Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: What Are You Doing?

Even at this moment, Lü Yang had not given up.

Facing the Wu Cang that strode out from the rift and reached for him, Lü Yang’s thoughts instead became incredibly calm in an instant.

’Not a Perfected Lord!’

’A Perfected Lord trying to kill me would leave me no chance of escape... but this is related to a Perfected Lord. It’s not Fortune, though. Is this something born from Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, created just to kill me?’

’What is its origin?’

As he pondered, the Myriad-Soul Banner appeared before Lü Yang. Su Nu, Chen Xin’an, and numerous other Banner Spirits all emerged at this moment.

”Detonate!”

The next second, under Lü Yang’s control, all the Banner Spirits—including the two at Foundation Establishment—exploded violently! The concussive force from their shattered Dao Foundations was so strong it even caused the Foundation Establishment Realm itself to tremble. It made Wu Cang’s figure shudder slightly, bringing its movements to an abrupt halt and buying Lü Yang a precious moment to live.

Almost simultaneously, the Qixia Robe on his body burst with light.

This Spiritual Treasure, a gift from Perfected Chong Guang, now served as the final line of defense, blocking Wu Cang’s probing fingertip.

SHRED!

The next second, Lü Yang vanished from his spot for the third time, while Wu Cang was left holding a tattered and torn Qixia Robe.

At this moment, however, Wu Cang’s face was a mask of surprise.

”...The Myriad-Soul Banner?”

He frowned deeply, reaching out to pluck a wisp of residual smoke from a detonated Banner Spirit. After sensing it carefully, a look of confusion crossed his face.

”It is the Myriad-Soul Banner, no doubt, but it doesn’t seem to be the Innate one. It lacks the Innate karmic links... What’s going on? Could it be that Innate passed on the Refining method for the Myriad-Soul Banner? Impossible. That fellow always thought the Myriad-Soul Banner was too vicious; how could he allow it to spread...”

For a moment, Wu Cang’s curiosity was greatly piqued.

”Slippery little junior, let’s see how many more times you can run!”

With this thought, Wu Cang immediately cast another spell to pull on the karmic threads on Guang Ming, using the Karma between him and Lü Yang to pursue.

At this moment, Wu Cang focused all of his attention on Lü Yang.

Therefore, he failed to notice that Guang Ming, whom he held in his hand, had silently opened his eyes, revealing a pair of pupils overflowing with Buddha Light and compassion.

......

”Progenitor, what was that thing?”

After escaping once more, Lü Yang activated the Myriad-Soul Banner and summoned the only Banner Spirit he hadn’t detonated: the long-dormant Progenitor Tingyou.

Although the current Progenitor Tingyou’s strength was less than a ten-thousandth of what it once was, not even reaching Foundation Establishment, his former Cultivation of Foundation Establishment Perfection was still highly valuable. His experience was far beyond what Lü Yang could compare to. While Lü Yang couldn’t discern Wu Cang’s true nature, Progenitor Tingyou might not be so blind.

And indeed, that was the case.

”That’s a Daoist Remnant.”

Progenitor Tingyou answered almost without hesitation, ”When a Cultivator fails in Seeking Gold and cannot withstand the Dao Transformation, they become a Body of a Daoist Remnant upon death.”

At these words, Lü Yang had a sudden realization.

’A Daoist Remnant... it’s the Primal Daoist!’

Lü Yang instantly recalled the Jade Disc that the Great Cultivator of Unity, Elder Lin, had given him.

[To die Seeking Gold is to die without regret; to become a Daoist Remnant is to leave a legacy for posterity. Take up my Banner, enter my Seeking Gold Land, and Refine it to attain First-Grade Mahayana True Qi!]

’In other words, the current Wu Cang has been possessed by the Daoist Remnant that the Primal Daoist became after failing in Seeking Gold?’

’But why does it want to kill me?’

’Unfortunately, Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent has no cause or effect; I can’t deduce anything. But this must be a scheme by Fortune. Worst case, I’ll investigate in the next life...’

Yes, Lü Yang had already started thinking about his next life.

There was no other choice. Wu Cang’s power was completely beyond his ability to handle. He feared only a Great Trueman at Foundation Establishment Perfection could contend with it.

This was a gap that could not be bridged by human effort alone.

Thus, Lü Yang’s thoughts had already shifted from escaping with his life to probing Wu Cang’s origins and motives as much as possible, all in preparation for his next life.

The next second, the Void cracked open.

Wu Cang stepped out. This time, Lü Yang had no more protective measures and could only watch helplessly as it came before him and extended a finger.

’Centome...’

Lü Yang recited silently in his heart, about to self-detonate and start over.

But just then, in a flash, the gears of time seemed to grind to a halt. Heaven and Earth became a portrait in that instant.

