Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Nether Lord’s Position

As Lü Yang pondered, the darkness surrounding the elderly man in yellow not far away spread to his side, carrying a potent corrosive force.

Lü Yang looked up, sizing up the figure with great interest.

’So this is a Wu Ghost?’

The Wu Ghost Sect was an ancient demonic sect. Back then, every disciple of the Wu Ghost Sect would refine a Life-bound Wu Ghost to serve as the foundation for their future Cultivation.

However, the Golden Core Sword Qi annihilated all cultivators of Wu Ghost Sect. Without the control of their Cultivators, these Wu Ghosts began to roam the Secret Realm. Based on the strength of their former masters, the Wu Ghosts were categorized into white-clothed, Yellow-clothed, Black-clothed, and the most ferocious of all, the Red-clothed Ghost.

As for the living people within the Secret Realm, their origins were quite complex.

Their ancestors were either servants raised by the Wu Ghost Sect in the past or disciples who had decisively crippled their own Cultivation when the sect met its doom.

This was because Cultivation was forbidden within the Secret Realm.

The Golden Core Sword Qi aimed to exterminate the legacy of the Wu Ghost Sect, so anyone who embarked on the path of Cultivation, even someone at the First Layer of Qi Refining, would be slain by the Sword Qi.

Lü Yang wasn’t killed the moment he entered the Secret Realm was because he was an outsider and a target the Sword Qi was ’baiting’ . In truth, as long as the Sword Qi remained, his avatar could not leave the Secret Realm. This was no different from being dead.

The fate of the Wu Ghost Sect was the height of irony.

Because only mortals survived, and they were unable to cultivate, they instead became prey for the out-of-control Wu Ghosts, constantly hunted and devoured.

The ghost tamers were ultimately devoured by ghosts.

’That said, people always find a way out of a predicament.’

Although they couldn’t practice Cultivation, over the millennia, generations of mortals in the Secret Realm risked life and limb and finally discovered a way to fight the Wu Ghosts.

It was to ’control ghosts in service of Yama.’

In short, they used a Secret Technique to offer themselves to a Wu Ghost. As they were being devoured, they could borrow the Wu Ghost’s power.

’The Cultivator who created this system called himself ’Ancestor Master Tingyou.’ The Tingyou Sect he founded has now become the sole religious sect in the Secret Realm, deeply rooted and influential. They’ve even developed a systematic method for controlling ghosts, with different titles based on the grade of the ghost being controlled.’

Those who control a white-clothed ghost are called ’Ghost Messengers.’

Those who control a Yellow-clothed Ghost are called ’Rakshasas.’

Those who control a Black-clothed Ghost are called ’Impermanence.’

As for the most ferocious Red-clothed Ghost, anyone who can control one can immediately become an Elder of the Tingyou Sect and is known within the Secret Realm as ’Yama’s Emissary.’

’...They’ve got quite a variety of titles.’

Although nearly all Cultivators who followed this ghost-controlling path lived for no more than a year or two, their strength, while they were alive, was undeniable.

At their peak, they could rival someone at the Final-phase of Qi Refining.

And this Yellow-clothed Ghost before him possessed strength at the level of the Mid-phase of Qi Refining.

But what truly interested Lü Yang was that he could sense a mysterious Qi trace from this Yellow-clothed Ghost, one related to ’Position.’

’It’s a bit like... a technique fragment?’

The sensation was like one of the Top Techniques that combine to form a Legendary Technique, only weakened countless times over, so the feeling was incredibly faint.

Lü Yang reached out and instantly caught the Yellow-clothed Ghost in his hand, Refining it in a moment.

’It really is related to Position, but it hasn’t reached the Foundation Establishment Level.’

’These Wu Ghosts roaming the Wu Ghost Secret Realm must all be related to a certain Legendary Technique, and these Wu Ghosts are all fragments of that Legendary Technique... ’

After a moment of thought, Lü Yang took out the Myriad-Soul Banner.

Immediately, he sent the Yellow-clothed Ghost into the Banner, transforming it into a Banner Spirit... Gradually, a strange expression appeared on Lü Yang’s face.

’This is truly... an unexpected delight!’

The Wu Ghosts within the Secret Realm contained a hidden trace of Positional Qi, seemingly related to a Legendary Technique, and his Myriad-Soul Banner could assimilate these Wu Ghosts for his own use.

Lü Yang was thrilled, his mind racing... As it turned out, he could use the Myriad-Soul Banner to subdue and refine every Wu Ghost in the Secret Realm, reassemble these fragments of Position, and perhaps even condense a new Legendary Technique that could help him break through to Foundation Establishment!

At this thought, a fire ignited in Lü Yang’s heart.

’The living beings here have long suffered at the hands of the Wu Ghosts. I am a kind and compassionate person, so I shall reluctantly take in these Wu Ghosts and restore peace to this land...’

Then, Lü Yang turned his gaze to the unconscious youth.

With his Cultivation, performing Soul Searching on a mere mortal naturally wouldn’t leave any side effects. He even left behind a Martial Arts Cultivation Technique as compensation.

’I’m truly a great philanthropist...’

Just then, a voice suddenly echoed from the distant horizon.

Lü Yang looked up and saw a dark cloud. On it stood a Daoist in black robes, followed by two child attendants and more than ten beautiful maids.

