Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Annihilating the Divine Martial Sect

In Stain Sect, Sea of Clouds,

thirty years ago, when Lü Yang had just taken charge, the Immortal Mountain was lifeless and silent.

Now, it bustled with activity, with disciples coming and going at every moment, all thanks to Progenitor Tingyou’s effort.

While Lü Yang was in seclusion, Progenitor Tingyou had enthusiastically shouldered the task of reviving the Wu Ghost Sect. He recruited many disciples, creating the lively atmosphere seen today.

Now, this Immortal Mountain also had a new name.

Luofeng Mountain.

Although the re-established Wu Ghost Sect was located within the Stain Sect, making it unlikely that another slash of Golden Core Sword Qi would come their way, Progenitor Tingyou was thoroughly terrified.

So in the end, Progenitor Tingyou chose to rebrand his sect. He changed the name and didn’t even dare to teach the Wu Ghost Sect’s most precious Third-Grade Foundation Method...

After all, that Third-Grade Foundation Method corresponded to the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth, which would all too easily draw the enmity of that Perfected Lord from the Sword Pavilion.

Besides this, there was another matter that gave Progenitor Tingyou a headache.

Just then, a beam of celestial light suddenly descended from beyond the Cloud Sea, shining into Luofeng Mountain. It then materialized into a luxuriously dressed young man who stepped out from within.

At almost the same instant, Progenitor Tingyou sensed his arrival and moved to intercept him, with Su Nu at his side.

Seeing this, the newcomer raised an eyebrow and got straight to the point. ”Where is Yuan Tu?”

Progenitor Tingyou shook his head. ”Fellow Daoist Yu, why the hurry? The Perfected Person is currently in seclusion, cultivating his Innate Ability. He cannot be disturbed. I must ask you to leave.”

This was the matter—or rather, the person—that gave Progenitor Tingyou a headache.

This person’s name was Yu Shu. He was a Perfected Person of the Stain Sect who had achieved his Dao over a hundred years ago. It was said he was also a member of a major faction within the sect.

Starting ten years ago, this Perfected Person had sought out Luofeng Mountain, repeatedly demanding to meet Lü Yang. Progenitor Tingyou had turned him away every time.

In just ten years, he had come four times, growing more impatient with each visit. This was now his fifth, and from the look on his face, he could likely no longer be stopped.

”Cultivating his Innate Ability?”

Yu Shu glanced at the grand hall behind Progenitor Tingyou and frowned. ”An Innate Ability is not so easily cultivated. Have Yuan Tu come out of seclusion and meet with me first.”

”I have an important matter to discuss.”

Progenitor Tingyou now saw Lü Yang as the Wu Ghost Sect’s only hope. How could he possibly agree? He immediately shook his head. ”I must ask Fellow Daoist Yu to wait a few more years.”

At these words, Yu Shu’s patience finally ran out.

”A few more years? I’ve already waited ten! Condensing an Innate Ability is all about Enlightenment. If one could break through just by going into seclusion, the world would be full of them!”

’To think that I, a noble of the Zouyu, broke through to Foundation Establishment over eighty years ago, yet to this day I’ve only just recovered from the injuries sustained during my breakthrough.

My Innate Ability is still a distant dream, to say nothing of finding Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to reach the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment. How could cultivation possibly be so easy?’

Besides, his own matter was undoubtedly more urgent. It concerned whether the Fruit of Rampart Earth could reappear in the mortal world, and whether his lineage could reforge the glory of the Zouyu. How could he waste any more time like this?

”Move!”

The next second, Yu Shu strode forward, intending to go straight to Lü Yang. But the moment he moved, Su Nu was already blocking his path.

”...A lowly slave with a Fake Position dares to block me?”

Yu Shu sneered. With a shake of his body, a clear, Splendid Light drifted from the top of his head, transforming into a phantasm with a white body, black markings, a tiger’s torso, and a suanni’s head.

At the same time, the Yama Hall appeared behind Su Nu.

BOOM!

The two Dao Foundations collided and Spiritual Qi surged. Su Nu staggered, nearly falling to the ground, and her Yama Hall was already showing signs of weakening.

Seeing this, Progenitor Tingyou’s brow furrowed. In a flash, he landed inside the Yama Hall. With a flick of his Magic Formulas, the Myriad-Soul Banner appeared in his hand.

The Banner unfurled in the wind, and thousands upon thousands of Shadow Soldiers and Ghost Generals marched out in formation, reinforcing the Yama Hall. For a moment, a fiendish, ghostly aura of Yin Fiend soared into the sky.

”Evil spirits and demons. The parlor trick of yin ghosts.”

Witnessing this scene, the dissatisfaction on Yu Shu’s face grew. ”Why does Yuan Tu surround himself with such filth? It needlessly lowers his own status.”

As soon as these words were spoken, an enraged expression appeared on Progenitor Tingyou’s face.

He didn’t mind Yu Shu’s insults toward him personally. After a thousand years of cultivation, he was long past being moved by honor or disgrace. What truly angered him was Yu Shu’s previous sentence.

