Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Pursuer of the Dao, Seeing Taiyin

After thinking it through, Lü Yang even felt a little envious of the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected.

However, he didn’t regret returning the Sword Dao. He was even somewhat glad, since it likely wouldn’t have displayed such miraculous effects in his hands.

’In the end, I wasn’t the one who brought forth the Sword Dao through a Void Certificate.’

’The advantages of a Void Dao Fruit can only be unleashed by the master who brought it forth. In anyone else’s hands, it’s no different from an ordinary Fruit.’

The next second, ambition suddenly flared in Lü Yang’s eyes.

’The Path Opening Map... there’s a method for weaving Intentional Appearances in that map. Maybe I can give it a try. After all, the Intentional Appearances within the Sea of Suffering are endless.’

It wouldn’t cost anything to try!

At this thought, Lü Yang immediately looked toward the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and cupped his hands. ”Fellow Daoist, I must trouble you to be my Protector. There is something I need to verify.”

The Demon-Vanquishing Perfected chuckled upon hearing this. ”It’s a small effort.”

As his voice fell, the Non-Killing Sword left its sheath!

In an instant, Lü Yang clearly felt the profound mystery of the upgraded Fruit of Sword Dao combined with the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Sword Intent. To put it plainly, it was a single word:

”Slash!”

Where the profound mystery spread, most of the waters of the Sea of Suffering were held back and diverted. Only a small portion was intentionally allowed through by the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, landing near Lü Yang. He performed a finger technique to gather it before him, then began to peel it back layer by layer, attempting to extract the Intentional Appearances he wanted.

BOOM!

At that moment, Lü Yang’s Heart Spirit was fully immersed, as if he was once again witnessing the scene from the Path Opening Map where the Nameless Daoist Lord died and manifested the twenty-four Fruit positions.

The waters of the Sea of Suffering were continuously deconstructed in his hands.

Five Elements, Yin and Yang, wind and lightning... he dismantled numerous Intentional Appearances one by one, then combined them according to the method in the Path Opening Map, gradually internalizing the process.

BANG!

With a loud bang, bloody marks appeared on Lü Yang’s fingers. An error in the weaving of Intentional Appearances had caused a backlash, inflicting a minor injury upon him.

Seeing this, Lü Yang snorted coldly. The bloody marks vanished in an instant as his flesh healed. With the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected acting as his Protector, he didn’t need to divert his focus to resist the Sea of Suffering; he only had to keep trying to weave Intentional Appearances. And with his world-shocking intellect, he was certain he could master the knack for it in no more than ten tries!

「One Hour Later—」

Lü Yang smiled confidently, flexing his ten bloody fingers. ”Not a big deal. I’ve already had a breakthrough after only fifty-something tries. I feel like I’m getting close!”

「Two Hours Later—」

”Almost there, just one more step!”

「Four Hours Later—」

”Right, right, right... huh? No, no, no... wait, yes, yes, yes... No, it’s wrong! Everything I understood before was wrong! I have to start all over again...”

「Six Hours Later—」

”Progenitor!”

Exasperated, Lü Yang took out the Righteous Banner to summon Progenitor Tingyou, ready to get serious... only for Progenitor Tingyou to hit him with a bolt from the blue.

”I’m telling you, no can do.”

Progenitor Tingyou looked helpless. ”The entire weaving process must be completely led by you. Only then can the process be thoroughly inscribed into the Fruit. It’s not that I *can’t* do it, but the Fruit woven in the end would not be yours, but mine. It would be of no use to you.”

”So, I’m sorry, Lü Yang. You’ll have to rely on your own efforts this time.”

After speaking, Progenitor Tingyou patted Lü Yang’s shoulder with an apologetic look, then gave him a small fist pump, his eyes full of encouragement.

Lü Yang: ”...”

No—!!!

But at that very moment, a cold, clear voice suddenly rang out:

”Foolish. Don’t be in a rush to use a Void Certificate. First, imitate the Fruits you have already attained. You’ve already condensed two True Treasures, have you not gained the slightest bit of insight from that?”

Before the voice had even finished, Lü Yang, the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, and Progenitor Tingyou had already taken action.

A Sword Light that could slash through anything shot out, the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven concealed all three of them and turned them ethereal, while Lü Yang opened up the Sea of Suffering, preparing to return to the current world.

