Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

West, the Deep Bliss Pure Land.

Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva slowly stretched his limbs, rising to his feet under the immense pressure of the boundless Buddha Light. His towering Golden Body soared into the clouds.

Surrounding him were three Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land.

Bhumba Bodhisattva, Bao Lian Hidden Buddha, and Venerable Victory Treasure Pestle Bodhisattva had all manifested their Golden Bodies and joined forces to suppress him.

In that moment, the Buddha Country of the Pure Land, the Great Leiyin Temple, had transformed into a mortal battlefield. Myriad phenomena reflected their Abilities, causing Heaven and Earth to change color. Dust and smoke billowed as a radiant glow filled the sky. Deafening Zen chants echoed between Heaven and Earth, thundering around Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva like a demonic incantation boring into the ears.

"It’s useless. A futile effort."

Seeing this, Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva—or rather, Ang Xiao—sneered. "This Unity of yours might be enough to handle an ordinary Perfected Lord."

"But against me? You’re being far too naive."

As his voice fell, Ang Xiao straightened up. His Golden Body expanded, and it was as if billions of mountains and rivers had materialized upon his skin, within his acupoints, and throughout his organs.

At the same time, his voice rang out in a low chant:

"Though the mortal world spans thirty thousand feet, it ends here; though the Pure Land is a billion leagues away, it comes at my call."

As the Curse Sound faded, the towering Golden Body instantly manifested myriad phenomena. A wheel of wisdom appeared behind his head, radiating pure Buddha Light, while countless monks chanted from within his Golden Body.

Seeing this, the three Bodhisattvas’ expressions changed drastically.

’The Shuxiang Zen Forest!’

As the name implied, a single Golden Body was its own Zen Forest, its own Buddha Country. Activated by Ang Xiao, it erupted with a heaven-shaking BOOM!

Instantly, Heaven and Earth were buried in Buddha Light. Even the three Bodhisattvas lost their senses, feeling only an infinite Buddhist Dharma and a supreme Divine Effect surging up from below like a geyser, impossible to stop. Even the Array originally meant to suppress Ang Xiao had now lost all effectiveness!

"How can this be...?"

Bao Lian Hidden Buddha was stunned. This was the Pure Land’s Grand Ward, an Array that automatically sensed and suppressed heresy and evil. Yet right now, it couldn’t restrain Ang Xiao!

There was only one explanation.

’This old beast from the Stain Sect... his understanding of the Buddhist Dharma, the Joyful Nirvana Dao, and the Enlightenment Mahayana Sutra actually surpasses our own!?’

What kind of joke was this!

If word of this got out... no, it was already out!

After all, a disturbance this massive could be sensed by any Perfected Lord. Even Foundation-Stage Cultivators could likely detect the emergency in the Pure Land.

At this moment, Ang Xiao held up his Zen Forest with his towering Golden Body. Relying on his profound understanding of the Buddhist Dharma, he ignored the Array’s suppression. In his Buddha’s Palm, he held the Outer Dao Fruit Position, Ten Thousand Transformations, and had already sensed the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth. On top of that, he had also taken out the Immortal Spirit of the Fruit of Pewter Metal, which the Pure Land had kept in its collection.

For a time, the whole world was in shock!

"Can someone at the Late Stage of Golden Core with Five Elements Perfection be this powerful? I’ve seen True Monarch Gangxing’s avatar in action before, but it was never this spectacular..."

"A mere Outer Dao, yet with Ang Xiao’s empowerment, it can withstand three Pure Land Bodhisattvas and he still has the strength to spare to sense other Fruits. How the hell is anyone supposed to fight this..."

Meanwhile, Bao Lian Hidden Buddha grit her teeth.

"Give it everything you’ve got!"

"We must suppress this fiend! By the Bhagavat, even if he has possessed Dragon and Snake, he can’t possibly last long. Otherwise, he’d just be courting death!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she charged forward, immediately unleashing an Immortal Technique. The other two Pure Land Bodhisattvas hurriedly followed, not daring to hesitate for a second.

