Read Novel Full Chapter 577: Mid-stage Combat Arts!
Chapter 577: Mid-stage Combat Arts!
"Rumble rumble rumble!"
In the sky dome above, thunder roared as limitless multicolored illusions aligned in formation, corresponding to the stars above and the earth veins below, casting a boundless landscape of light and shadow.
【Heaven Pillar Sima Profound Grotto-Heaven】.
Lu Yang did not hold back. He immediately opened his own grotto-heaven, spanning the heavens, and stationed himself at its center, atop a divine mountain towering over heaven and earth.
Facing this, 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 did not hesitate. She charged straight into the grotto-heaven, followed closely by the Three Dukes of the Dao Court. This was no reckless act; rather, it was a cautious decision made after 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 carefully evaluated the difference in strength between the two sides.
Because for True Lords, the key to victory in combat arts lay solely in the grotto-heaven.
For a True Lord, if the grotto-heaven was damaged, that meant defeat; if it collapsed, that meant death. All divine abilities and profound arts were rooted in the grotto-heaven.
There was no doubt—the grotto-heaven was the lifeline of a True Lord.
Yet on the other hand, the grotto-heaven was also a True Lord’s strongest ground, for it cut off the universe and formed its own independent domain, nearly impervious from outside in.
This was evident from the battle between True Lord Feixue and 【True Lord of Upholding Heaven and Virtue】. One was mid-stage Golden Core, hailed as the number one in five thousand years of combat arts; the other a weakling among True Lords—yet even so, it took True Lord Feixue considerable time to shatter his grotto-heaven.
Still, the grotto-heaven was not without its weaknesses.
Though it was nearly impossible to destroy from the outside, from within it was far more fragile—not unbreakable.
Of course, the risk was clear.
Once inside someone else’s grotto-heaven, one entered their home ground, and the advantage shifted, bringing the danger of being slain.
Thus, entering another's grotto-heaven for battle was always a gamble for any True Lord.
The reason 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 dared to take this gamble was simple—they had four people. Like a mountain crushing an egg, they believed Lu Yang had no chance of resistance.
But very soon, she thought otherwise.
Because at the very instant the four stepped into the 【Heaven Pillar Sima Profound Grotto-Heaven】, Lu Yang moved too—his expression solemn, the talisman on his brow suddenly expanding.
【Heavenly Inscription Seal】!
Flames enveloped Lu Yang, making his appearance indiscernible like 【Ang Xiao】, with only a radiant figure striding through heaven and earth, solemnly declaring:
"Let there be light!"
In that instant, the entire 【Heaven Pillar Sima Profound Grotto-Heaven】 seemed to ignite. Every corner began to blaze, releasing boundless light, intertwining and linking, ultimately forming a vast formation diagram, which rotated and pressed down on the four intruders.
Seeing this, 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 immediately formed a hand seal.
『Hidden Golden Boudoir』!
Golden light blazed forth, carrying intense implications of demotion and suppression, instantly shattering the formation surrounding her, transforming into a dazzling brilliance.
She intended to demote Lu Yang!
If it had been any other early-stage Golden Core True Lord, their fruit position profundity would have been demoted to mere imagery, and that imagery would then fall into nothingness!
Yet before this demotion light that would make any True Lord pale in fear, Lu Yang merely stood with hands behind his back and chuckled lightly, showing no intent to resist.
A mere ordinary fruit position, trying to demote the Supreme?
"Insolent!"
With a soft rebuke, Lu Yang reached out. Instantly, the dazzling light within the grotto-heaven surged, forging a sky-holding giant hand that came crashing down with a boom!
In that moment, all within the grotto-heaven moved!
Looking around, one saw stars shift and rivers bow, as if the entire world was moving with Lu Yang’s massive hand to suppress the enemy!
The immense might contained in this single palm—had it fallen in the real world, even with Empress Xiao guarding Jiangxi, the result would have been shattered lands and billions dead. And unless one could instantly escape its range, they would have no choice but to withstand it.
