Chapter 1434
Chess Pieces
Chapter 1434 Chess Pieces
The arrival of the Grand Fortune made Lü Yang fall into deep thought.
Seeing his appearance, Da Yunlai chuckled and said, "There's no need to worry too much. At least for now, Dao Zun should have the advantage."
"Oh." Lü Yang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "How do you know?"
Da Yunlai explained, "If Dao Zun didn't have an advantage, why would he have brought you here? You are the continuation of the future that Dao Zun observed."
"That's why we're interfering with you in the final tribulation."
"Originally, Taiyuan Immortal should also be a pawn of Daozun, which is why his life was spared back then. However, he is probably affected by the final tribulation now."
"."
Da Yunlai's tone was relatively relaxed, without much pressure, but Lü Yang, who knew his own situation well, felt even heavier after hearing it.
'That's not right.' Lü Yang suddenly realized.
'The Great Fortune has been misunderstood. The truth is probably quite the opposite; the one who truly holds the advantage is not the Daoist Master, but rather that indescribable final tribulation!'
The reason is simple: if the Daoist Master truly holds the advantage, and if the Sea of Light, symbolizing the future, can truly anchor the continuation of the Divine Land, then why would he possess the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes? Why would he even exist? Not to mention, why would he be granted the ability to start over?
So the truth is probably the opposite.
'What he observed was probably not a 'continuous future,' but rather a 'future closest to successful continuation.'
They came closest to success, but failed.
Imagine if I hadn't been there, and the First Saint's transcendence plan had actually succeeded, what would the Sea of Light have left behind? It would still be a desolate wasteland.
However, I appeared myself.
To be precise, it was the emergence of the "Book of a Hundred Generations".
Strictly speaking, the future Sea of Light was controlled by the final calamity and was destined for destruction; it was only through the intervention of [Jun] that life was given a chance to emerge.
'This also explains why the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] can only be reopened a hundred times. Essentially, it's a struggle between [Jun] and the final tribulation. The fact that [Jun] could manage to secure a hundred chances to start over under the influence of the final tribulation, which is also a Nascent Soul stage, demonstrates its exceptional skill.'
Lü Yang finally understood what was going on.
However, it was precisely because of this that his mood became increasingly heavy, and he was even somewhat relieved: fortunately, he had only needed a dozen lifetimes to successfully attain the cultivation of a Dao Lord.
The "Book of a Hundred Generations" still has more than eighty pages.
The margin for error is still very high.
Thinking of this, Lü Yang raised his head again and looked at Da Yunlai: "So, fellow Daoist, why are you telling me all this? What exactly do you want to do?"
"Will you help me fight against the First Saint?"
Upon hearing this, Da Yunlai immediately took a step back without hesitation and waved his hand, saying, "Fellow Daoist, don't talk nonsense. I really know nothing about combat."
"We [Operations and Maintenance] personnel don't fight."
"Besides, given your current situation, you don't need to fight. You're just having a bit of bad luck and need a little help."
After saying that, Dayunlai stepped aside.
Immediately, Lü Yang saw a table set up in this idyllic paradise, and on the table was a straw man.
The straw figure has three lamps on its head and seven lamps at its feet.
It symbolizes the three souls and seven spirits.
The rolling lights made the straw figure appear incredibly profound, and above its face hung a talisman with three large characters in talismanic script written on it:
【Taiyi Tian】
“This is…” Lu Yang raised an eyebrow.
Immediately afterwards, Da Yunlai lightly flicked his sleeves and performed the proper etiquette, while behind him, two child-like Dao Ancestors of the [Yunxiu] sect followed suit.
The three bowed deeply.
"Boom!"
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, the First Saint suddenly came to his senses, feeling as if a deafening roar had sounded in his ears, but he instantly regained his senses.
What happened?
Chu Sheng subconsciously felt that something was wrong, but upon closer inspection, it seemed that nothing was wrong, and his attention was quickly drawn to other things.
What comes into view in the distance.
The unknown primordial spirit fire died out, and [Angxiao] disappeared. All these scenes were seen by the First Saint, and these were actually very crucial flaws.
After all, [Angxiao] wouldn't disappear without a reason, and the primordial spirit fire couldn't detect any aura—it's only natural that Lü Yang's decision to reincarnate and fake his death was made in a flash, not premeditated. In his haste, he couldn't cover up all the flaws, which was inevitable.