All was silent.

Then, a melodious Buddhist chant broke the silence as a grand and solemn Buddha Light flowed out from Guang Ming, who was still in Wu Cang’s grasp.

Within the Buddha Light, temples rose one after another, and Zen Forests appeared. They ultimately outlined a vast, Boundless, and indescribable Pure Land. At the very front of this Pure Land was Fulong Temple, and before the temple stood a woman in white, holding a Jade Bottle.

”Benefactor Lü, it has been a long time.”

The crisp, pleasant voice was like a clear spring falling in a mountain stream, washing over him and clearing his thoughts. Lü Yang’s expression, however, grew even more solemn.

”...So it is the Bodhisattva herself.”

Lü Yang bowed, for the woman in white before him was none other than the Pure Land True Monarch who had appeared during the Battle for the Dao: the Bhumba Bodhisattva!

’Guang Ming really was a problem!’

As he bowed, Lü Yang didn’t forget to curse inwardly.

’First a Daoist Remnant, now a Perfected Lord. A bunch of shameless old bastards ganging up on a young man like me. Where are the Perfected Lords of the Stain Sect? Where are my teammates? Somebody, help!’

”Benefactor, you misunderstand.”

Before Fulong Temple, the woman in white smiled faintly, her expression compassionate. ”This is merely an incarnation of my true self, temporarily manifested through the body of Guang Ming.”

”My true reward body remains within the Pure Land and has not moved. Otherwise, the Perfected Lords of the Demon Sect would have surely sensed it. Therefore, I can only delay things for you briefly; I do not have the power to truly save you. Under the current Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, if you wish to live, you must find a way to save yourself.”

Lü Yang frowned upon hearing this. ”Save myself?”

”Correct.” The woman in white’s expression grew even more sincere. ”The Demon Sect is without the Dao, but my Pure Land is willing to open a convenient door and offer you a path to survival.”

”Fulong Temple is right here.”

”As long as you are willing to merge your Dao Foundation into Fulong Temple, you can immediately replace Guang Ming. I am willing to personally tonsure you and bestow upon you the Dharma title of an Arhat.”

Inviting me to join the Pure Land!?

In that instant, Lü Yang finally understood the origin of the Karma between him and Guang Ming. It was a ploy by the Pure Land to pull him into their camp!

No, it was more than that.

’If I’m not mistaken, the reason this Daoist Remnant could find me so easily is likely because the Pure Land helped... their goal was to first force me into a dead end.’

’Only then could they compel me to join the Pure Land.’

It was an open conspiracy!

Don’t join the Pure Land, and you die!

At this moment, Lü Yang fell silent. If it had been the Dao Court or the Sword Pavilion trying to recruit him, he would have accepted. He could have even used the opportunity to probe the depths of those powers.

But the Pure Land was different.

Because the Pure Land’s Cultivation Method is ”Brahma and I are One,” where one transforms oneself into an ”I” of the Pure Land World Honored One. This is a fundamental change in consciousness.

And Lü Yang didn’t know if the Centome could erase such a change in consciousness! If it couldn’t, and this influence carried over to the next life, he would be truly finished. He wouldn’t risk it, not even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance. That was why Lü Yang had never considered joining the Pure Land.

”Hooo...”

Thinking of this, Lü Yang immediately exhaled a breath of Muddy Qi. He activated a Little Divine Technique he hadn’t used in a long time, and his lips parted slightly to utter a single word: Kill.

Life-taking Spell!

Self-detonation!

The next second, under the astonished and bewildered gaze of the woman in white, Lü Yang’s Dharma Body violently disintegrated, leaving only a single thought to drift in the Void.

”Centome!”

In an instant, the Centome activated. Every scene became a blur; the white clouds, the blue sky, the great sea, and even the figure of Wu Cang all faded away.

Until this erasing power fell upon the woman in white.

However, what happened next was completely beyond Lü Yang’s expectations, sending tidal waves through his once-calm mind.

The woman in white, who had already begun to fade, suddenly lifted her head.

The Buddha Light in her eyes was bright, but it revealed a sentiment utterly different from her previous compassion. It was a domineering aura that declared, ’In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.’

”...Hm?”

A soft exclamation, sounding from within what should have been the unique domain of the Centome. It was faint, yet incomparably clear, and it echoed eerily.

Lü Yang froze on the spot.

Then, he heard a halting voice, laced with surprise:

”What... are... you... doing?”

Before the voice could finish, the Centome had already turned to a new page.

The woman in white’s voice stopped abruptly. Her figure, and even that pair of eyes brimming with Buddha Light that clearly belonged to someone else, were completely erased from existence.

Heaven and Earth suddenly went dark.

Everything begins anew.