Chapter 488 : Ang Xiao’s Unease
Chapter 488: Ang Xiao’s Unease
Three days later, Jiangdong, Tianwu City.
Lü Yang withdrew his consciousness. Having unexpectedly formed an alliance with Chong Guang, he was brimming with pride. Yet on the other side, the mood of Emperor Jiayou was decidedly foul.
‘Wait, where is he?’
Inside Tianwu Hall, Emperor Jiayou gazed northward toward Jiangbei. Pinching his fingers to divine, he found that the once-mighty momentum of Seeking Golden Fruition had burst like a paper tiger with a single poke.
It lasted barely three days before dispersing.
Chong Guang had not sought Golden Fruition, the Holy Sect had not responded. It was as if they were saying “nothing happened,” leaving Emperor Jiayou feeling like he had punched the air.
Just like that, he’s not seeking it anymore?
“Unreasonable. As expected, a devil!”
You should know, to block the opponent’s pursuit of Golden Fruition, he had granted a top-grade official post of 【Commander of the Nine Gates】. And now you're not pursuing it? Wasn’t that a waste?
Emperor Jiayou did consider summoning Lü Yang back and revoking the title of 【Commander of the Nine Gates】. However, words once spoken are like water spilled — a ruler does not speak in jest. How could he simply take it back? Thus, he could only curse inwardly while swallowing this dumb loss.
Just then, Lü Yang entered the palace.
“Your servant greets Your Majesty.”
Upon entering, Lü Yang said nothing further and directly revealed his official title — 【Commander of the Five Regiments of the Step Army under the Nine Gates Patrol】 — and loudly declared: “This subject petitions to return this position!”
“.Oh?” Emperor Jiayou raised an eyebrow.
“What’s this? Does My loyal subject not like this title? Thinks it's too low?”
“This servant is terrified!”
Lü Yang bowed his head and said, “His Majesty bestowed this title upon me so that I may go to Jiangbei to face the enemy. But now that Jiangbei is without turmoil and I’ve made no contribution, how dare I hold this post?”
“I implore Your Majesty not to shame me.”
As Lü Yang finished speaking, Emperor Jiayou fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter: “Good! Good! My dear subject is indeed a loyal minister of our Dao Court!”
Though he praised him, since Lü Yang offered him a way out, Emperor Jiayou naturally followed along. With a flick of his finger, the title of 【Commander of the Nine Gates】 above Lü Yang's head vanished, and his cultivation energy instantly dropped from Foundation Establishment Completion back to Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Completion. His spine even instinctively hunched.
Seeing him like this, Emperor Jiayou felt a bit of pity.
After all, while Lü Yang had acted sensibly, his own behavior did seem rather unsightly. But to him, official posts were not to be handed out lightly!
This matter pertained to the very foundation of the Dao Court.
From First Rank to Ninth Rank, all the myriad posts in the Dao Court were, in essence, drawn from the four Dao Fruitional Ranks of the 【Immortal Nation Dao Law】 and evolved accordingly.
The higher the post, the more Fruitional Power it contained.
The more posts bestowed, the more Fruitional Power was drained.
This seemed disadvantageous to Fruitional Ranks — and to True Lords beyond them — yet within the Jiangdong Dao Court, it also held symbolic significance.
That was: “Name and Instrument.”
The more posts formed from one’s Fruitional Rank occupied roles within the Dao Court, the deeper one’s grasp over the foundation of the Dao Court, the 【Immortal Nation Dao Law】.
How did the previous Grand Preceptor of the Dao Court reach Mid-Stage Golden Core?
Was it not because of his overwhelming authority and the support of hundreds of officials, which allowed him to stabilize his Cave Heaven and achieve Mid-Stage might under the blessing of the 【Immortal Nation Dao Law】?
It was the same for Emperor Jiayou.
He had reached Mid-Stage Golden Core by toppling the former Grand Preceptor and ruling Jiangdong for centuries.
But now, as he prepared to break through to the Late Stage of Golden Core, the situation had reversed — he needed to conserve his Fruitional Power.
Hence, he bestowed as few titles as possible.
This was also one reason he gave up control of the 【All-Heaven Department】, letting the Three Dukes handle appointments.
On this foundation, the 【Imperial City Department】 — which required none of his Fruitional Power and relied solely on incense and merit — naturally became dear to his heart.
“All right, rise.”
Emperor Jiayou raised his right hand slightly and smiled: “I’ve seen your loyalty. A loyal minister must be rewarded. I grant you an extra yuan of salary.”
“In addition, although you've returned the post of 【Commander of the Nine Gates】, the Imperial City Department has already taken over the Nine Gates’ defenses as of yesterday. There's no need to withdraw them now. Leave them as is. You shall temporarily assume the duties of 【Commander of the Nine Gates】. Once you achieve merit, the post shall be yours again.”
