Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Imperial Dragon Chariot

High in the sky, Perfected Huan Wu was fleeing in a sorry state.

The blood droplets, which scattered across half of the Skull Mountains like fiery shooting stars, were in fact shards of his Dao Foundation—the culmination of his life’s Cultivation.

But right now, he couldn’t afford to worry about any of that.

’If I don’t run now, I’m going to die here!’

In an instant, his surging qi and blood transformed into a long rainbow streaking across the sky, about to fly beyond the Skull Mountains. But just then, another white light flashed through the air.

The next second, Perfected Huan Wu found himself back in front of Lü Yang.

Lü Yang was about to strike again with his sword but suddenly froze. He saw that Perfected Huan Wu’s expression was now vacant and his pupils were dim. The body was just an empty shell.

’He left his body behind and his Soul fled?’

Lü Yang furrowed his brow. Within the golden auspicious cloud above his head, the shimmering form of his Innate Ability grew brighter, seeming on the verge of fully manifesting from within the cloud.

In the end, however, Lü Yang let out a long breath of Muddy Qi, retracted his Ability, and decided not to give chase. Although he was certain he could catch his opponent, doing so would mean he could no longer conceal his Innate Ability, and any onlookers would easily be able to gauge the extent of his powers.

’Forget it.’

With that thought, Lü Yang gave up the chase and released his grip on the Abi Sword. The blade slipped from his hand and spun gracefully in the air.

The next second, a red light flared.

A little girl of about eight or nine, dressed in a red padded jacket with her hair in braids that stuck straight up, emerged from the light. She looked at Perfected Huan Wu’s body and couldn’t help but pout.

She had taken action again after so many years, only to fail to kill her opponent. How could she not lose face? Seeing Lü Yang’s contemplative expression, she grew even more worried that he would look down on her and hurriedly said, ”If I hadn’t been injured and was still recovering, I definitely would have killed that Perfected Person!”

Hearing this, Lü Yang turned his gaze back to the Abi Sword’s spirit.

”...You can get stronger?”

”Of course!”

At this, the little girl placed her hands on her hips, raised her head proudly, and declared, ”I specialize in shattering a Cultivator’s Dao Foundation, and devouring them also increases my power.”

As she spoke, the girl seemed to recall her glorious past, gesticulating wildly. ”It doesn’t even take that many! Just let me devour eight or ten of them—even if they’re only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment—and I can recover thirty percent of my power and manifest a Divine Effect. I guarantee you’ll be invincible among your peers!”

”Oh.”

Faced with the girl’s boasting, Lü Yang simply nodded nonchalantly. With a wave of his hand, he tucked the girl, who was about to say more, back into his sleeve.

He wasn’t interested in being invincible among his peers.

After all, why would he fight an opponent on even footing when he could just crush someone weaker?

Of course, this didn’t mean he didn’t value combat power. He had fought fiercely with Perfected Huan Wu and even used his Innate Ability precisely to test his own strength.

After all, it was better to have the power and not need it than to need it and not have it.

’And this Innate Ability of mine... it’s truly extraordinary!’

Lü Yang looked within himself. There, in his Foundation Establishment Realm, deep within the golden auspicious cloud that was his Dao Foundation, rested a chariot forged entirely from gold and jade.

Pulling this chariot were four Flood Dragons with ethereal forms, breathing clouds and mist as they let out roars like wind and thunder. Surrounding the chariot stood twelve great banners, followed by a retinue of various attendant carriages like the gold and ivory chariots.

The sight was solemn and majestic.

This was Lü Yang’s Innate Ability, named the Imperial Dragon Chariot. As for its effects, the feedback he received from the Ability could be summarized in a single phrase.

”By practicing and speaking the Dao, one’s principles are made manifest throughout Heaven and Earth, enabling Separation, Determination, Differentiation, and Justification!”

As the description implied, this Innate Ability possessed four Divine Effects. Although they couldn’t be used simultaneously, each one held immense power.

The one Lü Yang had been using so far was Separation.

It was based on the concept of intimacy and distance: bringing the close nearer, and pushing the distant further away. The function of this Divine Effect was to determine the degree of closeness between himself and another person, thereby altering the distance between them.

