Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Lü Yang quietly left the Immortal Alliance Headquarters.

All preparations were complete; the rest was up to Mu Changsheng. However, Lü Yang estimated that in the end, Mu Changsheng would still follow his plan.

’After all, he certainly wants to live.’

’The Saint Sect Ancestral Master imprisoned his Soul, which should have been a dead end. However, I gave him the Dao Heart Cultivation Technique, earning him a sliver of a chance at survival.’

’Yet his crisis is far from over. Ang Xiao covets his Body of Daoist Remnant, but that body, combined with the Myriad-Soul Banner used to refine No Heaven, is his final trump card. He can’t possibly give it up... so in the end, he and Ang Xiao are bound to clash!’

At this thought, Lü Yang nodded in satisfaction.

’The trap is set. Now I just have to wait for Ang Xiao to take the bait.’

Just then, he suddenly sensed something. He made a quick calculation with his fingers, then chuckled. "Speak of the devil. He’s quite fast!"

........

「Overseas, in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm.」

"Yes! I did it!"

Above the Cloud Sea, Yuan Tu—who looked identical to Lü Yang—threw his head back and laughed as the shadow of a majestic mountain above his head gradually merged with his body.

The next moment, the mountain shadow fully integrated into Yuan Tu’s body. He let out a deep breath of Muddy Qi and slowly opened his right palm. A black light emerged in his palm, taking shape until it formed a small mountain that he held solemnly suspended in the air.

Embracing Mountain!

As this Ability took form, Yuan Tu’s Qi trace and Position began to skyrocket. He broke through the bottleneck with force, reaching the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment.

At that very moment, however, a laugh suddenly rang out:

"What fine Earth of Wu!"

The words had barely faded when the void cracked open, and a lustrous Jade Stone tumbled out. It was unveiled, instantly bathing the sky in a brilliant golden radiance.

Wherever the radiance passed, Yuan Tu, who had just been feeling triumphant about his breakthrough to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, was instantly alarmed. With a flip of his hand, he produced a small gourd. He uncapped it, and like a ravenous beast opening its gaping maw, the gourd swallowed the golden radiance whole.

Immediately after, a figure tore through the void and appeared.

The man wore green robes and had a smile on his face. He casually tossed the Jade Stone in his hand. It was none other than Ang Xiao, disguised as Master Xiao Hai!

Seeing this, Yuan Tu’s brows furrowed deeply.

"Who are you?"

Ang Xiao’s lips curved into a slight smirk. "I am Xiao Hai, and I came specifically looking for you, fellow Daoist... I should have been here a few days ago, but I was delayed by a few minor things."

After speaking, he tipped the Jade Pot in his hand.

Water rippled inside the pot, glowing brightly. A damaged Sword Pill tumbled out. Judging by its quality, it had been a Superior Sentient Artifact before being broken.

"This is..." Yuan Tu was curious.

Ang Xiao replied with disdain, "Just a Sword Pill from the Sword Pavilion. It seems some Perfected Person from a Sword Pavilion family came to kill you. I dealt with him along the way."

"Uh... Thank you, Senior?"

Yuan Tu tilted his head but still cupped his hands in thanks. His reaction, however, made Ang Xiao raise an eyebrow, his gaze turning scrutinizing.

Ang Xiao was also curious about this junior from the Stain Sect.

Why had Fortune—or rather, the mysterious person behind Fortune—chosen him?

What was so different about him?

At this thought, Ang Xiao’s expression became even more playful. He could tell Yuan Tu’s caliber at a glance—a prodigy of the Stain Sect’s younger generation.

He must have had some fortuitous encounters.

’Should I just take them from him?’

’Although the fortuitous treasures of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator would be useless to him, he didn’t mind snatching them for fun. Other people’s sorrow was his joy, after all.’

The next moment, Ang Xiao smiled.

"Go!"

The word had barely left his lips when the Jade Pot in his hand floated up once more. The lid flew open, and like a bursting dam, a monstrous, turquoise tide instantly surged forth!

ROAR!

