Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 138: A Single Sweep

Northern Border, Skull Mountains Marketplace.

In a tall building at the center of the Market, Zhao Xuhe pushed open the door to his Quiet Chamber and strolled out. The pride and recklessness of his youth were all gone.

Time, it seems, is the ultimate crucible.

Not to mention, after taking Lü Yang’s place in the Skull Mountains, Zhao Xuhe had been baited by Perfected Yin Shan, costing him thirty years of his Merit and Fortune.

As a result, he’d had no choice but to enter a thirty-year seclusion, just as Lü Yang once had.

After thirty years of arduous cultivation, Zhao Xuhe had long since shed his former self. He had even mastered a Legendary Technique and was now a Cultivator who possessed a Position.

However, there wasn’t a trace of joy on Zhao Xuhe’s face; it was grim to the extreme.

The moment he attained his Position and used his Legendary Technique to cleanse his Body, he immediately discovered something amiss... His memories of being "Perfected Panlong" were utterly discordant with all his others!

’Was it truly a past life?’

Zhao Xuhe’s expression was grave. "Or... did some Perfected Person tamper with me back then? How much of my memory is real, and how much is fake?"

The mere thought sent a chill down Zhao Xuhe’s spine.

His suspicion immediately fell upon the Master of Heaven Mending Peak. After all, in his eyes, that naturally malevolent old fiend had every motive.

’He was always trying to set me up with his daughter before.’

’Clearly, he was after the Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis, not me... I just don’t know why he’s barely visited me in the past few decades.’

At this thought, Zhao Xuhe felt lost again. He couldn’t quite grasp the shift in the Master of Heaven Mending Peak’s attitude.

It was as if another force was at play behind the scenes, one he was too low-level to perceive... However, he quickly pulled himself together, his eyes glinting with ambition.

’No matter what, as long as I reach Foundation Establishment, everything will get better!’

’And to achieve Foundation Establishment, I must come out on top in this great battle with the Divine Martial Sect. Only then can I earn the esteem and support of the stationed Perfected Person...’

Just then, a Flying Light suddenly streaked toward him.

Seeing it, Zhao Xuhe’s face lit up with excitement. He hurried forward and said, "Senior Brother Yuan Chun, is there news from the Divine Martial Sect in the Northern Border?"

The Flying Light parted, and a heroic-looking young man stepped out. It was Lu Yuanchun.

"It’s not news from the Divine Martial Sect."

His expression was grave as he said in a low voice, "It’s a message from Master, from the Stain Sect... A Perfected Person has come from the Stain Sect. They’re going to completely annihilate the Divine Martial Sect!"

Zhao Xuhe was slightly alarmed. "Which Perfected Person?"

"I don’t know... They say he’s a newly ascended one, with formidable Abilities and a powerful background. It was Master Chong Guang who went against all opposition to personally recommend him for the task."

"This annihilation of the Divine Martial Sect will be led by that Perfected Person, who will oversee the entire operation. He’ll be supported by three other Perfected. They’ve reportedly already set out. At a Perfected Person’s speed, they’ll reach the Skull Mountains any moment now. We can’t let the Divine Martial Sect disciples continue to surround the Market!"

At this, both of them looked worried.

The Skull Mountains Marketplace had not been having an easy time lately. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

About three to five years ago, a Direct Disciple of the Divine Martial Sect had led his Disciples to surround the entire Market, forcing them to rely on their defensive formation to protect themselves.

Soon, however, Zhao Xuhe’s expression turned spirited. "Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I have Refined a Legendary Technique this time. I can definitely fight that man again..."

Before Zhao Xuhe could finish, a loud noise suddenly erupted from outside the Market.

RUMBLE!

The entire Market began to shake. Zhao Xuhe and Lu Yuanchun quickly appeared to investigate, only to see a heroic young man standing outside the Market, spear in hand.

The young man looked down upon the Market, his gaze sharp, and laughed loudly. "So these are the disciples of the Stain Sect? You don’t look so impressive. Just a bunch of turtles, big and small, hiding in your shell to block me. If you have any guts, come out! I’ll even give you a one-hand handicap!"

