Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 149: Passing Away

Outside the Stain Sect, beyond the Sea of Clouds.

Arhat Fulong sat cross-legged on a cliff, his gaze fixed on the vast Sea of Clouds in the distance, the memory of that handsome face replaying in his mind.

"Amitabha... Son of a bitch!"

Furious, Arhat Fulong slammed his palm down, instantly turning the cliff to dust. Even so, it did little to vent even a fraction of the rage in his heart.

In fact, it only made him angrier.

Only now did he finally understand why Lü Yang hadn’t stayed to fight him that day... That bastard was planning to wait him out until he died of old age!

It was completely irrational... For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, how could time for cultivation not be precious?

In the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, just healing injuries could take several decades. Condensing an Innate Ability would take several more. Then there was the search for Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to refine into an Innate Divine Technique...

Over a hundred years could pass in this one Realm alone!

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s lifespan was only three hundred years. With the Early Stage of cultivation consuming over a century, one could only imagine how precious time was. Cultivation truly was a race against the clock.

But now, here was someone who didn’t seem to care about cultivation at all. He had clearly achieved Perfect Foundation Establishment, had already condensed his Innate Ability, and had even obtained a vast amount of Merit and Fortune. Anyone else would have been rushing out to find their Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, but Lü Yang was actually still cooped up in the Stain Sect, refusing to leave!

Over the years, Arhat Fulong had tried countless methods.

Goading, mockery, deliberate smears against his reputation—Lü Yang remained as immovable as a mountain. It left Arhat Fulong so infuriated that all he could do was vent his anger here.

’That cowardly turtle...’

At this thought, Arhat Fulong glanced back in the direction of the Pure Land, his heart filling with even more resentment. He had, in effect, already been cut off by the Pure Land.

After all, his Merit was gone, and his lifespan was coming to an end.

To the Pure Land, he was now a useless man.

As for the Fruit of Rampart Earth, the key wasn’t him, but his Dao Foundation—the Fulong Temple. This was where the Pure Land’s advantage lay.

The Fulong Temple’s master could be replaced.

For a Cultivator of the Ascension Dao, their Foundation Establishment is unique; it belongs to whoever achieves it. In the West, however, ownership of a Dao Foundation actually lies in the hands of the Pure Land.

Fulong dies?

Then just have someone else inherit the Fulong Temple.

To that end, the Pure Land Bodhisattva had even decreed that Guang Ming fellow was quite suitable. He had performed meritoriously in the previous Battle for the Dao, so he should be the one to inherit it.

’Listen to that. Are those the words of a human being?’

When Arhat Fulong heard this news, his Golden Body nearly exploded with rage. But there was nothing he could do. He certainly couldn’t go back and kill Guang Ming.

After all, the Bodhisattva had personally chosen him. If Fulong obediently accepted his fate, he would be reborn as a pig or dog for ten lifetimes. Once he had paid off his karmic links and returned to the human path, there might be a sliver of hope for him to resume his journey of Entering the Dao in a thousand or a hundred years... But if he offended the Bodhisattva? Then he truly wouldn’t be able to pay off his debt in a thousand lifetimes, not even ten thousand.

One could only imagine the depth of the hatred in Arhat Fulong’s heart at this thought.

He didn’t dare resent the Pure Land, nor did he dare resent the Stain Sect. So, he directed all his hatred toward Lü Yang, so much so that he wished he could devour his flesh.

"What should I do now?"

Arhat Fulong muttered to himself. Just then, a figure of light suddenly materialized beside him. "What else can you do? There is only one thing you can do now."

"And that is to wait!"

As the voice faded, Arhat Fulong turned to the figure of light and grinned. "Heaven Mending. I may be out of luck, but you’re not much better off."

The newcomer was none other than the Master of Heaven Mending Peak!

Arhat Fulong and the Master of Heaven Mending Peak were of the same generation. If he was about to die, how much longer could the Master of Heaven Mending Peak have? They were both old monsters whose time was nearly up.

To be honest, seeing the Master of Heaven Mending Peak in such a predicament actually made Arhat Fulong feel much better.

