Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Ten lifetimes of cultivation, and this was perhaps Lü Yang’s most dangerous moment.

Internally, two-thirds of his Dao Heart had been severed, altering his sense of self and transforming into the World Honored One’s Avatar. Externally, Ang Xiao’s afterimage watched him menacingly.

Yet despite this, Lü Yang didn’t panic.

The situation was indeed critical. The slightest misstep would mean eternal damnation, a fate so final that not even a do-over could save him. But none of this was beyond his expectations.

In fact, it was exactly what he wanted.

The next moment, Lü Yang immediately focused his Intention and began fighting the World Honored One’s Avatar for control of the Fruit of Celestial Fire, seeking to nullify the rule it had just established.

"Hm...?"

Naturally, this change drew the attention of Ang Xiao’s afterimage. Surprise flickered in its eyes. ’That Stain Sect whelp isn’t dead yet?’

But it quickly realized this was a good thing! If the World Honored One’s Avatar had truly taken over everything from Lü Yang, it had no confidence it could suppress the entity. Even if it could, the Avatar would only need to stall for a short time before its true body, far away on the Other Shore, could lock onto this location!

In other words—

"Let’s work together."

Lü Yang’s voice drifted over, tinged with a faint smile. "Senior, you don’t want the Bhagavat to resurrect in my body and destroy this place, do you?"

Ang Xiao’s afterimage: "..."

’What a bastard!’

Ang Xiao’s afterimage was so furious it laughed. It had never imagined being threatened by a mere upstart from the Stain Sect. And worse, it couldn’t refuse!

With this thought, it immediately took action.

’Covering True Truth Immortal Technique!’

As control over the Fruit of Celestial Fire wavered and the rule it had forcibly inscribed was nullified, smoke once again materialized, attempting to suppress the will of the World Honored One’s Avatar.

At almost the same time, the World Honored One’s Avatar also made its move.

"Amitabha."

The grand Buddha’s Name echoed in all directions. The Avatar, controlling Lü Yang’s body, slowly raised a hand. Firelight swirled in its palm, coalescing into a Manji symbol.

Then, the World Honored One’s Avatar clenched its fist.

The Manji symbol was crushed within its grasp. In that instant, it was as if the entire world had been seized in its hand, plunging into an eerie silence.

The past is immutable, the future is ever-changing; only the present is truly real!

At that moment, Buddha Light suffused Heaven and Earth as meditative chants filled the sky. A massive, perfectly formed Buddha’s Palm seemed to materialize in the void, slowly descending to cover all creation.

Beneath the looming Buddha’s Palm, everything froze. The movements of Ang Xiao’s afterimage, the thoughts of Lü Yang, even the vast mists and glowing haze—all of it was caught in a state of absolute stillness. Everything, tangible and intangible, the myriad sights and sounds of the world, was locked in place.

Then, a fist emerged.

"BOOM!"

With a thunderous crash, All Phenomena unfroze. But Ang Xiao’s afterimage instantly exploded where it stood, utterly unable to withstand the full might of the World Honored One’s Avatar’s punch!

’It’s over...’

The World Honored One’s Avatar slowly retracted its arm, a smirk touching its eyes. It was about to deal with what was left of Lü Yang, but its movements abruptly stiffened.

’...What did I just do?’

The daze lasted only an instant. The next moment, the World Honored One’s Avatar snapped out of it and whipped around, staring at the spot where Ang Xiao’s afterimage had just been obliterated.

There, where Ang Xiao had just been shattered, it now stood completely unharmed. Its recent death had vanished as if it had never occurred!

Such was the superiority of the Emperor Fruit.

The Fruit of Celestial Fire could grant Resurrection at the Early Stage of Golden Core by forcibly inscribing rules. How could the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood be incapable of the same feat?

The method was quite simple.

It used the Veil of the Trees to simply obscure the fact of its death.

Right now, the World Honored One’s Avatar, Lü Yang, and even Ang Xiao’s afterimage itself had all forgotten that it had just been punched to death.

