Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

"Alright, you may rise."

Lü Yang smiled faintly and gestured. "Tell me about the Path to Immortality. How did you confirm that it would open within the next ten thousand years?"

He had already performed Soul Searching on [Tai], but its memories on this matter were quite vague. It was as if the knowledge had appeared out of thin air, with no cause or effect. When Lü Yang tried to divine it himself, he came up with nothing, as if the so-called Path to Immortality was just an illusion, a figment of his imagination.

Something was clearly wrong.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the specific time came from a revelation."

[Tai] bowed deeply. "After we Emperor Venerables achieve the Dao, we all experience a strange moment of enlightenment. We learn of the opening time for the Path to Immortality as if someone were transmitting the message directly to our minds."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lü Yang’s eyebrows twitched at this, a strange look on his face. ’So, upon reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection, you just get an inkling and learn the opening time of the Path to Immortality for no apparent reason.’

’How is that any different from a Sect’s Secret Realm?’

Some of the minor Sects in the Immortal Pivot loved this sort of thing.

A Sect would rule over a region, and everyone under its governance was a potential candidate for its Secret Realm. As soon as someone with the right aptitude appeared, they would be immediately drawn into the Secret Realm.

After being filtered by the Secret Realm, those who met the entry requirements would be accepted by the Sect, becoming its new blood. It was one of the methods minor Sects used to cultivate disciples. However, since this method was overly flashy, exorbitantly expensive, and highly inefficient, only minor Sects would ever use it.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang grew even more astonished.

’Only the minor Sects that acted relatively normal—the ones that weren’t complete bastards—would use such a humane method to select their disciples.’

The Stain Sect never bothered with such flashy nonsense.

Disciples? As long as it was human, they took them all. Those who survived in the Stain Sect were disciples; those who died were materials, used to build up the Sect.

’In that case, if the Path to Immortality really is a Secret Realm, could the Great Power who established it be a relatively normal individual?’

Was that possible?

Lü Yang’s heart was filled with doubt. After all, for someone to become a Great Power in a dump like this, how could they possibly be some benevolent, charitable person?

’I’ll still have to see it for myself.’

Lü Yang’s brow furrowed in thought. ’But I’ve been in this realm for so long, yet I’ve never received any notification about the Path to Immortality opening.’

’Could it be that I’ve exceeded the selection criteria?’

At this thought, his heart sank. It wasn’t impossible.

After all, according to [Tai], one had to become an Emperor Venerable to receive the notification. This implied that the shadowed region most likely only permitted those at Foundation Establishment Perfection to enter.

’If that’s really the case, this will be difficult.’

Lü Yang pondered for a moment before another doubt arose. ’No, that’s not right. The entire reason I came here was due to the pull of karmic links, which means I should have the Karma for it.’

If he truly had no Karma and couldn’t enter that shadowed region, then he shouldn’t have been able to sense the karmic links of this place to begin with. Since he did sense them, it meant he met the conditions. There was just likely one more crucial key that he had yet to discover.

「Meanwhile, outside the Taihuang Realm.」

Lü Yang’s main body sat in the void, silently examining himself as a guess gradually formed in his mind. ’Could it be... because I no longer possess a Grotto Heaven?’

This point was rather subtle.

After all, he had already refined the [Celestial Pillar Profound Grotto Heaven] into the True Treasure [Yellow Court]. So, strictly speaking, he no longer had a Grotto Heaven.

However, he hadn’t fallen in Realm because of it.

The [Yellow Court]’s main body was still within the [Fruit of Celestial Fire], and as long as he didn’t remove it, he could still maintain his connection to the [Fruit of Celestial Fire].

Of course, having lost his Grotto Heaven, his path on the Dao was, strictly speaking, cut off. Unless he started over, it would be impossible for him to break through to the Middle Stage of Golden Core. In fact, if he were to pull the [Yellow Court] out of the [Fruit of Celestial Fire], his connection to the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] would also be severed, and he would fall from his True Monarch Position.

