Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Immortal Pivot, the South.

The effects of the recent chaotic battle between Perfected Lords had already faded for the Lower Cultivators. After all, some people always survive, and those who live must go on living.

Celestial Sword Pavilion.

Majestic peaks pierced the heavens, cutting across the sky like an unrivaled Divine Blade thrusting up from the earth. Its Sword Point aimed Beyond the Heavens, and countless streaks of light could be faintly seen zipping about.

Soon, a figure tore through the void and descended quietly.

He was dressed in a Daoist Robe, his spirit soaring. His entire being radiated Sword Qi, and a fair sword-scar on his brow shone with the luster of Divine Power Perfection.

It was none other than Demon Subduing Zhenren.

"Sword Pavilion... I’m back!"

Demon Subduing Zhenren strode forward with his head held high. But the moment he stepped into the Sword Pavilion, a figure appeared silently, blocking his path.

’Demon-Vanquishing Perfected...’

Upon seeing the other man’s face, Demon Subduing Zhenren’s spirited expression instantly soured. However, he quickly composed himself.

"Greetings, Senior Brother." Demon Subduing Zhenren clasped his hands in a salute.

Meanwhile, the original body of this generation’s Demon-Vanquishing Perfected nodded slightly and said with a smile, "No need for formalities. What matters most is that you’ve returned safely."

Demon Subduing Zhenren froze for a moment. Then, as if remembering something, he looked toward the Sword Pavilion and briefly extended his senses. His expression grew grim, and he said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Exorcism... his Qi trace is gone. Did he go out traveling? Why is there an extra seal in the Earth-Piercing Abyss?"

"A Perfected Lord placed it there."

Demon-Vanquishing’s original body sighed. "Junior Brother Exorcism failed in his Seeking Gold. He died and transformed into a Daoist Remnant, so the Perfected Lord suppressed him. That’s why the Earth-Piercing Abyss was sealed."

"Don’t be alarmed, Junior Brother. The Perfected Lord was just showing compassion for his own disciple..."

"Oh? Is that really true?"

Hearing this, Demon Subduing Zhenren’s brow furrowed in complete disbelief. ’Compassion for his own disciple? Since when did our Sword Pavilion have such a degenerate custom?’

’According to the rules of our Sword Pavilion, when a disciple from a family dies, a Perfected Lord will guide their reincarnation. The principle of this guidance is based entirely on the disciple’s cultivation, talent, and wealth from their past life... all of which belongs to the Sect. The disciple is sent off with nothing, so that they can be guided back in their next life to become a Sword Pavilion disciple once more.’

’Talent, cultivation, wealth... these can all be liquidated into Reincarnation Gold.’

’On this basis, the more Reincarnation Gold you turn in, the better your treatment in the next life. The best are reborn into the three great Golden Core Immortal Races, followed by the Foundation Establishment Major Races.’

’The worst off are those from the Qi Refining Minor Races.’

’This is done to maintain the vitality of families large and small, forcing all disciples of noble houses to cultivate diligently instead of resting on their laurels and squandering their inheritances.’

’This system has continued to this day without a single disciple complaining. It’s a truly benevolent policy!’

’The key to it all is driving the disciples on like cattle. How could there be any room for compassion? If they were truly compassionate, would they still collect the Reincarnation Gold?’

’Hmm... it must be that Senior Brother Demon-Vanquishing’s temperament is different from most people’s. He must have misunderstood the Perfected Lord’s benevolent act, thinking the Perfected Lord would let some backward, dreg-like idea such as "compassion for a disciple" destroy the Reincarnation Gold system that has been maintained for countless years. Sigh, no wonder everyone in the Sect thinks Senior Brother Demon-Vanquishing is a pedant...’

Demon Subduing Zhenren shook his head and sighed, but he had no intention of reminiscing with Demon-Vanquishing Perfected any further.

After all, he was an outstanding Sword Species of the Sword Pavilion, destined for a Seeking Gold Ascension Position in the future. He couldn’t afford to waste time on someone like Senior Brother Demon-Vanquishing, whose path on the Dao was hopeless.

’Besides, I bear a great responsibility.’

At this thought, Demon Subduing Zhenren’s expression quickly turned serious, his heart heavy.

’To create an unparalleled prodigy like me, one who cultivates the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal, the Perfected Lord invested all the Reincarnation Gold he had accumulated to date in me.’

