Struggling to Survive with Regression Power in the Primordial Saint Sect

【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 stood gracefully within Lü Yang’s Cave Heaven, yet the radiance emanating from her body could not be completely concealed even by the Cave Heaven itself.

At that moment, Lü Yang was still deep in thought.

‘Seeking the Dao Immortal Method... What is that? Seeking Gold, Seeking the Dao—could it be something related to ascending to Dao Lord? Is it connected to the cultivation of Golden Core True Lords?’

Lü Yang subconsciously tried to recall the memories of Hong Yun and 【True Lord of Heaven-Bearing Righteous Virtue】, yet 【True Lord of Heaven-Bearing Righteous Virtue】 clearly knew nothing about it. On the other hand, Hong Yun seemed to have a few insights—vague yet distinct—only knowing that after achieving the state of Golden Core True Lord, one must walk their own path.

‘In any case, I must be cautious.’

Lü Yang’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

“Puchi.”

The sound of flesh being torn echoed from Lü Yang’s body without warning. He hadn’t even reacted before his pupils contracted sharply—his Dharma body had already been torn apart!

It was 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】.

In that very instant, she had dashed forward and, with a casual gesture, shattered Lü Yang’s body—elegant and effortless, as if it took no exertion whatsoever!

Almost simultaneously, Ancestor Tingyou made his move. A burst of illusionary colors surged forth from him, enveloping himself, Suohuan, and Lü Yang’s exploded Dharma body. Within this light, all became ethereal, making 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s relentless strike hit nothing but air as she paused her advance in the distance.

Immediately after, Suohuan also acted.

He opened his palm, spiritual light condensed, and then a stream of icy clear spring water gushed forth, drenching Lü Yang’s just-reconstructed Dharma body.

“Whoosh!”

In an instant, Lü Yang—whose face had still been slightly pale—regained his vitality. When he looked again at 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】, his eyes were filled with wariness.

‘What was that?’

Lü Yang could be certain—it wasn’t the profundity of the Fruit Position of 【Hairpin Gold】, nor was it a conceptual image. It was a higher-level method, born from the Fruit Position!

Not only was it powerful, its status was also extremely high!

If not, there was no way it could have so effortlessly broken through the protection he had set up using the 【Heavenly Inscription Seal】. In theory, she shouldn’t have even been able to touch him.

‘But... this makes sense! Although 【True Lord of Heaven-Bearing Righteous Virtue】 once said that battles between True Lords depend on Fruit Positions, what can he really understand with his shallow attainments? 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 is a true veteran True Lord. Only from her can I truly learn something valuable.’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s heart ignited with enthusiasm.

In his eyes, 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 had already become a grand treasure. He wanted to acquire her Gold Nature and properly study her knowledge.

‘Unfortunately, the Gold Nature of a Golden Core True Lord isn’t easy to obtain, and even harder to settle.’

True Lords weren’t like Foundation Establishment cultivators. A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Gold Nature could be a mere wisp, but for a True Lord, the Gold Nature was fused with their soul. To claim it, one had to suppress their soul.

But suppressing the soul of a True Lord—how could that be easy?

It was almost impossible!

To this day, all of Lü Yang’s acquisitions of True Lords’ Gold Natures had only come through seizing the moment of their reincarnation—overthrowing them from below. There was no other method.

As for the Mending Heaven True Scripture, it was even more difficult.

Unless absolutely necessary, Lü Yang truly didn’t want to use the Mending Heaven True Scripture against a Bodhisattva from the Pure Land. Who knew if the World-Honored One would descend because of it...

At that thought, Lü Yang could only sigh.

The two most effective ways he had to learn knowledge were currently useless, so he could only roll up his sleeves and prepare to resort to the dumbest method.

Take a beating!

After being beaten enough, as long as one wasn’t dead, many things would be learned naturally.

“Boom!”

In the next moment, 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 struck again. Still that graceful motion—soaring like a startled swan, dancing like a roaming dragon—she arrived before Lü Yang in an instant.

