Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 540: Minor Metal’s Magnanimity and the Crucial Variable

Lü Yang gave Minor Metal no time to question him. The moment he finished speaking, the Yama Hall landed in his palm, once again erupting in a dazzling, splendid light.

BOOM!

Despite the ten-year gap, when this splendid light ascended into the sky and ignited like a star, it still drew the attention of countless Foundation-Stage Cultivators.

The radiance of a Fruit descended from the dome of the heavens. It swept away all gloom and suppressed thousands of Qi traces wherever it passed. For a moment, the Five Domains of Heaven and Earth fell silent. It was a clear message to all: the sun that had hung over their heads for ten years remained as bright and magnificent as ever.

Almost simultaneously, within the Netherworld.

Ang Xiao’s eyes shot open. He felt the turbulence in the Great Net of Karma Links and the intense malice directed at him. His face instantly turned ashen.

"It’s finally happening..."

At this thought, Ang Xiao couldn’t help but let out a long breath of muddy qi. His five-thousand-year scheme had ultimately been defeated by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He had many theories about Lü Yang.

However, there was one he believed to be the most likely:

’Perhaps he’s from the future.’

’After all, that place is where the Bhagavat achieved Attainment, and it continues to exist even now. Though it’s similar yet different from the current world, their paths are not entirely separate.’

’That’s the only way to explain how he can strike my weak points every time and knows me inside and out... It’s because he already experienced this once in that other place. It’s just that he, like that harpy, was blessed by heavenly fortune... No, not necessarily. Could someone be guiding him here?’

The more Ang Xiao thought about it, the more his head ached.

Because if a Great Power truly could pull someone out of ’that place,’ the only one he could think of was the enigmatic Ancestral Master of his own Stain Sect.

After all, that place was the Bhagavat’s private domain.

’But the question is, why would the Ancestral Master pull out a guy like that to oppose me? Am I no longer the Ancestral Master’s most trusted disciple?’

’Back then, he clearly...’

’Stop!’

Ang Xiao abruptly stopped thinking. He then activated the Veil of the Trees, smoothly erasing that line of thought. His mind then shifted.

’So be it.’

Lifting his head, Ang Xiao looked outside the Netherworld. He had already foreseen the coming changes, but he wasn’t discouraged. Instead, a smile touched his lips.

"Consider this your victory. When the Perfected Lords of the world re-emerge, I will be back to play a new game with you..."

The next second—

BOOM!

In the current world, Lü Yang didn’t hesitate. With the imagery of the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire, he forcefully reversed the change, pulling all the Earth of Chen in the world back to the side of Yang!

However, this alone was not enough.

After all, Minor Metal had accomplished the same thing before.

The key was Ang Xiao’s own Earth of Chen. That was the very source of the world’s reversed Earth of Chen, and Ang Xiao had hidden it in the deepest part of the Netherworld.

And now, this source Earth of Chen was also changing!

Its once-dense Yin Qi silently dissipated. Like light emerging as dust settles, a profound and mysterious imagery of ultimate Yang and hardness surged forth from within!

The Earth of Chen was returning to Yang!

Ang Xiao could only sigh. Lü Yang was righting a wrong, achieving twice the result with half the effort. He, on the other hand, had gone against the heavens to reverse the Earth of Chen, getting half the result for twice the work.

He couldn’t stop it!

The next second, Ang Xiao watched as the mighty power of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water and the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire was rapidly drained from his body.

BOOM!

Having lost the support of two Fruits, the hall where Ang Xiao resided began to tremble violently. A terrifying, indescribable pressure came crashing down.

In the nick of time, Ang Xiao swiftly formed a finger technique before his chest and uttered a Daoist sound:

"An illusion! There are no living beings in the Netherworld!"

"You’re seeing things!"

"Look away!"

The terrifying Veil of the Trees rode on the Daoist sound, enveloping Ang Xiao’s dwelling like a thin veil of gauze. In an instant, it was as if the place had never existed.

Even so, the formless, terrifying pressure continued to sweep over Ang Xiao’s location, seemingly filled with doubt. Only after several scans yielded no discoveries did this dreadful pressure gradually dissipate. The Netherworld, which had been on the verge of a stress-induced rampage, returned to its silent state.

"Whew...!"

Seeing this, Ang Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. If his Veil of the Trees had only been at the Middle Stage of Golden Core, he would have been discovered!

