Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 686: Chapter 681: Because I Use Cheats

Overseas, in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm.

Lü Yang was shrouded in a gentle glow that obscured his true features. He strolled leisurely between Heaven and Earth, and before long, arrived at the Immortal Alliance Headquarters.

At this moment, the hall was filled with figures.

They were none other than the Great Cultivators of Unity of the Immortal Alliance, currently holding a routine meeting. Lü Yang couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries; he descended and walked straight into the crowd.

Yet, no matter which Great Cultivator of Unity he passed, they all looked right through him. Even when he reached out and grasped the Emperor’s Golden Seal of Tushita, which sealed the Primal Daoist Evil, the crowd remained utterly oblivious, as if he and Lü Yang existed in completely different dimensions of space and time.

The next moment, the Immortal Core Survival Guide activated.

[No traps. Safe to explore.]

After receiving the feedback from his Talent Skill, Lü Yang relaxed and narrowed his eyes.

His gaze was like a raging fire, instantly piercing through the Emperor’s Golden Seal of Tushita to reveal the Primal Daoist Evil trembling within.

’Hmph... Look at you now.’

Old and new hatreds surged in Lü Yang’s heart. He recalled how, several lifetimes ago, this very Primal Daoist Evil had hunted him to the ends of the earth, leaving him with no place to run or hide.

Today, he could finally vent some of that pent-up fury.

At this thought, Lü Yang continued to toy with the Primal Daoist Evil, beginning to dissect it layer by layer as if peeling a cocoon, trying to fathom the secrets it held.

’What a strong impression of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water.’

’But that’s to be expected. Primal Daoist Mu Changsheng used this very Daoist Remnant to channel the power of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, so of course it would carry this impression.’

’No wonder World Purger Fei Xue was able to masquerade as the Fruit of Long-Flow Water in that lifetime...’

This line of thought led Lü Yang to recall his ninth life. Near its end, Ang Xiao and World Purger Fei Xue had engaged in a climactic duel.

First, Ang Xiao had laid a feint at the Dragon Palace, pretending to seek the Fruit of Sky-River Water while actually targeting the Fruit of Long-Flow Water. Then, World Purger Fei Xue, masquerading as the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, caught Ang Xiao completely by surprise. In the end, the two sides descended into a chaotic melee, and both Suo Huan and Lü Yang himself ended up as collateral damage.

’My cultivation was too shallow at the time to grasp the profound intricacies of it all.’

’Looking back now, how could a Fruit Position be so easy to fake? World Purger Fei Xue managed it for one, by leveraging the inherent nature of her Fruit Position—that water is ever-changing and formless.’

’And two, it must have been thanks to this Primal Daoist Evil.’

’Because in that lifetime, she was the one who devoured the Primal Daoist Evil, which naturally included its impression of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water. That’s what made her deception possible.’

Without that underlying impression of the Fruit of Long-Flow Water, no matter how high World Purger Fei Xue’s cultivation or how great her power, it would have been impossible for her to disguise her own Fruit of Gully-Rill Water as the Fruit of Long-Flow Water. And even if she had somehow managed it, she could never have fooled Ang Xiao’s Dharma Eye.

That was why Ang Xiao had been so utterly astonished at the time.

’Could I use the same method? Or, could Fellow Daoist Suo Huan? After all, he has attained the Fruit of Spring Water, which is, in theory, also a Water Fruit Position.’

He was willing to try anything, so long as it caused trouble for Ang Xiao.

But Lü Yang quickly reined in his thoughts. The Fruit of Long-Flow Water was a secondary concern. His main purpose this time was to meet a figure he had once idolized.

Primal Daoist Mu Changsheng.

Setting aside the importance of the Myriad-Soul Banner, he remembered a time when he had considered the Primal Daoist a prodigy favored by the heavens, whose talent was on par with that of Progenitor Tingyou.

Of course, he later came to understand that this assessment had been inflated.

It wasn’t that Mu Changsheng’s talent was lacking. It was just that, compared to Progenitor Tingyou, he had relied heavily on the power of his patron, the Heavenly God.

Furthermore, the Primal Daoist’s claim regarding his Void Certificate had clearly been embellished. The No Heaven wasn’t something he had manifested from the void; instead, he had obtained a World Heaven Seed from some unknown source, cultivated it step-by-step into an Outer Dao Fruit Position Prototype, and finally nourished it with the Fruit of Long-Flow Water to bring it to fruition.

