Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Cultivators are Thieves of Heaven and Earth

Cultivators are thieves of Heaven and Earth!

At this moment, only one thought remained in Lü Yang’s mind. He stared blankly at the sky, as if he were seeing a whole new world.

’Holes... they’re all holes?’

’Even the Fruits are like that, and they’re the thirty largest ones... But shouldn’t the Fruits be a part of this Heaven and Earth?’

’Or could it be...’

A hundred thoughts spun through Lü Yang’s mind. Then, as if he had suddenly realized something, he abruptly turned his Divine Sense inward to examine himself, a strange expression appearing on his face.

Unlike those holes, his Profound City Blessed Land was not a hole. Instead, it seemed like something that had appeared out of thin air. And now, as he used With the World to connect to Heaven and Earth, a powerful, scrutinizing feeling arose within him.

’Heaven and Earth are observing me...?’

A thought-provoking expression slowly spread across Lü Yang’s face. ’That’s it. The Profound City Blessed Land isn’t a hole because it doesn’t point toward a Fruit!’

That was why Heaven and Earth were observing him.

If he decided to walk the path of the Void Certificate like the Primal Daoists, he would be replenishing Heaven and Earth, and their attitude toward him would surely improve dramatically.

But if he ultimately decided to walk the path of cultivation through the Fruits, he would be a great enemy of Heaven and Earth.

’So that’s how it is. This is the true nature of cultivation!’

’Seizing the Creation of Heaven and Earth to form a Fruit... It seems to originate from Heaven and Earth, but in reality, it’s a parasite feasting on them... Could it be that all the Fruits in the world were designed by the Masters of Dao?’

Just how powerful were the Nascent Soul Daoist Lords?

If Cultivators were thieves of Heaven and Earth, then the four Nascent Soul Daoist Lords were likely the four greatest thieves. ”So long as the Saint does not die, the great thief will never cease.” It was truly a Theft to Sainthood!

’This world’s cultivation system revolves almost entirely around the four Masters of Dao. The four Masters of Dao have gouged out the thirty largest holes in this world, turning them into thirty Fruits. The other Perfected Lords and Perfected Persons then use these thirty holes to constantly chip away at the foundations of Heaven and Earth...’

This was the essence of cultivation!

And the so-called Blessed Lands were the tools for chipping away at those foundations. No wonder other worlds didn’t have such things. For Heaven and Earth, what was the difference between this and suicide?

”No wonder Cultivators suffer the Three Calamities and the Celestial Five Declines...”

The four Masters of Dao were clearly deeply entangled with Heaven and Earth, to the point where the cultivation system of this broken place was riddled with fundamental contradictions.

The Three Calamities and the Celestial Five Declines were both disasters and opportunities.

On one hand, Heaven and Earth were indeed using these methods to slaughter Cultivators. On the other hand, a Blessed Land could only be forged by enduring these very calamities.

”...”

Lü Yang remained silent for a long, long time before finally withdrawing his Profound City Blessed Land. He stopped looking at the sky, burying his many doubts and speculations deep in his heart.

From ancient times to the present, many Great Truemen who had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and Refined a Blessed Land had probably done the same. It was for no other reason than that they were too weak. They had no power, merely frogs in a well who had caught a glimpse of Heaven and Earth. What if they guessed right? What if they guessed wrong? In the end, it changed nothing.

’For now... the Golden Core is my priority!’

With a flicker of thought, the contents of the Third-Grade Foundation Method he had obtained from the Dragon Palace Treasure Vault, the *Celestial Language Shimmering Dragon Chapter*, appeared in his Spiritual Space.

’No wonder the Void Certificate is so much harder to achieve than orthodox cultivation.’

’After all, one is restoration, and the other is destruction. Destruction is certainly easier... It’s a miracle this Heaven and Earth has even lasted this long!’

’No, that’s not right...’

The Battle for the Dao!

A long-forgotten term suddenly flashed through Lü Yang’s mind. Periodically, all the Perfected Lords would capture Outer Realms from Beyond the Heavens and merge them into this Heaven and Earth.

’At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but looking at it now... they’re replenishing Heaven and Earth. The Perfected Lords take the lion’s share, dividing up the Outer Realms that have Fruits or even Fruit Position Prototypes among themselves to feed their own Grotto Heavens. Then they just leave a few Outer Realms without any Fruits to patch up Heaven and Earth, like tossing scraps to a beggar...’

’What a bunch of bastards!’ Lü Yang lamented internally.

This way, they prevented Heaven and Earth from growing too strong, yet also kept it from collapsing due to having too many holes, thus achieving a sustainable method of draining the pond to catch all the fish!

In that moment, Lü Yang understood so much.

