Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 586: Chapter 586: Ascending the Peak to See Fei Xue

The North. The Sea of Clouds.

This time, Lü Yang did not arrive with great fanfare. Instead, he was quite composed, concealing his form and blending in with the light of the sky as he arrived silently at the Stain Sect.

The Fruit of Celestial Fire was slightly displeased by this.

After all, unlike the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood, it valued grandeur and righteousness, naturally hoping Lü Yang would act openly in all things, with the bearing of an absolute powerhouse.

In truth, with the return of the world’s Perfected Lords, Lü Yang’s momentum of Ruling the World had long since vanished. The Incense and Candle Divine Dao that had once spread across the land was being purged by the returning Perfected Lords, and the state of the world was returning to its proper course at a visible rate. At most, Lü Yang had merely replaced the Pure Land.

The Fruit of Celestial Fire also reacted strongly to this.

If one had to describe it, the Fruit felt as if it had been emotionally swindled. Such beautiful promises had been made before it was acquired, but the moment it was his, everything changed.

But times had changed.

In the past, Lü Yang might have played along, coaxing it and fearing the Fruit of Celestial Fire would withdraw its favor. But now?

’I’ve already mastered you, and my Grotto Heaven has taken up residence as its lord. What do you think you can do? Even if I don’t act according to your Fruit Position Imagery, my Grotto Heaven is still inside you! Fruit Position Imagery, Fruit Position Profound Mysterious—I can still grasp them all with ease. I can do whatever I want without a single worry about the consequences.’

’After all, how could a dignified Perfected Lord be influenced by a mere Fruit?’

Thus, with a mere thought from Lü Yang, the Celestial Pillar Profound Grotto Heaven trembled slightly, and he effortlessly suppressed all of the Fruit of Celestial Fire’s stirrings.

At the same time, he had already walked into the Sea of Clouds.

In the next moment, a candle flame brightened, and a figure emerged from its light. A warm, pleasant smile graced his face. ”Daoist, you’ve finally found the time to visit.”

It was none other than Minor Metal!

Lü Yang smiled at the sight. At the same time, his Fruit of Celestial Fire resonated in response. Just as fire is drawn to a lamp, the Fruit of Celestial Fire has a natural affinity for the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire.

He then cupped his hands in salute. ”Greetings, True Monarch Suixiang.”

Minor Metal returned the salute. ”Greetings, Master of Righteous Qi.”

Lü Yang had founded the Righteous Qi Dao and taken the honorary title of True Monarch of the Imperial Extreme and Fate, making him the Master of Righteous Qi. It was a similar principle to Emperor Jia You’s title, the Emperor of Nurturing All Things.

Yet Minor Metal did not use Lü Yang’s honorary title, addressing him by his position instead. This act subtly placed him in a subordinate role. Lü Yang couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion at this. After all, once upon a time, this was the same attitude he had shown when meeting ”Master Chong Guang.”

Now, the roles were completely reversed.

”...You’re being too formal, Daoist.”

Lü Yang smiled, pushing aside the myriad emotions in his heart. He spoke with gravity, ”I have come this time only to seek an audience with World Purger Fei Xue. I must ask you to make the introduction, Daoist.”

”Follow me.”

Minor Metal’s expression showed he had expected this. He nodded slightly, then gestured for Lü Yang to follow, leading him into Holy Fire Cliff.

Once again, they arrived at Feixue Palace.

This time, however, Lü Yang felt an immense pressure from outside the palace. It was as if a primeval beast was inside, its aura vast and terrifying.

’This is a completely different league from Bao Lian Hidden Buddha...’

Judging by the aura alone, Lü Yang found it impossible to believe that World Purger Fei Xue and Bao Lian Hidden Buddha were both at the Middle Stage of Golden Core Realm.

The difference was too great.

Minor Metal stopped before the palace gates.

Then, with a resonant clang of metal, the palace gates boomed open. Immortal light streamed out, as if a vast world had just been revealed.

’A Grotto Heaven!’

In an instant, Lü Yang understood why the depths of the palace had exerted such immense pressure—the scene within had been completely replaced by a Grotto Heaven!

