Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
On this day, Lü Yang sat cross-legged atop Skeleton Mountain.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a look of joy appearing on his face, for his physical body had finally completed the transformation of corpse dissolution!
In the next moment, Lü Yang vanished from his original spot.
Inside the Myriad Spirits Banner.
In a void-like space, twisted flesh and blood constructed a magnificent palace. Dense blood vessels, resembling tree roots, entwined around the palace.
These root-like blood vessels all extended from the deepest part of the palace. Following them into the palace, one could see that both the pillars and walls were made entirely of pale white bone structures, wrapped with blood vessels that squirmed quietly like living creatures.
Terrifying, eerie, and bizarre.
This was the appearance of his physical body after the corpse dissolution—not human in form, constantly shifting into countless shapes, indescribable, like an embodiment of chaos.
Lü Yang looked surprised.
The transformation of the physical body wasn't the end; cultivators had to restrain the rampaging body anew to truly master it!
If one couldn't restrain the body, they would become a flesh-and-blood monster with its own status.
However, most cultivators reaching this point would have their consciousness already clouded, teetering between life and death, half-awake and half-asleep. How could they still have the ability to control their body?
"This difficulty is too high... fortunately, my skills are superior."
With the help of the guardian deity Su Nu, he had successfully cultivated the 'Thought-Severing Heaven-Seeing Silkworm Secret' a month ago, smoothly transforming his spiritual consciousness into divine consciousness.
With the support of divine consciousness, controlling the physical body was naturally no problem.
At this moment, as Lü Yang's mind moved, the originally massive palace of flesh and blood began to collapse, and the chaotic anomalies returned to order under his will.
In the end, only a handsome Daoist remained in place.
The Daoist wore white robes, his black hair flowing like a dragon, dancing as if alive. His entire being exuded a transcendent and ethereal aura.
'Corpse Dissolution Immortal' achieved!
Lü Yang's soul returned to his body.
In an instant, spirit and flesh merged.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and his original status instantly elevated to an unimaginable height.
Looking up at the sky, Lü Yang could already see the lofty 'Foundation Establishment Realm.'
In fact, if that place were the mountain peak, then he now stood less than a hundred steps from the summit, similar to the previous Master Nether Wishper, perhaps even higher.
Yet, even so, the grandeur of the 'Foundation Establishment Realm' still left him in awe.
Approaching, after all, was not the same as reaching.
No matter how close one got to the 'Foundation Establishment Realm,' even if only a step away, without stepping in and truly establishing the Dao foundation, there remained a distinction between the mortal and the immortal.
"Alas, my life is but a fleeting moment; I envy the endless flow of the Yangtze River."
At this moment, a beam of spiritual light suddenly flew in from the distance—it was sent from the direction of the Holy Sect. After receiving it, Lü Yang saw a token emerge.
As he had expected, after both parties had agreed on the matter of the 'Heavenly Corpse Fiend,' True Person Yinshan naturally wouldn't be stingy with a mere Foundation Establishment treasure.
"Everything is ready!"
At this moment, Lü Yang was filled with determination.
No time like the present—he would charge towards Foundation Establishment now!
With a single thought, Lü Yang decisively stepped towards the 'Foundation Establishment Realm.'
In the next second, he entered it!
He almost completed the ascension in one step!
"Much easier than in my previous life."
In his previous life, he only had the status of 'Saint Thief.'
Just the ascension consumed more than half of his true qi. However, this life was entirely different.
With third-grade true qi, 'Corpse Dissolution Immortal,' and 'Saint Thief' statuses, combined with Foundation Establishment divine consciousness, and the Ascension Order unlocking the seal of the nine-layered heavens, Lü Yang entered the 'Foundation Establishment Realm' with little effort. He had ample true qi to construct the Dao foundation, avoiding the embarrassment of his past life.
"Next comes the invasion of inner demons."
Lü Yang moved swiftly.
Upon entering the 'Foundation Establishment Realm,' he summoned Su Nu. The 'Yama Palace' instantly reassembled, and a vast power erupted.
With Su Nu present, Lü Yang effectively preemptively grasped the Foundation Establishment status, protecting himself and resisting most inner demons of the 'Foundation Establishment Realm.'
"Eighty percent—indeed, much easier than thirty percent."
Lü Yang remained calm.
The third-grade true qi 'True Dragon Qi' roared out, then coiled beneath his feet, its scales opening and closing, exhaling countless clouds.
Clouds follow the dragon!
Above the 'Nine Transformations Dragon Art' was the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Ascending Dragon Scroll.'
The Dao foundation constructed from this was a chariot covered by a canopy.
Riding the dragon, pulling ten thousand chariots to ascend!
Soon, as the clouds gathered and the radiance subdued, the form of a chariot gradually emerged, making Lü Yang's aura increasingly lofty and ethereal.
However, Lü Yang's brows gradually furrowed.
"Something's not right."
His sensitivity to karma was extremely acute. Thus, as his level approached Foundation Establishment, he felt increasingly alarmed, a shadow emerging in his heart.
The karmic threads he couldn't sense before now became exceptionally clear, wrapping around him.
The more he charged towards Foundation Establishment, the more he felt like a moth flying into the flame, like a butterfly caught in a spider's web.
This feeling made Lü Yang's expression increasingly grim, and a sudden realization arose in his heart:
"Someone is scheming against me!"
True Person Chongguang, True Person Yinshan, the Master of Mending Heaven Peak, even Master Nether Wishper—all the people Lü Yang knew flashed through his mind in an instant.
"Master Nether Wishper was killed by the Golden Core sword qi; it's impossible for him to be alive. The Master of Mending Heaven Peak was so severely injured; it's impossible for him to have fully recovered in just three months."
"As for True Person Chongguang and True Person Yinshan, even more impossible."
In the next second, a name finally surfaced in Lü Yang's mind.
The person's situation was too special, so he had always overlooked them.
Suddenly, Lü Yang let out a long breath, no longer pondering. It wasn't that he gave up investigating, but at this point, it was already too late to uncover the truth.
Lü Yang looked into the distance and saw someone slowly approaching in the vast 'Foundation Establishment Realm.'
The person moved calmly, each step steady.
The sound of their footsteps echoed like a grand bell in the 'Foundation Establishment Realm,' resembling a clear dragon's roar.
At first, Lü Yang saw the person was still far away, but after a few steps, they were already close.
Wherever they passed, golden lotuses bloomed, and the resonant chanting of sutras was deafening.
Just standing before Lü Yang made it impossible for him to look away.
Lü Yang's voice was cold, staring straight at the person.
He saw the person had a full forehead, wore golden Buddhist robes, and held a nine-ringed monk's staff.
The person appeared youthful, with red lips and white teeth, a compassionate face.
However, the small dragon he held in his hand was entirely different—ferocious and menacing, its golden eyes filled with killing intent as it stared at Lü Yang.
In the next moment, Lü Yang felt a sudden stagnation around him.
The small dragon let out a low growl, its dragon eyes unblinking, reflecting all the phenomena around Lü Yang and trapping him within those eyes.
Dragon eyes, golden pupils, encompassing heaven and earth!
Lü Yang's expression remained unchanged. He spoke coldly:
"True Person Panlong!"
With the person's appearance, the deeply hidden karma finally revealed its clues.
The person was none other than True Person Panlong, whom Lü Yang had previously thought was long dead!