’Thankfully, I still control the Fruit of Pewter Metal and the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth. The Three Elements can still support the Position of the Late Stage of Golden Core. Otherwise, with the Earth of Chen returning to Yang and all the Fruits leaving me, I would have immediately dropped to the Middle Stage of Golden Core. Exposed within the Netherworld, I might not have even been able to protect my own life!’

This was a great fortune in the midst of misfortune.

Looking at the hall, which was now a full size smaller than before, Ang Xiao couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. But he quickly composed himself and began to regulate his breathing to recover.

As for the anger of losing the Earth of Chen, the helplessness of his Realm dropping, the despair of his scheme coming to naught... he suppressed all these negative emotions deep in his heart.

Seeking the Dao was, by its very nature, a path full of twists and turns.

As long as he wasn’t dead, there was still hope. Dwelling on the past only led to confusion; his gaze was always fixed on the future.

A long time passed like this—

"DAMN IT ALL!"

Within the Netherworld, an irrepressible, cathartic roar finally echoed out.

.......

"I wonder what kind of face Ang Xiao is making right now?"

Lü Yang rubbed his chin, a little disappointed that he couldn’t see it. He then executed the Kan and Li True Method of Positional Shift, transforming into the state of Fake Celestial Fire.

Immediately after, he reached into his robes and took out a golden light.

The White Chilong’s Golden Attribute.

By now, Lü Yang had long since become the one whose words held the most weight among the Dragon Race. The Dragon Palace Treasure Vault was naturally his to use, so a single Gold Attribute was nothing significant.

Deprive!

Lü Yang merged this Gold Attribute, replenishing the Hongyun Gold Attribute consumed by the Fake Holding. Only then did he retract his Qi trace and dispel the Fake Holding state.

He turned around to see Minor Metal looking at him with a solemn expression.

"Thank you, Daoist, for opening the path of Seeking Gold for me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Minor Metal reached into his robes and unexpectedly took out a Jade Box and a Jade Scroll, presenting them respectfully to Lü Yang.

"I may be ruthless in my methods, but I never like to owe favors."

"Not one of those who harmed me will escape, but I will also never forget those who have helped me... Daoist, let these two items repay your great kindness."

Lü Yang was taken aback by these words.

When he helped Minor Metal reverse the Earth of Chen, he truly had no Ghostly Land intentions. He was simply preparing for his own Seeking Gold, and so he decided to fulfill his promise beforehand.

’It really wasn’t a trap. I’m a good guy!’

’Even though I haven’t figured out what that missing "final step" is, continuing to wait is just a waste of time. I have the Centome, after all, so I have room for trial and error. I might as well take the risk. Even if I fail, it won’t be a total loss as long as I can figure out what step was missing.’

He just hadn’t expected an accidental reward.

Lü Yang took the Jade Box and swept it with his Divine Sense. His gaze flickered. Stored within the box was an immense amount of Celestial Fruit Position Qi!

’This is... Qi from the Ten Thousand Martial Realm!’

’And it’s an enormous amount. This must have taken more than one collection trip. If I absorb it, my Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body will reach Perfection immediately!’

In an instant, Lü Yang understood Minor Metal’s original plan. If Lü Yang hadn’t reversed the Earth of Chen for him, he probably would have used this collected Qi to seek a Fruit from the Ten Thousand Martial Realm instead. Although an Outer Dao True Monarch was far inferior, it was still a Perfected Lord. It was a backup plan Minor Metal had prepared for himself.

But now, Lü Yang had reversed the Earth of Chen for him.

With the path of the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire now clear, Minor Metal was being quite generous. Repaying the favor, he had actually gifted the painstakingly collected Qi of the Ten Thousand Martial Realm to him!

’The Fruit of the Ten Thousand Martial Realm... actually shares some imagery with the Fruit of Celestial Fire.’

’So if I refine this Celestial Qi and transform my Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body into a form of Heaven, it will also be beneficial for my Seeking Gold!’

This was a generous gift indeed!

What about the other item?

Lü Yang’s gaze shifted to the Jade Scroll that Minor Metal had handed him. He began to read its contents... but soon, his brow furrowed.

’How is this possible... So that’s how it is!?’

’The Fruit of Rampart Earth, the Zouyu Descendants...’

The contents of the Jade Scroll were simple, but they made Lü Yang’s eyes light up. ’The Zouyu Descendants within the Stain Sect... I get it now! I know what the missing step is!’

The final variable in his Seeking Gold—the problem lay with the Zouyu Descendants of the Stain Sect!