Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 681: Chapter 676: Ang Xiao’s Unease

The Netherworld, an indescribable realm.

A grim, imposing palace floated silently beside the vast, boundless river of Souls, yet it betrayed not the slightest Qi trace, appearing like a piece of long-dead, silent wood.

”Hmm...?”

Suddenly, within the palace, a figure completely shrouded in mist stirred slightly. The mist parted, revealing a pair of eyes filled with astonishment.

’Fortune... broke through my Veil of the Trees?’

’How was that possible?’

The sudden development was somewhat surprising to Ang Xiao, but he did not panic. For the sake of his grand plan, he had so many backup measures he could barely remember them all.

Fortune seeing through the Veil of the Trees was, in fact, within his margin of error. If anything, he was surprised that Fortune, who once held the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire, had only now seen through it. As things stood, it was nothing major—at most, a minor surprise.

Of course, despite his composure, the matter still warranted his attention.

Ang Xiao’s brow furrowed in thought. ’There’s no smoke without fire. To suddenly see through the Veil of the Trees... Is someone helping Fortune?’

But who could be helping Fortune?

Ang Xiao had complete confidence in his Veil of the Trees, especially the one that deceived the world. It wasn’t merely a simple Divine Fruit Position.

In order to completely conceal the matter of the Earth of Chen, he had staked his entire fortune, using a massive Magic Instrument in conjunction with the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood and even some of his own special techniques... Only then had he achieved the current effect, one that could even deceive a Great Perfected Lord!

At this thought, Ang Xiao immediately grew suspicious.

’Could it be that sword-slinger from the Sword Pavilion? He is in the Late Stage of Golden Core... No, with his level of Cultivation, he can barely look after himself. He wouldn’t have the energy to meddle with my affairs.’

But besides True Monarch Gangxing, who else could it be?

Are there any other Late Stage of Golden Core cultivators in the Immortal Pivot today?

Or perhaps... that woman?

Ang Xiao’s mind raced. He subconsciously recalled the woman he had caught a fleeting glimpse of at the Saint Sect five thousand years ago. Her Cultivation should also be at the Late Stage of Golden Core.

’It was that woman’s appearance that triggered the changes in the Pseudo-History, which led to that shrew Fei Xue... But she is definitely not a figure from five thousand years ago. She must be from an even earlier era. Her aura was a bit like the first-generation Master of Heaven Mending Peak, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be some differences... ’

Ang Xiao considered himself to be of the old guard.

In the world today, apart from the four Masters of Dao and that Old Dragon Monarch from Overseas, he was the most ancient Perfected Lord, having lived for tens of thousands of years.

As for the other cultivator at the Late Stage of Golden Core, True Monarch Gangxing, his age was but a fraction of Ang Xiao’s.

Yet even he had never met the four First Generation Peak Masters.

After all, they were the trusted confidants of the Saint Sect Ancestral Master back in the day. They were also extremely mysterious, with even their titles rarely passed down. The only certainty was that they were incredibly strong.

This could be partially discerned from the direct lineage Cultivation Techniques of the Four Peaks.

Take the Heaven-Mending Skill, for example.

This Cultivation Technique directly broke the ironclad rule that Foundation-Stage Cultivators could not perform Soul Searching after their Spiritual Space was sealed. It carved a new path through Dual Cultivation, granting the ability to investigate anything in the world.

The other three peaks were naturally no less impressive.

’Take me, for example. I was a disciple of Dan Ding Peak back in the day, and its Complete Pill Secret is also a top-tier Third-Grade Foundation Method.’

Beyond that, there was another very important point.

Unlike other Third-Grade Foundation Methods, the Cultivation Techniques of the Inner Sect Four Peaks were all versatile. In other words, they were not restricted to a single Fruit!

This point might seem ordinary, but it was in fact extremely special.

