Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 682: Chapter 677: First Time Pursuing the Dao

「In a dense forest in the North.」

Lü Yang sat cross-legged, the Righteous Banner fluttering behind him. He had already recalled the Master of Heaven Mending Peak and Chen Xin’an and was now reviewing the memories they had extracted from Great Undertaking.

”Great Undertaking... he’s truly no ordinary person.”

Foundation Establishment Perfection, and having lived for over five thousand years... that experience alone was enough for him to stumble upon many secrets throughout the long eons.

Of course, Lü Yang had no interest in most of these secrets. After all, Great Undertaking’s tier was limited. Still, a select few were so astonishing that even he was taken aback. The most clandestine of all was the tangled web of love and hate between World Purger Fei Xue and the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven.

’That is rather surprising.’

The True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven was the third Perfected Lord of the Saint Sect. Based on his honorary title, Lü Yang inferred his Fruit was likely the Fruit of Wide-Brook Water.

The crucial point was his Cultivation.

’According to Great Undertaking’s memories, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven is one of the Saint Sect’s veteran Perfected Lords. He was in power long before World Purger Fei Xue’s Seeking Gold Ascension Position.’

’The two of them were already in conflict at that time.’

’In the end, World Purger Fei Xue only remained safe thanks to the protection of True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo. It wasn’t until after Fei Xue achieved the Seeking Gold Ascension Position that their roles were reversed.’

But this was where the subtlety lay.

’Five thousand years ago, World Purger Fei Xue had just successfully achieved the Seeking Gold Ascension Position. At that time, the Cultivation of the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven should have still been at the Early Stage of Golden Core.’

’Another hundred years passed, and the Daoist Court Grandmaster attacked.’

’The Saint Sect was on the brink of annihilation.’

’At that time, World Purger Fei Xue displayed extraordinary combat power, repelling the Daoist Court Grandmaster, and used this opportunity to completely secure the top seat in the Saint Sect.’

’And before that, the top seat had always been held by the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven... What made it even more vexing was that he must have broken through to the Middle Stage of Golden Core not long after. The evidence is that he was already very old back then, yet a thousand years later, he still showed no signs of dying.’

Only a breakthrough to the Mid-phase and the Pocket World Falling could explain such a situation.

’If the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven really did break through, then he would certainly have approached True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo and had her affiliate herself with him.’

’After all, only by doing so could he seek the Late Stage of Golden Core.’

’Besides, this would have been a win-win situation. One had the Fruit of Wide-Brook Water, the other the Fruit of Mulberry-Thorn Wood. Plus, they were a man and a woman—a match made in heaven.’

At this thought, Lü Yang shook his head.

’Unfortunately, it was a classic case of unrequited love.’

’At least, judging by the outcome, True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo must have refused... She didn’t choose him, preferring to wait for World Purger Fei Xue, who hadn’t even had a breakthrough yet.’

’Tsk tsk tsk...’

Reading this far into the memories, Lü Yang couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement. ”No wonder those two are mortal enemies,” he mused. ”This is a grudge born from obstructing one’s very path to the Dao!”

No wonder the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven lived in deep seclusion within the Saint Sect, almost never showing his face. It was because he couldn’t defeat World Purger Fei Xue, and True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo was also on Fei Xue’s side. Otherwise, the two would have surely fought to the death. Not even meeting was a sign of restraint.

Lü Yang also made another unexpected discovery.

’Fortune had actually long suspected that the Perfected Lord who had been secretly supporting him in the Saint Sect was, in fact, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven.’

’Now it seems he was right.’

’After all, he certainly wouldn’t want to see Minor Metal attain the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire and help World Purger Fei Xue break through to the Late Stage. Supporting Fortune would be a matter of course.’

’Unfortunately, Fortune was a disappointment.’

’In reality, he had probably been secretly supporting Fortune for a few thousand years, but Fortune never managed to return to the True Monarch Position. He must have been utterly heartbroken by it.’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’This is an opportunity... If I can show him there’s hope for Fortune to regain the True Monarch Position, and then promise that Fortune will affiliate with his Grotto Heaven after succeeding...’

