Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 677: Chapter 672: Taking Control of Heaven Mending Peak

Though he was tempted for a moment, Lü Yang ultimately calmed himself down.

’While the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness can indeed obstruct the Bhagavat’s probing, actually pulling it off would be far too difficult. It’s best to take things slow.’

You have to take things one step at a time. If you take too big a leap, *CRACK*, you’re liable to pull something.

He had plenty of time in this life anyway. He would first cultivate the Life Form Body, see how things developed, and then decide whether to risk it all on a gamble.

Stain Sect, Luofeng Mountain.

Pavilions and magnificent palaces stood tall. Circles of pure, immortal light rippled outward, as if a pebble had been dropped into a calm lake.

At the center of the immortal light stood a handsome young man. Three feet above his head, another young man with a similar appearance sat cross-legged. The immortal light served as a boundary between them, making them appear like reflections in a mirror—one real, one false; one corporeal, one ethereal. It created a profound, mysterious aura of Yin and Yang in opposition.

’Truly worthy of a Profound Mysterious inheritance...’

At this moment, Lü Yang’s entire Dao Heart and true will were placed upon the Dao Body. Devoid of soul, spirit, or flesh, it was a being formed from a mass of pure energy.

As for his original self, he had shed it completely.

Soul, flesh, Dao Foundation, Abilities, Spiritual Space... all these remained within his original body, which now had a listless, desolate air, like a clay sculpture or a wooden statue.

The next second, Lü Yang formed a Daoist Hand Seal and chanted:

”Man is born of the Earth, his fate suspended from Heaven. When Heaven and Earth combine their qi, he is called Man!”

As the sound of the spell faded, a speck of bright light shone from his fingertip, drifted down, and entered his original body, whose once-dull expression gradually revived.

The Life Form Body was complete!

Seeing this, Lü Yang nodded in satisfaction. ”From now on, you will be called Yuan Tu!”

From that moment on, the Yuan Tu below had no connection to Lü Yang whatsoever. Even his self-awareness was something Lü Yang had brought to Enlightenment from within his soul.

’But since he was born from my soul, he’s very similar to me in all respects. He even retains ninety-nine percent of my memories... except for the Centome. He can’t use that. As a substitute, I left Si Chou with him and adjusted his memories accordingly.’

This was also Lü Yang’s insurance policy.

After all, Yuan Tu’s soul had long since merged with the Gold Attribute, making it impossible to control him directly with Puppet. Thus, he needed other means of manipulation.

Si Chou was one such means.

’On the surface, he’s the ”old grandpa in a ring” who has accompanied Yuan Tu’s growth. But in reality, it’s all just an act. It’s all part of my mission...’

The second was Merely a Teacher’s Appearance.

’Everything Yuan Tu has was given by me. As long as I continue to help him grow, all of his insights and cultivation will be fed back to me.’

This way, whatever Yuan Tu could do, he could do. And what Yuan Tu couldn’t do, he still could. This would minimize the variables involved in killing and possessing him later... Of course, the variables couldn’t be completely eliminated. The possibility of a backlash still existed, and this was the innate flaw of the Skill of Perfect Vitality.

’The Great Dao is fifty, Heaven calculates forty-nine, and one escapes...’

Lü Yang had an epiphany. Perhaps this flaw had to exist. All things in Heaven and Earth have a sliver of a chance at life. Only with this flaw could the Cultivation Technique be considered complete.

Still, just in case, Lü Yang appraised it.

[No Pit. Safe to use.]

At the same time, he also appraised everything on his person that could be appraised, striving for absolute certainty.

He even tried it on the Centome.

The result was as he expected: [No Pit. This item is an essential divine artifact for your future Cultivation, your ascent to the absolute peak. It is worthy of your trust!]

Other than that, he was completely clean.

As for minor pitfalls like the Abi Sword and the Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis, he left them all for Yuan Tu. He considered them small tests for his path of growth.

’Oh, right. Speaking of which, the current me... no, the current Yuan Tu seems to be in a state of being plagued by Tribulation Qi from destroying the Skull Mountains’ Lay Line. Of course, the same goes for the still-living Master of Heaven Mending Peak. Soon, he will contact Yuan Tu, and then his wife and daughter will come too...’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s brows furrowed tightly.