However, Lü Yang was not worried about this.
He knew his faked death would have flaws, but he also believed that someone would clean up the mess for him, and that person was best at making others overlook the flaws.
【Angxiao】!
Before disappearing, Angxiao did two things: he covered the fragment of the Ancestral Dragon's primordial spirit and himself with the highest level of calamity.
This is the most advanced form of intellectual obstacle.
The former erased the anomaly of the fragment of the primordial spirit, while the latter erased the mysterious disappearance of [Angxiao] himself, to the point that no one even thought of him at this moment.
Everyone was stunned by the news of Lü Yang's death.
—Including the first saint.
However, Angxiao's rank is still slightly insufficient, which is why the First Sage subconsciously had doubts after seeing Lü Yang's death.
Normally, out of caution, the initial saint would have pursued the matter to the end. However, with his meticulous investigation, there was at least a 60% chance that Angxiao's methods would be exposed. This caution, along with a certain degree of smooth sailing, was seen by Yunxiu as good fortune.
But things are different now.
At this moment, the initial sage's fortune was greatly weakened in a short period of time, so some things that could be easily seen through in the past are now difficult to understand.
The caution and carelessness of the past have now turned into relaxation and carelessness.
This is not a change in consciousness, but merely a natural decision made by the First Sage after the change of fortune. It is formless and intangible, yet it truly influences people's actions!
Therefore, after a moment of silence, the First Saint raised his head:
"It seems that Xuande is indeed dead."
【so?】
Soon, words appeared in the [Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny]: [Should I be born now? If I am born, I should be able to settle everything in one fell swoop.]
Taiyuan Xian's confidence was by no means arrogant. As someone who once competed with Jun for the opportunity to become a Nascent Soul, his strength was definitely above Shi Weixiong and the current Tribulation God. If it weren't for his fear of the strange power of rebirth, he would have been born long ago when the Initial Saint was successfully transformed.
Now that Xuande Daozu is dead.
The power of reopening that he feared most no longer existed, and the seal had long been worn away during the previous reopening, so there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
But the next second.
"No."
Chu Sheng decisively rejected Taiyuan Xian's request to be born, his tone icy: "To be on the safe side, even if you are to be born, do not do so in public."
"Better safe than sorry. Although Xuande is most likely dead, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance that he is still alive, then you appearing in front of everyone is giving him a chance to start over in the future. Use the aura of the end times there to cover it up. That is the only way to be absolutely sure."
After saying this, the first sage moved.
He made a hand seal, his movements incredibly profound, and in one breath opened the spacetime passage leading to the future—the passage used to guide the final Dao Gods—to its maximum extent.
"Zheng—!"
In an instant, the sound of a blade rang out, and the chilling killing intent grew even colder, almost piercing through the brow of the First Saint, but was blocked by a dark figure.
The final tribulation god.
This naturally born deity, imbued with spirituality, finally traveled back in time from the distant future with the help of the First Sage, arriving at the present moment!
"call"
He took a deep breath, almost greedily absorbing the boundless vitality surrounding him, yet a sense of decay was spreading blatantly around him.
This is the characteristic of the God of the Final Calamity. Even if he does nothing, his very existence will force all things to perish. Every breath of life he takes in is the aura of the final calamity. If he is not killed, the destruction of the world will be irreversible!
However, he didn't care.
"So what if the world at this point in time is destroyed? We can simply open a time portal and travel to an earlier time when the world still had life."
The voice of the First Saint echoed softly.
The simple suggestion was like a demonic whisper, striking the very heart of the God of the Final Tribulation, causing him to nod involuntarily, clearly indicating his approval.
“My goal does not conflict with yours. I want to transcend and renounce worldly affairs, while you just want to live. We can work together.”
"What do you want me to do?"
The final calamity god stared coldly at the primordial saint.
Chu Sheng smiled easily: "You don't need to do anything. Just do your best and live according to your own wishes. That's what you want too."
After speaking, the figure of the First Saint quickly faded away.
He went straight into the space-time tunnel and headed to the future, intending to first seize the Seed of the Great Dao and become a Nascent Soul cultivator!
