Chapter 687 - 682: Seeing Mu Changsheng Again
After a moment of silence, Lü Yang gave his answer.
He formed a Daoist Hand Seal. A splendid light gathered at his fingertips, finally transforming into a radiant Golden Book that floated gently down before Mu Changsheng.
"This is..."
Mu Changsheng was stunned. He glanced at the Golden Book instinctively. He wished he hadn’t, for once he looked, his eyes were glued to it. "The Zhaomu Department Order Book?"
"That’s right!"
Lü Yang chuckled. "This Zhaomu Department Order Book is the fortuitous opportunity I acquired. It can temper one’s Dao Heart, freeing the true self from the suffering of reincarnation."
This was a Dao Heart Cultivation Technique.
It was a "friendly donation" from Si Chou. Lü Yang had consulted it over the past twenty years, but since his Dao Heart had already reached Perfection, it held little value for him.
However, one should not underestimate this technique. After all, it came from Si Chou and was considered an Upper Grade Dao Heart Cultivation Technique of the highest order. Using this method to visualize and temper one’s consciousness was like marshalling an army. If one’s talent was exceptional, they could achieve Minor Mastery within three hundred years and had a chance of reaching Dao Heart Perfection within a millennium.
Lü Yang had once been quite puzzled by this.
’Hundreds of years, a thousand years... is the Dao Heart really that difficult to train?’
After all, he hadn’t expended much effort to achieve Dao Heart Perfection. He had taken the half-complete *Invincible Dao Heart* from the Taihuang Realm, ventured into the Human World, and reached Perfection in no time.
Then he saw Si Chou’s speechless expression.
Is the Dao Heart hard to train?
Of course it was hard! And not just ordinarily so. That was why, back in the Ancient Era, Dao Heart Perfection had another, more popular name:
The mark of a future Master of Dao!
After hearing Si Chou’s explanation, Lü Yang finally understood what a priceless treasure that strand of Essence of Divine Intent, his reward for clearing the Human World, truly was.
A single strand of Essence of Divine Intent had allowed him to achieve Dao Heart Perfection, granting him the potential to become a Master of Dao. This showed just how valuable the Human World—and by extension, the entire Celestial Human Residual Consciousness—was. The mysterious consciousness, Dragon Map, had once called it an inheritance leading to the path of a Master of Dao. Looking back, that was no exaggeration at all!
"So that’s how it is..."
After Lü Yang finished explaining the principles of the Dao Heart, Mu Changsheng was utterly stunned. A look of sudden understanding dawned in his eyes.
He had, after all, been only a single step away from grasping the nature of his Dao Heart.
Now, with Lü Yang’s guidance, everything clicked into place. He also made the connection to why Dao Heart Techniques had vanished from the world, and he couldn’t help but curse under his breath:
"Stain Sect... old beasts!"
"Oh, they get even more beastly," Lü Yang said with a laugh. "Daoist, did you know that in the past, your soul never entered the Netherworld to be reincarnated? Instead, it was simply snatched away."
As soon as these words were spoken, Mu Changsheng was stunned.
’My soul never entered the Netherworld?’
The next second, his face turned livid. He had obviously realized the treacherous hand of the Saint Sect Ancestral Master was behind this, and he couldn’t stop another curse from escaping his lips.
After he finished cursing, he exchanged a look with Lü Yang, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. After all, who else could the old beast of the Stain Sect be?
The understanding between them was unspoken.
After a long while, Mu Changsheng finally gathered his thoughts. He put away the Zhaomu Department Order Book and looked at Lü Yang with a solemn expression.
"Your Excellency’s great kindness is something I shall never forget. If you have any command for me, I will not hesitate to carry it out!"
Lü Yang smiled. Clearly, Mu Changsheng was a perceptive man. He understood that for Lü Yang to seek him out and offer help, he must have a task for him.
But Lü Yang had no intention of stating his purpose directly.
He understood Mu Changsheng’s way of thinking quite well. As the Heavenly God’s favorite ’cub’, the man was without a doubt the scum of the cultivator world—a true traitor to his kind.
Giving him a direct order would likely backfire.