It wasn’t an increase in power, but in knowledge and perspective. To put it bluntly, it was an increase in his Cultivation, giving him a deeper understanding of Heaven and Earth.

”...Fellow Daoist Suo Huan.”

In the next second, Lü Yang turned to face Suo Huan. ”You saw me Refining my Blessed Land just now. I wonder if you had any revelations, fellow Daoist?”

”...”

At these words, Suo Huan, who had already been lost in thought, furrowed his brow, looking tormented as he wracked his brain without being able to grasp the key point.

Seeing this, Lü Yang could only sigh inwardly.

’The Veil of the Trees is too powerful...’

Thinking this, he stopped beating around the bush and said bluntly, ”Fellow Daoist, where do you think your Spirit Ruins Blessed Land came from?”

The words struck Suo Huan like a bolt of lightning. Before Lü Yang had even finished speaking, his face changed, turning deathly pale in an instant.

Lü Yang’s words were like a great axe, instantly cleaving through the thick fog shrouding his Spirit Platform and allowing him to see things he had never noticed before.

At that moment, however, Suo Huan wished he hadn’t seen it... But even so, countless thoughts surfaced in his mind uncontrollably: ’That’s right, my Spirit Ruins Blessed Land was never tempered by the Three Calamities and the Celestial Five Declines, so how was it Refined out of thin air?’

’Was it given to me by the World Ruins Realm?

’Impossible! A true Blessed Land is unique to this broken place. The World Ruins Realm doesn’t even have a complete Fruit, so how could it create a genuine Blessed Land?

’Unless...’

’...Someone?’

Suo Huan clenched his jaw, but he couldn’t stop trembling. ’That’s it, someone! Unless someone secretly helped me Refine the Spirit Ruins Blessed Land...’

But in this broken place, would there really be such a kind person?

’A conspiracy! I’ve been set up?’

’Who?! Why can’t I remember anything...?’

In an instant, Suo Huan felt as if he’d been plunged into an icy cavern. But he was a man who had weathered many storms, and though his heart was frozen, his expression remained calm.

He even had the presence of mind to glance at Lü Yang.

’This man is definitely not an Outer Heaven Wanderer of pure and upright origins like me! There’s an eighty percent chance he’s a Perfected Person from one of the Four Great Forces who reincarnated outside and has only now returned...’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know so much!

After all, how many years had he spent just to integrate into this broken place?

And what about the Lü Yang before him? Forget integrating—judging by how skillfully he looted the Dragon Palace, he was clearly like a fish in water in this broken place!

’...From the Saint Sect?’

Meanwhile, someone else shared Suo Huan’s suspicions.

「North, Sea of Clouds.」

Inside Holy Fire Cliff, Great Undertaking sat cross-legged in his Cave Mansion. Within his Spiritual Space, he was using his Divine Sense to reconstruct and simulate the battle where Lü Yang had slain the Celestial Python.

’It’s so similar...’

The more Great Undertaking reconstructed the scene, the more astonished he became.

In his view, the method Lü Yang had used to finally slay the Celestial Python—manipulating karmic links and toying with Qi—was a mirror image of his own Lord Hongyun’s!

’Speaking of which, Lord Hongyun mysteriously vanished after meeting with me over a decade ago. Add to that the significant disturbance Buddha Son Guang Ming caused in the South a while back, which even drew out the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected himself... I thought my lord’s efforts had failed and he had gone to reincarnate and cultivate anew. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case?’

Just as Great Undertaking was pondering this, the door to his Cave Mansion was suddenly pushed open, and an old Daoist in black robes with a kind and benevolent face walked in.

”Xiang Ye?”

Great Undertaking’s eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of him. ”Shouldn’t you be preparing for the Seeking Gold? What are you doing here?”

Xiang Ye didn’t dither, getting straight to the point. ”That Outer Heaven Wanderer who slew the Celestial Python Overseas... what are your thoughts on him, fellow Daoist?”

”...What do you mean?”

”I believe he must be a Saint Sect Perfected Person!”

Xiang Ye stroked his beard and smiled. ”Only a Saint Sect Perfected Person could refine such insidious and despicable Abilities. I think there’s a chance we can pull him over to the North.”

Great Undertaking frowned. ”You think he’ll agree?”

”It’s not up to him to disagree!”

Xiang Ye chuckled. ”Have you forgotten, fellow Daoist? That Celestial Python had a thread of Buddhist Destiny attached to it... The dragon may be dead, but that Buddhist Destiny hasn’t disappeared.”

At this, a hint of resentment appeared on Xiang Ye’s face.

”That fellow from the West... the one who likes to mingle with us Lower Cultivators... he’s probably already on his way Overseas.”