Chapter 597: You Will Be Lu Shao the Sect Leader

Choosing someone to impersonate Young Master Lu was no easy task. It wasn't enough to simply grab any Golden Core cultivator off the street; an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, even under the command of the Di Jiang Token, could never achieve the level of Young Master Lu. At the very least, they needed to be a Golden Core cultivator with a solid foundation to work with.

Secondly, they had to be skilled with a sword. When Young Master Lu wreaked havoc at Wen Dao Sect, his most striking ability was his swordplay. Furthermore, this person must not belong to any major force, as the disappearance of a disciple from a major force could easily cause trouble. Therefore, the elder of the Di Jiang clan searched for a long time but couldn't find a suitable candidate.

He then noticed Lu Yang, who was carrying a treasured sword. The ancient Di Jiang had revived two hundred years ago. Although he unified most of the demon domain in just half a year, this was actually the culmination of two centuries of accumulated effort. Over these two hundred years, the Di Jiang clan secretly gathered all sorts of intelligence, including information on contemporary prodigies. They knew the appearance of all the prodigies, including Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, Mang Gu, Bai Ming of the Five Elements Sect, and Shi Chan of Xuankong Temple. This person carrying a treasured sword was not among the disciples the Di Jiang clan had information on. He must be either a rogue cultivator or a disciple from a minor sect! He would be perfect to impersonate Young Master Lu! The person next to him, dressed in a black robe, appeared to only be at the Fusion stage, so they were nothing to fear.

The Di Jiang elder secretly finalized his plan. The area was crowded and conspicuous, making it inconvenient to act, so the Di Jiang elder patiently followed behind the two. As a Tribulation Transcending cultivator, with no Half-Immortals present, no one could restrain him, and he wouldn't be discovered.

“Why is someone constantly following us?” Immortal Fairy frowned, displeased.

Jiang Lianyi also nodded: “Indeed, someone has been following us. They must be a Tribulation Transcending cultivator from the Di Jiang clan.”

“What does he want?”

“Who cares?”

“Good point.”

The human, the ghost, and the demon continued to explore the demon city.

“Are we not allowed in here?” Lu Yang walked to the center of the demon city, where a temporary hundred-meter-high wall blocked the area. Great demons at the Fusion stage were guarding it, and no one was allowed to enter without permission.

“This is the Altar of Heaven, used for the founding ceremony,” Jiang Lianyi said, having scanned the interior with her divine sense.

“It seems Zhu Tian spent a considerable sum,” Jiang Lianyi remarked. The main structure of the Altar of Heaven was made of glazed white jade, a material rare even in ancient times, which Jiang Lianyi herself did not possess. If Jiang Lianyi wanted some, she would need to take raw materials like sand and stone to the Immortal of Time, adjust conditions like wind direction and temperature, and ask the Immortal of Time to use his Dao Fruit of Time to create a piece of glazed white jade.

“Oh, then we can just wait until the founding ceremony to see it,” Lu Yang said, noting that seeing it beforehand would spoil the mystery. “Shall we go explore that street?” Lu Yang pointed to the other side of a narrow passage.

“Alright.”

The human and the demon entered the passage. The Di Jiang elder finally seized his chance, holding his breath and concentrating, and quickly followed. He flashed, crossing through the air, and appeared before Lu Yang and Jiang Lianyi.

“Boy, I’ve finally got my chance! I’ve been waiting for you!”

Just as Lu Yang was about to react, the Di Jiang elder swiftly pulled out the Di Jiang Token. He activated it with his vital blood, and a nearly corporeal phantom of the ancient Di Jiang appeared, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. It surged through Lu Yang's pupils, rushed into his spiritual sea, and began to control him. Possessing the Di Jiang Token was akin to the ancient ancestor himself arriving. Not to mention a mere Golden Core cultivator, even a Tribulation Transcending cultivator couldn’t resist it!

