Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 146: Where is Lü Yang?

Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, a full eight Foundation-Stage Cultivators had taken up positions. By manifesting their Dao Foundations, they had created a barrier that almost completely blocked out the region’s Weakening Wind.

Lü Yang, however, wore an incredibly grim expression.

"You were prepared for this?"

He glanced around, his eyes finally landing on the heavily concealed Master of Heaven Mending Peak. "Who is that? They weren’t part of my calculations." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Arhat Fulong burst out laughing at his words. "I’m afraid I can’t tell you that."

The moment he finished speaking, Arhat Fulong’s expression turned murderous. "All you need to know is that today, the Skull Mountains will be your grave!"

The next instant, his Fulong Temple expanded!

Rings of Buddha Light rippled out from behind Arhat Fulong’s head, revealing a vista of pavilions, temples, and Zen forests, thick with Incense and Candle Qi.

Lü Yang narrowed his eyes at the sight. ’Compared to my Previous Life, this Arhat Fulong isn’t toying with me like a cat with a mouse. He’s going all-out from the very beginning.’ The power he displayed far surpassed that of their last encounter. The Fulong Temple blotted out the sky as it descended upon Lü Yang.

CLANG—!

With a resounding crash, a Mythical Light flared around Lü Yang, blocking a Nine-Ring Scepter that descended from the heavens and sending sparks flying.

In a flash, the Mythical Light shattered.

Without a second thought, Lü Yang transformed into a streak of White Qi and vanished. He reappeared a short distance away, having chosen to flee rather than fight.

"Hmm...?"

Arhat Fulong retracted his Nine-Ring Scepter, his brow furrowed. He had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. Lü Yang’s reaction seemed far too passive.

Arhat Fulong’s gaze swept across the area, landing on Zhao Xuhe at the very edge of the battlefield. The man’s eyes were bloodshot as auspicious golden clouds billowed from beneath his feet; he was clearly giving his all to condense his Dao Foundation. Arhat Fulong knew that if the man succeeded, he would become another problem.

’Is he trying to buy time for that man to break through?’

In an instant, Arhat Fulong believed he understood Lü Yang’s plan. ’He’s just trying to use him as a scapegoat. A clever move, but ultimately futile!’

’In that case, I’ll deal with him first!’

With a single thought, Arhat Fulong appeared before Zhao Xuhe. He planned to convert him into a Dharma Protector Vajra first, then deal with Lü Yang.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe’s face filled with despair.

The moment the eight Perfected Persons appeared, he knew something was wrong. Having been through this once before, he instantly realized he was being used as bait again.

He had clung to one last sliver of hope, desperately trying to condense his Dao Foundation.

But now, that hope was shattered.

At that moment, Zhao Xuhe was overcome by a storm of emotions.

Disappointment, dejection, helplessness... the emotions flashed through his mind one after another, finally igniting an unnamed fury.

’You... you’ve gone too far!’

’Just because I haven’t reached Foundation Establishment? Just because my Cultivation is too low? Am I destined to be nothing more than a pawn?’ His rational thoughts were consumed by the flames of his anger.

"Bastards! You’re all a bunch of bastards!"

Blood spurted from Zhao Xuhe’s mouth and trickled from the corners of his lips. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, the vessels within them bursting. All other emotions were consumed by a single, overriding thought:

"If I’m going down... I’m taking you all with me!"

"Die! All of you!"

The next second, Zhao Xuhe clawed his hand toward the Skull Mountains below. A torrent of Yin Qi surged into the sky, and the Vast Skull Mountains Ley Line began to tremble violently.

"What have you done?"

Arhat Fulong froze, stunned. A sense of doubt and unease bloomed in his heart, as if his Spirit Platform had been clouded with dust. His first instinct was to turn and look for the Master of Heaven Mending Peak.

But when he turned his head, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak was gone.

A single glance revealed that the Saint Sect Zhenren had already vanished without a trace. Only Perfected Huan Wu and Perfected Xuanwu, the two Perfected Persons from the Divine Martial Sect, remained, standing frozen in bewilderment.

