Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Zenith Cliff, the Ye Family.

Ye Shaoying, Patriarch of the Ye Family, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing silently at the world beyond the mountain. Behind him stood a young man with a sinister expression.

”Sigh... what a pity.”

Ye Shaoying sighed, a hint of resignation in his eyes. If Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and his Ye Family were of one mind, he never would have taken such an action.

After all, how was this any different from cutting off one’s own arm?

’A pity, but Guangji was bound to offer himself to the Sword Dao sooner or later,’ Ye Shaoying thought. ’Since that’s the case, it doesn’t matter when he does it. It might as well be now, to secure greater benefits for my Ye Family.’

’After all, it was my Ye Family that painstakingly nurtured him to this point. Without our support, he never would have achieved his current Cultivation and status. Besides, the larger and stronger the family becomes, the more likely it is we can bring him back one day. I’m sure he would be happy with this arrangement.’

Ye Shaoying quickly convinced himself.

Or perhaps, this was simply the way of the Sword Pavilion. Demon-Vanquishing Perfected had never fit in, and now, he was being purged.

”Ye City.”

Ye Shaoying looked at the young man beside him and said softly, ”Guangji had no heir. Now that he is gone, his Non-Killing Sword and other possessions have no one to inherit them.”

”I cannot stand by and watch his line die out.”

”After today, you will offer incense in the clan registry and be posthumously adopted as Guangji’s son. I hope you will make good use of the Non-Killing Sword and one day restore Guangji’s former glory.”

Upon hearing this, Ye City immediately cupped his hands in a salute. His handsome face twisted with excitement, and his eyes shone. It was not just the joy of ascending to a high position in a single step, but also the pleasure of getting revenge. He had clearly long been dissatisfied with the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected who had, with a single sentence, stripped him of his former status.

’That man had it coming!’

At this thought, Ye City could barely restrain himself from laughing out loud. But as time passed, the expression on his face gradually stiffened.

Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Qi trace had not dissipated.

Not only that, but even Exorcist Zhenren and Buddha’s Son Guang Ming, who were already preparing to celebrate in the Earth-Piercing Abyss, were stunned. They hadn’t seemed to process what was happening.

’What’s going on?’

Exorcist Zhenren frowned, a faint sense of foreboding rising in his heart. But just as the feeling surfaced, he decisively snuffed it out.

’There won’t be any surprises... I’ve cultivated Sword Intent my entire life. How could I not understand it? To kill using the Non-Killing Sword Intent—with such a massive conflict, how could the Sword Intent possibly remain intact? It must have self-destructed! And once it’s destroyed, his Fortune will be unable to suppress the backlash. He’ll have no choice but to begin sacrificing his Fruit of Sword Dao!’

And the inevitable result would be the death of Demon-Vanquishing Perfected.

How could there be a surprise?

There couldn’t be any surprises!

But as time went on, Outside the Sword Pavilion Mountain Gate, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Qi trace remained unchanged. The expected Seeking Gold phenomenon never appeared.

’...Master, send someone to take a look.’

Exorcist Zhenren spoke, his gaze shifting to Buddha’s Son Guang Ming. ”You’ve been here for so long. It’s about time you did something.”

Seeing this, Buddha’s Son Guang Ming immediately put his palms together:

’He’s scared...’

It was only normal, because he was scared too. The only reason they had dared to plot like this was their certainty that Demon-Vanquishing Perfected would die, making any retaliation impossible.

But what if Demon-Vanquishing Perfected was injured but not dead?

Then things would get serious.

Especially since Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Non-Killing Sword Intent was now broken. What if his ridiculously pedantic and foolish philosophy of non-killing was broken along with it...?

”...Amitabha!”

At this thought, the main body of Buddha’s Son Guang Ming, currently in the Pure Land, snapped his eyes open and drew in a sharp breath. This was a hornet’s nest he dared not poke.

So going to check for himself was out of the question.

Fortunately, his Pure Land was vast, with no shortage of cannon fodder. With this in mind, a thought stirred, and he summoned a Dharma Protector Monk from outside the temple.

”Vimalakirti, take a trip to the Sword Pavilion.”