This was no longer Feixue Palace.

It was the Crimson Water Cave Heaven!

In the next instant, Lü Yang saw a sea of crimson unfurl before him. Heaven and Earth were bathed in red, the entire cosmos seemed to mourn, and even his Divine Sense was dyed scarlet.

Lü Yang’s composure nearly broke at the sight. He complained inwardly, ’Crimson Water? That’s just a pretty name for it. This Grotto Heaven is filled with killing intent made manifest. It’s nothing but a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood! No wonder they call her the Mad Woman. What terrifying bloodlust!’

The corner of Minor Metal’s eye twitched as well.

He then turned to Lü Yang and gestured. ”The Perfected Lord has invited only you, Daoist. I will not be going in. Please, proceed inside.”

Lü Yang’s eyes narrowed as he heard this, and he stared intently at Minor Metal.

’Something’s not right with you!’

Although the possibility was remote, a thought still wormed its way into Lü Yang’s mind: ’Damn it, don’t tell me World Purger Fei Xue is planning to turn on me and set a trap?’

’Thinking about it, World Purger Fei Xue cultivates the Fruit of Gully-Rill Water and has True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo, who cultivates the Fruit of Mulberry-Thorn Wood, as an ally. With Water and Wood aligned, her only reason for nurturing Minor Metal was to obtain a Fire Fruit Position to break through to the Late Stage. The Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire would work, but the Fruit of Celestial Fire would work too!’

’In fact, the Fruit of Celestial Fire would be even better!’

’If World Purger Fei Xue could truly force the Fruit of Celestial Fire into submission, the conceptual shift it would bring might even give her Fruit of Gully-Rill Water a chance to vie for the position of Supreme Venerable!’

’I can’t let my guard down...’

Lü Yang hesitated for a moment. ’Is this a deliberate trap by World Purger Fei Xue? Is the dagger about to be revealed? Does she want to capture me and beat me into submission?’

But he quickly regained his composure.

’...But even if it is a trap, I’m not so easily caught these days.’

A Golden Core Perfected Lord was, after all, on another level.

’I’m no longer the Foundation Establishment cultivator I once was. With the Engraving Laws, it would be easy for World Purger Fei Xue to defeat me, but she cannot suppress me. The most she could do is cause my Primordial Qi grievous harm.’

As a Perfected Lord with an Emperor Fruit, Lü Yang had many means at his disposal. Although he was only at the Early Stage of Golden Core, he could accomplish feats typically reserved for the Middle Stage. For example, just as when he faced the True Body Tathagata, he could use the Engraving Laws to directly alter the rules, allowing him to resurrect from within his Fruit after death.

This was functionally no different from the resurrection ability of a cultivator at the Middle Stage of Golden Core!

The only difference was that a Middle Stage Golden Core cultivator could resurrect an infinite number of times, whereas Lü Yang’s Mana was limited. After two or three resurrections at most, his Mana would be completely depleted.

Still, two or three times would be more than enough.

With the Fruit of Celestial Fire active, as long as World Purger Fei Xue could not suppress the Fruit itself, she couldn’t stop him from resurrecting and escaping with his life. There would be nothing she could do to him.

At this thought, Lü Yang strode forward.

He walked into the palace.

BOOM!

With a tremendous roar, the world spun around him. Lü Yang felt as if he were scaling a great mountain before landing gracefully upon its summit.

This was the Crimson Mountain.

The mountaintop was a deep, dark red, with crimson clouds that glowed like blood. There, in a tea pavilion on the summit, Lü Yang saw World Purger Fei Xue. She sat openly within it, perfectly at ease.

Her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall as her pale, slender hands arranged a tea set. Gone was the arrogance and tyranny she had displayed when facing the world’s Perfected Lords. Instead, she seemed otherworldly and serene, like a well-bred young lady of a classical noble house. Her city-toppling beauty and her dignified, gentle bearing were a soothing sight to behold.

It was hard to imagine such an elegant and refined woman possessing such monstrous bloodlust.

She was a woman as gentle and lustrous as the finest white jade, yet she stood amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, creating the most intense and jarring of contrasts.

This was none other than World Purger Fei Xue!