Chapter 472: Chapter 472: The Tyranny of the Fruit of Celestial Fire

BOOM!

As Lü Yang spoke, his Ability was already striking... or rather, he had attacked first and spoken second. His words were merely a distraction for Fortune.

However, Fortune was a seasoned warrior. He paid no mind to Lü Yang’s words. The moment Lü Yang spotted him, the figure he left behind was already a decoy. His true self had swiftly ducked into a nearby Array, intending to first put some distance between them before deciding his next move based on the situation.

But he had miscalculated one thing.

Lü Yang’s understanding of the Arrays here was no less than his own.

"Trying to run?"

Lü Yang formed a Daoist Hand Seal, and his Divine Sense shot forth. To Fortune’s astonishment, wherever it passed, the Arrays he had laid were shattered in a single breath. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

’Impossible!’

In an instant, not a single Array remained to protect Fortune. His heart was filled with shock... Even he himself couldn’t break arrays at such a speed!

How did he do it?

In a flash, Fortune dared not hesitate. His lips parted, and a thunderous sound erupted from his throat, sweeping in all directions. It was as if a great fire had been ignited on the spot. The Thunder Sound rolled and the flames roared, whipping up a storm that threatened to crash down upon Lü Yang.

’[Thunder Gradually Subsides]!’

Thunder is the exhalation of Yang Qi, born in mid-spring and gradually fading in the capital. It shares the same principle as wood born in spring. Thus, this was an extremely yang and unyielding Jia Wood Ability.

Fortune was very confident in it, thinking it could at least buy him some time.

But in the next second, a brilliance like the sun burst from behind Lü Yang’s head. It spread like quicksilver flowing across the ground, instantly filling Heaven and Earth.

’[Guiyuan Palace]!’

Amidst the Sun’s brilliance, jade towers and pavilions, terraces and palaces, rose from the ground, completely enveloping Fortune and all the surrounding Arrays!

Seeing this, Fortune’s expression changed drastically.

’A Wu Fire Ability!?’

And not just any Wu Fire Ability! The fact that it could project the image of the sun showed that it was an extremely orthodox one among Wu Fire Abilities, perfectly matching the Wu Fire concept!

BOOM!

The next second, [Guiyuan Palace] slammed into the storm whipped up by [Thunder Gradually Subsides]. However, the Ability Fortune had placed such high hopes on was like a mouse meeting a cat—it crumbled on contact. In an instant, the Thunder Sound died, the Yang Fire faded, and it all dissolved into scattered Splendid Light.

’I’ve run into its nemesis!’

Fortune gritted his teeth. If he had known beforehand that his opponent had such a pure Wu Fire Ability, he never would have opened with a Jia Wood one.

When Jia Wood meets Wu Fire, the fire flourishes and the wood burns. This leads to the disaster of being reduced to ash!

Furthermore, Wu belongs to Li Fire. Fire relies on wood to be born; wood is the mother of fire, and fire is the child of wood. When the child flourishes, the mother wanes—how could it not end? Jia Wood is fated to perish before Wu!

What horrified Fortune even more was that the interaction between Jia Wood and Wu Fire Abilities involved the fundamental principles of Heaven and Earth. A Cultivator with insufficient Cultivation would have no way of understanding the inner workings, and without understanding, they couldn’t manifest this suppressive concept. Therefore, this suppression was also built upon the Cultivation of both parties.

In other words:

’This person’s Cultivation in Wu Fire is likely no less than my own in Jia Wood!’

But how is that possible?

He was a Perfected Lord! Even though he was reincarnated, the foundation of a Perfected Lord’s Cultivation was still there. How could an ordinary Foundation-Stage Cultivator’s Cultivation possibly compare to his?

At this thought, numerous speculations arose in Fortune’s mind, finally settling on the most likely answer:

’...The Dao Court?’

Looking across the four realms, the only thing that could allow a Foundation-Stage Cultivator to match a Perfected Lord in Cultivation of a single attribute was likely the Dao Court’s [Immortal Dao Law].

Even in the Dao Court, such individuals were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Only the Celestial Wu Royal Family, who could cultivate independently and use the [Immortal Dao Law] without restriction, could possibly achieve this... Does that mean this person is from the Celestial Wu Royal Family? But he had no quarrel with the Dao Court, so why would they come looking for trouble with him?

At this moment, Fortune was filled with countless questions.

