Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Real and Fake Blood Demon Island

Decisiveness had always been one of Lü Yang’s virtues—he acted on his thoughts immediately.

Therefore, while Blood Demon Island had yet to fall from the Foundation Establishment Realm, Lü Yang immediately began making arrangements. He already had plans for the Secret Realm.

’Embracing Mountain!’

’This Innate Divine Technique... its Void Transformation can suppress other Abilities, and its Materialization can conjure a real mountain peak. No one has ever seen it before, which makes it perfect to serve as the Secret Realm!’

’What’s more, once Embracing Mountain undergoes Materialization, it naturally suppresses Spiritual Qi, karmic links, and Qi within a certain range. Doesn’t that perfectly match the characteristics of a Secret Realm? This way, I can send everyone into my own Innate Divine Technique and have them walk right into my trap!’

’But this alone leaves too great a flaw.’

’Embracing Mountain can emerge through Materialization, but at its core, it’s still an Innate Divine Technique. The karmic links point directly to me, so it wouldn’t stand up to close scrutiny.’

Lü Yang sank into a moment of deep thought.

Seeing this, Progenitor Tingyou, who was standing by, finally couldn’t resist speaking up. ”First, the karmic links. You must find a way to shift them onto Blood Demon Island.”

”You’re right!”

Lü Yang’s eyes brightened. ”You’re right, Progenitor. Every Secret Realm needs an origin. A realm without any cause or karmic links would be hard-pressed to fool a Foundation-Stage Cultivator.”

”It’s just that dealing with the karmic links will be difficult,” Progenitor Tingyou said, shaking his head.

”What’s so difficult about it?”

Lü Yang grinned. ”This Blood Demon Island doesn’t look that big. I’ll just dig a hole in the center of Embracing Mountain and stuff it inside!”

”My Innate Ability, Differentiation, can sever, so naturally it can also merge! I will mix the karmic links of my Embracing Mountain and Blood Demon Island together, making them indistinguishable. That way, no matter who tries to divine it, they will only see my Embracing Mountain as Blood Demon Zhenren’s Secret Realm!”

Lü Yang wasn’t just talking idly.

If he could actually stuff Blood Demon Island inside Embracing Mountain, the plan was truly feasible. After all, Blood Demon Zhenren really was inside!

Putting his thoughts into action, Lü Yang immediately began to channel his Abilities.

Moments later, the towering silhouette of a mountain appeared within the Foundation Establishment Realm. It solidified from illusion into reality, fitting snugly over Blood Demon Island like a shell.

’The original Blood Demon Island is just too small.’

’It doesn’t look at all like a Secret Realm left by a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Grand Zhenren. Only now, with my Embracing Mountain, does it have a semblance of the required grandeur.’

Now, under Lü Yang’s meticulous design, Blood Demon Island had become a mountain within a mountain, nestled at the heart of Embracing Mountain. The two were seamlessly joined. He even added a palatial facade to make it look more magnificent.

Next, Lü Yang began to shower it with Mythical Light.

’The more grandiose, the better. The point is to make everyone believe Blood Demon Island is the heart of the Secret Realm, where all the real Artifacts are hidden.’

’This is also a perfect opportunity to have the outsiders scout ahead for me.’

’Let them and Blood Demon Zhenren tear each other apart!’

’That damn Blood Demon Zhenren... since he dared to use such a brazen method to divert heavenly retribution, I bet he still has a few tricks up his sleeve...’

Lü Yang had always been meticulous to a fault.

Blood Demon Zhenren had set a trap for him, and if Lü Yang didn’t return the favor, could he still call himself a Stain Sect Zhenren? How would he ever show his face in the Stain Sect again?

Soon, the initial framework of the Secret Realm was complete.

To this end, Lü Yang also set up his Blood Sea Heaven-Filling Grand Array and Soul-Devouring Smoke, creating two treacherous zones within the Secret Realm.

’As for names... let’s call them Chixue Lake and Soul-Devouring Valley. One will be a lake with waves of roiling blood, the other a valley filled with a disorienting mist that can make even Foundation-Stage Cultivators groggy. I should probably toss in one or two Artifacts as well. That should make it easier to lure people into braving the Secret Realm...’

’But these Artifacts don’t need to be too valuable.’

’After all, the real treasures are on Blood Demon Island, so the ones outside can’t be too good. They need to be mediocre—just enough to stoke a person’s greed without satisfying it.’

’Only when you keep someone on the hook do they start to lose their reason.’

’Combined with the influence of the Tribulation Qi clouding their minds, I guarantee that anyone who enters the Secret Realm will beat each other’s brains out fighting for Blood Demon Island...’

