Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Primal Qi Divine Talisman

After a long while, Lü Yang held a piece of yellowing talisman paper and observed it with great interest.

After refining Liu Xin into a Banner Spirit, Lü Yang had him recount his life in detail, including how he schemed against Chen Xin’an and avoided the calculations of Foundation-Stage Cultivators.

”Primal Qi Divine Talisman?”

”Indeed, this is the talisman.” Liu Xin kowtowed respectfully, saying, ”This talisman was left by a Primal Daoist. As long as you carry it, you can avoid karmic calculations.”

Lü Yang nodded with satisfaction, then lightly shook the Myriad-Soul Banner. This time, descending from the banner was a handsome young man in a black robe. Upon seeing Lü Yang, he was initially stunned, then looked at Liu Xin, who had already become the Banner Spirit, and his body began to tremble.

”Haha... hahaha! You’ve met your end today too!”

Chen Xin’an laughed skyward, then looked at Liu Xin: ”I always thought you were incompetent, but you’ve exceeded my expectations in incompetence.”

”Refined into a Banner Spirit by someone?”

”How did you manage that?”

...” Under Chen Xin’an’s taunt, Liu Xin only lowered his head and showed no intention of responding. Only then did Chen Xin’an turn to Lü Yang.

”Worthy of being a disciple of our Sect.” Chen Xin’an started with praise, clapping his hands with a laugh: ”This junior brother, I will not ask you to release me for reincarnation, but since you killed Liu Xin, that is enough to satisfy my deepest hatred. So, how about I offer you a secret treasure as repayment?”

”I am now also a Banner Spirit, and you can naturally discern whether I speak truth or lies.”

”That secret treasure is hidden on an island deep within the Cloud Sea, named Gourd Island. Your current cultivation is still low; it would be best to visit it after reaching the Final-phase of Qi Refining.....”

”No need.”

Upon hearing this, Lü Yang showed no sign of being moved, shaking his head indifferently: ”Senior Brother Chen, we are all disciples of the Stain Sect, why the pretense?”

”.....Junior brother, you misunderstand me.”

Chen Xin’an sighed deeply: ”Though most Stain Sect disciples disregard camaraderie, they repaid kindness; it is not absolute that they are unfeeling and treacherous villains....”

”Don’t flatter yourself.” Lü Yang interrupted Chen Xin’an unreservedly, with a cold laugh: ”Are there any good people among the disciples? The ones who survive are all villains! Senior Brother Chen, don’t waste your efforts—I will not go to your secret treasure.”

Lü Yang harbored deep apprehension toward this direct disciple brother.

If there truly were any secret treasures, why had Liu Xin, who held the Myriad-Soul Banner for so many years, not taken it? Most likely because he feared Chen Xin’an would gain control!

This person had deep connections and inscrutable methods, completely different from the likes of Liu Xin, and even being a Banner Spirit could not be completely trusted.

Chen Xin’an’s expression shifted slightly: ”Then why did you summon me, what are your intentions?”

”Just to conduct an experiment.”

Lü Yang’s tone was calm, but Chen Xin’an detected danger within it and quickly exclaimed: ”Wait, wait.... I also know of a Foundation Establishment opportunity.....”

Boom!

The next second, Lü Yang acted decisively, disregarding the so-called Foundation Establishment opportunity, and scattered the true spirit of Chen Xin’an, who was refined into the Myriad-Soul Banner.

”No——!”

”The Master of Heaven Mending Peak targeted me so relentlessly in my previous life, so in this life, I’ll kill his son to vent my anger. After a few lives have passed and I’ve reached Foundation Establishment, I’ll deal with him!”

Lü Yang maintained a calm demeanor.

With the [Centome] at his disposal, his Dao Heart was incredibly resolute, able to endure any hardship and confident that no matter how strong his opponent, he would eventually overcome them.

As for the Foundation Establishment opportunity..... Coincidentally, he knew of one himself!

Chen Xin’an’s Qi completely dissipated, his soul scattered. Subsequently, Lü Yang stowed away the Myriad-Soul Banner, tidied up the scene, and began silently waiting.

In no time, Heaven Mending Peak shook violently!

A familiar oppressive feeling emerged as if a Mount Tai had descended upon him. Lü Yang immediately feigned fear, aware of what it was.

It was the gaze of a Foundation-Stage Cultivator.

