Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 300: Chapter 300: In the Sword Pavilion, a Heart First Saint

To be honest, Lü Yang never imagined that in this life, he would meet Ang Xiao again under such dramatic and abrupt circumstances.

’A hundred... no, calm down.’

Lü Yang gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to start over. ’The one exploring the Long Brilliance Treasure Light Grotto Heaven is Master Xiao Hai. What does it have to do with me?’

’The Puppet is blocking him. He can’t see me!’

It was just a scare tactic!

Lü Yang was one hundred percent confident about this. After all, this was a Golden Talent from the Centome.

[Puppet: Seize another’s Qi, bear their karmic links, and you can hide beneath their appearance, controlling them like a string puppet. No one can divine your origins.]

If it said no one could divine his origins, then no one could!

Bring it on!

The confidence the Centome gave him allowed Lü Yang to forcibly steady his emotions. He continued to use Master Xiao Hai’s eyes to stare directly at Ang Xiao.

In that instant, all was silent.

”...”

Even the rising Si Fire froze in mid-air. The sparks that should have been flying about hung motionless. A blistering heat wave rolled through the surroundings, yet the air was as frigid as winter.

Master Xiao Hai’s terrified expression was frozen in place, his very thoughts halted. Within the entire Grotto Heaven Fragment, only the figure standing in the fire could still move. He was seen propping up his chin with one hand, his other arm crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed intently on Master Xiao Hai.

His gaze was like a torch.

The fluctuations in Master Xiao Hai’s Qi trace and Mana, the dilation and contraction of his pupils, the shifting of his gaze, the karmic links upon his body... Ang Xiao took it all in.

The smile on Ang Xiao’s face faded slightly.

”Which Daoist is this?”

He spoke slowly, his voice causing the entire Grotto Heaven Fragment to tremble. The Si Fire began to flow again, creeping up Master Xiao Hai’s body bit by bit!

In the blink of an eye, a dense swarm of fire snakes engulfed Master Xiao Hai. They slithered into his seven orifices, pouring into his organs, Spirit Platform, and Spiritual Space. The blazing firelight rendered the poor Foundation-Stage Cultivator completely transparent, making it impossible to hide even the slightest anomaly.

Yet, Ang Xiao found nothing.

’An illusion?’

He was still the only one in the vast Grotto Heaven. This result brought a flash of doubt to his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by absolute certainty.

’Impossible!’

’My senses are never wrong. Someone is watching me, using this Foundation-Stage Cultivator to do it. But I can’t find them... Which Daoist could it be?’

Across the world, there were few he would call ”Daoist.” After all, not just anyone could monopolize five Fruits, preventing future generations from attaining them. Reaching the Late Stage of Golden Core through such means placed him among the strongest. Otherwise, how could he possibly scheme for control of the Netherworld?

’Could it be... a Master of Dao is watching me?’

Ang Xiao’s eyes grew warier. He knew of one person with similar methods: the one from the Pure Land! That damnable Bhagavat was fond of such tricks!

’That can’t be right. What have I done to warrant the gaze of a Master of Dao?’

Ang Xiao’s gaze was dark and chilling as he sized up Master Xiao Hai. He was strong, very strong, but certainly not enough to attract the attention of the four Masters of Dao.

The two were on completely different levels.

If the mortal world was a great Sea of Suffering in which all beings drowned, only a Perfected Lord who had attained a Fruit could use that Fruit as a boat to sail upon it.

A Master of Dao, then, had already left the Sea of Suffering and reached the Other Shore.

The world in the eyes of a Master of Dao, and the focus of their attention, had long transcended the mundane. They were completely different from everyone else. At the very least, they wouldn’t be focused on him.

’Maybe... I should just kill him?’

Ang Xiao’s brow furrowed. He had carefully chosen the Ganhai Li Clan as a pawn to conceal this Grotto Heaven Fragment for many years.

However, it wasn’t to bury the Grotto Heaven Fragment completely.

It was to reveal a small clue.

Only in this way would the Perfected Fortune not have any suspicions when he finally, after great difficulty, found this Grotto Heaven Fragment.

The contents of the first two Jade Scrolls, the *Void Internal Observation of Heaven and Earth True Understanding* and the *Upper Bright Golden Cup Jade Light*, were also complete and accurate. Otherwise, he never could have fooled Fortune. The place where he had truly tampered wasn’t with this knowledge, but with the Grotto Heaven Fragment before him!

As long as the Perfected Fortune absorbed this Grotto Heaven Fragment and transformed it into his own Blessed Land...

...his scheme would be complete.

But if Master Xiao Hai died here, that was no longer a certainty.

’Although I used the Veil of the Trees to make Fortune overlook the cause of his death back then and his suspicions about the Earth of Chen, and even removed the backup plan he had for reclaiming his position...’

’...he is a Perfected Lord, after all.’