’This is bad!’ Arhat Fulong instantly realized what had happened. ’The Master of Heaven Mending Peak might not have known what was going on, but Yu Du and the other two Saint Sect Zhenren all fled. Once he saw them run, of course he wouldn’t just stand there! He naturally followed them to be safe... That damned bastard! He sold me out without a moment’s hesitation!’

Instantly, Arhat Fulong prepared to use one of his Abilities to escape as well.

However, his Innate Ability, which had always allowed him to travel freely, was now like a stone dropped into the ocean—it had no effect and couldn’t transport him away!

Separation!

A momentary restriction... but it was enough!

Arhat Fulong clenched his Buddha’s Tooth. Seeing that he couldn’t escape with his Innate Ability, he summoned a Flying Light and prepared to burst out of the Skull Mountains. But just then—

"And where do you think you’re going?"

Lü Yang, who moments ago had been doing nothing but fleeing, suddenly lunged forward and intercepted him in mid-air.

"What do you think you’re doing?!"

Arhat Fulong stared at Lü Yang, his face a mask of shock and fury. But as he watched, Lü Yang’s features began to shift, melting away to reveal a peerlessly beautiful and delicate face.

At the same time, a grand hall reeking of Yin Fiend materialized behind her.

Yama Hall.

The Avatar Guardian, Su Nu!

"You’re not Lü Yang!?" In that moment, Arhat Fulong felt a chill as if he’d been plunged into an icy cavern. A powerful sense of suffocation washed over him, like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web...

RUMBLE!

The next second, dark clouds converged over the entire Skull Mountains, and the sky filled with crackling serpents of lightning! A colossal weight of karmic links crashed down upon everyone who had been present!

"No—!"

"But I already got so far away... How can this be happening?"

"Lü Yang... you damned junior!"

It wasn’t just Arhat Fulong. At that very moment, Yu Du and the others who had fled so quickly—and even the Master of Heaven Mending Peak—all let out bloodcurdling screams.

The Heavenly Dao is impartial and just. With the destruction of the Vast Skull Mountains Ley Line, the first to bear the consequences was, naturally, the perpetrator, Zhao Xuhe, along with Arhat Fulong, who had pushed him to that point. However, the other Perfected Persons were either accomplices or had failed to intervene when they could have. As such, the Heavenly Dao had taken note of their transgressions as well.

The next second, the karmic retribution fell!

Zhao Xuhe suffered the worst fate. His destiny was instantly exhausted. With a final look of angry bewilderment, he disintegrated into dust.

"To sunder a Lay Line is to sin against Heaven..."

Arhat Fulong let out a wretched cry, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. He could only watch helplessly as his once-resplendent Merit and Fortune was shattered by a Mighty Power.

Next were the two Perfected Persons from the Divine Martial Sect and the Master of Heaven Mending Peak.

Heaven and Earth were witness: if Arhat Fulong was the mastermind, then the three of them were his accomplices. While their Merit wasn’t completely wiped out, their Qi of fortune was grievously wounded!

The Master of Heaven Mending Peak was so furious he coughed up blood.

After all, he had only come here to reap some benefits. In the end, not only did he get nothing, he was punished by Heaven and Earth, losing half his Merit for no reason at all!

Not far away, Yu Du and the others also let out muffled groans.

They weren’t accomplices, merely guilty of failing to intervene. Thus, they only suffered a loss of Fortune. Compared to the fate of Arhat Fulong and the others, this was a blessing from the heavens.

For a time, a dead silence fell.

After a long while, a voice like that of a vengeful specter finally broke the silence. It belonged to Arhat Fulong, who stood at the very center of the "explosion," his body covered in blood and grime.

"Lü... Yang...!!!"

Arhat Fulong threw his head back and roared, his voice filled with a hatred so profound it felt as if it could never be cleansed, even in three lifetimes. His vast Divine Sense instantly locked onto Su Nu!

Her only response, however, was a mischievous smile.

"Master, my mission is complete!"

BOOM!

The next second, Su Nu self-detonated without the slightest hesitation, leaving Arhat Fulong standing frozen in place, his eyes vacant. Only a single thought remained in his mind:

’Where’s Lü Yang?’

’Weren’t you supposed to be ambushing me?’

’You were never in the Skull Mountains! Where did you go?!’