Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 172: Mahayana True Qi, a First Grade Opportunity?
"Nobody move!"
Though Guang Ming appeared to be all smiles, he was secretly sending a voice transmission to the group of Great Cultivators of Unity behind him, warning them not to make a move under any circumstances.
"Great Master Guang Ming?"
A flicker of change crossed Mu Huan’s eyes. "The eleven of us are gathered here, and with your help, Great Master, why waste time on this person? We should just attack..."
The moment he heard this, Guang Ming’s eye began to twitch. ’What does he mean, "with my help"? You idiots can go get yourselves killed, but don’t you dare splash your damn blood on me! Eleven Great Cultivators of Unity? Is a Fake Foundation Establishment supposed to be impressive? If a real fight breaks out, even another eleven of you wouldn’t be a match for this monster!’
His mind flashed back to the past.
He remembered Lü Yang’s unstoppable, high-spirited dominance on the Seizing Dao Battlefield, and the indignation he felt as his master, Arhat Fulong, was schemed against by that man until he withered away and died of old age...
At this thought, he hurriedly continued his voice transmission to the group:
"It’s useless! His Innate Ability lets him teleport anywhere he pleases. He’ll kill one of you and flee, then come back for a second. In a drawn-out battle, you are guaranteed to lose!"
"...Innate Ability? What’s that?"
Guang Ming felt he had been pleading with them, but this Great Cultivator of Unity’s question made his face turn a ghastly shade of purple. He nearly choked on the spot.
’Ignorant overseas bumpkins!’
But it wasn’t surprising. The Great Cultivators of Unity relied on the Emperor’s Golden Seal of Tushita to achieve their Fake Foundation Establishment, so how could they possibly comprehend an Innate Ability?
Since they had never comprehended one, it was only natural that they didn’t know what it was.
So, Guang Ming gritted his teeth, about to explain, when a Great Cultivator of Unity next to him suddenly produced a Magical Sword and, without a word, slashed at Lü Yang!
In an instant, all eleven Great Cultivators of Unity attacked at once!
Even as he attacked, Mu Huan didn’t forget to yell, "Great Master Guang Ming, why continue feigning civility with this scoundrel? Hurry and attack! Don’t let him get away!"
Guang Ming: "..."
’The bastards! They’re trying to drag me down with them!?’
But Guang Ming was a veteran of countless battles; how could he let the Immortal Alliance blackmail him? His expression turned grim, and he burst into action—using an Escape Technique to instantly teleport a thousand miles away.
"Spare me, milord! Spare my life!"
’I only just managed to take over Fulong Temple thanks to my master’s sudden death, earning myself a heavenly lifespan of three hundred years! How could I possibly die an inexplicable death here, Overseas?’
"I’m not with them!"
This shameless display of cowardice stunned Mu Huan and the other Great Cultivators of Unity. Puzzled, they turned their gazes to Lü Yang, who stood calmly with his hands clasped behind his back.
’Is this man truly that dangerous?’
Even so, the arrow was already nocked and had to be fired. The Great Cultivators of Unity dared not hold back. Instead, they frantically poured their Mana into their respective Artifacts. In an instant, a tide of Spirit Light surged as eleven Artifacts shot forth, leaving no path of escape and instantly engulfing Lü Yang’s figure.
They had assumed their combined attack would be enough to send him scrambling.
But who would have thought that Lü Yang would merely form a Daoist Hand Seal? A Divine Power Radiance flared behind him, and with a single flash, all the Artifacts vanished without a trace.
Separation!
This sight left Mu Huan and the other Great Cultivators of Unity frozen in place. When they tried to sense their Artifacts, they discovered them thousands of miles away.
’What kind of technique was that!?’
Before they could react, Lü Yang produced the Myriad-Soul Banner. As the Banner unfurled, smoke instantly billowed toward the sky, and the figures of Su Nu and Chen Xin’an emerged.
"And where might you be going, Great Master?"
Su Nu flashed a charming smile as the Yama Hall blotted out the sun. Lü Yang had cast a spell to send it to Guang Ming’s side, intercepting the monk just as he was about to flee again.
"I wasn’t—no, not at all. I was just admiring the scenery."
Guang Ming gave an awkward laugh. Knowing he couldn’t escape, he had no choice but to stay put, his mind racing for a way out of this predicament.
However, at this very moment.
"Is that... the Myriad-Soul Banner!?"
But just then, the oldest and most senior Great Cultivator among the Immortal Alliance members suddenly cried out in shock, his eyes fixed on the Myriad-Soul Banner in Lü Yang’s hand.
Lü Yang wasn’t surprised. In fact, he had taken out the Myriad-Soul Banner on purpose to see if anyone would recognize it. According to his deductions, the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm was most likely the handiwork of the Primal Daoist. And while the Perfected Fortune had usurped this cuckoo’s nest, the original inheritance might not have been completely severed.
"Stop! Everyone, stop!"
The elderly Great Cultivator quickly stopped everyone before turning to Lü Yang, his expression apprehensive. "Have you received the Primal Daoist’s inheritance?"
His words caused an uproar.
Mu Huan and the other Great Cultivators of Unity looked on in disbelief. "The Primal Daoist’s inheritance?" Mu Huan asked, his voice shaking with emotion. "Elder Lin, are you certain you aren’t mistaken?"