Even more sinister—
『Stripping』!
As the palm descended, 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】’s calm face subtly changed, for she realized her 『Hidden Golden Boudoir』 was being stripped away!
‘Even I can be stripped?’
Not only that—the stripped 『Hidden Golden Boudoir』 even turned on her, demoting her rank and allowing Lu Yang to seize more 『Hidden Golden Boudoir』 with ease.
‘What nonsense is this!’
In just a brief instant, 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】’s expression shifted multiple times. For the first time, she felt the oppressive weight of a Supreme fruit position.
What was a Supreme fruit position?
‘Its rank stands a full level above mine, and even the imagery of its position can affect my fruit position profundity. If he uses the profundity itself, wouldn’t it be even more overwhelming?’
Still, 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 did not panic. The gap between mid-stage and early-stage Golden Core was not just about a stable grotto-heaven or endless resurrection. Even within the early stage, the divide between strong and weak was vast and hard to cross.
"Amitabha."
She chanted the Buddha's name, gently pinching her jade fingers, from which emerged a golden light about three feet long.
The tip of the golden light slowly unfurled.
It transformed into a golden lotus jade cup, translucent as glass. 【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 lifted and offered it into the air, aiming it at Lu Yang.
As the jade cup touched Lu Yang’s giant palm, there was no sound—like a clay ox entering the sea, the palm, and even the 『Stripping』 intent within, were completely devoured by the golden lotus jade cup!
Then, the jade cup gently descended.
What had once been a translucent vessel now turned murky black after consuming Lu Yang’s hand—its prior radiance gone.
But no matter what, it worked.
‘Incredible.’
Lu Yang sensed it clearly—his 『Stripping』 divine ability had partly gone silent along with the jade cup, no longer functional.
What technique was this?
Lu Yang calculated with his fingers, then raised an eyebrow slightly. “This item is called the 【Essence-Holding Treasure Lotus Chalice】, a true treasure refined from 【Hairpin Gold】?”
Until now, Lu Yang hadn’t paid true treasures much attention. After all, the only true treasures he had seen were 【True Lord of Upholding Heaven and Virtue】’s 『Profound Observation Sword of Ascending Heaven』 and the old Dragon Lord’s 『Sea-Calming Conch』. Neither could be called useless, but their impact was limited.
Now, Lu Yang's view had changed.
‘That Profound Observation Sword was weak because it was refined by that True Lord, whose skills were lacking.’
‘As for the Sea-Calming Conch—that was simply because the old Dragon Lord didn’t wield it himself!’
Upon reflection, the Conch was not useless. It was how Lu Yang blocked one of 【Ang Xiao】’s deadly strikes.
‘True treasures are the manifestation of a True Lord’s divine abilities!’
‘If fruit position imagery and profundity are innate resources, then true treasures are the tools to harness those resources into power.’
Yet refining true treasures was no easy task.
Not only did it require immense talent, but also time and experience.
A True Lord, in most cases, would have only two or three true treasures. Those with lesser aptitude might have only one throughout their life.
‘That’s why the true body of Tathāgata didn’t display stronger methods—he had just descended and had no fruit position to support him, making it impossible to forge a true treasure. As for the Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva... an outsider with not even a fruit position profundity—how could they refine a true treasure?’
While Lu Yang pondered the causes and gained new insight—
【Treasure Lotus Hidden Bodhisattva】 wasted no time. She reached behind her head and gently removed a hairpin from her temple.
In that instant, three thousand strands of black hair lost their binding and fell like a waterfall.
A fragrant breeze stirred through the air, so intoxicating it could overturn one’s soul. Clearly, this was an exquisite charm art.
But Lu Yang was unmoved.
The very next second, the hairpin she had removed turned into a streak of golden light, flashing directly toward the center of Lu Yang’s brow!
"Boom!"