Clearly, after completely slaying Chen Xin’an, he had alarmed the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, who was now likely attempting to deduce the culprit through karma.

Normally, he should be discovered any second now.

Lü Yang waited in his cave mansion for half an hour, but even as the oppressive feeling faded, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak still did not appear before him.

”...It worked, just as expected!”

He couldn’t calculate it!

Lü Yang’s face remained unmoved, but inside he was laughing; this verification made him confident he could cultivate the Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis in this life without worry.

Afterward, Lü Yang replicated his strategies from previous lives.

First, he inflated the value of the Death-Warding Skeleton to earn Contribution Points, then he cultivated with Yun Miaqing to obscure his Sword Technique and Sword Pill, followed by purchasing a large quantity of Spirit Pills to begin secluded cultivation.

...

Ten years later.

In the blink of an eye, generations of disciples rose and fell, and the various disturbances of the past returned to tranquility. The Stain Sect steadily improved.

Yet today, something seemed a bit different.

Heaven and Earth resonated; Lü Yang’s secluded cave mansion became like a vortex, with a vast amount of Spiritual Qi rushing in from all directions like a flood bursting through a dam.

”Is this..... a phenomenon of Heaven and Earth!?”

”Some senior brother has condensed a Qi Seed and broken through to the Late-phase of Qi Refining!”

Even within the Stain Sect, reaching the Late-phase of Qi Refining is considered a high-level sect slave and won’t be easily regarded as mere material; they also possess a certain degree of autonomy.

Therefore, within Heaven Mending Peak, the disciples who busily toiled for their daily sustenance couldn’t help but exclaim with awe upon witnessing the manifestation accompanying Lü Yang’s breakthrough, but beneath the surface were stronger feelings of envy and jealousy, even resentment over ”why not me.”

Meanwhile, inside the cave mansion, Lü Yang opened his eyes.

In an instant, the dim quiet chamber seemed to flash with a white lightning, intensely bright and blinding!

”The term ’bottleneck’ is true to its name.”

In this life, Lü Yang’s cultivation speed mirrored his previous lives; reaching the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining and a Mid-phase peak in just three years, but spending seven years overcoming the bottleneck.

This was due to his previous experience breaking through the Late-phase of Qi Refining.

Otherwise, the time likely would have stretched longer. It is understandable why so many cultivators are stuck at this step, never progressing throughout their lives.

Having just broken through, Lü Yang didn’t rush to emerge from seclusion. Instead, he meditated for three days until he fully grasped the changes in Qi, physique, and spiritual sense before standing up.

Opening the Centome’s panel:

[Name: Lü Yang]

[Age: 28]

[Cultivation: Seventh Layer of Qi Refining (Late-phase), Ninth Grade Array Master]

[Talent Skill: Left-Handed Genius (White), Skillful (Purple)]

[Cultivation Technique: Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis (7th Layer)]

[Abilities: Supreme Heaven Sword Mastery (Minor Achievement), Crash Course: Array-Artifacts (Perfection), Life-taking Spell (Perfection), Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance (Perfection), Qi Concealing Technique (Perfection)]

[Artifacts: Blood Sun Sword Pill, Primal Qi Myriad-Soul Banner]

[Available Leaves of Centome: 95]

....

Equally at the Late-phase of Qi Refining, this life’s Lü Yang was much stronger than in previous lives; his Qi was on a different level.

Especially after mastering Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance, combined with the Blood River Sword Array, even fellow Late-phase cultivators, if trapped within his array array, would find themselves doomed unless they had prior knowledge and prepared methods to counter Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance.

”Yet it’s still not secure.”

Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance has commendable power, but it’s merely an ability that ordinary disciples can obtain. Who knows what formidable abilities direct disciples might possess?

”Direct disciples..... I wonder if I have a chance?”

Lü Yang’s face showed anticipation; in this life, cloaked by the Divine Talisman against karmic links, his identity was impeccably clear; generally speaking, he would be an attractive candidate for recruitment.

After all, even to Foundation-Stage Cultivators, Late-phase of Qi Refining is a decent subordinate.

Moreover, unlike previous lives, he hadn’t transformed into a Blood Shadow; his immortal path wasn’t severed, making him seemingly a worthwhile investment.

Thus, Lü Yang had long decided.

If a Foundation-stage cultivators extends an offer, he wouldn’t refuse, even from the Master of Heaven Mending Peak; he would accept the benefits, and avenge the grudges in the next life.