Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Daring to Strike Back

After sending his wisdom and effort off to research how to upgrade the Yama Hall, Lü Yang glanced back at the battlefield, still feeling a little unsatisfied.

’Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get gains like this again anytime soon. After all, one of them escaped. He’ll surely report back what happened, and the Monks probably won’t be so reckless as to gather against me again.’

”Tianhe greets you, Perfected Person!”

Lü Yang had just put away the Myriad-Soul Banner when he saw Qin Tianhe scurry over. Without a word, just like before, he immediately bowed in reverence.

Seeing this, Lü Yang could only offer a helpless smile.

Unlike what happened at the Sea of Balance, he wasn’t a real Perfected. If he just went along with it, things would get very troublesome if he were exposed later.

So, he said decisively, ”Senior Brother, you’ve misunderstood.”

”I am Lü Yang, a newly promoted Direct Disciple, not a Perfected.”

”...Lü Yang?”

Qin Tianhe was stunned. He had discussed this name with his good friend Xu Xin before. But wasn’t that some rookie who had just become a Direct Disciple?

At that moment, the clever brain of a Stain Sect Disciple began to whir furiously.

’First, let’s rule out the possibility that he’s not a Perfected. After all, with your kind of power, you cut down Qi Refiners like grass. Who would believe you if you said you weren’t a Perfected?!’

’...I get it!’

’What ”newly promoted Direct Disciple”? He’s clearly a Perfected who deliberately created a disguised identity specifically for this Battle for the Dao!’

’This man must be the reincarnation of a Stain Sect Perfected! He deliberately took on a new identity, all so he could bully the weak during this Battle for the Dao and ensure our Stain Sect comes out on top... Cunning! Absolutely cunning! Truly worthy of a Perfected Person from our Stain Sect!’

Watching Qin Tianhe’s expression shift constantly, Lü Yang found it a bit strange. ”What are you thinking about?”

At his words, Qin Tianhe snapped back to his senses and hurriedly shook his head. ”No! It’s nothing! The Perfected Person is wise and mighty, and I am filled with endless admiration.”

Lü Yang waved his hand again. ”I already told you, I’m not a Perfected Person.”

Qin Tianhe nodded hurriedly. ”Right, right, right. Not a Perfected Person. Our Stain Sect absolutely did not send a Perfected Person in here. Rest assured, I get it now!”

’This moron. What the hell does he think he gets?’

Lü Yang shook his head. He was about to speak again when his brows suddenly furrowed. His Divine Sense picked something up, and he looked up, gazing toward the distant horizon—

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

A great sound reverberated, like ten thousand armies beating their drums or furious thunder rolling through the sky. It was as if something that had surpassed a certain limit was rapidly approaching.

Then, a golden light slowly rose from the edge of the horizon.

The golden light shot across the land, covering over a thousand miles in a single leap. In an instant, it shone before Lü Yang, then suddenly split apart, revealing layers of light and shadow.

Immediately after, solemn and dignified Monks emerged from the light and shadow. Some held Zen staffs, others wore kasaya robes; some had prayer beads around their necks, while others held golden alms bowls. All of them had strange appearances—some with three heads and six arms, others with a Dharma Eye on their forehead—as they arranged themselves in the air.

The next second, the hundred-odd Monks spoke in unison:

”Amitabha!”

With each of the name’s four syllables, a clap of thunder seemed to explode in the sky. The rolling Thunder Sound echoed, crashing toward the two of them like a tidal wave!

”Ngh!”

Qin Tianhe’s face paled. The Buddhist Sect’s Thunder Sound Technique grew stronger with the number of people using it. With so many Monks speaking at once, the effect on him was considerable.

But just then, Lü Yang took a step forward. His Divine Sense, transformed by the Celestial Silkworm Secret, showed no fear of the howling Thunder Sound of the Buddha’s name.

As he stepped forward and swept his Divine Sense out, all of the sacred sounds instantly dissipated upon entering a three-foot radius around him, as if they had never existed at all.

