Struggling to Survive with Regression Power in the Primordial Saint Sect

“Just this, and you dare to challenge me?”

Lü Yang suppressed the sword light, extended his hand, and immediately retrieved two streams of light from the dissipating spiritual tide formed by the disintegration of the two True Persons of the Myriad Poisons Cult.

They were their gu insects.

【Dragon Centipede Gu】.

【Cicada Gu】.

The former was evidently a divine gu akin to a dharma body, enabling one to transform into a variant dragon centipede, possessing a semblance of true dragon might, but that was all.

The latter, however, was more intriguing.

“The morning mushroom knows not the dusk, the cicada knows not spring and autumn.”

Lü Yang held the 【Cicada Gu】 in his hand; at first glance, it resembled a delicate golden cicada, emitting a chirping sound as his spiritual power infused it.

Suddenly, Lü Yang’s brows slightly furrowed, for within the cicada’s chirping, he distinctly felt a subtle decay in his body, his spiritual power circulation accelerating, as if time was gradually slipping away from him. Strands of frost appeared among his originally jet-black hair.

“Hmph!”

In the next moment, Lü Yang sneered coldly, flicked his fingertip, and instantly unleashed a 【Sword Qi Thunder Sound】, dispersing the eerie cicada chirping in an instant.

Looking back, there was no sign of decay.

His jet-black hair remained unchanged, and the wrinkles and decay that had emerged due to the passage of time vanished entirely, as if everything just now had been an illusion.

“Interesting.”

Lü Yang stroked his chin, contemplating the profoundness of the 【Cicada Gu】. Its foundation did not lie in spiritual power but in the belief of the one affected.

“Appearance arises from the heart; if believed, it exists; if not, it doesn’t. This gu insect can create an almost indistinguishable illusion, and once the affected person believes it, the illusion becomes reality. If not believed, it’s merely a dream. This gu is far superior to the 【Dragon Centipede Gu】.”

The only drawback was its extremely short lifespan.

Born in spring, dies in summer; born in summer, perishes in autumn. Therefore, it usually remains dormant and only awakens when needed, not to be used lightly.

‘No wonder among the three fortune sticks drawn by the 【Divination of Fate】 earlier, there was a possibility that I could never defeat them.’

After all, if the 【Cicada Gu】 was used well, its power was indeed significant.

Whether injured, depleted of spiritual power, or facing other predicaments, as long as one firmly believed in the illusion created, any crisis could be easily resolved.

‘Unfortunately, they encountered me.’

Such a miraculous gu insect hadn’t even had the chance to display its power before being instantly neutralized by Lü Yang’s unorthodox methods, rendering its wonder useless.

“It’s mine now!”

Lü Yang reached out and stored the 【Cicada Gu】 away. The only regret was that neither of the two had the Myriad Poisons Cult’s gu control methods on them.

“Well, such secrets are rarely carried around...”

At this thought, Lü Yang’s movements slightly paused.

In fact, if he wished, he could now use the 【Heavenly Canopy All-Encompassing Dharma Body】 to bring forth the Myriad Spirits Banner and capture these two True Persons of the Myriad Poisons Cult.

By then, any secret techniques could be easily obtained through questioning.

However, after some contemplation, Lü Yang decided against it.

‘It’s unnecessary. Since the clone has already entered the Sword Pavilion, it must not leave any clues related to the main body; it’s better to sever ties cleanly.’

‘Moreover, caution is the parent of safety... Who knows if someone is watching me right now!’

In the southern frontier, within a military camp shrouded in layers of clouds and bristling with weapons, the Dao Court’s 【King of the South Suppression】, Wu Tai’an, calmly withdrew his gaze.

“He actually won...”

Wu Tai’an stroked his chin, somewhat surprised: “Just having reached Foundation Establishment, yet able to recover to mid-stage perfection. This person’s previous life’s foundation must be extraordinary.”

He was a noble of the Dao Court’s royal family; the current emperor was his elder brother, and the crown prince his nephew. The bloodline granted him a pair of jade-green eyes, naturally capable of observing the heavens and the underworld, a mysterious ability akin to an innate divine power, allowing him to see thousands of miles with ease.

“The Sword Pavilion has produced another formidable sword cultivator.”

Wu Tai’an sighed, but his expression gradually darkened, his tone low: “Looking at the world, how many heroes are there?”

“The Holy Sect is the most dazzling.”

“Just one 【True Lord of Morning Reality and Grand Void】 broke a five-thousand-year shackle, ushering in a sixty-year era of great contention. Which True Person in the world doesn’t owe him a favor?”

“The Sword Pavilion is equally unwilling to lag behind.”

“Daoist Dangmo, Ye Guangji, the current world’s number one sword cultivator. I can’t even think of anyone in Foundation Establishment who can withstand three of his strikes; his strength is simply unreasonable.”

“As for the Pure Land, even more so. The Buddha Child has descended; the ’Buddha Kingdom on Earth’ is imminent.”

“Even overseas...”

At this point, Wu Tai’an suddenly flew into a rage, slamming his palm on the table: “Even overseas, damn it, there’s now a formidable rogue cultivator from beyond the heavens!”

The Holy Sect, Sword Pavilion, Pure Land—all had outstanding talents of the era.

Overseas also produced gifted individuals.

“But what about us?”

What about the Dao Court?

Upon these words, Wu Tai’an’s deputy couldn’t help but cautiously speak: “Your Highness, don’t we also have the Crown Prince as the regent...”

This remark was ill-advised. Upon hearing it, Wu Tai’an immediately sneered: “Crown Prince? An idle figure occupying a position without merit! Probably all his thoughts are on waiting for His Majesty to pass away, to meet the Grand Ancestor, and then naturally inherit the throne. That’s all he aspires to in this life!”

“Even guarding the capital is a stretch for him.”

“Expecting him to expand territories and seek a golden position on his own? That’s overestimating him! Forget a golden position; even a false one, he probably doesn’t have the guts!”

“As for the entire court, every single one is an unparalleled coward!”

“With such vermin, how can we govern Jiangdong well? How can we manage the Dao Court effectively?”

Wu Tai’an’s scolding was relentless.

However, his deputy listened with trepidation, wishing he were deaf, only able to keep his eyes down, pretending not to hear.

But in the next second, his expression changed.

Because after the tirade, Wu Tai’an’s expression suddenly became calm: “Back then, the 【True Lord of Morning Reality and Grand Void】 established sixty years of peace.”

“It’s been ten years since then.”

“Yet the world remains the same; though undercurrents surge, no one has truly taken that step. Do you know why?”

“Why?” the deputy asked in a low voice.

“Because they’re afraid!”

DDL

Wu Tai’an grinned: “Are the words of the 【True Lord of Morning Reality and Grand Void】 trustworthy? Have the esteemed elders truly gone into seclusion? Did they leave any contingencies?”

“These are all unknowns!”

“Perhaps some even suspect it’s a scheme among True Lords, aiming to unearth and eradicate the seedlings nurtured over five thousand years.”