Lü Yang was not in a hurry to seek out Ye Guyue.
After all, Ye Guyue's strength was not weak. The reason he had managed to injure and repel her last time was largely thanks to Sui Ying's interference, which allowed him to launch a successful sneak attack amid the chaos.
Now that Sui Ying was no longer holding her back, and with Ye Guyue already aware of his [Star Concealment Radiance] divine ability, she would surely be on guard. It would be difficult to achieve another victory. So rather than actively pursuing Ye Guyue, Lü Yang shifted his focus to this fragment of the blessed land, planning to lie in wait like a hunter by the tree.
As expected, things unfolded just as he had anticipated.
"This fragment of the blessed land is also gradually collapsing. It's just that True Person Chong Guang used great power to stabilize it, making it much firmer than other fragments."
Its nature was the same as the previous fragments.
As time passed, the edges would begin to collapse first, followed by a gradual implosion toward the center, forcing everyone to converge toward that area.
"The exit is also located at the center."
With this in mind, Lü Yang's objective became simple.
He immediately summoned [Mountain of Embrace] and firmly suppressed it at the exit of the blessed land fragment. Then, he began to set up formations in the surrounding area.
In this way, Ye Guyue would have only two choices if she wished to leave the blessed land fragment: either forcefully break through the boundary, which would certainly trigger the fragment's backlash and prove to be more loss than gain, or face Lü Yang in direct combat, kill him, and then safely exit through the gateway.
Eet je dit voor het slapengaan, dan val je in 14 dagen 17 kg af!Open
Lü Yang actually preferred that she chose the first option.
Because if she did, she would inevitably be gravely injured afterward. Lü Yang could then pursue and capture her with a tenfold certainty of success.
However, Ye Guyue had clearly considered this as well.
"Forcefully breaking through is not viable. The only urgent task now is to break the formation!"
Her beautiful eyes gleamed coldly as she stared intently at Lü Yang standing atop the mountain. She felt her sword heart and sword intent sounding alarms, making her delicate body tremble slightly.
Had it been anyone else, she might have already drawn her sword and struck. Yet, facing Lü Yang, Ye Guyue remained calm. Moreover, formations borrowed the power of heaven and earth to let the weak overcome the strong. Lü Yang's cultivation was already comparable to hers, and recklessly charging into a formation carried far too much risk.
With this in mind, Ye Guyue immediately turned her gaze.
"Fellow Daoist Duo Bao, I must trouble you to make the attempt."
At these words, Duo Bao Tongzi was instantly dumbfounded. He quickly shook his head.
"With my meager cultivation, entering the formation would surely be certain death!"
"This is precisely your destined opportunity."
Ye Guyue nodded and spoke as if it were only natural.
"To die breaking the formation for us is a deed of the highest merit. In your next life, I shall grant you a position as a true disciple."
"…"
Duo Bao Tongzi felt a surge of anger. What use did he have for a true disciple's position? His Dao had already been set, and it was impossible for him to build his foundation using the Sword Pavilion's methods!
To truly integrate into the Sword Pavilion and become a direct disciple, he would have to wait until his fifth lifetime, when his soul and spirit had been completely cleansed by the cycle of reincarnation. But by that time, he would no longer be himself, merely a new consciousness. What meaning would that have for him?
Thinking of this, Duo Bao Tongzi immediately spoke.
"If I am to enter the formation, return the [Everlasting Spring] to me. With this spiritual material for protection, I might have some chance of survival in the formation."
"What a joke!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhiqiu immediately voiced his displeasure.
"Spiritual materials are one thing, this is another. How can Fellow Daoist confuse the two?"
"You are now one of the righteous path. Naturally, you must shoulder the duty of eliminating demons and defending the Dao!"
Duo Bao Tongzi countered immediately.
"Then why don't you go, Fellow Daoist?"
What a joke, how could he possibly go?
Yun Zhiqiu knew perfectly well that Lü Yang's name was like thunder in his ears, for it had been Lü Yang who killed his family's ancestor!
