Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 554: Another Me

Overseas, on Lonely Heart Island.

Lü Yang’s true body had long since fled beyond the highest heavens. With his current Cultivation, he was still no match for a Perfected Lord, but it was more than enough for him to hide and protect himself.

A Foundation-Stage Cultivator of his level was qualified to be viewed favorably by a Perfected Lord, who would no longer see him as a mere ant. After all, even a Perfected Lord themselves might not have reached the state of Peak Foundation Establishment before attaining their Golden Position. Such a state was a matter of serendipity, not something one could actively pursue.

He had left only a Puppet behind in his place.

Gazing at it, Daoist Hongtian remained silent for a long while. He simply began making calculations secretly within his sleeve. After a long time, a look of astonishment finally appeared on his face.

’I can’t figure it out...!’

He recognized the Immortal Court Sea Calming Envoy being controlled by Lü Yang. He knew the envoy had a clean background, so this behavior could only mean he had been refined into a puppet.

But if that were the case, the karmic links should have been extremely heavy.

This was a matter of life and death involving a cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. Unless a Perfected Lord had intervened, how could someone be refined into a puppet without leaving behind the slightest karmic link?

Yet, Lü Yang had done it.

At this thought, he raised his head again to look at the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth in the sky. He then tilted his head slightly as if listening, after which his expression soured with disappointment.

’The Perfected Lord can’t figure it out either!?’

"Impressive."

Daoist Hongtian sighed, finally abandoning the thought of capturing this "person from the outside world." He gestured with an open palm. "Fellow Daoist, please join me inside to talk."

As soon as he finished speaking, a Splendid Light bloomed in Daoist Hongtian’s palm. Within the light stood a miniature palace that expanded as it met the air. Lü Yang focused his gaze and saw an aura of "concealing one’s form and severing the inside from the out" flowing across its surface. This was clearly the Treasure of Fruit Position corresponding to the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth.

"This is the Hidden Secret Hall."

Daoist Hongtian smiled faintly and gestured with his hand. "As long as we speak within the hall, no one will be able to divine the contents of our conversation, nor will any karmic links be left behind."

"Excellent."

Lü Yang nodded upon hearing this and strode inside. Seeing this, Daoist Hongtian also summoned his Flying Light and disappeared into the Hidden Secret Hall.

BOOM!

The moment the two entered, the grand doors of the hall slammed shut. The imagery upon them swirled, as if creating an entirely new world, instantly severing all connection to the Heaven and Earth outside.

At almost the same moment, Daoist Hongtian formed a Daoist Hand Seal before his chest. Endless Divine Illusionary Colors roared within his body, so intensely that they almost engulfed his eyes. A celestial light seeped from between his clenched teeth, yet he revealed not a single Qi trace. Only when he drew near Lü Yang did he abruptly speak:

"Wake up!"

This burst of Thunder Sound erupted from Daoist Hongtian’s mouth, a truly deafening, sharp reprimand capable of dispelling almost any technique for manipulating a Soul.

However, it had no effect on Lü Yang whatsoever:

"Fellow Daoist, was that really necessary?"

Daoist Hongtian immediately fell silent. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he chuckled as if nothing had happened. "Merely a test. Your techniques are as impressive as I thought, Fellow Daoist."

Despite his words, Daoist Hongtian’s wariness of Lü Yang had already reached its peak.

This Hidden Secret Hall was, after all, no ordinary place. It possessed the miraculous properties of the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth, isolating the interior from the exterior and capable of severing almost any form of remote control technique.

He had originally assumed that Lü Yang and the Immortal Court Sea Calming Envoy had only recently met. Even if the envoy had been refined into a puppet, the process shouldn’t have been irreversible. That was precisely why he had deliberately brought out the Hidden Secret Hall—to try and break this Puppet Technique. The result, however, proved that it was all a wasted effort.

’He clearly hasn’t been beaten down enough by the Bhagavat!’

Lü Yang saw this and shook his head with a smile. ’This is only because the Pseudo-History has no Pure Land. If this were the Current World, he would’ve long since fallen to his knees, shouting, "All hail the Bhagavat!"’

"Please, sit."

With a sweep of his large sleeve, Daoist Hongtian invited Lü Yang to take a seat. As their eyes met, a strange feeling suddenly arose within him. ’This person is so similar to me...’