The implied meaning: perform well.
Though I took back the official title, I let you retain the responsibilities. If you do well, the post will still be yours.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Upon hearing this, Lü Yang immediately displayed excitement and delight. His once-hunched back straightened again, and he exuded a vigorous and spirited aura.
Only then did Emperor Jiayou nod in satisfaction:
“You may go.”
Lü Yang bowed and slowly withdrew from the 【Tianwu Hall】. He flew in a streak of light back to his quiet chamber at the 【Imperial City Department】, and finally breathed a sigh of relief:
“Whew.”
As for the just-returned First-Rank post, Lü Yang didn’t care. After all, over the past three days, he had already used up all three chances to covertly absorb the blessings of the 【Immortal Nation Dao Law】, successfully comprehending the 【Wei Earth】 Dao hidden in the post. With such gains, he considered it a profit.
As for the Golden Nature that the First-Rank post could help condense?
Lü Yang didn’t mind. Compared to the Golden Nature drawn from titles, he trusted the one cultivated from steady personal advancement more.
‘The time has come.’
With a thought, Lü Yang used 【String-Pulled Puppet】 to control Yu Suzhen in Jiangbei, guiding her to leave the Holy Sect and head overseas.
With his Immortal Embryo Clone secretly protecting her, he ensured she would arrive safely in the Biyang Cultivation World.
‘【Boundless Heaven】… it’s time to open it!’
Now, he was only one Dao of 【Ji Earth】 away. Once completed, he could refine the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend, and formally reach Foundation Establishment Completion.
At that point, Emperor Jiayou would be useless.
‘Perhaps I should find someone to help me assassinate him... hmm, fortunately, I already have the perfect candidate. I’ll leave this task to 【Ang Xiao】.’
As that thought rose, Lü Yang turned his gaze to a remnant fragment of a Cave Heaven inside the Myriad Spirits Banner, where 【Ang Xiao】’s divine sense resided.
In the previous life, when the Dao Court's Emperor and Three Dukes all went into seclusion, the court quickly regained order. Likely, Emperor Jiayou had made arrangements before disappearing.
But what Lü Yang wanted was a headless Dao Court.
So in this life, he wouldn’t give Emperor Jiayou that chance. To achieve that, the 【Obstruction of Knowledge and View】 of 【Ang Xiao】 was undoubtedly his best option.
【Netherworld】, the place that cannot be spoken.
Originally in meditation, 【Ang Xiao】 suddenly opened his eyes. Glancing around, his brows furrowed. “Karmic fluctuations... someone’s plotting against me?”
“That mysterious Foundation Establishment cultivator?”
At this thought, even 【Ang Xiao】 felt helpless. For some unknown reason, his divine sense in the mortal realm had been completely severed.
For the other to achieve this, they must have possessed a sealing-type supreme treasure capable of cutting off karma — and clearly wary of him — making 【Ang Xiao】 deeply frustrated. If he weren’t certain that he had never met this Foundation Establishment cultivator before, he would’ve thought they were old adversaries.
Why be so guarded against me?
Do I not look like a good person?
“.No, I can’t just sit here and wait for death.”
【Ang Xiao】 relaxed his brow and quickly made a decision: “Perhaps it’s time to activate that contingency. Retrieve Mu Changsheng’s Dao Karma.”
The Innate True Person Mu Changsheng had sought the body of 【Long Flowing Water】 and perished, leaving behind a lone Dao Karma. 【Ang Xiao】 had long had plans for it. He had even tampered with Mu Changsheng’s inheritance, leaving a hidden hand in the 『Innate Dao Book』, enabling him to affect cultivators of this technique if needed.
With this thought, 【Ang Xiao】 immediately took action.
However, as he sensed for a cultivator of the 『Innate Dao Book』, what greeted him was a grand vision of 【Long Flowing Water】 and a resonant voice:
“False made true, true becomes false. Where nothing arises, something returns to nothing.”
“Mu Changsheng left 【Boundless Heaven】 here for the benefit of later generations.”
【Ang Xiao】: “...Huh?”
The next second, a vast Fruitional Power surged, instantly shattering 【Ang Xiao】’s senses and plunging his mood into the abyss.
A wave of unease washed over him.
Hong Yun’s Cave Heaven fragment was gone, the Dao Karma of the Innate True Person was lost, his divine sense had been sealed, and his identity was likely exposed.
‘Something’s wrong!’
‘Every step I’ve taken recently, every secret arrangement I’ve made, has been undone. Someone is behind this — someone is orchestrating everything against me!’