Within the spiritual sea, Immortal Fairy, with a strange expression, pinched the phantom of the ancient Di Jiang with one hand, wondering what kind of trick this was. The phantom of the ancient Di Jiang struggled like a living creature, its six limbs flailing and four wings flapping, stirring up a hurricane in the spiritual sea.

Thump—

Without hesitation, Immortal Fairy slammed her other hand onto the head of the ancient Di Jiang phantom, instantly interrupting its attack. “A Half-Immortal level mental attack, quite something indeed.” Immortal Fairy was very confident; within Lu Yang's spiritual sea, she was an invincible presence. At the same time, light flickered around the walls of the spiritual sea, and runes continuously shifted, as if preparing to unleash an attack. This was a contingency plan left by Eldest Senior Sister in Lu Yang's spiritual sea, ensuring his safety within it.

With the ancient Di Jiang phantom halted by Immortal Fairy, the runes around the walls dimmed and merged back into the walls, as if they had never appeared. Immortal Fairy exerted a slight pressure with her right hand, crushing the ancient Di Jiang phantom. The ancient Di Jiang phantom offered no resistance from beginning to end.

Lu Yang, unfortunately, was controlled by the Di Jiang Token. His eyes became vacant, his arms hung loose, his entire body relaxed, and he no longer guarded against the elder.

“You too!” The Di Jiang elder then activated the Di Jiang Token on Jiang Lianyi, who also fell under its control, showing no reaction.

“What is your name, and from which sect do you hail?” The Di Jiang elder wanted to reconfirm that he had found suitable individuals.

“My name is Yun Yang, from Tianmen Sect.”

“Yun Yang? No sect, no affiliation...” the Di Jiang elder muttered to himself, reviewing the information he had on Daxia's prodigies. There was no one named Yun Yang. “And the person next to you?” The Di Jiang elder's gaze fell upon Jiang Lianyi, who was cloaked in black robes, her appearance obscured.

“She is my master, Su Yiren.”

“The reclusive Fusion-stage Su Yiren, so it's her,” the Di Jiang elder mused, understanding. Few cultivators in Daxia knew of Su Yiren, let alone him in the demon domain.

“Are you skilled with a sword?”

“Very.”

“You two are very fortunate. You have been chosen by the Ancient Ancestor to impersonate the Heavenly Court Sect at the founding ceremony in two days.”

“You are no longer Yun Yang; you are Young Master Lu of the Heavenly Court Sect.”

“Yes, I am Young Master Lu!” Lu Yang declared, his voice firm and resounding.

“Excellent attitude,” the Di Jiang elder nodded in satisfaction. “As for you, Su Yiren, you will be the Heavenly King Guardian of the Heavenly Court Sect.”

Underneath her black robe, Jiang Lianyi rolled her eyes, ignoring him.

The Di Jiang elder paid no mind and continued: “Yun Yang, your task is to impersonate the Heavenly Court Sect during the founding ceremony and battle against my clan's prodigy. After a fierce fight, you are to be defeated by our prodigy!”

“Yes, I guarantee the completion of the mission!”

The Di Jiang elder once again activated the Di Jiang Token: “I command you, at all costs, to unleash your full potential! You must reach the level of Young Master Lu in a short amount of time!”

As he spoke, Lu Yang's entire body turned crimson, as if ablaze. He collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball, clutching the clothing over his heart, and let out heart-wrenching wails. “So much pain... so hot... power... power is constantly surging!”

All power comes with a price. Lu Yang couldn't bear this surge of energy, rolling on the ground. Beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on his forehead, and in no time, his hair was completely soaked.

Sizzling—

Lu Yang's body temperature continued to rise, his body heat evaporating the sweat and emitting sizzling steam. Amidst the steam, Lu Yang slowly rose, having adapted to this newfound power.

The Di Jiang elder was overjoyed. As expected of the Di Jiang Token bestowed by the Ancient Ancestor, its effect was truly remarkable.

“Sir, I have reached the level of Young Master Lu!”