Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Right now, storms were brewing across most of the Immortal Pivot.

In the West, the great battle in the Pure Land continued. Three Bodhisattvas held the upper hand, but the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva, controlled by Ang Xiao, still had strength to spare.

Overseas, Summon and Ang Xiao were still locked in a struggle.

In the North, Chong Guang’s qi trace shifted thrice in a single instant. Such a conspicuous disturbance caught the eye of nearly every Perfected Lord, and it sent World Purger Fei Xue into a towering rage.

After all, she could no longer seal off the area to prevent outside interference. The greatest "interference" was now coming from Lü Yang, who was helping Chong Guang maintain the state of the Earth of Chen. If she sealed the area and cut off Lü Yang’s help, Chong Guang would immediately fail and perish!

’One is Ang Xiao. But who is the other?’

’The one who just broke my seal with a sword... why would he do that, giving Ang Xiao an opening, only to turn around and stop him?’

’He’s trying to wear me down!’

Inside the Netherworld, Ang Xiao had already discerned Lü Yang’s intentions. ’He doesn’t want that Stain Sect junior to perish, but he doesn’t want him to succeed in Seeking Gold either.’

’A stalemate is best for him.’

’Because a stalemate would inevitably drain my energy and buy him time... The crucial point is that the battle in the Pure Land can’t last indefinitely.’

’I’ll have to return the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva sooner or later!’

After all, the Bhagavat has never been known to spit out what he has already swallowed. Ang Xiao knew he was only borrowing the Bodhisattva and couldn’t keep it for long.

’Once the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva is taken back, and the Fruit of Pewter Metal and the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth are lost, then I won’t even have a safety net. At that point, whether it’s Summon, Fortune, or that junior from the Stain Sect, if any one of them succeeds in Seeking Gold, I will lose everything!’

What should he do? Dispatch the Earth-Walking Avatar?

’If I commit, and go all-out—abandoning the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire and the Fruit of Long-Flow Water to focus my main attack on the Pure Land—I should be able to secure at least one Fruit as a fallback.’

’But...’

Ang Xiao was more hesitant than he had ever been.

He had noticed something amiss with Chong Guang—or more precisely, the method Lü Yang had used to reverse the Earth of Chen three times now filled him with a dark premonition.

’The sword mark that reversed the Earth of Chen... it’s strong. Very strong. Almost on par with the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood!’

’What kind of concept was that?’

He was uncertain, but he was sure it wasn’t Fortune’s ability. In other words, Fortune was likely not the true mastermind.

This complicated things.

’If the mastermind were Fortune, it would mean his power is limited. At his strongest, he’s only at the Fake Golden Core level. He couldn’t possibly block my Earth-Walking Avatar.’

But what if it wasn’t Fortune?

If the person behind the scenes was a genuine Perfected Lord... Even one at only the Mid-phase, by cooperating with the Pure Land, would be enough to reduce my odds of victory to a mere thirty percent!

Those were dangerous odds. If he failed, he would suffer a double loss—not only would he fail to seize the Fruit of Pewter Metal and the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth, but he would also lose his final trump card. It was this enormous risk that plunged Ang Xiao into hesitation.

And Lü Yang keenly sensed this hesitation.

’Ang Xiao has stopped moving!’

All this time, both sides had been constantly making moves, wrestling for advantage. But just now, Ang Xiao had momentarily frozen on all fronts.

’He’s hesitating!’

’Hesitating whether to use that True Monarch Level Dharma Body!’

At this thought, Lü Yang shot to his feet, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Excellent... In that case, I’ll add more fuel to the fire and sow even more chaos!"

The next second, he sent a message to Summon.

"Go!"

Upon receiving the message, Summon didn’t hesitate for a moment. His Daoist Hand Seal changed, and in an instant, his qi trace flared as he flew towards the Fruit of Long-Flow Water.

Such a development naturally alerted Ang Xiao as well.

’How did he do it?’

He couldn’t fathom it. ’I clearly shattered the Spirit Ruins Blessed Land, so how can Summon possibly continue Seeking Gold?’

