Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Attempt at Foundation Establishment

The next day, Lü Yang left the Simulation Realm.

As for what happened in the Secret Realm, they all kept their mouths shut. Even Luo Wuya remained silent, making it seem as if Lü Yang had never even been there.

As for Lü Yang, Perfected Yin Shan had already dealt with the Yun Family’s Ancestor’s Soul. Happy to reap the benefits in silence, Lü Yang certainly wasn’t going to blab about it. To put Perfected Yin Shan at ease, he simply decided not to leave after exiting the Secret Realm. Instead, he opened up a Cave Mansion within Yin Mountain and settled in.

In the mountains, years of Cultivation pass unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, another ten years went by.

On this day, Lü Yang was startled from his seclusion. He opened his eyes and looked at the Chat Jade Scroll, which hadn’t left his side in ten years, only to find several new cracks etched upon its surface.

’It seems this has its limits...’

For the past decade, he had been activating the Scroll almost constantly. Thanks to it, his proficiency in various fields had improved by leaps and bounds.

Array, Talisman Art, and Cultivation.

Most importantly, he had finally figured out a Secret Technique to master the Lunar Shedding Technique without triggering the Centome.

Lü Yang named it the Yin Spirit Shedding Technique.

To put it bluntly, it was a method of feigned death. It involved guarding the Soul internally, maintaining an unwavering will, and releasing a Yin Spirit upon the body’s death, thereby allowing the Soul to remain in the world.

Using this technique, Lü Yang could adjust his own Soul to a state approximating that of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator’s. This would prevent him from entering the cycle of reincarnation after his physical body died. In this way, he could both meet the conditions to cultivate the Lunar Shedding Technique—undergoing ”Death and Transformation”—and avoid triggering the Centome.

’In my next life, this will be the goal.’

After all, just mastering Theft to Sainthood had already cost him decades.

The Lunar Shedding Technique was even more formidable, and would likely take even longer. There was no hope of achieving it in this lifetime.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang took out another Jade Scroll.

It recorded a Secret Technique called ’Bond of Devouring Fate,’ which Zhao Xuhe had traded to him years ago, even placing a Restriction on it to ensure its secrecy.

Mastering it would increase his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment by another ten percent!

Lü Yang reached out and tapped it. Just as he expected, after eighty years, the Restriction on the Jade Scroll had dissipated. He was able to view its contents with ease.

’Senior Brother Zhao is an honest man. There are no missing parts, and he even added notes.’

As Lü Yang committed the Bond of Devouring Fate to memory, he mused, ’Oh, right. Senior Brother Zhao still owes me money in this life. I can’t forget that in my next one...’

....

Another month passed before Lü Yang left his Cave Mansion.

This time, however, he heard a piece of news that took him completely by surprise: At the Sanhe Association, his second senior brother, Luo Wuya, had died after failing to break through to Foundation Establishment.

”How could this be?”

Inside Perfected Yin Shan’s Cave Mansion, Lü Yang let out a long sigh. ”Senior Brother Luo and I were the closest of friends. I thought that when I came out of seclusion this time, we could share a drink and celebrate...” 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Hearing this, Perfected Yin Shan also shook his head. ”It’s a shame about Second Brother. His Cultivation Technique was the Saint Sect’s Direct Disciple inheritance, the Celestial Craft Scripture. The Celestial Craft Qi he refined upon reaching Perfection is ranked as Third Grade. On top of that, he had mastered a Legendary Technique and possessed a Foundation Establishment Pill. He should have had a thirty percent chance of breaking through.”

Reaching Foundation Establishment is harder than ascending to the Cyan Heaven.

Lü Yang was already a hundred years old in this life, and Luo Wuya was at least his age, if not older. A thirty percent chance of reaching Foundation Establishment was more than enough to risk one’s life for.

Unfortunately, he lost the gamble.

Perfected Yin Shan sighed for a moment before turning to Lü Yang. ”Seeing you emerge from seclusion now, I take it you’ve made up your mind to attempt the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment?”

”Your insight is sharp, Senior Brother.”

Lü Yang cupped his hands in a salute, took out the Yun Family’s Ancestor’s Soul, and returned it to Perfected Yin Shan. In a low voice, he said, ”After seeing you, Senior Brother, I plan to enter seclusion.”

