Chapter 471: Lü Yang's Plan

When the thought came, he acted on it. High efficiency in action had always been one of Lü Yang’s strengths.

However, before taking action, there was still one problem to solve: his main body had to remain in the Dao Court, ready to be summoned by the Emperor Jiayou at any time.

After all, power was like real estate—location was always of utmost importance.

The closer to the center of power, the greater the power. If you weren't in position today, you might never be again, and the result would only be a loss outweighing the gain.

“Looks like I’ll have to refine another clone.”

Lü Yang took stock of his inventory. In his previous life, he had brought back most of his gains, but there were a few things he hadn’t managed to bring back.

First was the Sword Dao Clone.

That clone had, in practice, already become independent, entirely operated through 【String-Pulled Puppet】, and followed the rather dead-end path of a sword cultivator.

Second was the 【Heaven-Bearing Ascension Profound Mirror Fixed-View Sword】—a complete accident. Lü Yang had originally intended to bring it back, only to find that the true treasure could neither be melted into the 【All-Embracing Heaven】 nor be recognized by the 【Book of a Hundred Lives】 as his possession.

‘Ownership of a true treasure doesn't lie in the hands of the holder,’

‘but in the Fruitional Rank.’

Lü Yang contemplated, ‘Even a True Lord with a Fruitional Rank is, strictly speaking, not the owner of a true treasure—merely a temporary possessor.’

In his previous life, the 【Heaven-Bearing Ascension Profound Mirror Fixed-View Sword】 had voluntarily submitted to him after he had falsely held the 【Wall Earth】 Fruitional Rank.

Obviously, true treasures pledge loyalty to whoever holds the Fruitional Rank. With that in mind, it was no wonder that Hong Yun had ended up with none.

Even 【True Lord Cheng Tian Zheng De】 had one.

And Hong Yun? After fiddling around in the Biyang Cultivation Realm overseas for ages, he only managed to produce a half-true treasure—something truly unworthy of a True Lord’s methods.

At the time, Lü Yang had just thought Hong Yun was incompetent.

Looking back now—damn, the guy had fallen from his Fruitional Rank, and still managed to produce something that could be called a “half”-true treasure. That was already impressive.

Inside a quiet chamber, the young man sat cross-legged.

Crimson radiance interwove around his body. Lü Yang sat opposite him, four divine powers swirling around, gradually strengthening the youth’s aura.

【Secret Record of the Immortal Embryo Living Through the World】!

This clone technique from the Holy Sect was still extremely effective even now. Its only downside was its cost—it required a high-grade spiritual treasure.

But this life’s Lü Yang was a True Dragon. Dragons were lavish. High-grade spiritual treasures were not hard to come by. Thus, Lü Yang effortlessly refined another Immortal Embryo Clone, which, when linked with his main body, could also exert the power of a Late Foundation Establishment Great True Person.

“Let this one take the trip.”

Lü Yang grinned, then formed a seal with his fingers. The Immortal Embryo Clone instantly shrank into a tiny figure, which he grasped in his hand and stored into his storage pouch.

Everything afterward was simple.

He sent word to Dongting Lake, summoned a True Dragon, used 【String-Pulled Puppet】 to control it, and handed over the Immortal Embryo Clone for delivery to Jiangbei.

Once it arrived in Jiangbei, Lü Yang’s main body entered meditative seclusion.

Immediately, the Immortal Embryo Clone in Jiangbei opened its eyes. Multicolored light flickered in its pupils, and its previously lifeless aura was instantly animated.

“Jiangbei... I’m back again.”

Lü Yang stretched his arms and began calculating the timeline in his mind: ‘At this point in time, the 【Profound Spirit Realm】 will appear in a few more years.’

In the normal timeline, Jiangnan and Jiangbei had joined forces to carve up the 【Profound Spirit Realm】. Neither the Pure Land nor the Dao Court got to eat meat—they didn’t even sip the soup.

In his past life, the four-way split only happened because his identity as 【Ang Xiao】 had been exposed, which led to a trap being set for him during the division of the 【Profound Spirit Realm】.

‘This life, I’ll change the strategy.’