For a moment, Lü Yang faced a hundred enemies alone, yet he remained perfectly calm and composed.

On the other hand, the leader of the expedition, a Monk named Guang Hui, saw Lü Yang and began to wonder... ’Weren’t there supposed to be dozens, if not hundreds of them?’

”Guang Ming?”

Guang Hui turned around and saw Guang Ming looking embarrassed. Far from moving forward, he was trying to shrink back into the crowd. Guang Hui’s eyes darted, and he instantly understood.

’Another false report?’

”...Bastard!”

Guang Hui cursed under his breath before looking at Lü Yang again. Although Guang Ming had made them mobilize such a large force, it had turned out to be a happy accident.

’If their opponent really could defeat Guang Ming and his dozen or so Monks all by himself, then if our side had underestimated him and only brought a few dozen men, we might not have been able to take him down. But now, with all one hundred and eight Monks of the Naga gathered, this should be foolproof.’

At this thought, Guang Hui suddenly smiled. ”Sir, how about we make a deal?”

”...A deal?”

”That’s right.” Guang Hui pointed at Qin Tianhe and continued, ”Just hand over that Demon behind you, and you are free to leave.”

—This was, of course, nonsense.

In Guang Hui’s view, although Qin Tianhe was far weaker than Lü Yang, he still held a Position. If the two of them teamed up, they might have a slim chance of survival.

However, there was never any unity to speak of among Demons. Faced with the pressure he was exerting, Lü Yang would very likely choose to sell out his fellow sect member. Similar things had happened before.

Therefore, Guang Hui wanted to use this tactic to bluff Lü Yang; it would be ideal if he could drive a wedge between him and Qin Tianhe.

However, Lü Yang just sneered when he heard this.

’To be honest, if I were truly in a desperate situation and could escape with my life by selling out a teammate, I wouldn’t mind doing it. Better you than me, after all.’

’However... the key word there is desperate.’

”You lot are still a long way off from making me sell my peer.”

Lü Yang shook his head, flicked his sleeve, and said with a smile, ”Since you’ve all gone to the trouble of coming here, there’s no need for you to leave. As it happens, I’m in need of talented resources like yourselves.”

Hearing this, Guang Hui’s brow furrowed. ”You are all alone. Must you insist on fighting like a cornered beast?”

”Who the cornered beast is remains to be seen.”

As his voice fell, Guang Hui’s pupils suddenly shrank. He subconsciously looked around and saw that the once-clear sky had, at some unknown point, begun to fill with a black mist.

CLANG! CLANG!

The black mist churned, filled with the incessant sound of clashing armor. Soon, one by one, heavily-armored Shadow Soldiers and Ghost Generals strode out and turned to face the crowd of Monks.

Some even saw among them the figures of the Monks who had died in the earlier battle.

”Junior Brother Yuan Jue?”

”Junior Brother Yuan Hao is there too!”

”What are those things!?”

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

A sound like an earthquake spread out—it was the thunderous roar of tens of thousands of Wu Ghosts marching in unison, spreading across heaven and earth!

Although the Naga that Guang Hui had brought were an elite force of one hundred and eight Monks, the weakest of whom was at the Mid-phase of Qi Refining, they were now surrounded by tens of thousands of Wu Ghosts! Their ranks included every level from the Early-phase of Qi Refining to the Final-phase of Qi Refining. It was like facing an entire small-scale Sect!

’What the fuck are these things!?’

”W-Wait, sir...”

Before Guang Hui could finish, sky-shattering war cries drowned out his voice. A monstrous wave of Yin Evil Qi surged forth, obscuring even the Buddha Light that filled the sky.

Beside Lü Yang, the figure of Progenitor Tingyou materialized once more, a helpless look on his face.

”Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me?”

”My apologies, Progenitor.”

Lü Yang also shook his head. ”After all, I never expected... that after I killed them once, these baldies wouldn’t run away. Instead, they actually dared to strike back.”