Ang Xiao’s afterimage seized the temporal gap created by this change, plunging the World Honored One’s Avatar into a momentary daze. Before the Avatar could react, a pale hand had already gently landed atop "Lü Yang’s" head, a dark shadow glowing in its palm.

The Veil of the Trees!

The delusion of seeing and thinking, the dust and sand delusion, the ignorance delusion—an endless Illusion Barrier poured forth, frantically trying to erase the thoughts and consciousness of the World Honored One’s Avatar.

’You’re mistaken! You are not the World Honored One’s Avatar!’

’You are nothing!’

’It’s fake! It’s all an illusion...’

At this moment, even the World Honored One’s Avatar found its will beginning to crumble. Trapped within the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness and cut off from its true body’s support, it began to sink into oblivion.

But just then.

Deep within Lü Yang’s Spiritual Space, a single point of Bright Light suddenly appeared. It eventually transformed into a humanoid figure whose face, much like Ang Xiao’s, was shrouded in mist.

"What’s happening..."

The murmur echoed through Lü Yang’s Spiritual Space. It was filled with confusion, clearly tinged with the disorientation of one just awoken. Its Position, however, was unquestionable.

Lü Yang recognized the figure instantly.

It was Si Chou!

’I knew it... How could the residual thought of a mighty Master of Dao enter my Spiritual Space without leaving some kind of backdoor? I finally managed to flush it out.’

Lü Yang’s mind was cold and calm. He had long suspected something like this and had scoured his Spiritual Space to no avail. Clearly, this was just a small contingency Si Chou had left behind—a residual thought within the residual thought. It couldn’t directly read his mind like the original Si Chou could.

This made sense.

If the residual thought had been strong enough to read his mind, he would have discovered it. To remain hidden, it must have weakened itself to a certain extent.

However, in the three-way power struggle between the World Honored One’s Avatar, Ang Xiao’s afterimage, and Lü Yang himself, this contingency of Si Chou’s had finally been forced into the open!

Meanwhile, Ang Xiao’s afterimage was dumbfounded.

’There’s another master here?’

The way it looked at Lü Yang now was completely different. The high-and-mighty condescension it had shown when "lecturing" him earlier was gone, replaced by a look of sheer admiration.

’Daoist, you’re incredible!’

It could see clearly. The World Honored One’s Avatar was one thing, but although Si Chou was weakened to the Extreme, its Position was undeniable—it was clearly connected to a Master of Dao.

’To think a mere cultivator at the Early Stage of Golden Core would dare to house these two titans in his Spiritual Space.’

’I’ve really seen it all now!’

There was a time when Ang Xiao’s afterimage had been prouder than Heaven itself, convinced that it was the most formidable Golden Core cultivator in the world. Now, however, that belief was shaken.

At the very least, it would never have dared to be as reckless as Lü Yang back when it was at the Early Stage of Golden Core. After all, flowers may bloom again, but a life, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. What he was doing was far too risky. The slightest misstep would lead to utter annihilation, leaving not even dust behind. The potential reward was in no way proportional to the risk.

’Wait...’

The next moment, Ang Xiao’s afterimage froze. It instinctively looked toward Lü Yang, who, just as it expected, offered a slight smile.

"Senior, help me."

"This Human World trial is meant to temper one’s Dao Heart. I still haven’t obtained the opportunity for clearing it. If you help me, we might still be able to turn this around."

’It’s just as I thought!’

At that moment, Ang Xiao’s afterimage finally began to see Lü Yang as something of an equal. It burst out laughing. "Hahaha... What a junior from the Stain Sect!"

The World Honored One’s Avatar, Sichou’s Residual Thought.

This entire chaotic battle had, to some extent, been orchestrated by Lü Yang himself. It was all to force Ang Xiao’s hand, to compel it to help him pass this trial!

Under these circumstances, could it possibly refuse?

Refusal would mean the utter destruction of the entire Celestial Human Residual Consciousness!

In short: if I can’t have the opportunity, then no one can!

’Such a ruthless disposition!’

’Such venomous methods!’

’What a bastard!’