"You tell me to wait, but how am I supposed to wait?"

"You wait until the time you are supposed to pass away, of course."

The Master of Heaven Mending Peak’s tone was chilling. "Your remaining lifespan isn’t hard to calculate. It’s somewhere between ten and twenty years. I estimate that Lü Yang will wait for a full twenty years."

At these words, Arhat Fulong’s face darkened. He wanted to retort, but he opened his mouth and couldn’t get a word out for a long moment. He knew in his heart that what the Master of Heaven Mending Peak said was very likely true. But then, he quickly realized something, and his eyes lit up. "You have a way to help me hang on for a few more decades?"

"A few decades is impossible."

The Master of Heaven Mending Peak said faintly, "But ten years is possible. I have a Wind-Resistant Pill that can block the Weakening Wind for you for ten years, letting you live another decade."

"However, the pill’s power is limited. A second dose will have its effect reduced by a third, and a third dose by another third."

Fulong cut straight to the point. "...What do you want?"

"Your Golden Body Relic after you die. And you must engage in Dual Cultivation with my daughter to help her master the Sixfold Phoenix Nirvana," the Master of Heaven Mending Peak stated his conditions.

"Done!"

Arhat Fulong agreed without a second thought. After all, he had nothing left to lose. When you’re at the bottom of a valley, the only way to go is up.

Only then did the Master of Heaven Mending Peak nod in satisfaction. He took out a White Jade Pill. Arhat Fulong accepted it and, without another word, sent it into his Spiritual Space to protect his Soul. He immediately felt a sense of relief as the deathly crisis from the Weakening Wind subsided considerably. The effect was clearly outstanding.

"My thanks, fellow Daoist."

Arhat Fulong clasped his hands in a salute. As joy appeared on his face, he shot a vicious glare in the direction of the Stain Sect. "Lü Yang... Just you wait. I’ll make you pay in blood!"

........

「Twenty years passed in a flash.」

"What? Fulong passed away?"

When the news reached Luofeng Mountain, Lü Yang was a bit surprised. He habitually performed a finger-divination, enhanced by the Prophetic Orrery... ’That’s not right. Isn’t he still alive?’

Although, calculating the time, he was indeed just about due.

’Looks like he used some life-extending method to play tricks on me... These people are so devious! Why can’t they just be good people, like me...?’

Lü Yang remained perfectly calm and composed. After a moment of thought, he summoned Su Nu.

The next day, Su Nu, disguised as Lü Yang, brazenly left the Stain Sect and deliberately paraded around the North several times.

......

"Hmph! Does he think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?"

Arhat Fulong hid in the shadows, watching Su Nu fly across the sky. He gnashed his teeth in hatred. "Such an obvious test. He must really suspect I’m dead."

"Otherwise, there would be no need to have someone disguise themselves as him to fish me out."

’It makes sense, though. To keep up this standoff with me, he hasn’t sought out his Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for decades. If this drags on any longer, he might not even be able to break through to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment in this lifetime!’

’He must be getting anxious!’

At this thought, Arhat Fulong grew even more excited, a savage grin spreading across his face.

"Given enough time, he definitely won’t be able to hold back!"

"He will come out!"

But his expression quickly changed again as he grew anxious and insecure. "It’s still not certain... I only have ten years. What if he decides to play it safe and waits another ten?"

With that, he looked at the Master of Heaven Mending Peak beside him.

"Heaven Mending, it’s not that I’m greedy. It’s just that we’ve come this far. We’re so close to killing him. Why don’t you give me one more Wind-Resistant Pill?"

"Hmm..."

The Master of Heaven Mending Peak fell silent. But on second thought, he realized the whole reason he’d given Arhat Fulong the Wind-Resistant Pill was to use him to get revenge on Lü Yang. If Lü Yang really did wait ten more years and Arhat Fulong was outlasted after all, wouldn’t his pill have gone to waste?

After a long moment of contemplation, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak gritted his teeth. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"...Fine. I’ll give you one more."

"This is the last one!"