Struggling to Survive with Regression Power in the Primordial Saint Sect

Within the Seven Luminaries Heaven, a mass of illusory radiance floated high above, bursting forth with thunderous peals amidst intertwining rosy light, endlessly swallowing and spitting out the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.

“Just what is going on?”

Up until now, Ancestor Yan and the Capital City God still had not recovered from Lü Yang’s Heaven-Cleaving Sword just moments ago. At this moment, they could not help but exchange a glance.

However, as time passed, that mass of illusory radiance gradually collapsed, finally taking the form of a tall and handsome young man. He stood there quietly with his hands clasped behind his back, a circle of white jade radiance behind his head as though expounding the supreme truths of heaven and earth, making him appear even more solemn and divine.

Lü Yang did not speak, only half-closing his eyes.

The surging mana within his body, enough to shake the Realm Heaven, nearly intoxicated him. At the same time, he could not help but feel a sense of indescribable wonder in his heart:

‘It really didn’t trick me!’

So smooth it was absurd.

Truth be told, even if right after breaking through to Foundation Establishment Perfection a giant hand had seized him and refined him in an instant, he would not have found it strange.

Yet in the end, all was well.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang shook his head: ‘As expected, all the previous misfortunes were purely because of that rotten place, not because of me.’

If he had not chosen decisive escape, how difficult would it have been to achieve Foundation Establishment Perfection?

If nothing else, just the four Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiends alone could have tormented him to the point of life and death, and he would likely still be stuck in mid-Foundation Establishment instead of achieving today’s accomplishment.

‘However, my success is probably impossible to replicate.’

Lü Yang knew full well: if merely fleeing that rotten place and cultivating outside was enough to achieve Foundation Establishment Perfection, then who would stay behind in that place?

Ultimately, it was because he had inherited Hong Yun’s arrangements. Whether it was the 【Seven Luminaries World-Stabilizing True Formation】 or the Seven Luminaries Heaven itself, all were trump cards left behind by Hong Yun. Lü Yang’s success was still because he had followed the escape route Hong Yun had originally prepared for himself.

‘Hong Yun, Hong Yun, you really are my great fortune!’

‘The most correct decision of this lifetime was surely when I usurped and slew the freshly reincarnated Hong Yun. That was my very first bucket of gold!’

No matter how trash a True Lord might be, he was still a True Lord.

Even a casual arrangement from such a being was enough to benefit cultivators beneath the True Lord realm immensely. Lü Yang once again deeply experienced this truth.

In the next instant, Lü Yang lowered his head.

As his gaze swept over, Ancestor Yan and the Capital City God suddenly awakened, only to feel a chill sweep through their hearts. Could it be that the outsider had won!?

In that moment, both Deities of Incense Fire wore extremely ugly expressions.

Seeing this, Lü Yang merely shook his head.

If it had been a Primordial Saint Sect True Person here, he would surely have already prostrated himself to the ground, crying out “Congratulations, Senior!”

‘Still too proud… Indeed, accustomed to throwing their weight around in the Seven Luminaries Heaven, their heads were held too high to bow, so failing to react was normal.’

At this thought, Lü Yang suddenly felt a wave of disinterest.

“Forget it. After all, the two of you are not masters of your own fate. I shall grant mercy beyond the law and not torment you by extracting your souls and refining your spirits. I will simply let you be annihilated.”

As his words fell, the white jade halo behind Lü Yang’s head suddenly shone brightly.

【Bearing the Heavenly Principle】!

As the name implied, this divine ability was the youthful version of the Fruit Position prototype of the Seven Luminaries Heaven. Once unleashed, its restraint upon the Incense Fire Dao was utterly devastating!

At this moment, with Lü Yang’s words spoken, Ancestor Yan and the Capital City God immediately revealed looks of terror. Their faces turned aghast as they witnessed their once-obedient incense fire vanish in an instant. Immediately after, their bodies collapsed together, their souls shattering with a thunderous crash before they could even utter a scream!

The Seven Luminaries Heaven had no 【Netherworld】.

Thus there was no reincarnation. After death, souls instantly collapsed into heaven and earth, then new souls would condense from heaven and earth again.

Of course, Lü Yang, out of mercy, did not let them fall to that step. He refined them into Banner Spirits instead.

‘I am already invincible under heaven!’

Of course, only within the Seven Luminaries Heaven.

Immediately after, Lü Yang turned his gaze to the side, where Ancestor Tingyou was carefully holding a dimmed treasure orb in his hands.

It was a nameless Fruit Position prototype within the Myriad Spirits Banner.