Where he had been standing, the final Dao God stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face so calm that no thought could be discerned, facing the siege of Shi Weixiong and the other ancient Dao Ancestors.
"puff!"
In this secluded paradise, the three Dao Ancestors of the [Yunxiu] sect, who had just solemnly bowed in reverence, suddenly raised their heads and then simultaneously and uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of hot blood.
The blood-red light was dazzling, falling among the countless peach blossoms, instantly staining this originally peaceful place with a layer of scarlet color. A strong smell of rust permeated the air, and even the expressions of the three Dao Ancestors of the [Cultivation] realm became dejected and extremely listless, with a hint of disbelief on their faces.
"So strong. How could this be?"
"My cultivation is even higher than when I dealt with Taiyuan Immortal, and I have two more Dao Ancestors to help me, yet I still couldn't persuade this Initial Saint?"
It's somewhat unbelievable that such a great fortune has come.
On the other side, Lü Yang saw it clearly: "It moved, but only a little. Fellow Daoist, you are already very impressive to have achieved this."
After all, in this struggle for the Dao, the one who truly holds the advantage is the final tribulation. As a pawn of the final tribulation, and in a sense even an agent of the initial saint, it is perfectly normal that his fate is difficult to shake. If he can interfere a little when the great fortune comes, it already means that his cultivation is high enough.
Therefore, Lü Yang has a very good mindset.
Instead, Da Yunlai's relaxed expression vanished, replaced by solemnity: "The tide of fate cannot be shaken. Is the success of the First Saint already a foregone conclusion?"
"Can the arrival of the apocalypse be prevented?"
"But Guanghai has already arrived!"
"Could it be that the Dao Venerable is at a disadvantage? Impossible, that shouldn't be the case."
Seeing Da Yunlai's appearance, Lü Yang thought for a moment and took the initiative to speak: "Speaking of which, I have another matter I would like to ask you about, fellow Daoist."
".oh?"
Upon hearing this, Da Yunlai finally came to his senses and understood what Lü Yang meant. He composed himself and then said, "Junior Brother, please speak freely."
Regarding the "Divine Decree Book".
At first glance, the description of Guanghai's future before the arrival of the great fortune seems to explain the principle of the "Book of a Hundred Generations," but it cannot avoid another problem.
[The Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny].
According to the intelligence Lu Yang had previously gathered, the power to reopen the [Book of a Hundred Generations] should actually have been extracted from this book by [Jun]. However, the current claim of the Great Fortune overturns this. If the power to reopen the [Book of a Hundred Generations] is essentially based on [Jun]'s repeated observations of the future and the Sea of Light, then what about the [Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny]? How did it obtain its power to reopen?
Thinking of this, Lü Yang simply asked directly:
"The Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny—what is the origin of this book? How did the two sects of Ming and Xiang create it? Where does its power come from?"
Da Yunlai was stunned upon hearing this:
"The two sects of Ming and Xiang created this. How could such a misunderstanding arise in later generations? Ming and Xiang merely obtained the [Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny]."
"They didn't even get it."
"It was obtained from the Taiyuan Immortal they created."
"As for its origin, I don't know either. In fact, among all the Dao Ancestors, apart from Taiyuan Immortal and Dao Venerable, I'm afraid only Zhitianming has some understanding of it."
"Know your destiny?" Lü Yang raised an eyebrow.
[Life Cultivation] The First Dao Ancestor.
Why do you say he has some understanding of it?
Upon hearing this, Da Yunlai replied in a tone that suggested, "This is common sense."
"Because the [Destiny Cultivation] lineage was created by him after he was fortunate enough to comprehend the [Divine Fortune and Destiny Book]. It was the beginning of cultivation in the Divine Land."
"Before this, cultivation in Shenzhou was diverse, with some focusing on Qi cultivation and others on body cultivation, but none of them were integrated into a specific lineage or system, let alone having any distinctions such as realms. It wasn't until the establishment of [Life Cultivation] that a true system of cultivation emerged."
"Of course, more importantly..."
At this point, Da Yunlai looked helpless: "The history of Shenzhou was altered once because of the emergence of [Fate Cultivation], as you should know, Junior Brother."
Lu Yang nodded upon hearing this.
"Because the person who was born at the age of knowing his destiny was reincarnated and replaced the original God of Heaven who symbolized the beginning of China, the history associated with him was completely changed."
