconscious immediately rejected it. But soon, after ruling out every other impossibility, he couldn't help but wonder: 'Could it really be Fortune...? Well, he is the reincarnation of a Perfected Lord. I shouldn't underestimate him.'

Though Xiang Ye's mind was racing, his expression remained perfectly composed.

"Fellow Daoist, you've only just arrived and have recently fought a great battle with that Buddha's Son. Why not stay here for a while to recuperate? We can communicate further after you've rested."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist."

Lü Yang cupped his hands in thanks, then proceeded to the Quiet Chamber within the Cave Mansion that Xiang Ye had arranged for him. With a mere thought, he summoned the Myriad-Soul Banner once more.

As the Banner unfurled, Suo Huan's figure materialized from it.

"Greetings, my lord."

Suo Huan bowed respectfully, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Lü Yang's expression turned serious. "Regarding your situation, Fellow Daoist," he said gravely, "I have two solutions. The choice is yours."

"Please enlighten me, my lord."

When it was possible to keep his promises, Lü Yang always did.

Since he had promised to help Suo Huan in this lifetime, he had naturally already devised a plan. Besides, from his current perspective, Suo Huan's problem wasn't actually that difficult to solve.

Lü Yang held up two fingers. "The first solution: you abandon the [Spirit Ruins Blessed Land]. I will strip away your consciousness and send your soul to be reincarnated. After your soul's reincarnation is complete and the traces of the world Beyond the Heavens are cleansed, I will restore your consciousness. Then, you can cultivate the Great Dao once more."

This solution could be considered permanent.

With [Puppet], Lü Yang could lock onto Suo Huan's soul. He would be able to sense it immediately, even after it was cleansed by the [Netherworld].

And once cleansed by the [Netherworld], Suo Huan would be beyond Ang Xiao's reach.

Although stripping away one's consciousness carries an extremely high risk of failure—a single slip-up could lead to instant death—Lü Yang could use his [Divination Lottery] to circumvent that risk.

'Strictly speaking, I could even use this method to achieve the same eternal soul as a reincarnated Perfected Lord, all without the Gold Attribute. If word of this got out, countless Foundation-Stage Cultivators would be green with envy... A pity it's completely meaningless to me, the owner of the [Centome].'

Besides—

"I choose the second solution," Suo Huan said.

Just as Lü Yang expected, Suo Huan rejected the first option without a moment's hesitation. He could never abandon his hope of reviving the [World Ruins Realm].

He wouldn't, even if it meant trouble.

Lü Yang shook his head. "The second solution: you can keep the [Spirit Ruins Blessed Land], but you must stop practicing the *Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture*."

Suo Huan didn't object, but a worried look crossed his face. "But without the *Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture*, how can a humble Outer Heaven Cultivator like myself ever hope to achieve Seeking Gold?"

"You'll just have to switch to another one."

With a thought, Lü Yang compiled a cultivation technique from his Divine Sense and presented it to Suo Huan.

The *True Zhen Immortal Dao*!

"This is..."

"This is the cultivation technique that corresponds to the [Profound Spirit Realm]'s Fruit," Lü Yang said with a grin. "All the True Monarchs are in seclusion, so the [Profound Spirit Realm] is just sitting there for the taking."

Ordinarily, given the efficiency of the Four Great Forces, the [Profound Spirit Realm] would have been completely consumed by now. But then Minor Metal unexpectedly made a huge move, and all the Perfected Lords were taken away. As a result, the process of consuming the [Profound Spirit Realm] was abandoned midway, and its empty shell remains to this day.

Lü Yang's plan was simple.

He would have Suo Huan abandon the *Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture*, in which [Ang Xiao] had left a hidden contingency, and instead have him swallow the [Profound Spirit Realm] to achieve the Seeking Gold Ascension Position!

Suo Huan's eyes brightened. "Will it be successful?"

"...There's a chance!" Lü Yang said with a look of certainty, but his inner thoughts were quite different:

'A chance in hell, maybe. He's a dead man!'

If Suo Huan had chosen the first solution, Lü Yang would have gladly seen it through. But the second solution meant that Suo Huan had failed to escape [Ang Xiao]'s scheme.

In that case, nothing could be done.

After his trip to the Seven Luminaries Heaven, Lü Yang had come to a profound realization: sometimes, a strategic withdrawal is necessary. You can never win if you don't step off the enemy's chessboard.

So, the moment Suo Huan chose the second solution, Lü Yang wrote him off as a lost cause.

But that was fine.

By Lü Yang's estimation, as long as he "restarted" and used the [Centome] to cleanse Suo Huan's soul and the [Spirit Ruins Blessed Land], the problem would be solved.

So why did Lü Yang even propose the second solution?

The answer was simple: if Suo Huan didn't attempt Seeking Gold, how could Lü Yang use him as bait to lure out [Ang Xiao]?

'Fellow Daoist Suo Huan, since you chose the second solution, your true opportunity will come in your next life... In that case, you won't mind if I put your current life to good use, right?'

.......

「The Netherworld, an indescribable place.」

Inside a towering palace, [Ang Xiao] sat cross-legged, silently gazing down at the River of Soul that flowed before his gates as if it were the most beautiful thing in existence.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, he raised his head.

In his current state, he could not see the Current World, nor could he even extend a hand beyond the palace walls. Nevertheless, a sensation transmitted through his Fruit made his brow furrow slightly.

"The [Veil of the Trees] has been broken... Suo Huan?"

[Ang Xiao]'s expression darkened. Suo Huan was the key pawn in his plot to seize a Fruit and drag its owner into the [Netherworld]; nothing should have gone wrong.

But something had gone wrong. This feeling of losing control was deeply unsettling to [Ang Xiao]. He hadn't been idle for the past thirty years, but he still lacked the right opportunity to succeed... Just then, his gaze suddenly shifted.

Before the palace gates, within the vast River of Soul.

"Amitabha."

One of the Foundation Establishment Souls, meant for reincarnation after dying of old age, suddenly leaped out. The soul shone with Buddha Light as it announced in a resonant voice, "This humble monk, Guang Ming, pays his respects to Senior [Ang Xiao]."