Chapter 691 - 686: Mu Changsheng’s Self-Rescue, Doxxing
Confidence was one thing, but Ang Xiao wouldn’t truly underestimate Mu Changsheng because of it. After all, his current self was merely a single Divine Soul Thought.
This was the same thought he had previously used to control Master Xiao Hai.
’It’ll be difficult to add more power on short notice.’
Ang Xiao knew his own situation. His main body was in the Netherworld, limiting the power he could exert. This single thought was the full extent of the interference he could manage in the Current World.
Even accomplishing this much had been no easy feat.
Under normal circumstances, he couldn’t enter or leave the Netherworld, not even to send out a Divine Soul Thought. Being able to send even one was only possible because of arrangements made many years ago.
Of course, if he were willing to pay any price and directly send his Earth-Walking Avatar into the Current World, he would no longer be restricted by the limitations of a Divine Soul Thought. But the Earth-Walking Avatar was his final trump card. Using it here would be like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito—a completely meaningless gesture.
’The best plan for now is to find a way to strengthen this Divine Soul Thought.’
But how could he strengthen it?
The method was also quite simple: he just needed to open a channel connected to the Netherworld, allowing his main body to strengthen his Divine Sense from the other side.
At this thought, Ang Xiao made a swift decision.
BOOM!
He detonated the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot!
He had refined this Superior Sentient Artifact from a fragment of Fortune’s Long Brilliance Treasure Light Grotto Heaven, but its significance was not limited to being a mere Superior Sentient Artifact.
The important part was the Grotto Heaven Fragment.
As the bait he had prepared years ago to lure Fortune, this Grotto Heaven Fragment had a meticulously crafted Netherworld gateway hidden within it.
It was precisely to preserve this gateway that he had taken special pains. After possessing Master Xiao Hai, he had forged the Grotto Heaven Fragment into the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot, a Superior Sentient Artifact. He did this so that, when the time came, he could detonate the artifact and reopen the gateway to the Netherworld.
’What a waste of such a fine Spiritual Treasure.’
’My original plan was to let that Yuan Tu have his way, allowing him to slay me. In the process, I would have passed the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot into his hands to gather intelligence...’
This was simply another one of his strategic habits.
After all, in most people’s eyes, if they obtained a mere Spiritual Treasure, they would certainly use it. They would see it as their own fated opportunity, and very few would ever suspect something was amiss.
And since the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot contained a Grotto Heaven Fragment, it meant he could not only monitor Yuan Tu through this Spiritual Treasure but also use the Veil of the Trees to influence him from the shadows. He could even, when necessary, appear directly at Yuan Tu’s side, seize him, and refine him in an instant.
One could only call it unfathomably treacherous.
Of course, now that the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot had been detonated, all his previous schemes had come to nothing. Although Ang Xiao felt it was a pity, he wasn’t overly concerned.
After all, compared to before, his attitude toward Yuan Tu had changed. He no longer thought, ’I must protect the one Fortune wants to kill.’ Instead, he now intended to cut the weeds and pull out the roots!
’...So be it.’
In a flash, as the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot exploded and the Netherworld gateway opened, the immense Divine Sense of Ang Xiao’s main body surged forth!
His response to Mu Changsheng’s attempt at possession was incredibly simple.
’You want to possess me? Fine, I’ll let you try. One thought isn’t enough? I’ll give you a thousand, ten thousand! Let’s see if you can possess me before I crush you!’
In other words, it was a contest of pure power!
’After all, my Realm is higher than yours, so why bother with clever tricks? I can just crush you with overwhelming power. We of the Saint Sect love to challenge those above our station!’
Fortunately, this was all within Mu Changsheng’s expectations.
’Ang Xiao... That Upper Truth already gave me the intelligence on him. A Late-stage Golden Core Great Perfected Lord... With such power, I can’t afford to hold anything back anymore.’
Why was he trying to possess Ang Xiao’s Divine Soul Thought?
The answer was simple. The method for possessing a divine soul came from the Zhaomu Department Order Book that Lü Yang had given him. This was the most obvious instruction he could have received.
Besides, it was truly his only path to survival.
Mu Changsheng’s heart was heavy, but he saw the situation with perfect clarity.
At this moment, aside from this path of possessing Ang Xiao’s Divine Soul Thought—a path Lü Yang had planned for him long ago—he had no other way out.
’At least the Upper Truth... that mysterious Saint Sect True Monarch also wants to deal with Ang Xiao. If I fight Ang Xiao, I can still get his support. But if I stay out of it and don’t fight Ang Xiao, I’ll be useless to him. Given the methods of a Saint Sect True Monarch, my death would be certain!’
’As for defecting to Ang Xiao?’
’What a joke. What do I have that a Late-stage Golden Core Great Perfected Lord would possibly value? My No Heaven? I’d probably just make him laugh.’
’The key to gaining patronage is being useful.’
’And I am useful to that mysterious Saint Sect True Monarch, but useless to Ang Xiao... Once I grasp this core conflict, making a choice isn’t difficult.’
On this point, if Mu Changsheng had known Lü Yang’s true identity, he might have had second thoughts.
However, Lü Yang had been extremely careful in this regard. From beginning to end, he shrouded himself in a brilliant light and altered his voice, giving Mu Changsheng not the slightest clue.
Thus, he had no choice.
"Banner, come!"
In an instant, Mu Changsheng’s consciousness stirred. It almost immediately alerted Yuan Tu, who had already fled thousands of miles away, and a Mythical Light forced open his Storage Bag.
Within the Mythical Light, the Myriad-Soul Banner emerged.
"Someone is summoning it."
At that moment, Si Chou had already returned control of the body to Yuan Tu and said, feigning weakness, "Let it go. Give it to him. We need someone to buy us time."
Yuan Tu’s face was filled with reluctance upon hearing this. However, out of his trust for Si Chou and the decisive nature he had inherited from Lü Yang, he finally let go. He allowed the Myriad-Soul Banner to transform into a streak of Spirit Light and shoot away, tearing through the void. In the blink of an eye, it appeared beside the Primal Daoist Evil.
"Merge!"
Under Mu Changsheng’s influence, the Myriad-Soul Banner instantly merged with the Primal Daoist Evil. Then, the essence of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water began to pour madly into the banner!
At the same time, Mu Changsheng formed a Daoist Hand Seal and began to chant:
"When the false is taken for real, the real becomes false. Where non-existence is taken for existence, existence becomes non-existent."
The sound of the Spell echoed ethereally as a Secret Realm, part real and part illusion, expanded with it, spreading out toward the Five Domains of the World.
No Heaven had been brought into the world!
At the same time, as No Heaven reached Perfection, the appearance of an Outer Dao Fruit Position reversed the suppression Ang Xiao’s Divine Soul Thought had on Mu Changsheng.
It even launched a counter-attack!
No Heaven sealed itself shut, turning the tables and completely locking down all of Ang Xiao’s newly strengthened Divine Soul Thoughts.
’So many Divine Soul Thoughts, and from a Late-stage Golden Core Great Perfected Lord, no less! If I can possess them, I can use them to reforge a useful body for myself!’
This was Mu Changsheng’s desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.
Succeed, and there was a chance to live.
Fail, and death was just death!
To increase his odds of victory, Mu Changsheng’s voice rode upon No Heaven, rising up from Overseas and spreading throughout the Five Domains of the World along with it:
"Ang Xiao has long since reversed the Earth of Chen! He has achieved Five Elements Perfection, reached the Late Stage of Golden Core, and the Nascent Soul Realm is within his grasp!"
The moment these words were spoken, Ang Xiao’s expression changed.
He had been doxxed!