Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Martial Artist vs. Cultivator

Soon, another month had passed.

Inside the Cave Mansion, Lü Yang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, a mass of White Qi roiling violently in his palm. After a long while, he gently tossed it outward.

BOOM!

Following the loud noise, the White Qi rapidly expanded and reformed into a human shape, revealing a face identical to Lü Yang’s. However, the Qi trace it emitted was completely different.

This was because the Qi trace from Lü Yang’s true body was as ethereal as an Immortal’s, possessing the Dao-like charm unique to true Cultivators and their Superior Qi. In contrast, the Lü Yang formed from White Qi radiated a monstrous Blood Qi. Every move seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds, and his handsome, square-jawed face held an air of natural authority.

”Not bad, not bad at all!”

Lü Yang nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the Primal Qi Avatar he had painstakingly spent a month refining. ”I never expected Martial Arts to have such a use...”

Generally speaking, a Primal Qi Avatar is incapable of breaking through to higher levels.

This is because its essence is a mass of White Qi keeping gathering and dispersing, making it impossible to cultivate. It was just like when Lü Yang previously cultivated the Heavenfiend Radiance and ended up turning his body into a Blood Shadow.

However, Martial Arts changed all that.

Instead of following the path of an Immortal Cultivator, Martial Arts simply focuses on nourishing and refining one’s Blood Qi. This turned out to be perfectly suited for the Primal Qi Avatar, allowing it to break through the shackles that prevented cultivation!

’Unfortunately, I still don’t quite understand how to take the Fourth Step...’

At this moment, the Primal Qi Avatar only had the strength of the Third Step of Martial Arts. Although Lü Yang had tried to deduce the Fourth Step, he had yet to find the correct path.

So, for this trip, Lü Yang planned to head to Celestial Capital City first.

He intended to meet the man who pioneered the Fourth Step of Martial Arts, the ’Saint Heart Scholar’ Wang Boyuan. Perhaps he could gain some inspiration from him.

”Go out and brave the world for me.”

With a thought from Lü Yang, the Primal Qi Avatar immediately disintegrated on the spot, turning into a streak of White Qi that vanished over the horizon, flying toward Celestial Capital City.

.....

”He finally made a move!”

At almost the same instant, inside the Wei Family residence in Celestial Capital City, the now ten-year-old Wei Yun suddenly looked up at the sky, a Bright Light flashing through his dark eyes.

The next second, however, he frowned. ’That’s not right. It’s an avatar...’

Looking at the results of his Divination, the Yun Family Ancestor gritted his teeth in anger.

He had waited bitterly for ten years, expending great effort to manipulate karmic links, only to lure out a mere avatar. ’Isn’t that little Demon worried at all? ’

The Demon Sect had always been known for its aggressive and relentless progress, yet here was this coward... For the first time, the Ancestor felt this was a tricky situation. But he quickly adjusted his plan. ’If you send out an avatar, I’ll find a way to destroy it. We’ll see if you can still sit tight then!’

Of course, he wouldn’t act personally. That would only alert the enemy.

The best way was to have the Martial Artists inside the Secret Realm kill Lü Yang’s avatar. As a bonus, it would allow them to learn the truth about the Secret Realm, prompting them to rise up in rebellion.

Of course, their rebellion was doomed to fail.

The Ancestor didn’t care if they succeeded. The process of rebellion was what mattered. Having these Martial Artists fight their way out of the Secret Realm—that was the crucial part.

As long as they left the Secret Realm, even if they died, their souls would enter the cycle of reincarnation. Not even the Master of Dao could capture them and bring them back.

Though they would lose their lives, they would gain their freedom.

Once they reincarnated, these hundreds of millions of souls would fill the gaps in the Great Net of Karma Links spanning Heaven and Earth. For him, this would be an immense amount of Merit.

’Perfect. I can have that person make a move...’

As this thought crossed the Yun Family Ancestor’s mind, he immediately formed a hand seal for his Magic Formulas and began manipulating the karmic links.

....

’What secret is hidden within this Celestial Book?’

Celestial Capital City, within the Inner Palace.

Ji Xiongying, King Zhenwu and one of the seven great Celestial Martial Artists of the current era, frowned deeply as he studied a Golden Book before him.

According to legend, the final volume was lost among the common people and vanished without a trace. However, no one knew that it had actually been secretly acquired by the Great Zhou Royal Family.