The next second, however, a bright, clear moon suddenly rose in the Sea of Suffering. Moonlight paved the ground and osmanthus blossoms drifted down. A graceful figure appeared without warning in front of Lü Yang, blocking his path back to the current world. Her exquisitely beautiful, yet cold, face showed a hint of displeasure:

”Sit.”

Her red lips parted, and the forceful, domineering command made Lü Yang sneer inwardly. ’Are you kidding me? You tell me to sit, so I sit? What do you take me for?’

But before he could speak, a shower of golden light rushed toward him.

Lü Yang’s eyes widened as a sky-covering, resplendent golden light crashed down, slapping him across the face before transforming into a clear Intentional Appearance:

[A measure of absorbable Sea of Suffering water, buying your seat!]

PLOP!

Lü Yang obediently sat down. At almost the same instant, the golden light that had landed on him drew in the roiling waters of the Sea of Suffering, helping him to absorb it all rapidly...

’The Fruit of Money! Taiyin Immortal Venerable!’

From such a distinct and profound mystery, Lü Yang instantly recognized the cold woman before him. The latter looked at him, now seated, and nodded in satisfaction.

”First, congratulations, Junior Brother.”

”Only by seeing the Sea of Suffering can one be considered to have truly crossed the threshold of Seeking the Dao, becoming, like us, a person Pursuing the Dao upon this Sea of Suffering.”

A person Pursuing the Dao?

Lü Yang lowered his gaze, shielding the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and Progenitor Tingyou behind him. Then, with calm composure, he looked at this senior sister from the Stain Sect who had appeared so suddenly.

’When did she start watching me?’

’Did she find me the moment I entered the Celestial Mansion?’

’What a stalker!’

While Lü Yang complained internally, a look of admiration quickly appeared on his face. ”This junior brother is slow-witted. I ask for Senior Sister’s guidance. What is a person Pursuing the Dao?”

A disciple of the Stain Sect has always been one who knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Since Taiyin Immortal Venerable hadn’t killed him outright, rather than live in fear, it was better to seize the opportunity to get some benefits!

After all, with such a powerful patron presenting herself, it would be a shame not to latch on, right?

”Seeking the Dao is not something that happens overnight. For cultivators like us, seeking the Dao is a gradual process... Seeking the Dao, Pursuing the Dao, and only then, finally, Attainment of the Dao.”

Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s expression was unchanged as she said coolly:

”So-called Seeking the Dao is to be able to see the Sea of Suffering. After all, if one cannot even see the Sea of Suffering, they are nothing more than a slave to their Fruit for their entire life.”

”And to see the Sea of Suffering, one must first break free from the limitations of their Fruit.”

”After seeing the Sea of Suffering, you have the capital for Pursuing the Dao. There are countless Dao Fruits in Heaven and Earth. You choose one to pursue, and if you succeed, you can use it for your Attainment.”

”This is the path of a Perfected Lord.”

”Choose wrong, and you will forever be a person Pursuing the Dao, seeking but never obtaining, until your body perishes and your Dao vanishes... Junior Brother, which kind of person do you think you will be?”

As she said this, Taiyin Immortal Venerable suddenly smiled.

It was a cold smile, like that of a celestial fairy who lives above the mortal world, but in the next second, it shattered like an illusory bubble, as if it had never existed at all.

Only an ethereal echo remained:

”Foolish Junior Brother, the Progenitor sent you here for a reason. Don’t disappoint me... Go to the sixth layer. Keep going up. I will wait for you to meet me on the ninth layer.”

Lü Yang lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.

’What kind of game is she playing? Making it seem like Stain Sect disciples are all one big happy family, full of brotherly love and deep affection. Does she think I was born yesterday?’

What secret does the Celestial Mansion’s ninth layer hold?

As he thought, Lü Yang’s expression gradually turned strange. ’Speaking of which, Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s situation is clearly much better than Ang Xiao’s.’

Is this normal?

If things are so good here in the Celestial Mansion, why didn’t Ang Xiao come?

’If I’m not mistaken, this senior sister from the Stain Sect is probably just like Ang Xiao, who is trapped in the Netherworld. She must have some kind of inescapable restriction placed upon her.’

What restriction?

At this thought, Lü Yang was suddenly horrified:

’That Nameless Daoist Lord, whose corpse alone transformed into the Celestial Mansion... he couldn’t still be alive, could he?’