Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Spirit Root’s Secret, A Heavenly Stem’s Opportunity

’Unbelievable...’

Lü Yang’s expression grew more astonished as he looked at the Daoist Scripture in his hands. From the sounds of it, this so-called Azure Sun Cultivation Realm seemed utterly defenseless before a Foundation-Stage Cultivator.

However, that was only a superficial impression.

The reasoning was simple: how could a power that couldn’t contend with Foundation Establishment possibly occupy so many islands in a lawless place like the Overseas?

Therefore, either the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm had a true Foundation-Stage Cultivator as its backer, or its strongest theoretical expert—a Great Cultivator of Unity—possessed other means comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Otherwise, such a tempting prize, brimming with talent, would have long since been devoured whole.

But even that was secondary.

Having experienced the Simulation Realm, Lü Yang constantly reminded himself never to underestimate anyone, and especially not an established system.

Thus, he soon focused on something even more important:

’Ancestor Master Qingting... A Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm. The Nascent Soul he condensed, when considered as True Qi, is actually of Upper Grade quality.’

’In fact, it could even be ranked as Fifth Grade.’

’And that’s just at Nascent Soul Formation.’

’What if the Realm were higher? There are three more Realms above Nascent Soul Formation!’

’By continuously purifying True Qi, Nascent Soul Formation reaches Fifth Grade. Could Refining Spirit reach Fourth Grade? Returning to Void, Third Grade. And Harmonization... could it possibly achieve Second Grade True Qi?’

This was the crucial point.

The Qi Grade essentially determined a Cultivator’s future. Below Seventh Grade, one had no hope of Foundation Establishment. Below Third Grade, no hope of forming a Golden Core. And without reaching First Grade, forming a Nascent Soul was nearly impossible!

Second Grade True Qi was still barely acceptable.

But what if Harmonization... wasn’t the limit of the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm? If there was a Realm above Harmonization, could the True Qi also ascend to an even higher level?

’First Grade True Qi!?’

For a moment, Lü Yang was stunned by his own thought. First Grade True Qi! It was a matter concerning the Nascent Soul. How could such an opportunity exist in a minor Overseas region?

Even his own Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis—a Foundation Method created by a Perfected Lord that led all the way to the Fruit of Attainment—only produced Third Grade True Qi. As for a Cultivation Technique that could produce Second Grade True Qi, Lü Yang hadn’t seen a single one in all his eight lifetimes, as if they simply didn’t exist.

Let alone First Grade True Qi!

The next second, however, a look of confusion appeared on Lü Yang’s face. ’That’s not right. Isn’t the maximum lifespan for the Final-phase of Qi Refining just one hundred and fifty years?’

The natural lifespan in the Qi Refining Stage was one hundred and fifty years!

And that was only in theory. In reality, the vast majority of Qi Refiners never lived a full one hundred and fifty years, often dying around one hundred and twenty or thirty.

But what about the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm?

Logically, everyone from Qi Cultivation to Harmonization was technically within the scope of the Final-phase of Qi Refining. So where did their long lifespans come from?

’Can purifying True Qi extend one’s lifespan? Impossible.’

’Besides, strictly speaking, this system in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm is only about Refining the Spirit Root, not refining the self. Theoretically, it shouldn’t extend one’s lifespan at all... ’

But in reality, the Cultivators of the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm had very long lifespans—so long that even Lü Yang, a Foundation-Stage Cultivator, was envious.

However, the structure of their lifespans was very strange.

’Mortals live to be thirty or forty at most. They often have to start families in their teens, become grandfathers by thirty, and reaching forty is even considered a blessing... ’

’Qi Refiners aren’t much better off, with lifespans of only forty or fifty years.’

’Foundation Building is slightly better, living to eighty. Core Formation to one hundred and twenty. Nascent Soul Formation to two hundred. Refining Spirit to three hundred. Returning to Void to five hundred. And Harmonization to one thousand years... ’

Unbelievable!

Reading this, Lü Yang nearly jumped to his feet. A Qi Refiner who could match the lifespan of a Perfected Lord, and without even needing to reincarnate!

But a second later, he realized his mistake. ’No, it’s not that they don’t need to reincarnate, it’s that they *can’t*... Without true Foundation Establishment, the Soul never undergoes a qualitative change. When they die, they are truly dead. As for why they can live so long, it should be because they don’t have to endure the erosion of the Weakening Wind.’

Still, something wasn’t quite right.

Avoiding the erosion of the Weakening Wind only raised the upper limit of one’s lifespan, but what about the lower limit? How did a Qi Refiner manage to extend their life to a full thousand years?

And the lifespans of mortals and low-Realm Cultivators were just too short.

The higher the Realm, the greater the increase in lifespan after a breakthrough. The jump between Returning to Void and Harmonization was a direct doubling, a world of difference.

’If I think about this from the perspective of the Stain Sect...’

