Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Karma Rules

Time flies, and the years pass in the blink of an eye.

Another thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.

When Lü Yang opened his eyes once more, his face showed no signs of age, but a streak of white had appeared in his once-thick black hair.

’In the blink of an eye, I’m already eighty years old...’

Although Qi Refiners live longer than mortals, their lifespan is only a hundred and fifty years—not that much longer. At eighty, he was already past middle age.

In another twenty years, Zhao Xuhe’s Bond of Devouring Fate will unlock.

’Although there’s no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this life, once I master Theft to Sainthood, I can make a push for it anyway, just to gain some experience ahead of time...’

’There’s hope for my Dao yet. There’s hope.’

He had even made progress with the Lunar Shedding Technique. After thirty years of secluded research, he had used the Chat Jade Scroll to successfully devise a clever workaround.

’To truly master the Lunar Shedding Technique, I have to experience ”shedding after death.” The problem is, if I die, it will trigger the Centome and restart my life... But in reality, this ”death” isn’t so absolute. The Lunar Shedding Technique can’t possibly require a Cultivator to truly die.’

’The so-called ”death” is actually limited to the physical body.’

’The body dies and is buried underground; nails and hair continue to grow, the corpse appears alive, and over time, one attains the Dao... It’s just that for anyone else, the death of the physical body means true death.’

’After all, the body is the raft for the Soul. Once the body dies, the Soul will gradually dissipate. Its demise is only a matter of time.’

’In other words, as long as I can ensure my Soul remains intact and conscious when my physical body perishes, it won’t trigger the Centome.’

’That might be my chance to achieve ”shedding after death.”’

This was the solution provided by the Chat Jade Scroll. Lü Yang felt it was highly feasible; the only problem was the workaround he had devised for it.

’According to the Chat Jade Scroll’s projections, this Secret Technique should be enough to keep my Soul stable and prevent it from dissipating after my body dies. But I’ve never actually seen a Soul exist completely detached from its physical form. If I could just witness it once and record it with the Chat Jade Scroll, I’d have the data I need to perfect the Secret Technique...’

More importantly, Lü Yang knew such beings existed in this world.

Foundation-Stage Cultivators!

A Foundation-Stage Cultivator has a natural lifespan of three hundred years, but that’s just the lifespan of their physical body. Their Soul can last much longer, which is why they often choose to reincarnate after death.

Although a reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator must start over, their Cultivation falling below the Foundation Establishment stage, they do not suffer from the amnesia of rebirth. They are certain to awaken their past memories before the age of eight. From then on, their Cultivation will progress by leaps and bounds. As long as they can return to the Foundation Establishment stage, they will gain another three hundred years of life.

Of course, this cannot go on indefinitely.

Each reincarnation erodes a portion of their accumulated merit. If a Foundation-Stage Cultivator’s Cultivation does not increase, they will only grow weaker with each life.

In their first reincarnation, they are bound to be a prodigy favored by the heavens.

In the second, they can still be exceptional talent.

By the third, they are merely an ordinary genius.

By the fourth or fifth life... if the Foundation-Stage Cultivator’s Cultivation still hasn’t improved, they will fade completely into mediocrity, their former Transcendence lost forever.

Thus the saying: The legacy of a Perfected Person is drained after five lives.

Besides, returning to Foundation Establishment after reincarnation isn’t guaranteed. Once a Perfected Person reincarnates, they can no longer suppress their karma, and the karmic links of their past lives will come calling.

A moment of carelessness could easily lead to a premature death.

Therefore, every Perfected Person is extremely cautious when reincarnating. They shroud their destiny and rarely tell outsiders, lest they suffer an unexpected karmic tribulation.

Under these circumstances, how could he possibly find the reincarnated Soul of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator?

At this thought, Lü Yang felt another headache coming on. He could only set the matter aside for now and turn his attention to divining the progress of his grand endeavor.

’Heaven Divination Talisman, Imperial Decree of Pardon...’