Lü Yang plotted, intending to push Uncle-Master Chong Guang to start seeking the Golden Fruition as soon as possible!

‘In the previous life, the appearance of 【Boundless Heaven】 and then the 【Profound Spirit Realm】, plus the exposure of 【Ang Xiao】, delayed Uncle-Master Chong Guang’s pursuit of the Golden Fruition.’

‘But in this life, I’ve interfered with Senior Sister Yu, so I can greatly delay the activation time of 【Boundless Heaven】.’

‘As for the 【Profound Spirit Realm】, it shouldn’t be too affected.’

‘Regarding 【Ang Xiao】, his Fruitional Rank 【Great Forest Wood】 was still valuable. As long as I don’t expose his identity myself, no one should discover it.’

Looking at past lives, what was the key turning point for Uncle-Master Chong Guang seeking the Golden Fruition?

‘Hong Yun!’

Two lives ago, although Uncle-Master Chong Guang had theoretically already reincarnated and was preparing to seek the Golden Fruition, he likely only resolved to do so after dealing with Hong Yun overseas.

‘So this life, if I want Uncle-Master Chong Guang to reincarnate and seek the Golden Fruition quickly, I must first eliminate his biggest concern—that is, Hong Yun!’

And now with the new 【Golden Nature of Great Fortune】, not only did Lü Yang gain another opportunity for false possession, but he could also pressure 【Ang Xiao】 at a critical moment.

No matter how he looked at it, Hong Yun was someone he absolutely had to take down!

And at this point in time, Hong Yun should still be far from recovered.

‘Back then, even the Mending Heaven Peak Master dared to shout at Hong Yun. I reckon Hong Yun’s strength was, at most, at the peak of Mid-Foundation Establishment.’

Not even a Great True Person!

Among cultivators, status determined everything. Lü Yang estimated that with his Great True Person-level combat power, he would undoubtedly triumph in a cross-level fight against a Mid-Foundation Establishment peak-level Hong Yun.

‘But killing is easy; capturing alive is hard.’

Lü Yang rubbed his brows with a headache.

Because this life lacked 【Ang Xiao】's cooperation, once Hong Yun reincarnated, it would be difficult for Lü Yang to track him in the 【Underworld】 and then slay him in reverse.

To deny Hong Yun even the chance to reincarnate through suicide, he’d have to be at least Mid-Golden Core level like 【True Lord Qingchen Feixue】.

The old Dragon Monarch?

Lü Yang frowned slightly, but soon dismissed the tempting thought. After all, back when True Lord Feixue captured Hong Yun, she had swallowed all the Golden Nature for herself.

He didn’t believe that the old Dragon Monarch would hand over the Golden Nature of Great Fortune to him intact. Giving him even a sliver would already be showing grandfatherly love.

‘Since that’s the case, then I can only go somewhere where he can’t reincarnate—Outer Heaven! 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】! That’s it. No wonder Hong Yun never dared to go to Outer Heaven. Once there, far from the Underworld, if caught, he’d have no escape through reincarnation!’

Lü Yang’s thoughts became increasingly clear.

‘Force Hong Yun together with Uncle-Master Chong Guang! Push him to the point of abandoning everything, fleeing to 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】, then ambush him on the way!’

‘Perfect—this sort of operation should also give Uncle-Master Chong Guang some sense of participation.’

‘After all, letting him personally deal with Hong Yun would make him more convinced that the matter is resolved, and thus more at ease to reincarnate in 【Qing Nation】 and seek the Golden Fruition.’

‘Then I can stab Uncle-Master in the back later. Who knows—maybe I’ll even gain a talent bonus!’

With that thought, the plan was finalized.

Next, he just needed to establish contact with Uncle-Master Chong Guang.

Sky-Reaching Cloud Sea, Sacred Fire Cliff.

Inside a spacious grand hall, a man not particularly handsome but with a soaring sharpness between his brows sat at the head seat.

Between his fingers, he held a flying message.

Lü Yang used the same method as in his past life—sending a flying message through Chong Guang’s private channel. The content of the letter was simple.

“Beneath the waters of Gantang Dao, in Jiangnan... a fragment of a cave heaven left behind by Hong Yun?”

It was an anonymous report.