But even so, Ang Xiao remained completely unruffled. He held the Buddhist Dharma in his left hand, looking more like a Pure Land Bodhisattva than the actual Pure Land Bodhisattvas. In his right hand, he pinched the Veil of the Trees, deploying it with impeccable timing, only using it to reverse the situation whenever he was at a disadvantage.

In the back-and-forth, he actually managed to gain the upper hand!

Seeing this, Fortune, who was already burning with anxiety, grew restless again and looked at Lü Yang. "Daoist, aren’t you going to make a move? We can’t let him actually win!"

Hearing this, Lü Yang pressed his lips together, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

Ang Xiao’s power could still increase.

If he really managed to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth, even if he only grabbed one of the two—the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth or the Fruit of Pewter Metal—it would drastically increase his ability to interfere with the current world.

But in the next second, he shook his head firmly.

"We don’t move."

He understood what Fortune meant. They thought that since Ang Xiao was currently locked in a fierce battle and couldn’t spare the attention, it was the perfect time for them to attempt their Seeking Gold Ascension Position.

’But... no, that’s not right!’

Lü Yang felt this was just a feint from Ang Xiao.

’No, it’s not entirely a feint either. With Ang Xiao’s power, if I really do nothing, he could probably succeed in taking both Fruits.’

Whether he could or not, Lü Yang would assume he could!

Overestimate the enemy!

With this in mind, he said in a low voice, "It’s true we can’t let Ang Xiao win, but now is not the best time for you, Daoist, to attempt your Seeking Gold Ascension Position."

Ang Xiao had made the first move. Now it was his turn.

In the next second, Ang Xiao, who was in the Netherworld, felt a sensation. He looked toward the Overseas region and saw a Splendid Light shoot into the sky, illuminating the firmament.

"...Summon?"

Ang Xiao could see it clearly. That shaft of light pierced through Heaven and Earth, exuding a dense, Boundless aura that corresponded to the very Fruit he coveted.

The Fruit of Long-Flow Water!

"Why would Summon suddenly start Seeking Gold? It’s just a trap!"

That was Ang Xiao’s first reaction, but his expression quickly turned grave. The reason was simple: what if Summon actually succeeded?

If Summon truly attained the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, it would be no different from Minor Metal attaining the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire. He would still be able to perform the Earth Reversal on the Earth of Chen. What was more troublesome was that, unlike Minor Metal, Summon didn’t need the Earth of Chen for his Seeking Gold at all. This meant Ang Xiao had no way to control him!

"No, his chances of Seeking Gold are very low..."

The more Ang Xiao thought about it, the uglier his expression became. True, Summon’s chances were low, but wasn’t there someone behind the scenes helping him now?

There was always a chance!

Realizing this, Ang Xiao understood the ploy. "This is an open and undisguised scheme. They’re forcing me to interfere to further divide my attention."

But could he afford to ignore it?

He couldn’t!

Not unless he was willing to gamble that Summon would definitely fail to attain the Fruit of Long-Flow Water. But how could he bet on something like that? If he lost, he wouldn’t even have a chance for a desperate, final struggle!

Immediately after, Ang Xiao felt another sensation.

It was coming from the Jiangbei Qing Country. Minor Metal had completed the Magic Instrument and was beginning to raise the Blessed Land to ascend to his Fruit. At the same time, there was a subtle change in his Qi trace.

’The Earth of Chen on his body... he reversed it himself?’

Ang Xiao was slightly alarmed, then sighed. "Another one. The world is full of heroes... Forget it. I can’t ignore this. I have to intervene and stop them!"

In an instant, the battle in the Pure Land suddenly slowed.

It was clear that Ang Xiao had withdrawn some of his focus and redirected it toward Minor Metal and Summon, allowing the three Pure Land Bodhisattvas to regain the upper hand.

Correspondingly, unexpected problems arose for both Minor Metal and Summon.

"Hm!?"

Minor Metal paused, realizing that the Earth of Chen—which he had successfully reversed back to Yang Earth using the power of the Magic Instrument—had suddenly reverted to its yin attribute.

Meanwhile, Summon also faltered as his Spirit Ruins Blessed Land violently disintegrated!