Lü Yang formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation. The Heaven Divination Talisman began to divine the celestial secrets. His will swiftly sank into the omnipresent Great Net of Karma Links that spanned Heaven and Earth, and he began a keyword search.

Soon, the relevant information surfaced in his mind:

”In the waning years of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a foolish and unrighteous ruler plunged the realm into misery. A Celestial Book then appeared in the world, divided into four volumes and scattered across the land, sparking the rise of hidden powers.”

”When the chaotic era ended, the four volumes of the Celestial Book had found their keepers. One volume is held by Haoran Academy, transcribed by generations of scholars. Another was obtained by Xuankong Temple, becoming the supreme scripture of the Buddhist Sect. A third was annotated by the Celestial Master’s Mansion, serving as the Token for successive Celestial Masters. Only the final volume was lost to the mortal world, its whereabouts unknown.”

Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—these three schools divided the world, becoming the source of the Martial Dao in the present age!

”Excellent! Excellent!”

A look of delight crossed Lü Yang’s face. He immediately activated Theft to Sainthood. In the next instant, he felt a vast tide of Fortune sweep in, completely overwhelming his body.

In an instant, Lü Yang’s body unexpectedly exploded.

Strangely, however, his body didn’t explode into gore. Instead, it dissolved into a cloud of countless motes of dust, with his consciousness residing at its very center.

He could feel every single mote of his physical being undergoing a searing tempering by the influx of Fortune.

The mortal world’s fire forges the Saint’s Golden Body!

A long time passed in this state. Only when the vast tide of Fortune was completely consumed did the motes of dust reassemble, instantly reforming Lü Yang’s body.

This time, however, his body had undergone a world-altering transformation.

’Theft to Sainthood... Minor Success in the Golden Body!’

A glint of Essence Light flashed in Lü Yang’s eyes. He stomped his foot, and in that instant, a terrifying shockwave powerful enough to move mountains radiated outward like a ripple!

The force of this terrifying shockwave made Lü Yang’s cliffside Cave Mansion feel as if an Earth Dragon was Flipping Over. Boulders tumbled down the mountainside as if an invisible storm were raging. Countless fierce birds and savage beasts were startled, their gazes drawn to the peak where Lü Yang was in seclusion, before they shrieked and fled in terror.

’...Not bad at all.’

Lü Yang exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of ”sturdiness” from his body for the first time. He reckoned his physical body alone was now comparable to a Late-phase of Qi Refining cultivator!

In the next second, however, his expression turned grave.

’According to Senior Brother Luo’s experience, Theft to Sainthood feeds on the people of the world and is extremely detrimental to one’s Merit. You might get away with minor advance, but perfection is guaranteed to bring a Tribulation.’

’Many who cultivated Theft to Sainthood fell at the final hurdle because of this Tribulation. The lucky ones escaped with their lives. The unlucky ones, like that Direct Disciple who was killed by the natives of the Secret Realm, met an untimely end... But I’m operating from behind the scenes now. Who in this Secret Realm could possibly be my Tribulation?’

At this, Lü Yang fell into deep thought.

....

「South of the River, Celestial Sword Pavilion.」

Yun Zhiqiu stood atop a pavilion. In stark contrast to his vibrant, heroic bearing from sixty years prior, he now looked like an old man with one foot in the grave.

Just then, a flying message shot through the air toward him.

Yun Zhiqiu caught the message and read it, his expression changing drastically. He immediately took to the air in a streak of Flying Light and, moments later, arrived at the Yun Family’s ancestral home.

As soon as he entered, a young man with a grim expression rushed out. Upon seeing Yun Zhiqiu, he burst into tears. ”Grand Martial Uncle... the Ancestor is on his last breath! He has already lit the Seven-Star Lamp just to see you one last time. When the lamp goes out, he will be forced to reincarnate. There isn’t much time! Please, go in and see him!”

”How can this be!” A look of profound sorrow and panic washed over Yun Zhiqiu’s face.

The Yun Family Ancestor—the family’s only living Foundation-Stage Cultivator and their pillar of support in the Sword Pavilion for hundreds of years—had reached the end of his current life