Lust is a blade that scrapes the bone. Yuan Tu had just been born. What if he became mired in it, and it ruined his cultivation? He should be focusing his energy on cultivating right now.

There’s no other way. I’ll have to take on this trial myself!

........

「Sea of Clouds, Heaven Mending Peak.」

The Master of Heaven Mending Peak, Chen Taihe, sat in the grand hall, practicing his Breathing of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Before him rested a porcelain bottle carved from white jade.

Within the bottle, a sliver of moonlight was faintly visible. Though it should have been formless, it manifested with the shape of flowing water, flickering between bright and dim, as white as frost. This was precisely the Qi of Minor Metal that he had spent great effort to obtain. It was also the third of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches he planned to ingest to reach the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

’Soon, very soon!’

Chen Taihe studied the porcelain bottle, seemingly lost in daydreams of his future after reaching the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. It was a long while before he finally came back to his senses.

’This is a real treasure...’

He hurriedly reached out to put the bottle away, only to see a hand emerge from thin air, pick up the porcelain bottle he cherished as his own life, and gently stroke it.

Chen Taihe froze.

In an instant, all fell silent. A young man in a profound robe had appeared in the hall without any warning, standing before Chen Taihe with a look of great interest.

’Who is that? A disciple of Heaven Mending Peak?’

Even then, Chen Taihe, his heart long since clouded by Tribulation Qi, had yet to react. He only felt that something was not quite right, his thoughts unprecedentedly sluggish.

It wasn’t until the robed youth raised his head and his gaze fell upon him—watched by a pair of eyes like the sun and moon in the sky—that he finally shook off the stupor in his mind. In an instant, as if enlightened, he broke out in a great sweat. He fell to his knees unconsciously, landing with a THUD.

’A Perfected Lord! Which one?!’

Chen Taihe dared not be disrespectful. He prostrated himself on the spot, not even daring to meet the robed youth’s gaze again, and said reverently, ”This lower cultivator greets the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven!”

At these words, Lü Yang raised an eyebrow.

’I see. Aside from World Purger Fei Xue and True Monarch Qiluo, the last Perfected Lord of the Stain Sect, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven, is a Qian Cultivator.’

It was no wonder Chen Taihe had mistaken him.

After all, the Sea of Clouds was protected by its own Array. It was impossible for a Golden Core Perfected Lord to enter so silently. Any Perfected Lord who could appear here had to be one of their own.

Who could have expected an exception like Lü Yang?

The next second, Lü Yang couldn’t be bothered to waste words on Chen Taihe. He directly took out the Righteous Banner, summoned the Banner Spirit Heaven Mending Peak Master, and then gently waved his sleeve.

As if merely brushing away a speck of dust.

In an instant, Chen Taihe’s expression froze. Then, his Dharma Body, Dao Foundation, and Soul all disintegrated, turning into a puff of green smoke that dispersed into nothing.

Almost simultaneously, the Banner Spirit Heaven Mending Peak Master stepped forward and took on all of Chen Taihe’s karmic links.

「Sea of Clouds, Holy Fire Cliff.」

”Hm?”

Minor Metal, who had been in Meditation, suddenly opened his eyes. With a flash, his figure appeared inside a dim hall, where a long altar table was prominently displayed.

The table was covered with a dense array of lamps.

Minor Metal’s gaze shifted to a Life Lamp placed in a high position, and his brows furrowed. ”Chen Taihe’s Life Lamp... did it just flicker for an instant?”

What was going on?

Did something go wrong with his cultivation?

He had a mind to investigate, but cultivation was a private matter. Besides, with Chen Taian at a critical juncture in his breakthrough to the Great Trueman realm, getting a straight answer would be impossible.

’Forget it. In any case, it didn’t go out. It just flickered for a moment. Similar things have happened before.’

With this thought, Minor Metal couldn’t be bothered with it anymore. After all, one Chen Taihe, alive or dead, had no bearing on him. His own Seeking Gold was far more important.