"How could I be mistaken?"
The Great Cultivator known as Elder Lin shook his head. "Refining men into slaves, gathering form from scattered qi... That is the Myriad-Soul Banner. The Primal Daoist’s lineage truly hasn’t been broken!"
Then, Elder Lin turned to Lü Yang and said in a solemn voice, "To be frank, Daoist, the reason we were forced to trouble you is that our True Spirits are bound by an Exotic Treasure. After death, our Souls cannot find release. That Exotic Treasure came from the Saint Sect, and we believed only a Saint Sect Zhenren would have any hope of removing it."
"But since you carry the Primal Daoist’s inheritance, Daoist, that changes things."
"If you are willing to lend us a hand and remove the Restriction on our Souls, then there’s no longer any need for us to fight to the death."
"...Is that so."
Lü Yang remained noncommittal. "I did indeed receive the Primal Daoist’s inheritance," he said coolly. "But why should I help you? What’s in it for me?"
"That... is a secret of our Immortal Alliance..."
Elder Lin hesitated. Seeing this, Lü Yang waved a hand. The Prophetic Orrery activated, and a ray of the Light of Bing Fire shot out, cutting them all off from the outside world.
This would make it difficult for anyone to divine the karmic links of this location.
Only then did Lü Yang turn back to Elder Lin. "Speak."
Elder Lin cupped his hands in a small bow. "Daoist, since you’ve captured Piaomiao, I imagine that with your methods, you have already learned the origins of our Immortal Alliance from her."
"However, Piaomiao achieved Harmonization only recently, and her knowledge is limited to our Azure Sun Cultivation Realm. There are things she doesn’t know. Only those of my generation, who have lived for over eight hundred years, know the full story..." As he spoke, Elder Lin took out a Jade Disc and offered it directly to Lü Yang.
"This was left behind by the Primal Daoist."
"When the Perfected Fortune came in the past, he tried to destroy it or take it away, but his efforts were in vain. A great karmic link binds it to this place."
"As for the reason why, you will understand once you look, Daoist."
Lü Yang smiled but did not take the Jade Disc. Instead, he glanced at Chen Xin’an beside him. "Go. Take it and see what mysteries it holds."
’Why would I personally handle an item of unknown origin?’
’What if the Primal Daoist’s Soul is squatting inside, just waiting for someone to check it with their Divine Sense so it can seize their body? Better to let Chen Xin’an walk into the minefield.’
At Lü Yang’s command, Chen Xin’an immediately stepped forward and swept his Divine Sense over the Jade Disc. Through his link with the Avatar Guardian, Lü Yang watched the disc’s contents through Chen Xin’an’s eyes, all while keeping an Ability at the ready, prepared to cast Differentiation and sever his connection to Chen Xin’an in an instant.
Soon, he saw the message within the Jade Disc:
"To die Seeking Gold is to die without regret. My body becomes a Daoist Remnant, a legacy for those who follow. Carry my Banner, enter my Seeking Gold Land, and refine it, and you may achieve First-Grade Mahayana True Qi!"
"Mahayana True Qi... First Grade!?"
In that instant, Lü Yang’s pupils contracted. ’My previous guess was actually right! The Azure Sun Cultivation Realm really can allow someone to purify their True Qi to the First Grade!’
Seeing Lü Yang’s reaction, Elder Lin smiled faintly. "And I am the only one who knows the location of the Primal Daoist’s Seeking Gold Land."
"So, Daoist? Are you willing to help us now?"
Though he lived in the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm, he was not ignorant of the situation in the mainland. He knew exactly how tempting the so-called First Grade True Qi was to someone like Lü Yang.
At this, Lü Yang was truly tempted.
Though his Foundation Establishment was perfect and he couldn’t rebuild his Dao Foundation with First Grade True Qi, a boost from it could still induce more transformations in his Dao Foundation. It might even be possible to add a new layer of profundity to his Innate Ability. To any Foundation-Stage Cultivator, this was an irresistible temptation.
For a moment, a hesitant look appeared on Lü Yang’s face. "Let me think about it..."
Elder Lin was very patient. He could certainly afford to wait a little while, and he was confident that after weighing the pros and cons, Lü Yang would make the correct choice.
The time it takes to burn one incense stick passed, then two...
’...Have I been waiting too long?’
"...Something’s not right!!!"
The next second, Elder Lin’s expression changed drastically. He furiously channeled his Mana and shattered the Mythical Light that Lü Yang had used to envelop them and sever their karmic links.
In its place, a Grand Ward, shimmering with brilliant light, came into view.
Hidden by the Mythical Light, the Array had been erected without anyone noticing. By the time they saw it, they were already trapped inside!
"You!?" Elder Lin whirled around, furious.
But the spot where Lü Yang had been was empty.
Lü Yang, who had just been standing there in deep thought, had at some point moved outside the Array. He now gazed at the people trapped within as if they were fish in a barrel.
Meanwhile, Guang Ming, who had been far enough away to avoid being trapped, let out a long sigh.
’How could these Overseas Cultivators be foolish enough to trust the words of a Saint Sect Zhenren?’
’They just haven’t learned their lesson yet!’