"good."
Da Yunlai continued, "Indeed, cultivation in Shenzhou has thus gotten back on track, but much of the history has also been buried in that past."
"I see."
Lu Yang lowered his eyelids and listened to Da Yunlai's explanation. A rather bold guess suddenly surfaced in his mind, and he continued to ask:
"The Seed of the Great Way".
"Do you know the specific origin of this thing, fellow Daoist?"
Da Yunlai shook his head again: "I only know that this thing appeared once before, which led to the Dao Venerable, and now it has reappeared because of the Dao Venerable."
Lu Yang frowned and asked, "Don't you find this strange, fellow Daoist?"
"What's so strange about it?" Da Yunlai asked in return.
Of course it's strange!
Since the Seed of the Great Dao appeared this time because of Jun, what about last time? How did the Seed of the Great Dao that made Jun a god come about?
Is it possible that it is another Nascent Soul cultivator?
This is Lü Yang's guess:
'What has already happened will inevitably lead to a struggle between the Nascent Soul stage and the final tribulation, perhaps not starting with the [Jun] generation, but possibly even earlier!'
The power to reopen the [Divine Fortune Book] is also due to this.
Perhaps the so-called "Book of Divine Fortune and Mandate" is the previous generation's "Book of a Hundred Generations," and behind it is another Nascent Soul cultivator who preceded "Jun"!
Why is it no longer useful?
'Because that Nascent Soul cultivator transcended the limitations of nurturing [Jun] and making [Jun] a Nascent Soul cultivator, that book can no longer be reopened!'
Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn't help but press his temples.
Even he could not hide the turmoil churning in his heart at this moment, and almost subconsciously began to doubt his own reasoning, because it was too exaggerated.
One generation after another transformed into gods.
Using the same methods to continue the legacy, in order to fight against the core of this broken place that is destined to come to an end, could it be something like this?
'Rather than interpreting it that way, it's better to see it as a necessary condition for transcendence. For a Nascent Soul cultivator to transcend, they must cultivate another Nascent Soul to replace them—a malicious attempt to lure people into the trap. At least if it were a Primordial Saint, this motive would seem more reasonable.'
Ok?
Suddenly, Lü Yang froze.
Like a ray of light flashing in the darkness, it dispelled all the confusion and enlightened him, revealing a crucial opportunity.
That's right, the First Sage would definitely think so!
If Chu Sheng had deduced the same thing as himself, he would definitely think it was a conspiracy, and that Jun was trying to find someone to take the blame for him.
What will happen at the First Saint Assembly?
'He cannot accept going to jail as a scapegoat for [Jun], so he will definitely give up on achieving the Nascent Soul stage first and instead seek transcendence!'
'Even though that was just the ending he imagined.'
'However, given the sage's style—shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target—even with only a one in ten thousand chance, he wouldn't gamble; he would only try to defend himself.'
This is the opportunity.
It must be admitted that at this moment, the First Saint's fortune is terrifyingly stable. Under his plan, the Seed of the Great Dao is almost his for the taking.
But if the initial saint were to first become a deity, then everything would be over.
and so--
'We need to make him give up on his own.'
Thinking of this, Lü Yang suddenly looked up at Da Yunlai and said urgently, "Fellow Daoist, let's do it again, but this time don't weaken the initial saint."
"It should be the other way around."
Lü Yang quickly came up with a plan and said in a deep voice:
"Try to increase his luck. Can you push him in a specific direction? If so, let him discover the secret of the struggle between the Nascent Soul stage and the final tribulation!"
"This"
Da Yunlai didn't understand Lü Yang's thoughts at all. From his perspective, Lü Yang had only thought for a moment before suddenly making this request.
Even so, he did not hesitate.
Although it was incomprehensible, it was clear that as soon as those words were spoken, Lü Yang's fortunes inexplicably improved.
Since that's the case—
"I understand, we can give it a try."
The next second, Da Yunlai nodded decisively, then looked at the straw figure on the table again, changed his incantation, and then solemnly bowed down once more.
Inside the spacetime tunnel.
Just as Da Yunlai was casting his spell, the First Saint, who was heading towards the future, suddenly paused, then frowned and looked at the [Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny].
"what happened?"
[That's not quite right.]
