Chapter 398: Man Proposes!

“Rumble, rumble, rumble!”

As the first clap of thunder resounded within the thunderclouds above the sky, symbolizing heavenly punishment, the purest and most unyielding aura swept across Lü Yang’s entire body in an instant.

“Crack!”

Just like that, 【Heaven of Parting Sorrow】 let out a brittle crack under the unbearable strain!

Looking around, the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon within this minor blessed land began to collapse. And this was only the thunder’s roar—true lightning had yet to fall!

However, upon seeing this, Lü Yang laughed.

‘Still too inexperienced.’

In the end, the Seven Luminaries Heaven had failed to maintain composure. Fooled by Lü Yang into believing that he had truly resolved the incense problem, it had immediately thrown out all of its trump cards!

At this moment, with the 【Exquisite Heart】 observing, Lü Yang saw clearly. Of the two calamities previously brewing within the Seven Luminaries Heaven, one had now been fully unleashed—the thunderclouds of heavenly punishment before him. As for the other calamity, Lü Yang could see it had at most condensed halfway.

But the latter was intangible and formless, and for now, its details eluded him.

‘…So be it.’

Lü Yang’s state of mind remained steady. After all, the outcome before him was already quite favorable—while the Seven Luminaries Heaven had responded hastily, he was fully prepared.

‘Speaking of which, this could also be called a Heavenly Tribulation.’

Lü Yang raised his head, gazing at the three divine abilities encircling his body. Enlightenment arose within his heart—once he crossed this heavenly tribulation, his fourth divine ability would surely manifest completely!

“This outsider… he is doomed!”

On the other side, the Capital Earth Deity and Ancestor Yan, upon seeing this, also ceased their battle. Even though the thunder was not directed at them, it still weighed heavily on their hearts.

“With heavenly punishment descending upon the world, no matter how high his cultivation is, could it surpass heaven itself?”

Heavenly punishment!

In the memories of the two incense gods, no one had ever been able to oppose heavenly punishment. They had no doubt that even if but a single bolt of lightning leaked from this thundercloud, it would be enough to shatter the Central State, annihilating all living beings. This was truly a calamity capable of destroying the world!

Yet upon seeing this, Ancestor Ting You only let out a cold laugh:

“Frogs at the bottom of a well, how could you ever behold the vast scenery of the world?”

Indeed, the tribulation condensed by the Seven Luminaries Heaven at this moment was powerful, exceedingly powerful. But that was only within the Seven Luminaries Heaven. What if it tried elsewhere? Still claiming it could destroy the world?

Not to mention the four great powers—even Ancestor Ting You reckoned that back when he himself sat in town with the geomantic veins bolstering the Witch Ghost Path’s mountain gate, this so-called heavenly tribulation would have been unable to breach it!

At the same time, Lü Yang also laughed.

“…Come then!”

Lü Yang raised his head to the sky with a hearty laugh. At this moment, he instead became carefree, for he no longer had any retreat, already at rock bottom.

No matter how he moved, it would only be upwards!

“Boom!”

Under everyone’s gaze, the thundercloud of tribulation collapsed with a roar. Torrential lightning, like the Milky Way itself, surged forth and crashed violently upon Lü Yang’s body!

In an instant, 【Heaven of Parting Sorrow】 shattered!

Like rotten wood crumbling, the mountains within it toppled, the sun and moon overturned, lakes and seas evaporated—inch by inch, everything was devoured.

Even so, Lü Yang remained calm.

With a rapid turn of thought, he unhesitatingly flung out the banner spirits Wusheng Holy Mother and Long Yue.

After all, these two banner spirits were far less valuable than Ancestor Ting You. Should something happen to them, he would feel no heartache.

Yet even with two incense gods at peak Foundation Establishment acting as shields, heavenly punishment remained utterly unstoppable.

‘Indeed, human power has its limits.’

Was there still a way to break this situation?

With a thought, the panel of the 【Book of a Hundred Lifetimes】 appeared before him. The golden innate talent 【Divination by Lots of Fate】 suddenly shone brightly.

【Event: Refining the Seven Luminaries Heaven】

【Great Misfortune: Daring beyond measure, nine deaths and one life.】

【Great Misfortune: Daring beyond measure, nine deaths and one life.】

【Great Misfortune: Daring beyond measure, nine deaths and one life.】

A row of black divinations. Lü Yang could not help but let out a bitter laugh: ‘All three are great misfortunes? Not a single auspicious one? At least give me some fortune.’

Wait—that was wrong.

Lü Yang suddenly lifted his head, gazing around. With the 【Exquisite Heart】 piercing through illusions, enlightenment arose in his mind: ‘Of course—this is the third calamity of heaven and earth!’

The Fate Calamity!

As the name implied, this calamity differed from the human tribulation, which was visible to the naked eye, and from the heavenly tribulation, which was pure destruction. Instead, it arose from within, striking directly at Lü Yang’s fate. Its effect was much like that of 【Divination by Lots of Fate】—setting down Lü Yang’s destined future in the unseen.

‘Fortunately, it has been cut short!’

If the Seven Luminaries Heaven had fully brewed this Fate Calamity, then what 【Divination by Lots of Fate】 would have revealed would not be nine deaths and one life, but certain death.