’The Wu Ghost Sect’s path is the parlor trick of yin ghosts?’

Progenitor Tingyou gave a cold laugh, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes. He then changed his hand seals, seemingly about to unleash some powerful technique.

The next second, however, he froze.

Then, Progenitor Tingyou dispersed the Magic Formulas in his hand and said calmly, ”Fellow Daoist, you should leave at once. Otherwise, things might get unpleasant.”

Yu Shu scoffed. ”Leave? I will not leave today until I have seen Yuan Tu...”

Before he could finish, the world suddenly spun around him. The stars shifted, the landscape collapsed, and it was replaced by an immeasurable Void.

When Yu Shu came to his senses, he found that he had somehow ended up in a vast, empty hall. Su Nu and Progenitor Tingyou, who had been fighting him just a moment ago, had already withdrawn their Qi traces and were standing silently beside a cattail mat. Seated on the mat was a handsome young Daoist.

The man was handsome, with refined features and a gentle smile on his face.

Though no Qi trace was visible, the feeling he gave Yu Shu was as vast and heavy as mountains and seas. His every glance revealed a noble and graceful bearing.

The most mystical thing about him, however, was the spot between his eyebrows.

A circular mark of light was etched right in the center of his brow. It seemed unremarkable at first glance, but when Yu Shu looked closer, his vision was filled with a searing white brilliance.

In the blink of an eye, hot tears streamed down Yu Shu’s face.

”You...?!”

Yu Shu subconsciously took a step back. He circulated his Mana to dispel the white light in his eyes, not daring to look at Lü Yang’s brow again. A look of utter disbelief appeared on his face.

’This isn’t right!’

’A Perfected Person who only reached Foundation Establishment thirty years ago, even with a Perfect Foundation Establishment that required no time to heal, shouldn’t possess such a mystical technique!’

At this thought, Yu Shu’s pupils shrank. ”You’ve gain success in your Innate Ability?”

”You have seen me, Fellow Daoist.” Lü Yang’s expression was placid. Ignoring Yu Shu, he tapped his fingertips and said nonchalantly, ”I won’t see you out.”

Hearing this, Yu Shu’s expression changed slightly. ”Wait...”

The next second, a searing white light of power flooded his vision. Only then did he belatedly realize that Lü Yang hadn’t been negotiating at all—he had attacked directly!

BOOM!

After the explosion, Yu Shu’s figure vanished in the Splendid Light, like scattered sparks extinguished by a fierce gust of wind, leaving not a single ripple behind.

Of course, a Foundation-Stage Cultivator couldn’t be killed so easily. However, having been sent away by this Innate Ability, he couldn’t hope to return anytime soon.

Only then did Lü Yang turn to look at the other side of the hall.

And there, a new cattail mat had appeared at some point. Seated upon it was a young man with a gloomy expression, who was looking at Lü Yang with astonishment.

”Greetings, Senior Brother Yin Shan.” Lü Yang cupped his hands in a salute.

”Junior Brother Yuan Tu is too polite.”

Perfected Yin Shan did not neglect his manners. He returned the salute, then studied Lü Yang carefully, a hint of emotion and envy in his eyes.

”Junior Brother’s talent is outstanding. To cultivate your Innate Ability in just thirty years... a breakthrough to the Mid-phase is already in sight.”

”I cannot compare to Senior Brother.”

Lü Yang shook his head. ”From establishing Foundation to your current advanced Cultivation, Senior Brother only took a few decades. That is much faster than I.”

”My situation is different...”

Perfected Yin Shan shook his head and sighed, but didn’t elaborate. Nor did he ask what kind of Innate Ability Lü Yang had condensed. Instead, he changed the subject.

”...Since Junior Brother has achieved success, you can participate in a major upcoming event. Senior Brother Minor Metal’s efforts were not in vain.”

”Oh? What is it?” Lü Yang asked curiously.

”The matter of the Divine Martial Sect in the Northern Border.”

Perfected Yin Shan’s voice returned to its calm state, but his words were tinged with a murderous aura. ”We’ve been chipping away at it for thirty years. It’s time to serve it up and carve our shares.”

”Thirty years ago, we ambushed and killed the Sect Leader of the Divine Martial Sect at the Skull Mountains.”

”Of all the Divine Martial Sect’s Foundation-Stage Cultivators, only a handful escaped back to the Northern Border, all of them with grievous injuries that were difficult to heal. We have let them be for these thirty years so they could cultivate a new generation of disciples.”

”Now, they can serve as Junior Brother’s whetstone.”

”Senior Brother Minor Metal has already secured an opportunity for you to lead the extermination of the Divine Martial Sect. How much Merit and Fortune you can seize will depend entirely on your own abilities, Junior Brother.”

”If all goes well and you gather enough Fortune and Merit in one fell swoop, you can then venture out to find one of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and prepare for your future breakthrough to the Mid-phase!”