Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 616: Chapter 616: Waking Up in Succession, Broken Sword Reforged

Outer Dao Alliance.

High in the heavens, tens of thousands of feet of golden light swirled, coalescing into undulating waves visible to the naked eye. This was the physical manifestation of the Fruit of Money.

At the center of the golden light, a magnificent banner billowed in the wind, surrounded by shimmering, radiant Spiritual Objects. The golden light acted like Pill Fire, continuously Refining these Spiritual Objects and transforming them into molten streams that flowed into the banner, revealing one breathtaking sight after another.

’It’s finally done!’

Dressed in a white robe, Lü Yang flicked his sleeve and rose to his feet. He let out a long sigh, and a heartfelt smile finally broke through the exhaustion on his face.

Inside the Righteous Banner.

Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, Summon, Empress Xiao... The three sealed consciousnesses were reawakening, nourished by the Spiritual Objects and recovering from the brink of death.

After all, Lü Yang had gone to great lengths for this.

He had acquired all the Spiritual Objects with the help of Cyan Yang Immortal Monarch, purchasing them with Wuyou Talismans. They were sacred healing treasures, effective even for Perfected Lords, and he had used every last one.

”PHEW...!”

The first to awaken was Summon. After all, he was an Orthodox True Monarch, and his Fruit of Spring Water was naturally geared toward healing, which aided his recovery.

Even so, Summon’s body was still covered in fine, visible cracks. Flashes of water and fire constantly erupted from them, preventing his Dharma Body from fully recovering. In contrast, the sword wounds left by True Monarch Gangxing had mostly healed, and all the Sword Qi had been expelled.

”You have suffered, Daoist.”

Lü Yang stepped forward and cupped his hands. ”I was able to handle the Sword Qi, but as for this Water and Fire Tribulation... I’m afraid you will have to endure it a while longer, Daoist.”

Each of the two injuries was uniquely troublesome.

Generally speaking, if a Perfected Lord at the Early Stage of Golden Core were afflicted by either injury, it would develop into a severe, chronic illness. With a bit of bad luck, they could even be slowly worn down to their death.

It was only because Lü Yang possessed a Fruit of Sword Dao that he could neutralize True Monarch Gangxing’s Sword Qi. However, while the Sword Qi could be purged, the Water and Fire Tribulation was a far more difficult problem. After much thought, Lü Yang concluded that the only way to resolve it was to have a Sun Immortal Monarch from the Celestial Mansion take action.

’The Sun and the Lesser Yin both possess the wondrous ability to govern water and fire.’

’However, the authority of the Sun’s Position ranks above that of the Lesser Yin, so even one at the Early Stage of Immortal Monarch should be able to resolve this Water and Fire Tribulation.’

Of course, it couldn’t be a second-rate one like Cyan Yang Immortal Monarch, who held the In Spring Position.

’It has to be a Master Position, at the very least.’

’Whether it’s the Heavenly Master Position or the In Spring Master Position... It seems I’ll have to accelerate my disciples’ training. I need to produce a Sun Immortal Monarch as quickly as possible!’

Seeing Lü Yang’s furrowed brow, Summon actually smiled.

”There’s no need to worry, Daoist.”

”It is all thanks to you that I survived this calamity. There’s no rush to heal my injuries. You can take your time with your plans; by no means should you force it.”

Summon was quite philosophical about his injuries. There wasn’t a trace of gloom on his face from being so grievously wounded; on the contrary, he seemed to be in high spirits. After all, from the looks of it, Lü Yang had clearly escaped with his life and seemed to be doing quite well for himself. For Summon, that was more than enough.

Next, Empress Xiao also regained consciousness.

”Mmm~~”

With a soft murmur, Empress Xiao slowly opened her eyes. Her original Dharma Body had been destroyed; the one she inhabited now had been reconstructed for her by Lü Yang.

”I survived?”

Empress Xiao glanced around, then checked the state of her Incense and Candle Divine Dao. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief, knowing her gamble had paid off once again.

Then, she looked at Lü Yang.

’I knew it!’

’Back then, she had decided to stand with Lü Yang, refusing to abandon him even when hunted by True Monarch Gangxing, and had even proactively chosen to sacrifice herself...’

