Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 66: Setting a Trap

At the Righteous Academy, no sooner had Lü Yang left than Ji Xiongying quietly arrived.

"Bookworm, have you seen that Immortal?"

Ji Xiongying was slightly taken aback the moment he walked in. He never expected that Wang Boyuan, who had been so full of vigor just a few months ago, would have become such a disheveled mess.

"What happened to you?"

"...It’s nothing." Wang Boyuan took another swig of wine and said with a smile, "If you’re talking about the one you fought, then yes, I’ve seen him."

"He seemed quite interested in my Fate-Seeing Technique. I’m honored."

"Cut the crap!" Ji Xiongying sneered, tossing a book he had acquired through a ’chance encounter’ in front of Wang Boyuan. "He can help us achieve our grand ambition!"

"Immortals exist in this world—ageless and undying! If we kill one and eat its flesh, we can attain long life!" Ji Xiongying proclaimed loudly. "Isn’t your goal to bring about a great, everlasting peace? As long as we kill that Immortal and share his flesh, we can live forever! Then, we can create an eternal world of peace that will never fall!"

"A world of peace..."

Wang Boyuan murmured to himself, but he didn’t show the excitement Ji Xiongying had expected. He just shook his head, then said indifferently, "Then let’s give it a try."

"Good! It’s a deal!"

Ji Xiongying noticed that Wang Boyuan’s attitude was off, as if he had something on his mind. But he couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. As long as Wang Boyuan was willing to act, that was all that mattered.

Meanwhile, in the Celestial Capital City.

Lü Yang had already regained his composure. He had suddenly realized something: if his opponent was truly a Foundation-Stage Cultivator, there would be no need for all this trouble.

This time was different from the Skull Mountains.

At the Skull Mountains, Master Yin Mountain, who had been hiding behind the scenes, never actually intended to kill him. He was merely using him as bait. This time, however, was different.

This time, someone clearly wanted him dead!

’The only reason they haven’t made a move yet is probably because my true body is still hiding behind multiple layers of Arrays, and I’ve only sent out an avatar to scout the path. This means the person behind the scenes definitely hasn’t reached the Foundation Establishment. If they had, they would have no reason to be so cautious. They could just slap me, and I’d be dead for sure... Thinking along these lines, even though my opponent can manipulate karmic links, their strength is likely only at the Final-phase of Qi Refining.’

’How strange... Can they manipulate karmic links, but they aren’t at Foundation Establishment?’

One had to understand that there was a world of difference between calculating karmic links and manipulating them. This was the very watershed that separated the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining realms.

Calculating karmic links only allowed for a slight degree of foresight.

But manipulating karmic links could truly make a situation develop according to one’s will. Logically, only a Foundation-Stage Cultivator should be capable of such a feat.

Therefore, being able to manipulate karmic links without being at Foundation Establishment should have been impossible.

Unless...

"A reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator?"

Lü Yang frowned. After ruling out all impossible scenarios, the only answer floated to the surface. "There’s a reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator in the Secret Realm!?"

’Of course, the Tribulation for my Theft to Sainthood!’

The thought was so absurd that Lü Yang almost laughed. ’What is this? My Tribulation for achieving Major Mastery in Theft to Sainthood is a reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator coming to cause trouble for me?’

’That can’t be right!’

’Heavens above, I have always been a kind and benevolent person. How could I have possibly provoked a Foundation-Stage Cultivator...’

’...Ah.’

The next second, Lü Yang’s eyes flew wide open.

’Yun Miaozhen, the Celestial Sword Pavilion?’

In this life, there were only two Foundation-Stage Cultivators who might hold a grudge against him. One was the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, but he was in the prime of his life and nowhere near needing to reincarnate.

The other was the Celestial Sword Pavilion.

’And for a sect of the Celestial Sword Pavilion’s size, having a reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator is perfectly normal. Because there was already a grudge between us, has the Tribulation for my Theft to Sainthood drawn them here?’

’It can’t be that outrageous, can it?’

At this thought, Lü Yang broke out in a cold sweat. He was so shocked he nearly left the Secret Realm on the spot to report to Master Yin Mountain that there was a bad guy inside...