“It has suffered severe damage.”

Ancestor Tingyou frowned as he explained: “There are signs of necrosis. Unless supplemented by a complete Fruit Position, it will be very difficult to recover.”

Upon hearing this, Lü Yang felt no distress.

Difficult to recover? Then don’t recover it!

With a mere thought, Lü Yang directly recalled that Fruit Position prototype back into the Myriad Spirits Banner, then cast it into the 【Seven Luminaries Heaven】, his eyes filled with expectation:

‘Is there hope?’

Could two Fruit Position prototypes merge into one complete Fruit Position? If that were possible, he would not hesitate for a second—he would immediately kill himself and restart!

‘The Myriad Spirits Banner exists in every lifetime!’

‘If I can truly raise a Fruit Position by sheer accumulation, then no matter how many restarts it takes, nurturing one of my very own Fruit Positions would be pure profit!’

Under Lü Yang’s eager gaze, the Myriad Spirits Banner trembled. The Fruit Position prototype that the Seven Luminaries Heaven had failed to consume while alive, was now devoured after Lü Yang’s refinement. Yet very quickly, Lü Yang frowned, for the Seven Luminaries Heaven did not show any drastic change.

‘Could it be useless?’

No, not useless. Holding the Myriad Spirits Banner, Lü Yang could clearly sense that the Fruit Position prototype of the Seven Luminaries Heaven had indeed become more complete at this moment.

‘It works. The problem is the quantity.’

Lü Yang roughly estimated, then showed a helpless expression: for if he truly cultivated the Seven Luminaries Heaven by this method—

He would need to restart over three hundred times!

With that conclusion, Lü Yang instantly dispelled all such thoughts. After all, he did not have a Book of a Hundred Lifetimes—where would he obtain over three hundred Myriad Spirits Banners?

Forget it. A little progress was still progress.

This harvest was already tremendous, so Lü Yang did not dwell on it.

Thinking of this, he shifted his thoughts to another question: ‘Now, just how strong am I? What level would I be considered in that rotten place?’

‘Strictly speaking, I am extremely special, likely the only cultivator to start from zero, cultivate a Grade-Two True Art, and even achieve Perfection in it.’

This was Lü Yang’s assessment of himself.

Grade-Two True Art at Perfection, successfully usurping the heaven and earth essence of the Seven Luminaries Heaven.

In that rotten place, typically only Foundation Establishment True Persons would begin cultivating Grade-Two True Arts, making them mere embellishments and auxiliaries for seeking the Golden Core.

But Lü Yang was different.

He had made the Grade-Two True Art his main path, achieving Foundation Establishment Perfection through it.

‘In other words, in that rotten place, I am now a prized treasure. Using the Seven Luminaries Heaven as a stepping stone to draw the gaze of Fruit Positions would be as easy as flipping my hand!’

But flaws still existed.

‘Of the two most important steps in Seeking the Golden Core, Golden Nature and Blessed Land, I possess neither.’

The Blessed Land was easier to resolve, since he had the 【Heaven of Parting Resentment】. The issue lay with Golden Nature. Lü Yang had once thought that after achieving Foundation Establishment Perfection, he could easily condense it.

But now it seemed not so simple.

‘The key… must be the Innate Divine Abilities. Though I seized all the fortunes of the Seven Luminaries Heaven, my achievement of Perfection was still through five Innate Divine Abilities.’

Reflecting now, every Realm Heaven outside of that rotten place, though they too possessed beings at the level of Foundation Establishment Perfection, were clearly different in certain aspects.

The Profound Spirit World was the clearest example.

Lü Yang had personally seen the Heavenly Immortal Minghua of the Profound Spirit World. In rank, she was equivalent to Foundation Establishment Perfection, yet he had never heard mention of Golden Nature or Blessed Land.

‘These two must be unique to the rotten place!’

That was troublesome.

Yet there were exceptions, such as Suo Huan, who had condensed Golden Nature using his Dao Court official position. This showed that the Dao Court’s positions contained profound mysteries.

‘The road is long and arduous…’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s once-swelling emotions over Foundation Establishment Perfection settled back into calm. Perfection was but the first step on the slow road to Seeking the Golden Core.

Still, indulging in a moment of joy should be fine.

Seeking the Golden Core could wait. To know how strong he truly was now, he merely needed a point of comparison.

In the next moment, Lü Yang’s qi surged as he turned toward Ancestor Tingyou beside him, his lips curling into an inflated smile: “Ancestor, come spar with me for a bit?”

He wanted to challenge the Ancestor!