’...It wasn’t because she’d developed feelings for him over time, of course.’

’It was a purely pragmatic calculation.’

’Even if I had surrendered to True Monarch Gangxing, my betrayal of Lü Yang would have merely been a welcome but nonessential bonus for him. After all, I’m just an Outer Dao practitioner.’

’But by choosing to stand with Lü Yang, sacrificing my Dharma Body, and self-destructing to clear a path for him... that created a bond. It was providing critical aid in his time of need! Besides, Lü Yang is an odd one. Even though he’s from the Stain Sect, he’s surprisingly sentimental. I helped him, so he would surely help me...’

As it turned out, her gamble had paid off.

The next moment, Empress Xiao flashed Lü Yang a dazzling smile, instantly radiating a captivating charm. Her beautiful eyes, seeming to swim with moisture, were fixed squarely on him.

”How long was I asleep?”

”Two years.”

Lü Yang chuckled and cupped his hands. ”I must thank you for your help back then, Your Majesty. I will be sure to repay the kindness you showed me that day.”

”Very well.”

Empress Xiao smoothed her dress. ”Then I shall be waiting for that day to come.”

The implication was obvious, but Lü Yang was not a man driven by lust, so he quickly suppressed any stray thoughts with his formidable willpower.

’There are more important matters at hand.’

Soon, the third consciousness—the most heavily injured of the three—slowly awakened. It was Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, who had severed his own path and whose Soul had very nearly dissipated.

”I’m still alive... Wonderful.”

The moment he awoke, the only thing in Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s heart was—gratitude.

It was just as he always said: better a wretched life than a noble death. It was this very obsession that had given rise to his world-renowned Non-Killing Sword Intent.

Soon, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected saw Lü Yang.

And he smiled.

”You survived too? Even better.”

Lü Yang smiled in return. ”Relax, Senior. Come, I have a special treasure for you. Quickly, merge your Soul and Sword Intent into it.”

As he spoke, Lü Yang took out the Fruit of Sword Dao.

Meanwhile, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected was still in a daze. He decisively followed Lü Yang’s instructions and began to merge with the Fruit of Sword Dao, wondering to himself what was happening.

’What is this thing?’

’It feels a bit like the Sword Dao... but that’s impossible. I already relinquished my Sword Dao. Is this some kind of technique to Refine me into a sword?’

If that were the case, he wouldn’t be surprised.

Lü Yang was from the Stain Sect, after all. Seeing that he had fallen from the True Monarch Position and was no longer useful, it would be perfectly normal for Lü Yang to want to make full use of his remaining assets.

It was just... a bit of a shame, that’s all.

’Am I going to die?’

Demon-Vanquishing Perfected waited in silence for a moment, but he didn’t die. Instead, his aura gradually began to recover, and his mind grew increasingly clear.

It was only then that he realized:

’A Fruit of Sword Dao!?’

Although he hadn’t recognized it at first, now that he had completely merged with it, the true nature of the Fruit of Sword Dao could no longer be hidden from him.

The next moment, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Position, which had fallen to the Foundation Establishment realm, crossed the boundary once more, returning to the True Monarch Level. His aura converted back into sharp Sword Qi. Though it was a brand new Fruit, he could command it as easily as his own limbs, as if it had belonged to him all along.

Broken Sword Reforged!

A moment later, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected opened his eyes. He gave Lü Yang a complicated look, then, with his sword in hand, he solemnly bowed to him.

”I will never forget this kindness of giving me a new life, Daoist.”

Lü Yang shook his head. ”You saved my life first, Senior. This is the fruit of a seed you planted. We’re in this together, so why draw such clear lines between us?”

Demon-Vanquishing Perfected was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. ”Daoist... you are absolutely right!”

Those words resonated deep in his heart.

Why had he saved Lü Yang that day?

There had been nothing to gain and everything to lose—it meant destroying his own future and putting his life on the line. But he hadn’t cared about the consequences; he had decisively saved him anyway.

Why draw such clear lines?

Too many people drew the lines too clearly, saw things too sharply—this is an advantage, that is a disadvantage; seek profit, avoid harm. That was why the world had become the way it was.

He didn’t want to see things so clearly.

So, because he could act, he did.