Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Absorbing the Gold Attribute, the Centome’s Changes

”Ah, the Golden Core...”

Lü Yang watched as Perfected Chong Guang and his Dongyang Blessed Land soared ever higher toward the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire, finally tearing his envious gaze away.

’Patience. I’ll get there one day...’

With the Centome, Lü Yang never doubted his future. As long as he took things one steady step at a time, he was certain he could reach the pinnacle!

Of course, that was a matter for the future.

’Thinking about the Golden Core is still too far off. For now, I should check my gains...’ Lü Yang’s gaze shifted, landing on the Gold Attribute that Perfected Chong Guang had left behind.

Then he froze.

Just then, the Centome’s ethereal panel materialized from nowhere. Like a starving dog lunging for food, it instantly devoured the wisp of Gold Attribute!

’Holy shit!’

In that instant, Lü Yang was so frightened his Soul nearly flew out of his body. The Gold Attribute was conspicuous enough on its own. Worse, with Perfected Chong Guang in the middle of his breakthrough, at least two-thirds of the world’s Perfected Lords were watching, whether openly or in secret. For the Centome to just swallow the Gold Attribute... wasn’t that a blatant admission that something was wrong with him?

At that thought, the hair on Lü Yang’s neck stood on end.

He was terrified that someone would sneak up behind him and ask, ”What are you doing?” before a giant hand descended from the heavens, snatched him up, and refined him in an instant.

A moment later, Lü Yang let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

No one came.

’Leave it to you, Centome!’

A cheat-like power truly was something else! To devour a wisp of Gold Attribute right under the noses of so many Perfected Lords without being detected... This fact alone put Lü Yang’s mind at ease.

But once his relief settled, questions began to surface. Ever since he’d transmigrated, the Centome had never shown the slightest interest in anything besides him. This was the first time it had actively consumed an external object. He couldn’t help but wonder: ’Could the Gold Attribute replenish its pages?’

One hundred lives was still too few!

In this damn place, every step of cultivation was like treading on thin ice. With a mere hundred lives, Lü Yang was confident he could reach the Golden Core, but he had no certainty at all when it came to the Nascent Soul.

But if the Gold Attribute could add more pages, then none of that would matter.

After all, right now he had two ”respawn points” for Gold Attribute: Chong Guang and the Primal Daoist Evil. He could come harvest them every lifetime.

It was basically infinite lives!

At this thought, Lü Yang excitedly turned his attention to the Centome’s interface. But as the information flowed into his mind, his expression turned peculiar.

The bad news was, the Gold Attribute could not add more pages.

The good news was—

’Finalize another person’s life?’

Lü Yang stared at the data on the Centome’s interface, a strange look on his face. ’The Gold Attribute itself is useless to the Centome. What’s useful is the life experience it contains.’

The so-called Gold Attribute was the very essence of a person’s Soul. It was the culmination of a lifetime of thoughts, ideas, and countless experiences, all stacked together and refined into the nature of the True Self. It contained a person’s entire life. *That* was what the Centome wanted to devour. It was essentially a virtual simulation!

’After devouring it, the Centome can finalize that person’s life.’

’This finalization is different from the one I get after each of my own restarts. I can’t bring back Artifacts or Cultivation from it. The only thing I can get is a Talent Skill based on that person’s life.’

’...What an incredible ability!’

In an instant, Lü Yang’s eyes shone. While he was a little disappointed about not being able to bring back Cultivation and Artifacts, acquiring a Talent Skill was still an incredible gain!

He knew full well how powerful the Talent Skills from the Centome could be.

Unfortunately, with each rebirth, he always had more critical things to redeem, so he had never chosen a Talent Skill before. But this time was different!

’Chong Guang’s talent... It has to be a Golden one!’

He was a Great Trueman at Foundation Establishment Perfection, after all. His life experiences were the stuff of legends. It had to be a Golden Talent.

With that, Lü Yang willed it.

’Finalize!’

The next second, the Centome began to glow faintly. The light resolved into streams of data, which finally formed into dense lines of text.

[Finalizing the life of ”Chong Guang”...]

