The Demon with Holy Radiance

’The old bastard is finally showing his true colors. How should I deal with this?’

"Master, my true body is tens of thousands of miles away in another domain. It would be difficult to move it here. Besides, I’m not fully prepared to fuse with this Forbidden Artifact. I fear the risk of failure is extremely high. It would be better to wait until I am prepared; it won’t be too late to fuse then."

’Life Crane is trying to force me to fuse with the Forbidden Artifact Fragment so he can take the Golden Sun from my body.’

"Not prepared? I don’t think so. Your Cultivation Level is already at the peak of a Zombie God. All you need to do is fuse with the missing fragment to break through your bottleneck and reach the Insect Dao. What do you mean, ’not prepared’?"

"Besides, with me here to protect you, you can fuse without worry. You definitely won’t fail."

"This..."

Yang An was rendered speechless. Life Crane had laid his secrets bare with a single sentence. Before this Immortal Platform, he felt as if he were standing naked, unable to hide a thing.

Alarm bells screamed in his mind. He felt like he was being crushed, unable to breathe, on the verge of suffocation. The next step was into the abyss.

’If this doesn’t work, my only option is to resist and use Life Crane’s power to destroy this body. But the chances of success are extremely low. Life Crane probably won’t let me succeed.’

All his schemes and plans were useless in the face of absolute power. Yang An was overcome by a profound sense of helplessness.

But just then, Life Crane’s tone suddenly shifted. He relaxed his aggressive posture and broke into a gentle smile.

"I suspect it’s not that you’re unprepared—that’s just an excuse. The truth is, you don’t want to fuse with this Forbidden Artifact, do you?"

"!!!"

The old man had just blurted out his true thoughts. Yang An’s mind was now in utter chaos, and he was at a complete loss for words.

"Hahahaha."

He Tou, however, began to laugh.

"Stop toying with him, you old coot. Our precious disciple can’t take this kind of teasing. We’ve only got two disciples left—lose one and we’ll be down to one. You might be willing to let him die, but I’m not."

He Tou’s sudden words made the tense Yang An snap his head up. He stared at it, filled with shock and suspicion, wondering what these two were plotting.

’But from its words, it seems Life Crane doesn’t mean to harm me?’

Yang An’s heart was still in his throat. He looked at Life Crane, wanting to know if what He Tou had said was true.

Life Crane’s smile also gradually faded, his expression turning serious.

"The Forbidden Artifact Fragment in your hand is not what you seek. The Golden Sun Daoist told you that, didn’t he?"

Yang An froze for a moment, but then he immediately realized something and nodded in agreement.

’Since Life Crane could say this, he must know that I’ve already seen through the truth of the Forbidden Artifact Fragment. But he thinks the Golden Sun Daoist was the one who revealed it to me.’

This sentence immediately gave Yang An several key pieces of information.

’First, the Golden Sun Daoist actually exists. He isn’t a fabrication designed by Life Crane.’

’If that’s true, it means Moon Shadow copied and disguised the Golden Sun, including the Golden Sun Daoist contained within it.’

’Even if it wasn’t the real Golden Sun Daoist, the copied and disguised version must have been some kind of projection.’

’But since Life Crane deliberately set up Moon Shadow, he must know of the Golden Sun Daoist’s existence. Everything that just happened here was right under his nose, which means he’s aware of my conversation with the Golden Sun Daoist. And in that conversation, the Daoist never revealed the truth about the Forbidden Artifact Fragment to me.’

’From this, I can deduce that the Golden Sun Daoist Life Crane is referring to is most likely not the one within Moon Shadow, but the real Golden Sun Daoist!’

’I’ve never seen the real, incomplete part of the Golden Sun, but I have already fused with most of its fragments. So, it’s most likely that Life Crane believes the Golden Sun Daoist also exists within the fragments I’ve fused with!’

’If that’s the case, then what Life Crane said makes sense.’

’Life Crane thinks I just received guidance from the real Golden Sun Daoist, and that’s why I saw through Moon Shadow’s deception.’

’In reality, there’s no Golden Sun Daoist in the Golden Sun I’ve fused with. Not even a ghost of one.’