Whether it was sending Master Yu Shu of the Stain Sect away, dodging Perfected Huan Wu’s fatal axe strike, or even severely wounding him, all those instances of seemingly teleporting at will were the effects of Separation. While it had no direct offensive power, it made Lü Yang’s Combat style incredibly flexible.

It was also very convenient for escaping.

After all, the range of this Ability was unimaginably vast.

As long as someone was entangled with him through karmic links, he could use this Ability to travel to them instantly, regardless of the distance. The only limiting factor was the amount of Mana it would consume.

That was why he had been so certain he could catch up to Perfected Huan Wu.

He suspected that Arhat Fulong’s ability to appear at the precise moment he sensed Lü Yang’s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was likely due to a similar Profound Mysterious effect of his own Innate Ability.

The remaining three Divine Effects were equally unique.

Determination governed karmic links. When the outcome of a major event was still uncertain, he could use this Divine Effect to forcefully steer it toward his desired result.

This Divine Effect was exceptionally good at influencing karmic links. The more numerous and weighty the karmic links involved, the more Mana it consumed to force an outcome. In return, however, this Ability could eliminate all variables, ensuring that a desired event would absolutely come to pass.

Of course, doing so would inevitably entangle him in the corresponding karmic links.

And that was where Differentiation came in.

As its name implied, this art distinguished between self and other. ’You are you, and I am I. What have your actions to do with me?’ It was specifically used to sever karmic links with others.

Once severed, the other party’s karmic links could no longer affect him.

For instance, Lü Yang estimated that once he broke through to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, he could use this Ability to perform a Divine Cutting of the karmic debt that came with the Abi Sword.

Therefore, Differentiation was often used in conjunction with Determination.

If his Cultivation was high enough and his Mana was strong enough, he could even use this Divine Effect to remain untouched by karmic links and untainted by Tribulation. That would be true freedom and liberation!

As for the last one, Justification, it was even more domineering.

Justification was not about commonly accepted right and wrong, but about the right and wrong determined by one’s own heart. ’If I say it is so, then it is so.’ The right and wrong of all matters under Heaven could be decided by his word alone!

However, as domineering as this Divine Effect was, its effects were greatly diminished against those of the same Stage. Its true power lay in its use against those of lower Stages. Then, his words become law. Used to its full potential, a single sentence from him could increase a Qi Refiner’s chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment by ten percent!

”The Imperial Dragon Chariot.”

Lü Yang stood upon the wind, his expression calm as he mused to himself:

’Innate Abilities are not formed randomly. They are generally based on one’s Dao Foundation, with the Soul guiding their direction. The resulting Innate Ability is the one most suited to the individual.’

’Therefore, even with the same type of Dao Foundation, different Cultivators will have slightly different Innate Abilities.’

’And my Innate Ability...’

Looking at these four Abilities—escaping, shifting blame, severing ties... not a single one was for direct combat. In a way, they really did match his personality.

’Moreover, my Innate Ability has a full four Divine Effects.’

’Compared to me, that Perfected Huan Wu only had one Divine Effect. Is this due to the difference in our Dao Foundations? Or is it because I achieved a Perfect Foundation Establishment?’

Just then, the approach of three Qi traces startled Lü Yang from his thoughts.

He turned to see the three Foundation-Stage Cultivators the Stain Sect had sent to assist him in exterminating the Divine Martial Sect. They were standing a short distance away with reserved expressions.

”Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yuan Tu.”

One of the Perfected Persons stepped forward and praised him, ”Fellow Daoist, with your Perfect Foundation Establishment, numerous artifacts, and extraordinary Abilities, it seems the outcome of our campaign against the Divine Martial Sect is already decided.”

”You’re too kind...”

Lü Yang returned the courtesy. From among the three Perfected Persons, a middle-aged man with a square-jawed face, a long, flowing beard, and a rather noble air about him stepped forward.

”I am Yu Du.”

The man first bowed in courtesy, then said with a smile, ”Yu Shu is a junior of my family. He offended you previously, and I have come especially to apologize.”

As he said this, his eyes grew eager, and he added impatiently, ”This is not a suitable place to speak at length.”

”Fellow Daoist Yuan Tu, why don’t we go inside and speak in private?”

Fearing Lü Yang might refuse, he quickly added via voice transmission, ”...It concerns the Fruit of Rampart Earth, and your future Dao path, Fellow Daoist!”

”...Oh?”

At these words, Lü Yang’s eyes narrowed.