The same Abilities, the same Cultivation.

At this thought, Daoist Hongtian’s heart stirred. He spoke in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Lü, you come from the outside world, yet you were willing to risk meeting me. May I ask for what purpose?"

Lü Yang grinned. "My purpose in coming here is the same as yours, Fellow Daoist."

’The same goal!?’

In an instant, Daoist Hongtian’s expression turned grim. His goal, after all, could only be to achieve the Attainment of the Fruit of Celestial Fire. Was this man’s goal the same as his?

That would make them Dao-enemies!

But in the next second, Daoist Hongtian regained his composure, his brow deeply furrowed. "No... You hold no killing intent toward me, Fellow Daoist. My Seeking Gold shouldn’t affect you, should it?"

Fortune from the Current World possessed a Secret Technique for sensing auspicious and inauspicious events, which was how he had managed to survive for five thousand years. The Hongtian of this Pseudo-History was naturally no exception. Relying on this wondrous ability to perceive fortune and misfortune, he sensed that Lü Yang bore him no killing intent—at least, not at this moment. This came as a great surprise to him.

After all, for Cultivators, a Dao-enemy was always someone to be eliminated as quickly as possible.

Yet Lü Yang’s attitude was completely different.

’The outside world... what kind of world is it, exactly? And what is its connection to this realm? If I want to know, this person before me is likely the greatest clue.’

At the same time, Lü Yang was also sitting upright and attentive.

Daoist Hongtian felt that Lü Yang was very similar to him, but for Lü Yang, the feeling was mutual. In fact, his sense of it was even stronger.

’The technique Daoist Hongtian just used to try and break the Puppet... was that Sword Intent?’

At this thought, Lü Yang suddenly narrowed his eyes. With no discernible movement, an indescribable, sky-piercing sharpness erupted from his body.

CLANG! CLANG!

The cry of a sword surged like a tidal wave, instantly filling the entire Hidden Secret Hall. Under Lü Yang’s deliberate pressure, a sword’s cry even rang out from within Daoist Hongtian’s body in response!

Two streams of Sword Intent, as if on opposite sides of a mirror, slowly rose from Daoist Hongtian and Lü Yang. One was like steel refined a hundred times over; the more it was forged, the more resilient it became, seemingly unbreakable and indestructible. The other was like the glow of a candle; though faint, it could illuminate and dispel all darkness.

For a moment, both men fell silent.

’It’s exactly the same... Even our goal is the Attainment of the Fruit of Celestial Fire. Am I his reference? Did this person from the outside world come here... for me?’

Daoist Hongtian lowered his gaze, his mind racing.

On the other side, Lü Yang’s expression also grew solemn. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "Fellow Daoist, you wish to achieve the Attainment of the Fruit of Celestial Fire. How are your preparations coming along?"

"The Fruit of Celestial Fire requires Ruling the World. How much of that have you achieved, Fellow Daoist?"

"What are your chances of success in Seeking Gold?"

Faced with Lü Yang’s questions, Daoist Hongtian frowned slightly but had no intention of concealing the truth. The Fruit of Celestial Fire was, after all, a Fruit of an open and honorable path.

"As things stand now, I’d say ninety percent."

Daoist Hongtian recounted with familiarity, his voice low, "I am now the Immortal Court State Preceptor. My attempt to achieve the Fruit of Celestial Fire has already received the support of His Majesty and the Three Ministers. Over at the Jiangnan Sword Sect, Black Tortoise Zhenren is a good friend of mine and has also promised to assist. And I have just successfully negotiated with the Overseas Dragon Race."

As he said this, a hint of pride entered Daoist Hongtian’s tone.

He had attempted to achieve the Attainment of the Fruit of Celestial Fire once before but had failed because he had not been Ruling the World. This time, he had considered nearly every possible contingency.

Theoretically, failure was impossible.

The so-called ten-percent chance of failure was merely a concession to the difficulty of the Fruit of Celestial Fire as an Emperor Fruit; Daoist Hongtian did not dare to be overly absolute.

In the next second, however, he saw Lü Yang shake his head with a grave expression:

"You may have a ninety-percent chance of success, Fellow Daoist, but... I’m afraid your death is all but certain!"

As his voice fell, Lü Yang’s expression grew even more solemn. He thought to himself, ’This Hongtian... he’s practically another me, but from the Pseudo-History!’