’I might just gain a powerful ally for free.’

Don’t be fooled by the fact that the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven has been suppressed by World Purger Fei Xue for so many years. That’s only because Fei Xue is ridiculously powerful, far beyond any normal standard.

In fact, according to Lü Yang’s deductions, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven was by no means weak. The fact that he held the Saint Sect’s top seat before Fei Xue’s rise suggested he was likely one of those brilliant Perfected Lords who could hold their own against someone in the Middle Stage of Golden Core. He just couldn’t beat World Purger Fei Xue.

Besides, he was a veteran Saint Sect Perfected Lord.

Even if he was suppressed by World Purger Fei Xue’s Brute Force, could he truly have done nothing in all that time? He was probably just putting on a low-key front while secretly plotting something wicked.

After processing the intelligence, Lü Yang reached a conclusion:

’This man... is worth keeping an eye on!’

He now planned to refine Fortune into a Life Form Body and use it to swallow the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire. Offending World Purger Fei Xue was, predictably, unavoidable.

However, he planned to remain hidden in the shadows in this life.

Therefore, he needed a proxy to shield him from World Purger Fei Xue, and the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven was undoubtedly the perfect candidate.

’As for Master Chong Guang... well, good luck to him.’

With that, Lü Yang dispelled the Celestial Mother’s Birth Profound Light from Great Undertaking and released the severely tormented Foundation Establishment Perfection Grand Zhenren.

At this moment, Fortune was still researching how to refine himself into a Life Form Body.

The matter with Yuan Tu was not something that could be resolved overnight.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang decided to calm his mind. His Divine Will coalesced, and with a slight lift of his brows, he instantly opened the Sea of Suffering and stepped inside.

’The time has come. I should properly focus on my Cultivation.’

’After all, from the moment I succeeded in Seeking Gold in my Previous Life until now, my journey of cultivation has been a blind pursuit of speed. I’ve never truly settled my mind and just... cultivated.’

What is cultivation?

In the past, when he first opened the Sea of Suffering, the Taiyin Immortal Venerable had told him about the cultivation methods of Seeking the Dao, Pursuing the Dao, and Attainment.

But he didn’t pay it any mind at the time.

After all, he was determined to swallow the Outer Dao Fruit Position and quickly refine a True Treasure back then. Although he had glimpsed the Sea of Suffering, he had never truly taken it seriously.

At most, he just treated it as a tool for Combat.

Now, entering the Sea of Suffering with the true intent to ”cultivate,” Lü Yang found himself gaining new insights.

’What is Pursuing the Dao?’

Lü Yang looked around, at the endless sea of imagery before him. He saw the seawater churning, the tides rising and falling, and heavy waves expanding in all directions.

Suddenly, a realization dawned on him:

’There are no waves without wind, as they say. Pursuing the Dao... perhaps it means chasing these waves in the Sea of Suffering and finding the source that stirs them!’

No sooner said than done. Lü Yang immediately put it to the test.

He picked a wave at random and began to trace it upstream, pursuing it through the Sea of Suffering. An unknown amount of time passed before he abruptly halted.

’This is...’

In that instant, Lü Yang’s eyes widened in shock.

Before him was a patch of hollow Bright Light. It sat amidst the endless imagery, yet effortlessly separated out the components it required.

In a trance, he seemed to see a boundless territory. Within it, crops grew to sustain life, and flora flourished. Birds, flowers, fish, and insects each manifested their own ecosystems, a place for every living thing... Layer upon layer of these images stacked together, until finally, like a Sumeru into a Mustard Seed, they converged into a single point of Bright Light.

’....Holy shit!?’

Lü Yang suddenly held his breath.

The next second, without a shred of hesitation, he retreated. His figure flickered and vanished from the Sea of Suffering, not daring to look at that Bright Light again.

Almost at the same time, within the Bright Light, a pair of eyes suddenly opened.

Instantly, the Bright Light collapsed. The boundless territory was gone, replaced by a face wearing a ceremonial crown, its features half-obscured by beaded tassels, casting down a magnificent gaze.

Then, a majestic voice echoed:

”Who goes there?”