’This makes no sense!’

’This doesn’t feel like I’m dealing with an Outer Heaven Wanderer at all. It’s more like I’m facing the reincarnation of a Perfected Lord with profound Cultivation. This is so fucking absurd!’

But very quickly, Ang Xiao noticed an opportunity.

’The dharma gate Summon is using for Seeking Gold... it’s still the Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture I concocted for him? The mastermind didn’t remove this backdoor?’

For a moment, Ang Xiao’s heart pounded with temptation.

He had designed the Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture specifically so that if used for Seeking Gold, the only outcome would be the Fruit of Long-Flow Water falling into the Netherworld on its own!

’But... could it be a trap?’

Ang Xiao gritted his teeth. ’No. When I designed the Ten Thousand Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture, I made it extremely covert and even took the possibility of a Perfected Lord’s involvement into account.’

’Unless they’ve personally seen me activate the backdoor in this Gold-Seeking Technique, there’s no way they could know it has a flaw.’

He refused to believe it. Could the mastermind really see through all of his contingency plans? Was his opponent so familiar with him as to be a mind reader?

He didn’t believe it!

Thinking of this, Ang Xiao finally made a decision: ’I’ll take the gamble!’

’The Earth-Walking Avatar remains on standby.’

’The Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire... I’m done with that Stain Sect junior. Let him continue Seeking Gold. I refuse to believe the mastermind will just sit back and watch him truly attain the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire!’

Ang Xiao acted the moment the thought came to him.

Almost simultaneously, Lü Yang also sensed it. ’Ang Xiao has withdrawn from Master Chong Guang. He’s no longer interfering... Is he betting that I will intervene?’

’He’s realized Master Chong Guang is just bait.’

’A pity...’

The next second, Lü Yang’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood up.

Because a message came from Summon’s side. Ang Xiao had upped the ante there, which meant he hadn’t seen that the Fruit of Long-Flow Water was just a disguise.

’An opportunity!’

Lü Yang was overjoyed, but his hands didn’t stop moving. He immediately ceased his support for Chong Guang and even went so far as to reverse his Earth of Chen back to its original state.

’Master Chong Guang has served his purpose.’

’The key is Summon!’

Lü Yang gazed into the distance, his sight piercing into the Foundation Establishment Realm. He saw Summon standing in mid-air, communing with the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, while below him, the gates of the Netherworld gaped open.

"Fruit of Long-Flow Water, come!"

Without any resistance, a look of clear despair appeared on Summon’s face as the Fruit of Long-Flow Water drifted toward the Netherworld as if going with the flow.

"Intervene!"

Lü Yang immediately shook the Righteous Banner. Purple qi billowed out as the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and Progenitor Tingyou both struck, launching two more blasts of Splendid Light at the gates of the Netherworld.

Of course, this was just for the sake of authenticity.

After all, if he did nothing and Ang Xiao saw things going too smoothly, he would become suspicious. Only by personally intervening could he make Ang Xiao believe the deception.

Everything was going according to Lü Yang’s plan.

However, just as the Fruit of Long-Flow Water neared the Netherworld, a cold sneer suddenly rang out, "You idiot, that’s a fake! Pull back, now!"

"!?!"

In an instant, the expressions on both Ang Xiao’s and Lü Yang’s faces changed drastically!

Almost at the same time, Summon tore away the disguise of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, revealing the true form of the Fruit of Spring Water. Simultaneously, the Huanxu Heaven manifested.

In an instant, the Grotto Heaven united with the Fruit.

RUMBLE!

Summon instantly re-ascended to the True Monarch Position, putting all his power into smashing the Fruit of Spring Water towards the Netherworld. However, Ang Xiao’s reaction was ultimately a step faster.

In the blink of an eye, the gates of the Netherworld dissipated like smoke, ceasing to exist.

The Fruit of Spring Water hit nothing but air.

’A miscalculation!’

At that moment, both Lü Yang and Ang Xiao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Then, they turned their gazes toward the person who had just spoken.

It was none other than World Purger Fei Xue!