A single glance revealed the child attendants flanking him, holding treasures as guards. The maids were either holding fans and incense or playing flutes and pipes. Behind them trailed a long procession of figures in black and white, playing suonas and drums, even dancing as they moved. The entire entourage was a massive, sprawling spectacle.

”Hm? Where is the Wu Ghost of this place?”

The black-robed Daoist on the cloud fixed his gaze on Lü Yang and frowned. ”Are you the commoner who sent the report? And where is the Ghost Messenger of this area?”

Lü Yang glanced at him and replied flatly, ”Dead.”

According to the memories obtained from Soul Searching the youth, the Ghost Messenger had been killed by the Yellow-clothed Ghost long ago. That was why the boy had been hiding in the ruins to evade the Wu Ghost’s search.

Hearing this, the black-robed Daoist’s frown deepened. He suddenly gestured with his hand, and a child attendant beside him produced a Round Mirror, aiming it down at Lü Yang. Lü Yang’s eyebrow twitched. A sweep of his spiritual perception revealed the mirror’s function, but he didn’t dodge or evade, simply allowing the mirror’s light to fall upon him.

In the next moment, a cold sneer spread across the black-robed Daoist’s face.

”I was wondering who it could be. So, it’s just some Wild Fox Zen from the outside world. You must be the one who killed the Ghost Messenger and stole the Wu Ghost from this place. It seems I cannot spare you today!”

’...Wild Fox Zen?’

Lü Yang found this utterly absurd. A practitioner of a Heterodox Dao from within a mere Secret Realm was calling him a Wild Fox Zen? This was insane!

The black-robed Daoist, however, saw nothing wrong with his assessment.

Although the Wu Ghost Secret Realm was hidden, it wasn’t completely isolated from the outside world. Over the years, some Rogue Cultivators had occasionally stumbled into it by chance.

The black-robed Daoist had met quite a few.

However, Rogue Cultivators were weak and solitary. Their Cultivation was at most in the Early-phase of Qi Refining, or the Mid-phase of Qi Refining for the better ones. They were far too feeble in the face of the Tingyou Sect.

Over time, the black-robed Daoist naturally came to look down on so-called cultivators from the outside world.

Thus, facing Lü Yang now, he was brimming with confidence and paid him no mind, thinking only of capturing him quickly to report back and complete his mission.

In the next instant, the black-robed Daoist focused his mind and circulated his energy.

His once ruddy complexion instantly turned deathly pale, while his lips, in contrast, became full, ruddy, and increasingly vibrant, exuding a bizarre Daoist charm.

He controlled a Black-clothed Ghost named ’Call Name Fall.’ As its name implied, once this Wu Ghost locked onto a target, it could use Divination to determine their name. The black-robed Daoist would then call out the name, and the person whose name was called would have their soul instantly snatched away by the Wu Ghost, dying within a matter of minutes.

Relying on this Wu Ghost, he had always been invincible in Combat.

This time was no different. He directly spurred the Wu Ghost to begin Divination on the name of this ”Wild Fox Zen” before him. Almost simultaneously, Lü Yang sensed it.

’Trying to use Divination on me?’

Lü Yang raised an eyebrow. ”Interesting. As fragments of a Legendary Technique, these Wu Ghosts are tinged with a Qi trace of Position. They can actually touch upon karmic links...”

As he spoke, he formed a Daoist Hand Seal to obscure his karmic links.

Although he was confident that with his own Position, it wouldn’t matter what the other party divined, a wise man doesn’t stand by a crumbling wall. There was no need to take the risk.

”How can this be!?”

Seeing that ’Call Name Fall’ had achieved nothing, the black-robed Daoist panicked, unable to understand why his invincible Wu Ghost had suddenly failed.

Seeing this, Lü Yang shook his head. ”Completely unchallenging. A far cry from Foundation Establishment.”

’But this is fine too. Defeating a superior was never my style anyway. I’m much better at this sort of ’downward’ cross-realm killing...’

On the other side, the black-robed Daoist seemed to have thought of something. He reached into his robes and took out a statue carved from red wax. It had a dignified and solemn appearance, with three long incense sticks standing on its crown. Without a word, the black-robed Daoist lit them.

In the next second, a green flame ignited behind the statue’s head.

”I beseech the Ancestor Master to reveal himself!”

The black-robed Daoist bowed low. Instantly, auspicious clouds billowed from the three incense sticks on the statue’s head, and the statue’s own brow seemed to relax.

Then, the sound of celestial music filled the air, a sweet rain fell from the heavens, and golden lotuses bloomed from the earth. Countless phenomena framed the statue, making it appear ever more sacred and majestic. Even its facial features became lifelike. Though it was merely a body of red wax, it seemed like a living person as it looked at Lü Yang and spoke in a booming voice:

”What petty thief dares to offend my sect?”

”...”

Lü Yang didn’t answer. He silently studied the figure with a peculiar look on his face, because the statue’s appearance was vastly different in the eyes of someone with a Position.

An ordinary person looking at the statue would only see it as lifelike, as if it were a living person.

In Lü Yang’s eyes, however, the statue was still just a statue. What truly made it move was a light that had appeared at its feet.

Within the light, a series of profound seal characters floated, constantly erupting with magnificent power.

Lü Yang instantly understood. This was the Legendary Technique he had speculated about earlier—the one that could only be condensed by gathering all the thousands of Wu Ghosts in the Wu Ghost Secret Realm!

Its name was:

[Nether Lord’s Position]!