[As a wisp of ”Xin Metal Qi,” one of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, you chanced upon a great destiny. You unexpectedly gained sentience and became a naturally-born Immortal Spirit.]

”...An Immortal Spirit?”

Lü Yang paused. He knew of them. Blood Demon Zhenren had suffered a heavenly punishment for the very mistake of accidentally slaying an Immortal Spirit.

Immortal Spirits were beings born and nurtured by Heaven and Earth, their Position naturally bestowed. Once they gained sentience, they received the blessing of Heaven and Earth, making them, in a sense, natural-born Foundation-Stage Cultivators. However, an Immortal Spirit’s strength was fixed, determined by its fundamental nature before gaining sentience. The most powerful among them could even rival cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

’Perfected Chong Guang was the reincarnation of an Immortal Spirit?’

’No wonder his Daoist title is ”Chong Guang.” That’s another name for Xin Metal Qi. With an origin that profound, it’s no surprise he earned the favor of a Saint Sect True Monarch...’

Meanwhile, the Centome’s finalization continued to appear.

[As an Immortal Spirit, you were ambitious. Unwilling to accept that your power could not grow, you made a calculated decision: to reincarnate and join the Stain Sect...]

[You earned the high regard of a Saint Sect True Monarch...]

[At Foundation Establishment Perfection, you finally reached the most critical step of your life: Seeking Gold. Success would mean Transcendence; failure, continued stagnation.]

[At this thought, you were filled with resolve.]

The stream of data came to an abrupt halt. Perhaps this was the moment Perfected Chong Guang had extracted this wisp of Gold Attribute, so there was nothing more to show.

Soon, all the data streams began to collapse, converge, and finally—

A brilliant golden light burst forth!

’Whoa! A Golden Legendary!’

Lü Yang’s spirits were immediately lifted, and he stared intently at the information on the panel:

[You have obtained the Golden Talent: Innate Immortal Spirit.]

[Innate Immortal Spirit: When you restart your life, you may use this talent to change your fundamental origin, allowing you to assume the identity and Position of an ”Immortal Spirit.”]

’A talent that can only be used upon reincarnation...’

Lü Yang instantly realized the power of this talent. An Immortal Spirit! Blessed by Heaven and Earth, with their Enlightenment, innate talent, and Fortune all maxed out!

But his brow quickly furrowed.

’It’s not without its drawbacks, though... If I change my origin, does that mean I have to start over from scratch? As an Immortal Spirit Body, would my starting point be different too?’

Currently, he only had two starting points: the day he first entered the Stain Sect, and Luofeng Mountain after his Foundation Establishment. In a way, the Golden Talent ”Innate Immortal Spirit” was like a temporary, one-time-use starting point that couldn’t be replayed.

At first glance, it didn’t seem very useful.

However, Lü Yang saw the key: specifying that he would obtain the Position of an ”Immortal Spirit” meant he wouldn’t necessarily start inside the Stain Sect!

This opened up a world of possibilities!

’After all, if I want to focus on achieving First Grade True Qi and walk the path of the Void Certificate in the future, I’ll need to learn from the strengths of many different schools.’

But his current identity was too deeply entrenched.

From the moment he starts, he’s a disciple of the Stain Sect. His allegiance is clear and unshakeable. Other than the Pure Land, which might take him in, the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Court would never accept his defection.

But with ”Innate Immortal Spirit,” everything was different.

After all, they were born of Heaven and Earth itself. Who could have a cleaner slate than an Immortal Spirit?

The Overseas, the Sword Pavilion, the Dao Court... As long as he wished, he could start his life in any of these other factions, then use a restart to return to the Stain Sect, completely free of any karmic links!

Lü Yang grew excited at the thought.

However, at this very moment.

KRA-KOOM!!!

Suddenly, a world-shattering crack of thunder exploded in the heavens above. The sound not only echoed throughout the Current World but also spread through the Foundation Establishment Realm, carried on the Weakening Wind.

Immediately after, everyone heard a roar—shrill, desperate, and filled with indignation:

”NO—!!!”