’After five thousand years, even with the influence of the Veil of the Trees, he’s probably realized something is wrong. The Perfected Fortune right now is likely as jumpy as a startled bird.’

’Under these circumstances, if I let this Foundation-Stage Cultivator die, Fortune will inevitably become suspicious when he finds this place later, introducing countless Variables into my plans... No, that’s not right. The moment this Foundation-Stage Cultivator appeared in the Grotto Heaven, a Variable was already introduced into my plans!’

But where did the Variable come from?

Ang Xiao pinched his fingers together in divination but found nothing. His brow furrowed even deeper, and for the first time, he felt that things were slipping out of his control.

’...Forget it. I’ll meet change by remaining unchanged.’

The next second, Ang Xiao regained his composure. He then took a step back, and his figure melted back into the raging Si Fire that filled the sky.

Then, time resumed its flow.

Master Xiao Hai blinked. The terror from a moment ago faded away as if it had never happened. He had already forgotten why he had been so frightened.

Nothing major had happened.

Nor had he found any great opportunities.

”Ah, what a pity.”

Thinking of this, Master Xiao Hai couldn’t help but sigh. ”To think this Grotto Heaven is empty. There are no Artifacts at all. I came all this way for nothing.”

As he spoke, he completely ignored the three Jade Scrolls on the table.

The next second, he turned and left the Grotto Heaven without hesitation. Behind him, Ang Xiao watched his retreating back in silence.

’An unknown Daoist... Interesting.’

A smile of interest slowly formed on his gentle face. After scheming alone for over five thousand years, a small Variable was actually a welcome change.

’Let me see what move you’ll make!’

........

”Gotta go, gotta go!”

Withdrawing his sight from the Puppet, Lü Yang patted his chest, his heart still pounding. ”In this life, I will never take another step near Gantang Dao!”

That broken place is too dangerous!

Despite his words, an audacious thought sprouted in Lü Yang’s mind. ”But Master Chong Guang will definitely be very interested in that Grotto Heaven...”

The method to create a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land!

The method to sense the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire!

At this point in time, Chong Guang shouldn’t have reincarnated yet. These two Dharma Gates were enough to get him to act. And if he came, how could World Purger Fei Xue not follow?

’That *Ming Guang’s Daily Life Notes* clearly states his suspicions about the Earth of Chen. As long as I can get Chong Guang to see it, I can make him wary of this point. I can also form a good karmic link in the process. Then in the future, I can get my hands on the Immortal Spirit Body he leaves behind after reincarnation—that stream of Xin Metal Qi.’

The Fruit of Pomegranate Wood is a fusion of Geng Shen and Xin You.

And since he planned to attain the Fruit of Pomegranate Wood in this life, the Xin Metal Qi was crucial to his Dao path. Making a move to plan for it in advance was just preparing for a rainy day.

Besides, he could also get World Purger Fei Xue and Ang Xiao to fight!

Once Ang Xiao’s existence was exposed ahead of time, the already massive Chongguang Gold event from his previous life would probably become an even greater spectacle in this one.

That would be his chance!

’There’s still about a hundred years left.’

Lü Yang mused as a clear plan formed in his mind:

’Within a hundred years, I must nurture my Immortal Spirit Body to Foundation Establishment Perfection. During that time, it would be best to get in touch with Summon and have him go with Chong Guang for the Chongguang Gold event.’

’With that dynamic duo leading the charge and attracting everyone’s attention...’

’...I can calmly make my arrangements, emerge with my Foundation Establishment Perfection Immortal Spirit Body, and while everyone is too busy to stop me, directly attain a True Monarch Fruit Position!’

........

「Sea of Clouds, Holy Fire Cliff.」

In the vast hall, a man was seated in the place of honor. He wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but his brow carried a soaring, sharp aura.

It was none other than Perfected Chong Guang!

In his hand was a Fei Xin shimmering with Spirit Light. It was the very one Lü Yang had sent via a spell earlier, and it detailed the secrets of the Jiangnan Mass Grave.

Beyond that, it also contained Lü Yang’s own account of how he had been reincarnated in the South, acted as an undercover agent—with a body in the Sword Pavilion but a heart loyal to the First Saint—which made Chong Guang click his tongue in amazement.

The Stain Sect actually had quite a few traitors.

After all, among the four great sects, the only one with a worse environment than the Stain Sect was the Pure Land. But the Pure Land was a place you could enter but never leave, so there was no risk of rebellion.

In comparison, the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Court were far better.

Therefore, there were often some Ordinary Perfected Persons with no hope left on their Dao path who, after death and reincarnation, chose not to return to the Stain Sect, instead changing their identity and heading straight for the Sword Pavilion or the Dao Court.

But of all those who had left, this was the first to send a message back, claiming his heart was still with the Stain Sect.

”Interesting...”

Perfected Chong Guang stared at the signature at the end of the Fei Xin and fell into a brief contemplation. ”Yuan Tu... Does my Stain Sect have such a loyal Perfected Person?”