It was thanks to this Celestial Book that Ji Xiongying was able to complete the Three Steps of Martial Arts by the age of thirty. Furthermore, after the ’Saint Heart Scholar’ Wang Boyuan announced the method for the Fourth Step of Martial Arts, Ji Xiongying created his own technique, Rule the World. By gathering the momentum of the entire nation to empower himself, he successfully broke through and became a Celestial Grandmaster.

Yet the more he studied the Celestial Book, the more worried he became.

’Where did the Celestial Book come from?’

’Everything has an origin. The Celestial Book is so profound that if someone truly created it, they could only be one of the legendary Immortals.’

At this thought, boundless ambition surged within Ji Xiongying’s heart.

Because even after becoming a Celestial Martial Artist, he discovered that his lifespan hadn’t increased at all. It was no different from an ordinary person’s. How could he accept that?

’I want eternal life! I want to live for ten thousand years!’

’I will become an Immortal...!’

A trace of blood-red flashed in Ji Xiongying’s eyes. His already powerful desires were now being deliberately provoked. And it was at this critical moment—

”Who’s there!”

Ji Xiongying’s head snapped up. His *Rule the World* technique allowed him to sense changes in the national fortune of all of Great Zhou. The Great Zhou’s National Capital, Celestial Capital City, was practically his personal domain. At this moment, he sensed a distinct ’foreign object’ intruding upon it.

With a thought, the momentum of the entire nation instantly empowered Ji Xiongying.

In that instant, it was as if hundreds of millions of Great Zhou citizens were lifting his body, allowing him to break through the shackle that prevents Martial Artists from flying and soar deep into the clouds.

Then he saw a figure.

The newcomer’s wide sleeves fluttered as he stood upon the void, clouds of Qi swirling beneath his feet. He looked as ethereal as an Immortal, except for the hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Ji Xiongying.

”You can fly?”

Lü Yang looked at the Martial Artist before him and, with a quick calculation on his fingers, immediately understood Ji Xiongying’s identity. ’So that’s how it is. A Celestial Being really has broken through the shackles of Martial Arts...’

Ji Xiongying also stared at Lü Yang, frowning. ”Your Qi is unconsolidated, your blood is unrefined, and only your Divine Will is somewhat passable. You seem to be a Loose Cultivator who walks an unorthodox path. But you can fly... could it be you’ve obtained some Secret Technique? Never mind. Once I’ve captured you, I’ll naturally learn the whole story!”

With that, Ji Xiongying attacked directly!

In the past, though he was domineering, he wouldn’t have acted so indiscriminately. Now, however, he was filled with agitation from his unfulfilled desires.

Besides, in his eyes, Lü Yang was not a Celestial Martial Artist.

Not being a Celestial Being, he wasn’t qualified to speak with Ji Xiongying as an equal. That being the case, he might as well just capture him and vent some of his frustration in the process.

”Get over here!”

The next second, Ji Xiongying’s figure flashed, and he appeared instantly before Lü Yang. He clawed for his neck, the airflow around his fingertips letting out a sharp, cracking sound.

Lü Yang was so close to Ji Xiongying that he could faintly hear a sound like a great river rushing from within his body. That was his Blood Qi surging. The beat of his heart was like a heavenly drum. ’What kind of powerful physique is required to support such immense Blood Qi?’

’It’s definitely comparable to the Final-phase of Qi Refining...’

Lü Yang was inwardly astonished. In terms of sheer physical resilience, Ji Xiongying even surpassed him, and he had reached the Minor Achievement of the Saint Thief. The man could only be described as inhuman.

’But it seems his physique is all he has...’

PFFT!

The next second, blood splattered.

Ji Xiongying recoiled as if struck by a heavy blow, his figure retreating rapidly. He stared at Lü Yang in utter horror while a ’white line’ gradually dissipated between them.

It was that ’white line’ that had just sliced open his palm.

”What kind of Martial Arts is that?”

”A Sword Qi Talisman.”

Under Ji Xiongying’s shocked gaze, Lü Yang just smiled nonchalantly. He then pulled out a piece of yellow paper covered in a Ghost Talisman and set it on fire...

BOOM!

In that instant, Ji Xiongying felt a sharp pain in his brow. The same Sword Qi that had just torn through the flesh of his palm now erupted from the burning Talisman!

The Majestic Sword Qi illuminated a dumbfounded face.

Wha—what the hell!?