Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow

Looking at Chen Anmin, whose face was now a mask of discontent and whose tone had lost its initial reverence, now full of blame, Lü Yang couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.

’A stray that will never be loyal, after all!’

’Or perhaps it’s just been too short a time, and my prestige isn’t great enough. Otherwise, even with the temptation of a Fruit manipulating his fate, his attitude shouldn’t have changed so quickly.’

Chen Anmin’s state was clearly off.

Lü Yang could see it. It was partly due to his own ambition swelling and partly the pull of the Fruit. It seemed this Outer Realm was ready to turn hostile.

The next second, Lü Yang found that the Life Star above his head, the one representing him as a [villager], had suddenly gone out. The symbol of his ”native” status vanished into thin air, and a Qi trace clearly different from that of an ordinary person spread out from him. This immediately drew gasps from the others, and seeing this, Chen Anmin froze on the spot.

”Immortal Master... you?”

Clearly, Chen Anmin hadn’t expected that the Immortal Master who had helped him and a million other [villagers] find a new life was actually an Outer Celestial Demon!

But he quickly recovered.

’An Outer Celestial Demon... This is an Outer Celestial Demon! If I kill him, I can obtain the Supreme Venerable position of the Night Emperor. Then I will be the Supreme Venerable of this world!’

In an instant, Chen Anmin’s eyes turned red.

Then he heard the ”Immortal Master” before him let out a long sigh before looking at him calmly. ”An Min, you want to move against me?”

Chen Anmin’s movements faltered slightly.

But soon, a savage expression appeared on his face. He shouted, ”Outer Celestial Demon, you caused the deaths of so many of our compatriots, and you still dare to bewitch us!”

”Kill him...”

Before Chen Anmin could finish, he suddenly felt a sharp, twisting pain in his stomach. Not just him—at that moment, everyone who had developed killing intent felt the same thing.

”SQUELCH!”

The next second, sharp claws ripped through their bodies. They had no ability to resist. One by one, mature Qi-eating Insects slowly crawled out from within them, taking all their Spiritual Essence and casting them from their peak back down to rock bottom in an instant.

”BOOM!”

At almost the same time, a peal of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky above. The stars trembled, and what had been a clear, sunny sky became covered in dark clouds in the blink of an eye.

”You’re only realizing it now? Too late!”

Lü Yang grinned, forming hand seals for his Magic Formulas. He directly recalled the Qi-eating Insect from Chen Anmin’s body, killing him, and at the same time, began to circulate his Qi Collection Technique!

In that instant, the stars shifted. Under Lü Yang’s pull, the light of the day star that had been falling on Chen Anmin uncontrollably redirected onto him. He absorbed it all. And under the sunlight, the towering, three-headed, six-armed illusory form reappeared behind his head.

”WHOOSH!”

The illusory form voraciously devoured the brilliance of the [Next Emperor], gradually becoming more vivid and more real.

Not only that, but the light from the Life Stars of all the others who had attacked Lü Yang, only to be killed by the Qi-eating Insects bursting from their bodies, was also completely collected by him!

THUD!

At this moment, those who had held back from attacking Lü Yang out of awe all fell to their knees. They felt themselves shrinking before him.

Looking up, what they saw seemed to be no longer a man, but a divine statue. Its solemn and dignified face looked down upon them. Each person felt as if it was staring directly at them, and they immediately lowered their heads in terror, prostrating themselves completely, not daring to look again. ℴ

[Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body]!

”It’s done...!”

Lü Yang leaned back against the towering illusory form, his eyes squinted in satisfaction. He let the dark clouds cover the sky and lightning flash across them, welcoming it all as if it were sweet dew.

”The Fruit Position Spiritual Wisdom... is a fool, after all.”

Lü Yang smiled coldly. If the Fruit of this Outer Realm had been even a little bit smarter, it would never have allowed him to inject the Qi-eating Insects into the bodies of its people.

But his opponent was greedy for his Earth Vein Qi on one hand, and on the other, it saw him dealing with Master Miaoyin and never sensed the danger. As a result, it let him do as he pleased. It had no idea that he was waiting for this exact moment. A single [Next Emperor] was enough to refine his Dharma Body!

”Besides, you’re the one who turned hostile first. This is just self-defense.”

Lü Yang exhaled deeply, sensing the augmentation from the [Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body]. To put it bluntly, it was practically equivalent to an Innate Divine Technique!

But before he could sense its specific Divine Effect, a loud sound suddenly came from the sky.

”BOOM!”

The next second, Lü Yang saw that without exception, every single person around him into whom he had planted a Qi-eating Insect lost the light of their Life Star.

Above in the sky, a large area suddenly dimmed!

Clearly, the Fruit of the [Ten Thousand Martial Realm] had realized something was wrong and made a strategic sacrifice, abandoning all these people!

