Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 587: Chapter 587: Secrets of the Great Calamity

”Greetings, Daoist.”

In the tea pavilion, perched atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, World Purger Fei Xue smiled and gestured for Lü Yang to sit. She then pushed a cup of clear tea before him.

Lü Yang took his seat and swept his Divine Sense over the tea.

The moment his Divine Sense touched it, he found he couldn’t look away. Flowing within the cup was a conceptual image he had never encountered before, yet had just recently witnessed!

’The Sun presides over the Celestial Master’s domain. Qi transforms, circulating in accord with the Innate. The Qi of Heaven grows stern, the Qi of Earth becomes still, cold befalls the Great Void, and Yang Qi loses its command... Cold is the transformation of the Sun’s water Qi. In Heaven, it is cold; on Earth, it is water. Water, though located below, is born from above. It descends, and fire is born. Thus, water and fire are both governed, with the Sun as their master...’

Lü Yang was inwardly shocked, but his expression revealed nothing.

”May I ask, Senior, what is this conceptual image?”

Hearing this, World Purger Fei Xue smiled. ”This is a remnant from the last great calamity a thousand years ago. A Perfected Lord from Beyond the Heavens was killed, and his conceptual images scattered across the world.”

”I was lucky enough to obtain one.”

”It played a significant role in my attainment of the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water]. Unfortunately, it became useless after I became a Perfected Lord, so now I use it to entertain honored guests.”

’So it really is related to the great calamity a thousand years ago!’

Lü Yang deliberately put on an astonished expression and asked with curiosity, ”I can see this conceptual image is far from ordinary. Could it be that cultivators from Beyond the Heavens are comparable to us?”

”You’re asking the wrong person.”

World Purger Fei Xue chuckled. ”I only experienced the tail end of the last great calamity a thousand years ago. I never truly witnessed its profound mysteries.”

”As for the records in the Sect’s archives...” At this, World Purger Fei Xue’s expression turned grim. Though she was still smiling, there was no trace of mirth in her eyes, only a chilling coldness. ”Because of [Ang Xiao], none of the records can be trusted. Heaven knows how many of them that beast destroyed.”

’Ang Xiao! Is there no end to your evil deeds?!’

But a moment later, World Purger Fei Xue changed the subject. ”If you’re truly interested, I can call Qi Luo and Hai Guang over. They know more about it.”

The Stain Sect currently had a total of four Perfected Lords.

Of them, Minor Metal was one, of course. World Purger Fei Xue had only risen to prominence during the final phase of the great calamity and had not truly participated in the earth-shattering war between Perfected Lords.

Only [True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven] and [True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo] were the older-generation Stain Sect Perfected Lords who had survived the great calamity a thousand years ago. As firsthand witnesses, they would undoubtedly have a much clearer understanding of what happened back then and the origins of this ”Sun conceptual image.”

”Then I must ask for your guidance, Senior.”

Lü Yang knew World Purger Fei Xue’s personality. Besides, he needed advisors, so he held nothing back and directly took out the damaged Celestial Observation Mirror.

”I came upon this by chance recently.”

”The conceptual image within is similar to the one in your tea, Senior. If that’s truly the case, I fear the vast Outer Realm behind it is already plotting against us.”

”This is...”

World Purger Fei Xue’s Divine Sense landed on the Celestial Observation Mirror, and she immediately felt the residual ”Sun conceptual image” within it. Her previously nonchalant expression instantly turned grave. A moment later, a third stream of Mighty Power descended from thin air, coalescing into a gentle, graceful woman dressed in brocade robes and a sunset-hued cape.

Lü Yang recognized her with a single glance.

’True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo!’

Unlike the sharp contrast between World Purger Fei Xue’s appearance and personality, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo looked gentle, weak, and exceedingly delicate.

Although the two Perfected Lords had different appearances, one was commanding while the other was gentle. Furthermore, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo had already anchored her own Grotto Heaven to World Purger Fei Xue’s. Their Qi signatures subtly resonated with each other, and standing together, they resembled twin lotuses on a single stalk—not sisters, but closer than sisters.

”Qi Luo, come take a look.”

World Purger Fei Xue pointed a finger at the Celestial Observation Mirror that Lü Yang had produced. ”Do you recognize the conceptual image on this? Did you see it during the last great calamity?”

”Hm...?”

Upon hearing this, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo glanced at the Celestial Observation Mirror, and her delicate expression shifted. ”Where did this conceptual image come from? Is it a remnant from five thousand years ago?”

