Chapter 185: Chapter 31: Primordial Dharma Aspect, Myriad Mortals, But Hearken to My Words

The night sky was brilliant, and the moonlight flowed like water.

But Langya City was anything but calm. In the wake of the press conference, many were sleepless. Some of the more perceptive residents sensed that something momentous was about to happen.

Meanwhile…

After hanging up, Lu Xuan paid no mind to the press conference. He walked alone through the bustling streets, moving among the endless streams of traffic.

He walked until he reached Sanqing Temple.

“Qing He, Qing Ping,” Lu Xuan muttered, standing outside Sanqing Temple. “You don’t need to follow me. Go watch over Xiaoyan. If I need anything, I’ll call for you.”

“Yes, Lu Ancestor.”

The air rippled. The two figures, hidden in the folds of space, did not linger. Each took one last, deep look at the Sanqing Temple plaque before silently departing.

After they were gone, Lu Xuan took a deep breath, pushed open the gates to the secluded courtyard, and followed the path into the main building. He quietly sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion beneath three indistinct bronze statues.

The statues had no faces. They were shrouded in Chaos, veiled in nothingness, impossible to see clearly.

Lu Xuan raised his hand. With a gentle sweep, the Celestial Venerable Cyan Lamp materialized before him. Its flame danced and swayed, burning silently in the profound stillness.

The light of the flame reflected scenes of the vast Floating World, as if it contained all the Celestial Realms, all of the Red Dust.

’Second Master said not to use this lamp recklessly before my Ascension to Immortality…’

’But as long as I don’t try to power it, just basking in its candlelight shouldn’t count as reckless use.’

As he was musing to himself, his phone rang.

“Hello, Uncle Yan.”

“Xiaoxuan, I’ve given the orders. All departments at Longque Technology are ready.”

He paused, then hesitated before asking,

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Xiaoxuan. I just want to ask… what’s the point of all this?”

“Uncle Yan, I’m not sure if it will work either. But as you said, Longque Technology is already preparing for a full withdrawal from Ancestor Star. Since we’re ready to give up anyway, it’s worth giving this one last shot.”

As he spoke, Lu Xuan slowly exhaled.

“I’ve asked a… a certain elder to give it a try. If he succeeds, we might be able to turn the tables. If he fails, well, things can’t get any worse.”

On the other end of the line, there was a moment of silence. Old Yan then gently conceded:

“Alright then. I’ll have my people stand down and stop resisting the media blitz from Sakata Heavy Industries. We’ll drop all explanations and give you our full cooperation… Son, don’t feel pressured. Like you said, it’s fine whether we succeed or fail. And please, thank that elder of yours for me.”

“Okay, Uncle Yan.”

Lu Xuan’s gaze deepened, and countless dense starlines materialized within his eyes. He said,

“From now on, just watch Sakata Heavy Industries. Watch them build their skyscraper, watch them feast with their guests. Don’t interfere with anything they do. As for whether that tower will collapse… we’ll find out soon enough.”

With that, he calmly hung up the phone. His appearance began to change. He became two or three centimeters shorter, his features deliberately aged, and his hair turned snow-white.

It was the very same face he had worn when he subdued Chong Shanhu and Zhuge Ke.

’Now, I am not Lu Xuan.’

’I am… the Sanqing Temple Master.’

…….

「Sakata Heavy Industries Headquarters.」

「Top Floor of the Skyscraper.」

After starting a new game of Go, Sakata Shindo glanced at the latest report from his subordinate and let out a chuckle.

He shook his head and spoke with mock pity,

“So, it seems Yan Huang has chosen to give up? No resistance at all?”

“Just as well.”

The Little Monk placed a stone on the board, smiling.

“After we slay this great dragon, Longque Technology, our Life Tower will enter the fray in full force. We’ve already contacted the Upper Palace and the Earth Palace. We’re going to throw this whole world into turmoil.”

After a pause, he continued,

“As for the Death Tower, don’t worry about those stubborn fools. They won’t cooperate with us, but they won’t try to sabotage us either. Once this is over, we can hand over the Giant Bear Gene for them to pass judgment on, and everyone will be happy.”

An irrepressible excitement showed on Sakata Shindo’s face, and his plays on the board grew swifter. Still, he had a sliver of doubt as he asked,

“And what about those creatures from outside the pass?”

“We don’t need to do anything. Once our grand plan is complete, we’ll let them through the pass. It doesn’t matter how they ravage Ancestor Star. In fact, it will make it easier for our Life Tower to play the role of world-savior.”

“Excellent.”

Sakata Shindo nodded slightly, then glanced at a message that just popped up on his phone, his brow furrowing.

“Hm?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“What is Longque Technology doing now? Have they gone mad?”

The Little Monk glanced over as well. After a quick look at the message, one particular word caught his eye, surprising him.

“The Three Pristine Ones… What is Longque Technology up to? That term… I think I’ve heard the two Tower Masters mention it before. It seems to be a title of supreme honor from Ancient Times.”

“No idea.”

Sakata Shindo shrugged and gave a cold smirk.

“Hmph. In any case, they’ve already given up all resistance. The outcome is decided. It’s normal for them to pull some bizarre stunt before they’re finished. Pay it no mind. Let’s just play our game!”

“The game, the game!” The Little Monk glanced at the phone one last time before pulling his gaze away and refocusing on the board.

“My great dragon is complete!” he chuckled, placing a stone that linked together more than a dozen white pieces.

“A fine move!” Sakata Shindo exclaimed in admiration.

……

「At the same time.」

Longque Technology was mobilizing all of its resources, sparing no effort on a single task: promotion.

Right now, half of the internet across the East Continent was dominated by news about the “joint call to expel Longque Technology.”

But with Longque Technology having abandoned any attempt to guide the narrative, Sakata Heavy Industries and Aotao Organism no longer bothered to press their attack. Consequently, the other half of the internet was also being completely dominated by a single message.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep