Yefutidaolu

Chapter 352 Sun
Have they truly escaped the Twelve Realms?
Yuan Lu remained silent.

Inside the library, the beam of light that shimmered with dust as it shone through the skylight seemed to freeze in place because of the turmoil in his heart.

The air felt thick and heavy.

the answer is……

of course not.

Above the twelfth realm, there are still Earth Immortals. That elusive and elusive goal remains the place he strives to climb but has yet to reach.

However, even if one achieves the status of an Earth Immortal, has one truly escaped this state?
Are those legendary old monsters who have reached the realm of immortals truly detached from worldly affairs and living carefree lives?

Of course not! Yuan Lu clearly remembered that when the Earth Immortal Ancestor met the Emperor of the Divine Dynasty, although he did not have to kneel, he still had to bow and pay homage to show his respect! The one sitting on the dragon throne of the Divine Dynasty was the true ruler!
Did the emperor of that dynasty escape again?

"What a joke!" A hint of mockery flashed in Yuan Lu's eyes.

An emperor is an emperor precisely because he cannot escape the mortal world! He must be deeply immersed in the very center of this vortex of power, engaging in a struggle, checks and balances, and mediation with all the forces under heaven! Even though the current emperor has not held court for decades, seemingly residing high in the palace and detached from worldly affairs, the massive machine of the divine dynasty continues to operate efficiently, with decrees being issued smoothly and factional strife raging on... All of this demonstrates that the supreme ruler's control has never disappeared; it has simply manifested in a more subtle form!
So... how could Yuan Lu, a mere twelfth realm cultivator, truly transcend? He was still trapped in this invisible, all-encompassing net! He... could also become a weapon in someone else's hand!

“According to your logic,” Yuan Lu slowly began, “whom would I be to serve as a sword for?”

Gao Jian's smile deepened: "Senior is a master of the twelfth realm, a giant of our time. Among the masses, who is worthy of having you as their 'sword'..." He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dome of the Scripture Pavilion, looking towards the distant capital, "...only one person! That is... His Majesty the Supreme Emperor!"

The goal is crystal clear—the supreme ruler of the Divine Dynasty!
Yuan Lu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked again, "How do you become one?" The key is the specific steps involved.

Gao Jian's smile deepened, and he asked with a meaningful tone, "Look at what you're saying, in this world... who else is worthy of being your weapon?"

How do you become one? Do you even need to ask?
—Apart from the emperor, no one is qualified! So, there's no need for any special procedures; just go!

"Is it a case of a fox borrowing the tiger's might?" Yuan Lu immediately understood Gao Jian's line of thinking, but doubts still lingered in his mind. "Who would believe it? How can we gain people's trust? And how can we guarantee it? What if that supreme being personally intervenes, or unleashes his thunderous wrath?"

Clearly, the Yuan Law is rife with doubts.

Acting in the name of the emperor is extremely risky, tantamount to playing with fire and getting burned!

This matter is far too complex; even Yuan Lu had to consider all the pros and cons carefully. Harvesting mortals might be slower, but it's safer and more controllable! And what good would taking such a risky step do?

Faced with Yuan Lu's series of questions and concerns, Gao Jian's smile remained unchanged, instead appearing even more composed. He gently shook his head, his tone carrying an almost cold frankness:

"Senior, who... could possibly seek confirmation from His Majesty?"

"Or perhaps..." Gao Jian changed the subject, looking directly at Yuan Lu with a hint of barely perceptible pressure, "Senior, you're not even willing to take this small risk?"

Yuan Lu's eyes instantly sharpened like knives: "What I mean is, why take this risk?" He emphasized his tone, and an invisible chill began to spread, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply, and even fine frost condensed on the bookshelves. "Harvesting mortals, though slow, is safe! Why take such a risky step?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, like a taut bowstring.

Gao Jian seemed oblivious to the oppressive pressure. Meeting Yuan Lu's icy gaze, he calmly said, "Then it depends... whether I'm worth the risk, senior." He leaned forward slightly, his words clear and direct, "If senior insists on choosing the safe path of reaping the common people... I'm afraid," Gao Jian's lips curled into a cold smile, "that I still can't help but... stir things up again."

"Are you threatening me?!" Yuan Lu's voice suddenly rose!

The entire space of the library seemed to freeze instantly! The ground groaned under the weight, and countless fine cracks instantly spread across it! The omnipresent pressure was no longer oppression, but rather like a massive mountain weighing billions of tons crashing down!
"Pfft—!" Gao Jian was the first to be hit, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body was slammed to the ground like a rag doll, his bones making a teeth-grinding cracking sound. His vision went black, and he almost instantly fainted!

The hard stone beneath his feet silently crumbled into dust! His face turned deathly pale, and a trickle of blood uncontrollably spilled from the corner of his mouth! He was like a small boat in a raging storm, seemingly about to be completely crushed in the next second!

“This is not a threat, senior.” Gao Jian’s voice was hoarse from the immense pressure, yet every word was as firm as iron, clearly piercing through the solidified, terrifying space. “You… should know very well.” He raised his hand with difficulty, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the action carrying an almost defiant calm.

A chilling standoff spread through the deathly silence.

Yuan Lu's eyes surged with murderous intent, as if a storm was brewing.

Inside the Sutra Repository, the light was dim, and only the terrifying aura emanating from Yuan Lu, powerful enough to change the very fabric of the world, roared.

Time seemed to stretch out into eternity. Every breath felt like an eternity.

Just as Gao Jian felt his bones about to shatter and his soul about to be torn apart by the boundless pressure—

"Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"

Yuan Lu's oppressive laughter rang out once more! The laughter, like a sudden clap of thunder in spring, instantly dispelled the terrifying pressure that had solidified the space! The distorted light returned to normal, the stagnant air began to flow again, and the surrounding cracks healed silently, as if the world-destroying scene from just moments ago had been nothing more than an illusion!
Yuan Lu clapped his hands and laughed heartily. The icy killing intent on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a hearty smile that resembled that of an elder looking at a mischievous junior, tinged with a hint of teasing and appreciation.

"Young friend Gao Jian! What courage! What courage! I was just joking! How could I be such a short-sighted and foolish person who only knows how to harvest the common people?" His tone was relaxed, with a casual "I was just joking" attitude, as if the terrifying pressure that had almost crushed Gao Jian into dust had never existed.

"Using the lives of an entire state as a sacrifice is ultimately against the natural order and not a sustainable path for cultivators like us." He casually characterized his previous plan to harvest a billion souls as "against the natural order," his tone hypocritical yet utterly natural. "Why would I be so fixated on such a lowly method?"

With a flick of his sleeve, he remained calm and collected, his gaze fixed on Gao Jian, as if the previous confrontation had never occurred.

"Then... we'll do it your way!"

“However,” Yuan Lu’s tone shifted, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp, like a tangible probe, “you need to give me a… foolproof plan! Target, personnel, timing, how to leverage external forces, how to mitigate risks, how to ensure supplies are secured… every detail matters. I need to see your ‘sincerity’ and ‘ability’! If there’s even the slightest oversight…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the chilling undertone in his unfinished words was no less intense than the oppressive aura he had just displayed.

The pressure instantly shifted to Gao Jian. Yuan Lu agreed, but demanded a perfect execution plan! This was both a test and a means to completely bind Gao Jian to the cause.

Gao Jian sneered inwardly, but on his face, he wore a relieved and confident smile, as if to echo Yuan Lu's statement that "it was just a joke." He suppressed his churning blood and nearly broken body, bowed slightly, and his posture became humble and respectful again, but the cold glint in the depths of his lowered eyes intensified:
“My ancestor is wise, I… have long had a plan in mind.”

Gao Jian raised his head, his eyes gleaming with wisdom and calculation. "I humbly request that you move to the quiet room, Ancestor, so that I may... explain in detail. This place is too crowded and inconvenient for a thorough discussion." Yuan Lu gave Gao Jian a deep look, his gaze seemingly trying to see right through him. Finally, he nodded slowly, his face still bearing that warm, courteous smile.

"can."

"Come with me."

Gao Jian did not agree, but instead looked at Qin Long: "Mr. Qin, you are a member of Yan Ge, so please return to Yan Ge first. If there is anything else, I will hire you. By the way, I understand the Fang family's matter."

"Senior Yuanlu, is this alright?" he asked Yuanlu.

"It's alright, just go ahead." Yuan Lu waved his hand.

Gao Jian nodded slightly, letting Qin Long leave.

Qin Long glanced at Gao Jian, then turned and left without looking back.

He was well aware of his current situation, knew that there was no point in him staying, and... Gao Jian had already given him a hint.

The Fang family of Youzhou in Liaobei were once enemies of Qin Long. They chased Qin Long and his apprentice for ten years over a dog. Clearly, this is also Gao Jian's target at this moment.

After Qin Long left, Gao Jiancai said to Yuan Lü, "Senior Yuan Lü, please—".