’The ability to see through Moon Shadow’s deception comes entirely from my own special power—a secret that not even Life Crane knows.’

At this thought, Yang An breathed a sigh of relief. The weight in his heart finally lifted.

’Since Life Crane has already said this much, it means I should be safe for now.’

’However, there’s one thing I’m unsure about. If the Golden Sun Daoist is real, does that mean what he said before about the Three Spiritual Light is also true?’

"I did indeed receive guidance from the Golden Sun Daoist."

Yang An answered quickly.

"I knew the Golden Sun Daoist must have told the kid. I told you your little trick wouldn’t work, you old coot. You should’ve just given him the fragment straight up. All this beating around the bush is a waste of my time."

He Tou bluntly expressed its dissatisfaction with Life Crane, a familiar dynamic between the two.

But the meaning behind its words made Yang An’s heart skip a beat.

’Give me the fragment straight up? What does that mean?’

"Shut up!"

Life Crane barked, then turned his gaze back to Yang An.

"Do you know why I specifically lured you to this place?"

Yang An shook his head. He had no idea what the old man was thinking, but he was sure it was nothing good, so he decided not to guess wildly.

He had just managed to catch his breath from the tense atmosphere and hadn’t fully recovered. It was better to just listen to what the old man had to say.

Life Crane pondered for a moment, then turned his back and clasped his hands behind him.

"As you know, things are not peaceful in the Treasure Temple Domain. The Great Virtue Temple has united with the Three Domains to target the Golden Thread Pavilion, and the war is growing more intense."

"Master, forgive my ignorance, but what does this have to do with us?"

Yang An already had a guess, but he didn’t voice it. Instead, he feigned a look of humble confusion and asked his question.

’Since Life Crane can appear here, and this is a vital location for the Golden Thread Pavilion... and since rumors say the Golden Thread Pavilion has a Supreme Elder at the Immortal Platform Realm... then his identity is self-evident.’

Sure enough, Life Crane’s next words confirmed Yang An’s suspicion.

"Of course it has to do with us. I founded the Golden Thread Pavilion myself back in the day. Though I’ve always remained behind the scenes, the entire sect is my life’s work."

"The Great Virtue Temple has united with the Three Domains against my Golden Thread Pavilion. Once those bastards get their hands on the complete Command Token and enter the Central Continent, this world will be utterly beyond saving."

"???"

Looking at Life Crane’s compassionate and sorrowful expression, Yang An found it hard to believe. The words "beyond saving" had actually come from his mouth, as if he wanted to save this collapsing world.

Yang An would rather believe the world was full of good people than believe Life Crane had such intentions. It would completely shatter the insidious and cunning image he had of him.

Just then, Life Crane continued:

"In this world, you are the only one qualified to fuse the Three Spiritual Light. I have seen everything you’ve done. You can achieve what others cannot—what even I cannot achieve."

"Therefore, there is something that must be left to you."

A hint of regret flickered across his face, but it vanished in an instant.

"You have already fused with the Golden Sun, one of the Three Spiritual Light. You are only missing one last piece to complete it. I can help you."

As he said this, he gently closed his hand, and a pearl radiating a faint golden light appeared within it.

Staring at the pearl in his hand, an unconcealed look of desire appeared on Life Crane’s face. But he eventually suppressed it, turned, and sent the pearl floating before Yang An.

Gazing at the Forbidden Artifact Fragment just inches away, Yang An did not reach for it. Instead, his heart was filled with vigilance.

He was still reeling from this unprecedented side of Life Crane. Based on what he knew of him, for the man to so easily give him what he wanted, there had to be a catch.

’The moment I touch this pearl, something unimaginably horrible will probably happen.’

Seeing that Yang An didn’t take the Forbidden Artifact Fragment, Life Crane showed no surprise, as if this were all within his expectations.

"Before you is the real Golden Sun. As for whether to accept it, I leave the choice to you."

"Either you fuse with the complete Golden Sun and join me in saving this filthy, tedious world."

"Or, you can abandon the Golden Sun within you, and I will find someone else to save the world!"

"What... is your choice?"

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