Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 213: Chapter 213: The Reincarnation of Minor Metal?

”You’re saying this is the reincarnation of Minor Metal?”

In Qing Country, within a magnificent hall, Prince Qing stared with an ashen face at the child before him. The boy had a rosy-white complexion and looked to be seven or eight years old.

”You dare try to fool me?”

”Your Majesty,”

The eunuch who had delivered the news hurriedly said, ”Although the child looks old, he was actually born only eight days ago. And he possesses a miraculous quality; he is no ordinary mortal...”

”Eight days, my ass!”

Prince Qing’s expression grew even more suspicious. Hearing the eunuch mention the child’s miraculous quality, he immediately glanced at Zhong Xin, who stood beside him. Zhong Xin understood at once.

The next second, the Champion Scholar unhesitatingly extended a finger. Official Qi gathered at his fingertip, forming a Sharp Arrow that shot straight toward the child. To everyone’s surprise, however, when the Sharp Arrow struck the boy, it didn’t even scratch his skin!

”This is... the Immortal Tree!”

Seeing this, Zhong Xin’s gaze sharpened. ”Jia Wood, when its roots are severed and branches cut, becomes Dead Wood. When bathed in the waters of rivers, pools, and marshes, Dead Wood and lifeless water combine to form the Immortal Tree.”

”This must be an Innate Divine Technique from the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire series!”

”It grants longevity and invulnerability, an Upper-Grade protective and path-guarding Skill.”

Prince Qing’s voice held a hint of pleasant surprise. ”So, he really is Minor Metal? He just hasn’t broken free from the mysteries of the womb and only has an Innate Divine Technique protecting him?”

”This... Your Majesty, I am but a mortal. I truly cannot tell.”

Zhong Xin showed a troubled expression. ”To me, he seems to be just an Ordinary infant. His Soul shows no miraculous signs, but he inexplicably possesses some Abilities...”

Prince Qing shook his head, then pointed at the child. ”Real or not, kill him!”

As soon as he spoke, several eunuchs stepped forward. The Immortal Tree was powerful, but the boy was just an infant with very little Mana.

The eunuchs simply used their Mana to conjure two balls of Spiritual Fire and threw them at the child. Before long, he was reduced to a pile of ashes. Prince Qing then went forward to carefully inspect the remains, confirming that the infant was truly dead. But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief—

”Report!”

Another Armored Warrior ran in from outside the hall, knelt, and announced loudly, ”Your Majesty, our spies in various regions have all reported back. They’ve found three more Minor Metals!”

”...”

’Three more Minor Metals? Why don’t you just say the entire Stain Sect has reincarnated in my little Qing Country? What a blessing for me!’

A moment later, three more infants were brought forward.

Zhong Xin stepped forward to inspect them one by one, finally shaking his head. ”Just like the last one. Each of them only possesses a single Innate Divine Technique from the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire series.”

”Shade Dragon Water, Fear of Cutting, Steel Flame Furnace...”

Zhong Xin listed them cautiously, then shook his head again. ”Your Majesty, my knowledge is limited. I fear I cannot make an accurate identification. Perhaps we should ask others to take a look.”

Prince Qing had already been thinking the same thing. He nodded in approval and immediately summoned several high-ranking ministers from the Imperial College to help identify the infants. The result, however, was the same as Zhong Xin’s: the babies didn’t seem like reincarnations, but the Abilities they possessed didn’t seem fake either.

Just then, another Armored Warrior reported in with news of another miraculous infant.

”A fifth one?” Prince Qing was stunned.

This infant also possessed the Immortal Tree! But the child with the Immortal Tree should have already been burned to ashes!

”How can this be?”

Prince Qing could hardly believe his eyes. Finally, an old minister stepped forward and said in a low voice, ”Your Majesty, I believe there is more to this matter than meets the eye.”

”Of course I know there’s more to it! The question is what!” Prince Qing shouted, losing his composure. After all, he had finally thought he’d found Minor Metal’s reincarnation, only for things to turn out like this. The wild swing from joy to disappointment made it hard for him to control his emotions.

”I believe these are all decoys.”

”Although these infants all possess Innate Divine Techniques from the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire series, none of them have an Innate Ability. I believe that is the key.”

”They must be a cover for the true reincarnation of Minor Metal!”

”Therefore, until we find the real Minor Metal, it’s meaningless to kill these infants. Even if we do, the Abilities will just reappear on other babies...”