Lü Yang shook his head. ”I acquired it recently.”

At his words, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo’s delicate brows knitted together, and she finally sighed in resignation. ”It seems the allure of the Emperor Fruit is simply too great.”

”Fei Xue, the great calamity is about to begin.”

Though it was a simple sentence, Lü Yang instantly grasped its meaning. ’My previous speculation was correct,’ he thought. ’The number of Perfected Lords truly is the trigger for the great calamity.’

”If I’m not mistaken, this conceptual image is from the [Celestial Mansion],” True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo explained with confident familiarity. ”The one who left it is different from the Perfected Lord from Beyond the Heavens who died in the last great calamity. This person should hold one of the [Sun Positions], not the [Sun Master Position].”

World Purger Fei Xue, however, remained silent and drank her tea.

Lü Yang understood. He immediately cupped his hands. ”Please enlighten me, Senior. What is the difference between the Sun Master Position, the Sun Position, and our own Fruits?”

”They are similar, yet not the same.”

True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo said gravely, ”Our Fruits are based on the Five Elements, combined with the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earth Fiends, and through them, we expound upon the profound mysteries of Heaven and Earth.”

”The [Celestial Mansion] is different. Their system is based on the Six Qi, combined with the twenty-four solar terms, to expound upon the profound mysteries of Heaven and Earth. Each Qi is divided into a [Celestial Master] and an [In the Spring] aspect, which are further distinguished by [Master Positions] and [Intermediate Positions]. Their system is in no way inferior to our Fruits, and anyone holding one of these positions possesses the power of a Perfected Lord.”

”Among them, the Taiyin and Sun are paramount, comparable to our own Emperor Fruits.”

After she finished speaking, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo glanced at Lü Yang again before continuing, ”The Perfected Lord from the [Celestial Mansion] who died in the great calamity was one such individual.”

”He occupied the Sun Master Position—specifically, the [In Spring Master Position], not the [Celestial Master Position].”

”But even so, he had already unified the Sun’s [In Spring Master Position], [In Spring Position], and [Heavenly Master Position], making him comparable to someone at the Middle Stage of Golden Core in our system.”

”If he had managed to take control of the [Heavenly Master Position] as well, completely subjugating the Sun, he would have been comparable to one of our late-stage Great Perfected Lords—and a Great Perfected Lord with an Emperor Fruit, at that! After all, in the [Celestial Mansion], the [Heavenly Master Positions] of the Sun and Taiyin lines hold a status similar to our Emperor Fruits.”

At this, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo gave a cold smile.

”But for that very reason, he died.”

”The other three factions created an opportunity, and in the end, it was True Monarch Gangxing of the Sword Pavilion who struck. With a single slash of his sword, he extinguished the man’s True Spirit, and he fell in the Overseas region.”

’The Six Qi that manifest Heaven, with four positions for each Qi.’

Lü Yang rubbed the teacup in his hands, his mind reeling. ’By that calculation, this Outer Realm called the [Celestial Mansion] has a total of twenty-four Fruits!’

’And two of them are even Emperor Fruits.’

’It’s still not as many as this broken place has, but it’s not far off.’

’Speaking of which, that person in the mirror seemed to call this broken place the [Immortal Pivot]. What’s the deeper meaning behind that name? Could it also be related to the great calamity a thousand years ago?’

Just as Lü Yang was lost in thought, World Purger Fei Xue, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

”Since the great calamity is near, there’s no time like the present. I intend to break through to the late stage today. Daoist, would you be interested in staying to cultivate the Great Dao with me?”

Her words were direct, holding nothing back.

Lü Yang understood in a flash. ’Cultivate the Great Dao together... She wants me to follow True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo’s example, anchor my Grotto Heaven to hers, and take Minor Metal’s place to help her break through to the late stage?’

This kind of arrangement had its pros and cons.

The upside was that after anchoring one’s Grotto Heaven, you would be sustained by her power. Even if your Realm hadn’t reached the Middle Stage of Golden Core, you could prevent your Grotto Heaven from collapsing and would henceforth be free from the suffering of reincarnation.

The downside was that your own path of cultivation would be severed.

On the other hand, you would also become a vulnerability for a late-stage Great Perfected Lord and thus receive her absolute protection. So, World Purger Fei Xue’s meaning could be summed up in a single phrase:

Stop struggling. I’ll take care of you!