Intangible things like talent, karmic links, and fate... these are the very foundation of Reincarnation Gold. Demon Subduing Zhenren had inherited all of this. He was born into the largest Golden Core Immortal Race in the Sword Pavilion and grew up soaking in Spirit Liquid. His talent was exceptional, and he received endless benefits, which is how he achieved his current cultivation.

So, he was also under immense pressure.

After all, if he failed under these circumstances and caused True Monarch Gangxing’s investment to go down the drain, what awaited him would surely be a dead end in the cycle of reincarnation.

...

Meanwhile, inside Demon Subduing Zhenren’s Spiritual Space.

A statue was hidden deep within Demon Subduing Zhenren’s Divine Sense. It was as minuscule as a mustard seed, yet it contained a Grotto Heaven of its own, inside which two strands of Divine Sense lay hidden.

"What do you think, Senior? Do you sense anything?"

Inside the Earth-Walking Avatar, Lü Yang looked at Ang Xiao before him and asked in a low voice, "Do you think that personage from the Stain Sect... is still watching the Current World?"

Ang Xiao fell into thought upon hearing this.

After a moment, he shook his head solemnly. "He shouldn’t be. That personage is very busy. It’s impossible for him to waste energy staring at the Current World for an extended period."

"Besides, even if we were discovered, he probably wouldn’t act personally."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because his cultivation is too high."

Ang Xiao sighed. "For a Master of Dao, the higher their cultivation, the more troublesome it is to interfere with the Current World. Don’t forget, the other Masters of Dao are keeping a close watch on him."

"However, that doesn’t mean he’s out of options. As a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord, and very likely the strongest Master of Dao, he has many methods at his disposal. For instance, he could make a Bhagavat take action. After all, the restrictions between beings on the level of a Master of Dao are much looser. He might not be able to touch us, but do you think he can’t touch a Bhagavat?"

"Forcing a Bhagavat to act is much simpler."

"And since no Buddha Light has appeared from the Pure Land so far, it means we are temporarily safe... He has most likely withdrawn his gaze."

Ang Xiao concluded.

Lü Yang also breathed a sigh of relief and then looked around.

At this moment, both he and Ang Xiao had poured a large amount of Mighty Power and Profound Mysterious arts into this Earth-Walking Avatar, attaching a strand of their Divine Sense to remain within it.

"This truly is a fine treasure..."

Lü Yang stroked the inner shell of the Earth-Walking Avatar. This single avatar’s value was astronomically higher than that of his own Life Form Body.

"Don’t touch it!"

Seeing this, Ang Xiao’s eyebrow twitched. "This is my Artifact. If you want to possess a body, Daoist, then go possess the avatar you refined yourself!"

"My avatar has another important use, so it’s inconvenient at the moment."

Lü Yang shook his head. "Didn’t we sign a Magic Contract and agree to this? We’re in the same boat. What’s wrong with me borrowing your Artifact for a while?"

"Hmph... in the same boat?"

Ang Xiao sneered but didn’t refute him. Since he had allowed Lü Yang to take up residence in the Earth-Walking Avatar, he naturally had his own schemes.

Besides, this was also beneficial to him.

’At least all of this person’s Abilities and Mighty Power will have to be channeled through my Earth-Walking Avatar. This means I have the upper hand in our cooperation.’

’Once I find the second stage of the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness... I’ll immediately tear up our alliance, throw him out of the Earth-Walking Avatar, and go it alone!’

Thinking this, Ang Xiao couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

Meanwhile, Lü Yang sighed to himself:

’Unfortunately... I can’t directly possess the Life Form Body. I have to give it as much freedom as possible, or I wouldn’t be in this position of being controlled by another.’

’But it doesn’t matter.’

’Ang Xiao could never guess that what I sent into the Earth-Walking Avatar wasn’t just a mere strand of spiritual perception and some Mighty Power, but a complete Dao Body!’

A Dao Body forged by the Centome!

It not only possessed the cultivation of the Early Stage of Golden Core but was also free of karmic links, making it extremely difficult to detect. He had carefully disguised it, successfully deceiving Ang Xiao’s Dharma Eye!

’Ang Xiao only has a single strand of spiritual perception. How could he possibly defeat my complete Dao Body? Once I find the second stage of the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness... I’ll immediately tear up our alliance, use my Dao Body’s superior strength to forcibly seize the Earth-Walking Avatar, crush his spiritual perception, and then cast him aside and go it alone!’