Thinking back, his ancestor had sacrificed himself but was still slain by Lü Yang. Later, their clan's genius Yun Miaozhen had also died in the Dao Struggle battlefield. The Yun family had been on the brink of collapse. Had it not been for his accidental fortune and breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, the Yun family might have long since perished.
Given all that, how could he dare to confront Lü Yang?
"My cultivation is still too low!"
Yun Zhiqiu said in a deep voice,
"Even if I were to die in the formation, I wouldn't be able to test its power. But if you go, it will be a different matter."
Hearing this, Duo Bao Tongzi fell silent.
He had no choice but to turn to Ye Guyue.
"Fellow Daoist, are you truly sending me into the formation empty-handed?"
Ye Guyue paused to consider, then shook her head.
"If I lend you the [Everlasting Spring] and you die, wouldn't that mean losing the spiritual material as well?"
"In that case, it would not only fail to break the formation but also benefit the enemy."
With this thought, Ye Guyue made her decision.
"Fellow Daoist, go in empty-handed. If you die, it matters not. I will naturally help you return in the future."
"…Very well."
Duo Bao Tongzi said no more. He turned, summoned a ray of light, and flew into the [Mountain of Embrace]. Upon finding the formation gate, he charged in without hesitation.
Seeing this, Lü Yang immediately smiled.
"Isn't this Fellow Daoist Duo Bao? It's been a long time."
"Yuan Tu…" Duo Bao Tongzi's expression was equally complicated.
As his voice fell, the [Myriad Spirit Banner] appeared in his hand. With a vigorous shake, spiritual lights surged in all directions, and countless banner spirits emerged, occupying the formation's core points.
"[Heaven-Filling Blood Sea Formation]!"
In the next moment, a sea of interwoven blood-red light appeared, forming wave after wave, vast and boundless, turning into a raging blood sea!
Once this formation was deployed, it did not rely on any subtle changes but simply overwhelmed with sheer volume. The endless blood waves would suppress and extinguish the mana of those who entered. If Lü Yang powered it solely with his own mana, there might be limits. However, he had siphoned a portion of the blessed land fragment's power to sustain the formation.
Thus, the formation's operation consumed the fragment's power, leaving Lü Yang's own mana untouched, while those who entered had to fight against the boundless blood sea. Under such an imbalance, how could anyone be his match?
Not to mention, he had reinforced the formation with [Mountain of Embrace].
Therefore, though each wave appeared thin, it carried the weight of mountains and rivers, suppressing spiritual energy. Without exhausting one's mana, escape was impossible.
And that was not all.
Lü Yang took out the [Three-Nine Soul-Dissolving Gourd] from his waist, held it in his hand, and activated it with his mana, then placed it at the formation's center.
In the next moment, rolling smoke billowed out from the gourd.
[Soul-Dissolving Spirit-Scattering Divine Smoke]!
With the addition of this smoke, the blood waves gained an extra power that shook the soul, making it even more disastrous for those inside.
Seeing this, Duo Bao Tongzi hesitated no longer.
He immediately knelt on the ground, raised both hands, withdrew his mana, and shouted loudly,
"I, Duo Bao, am willing to surrender to the Primordial Saint Sect!"
"I beg the lord to show mercy and spare my life!"
Who was Duo Bao Tongzi? Back then, he had held a lifelong grudge after being robbed by a True Person of the Saint Sect. Nothing angered him more than being robbed.
And now, having once again been robbed by the Sword Pavilion, his heart was already filled with bitter hatred. Moreover, his merits and destiny had been completely stripped by Chong Guang, leaving him no time to recover or rebuild. If he died here, it would take him at least three to five lifetimes to start over.
Why continue fighting? This grandpa surrenders to the Primordial Saint Sect!
Even Lü Yang had not expected such a straightforward surrender, but he was more than happy to accept it. He burst into laughter.
"Fellow Daoist's willingness to submit is indeed the greatest good!"
Outside the formation, Ye Guyue's beautiful face immediately darkened upon seeing this.
She simply could not comprehend why Duo Bao Tongzi would defect. Hadn't she already promised him a connection to the Sword Pavilion? That was a fortune countless people dreamed of.
In the end, she could only coldly snort.
"…Truly a demon from Jiangbei, unable to change his wicked nature!"