What was worse, because he hadn’t anticipated that their Abilities would be counters to each other, he had been at a disadvantage from the very first move. And one wrong step led to another, putting him on the verge of defeat!

’I have to find a way to escape...’

Fortune’s mind raced. His initial greed was completely gone. The situation was simply too bizarre; right now, he only wanted to escape first and make other plans later.

But would Lü Yang let him off so easily?

This trip to the North was not only to pressure Fortune into fleeing to the [Seven Luminaries Heaven], but also to test his own strength after cultivating the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]!

With this thought, Lü Yang immediately formed a Daoist Hand Seal.

’Let’s see how you handle this...’

[Mountain and Sea Map of the Imperial Decree]!

Fortune looked up, only to see the surrounding scenery rapidly receding. All he could see was a vast landscape of mountains and rivers, and a fiery sun blazing overhead.

In an instant, Lü Yang had activated the four Profound Mysterious aspects of his Innate Ability one by one.

’[The People are Without Evil]!’

The first Profound Mysterious aspect governs rules. Like an emperor holding the decree of Heaven, his words become the law of the land. As Lü Yang spoke, each sound manifested as a visible character:

[DO NOT MOVE!]

The more words a rule contained, the more of the Mysterious Divine Power it consumed. Thus, Lü Yang was extremely economical, using just three words to freeze Fortune in place for a moment.

The next second—

’[Self-Refinement]!’

The second Profound Mysterious aspect empowered [Guiyuan Palace], surrounding Fortune like the sun’s scorching flames, burning his Mana and Dharma Body, and causing his brow to furrow instantly.

However, Lü Yang’s assault was not over.

’[Rise and Fall]!’

The third Profound Mysterious aspect could be used on friend or foe. Used on oneself, it governed [Rise], allowing one to avoid crises. Used on an enemy, it governed [Fall], causing them to be plagued by Tribulation!

At that moment, Fortune was still trying to activate his Abilities and use his Daoist Skills, but he found himself in the extremely rare predicament of forming the wrong hand seals, not using enough Mana, and being unable to circulate his Abilities. Looking up at his own Fortune, it was as if he could see the massive character for [Fall] hanging over him, like impending doom!

This series of interferences caused him to lose his final opportunity to fight back.

Lü Yang’s Innate Ability, the fourth Profound Mysterious aspect of the [Mountain and Sea Map of the Imperial Decree], combined with his Innate Divine Technique, [Emperor’s Fate], and instantly fell upon him.

’[Ming Monarch’s Rule]!’

It was a bright, brilliant golden light. It swept over Fortune with unstoppable momentum, instantly freezing the expression on his face.

Only then did he suddenly realize:

"[Fruit of Celestial Fire]... Oh no!?"

The next second, he saw his own Innate Divine Technique, [Thunder Gradually Subsides], being stripped away out of thin air and floating gracefully into Lü Yang’s hands!

Under all of Heaven, there is no land that is not the king’s. Along the shores of the Earth, there is no one who is not the king’s subject!

As its name implies, [Ming Monarch’s Rule] governs [Rule].

This Profound Mysterious aspect could Deprive others of their Abilities, Artifacts, Mana, and Dharma Bodies, bringing them under his own [Rule]. And as Lü Yang’s Position continued to rise, the scope of [Rule] could be expanded to Fortune, thoughts, lifespan, space, time... and even everything in the Current World!

"This is mine."

A second Ability was also Deprived by Lü Yang. It was an Earth God’s Divine Technique named [Root of All Things], which Fortune had just been about to use to escape.

"This is mine too."

Fortune unleashed his Mana, only to find that the Mana he should have been able to command as easily as his own limbs had completely submitted to Lü Yang under the golden light of [Ming Monarch’s Rule].

It even turned around to strike back at him!

"All of it is mine!"

Fortune flicked his sleeve, sending out a dozen or so Spiritual Treasures in an attempt to stop Lü Yang, but they were snatched away by Lü Yang in an instant, like sheep walking into a tiger’s mouth.

Fortune: "..."

’Bastard!’

’Celestial Wu Royal Family? Don’t tell me this guy is actually a Saint Sect Zhenren?’

Meanwhile, Lü Yang was holding the two Innate Divine Techniques and dozen-plus Spiritual Treasures he had Deprived from Fortune. Even his Mana had been fully restored by seizing Fortune’s. For a moment, he was immensely satisfied with his own Innate Ability. The [Fruit of Celestial Fire] truly was worthy of being an Emperor Fruit.

’So utterly tyrannical!’