Immediately after, Lü Yang saw crimson rainbows of qi and blood rising in the distance. It was the direction of the Court’s soldiers, but their Qi trace was countless times stronger than normal. The Qi trace of the leader had even reached the level of the late Chen Anmin. It was another Celestial Emperor Venerable!

”...So it’s decided to stop playing games.”

Lü Yang’s eyebrow twitched. The [Ten Thousand Martial Realm] Court’s soldiers hadn’t been implanted with Qi-eating Insect Eggs. If they actually attacked, he would surely die without a burial place.

”Fortunately, my goal has been achieved.”

With the [Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body] accomplished, there was no point in staying here. Thinking this, Lü Yang immediately activated the mark in his Spiritual Space.

Soon, a voice echoed in his mind. ”Huh? You’re done already?”

It was the voice of the Stain Sect’s [Heaven-Reaching Hall], childish and tinged with surprise. ”Okay, wait a sec, I’ll pull you back now...”

The [Heaven-Reaching Hall]’s retrieval pull required an absolutely safe environment. Otherwise, with the Qi Communication between Heaven and Earth, the [Heaven-Reaching Hall] couldn’t just pull someone out of thin air. This was why Master Miaoyin couldn’t even escape when she was besieged. Lü Yang, however, had no such problem now.

Soon, a Splendid Light began to shimmer around his body.

At almost the same time, the sound of thunder in the sky grew louder, as if someone was roaring in a fit of rage. It made Lü Yang’s heart pound.

’Looks like I’ve really pissed off the Outer Realm this time.’

’The next time I come, I’ll probably be discovered immediately and get swarmed... The difficulty of Qi Collection will have skyrocketed. No wonder Second-Grade Cultivation Skills are so hard to practice!’

For a Second-Grade Cultivation Skill, the [Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body] was just the beginning. To completely Deprive the [Ten Thousand Martial Realm] of this Dao Fruit, one round of Qi Collection was far from enough. He would need at least four or five more harvests like this one to have any real hope of depriving it.

But a single time had made the Outer Realm so furious. Four or five more times?

Even a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivator would probably face considerable danger. A single misstep could easily lead to death in the [Ten Thousand Martial Realm]!

’But... I’m different!’

’If it doesn’t work in this life, there’s always the next. The hatred will be reset, and I can just use the same method to farm it again. Won’t farming it for four or five lives be enough?’

The greatest obstacle to mastering a Second-Grade Cultivation Skill simply didn’t exist for him!

’There is hope for my Dao path... there is hope!’

Realizing this, Lü Yang’s mood improved dramatically. He retracted the [Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body] and even had the presence of mind to wave at the sky.

”Goodbye.”

But as the word left his lips, the expression on Lü Yang’s face slowly froze.

The thunder in the sky paused at the peak of its flash. All the Splendid Light and Spiritual Qi were frozen at that single instant, creating a strange, misty effect.

”...”

Lü Yang’s smile slowly faded. His mind, which had been operating so smoothly, felt as if a giant boulder had been dropped into it, crushing his thoughts and stifling his will.

He didn’t know when, but the sounds had vanished. The thunder, the shouts... even Lü Yang himself subconsciously held his breath, not daring to make a sound.

Acting on some kind of intuition, he slowly turned around. It was like lifting an Illusion Barrier. Only then did he discover that someone had been with him all along.

From the moment he entered the [Ten Thousand Martial Realm], this person had been by his side. They had followed him as he distributed the Qi-eating Insect Eggs, followed him as he cornered and killed Master Miaoyin, followed him as he made a deal with Summon, and followed him as he refined the [Heavenly Qian Totalizing All Manifestations Dharma Body]...

’Who is it!?’

Lü Yang slowly raised his gaze. He saw the person looking relaxed, hands clasped behind his back, observing the dark clouds overhead with great interest. His simple green robe was elegant and dignified, making him look like an ancient figure who had stepped right out of history.

But when Lü Yang saw his face, he was thrown into an even greater shock.

Because that face was all too familiar.

’Minor Metal? How can it be Minor Metal!’

In that instant, Lü Yang felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern, yet his thoughts suddenly became crystal clear.

’No... it’s a Daoist Remnant! The Daoist Remnant of Minor Metal, formed after he died from failing his Seeking Gold!’

In the moment of realization, an even greater shock followed.

Failing the Seeking Gold, becoming a Daoist Remnant upon death... such a major event... why hadn’t he thought of it before?

No, it wasn’t just him. Including all the Perfected Lords in the world, not a single person had thought about the problem of a Daoist Remnant, as if it had never existed in the first place!

...The Veil of the Trees?

’He’s the one with the [Fruit of Great-Forest Wood]... Ang Xiao the Sun Veiler!’