’Perhaps this is what’s confusing the shadowed region’s judgment?’

Lü Yang’s eyes gradually brightened. ’Right now, although I’m at the level of a Golden Core Perfected Lord in every respect, in a broader sense, I’m actually more like someone at Foundation Establishment.’

Unfortunately, his Perfected Lord Position was still a fact.

That’s why the shadowed region was exhibiting such a contradictory response. It had clearly used karmic links to draw him here, yet at the final moment, it wouldn’t let him in.

’If that’s the case, then the solution is simple enough.’

He just needed to find a way to make the shadowed region lower its guard and open its gates, allowing him to waltz right in. It would be difficult, but not impossible.

The simplest method was to withdraw the [Yellow Court].

But if he did that, his Cultivation and Position would both drop to the level of Foundation Establishment Perfection. At best, he would have a Fake Golden Position, which didn’t quite align with his original intentions.

’After all, I’m going there to stomp on noobs.’

’If I lower my Position to Foundation Establishment Perfection and run into some stunning prodigy who manages to kill me despite my higher standing, what would become of my reputation?’

The lesson from the Bhagavat was still fresh in his mind.

He couldn’t afford to be careless!

With this in mind, Lü Yang decided he still had to find a way to trick the shadowed region’s senses and enter it in his Peak state as a Golden Core Perfected Lord.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was out of options.

’I could just start over, reroll for the [Cuckoo’s Nest] Talent Skill in my next life, and then use it to take over a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator. That should be enough to slip past.’

This was the best method. The Talent Skills from the [Centome] were top-tier, after all.

’A secondary method would be to consume my own Fortune and use the [Divination Lottery] Talent Skill to forcibly draw a future where I can get away with it.’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s eyes darted about. ’Then again, there’s no need to use my own Fortune... Isn’t this entire Taihuang Realm filled with prime resources? They cultivate using my blood, incurring karmic links with me that they naturally have to repay. I’ll just have them repay me with their Fortune.’

’But... it’s still too early for that.’

Quickly, Lü Yang reined in his thoughts, closed his eyes, and entered a state of Meditation.

According to [Tai], there were still ten thousand years until the Path to Immortality opened, which translated to one year for him, outside the Taihuang Realm.

He could afford to wait that long.

This was also a perfect opportunity to take stock of his gains from the Celestial Mansion, organize his future path on the Dao, and prepare for his next life.

........

「Inside a pavilion.」

A young man in white robes sat on a meditation cushion. He suddenly opened his eyes, his brow slightly furrowed. "My Sword Heart is warning me... It seems some kind of crisis is approaching."

"Oh? A crisis is approaching?"

Within the young man’s Spiritual Space, a wizened laugh echoed. "Now this is interesting. Could it be your fellow disciples from the Demon Dao? If so, I’d say you’re doomed. You can forget about leaving this place. For all you know, there’s a Golden Core Perfected Lord outside, eyeing you like a tiger watches its prey!"

The young man’s brow tightened at these words.

"I’ve told you many times, my Celestial Sword Pavilion is the Leader of the Righteous Path. Those people from the North are the ones in the Demon Dao. Don’t lump me in with them."

"There’s no difference."

The old voice sneered. "You’re all cut from the same cloth from that dump, the Immortal Pivot. As far as we’re concerned, your collective name is Immortal Core Demon."

"I only helped you because while your swordsmanship walks an unorthodox path and your demonic nature runs deep, your heart isn’t bad. You can still be saved. Besides, I also want to return to the Current World. That’s why I went through hell and back to find you this opportunity to enter the [Celestial Human Residual Consciousness]. This is the greatest stroke of fortune in your entire life!"

The white-robed youth’s eyebrow twitched. "How great?"

"Greater than Heaven itself!" the old voice boomed. "Across the entire Void Sea of Light, this is likely the last remaining inheritance from a Master of Dao!"