"...Ouyang Haize!"

Zhao Xuhe gritted his teeth. This Divine Martial Sect Direct Disciple hadn’t been anything special a few years ago, but then it seemed he had successfully cultivated the Divine Martial Sect’s Legendary Technique.

Just like that, he had immediately pulled far ahead of them.

If not for that, the Market wouldn’t have been besieged for three to five years. If the Perfected Persons from the Stain Sect saw this, wouldn’t they blame them for their incompetence?

People might even think the Divine Martial Sect was forcing the Stain Sect into a full retreat!

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuhe immediately stood up. "Senior Brother, please provide support for me. I’ll go and face Ouyang Haize. We must break the siege..."

Before his words had faded, Zhao Xuhe froze. For some reason, Lu Yuanchun was staring at him with a terrified expression, as if he’d seen a ghost. His teeth were chattering, and his eyes were fixed on the space behind Zhao Xuhe. Where there had been two of them, there were now the sounds of three people breathing.

...Huh? Three?

"Ambitious."

A chuckle came from behind him. In an instant, the hair on Zhao Xuhe’s neck stood on end. Finally realizing what was happening, he stiffly turned his head and saw the newcomer.

It was a handsome and spirited young man.

He wore a Daoist Robe, a single point of round light on his brow. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, yet when scanned with spiritual perception, there was nothing there, as if he didn’t exist at all!

"I pay my respects, Perfected Person!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Xuhe dropped to his knees and kowtowed heavily. Beside him, Lu Yuanchun had already prostrated himself.

"Rise."

Lü Yang smiled faintly, then glanced at Ouyang Haize, who was still shouting outside the Market. "It’s noisy here. Let me quiet things down outside first."

With that, he raised a hand and pressed it forward through the air, seemingly wiping something away.

Meanwhile, outside the Market, Ouyang Haize was full of himself. He felt that the Stain Sect’s great reputation was undeserved; they were nothing special.

’The Perfected Persons in the sect are too conservative and timid, always afraid of this and that. I don’t get it. How can the Divine Martial Sect thrive like this? When I reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll definitely sweep away this air of decay in the Sect, push south, and have a proper fight with the Perfected Persons of the Stain Sect!’

Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept past.

Until that moment, Ouyang Haize still wore a smile on his face, letting the gentle breeze pass through his body, his Soul, and even turn him into a wisp of scattered dust.

The same happened to all the Divine Martial Sect disciples behind him.

There was no warning, not even the slightest disturbance. They all turned to dust in the wind, vanishing in the blink of an eye as if they had never existed.

A tranquility fell over Heaven and Earth.

But in the next second, a voice filled with extreme rage exploded from the heavens above: "You beast! A Foundation-Stage Cultivator daring to strike at juniors?"

The voice was like a thunderclap, rolling and echoing.

Meanwhile, inside the Market, Lü Yang let out a clear laugh. "Daoist, you are mistaken."

"I am still young, not yet eighty years old. Strictly speaking, I am much younger than these disciples of yours. How can this be considered striking at juniors?"

As his voice fell, he unleashed his Mana and transformed into a streak of Flying Light, shooting straight into the sky.

Suddenly, a blazing sun seemed to rise among the clouds. Surging Blood Qi burned half the sky crimson, revealing a burly, powerfully built man.

His hair and beard were wild, and his face was fierce. He looked less like a Cultivator or a Daoist and more like a mortal Military General. He even held a Golden Hammer in his hand and was glaring at Lü Yang.

"Daoist, you have already reached Foundation Establishment and left the mortal coil behind. Don’t you feel it is beneath your status to attack those at the Qi Refining stage?"

Lü Yang sneered. "In the Stain Sect, we generally call this ’efficiency.’"

Seeing Lü Yang’s attitude, the newcomer’s anger flared. "With this move, it seems the Stain Sect truly wants to fight my Divine Martial Sect to the bitter end?"

"Daoist, you misunderstand. It won’t be a fight to the bitter end."

Lü Yang shook his head, a smile still on his face, but his eyes held no mirth, only ice-cold indifference. "It is the Divine Martial Sect that is trying to smash an egg against a rock."