The turquoise light rippled, washing over the clear sky as it swept toward Yuan Tu with overwhelming force, swallowing him in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Yuan Tu felt as if he had been plunged into a labyrinthine torrent. Even with his immense Mana, he was so entangled that he couldn’t unleash even a third of his power. He could only drift with the current, letting the vast waves crush down on him, rendering him immobile. It seemed he was about to be suppressed.

The Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot!

This Secret Treasure had been casually refined by Ang Xiao using a Grotto Heaven Fragment from Fortune. It was imbued with some of its divine properties and could be considered a Superior Sentient Artifact with two profound and mysterious abilities.

As its name suggests, they were Sea Fishing and Bright Light.

The Sea Fishing ability, of course, was the turquoise light Yuan Tu was currently facing—a Divine Effect created by Refining the entire Gantang Dao.

Within the turquoise waves, which churned and swirled according to their Master’s will, an ordinary person would be like someone sunk to the bottom of a vast ocean, with no hope of escape.

At almost the same time, a heavenly light shone down.

The light shot from the mouth of the pot, as if it had been gathering power at the bottom for a long time. It now erupted forth, instantly blinding Yuan Tu with a chaotic burst of golden light.

Bright Light!

This Divine Effect of the Spiritual Treasure was forged from a fragment of the Long Brilliance Treasure Light Grotto Heaven. Within that heavenly light was a thin, sharp blade.

The heavenly light was merely the glint from this blade’s edge. It shone down first, locking onto Yuan Tu’s Spiritual Essence, and then the blade itself hummed. The entire process was seamless: Sea Fishing restrained his spirit, Bright Light immobilized it, and then the final slash fell like a guillotine, giving Yuan Tu no time to react!

There was nowhere to dodge; he could only take it head-on!

For a moment, a hint of despair even flickered in Yuan Tu’s eyes... but in the next instant, that despair was replaced by calm composure.

In a flash, he regained his composure. With a slight movement of his fingers, the Embracing Mountain he had just refined instantly solidified from its ethereal form and appeared before him.

CLANG!

The next moment, the blade’s light fell, sinking straight into the peak of the Embracing Mountain. It carved a fissure right through it before passing effortlessly through the gap.

It continued straight for "Yuan Tu’s" neck!

However, "Yuan Tu" reacted with extreme speed. His Daoist Hand Seal shifted, and the newly solidified Embracing Mountain instantly became ethereal again, condensing into a streak of black light.

BOOM!

The black light swept down, stripping the blade of seventy percent of its Divine Effect on the spot. Finally, just as it was about to slice open his neck, "Yuan Tu" slowly extended a finger.

He bent his finger and flicked.

DING—!

A crisp, explosive sound echoed in all directions. The blade recoiled, and the shattered light from its edge bloomed like a lotus. Only then was the entire assault barely blocked.

Differentiation!

The Profound Mysterious Innate Ability of the Dao Foundation, corresponding to Fruit of Rampart Earth. It could distinguish between similarities and differences, serving as a Protector for the body. It was precisely this that "Yuan Tu" used to block the fatal strike.

From Ang Xiao’s unprompted attack, to Yuan Tu’s initial helplessness, to the sudden explosion of power when his life was on the line—it all seemed to take a long time, but it happened in an instant. This made the already suspicious Ang Xiao’s eyes brighten, his expression growing peculiar.

The next moment, he spoke.

"Fellow Daoist He Fang?"

Under his gaze, "Yuan Tu"—or rather, Si Chou, who was temporarily in control of Yuan Tu’s body—remained silent, clearly having no intention of answering.

Seeing this, Ang Xiao secretly began performing a divination.

However, to his surprise, with his level of Cultivation and Position as a Great Perfected Lord, he was unable to divine the slightest clue about the person before him when he tried to calculate their karmic links.

’He does have a secret!’

Curiosity welled up in Ang Xiao, and he laughed heartily. "Cultivators like us shouldn’t be so secretive. Your Cultivation is extraordinary, fellow Daoist. Perhaps we’ve met before."

Hearing this, Si Chou sneered. "You say we shouldn’t be secretive? Then why don’t you introduce yourself first, fellow Daoist?"

Ang Xiao answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"How could I be the same?"