Lü Yang still couldn’t react in time and could only widen his eyes as 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 once more easily shattered his just-reassembled Dharma body. Seeing this, Ancestor Tingyou and Suohuan, who had long been prepared, were about to repeat their technique to rapidly restore Lü Yang.

“The same trick... Do you really think it’ll work twice?”

【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s gaze turned cold: “The Virtual-Real Fruit Position... is ultimately an external path. Even with extraordinary talent, it’s still like a clever housewife without rice to cook.”

Before her words faded, divine radiance descended!

In that instant, Ancestor Tingyou’s body trembled violently—he was forcibly broken out of the 【Carefree Heaven】’s all-encompassing invulnerable illusory state!

A sheer suppression of hierarchy!

In that moment, behind 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s head, three True Treasures revolved in a circle, radiating brilliance and elevating her to a state of unprecedented transcendence.

“You’ve forced me to reveal my Immortal Method—no one can escape now.”

“Amitabha... Today, I shall send you all to meet the World-Honored One! In days to come, you shall also have your own lotus platforms beneath him, and thus achieve true fruition.”

“Boom!”

Another thunderous roar—【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s figure vanished once more, as if transcending time itself, instantly reappearing before Lü Yang.

Her movements were calm and assured—clearly full of confidence. After all, if not for Ancestor Tingyou and Suohuan interrupting her momentum the previous two times, Lü Yang would have already been struck down repeatedly, dying in confusion and entering reincarnation. This time would be no different. After all, he was just a newly risen novice...

“Whoosh—whoosh—!”

Whipping wind howled from 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s fingertips. But she froze for a brief moment, for this time... she had missed.

‘Impossible!’

At that instant, a flash of astonishment finally appeared in 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s eyes. It was only the third exchange—how could the opponent have dodged her strike?

The next second, a calm voice echoed from afar. It was Lü Yang—having reformed his Dharma body and narrowly dodged her killing blow—who had pulled away along with Ancestor Tingyou and Suohuan. His eyes blazed like twin suns, and roaring flames surged endlessly around him.

“To be frank, it’s not all that complicated.”

In that moment, Lü Yang’s eyes seemed to become sun and moon—brilliant beyond compare. A foreboding premonition stirred in 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】’s heart.

Had he seen through her?

Impossible! Her Seeking Dao Immortal Method had never been displayed to others since its inception. Even if someone could pierce its mystery, it shouldn’t be possible in just three moves!

But the next second, Lü Yang confirmed her unease.

“It’s karma, isn’t it.”

Lü Yang grinned: “You’re not moving fast at all. You’re just striking along the causal line of my being wounded—there’s a trace of 【City Wall Earth】 in your technique.”

For others, such a thing would be incredibly hard to detect—but not for him.

Because he had once journeyed into the 【False History】 and personally experienced the effects of being influenced by a ‘possible future.’ He was especially sensitive to such methods.

Two exchanges were enough for him to uncover the truth.

Gold energy hidden away, form already broken, function exhausted, nothing left to wield—this is 【Hairpin Gold】.

Within it lies the essence of fixed karma, unable to be altered.

Of course, that’s merely a tangent—only a faint connection. In truth, it’s far removed from the true profundity and imagery of 【Hairpin Gold】.

Thus, Lü Yang speculated that 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Bodhisattva】 must have also studied 【City Wall Earth】 for many years to extrapolate such a brilliant method of wielding karma. More importantly, this method clearly broke free from the constraints of 【Hairpin Gold】 and formed its own system!

At this, Lü Yang was immediately thrilled!

‘To possess a Fruit Position, yet not rely on it entirely—instead borrowing its profundity, combining it with one’s own cultivation, and finally forging a mystical method uniquely one’s own!’

This was the 【Seeking Dao Immortal Method】!

‘To seek the Dao—this is how it must be! After all, have you ever heard of the four Dao Lords needing Fruit Positions? If you don’t break free, how can it be called Seeking the Dao?’

In fact, the secret behind the mid-stage Golden Core probably lay here as well!

At the early stage of Golden Core, the Cave Heaven enters the Fruit Position, but still relies upon it. Only by leaping beyond it, forming one’s own system, can one break free of the Fruit Position—and the Cave Heaven shall not fall!