Words quickly appeared on the page: "If Xuande is already dead, why hasn't the power of reopening returned to the book, but remains outside?"
There's something wrong here!
At this moment, Taiyuan Xian felt his thoughts were incredibly clear, and many details that he would have previously overlooked were now recalled one by one.
Good fortune smiles upon him.
When the time is right, heaven and earth lend their strength. At this moment, Taiyuan Immortal and Chusheng's goal is transcendence, so he can detect any factors that may hinder transcendence.
The information that Taiyuan Immortal possesses is certainly no less than that of Da Yunlai.
He was a witness to the events of that year and had a deeper understanding of the origins of this treasure, especially regarding the secrets of the [Divine Destiny Book].
Therefore, the whole process proceeded exactly as Lü Yang had predicted.
What he can deduce, the First Saint can also deduce, given enough information; this was originally their forte.
[The Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny comes from before ancient times.]
[There's also the Seed of the Great Dao. Jun and I once believed that these two items were left behind by cultivators of the Upper Realm, which is why they possess incredible power.]
[Before this, I always believed that the power of rebirth in Xuande's possession was drawn from the Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny. But if that were true, now that Xuande is dead, the power of rebirth should have returned. Either he didn't die, or the two powers of rebirth were not from the same source.]
"Is there such a thing?"
After reading these words, Chu Sheng frowned even more deeply and fell into deep thought. After a long while, he said, "Xuan De is dead, so the former is unlikely."
"On the contrary, if the latter is true..."
The sage's tone suddenly hardened:
"What about the Nascent Soul who created the [Divine Destiny Book]? He must have transcended the mortal realm. Because of his transcendence, the power to reopen the world also disappeared."
"And now, [Jun] has created the power to reopen, replicating the Dao struggle between you and him back then, and has also released the Dao Seed that can promote the Nascent Soul stage."
"This is clearly an attempt to recreate the transcendent act of the previous deity."
"[Jun] was nurtured by the previous Nascent Soul cultivator, who was able to transcend. Now, he wants to use the same trick to nurture the next one?"
At this point, the First Sage suddenly realized:
"Perhaps, this is [Jun]'s plan!"
“I’m going to cultivate a new Nascent Soul cultivator to replace him so he can take the opportunity to transcend. So I’m going to seize the Seed of the Great Dao first, which is probably exactly what he wants.”
"In other words, I am merely a pawn in his game, a talent used to transcend his limitations!"
"As for the Great Sacrifice to All Beings, it is probably just a pretense to deceive me, making me think that it is the way to transcend, while I ignore the real method."
It matches up! Everything matches up!
After hearing this reasoning, Taiyuan Xian was also deeply moved, but couldn't help but wonder: "Isn't this a bit of wishful thinking? After all, you have no evidence."
“But it’s possible, right?” Chu Sheng asked rhetorically.
【.indeed.】
"That's enough."
In an instant, the First Saint stood still, his expression changing rapidly.
If he chooses to continue seizing the Seed of the Great Dao to achieve the Nascent Soul stage, then Lü Yang will have no choice but to restart the process prematurely.
If the information gap cannot be widened, then restarting is meaningless.
In the end, with the First Saint taking the lead in becoming a Deity, the arrival of the final calamity was still inevitable, since this person would not want to fight against the final calamity to the end.
However, the power of a god is enough to overwhelm everything.
However, the next second, Chu Sheng rejected such a huge temptation without hesitation.
What I want is transcendence.
[Supreme detachment from emotions], absolute rationality prevented him from being swayed by any external things: 'What's the point of becoming a deity if I'm just a prisoner?'
Should we learn from our predecessors and cultivate a spiritual path to transcend worldly concerns?
While this is one possible solution, it is not the optimal solution due to too many variables. It is a path that should only be chosen when there is no other option.
With that in mind, he made a decisive decision.
"The original plan has been temporarily shelved."
"Get the Seed of the Great Dao, but don't use it yet."
"Just in case, let's not break through to the Nascent Soul stage for now, and try to transcend it first! Only by escaping the chessboard of [Equal] will it make sense to break through to the Nascent Soul stage!"
It was at that very moment.
The river of history, which was originally destined to flow irreversibly toward destruction, has now suddenly seen a tributary leading to a completely new ending.
A variable has been created.
(End of this chapter)