For example, with Lü Yang’s Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis, the Dao Foundation one achieves can only be the Fruit of Rampart Earth. Pursuing any other Fruit would be a fruitless, inefficient endeavor.

The Heaven-Mending Skill, however, was different.

One could pursue the Fruit of Pomegranate Wood or other Fruits; it was not limited to one path. This versatility was the foundation upon which the Inner Sect Four Peaks’ legacies were built.

Thinking of this, Ang Xiao’s expression grew even more solemn.

’This matter is of great importance. I cannot afford to be careless.’

’If this really is related to the First Generation Peak Masters, it’s possible the Ancestral Master has made new arrangements. But if that’s the case, it could very well disrupt my plans.’

Undeniably, the variable introduced by Fortune seeing through the Veil of the Trees made him feel a trace of unease.

Although Ang Xiao considered himself the Ancestral Master’s favorite ’cub’, he still felt a little intimidated when comparing himself to the First Generation Peak Masters who had conquered the world alongside the Ancestral Master back in the day.

With this in mind, he immediately made a decision.

He could not let it be!

Fortunately, he already had contingency plans for such situations. To ensure he could intervene in the Current World from his position in the Netherworld when necessary, he had a great number of backup measures.

At this thought, Ang Xiao immediately formed a Daoist Hand Seal.

......

「South, Gantang Dao.」

Master Xiao Hai, the sole Foundation-Stage Cultivator of the Ganhai Li Clan—a minor family in the South—suddenly awoke from his seclusion, a strange thought inexplicably forming in his mind:

’Oh... I should go scout out that Grotto Heaven Fragment at the bottom of the sea in Gantang Dao!’

’No, wait, that might be dangerous... No, that’s not right. My Li Family has been rooted in Gantang Dao for so many years. What danger could there be? There can’t be any danger.’

’It’s not a big deal!’

Once this thought emerged, it immediately swarmed Master Xiao Hai’s mind like venomous insects, becoming impossible for him to suppress. After a brief struggle, he decided to go with the flow.

Soon, he rode a Flying Light down to the seabed of Gantang Dao. After a few maneuvers, he silently entered the Grotto Heaven Fragment on the ocean floor. This was a fragment of Fortune’s former Long Brilliance Treasure Light Grotto Heaven, and it was also the bait Ang Xiao had deliberately placed here to fish for Fortune.

Of course, it was useless now.

After all, since Fortune had already seen through the Veil of the Trees, he would certainly be aware of the problem with this Grotto Heaven Fragment and would have also recalled the countermeasures he had prepared long ago.

That being the case, the bait was now pointless.

It was better to put it to another use.

A moment later, Master Xiao Hai walked out of the Grotto Heaven. The initial struggle on his face was gone, replaced by a composed smile.

”Not bad, not bad...”

The next second, he turned around and, with a wave of his hand, drew the entire Grotto Heaven Fragment into his sleeve, instantly refining it into a piece of Jade Stone.

However, when Master Xiao Hai unveiled the Jade Stone, its true form was revealed: a Jade Pot. The mouth of the pot opened wide like a taotie, instantly beginning to swallow the waters of Gantang Dao. In just a moment, the entire Gantang Dao was sucked dry, transforming from a sea port into a deep valley basin.

As for the Ganhai Li Clan that was originally established here, they were naturally wiped out as well.

After all, looking at the entire Ganhai Li Clan, only Master Xiao Hai could barely be considered a person. The rest were all consumables, and consumables, naturally, were meant to be used.

Using them now was a perfect fit.

’Using the Long Brilliance Treasure Light Grotto Heaven as the base, first taking in a lake’s worth of water, then sacrificing an entire clan’s worth of material... I’ve finally managed to refine something decent.’

’From now on, I’ll call you the Sea Hunting Bright Light Pot.’

With that said, Master Xiao Hai—or rather, Ang Xiao wearing his skin—let out a hearty laugh, then put away the Artifact and departed on a Flying Light.