But Lü Yang didn’t care about that.

As the saying goes, winners become kings and losers are branded bandits. The ability to find a powerful patron was a strength in itself—a point that not even Minor Metal, a staunch believer in self-reliance, could deny.

Besides, Mu Changsheng had another tremendous achievement to his name.

’The Consciousness Stripping Technique... I didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking back, Mu Changsheng had actually touched upon the domain of independently cultivating one’s Dao Heart.’

To strip one’s consciousness and exist independently of the soul and physical body.

Wasn’t that his current state? Consciousness, the true self, and the Dao Heart were fundamentally the same thing. Mu Changsheng had been just one step away from entering this domain.

Unfortunately, in the end, Mu Changsheng was blinded by the Pocket World Technique. He never researched this field more deeply, instead treating it merely as a tool for reincarnation. He was ultimately out-schemed by that old monster from the Stain Sect. His soul languished in the Simulation Realm, and his millennia of planning all came to naught.

Otherwise, he never would have needed to worry about reincarnation.

After all, if he had been able to independently cultivate his Dao Heart to Perfection, then even without the Gold Attribute, he could have weathered the cycle of reincarnation with his true self intact. Why would he have needed to endure those long, bitter years?

But could Mu Changsheng really be blamed?

Of course not. After all, he had been educated in the ways of the Pocket World Technique since he was young. Trapped in that information echo chamber, how could he possibly have known the truth?

If anyone was to blame, it was that old monster from the Stain Sect.

Utterly despicable!

At this thought, Lü Yang couldn’t help but sigh. He turned his attention back to the Primal Daoist Evil, his eyes growing ever more profound and dark.

After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice unhurried.

”Daoist, since I am already here, why not show yourself?”

The moment his words fell, Lü Yang felt his Dao Heart tremble slightly. In the unseen world, it felt as though an ethereal intention had connected with his own.

The next moment, a fog rose before his eyes.

Seeing this, Lü Yang chuckled. ”It seems this Daoist has yet to grasp his situation. In that case, allow me to enlighten you.”

RUMBLE!

In an instant, a splendid light erupted from the depths of Lü Yang’s eyes. His Perfect Dao Heart unleashed a tyrannical will that howled forth, instantly shattering the fog before him.

Immediately after, he saw an old, white-robed man with a wizened face and white hair standing before him. The man’s face held none of its former calm and composure, only utter disbelief. He stared as if looking at a monster, even losing his composure enough to rub his eyes.

”How is this possible...”

The shock in Mu Changsheng’s heart at that moment was likely beyond anyone’s comprehension. Before Lü Yang could even speak, he blurted out in an urgent, impatient tone:

”How did you do it?”

Lü Yang raised an eyebrow at this. ”Hm?”

It was a soft grunt, without words, yet an invisible pressure instantly descended upon Mu Changsheng, making him feel like a lone boat tossed on a stormy sea.

”Upper Truth... Upper Truth, forgive me!”

At that moment, Mu Changsheng understood his gaffe. The presence of the person before him was far beyond his own and impossible to fathom. He was clearly a great personage from the heavens.

He hurriedly cupped his hands again, performing a deep bow, and said respectfully,

”May I be so bold as to ask Upper Truth, how is it you are able to command such heaven-shattering cultivation with merely a consciousness, possessing neither soul nor body?”

As he finished speaking, he stared at Lü Yang with a fervent gaze.

The reason was simple. In his current state, Mu Changsheng was actually very similar to Lü Yang—both were reduced to a mere consciousness, a Dao Heart. Yet he was unable to command even a sliver of his former cultivation.

How could he possibly be resigned to this?

After scheming for millennia, his only goal had been to reincarnate and walk the path of Seeking Gold once more. Now, a miracle was laid out before him. How could he not be tempted?

Lü Yang, on the other hand, was rather dumbfounded.

He knew what Mu Changsheng was asking about—the origin of his Dao Body. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, this was a question that completely stumped him.

After all, the Dao Body had been created by the Centome. He didn’t have the first clue how it worked.

How was he supposed to answer?

’Because I’m using a cheat?’