“Okay.” Yuan Lu nodded.

----------

In a quaint, spacious, and quiet room. The room has no windows, and the walls are made of warm, dark jade, emitting a soft glow and blocking any prying eyes.

The ground was covered with futons, and in the center was a low table, which was empty except for wisps of smoke rising from the beast-head incense burner in the corner, carrying a calming and tranquil fragrance.

Yuan Lu casually sat cross-legged on a futon: "Young friend, there are no more Liu Ers here. You can explain your foolproof plan in detail now. Target, the Fang family?" His tone carried an undisguised skepticism. "The Fang family of Youzhou in Liaobei? I've heard a little about them. They're just a local tyrant, with the strongest member only at the seventh realm, ignorant and narrow-minded. Even if such an insignificant family has accumulated wealth over a thousand years, it's just a drop in the ocean compared to the enormous sums I need! Why would it be worth going to such lengths?"

Faced with Yuan Lu's questioning, Gao Jian did not immediately defend himself, but calmly sat down on the futon opposite Yuan Lu. He straightened his back, his eyes instantly becoming sharp and profound, like a strategist about to command the world. He cleared his throat, his voice not loud:

"Our ancestor is wise. The Fang family itself is indeed as you said, nothing more than pigs and dogs. There are no dragons or elephants in the clan, and no great weapons in our hands."

His tone shifted abruptly, his momentum rising like a sword being drawn from its sheath:
"Indeed! Has not our ancestor heard the saying, 'Pulling one hair can affect the whole body, and observing one leaf can tell that autumn has arrived'?"

"Although the Fang family is insignificant, they are not an isolated island! They have been entrenched in Youzhou, Liaobei for three hundred years, and have long formed an alliance with several powerful families such as the Liu family, the Wei family, and the Wang family, exchanging marriages and sharing the same bloodline! They are known as the 'Four Pillars of the North'!"

Gao Jian's gaze was piercing as he stared directly at Yuan Lu: "Each of these four families, taken individually, might be insignificant like the Fang family. However, when the four join forces, supporting and assisting each other, their power is deeply entrenched, rooted in Liaobei, controlling trade routes, mines, and even some military towns! Their combined strength is enough to make even ordinary immortal sects wary! If all the wealth and resources they have accumulated over a thousand years were gathered together, it would amount to far more than hundreds of millions. How could it be compared to merely harvesting weeds from the mortal world?"

Yuan Lu's eyes flickered slightly, clearly attracted by the combined strength of the "Four Pillars of the North," but he still scrutinized them: "Oh? Even so, if one side moves, all four will rebel. With the four of them working together, even I, an old man, will have to put in some effort. Moreover, within the capital, there may be people who are paying attention to such a local powerful alliance."

Gao Jian's plan was actually quite simple: he portrayed a seemingly weak target as a fulcrum to leverage enormous interests, and packaged a plunder as a righteous act of "acting on behalf of Heaven."

However, none of them were fools, so Yuan Lu continued, "Furthermore, young friend Gao, how much do you know about the Fang family?"

“I know you must have this question, so please allow me some time. I will bring Xia Youdu with me and give you an answer in Youzhou within a month. How about that?” Yuan Lu remained silent, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his knees. His eyes gleamed as he rapidly weighed the feasibility and benefits of Gao Jian’s plan.

He quickly nodded: "Then, one month."

"Okay." Gao Jian smiled.

Clearly, Yuan Lu had already established initial trust in him.

That's to be expected. After all, Gao Jian just declined the recall from the Divine Dynasty and is willing to stay, so it's reasonable for him to gain some trust.

Gao Jian got up and left without lingering.

Yuan Lu sat and watched him leave without saying anything.

---------------

Four hours later.

Gao Jian walked out of the mountain gate of the Netherworld.

He stepped out of the towering mountain gate of Youmingdi, which was shrouded in gloom and death year-round, and left that dark place where the light of day never came.

Then, in the next instant—

The sky was clear and the azure expanse was boundless! A blazing sun hung in the mid-sky, casting down countless golden rays, dazzling and illuminating the entire universe!
A mountain breeze blows gently, rustling through the trees and stirring up the sound of pine trees. Its clear and melodious sound cleanses the soul and sweeps away the deathly silence and oppressive wailing wind in the dark and bright places.

Gao Jian stood with his hands behind his back outside the mountain gate, bathed in the golden light.

He took a deep breath of the vibrant mountain air, cleansing his chest of the gloomy, deathly aura that had accumulated there.

Sure enough, it's better when the sun is out.

(End of this chapter)