”You... you truly are a talent. You should have been cultivating in the Stain Sect.” Perfected Yin Shan stroked his beard and smiled. ”Thinking back, I somewhat regret siphoning your Qi back at the Skull Mountains. It caused you to waste thirty years for nothing. Otherwise, if you were thirty years younger, your chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment would be much higher.”

Lü Yang shook his head. ”You flatter me, Senior Brother.”

”I never speak falsely.” Perfected Yin Shan shook his head. With a wave of his hand, a Jade Token landed in front of Lü Yang. Inscribed on it was the word:

Ascension!

”This is the Ascension Order I didn’t give you back at the Skull Mountains. You traded for the Chat Jade Scroll instead. Second Brother had no use for it, and Third Brother died long ago on the Front.”

”It’s yours now.”

Lü Yang was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hands in refusal. ”Senior Brother, your generosity is too great. I can’t possibly accept this...”

”Enough nonsense.” Perfected Yin Shan looked impatient. ”I said to take it, so take it. If you really can reach Foundation Establishment, it can be considered me fostering a good relationship for the future.”

Hearing this, Lü Yang had no choice but to accept the Ascension Order. A spark of anticipation ignited in his heart. His original intention in attempting the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was merely to accumulate experience for his next life. But now, with his Third Grade of True Qi, Theft to Sainthood, and this Ascension Order... could he really have a thirty percent chance?

’This isn’t some kind of scheme, is it?’

The thought was almost laughable. But what could he do? The Saint Sect was full of so many talented, scheming people that help for no reason simply made him uneasy.

’But even if it is a scheme, I’ll accept it.’

’I was planning to die attempting the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in this life anyway. Victory or death. A scheme changes nothing.’

’If there really is some plot, I’ll just be more careful in my next life...’

With that thought, Lü Yang stopped hesitating. He stood up, gave Perfected Yin Shan a deep, respectful bow, and then turned and left without another word.

Little did he know that after he departed, another figure appeared beside Perfected Yin Shan.

The newcomer had the face of a middle-aged man. He had a dignified air and a sharp, soaring aura about his brows, as if nothing in the world could ever trouble him.

Perfected Yin Shan spoke first. ”What do you think?”

”...Not good.”

The newcomer shook his head. ”The best age to break through to Foundation Establishment is between seventy and eighty. This man is over a hundred. His chances of success are minuscule.”

”It’s a pity. Although he has cultivated the Lunar Shedding Technique, he hasn’t completed the final transformation to refine the Position of a Corpse Shed Immortal. Otherwise, his chances would increase by another ten percent... But without the help of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator, I’m afraid the two of us won’t be able to breach that place.”

”Let’s hope he succeeds.”

”If not, our only option is to risk asking an outsider for help.”

Perfected Yin Shan looked helpless. ”Senior Brother Chongguang, you have already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and the master of the ’Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire’ is in the reincarnation. This is an opportunity that may never come again.”

”Indeed. At this point, we can only take the gamble.”

Perfected Chong Guang’s expression was resolute. He said, ”Success would be my fortune; failure, my fate. Besides, the thousand-year Tribulation is approaching. If I don’t become a Perfected Lord, how can I be one of the players?”

”It’s merely the difference between dying sooner and dying later!”

”At least dying while striving for a breakthrough is far better than having one’s mind clouded by the Tribulation when it arrives, becoming someone else’s pawn, and dying in ignorance.”

”You and I have both succeeded the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. We should understand this.”

”What you say is true, Senior Brother.”

Perfected Yin Shan nodded, seemingly lost in memories of the past. He then sighed. ”Qi Refiners are shackled, but even to perfected persons, freedom is a luxury.”

”That is the way of the world.”

Perfected Chong Guang’s tone was cold. ”Otherwise, why would there be talk of Perfected Persons and Perfected Lords?”

”A Qi Refiner, no matter how brilliant, is merely ’material’—expendable at any time.”

”Only by breaking through to Foundation Establishment are you even considered a person. And only by reaching the Golden Core stage can you truly be considered a high and mighty Lord, ruling over thousands!”