”Huh? Me?”

The monk was stunned, but how could a Venerable Pure Land, equivalent to a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Grand Zhenren, possibly have the right to refuse an order from the Buddha’s Son?

He had no choice but to bow and accept the command, then rode a beam of Buddha Light and flew away.

...

「In the South, Outside the Sword Pavilion Mountain Gate.」

Lü Yang stood ramrod straight, his hands in front of him, his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose on his heart, experiencing the ”intent” that now permeated Heaven and Earth.

It felt like being pierced by ten thousand arrows, like death by a thousand cuts. Though there was nothing around him, he still felt an excruciating pain as if being slowly sliced apart. This was only because he, too, was protected by his own Sword Intent. Otherwise, like the others, the intent would have affected his physical state in the real world...

”AHHH!!!”

”No... I was wrong! Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, I was wrong!”

”Spare us...”

”Don’t!”

Lü Yang looked over and saw the people the old man Mo Shiyuan had brought with him. They were all rolling on the ground, tears and snot streaming down their faces, begging for mercy without end.

And this wasn’t even Demon-Vanquishing Perfected punishing them.

’This is just what happens when Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s emotions fluctuate too wildly for him to control his Sword Intent... and you’re the ones who caused it.’

They’d brought this upon themselves!

However, what made Lü Yang feel both resigned and a little impressed was that... as the screams of the crowd rang out, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected seemed to snap out of his daze.

The next second, the terrifying Sword Intent that felt like death by a thousand cuts actually began to recede. In a few moments, it had vanished like smoke, leaving no trace of abnormality. All that remained was the blood-soaked Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, standing quietly, his sharp brows slightly calm as he looked down upon the crowd.

RUMBLE!

Suddenly, Lü Yang saw the Fortune above his master’s head begin to swell explosively. It was about to break through a certain threshold, pushing him past a point of no return.

But the next second—

”Wait just a little longer.”

A polite request of five words. Demon-Vanquishing Perfected looked to the heavens, cupping his hands as if in supplication. But though it was a request, he acted before he received a reply.

His index and middle fingers came together, forming a sword.

In an instant, a Sword Intent completely different from his Non-Killing Sword Intent—yet in no way inferior, and perhaps even stronger—emerged from his fingertips!

SCREECH—!

In that moment, Lü Yang, who was closest, felt his vision go black. The strand of Divine Sense he had cast upon that Sword Intent had been annihilated out of thin air!

Not only that, but in the small area around Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s fingertips, the Spiritual Qi, Daoist Skills, light, and all things were annihilated. As a result, what the Sword Intent ultimately manifested was not Sword Qi, but a black, hole-like sphere that floated silently in mid-air.

’Is this... Killing?’

Demon-Vanquishing Perfected was open about it, making no effort to conceal it. Thus, everyone could sense that this was a Sword Intent related to Killing.

However, this was not a sword for killing people.

It did not target any single individual. Instead, it was a Sword Intent that encompassed Heaven and Earth, all things, and all of Creation, indiscriminately slaying friend and foe alike!

This was...

’The Heaven-Slaying Sword!?’

The Sword Light flashed and was gone.

The next second, a segment of the magnificent Fortune above Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s head, which had been on the verge of breaking its limits, was sliced away out of thin air and quietly dissipated.

He had severed his Fortune!

With just this one sword strike, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, who was about to be forced into Seeking Gold, stabilized his Qi trace. Although the severed Fortune was already regenerating at an even faster rate... he had, at the very least, bought himself more time. Just as he had said—letting certain conspirators wait a little longer.

”Yan Xiao.”

Lü Yang jolted. He saw Demon-Vanquishing Perfected turn his head and look at him calmly. ”I am about to do something,” he said faintly. ”Are you willing to accompany me?”

”This disciple is willing.”

Lü Yang hurriedly bowed and asked, ”May I ask what Master intends to do?”

Before his words had faded, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected waved his sleeve. He placed a hand on the hilt of the Non-Killing Sword at his waist and gave his answer with casual understatement:

”We’re going to the Pure Land.”

Descend the mountain, and vanquish some demons.