The more Lü Yang plotted, the more excited he became.

”Progenitor, do you have any suggestions?” Lü Yang turned his head and asked Progenitor Tingyou enthusiastically. ”Do you think there’s anything else that needs improvement?”

”...”

’Don’t lump me in with the likes of you!’

Progenitor Tingyou was speechless. While he, too, followed the Demon Dao, he had always conducted himself in an open and honorable manner. He was hardly a shameless swindler who resorted to trickery and deception.

”The design for the Secret Realm isn’t bad, but it’s superficial. Still too crude.”

”Your Embracing Mountain may be able to materialize, but at its core, it’s still just an Ability.”

Progenitor Tingyou shook his head. ”Therefore, its greatest flaw is its fragility. If someone damages it, the whole facade will be instantly exposed.”

”You might be able to fool people into entering, but you won’t deceive anyone with real discernment. You certainly won’t fool that Mid-phase Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator from the Celestial Sword Pavilion. Knowing his temperament, he’d just draw his sword and start hacking away at it. Your Embracing Mountain definitely wouldn’t hold up, and the lie would be shattered in an instant.”

”You have a point, Progenitor,” Lü Yang said patiently. ”So, is there a way to remedy this?”

”...It’s not impossible.”

Progenitor Tingyou nodded. He had been the one to create the Wu Ghost Sect Secret Realm, after all; he was an expert in this field and had already thought of a solution.

”Use the Celestial Corpse Fiend!”

Only then did Lü Yang remember. Of the Wu Ghost Sect’s two Celestial Corpse Fiends, one had been given to Perfected Yin Shan, while the other was still in his possession, unused.

Back then, he had only ordered Zhao Xuhe to destroy the Lay Line, not the Celestial Corpse Fiend.

It was, after all, a strand of Earth Evil Qi. At the time, he’d thought it might have other uses in the future. Now, it seemed that saving it had been a wise move indeed!

Progenitor Tingyou continued, ”The Wu Ghost Sect has a Secret Technique that can use a Celestial Corpse Fiend to generate a wisp of Earth Vein Qi. While it’s not as potent as a true Lay Line, it is still connected to Heaven and Earth, and destroying it would likewise incur heavenly retribution. If you integrate it into Embracing Mountain, it will be enough to make anyone think twice before acting rashly.”

No one wanted to bring heavenly retribution upon themselves.

If destroying Embracing Mountain meant facing heavenly retribution, then even someone like Ye Xingfeng would have to be cautious. He could no longer act recklessly just because of his own power.

Just like that, the risk of exposure would be drastically lower.

”Also, for the Artifacts inside Embracing Mountain, you don’t need to use real ones. Just use the Banner Spirits from your Myriad-Soul Banner as substitutes.”

”After all, no matter how well you conceal their karmic links, your own Artifacts could still be exposed, which would be more trouble than it’s worth.”

”Your Banner Spirits, on the other hand... for some reason, they have no karmic links whatsoever. They appear to be ownerless objects, which makes them far more convincing.”

”As for the appearance of the Banner Spirits, they only look human on the surface. In essence, they are nothing more than Primal Qi. Changing their form would be child’s play for you. Besides, a good number of them were originally Wu Ghosts from my Wu Ghost Sect, and Wu Ghosts themselves are a unique type of Artifact exclusive to our sect...”

As he spoke, Progenitor Tingyou warmed to the subject.

With his insights from the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm, Progenitor Tingyou helped Lü Yang quickly refine Embracing Mountain, turning it into a truly convincing Grand Secret Realm.

”That settles it!”

Lü Yang pinched his fingers in a divination gesture, focusing on the threads of karma. ”In three days, Blood Demon Island will fall into the Current World and land in the Star Sea... That landing spot is no good.”

’I have to change it. I’ll make it land in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm!’

’After all, if I don’t, how else can I lure in that whole group from the Immortal Alliance—the Harmonization cultivators, Guang Ming, and even the Primal Daoist’s Daoist Remnant?’

At this thought, a Splendid Light began to glow at Lü Yang’s fingertip.

Determination!

This profound Ability could steer the flow of karmic links in a direction favorable to him. It rarely had a practical application, but now it would allow Lü Yang to get his wish.

Under the Ability’s influence, Blood Demon Island’s trajectory immediately began to shift. Had Blood Demon Zhenren been alive, this might not have been possible. But with the Zhenren slumbering and Lü Yang having broken through to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, his empowered Position made influencing the landing spot no problem at all.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation.

’If this were just an ordinary Secret Realm, these people might not be tempted.’

’But now, driven by Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, as long as I’m here, they are bound to come!’

’And when they do, not a single one of them will escape!’