”Useless! All of you are useless!”

Prince Qing cursed in anger, then waved his hand dismissively. ”...Minister Zhong, I am weary. From now on, you will handle this matter... Be decisive.”

The unspoken meaning was to kill them all!

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape!

Zhong Xin did not hesitate for a moment. He bowed deeply. ”I obey Your Majesty’s command.”

Just then, a third Armored Warrior rushed into the hall, causing Prince Qing to become annoyed. ”Another infant? From now on, all such matters...”

Before he could finish, the Armored Warrior’s panicked shout echoed through the hall.

”The Demon Sect is marching south!”

...

「Outside Dragon-Crushing Pass, Qing Country.」

”This place is called Dragon-Crushing Pass because it divides Qing Country and the North. The pass itself severs the flow of Spiritual Qi between the two territories.”

”Inside the pass, the Spiritual Qi is completely bound by the rules of the Dao Court. Every last bit belongs to the Dao Court. Those below the Foundation Establishment stage are completely unable to use their Abilities or Magic within. If we want to enter Qing Country, our only option is to break through Dragon-Crushing Pass and destroy the Dao Court’s monopoly on Spiritual Qi.”

Before the magnificent pass stood Perfected Yin Shan, Huanxiang, and a heroic-looking woman, side by side.

Below them was a swarm of Cultivators, like a colony of ants. They were all disciples summoned from the various sects of the North, their cultivation levels ranging from the Mid-phase of Qi Refining to Great Perfection.

At this moment, they were all riding their Flying Lights, speeding toward Dragon-Crushing Pass.

On the walls of Dragon-Crushing Pass, the defending Soldiers and Generals met them in battle. The two forces clashed, instantly staining the ground below red with blood.

”Fellow Daoist Yin Shan, what’s the use of these Qi Refining Disciples?”

Witnessing this scene, Huanxiang couldn’t help but ask, ”The Array at Dragon-Crushing Pass can only be broken by a Foundation-Stage Cultivator. These Qi Refining Disciples are just being sent to their deaths...”

Perfected Yin Shan glanced at her upon hearing this and said flatly, ”Fellow Daoist, your thinking is still too narrow.”

”Though they are only at the Qi Refining stage, they are not entirely useless. Long before the battle began, I distributed Spirit Pills for cultivation to all the Qi Refining Disciples.”

”I added another Medicinal Guide to every Spirit Pill. While preserving their cultivation effects, I also added a trace of Blood Filth Qi. If these Qi Refining Disciples die at Dragon-Crushing Pass, the blood and qi from their bodies will seep into the Spirit Vein, corrupting the Spiritual Qi and indirectly damaging the Spirit Vein Array of the pass.”

Before he finished speaking, Dragon-Crushing Pass trembled violently.

As the Spiritual Qi became corrupted, the once smoothly operating Array began to stutter. In the eyes of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator, countless flaws instantly appeared.

Perfected Yin Shan saw this and nodded. ”See? They’re useful now, aren’t they?”

Huanxiang: ”...”

The next second, Perfected Yin Shan turned to Huanxiang and the heroic woman. ”Fellow Daoist Huanxiang, Fellow Daoist Yu Chan, you must give it your all this time.”

The other two nodded.

Before they set out, however, the heroic woman named Yu Chan glanced around but didn’t see Lü Yang. Her brow furrowed slightly.

High in the heavens, Perfected Yin Shan stood with his hands behind his back.

He held a black, mountain-shaped Artifact in his palm. As he channeled his Mana and threw it into the air, it instantly transformed into a real mountain!

”BOOM!”

The mountain peak crashed down, slamming directly onto Dragon-Crushing Pass. The earth shook and the mountains trembled. The Spiritual Qi outside the pass churned violently, and the Array’s Splendid Light flickered. With its power greatly reduced by the corrupted Spiritual Qi, it actually looked like it might collapse under the force of Perfected Yin Shan’s devastating attack.

But just then, with a ripple in the void, a heroic and upright figure appeared on the walls of Dragon-Crushing Pass and immediately stabilized the Array.

”Don’t panic! Hold fast!”

It was none other than Zhong Xin, who had just been entrusted with this critical task and had teleported back through the void!

”...”

The next second, Zhong Xin’s and Perfected Yin Shan’s gazes met, both radiating intense killing intent.