Lü Yang’s brow gradually relaxed. He suddenly took out a root shimmering with lightning—it was Liu Chi’s Mutated Thunder Spirit Root, the very foundation of cultivation.

Immediately after, Lü Yang called Lady Xiao over to assist with his research.

「Three days later.」

”...It’s just as I thought!”

”What a Spirit Root! A genius concept!” Lü Yang exclaimed, pushing aside the exhausted Lady Xiao, who had fainted, his gaze burning as he stared at the Spirit Root in his hand.

The Spirit Root was the key to the lifespans of Cultivators in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm!

”It’s called a Spirit Root, but it’s actually an absorber. It can replenish one’s own depleted lifespan by siphoning it from mortals and even low-Realm Cultivators!”

That was why the lifespans of mortals and low-Realm Cultivators were so short.

As for the thousand-year lifespan of a Great Cultivator of Unity, that was likely the upper limit in this world. Without reincarnation, living past a thousand years was the absolute maximum; it was impossible to live any longer.

’In other words, the entire Azure Sun Cultivation Realm is a giant pyramid. The most numerous group, the mortals, sustain the Cultivators with their lifespans. Then, the low-Realm Cultivators sustain the high-Realm Cultivators. And finally, everyone together sustains the Great Cultivators of Unity at the very top...’

Sucking the marrow from the bones—the very style of the Stain Sect!

’But based on the characteristics of this cultivation system, this place ought to be related to a Primal Daoist. And a Primal Daoist is no Holy Sect Disciple...’

Lü Yang flipped through the ancient texts, finally stopping at a certain page.

’The War of the Outer Celestial Demons?’

The text described nothing less than the founding history of the Immortal Alliance. Outer Celestial Demons appeared out of nowhere, and the local Cultivators united to finally repel the Celestial Demons...

As he read on, however, Lü Yang frowned.

’After the war with the Outer Celestial Demons, the surviving local Cultivators established the current Immortal Alliance, and their methods gradually transformed into the bone-sucking exploitation of today.’

’Something isn’t right.’

’Did the local Cultivators really win?’

’A bunch of cultivators at the Final-phase of Qi Refining, who could all be slaughtered by the appearance of a single Foundation-Stage Cultivator? What kind of Outer Celestial Demon could be so pathetic as to be repelled by local Cultivators?’

’They established the Immortal Alliance right after winning... Could it be that the Outer Celestial Demons actually won and just assumed the identity and reputation of the local Cultivators to make it easier to completely reform the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm? And judging by the current system of the Immortal Alliance, this reformation has been very successful... ’

Mortals like Chen Xinghai toiled their entire lives for the Immortal Alliance.

Cultivators like Lady Xiao and Ancestor Master Qingting, while having some freedom, were ultimately just high-level wage slaves for the Immortal Alliance.

A perfect pyramid structure.

Under the Immortal Alliance’s rule, the laws were as unyielding as mountains...

In that instant, inspiration struck Lü Yang. The Prophetic Orrery between his brows spun rapidly, bringing a flash of understanding. ’Wu is Yang Earth. Its Qi is solid and heavy. It finds its proper place only in the center... ’

’In spring and summer, its Qi moves and it retreats. In autumn and winter, its Qi is still and it gathers. It is the Fate of all things!’

’I see! This is my opportunity for a breakthrough... The Fate of all things! The Zhu Wei I’ve been searching for, the Heavenly Stem of Earth of Wu, is hidden within this Immortal Alliance!’

The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, born of Qian and Kun, were not always physical objects, but sometimes metaphysical concepts.

The Earth of Wu is the Fate of all things, just as the Immortal Alliance is to the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm.

The Immortal Alliance was a great mountain pressing down on the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm.

And that mountain was the Earth of Wu he was looking for!

Therefore, to extract this concept manifested as a Heavenly Stem, he either had to find a way to overthrow the Immortal Alliance or replace it!

’No wonder they say the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are so hard to find...’

If they were simple Artifacts, how could so many people get stuck at a minor Realm within Foundation Establishment, unable to advance a single step? How could the Stain Sect not have them in stock?

’To seek out the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, you first need Merit and Fortune, just to have a chance of encountering them. Second, you need sufficient Cultivation; if your Cultivation is lacking, the opportunity could be right in front of you and you wouldn’t see it. Finally, you need strength. Insufficient strength will only get you turned to ash by the calamities that descend during the Foundation Establishment Realm...’

Take his own situation, for instance. If his Cultivation had been insufficient, he would never have grasped the principle that ”Earth of Wu is the Fate of all things.” He would just be buzzing around like a headless fly, seeking the Heavenly Stem in vain.

’The path of Cultivation... is truly fraught with peril at every step!’

Just as Lü Yang was reflecting on this, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the Shenxiao Sect. At the same time, a spiritual perception descended from the heavens, locking directly onto him:

”Pardon me, are you a venerable Cultivator of the Stain Sect?”

”I am Piaomiao of the Immortal Alliance, and I request an audience.”