In the end, however, he resisted the urge to leave. He suddenly remembered the final step of the Secret Technique he had devised to master the Lunar Technique. Didn’t it just so happen to require the Soul of a reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator to perfect it?

On the other hand, he still hadn’t achieved Major Mastery in Theft to Sainthood.

If he reported it now and Master Yin Mountain cleared out the Secret Realm, he would be left with nothing. Forget about the Foundation Establishment Soul, his Theft to Sainthood would undoubtedly fail at the final hurdle.

’Though it is a Tribulation, it is also an opportunity...!’

As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin!

As long as he could overcome this Tribulation with his own strength, the Tribulation itself would transform into a heaven-sent opportunity!

Besides, he wasn’t without a chance of winning.

Before, the enemy was in the shadows while he was in the open. He knew nothing about them, so his chances of survival were nil. But now that he knew the truth, things were different!

He could turn their own plot against them!

’Since that reincarnated Foundation-Stage Cultivator is plotting against me in secret, he’s probably the one who created this so-called Celestial Martial Artist path. I knew there was something wrong with it...’

’...He wants to lure me out!’

’And right now, I’ve only sent out an avatar, which he certainly isn’t satisfied with... Right, that must be why Ji Xiongying suddenly appeared to fight me.’

’If I’m not mistaken, he must have a follow-up plan. He most likely wants to destroy this avatar of mine to lure my true body out of my secluded Cave Mansion, away from the protection of my Arrays... But Ji Xiongying is no match for this incarnation. To kill me... he’ll have to team up with the other Celestial Martial Artists!’

’I see! I see it all now!’

Lü Yang’s expression remained unchanged, but in his mind, he had already pieced together most of the Yun Family Ancestor’s scheme. Vaguely, his understanding of karmic links deepened as well.

’So this is what Foundation Establishment is like...’

Foundation-Stage Cultivators rarely fought to the death. They mostly made their moves through karmic links. Whoever could calculate their opponent’s karmic links would gain an overwhelming advantage!

’He wants a kill? Then I’ll give him one!’

After long deliberation, Lü Yang quickly devised a counter-plan. It just so happened that he was also planning to fight the Celestial Martial Artists to set the path of Martial Arts back on the right track.

But not by creating a Fifth Step.

On this point, the Yun Family Ancestor’s judgment was correct. With Lü Yang’s current cultivation and insight, it was impossible for him to create a Fifth Step, even with the help of the Chat Jade Scroll.

However, to break the stalemate, he didn’t actually need to create a new step... He just needed to make people think he had created one.

After all, the key to Theft to Sainthood was "theft."

He just needed to steal the spotlight.

’First, I need a new identity.’

If he wanted everyone to believe he had created a new step, he needed to be convincing. For that, a sufficiently impressive origin story was essential.

’My Name... Hmm, I’ll call myself Emperor Shitian!’

’I have lived for over a thousand years. I am the world’s only Immortal, and I have long since reached this world’s limits. I am now seeking a method to break through.’

’The reason I am interacting and fighting with the Celestial Martial Artists is because I believe that once a person’s cultivation reaches the world’s Extreme, the only way to advance further is to fight and kill one another, to sublimate to the absolute peak in the crucible of life and death, and thus shatter the shackles of Heaven and Earth!’

’This step, I shall call it... Breaking the Void!’

’After achieving Breaking the Void, one can ascend into the ether. That way, no one will know what happened, nor will they be able to describe the mysteries of this step.’

’After all, everyone who reaches this step can never return. There’s no one to tell the tale...’

The unknown brings fear, but it also brings hope.

’I don’t even need to describe this step in detail. I just need to stage a grand battle, demonstrate it once in public, and they will fill in the rest with their own imaginations...’

This was a huge trap!

The Fourth Step of Martial Arts was already a dead end. Reaching Foundation Establishment was impossible for them. Yet, human ambition knows no bounds, and the Celestial Martial Artists desperately needed a goal to pursue.

And Lü Yang would give them that goal!

As long as he put on a spectacular enough performance in front of everyone, he could make the so-called ’Breaking the Void’ seem both ethereal and tangible.

If no one believes it, even truth becomes a lie.

If everyone believes it, even a lie becomes truth!