With this in mind, Lü Yang chuckled. "Daoist, you failed in your pursuit of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water all those years ago, resulting in your death and the dissipation of your Dao. I wonder, have you since understood the reason for your failure?"
"...The reason?"
Mu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed at his words, his mind racing. He had always believed his failure was due to inadequate preparations—that his Cultivation, his Dao Foundation, and other factors were simply not sufficient.
’Could there have been other factors?’
"...Please, Your Excellency, enlighten me."
Seeing Mu Changsheng’s reaction, Lü Yang sighed internally. He knew that despite his failure, Mu Changsheng had never discovered the anomalous change in the Earth of Chen’s properties.
’In this aspect, he’s actually not as good as Master Chong Guang.’
’But it’s understandable. When Master Chong Guang was Seeking Gold, he had made all the necessary preparations; success was practically guaranteed. The fact that he failed because of the Earth of Chen was obvious in hindsight.’
’Mu Changsheng’s circumstances, however, were not as favorable as Master Chong Guang’s. Not only were there issues with his Dao Foundation, but he was also being targeted by a coalition of Perfected Lords. There were far too many confounding variables. Plus, Ang Xiao’s Veil of the Trees is incredibly insidious. It’s perfectly normal that he failed to notice the truth.’
Thinking of this, Lü Yang decided not to drag it out any longer. He stated plainly:
"The change in the Earth of Chen."
As the words left his lips, Mu Changsheng froze. He was an exceptionally talented individual. Without a hint, he might never have seen through the Illusion Barrier.
But with Lü Yang’s help, he instantly understood.
"The Earth of Chen... It was the Earth of Chen! Of course! The Earth of Chen is supposed to be Yang Earth, yet its properties were somehow altered... Why? How did I not notice?"
Mu Changsheng was utterly flabbergasted.
Lü Yang then recounted the entire story of Ang Xiao’s machinations. The tale made the Perfected Person, who had already suffered so much at the hands of the Stain Sect, nearly grind his teeth to dust.
"It’s the damn Stain Sect again!"
After saying this, he looked at Lü Yang with gratitude. "If not for your guidance, Your Excellency, I would still be completely in the dark... I’m sure Your Excellency must be a member of the Righteous Dao."
"I wonder which sect you are from?"
Lü Yang: "..."
After a brief silence, Lü Yang changed the subject. "In any case, you died seeking the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, and the Daoist Remnant you became is of great use to Ang Xiao."
"How you should proceed... is for you to decide."
"I understand!"
Mu Changsheng obediently lowered his head.
Seeing this, Lü Yang’s eyebrows shot up. He had never underestimated Mu Changsheng, even now when his own Cultivation far surpassed the other man’s.
’Was that guy just testing me?’
’He randomly asked about my sect, then dropped it when I changed the subject... Don’t tell me he’s already seen that I’m also a Holy Sect Disciple?’
Lü Yang, judging the other man by his own cunning standards, felt his expression turn strange.
’It’s not impossible... No, he definitely has!’
’After all, considering Mu Changsheng’s history—being targeted by every Perfected Lord under the heavens—who would go out of their way to enlighten him, and happen to know so many of the Stain Sect’s secrets?’
’Guessing that I’m a Saint Sect True Monarch is the only logical conclusion!’
’Besides, who says that only someone from the Righteous Dao would target Ang Xiao? The Stain Sect’s infighting is legendary. The closer the relationship, the more viciously they fight each other.’
’And as for cursing the Saint Sect Ancestral Master, that’s even more normal.’
’Anyone in the know would throw a curse or two his way.’
’He just... doesn’t dare to expose me! He’s worried that if he calls me out, I’ll fly into a humiliated rage and kill him to tie up loose ends.’
Of course, he wouldn’t be wrong to think that.
After all, his intentions really weren’t pure. The main reason he’d come to enlighten Mu Changsheng was to have this favorite of the Heavenly God draw the enemy’s fire for him.
Thinking of this, Lü Yang suddenly smiled.
Seeing this, Mu Changsheng quickly put on a matching smile.
"Hahaha..."
For a moment, the space of their shared consciousness was filled with a joyous atmosphere. Host and guest were both perfectly content. And both of them, to all appearances, looked utterly sincere.