‘So looking at it this way, nine deaths and one life is already not so bad?’

Lü Yang shook his head, then absorbed one of the black divinations into himself. In truth, it made little difference—he was still deeply trapped in crisis.

‘【Divination by Lots of Fate】 is useless now.’

‘What else can break this situation?’

‘What should I do next? Must I truly restart? But even if I restart, 【Heaven of Parting Sorrow】 cannot be brought back. How would I ever find the Seven Luminaries Heaven again?’

‘Could it be… restarting is the only option?’

Lü Yang activated 【Sword Heart Clear and Bright】. Time itself seemed to halt, and all sound vanished. In this silent world, he contemplated deeply.

The next second, a thought stirred in Lü Yang’s mind.

“Ancestor!”

In the blink of an eye, Lü Yang had summoned Ancestor Ting You back to his side, immediately handing him control over 【Heaven of Parting Sorrow】.

“You operate it!”

That one must rely on oneself—this was Chong Guang’s philosophy, but Lü Yang did not truly agree.

In his eyes, relying on oneself or on others was unimportant. What mattered was the outcome. As long as the result was good, the process was irrelevant.

“Good!”

Ancestor Ting You reacted instantly, unleashing spell after spell without restraint, actually managing to block the heavenly tribulation’s strikes!

More importantly, he also drew upon the 【Great Formation of Seven Luminaries Stabilizing the World and Preserving Truth】, which Hong Yun had laid down around the Seven Luminaries Heaven, extracting part of its suppressive power. With it, he re-anchored the nearly collapsing 【Heaven of Parting Sorrow】. The teetering edifice was actually stabilized by sheer force!

Yet if this were all, it would not be enough.

The future drawn by 【Divination by Lots of Fate】 had already accounted for all of Lü Yang’s trump cards. No matter how overpowered Ancestor Ting You was, at most he could save Lü Yang’s life.

Nine deaths and one life—Ancestor Ting You was that one life.

But no more than that.

By letting Ancestor Ting You operate, Lü Yang might survive, but he would never be able to refine the Seven Luminaries Heaven. What meaning would that hold for him? Restarting would be better!

‘To break this situation, I must take a new step.’

To leap beyond the divinations of 【Divination by Lots of Fate】, to leap beyond the Fate Calamity cast by the Seven Luminaries Heaven… But how? Lü Yang’s thoughts raced to the limit.

Finally, a notion surfaced in his mind.

In the next instant, he looked toward the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner beside him.

His original plan had been to merge the Seven Luminaries Heaven into the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, refining it through the banner and thus making use of its nascent fruit-position.

But now, the situation had changed.

‘The Ten Thousand Spirits Banner has long been washed clean by the 【Book of a Hundred Lifetimes】. With no cause or effect, it is naturally outside the bounds of fate… Perhaps, this is my chance to break free?’

At this point, he could no longer grow stronger.

Since that was so, he would change his approach. If he could not grow stronger, then let the Seven Luminaries Heaven become weaker!

‘Use the nascent fruit-position within the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner… to counterbalance it!’

Between two nascent fruit-positions, conflict was inevitable. Either one devoured the other, or vice versa. If they clashed, he might have a chance to reap the fisherman’s benefit!

But the risk was immense.

If he failed to seize the moment and allowed the Seven Luminaries Heaven to devour the banner’s nascent fruit-position, then it would instead gain an enormous benefit.

At that point, it would no longer be nine deaths and one life, but certain death.

Moreover, with the fruit-position devoured, even restarting would only bring back a diminished Ten Thousand Spirits Banner—its power weakened by far more than a single grade.

Once more, it was a moment of choice.

Up to now, Lü Yang had made many decisions. Some were right, others wrong. But if he misstepped here, this lifetime would very likely meet its end.

For a moment, countless past choices flashed through Lü Yang’s mind—especially that reckless teleportation into the Myriad Poisons Sect’s mountain gate, leading to a deadly trap of immortal spirits. What if he chose wrongly again? The unspeakable weight pressed upon his heart until he nearly ceased to breathe.

This time was no different.

The Fate Calamity of the Seven Luminaries Heaven had already descended. Theoretically, the result was fixed. That the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner stood outside fate was only his conjecture. He might be wrong.

To gamble everything rashly might prove fruitless—perhaps even a complete and utter loss.

And yet, even so, Lü Yang clenched his teeth.

He might not be a heaven’s chosen like Chong Guang, Daoist Dangmo, or Innate True Person, but compared with them, he did have one small advantage:

He had cheats.

‘If wrong… then restart! If one life fails, then two, three, ten!’

In that instant, Lü Yang cast aside all hesitation:

‘I may lack great talent, my strength insufficient, my resolve perhaps flawed—but as long as the 【Book of a Hundred Lifetimes】 is with me, I have countless chances.’

Lü Yang feared not mistakes—only inaction.

Human power has its limits?

‘Then now is when I exhaust every ounce of human effort!’

The Fate Calamity already fixed?

“Man proposes!”

At that thought, deep within Lü Yang’s sea of consciousness, there suddenly rang out a clear, unyielding sword cry—straight, indomitable, never to bow.

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