Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Starting Over Again, Breaking Through to the Mid-phase

[Faced with a pincer attack from the Daoist Remnant and the Pure Land, you chose a third path: to boldly self-destruct. Your life can only be described as legendary.]

[Current Available Leaves of Centome: 92]

[Upon restarting your life, you may choose one of the following rewards from your previous life:

One: Artifacts.

Two: Cultivation.

Three: Lifespan.

Four: Forfeit all rewards and awaken a random Talent Skill based on your previous life’s experiences.]

On Luofeng Mountain, Lü Yang opened his eyes, but it took him a long while to come back to his senses. The image of a pair of golden eyes, overflowing with Buddha Light, was seared into his mind.

It was as if the whistling wind at the mountain’s peak had ceased to exist. The only sound Lü Yang could hear was his own heart pounding violently in terror. Sweat dripped down his body, soaking him through in moments. His mouth hung slightly open, his breathing hitched as if he’d forgotten how.

After a long time, Lü Yang managed to squeeze a sound from his throat.

”Holy...!”

’What the hell was that thing at the end!? It obviously wasn’t the woman in white, nor was it that Perfected Lord from the Pure Land. It was someone else entirely!’

In a flash, a thought surfaced: ’...Bhagavat?’

Lü Yang felt a chill creep into his Heart Spirit. A Perfected Lord, a Bodhisattva of the Pure Land, should have, strictly speaking, already reached the extreme of ”Brahma and I are One.”

In other words, every Pure Land Bodhisattva who appeared to have their own consciousness had likely long ago refined themselves into an incarnation for the Bhagavat. As long as the Pure Land Bhagavat willed it, he could possess their bodies at any time. And the Mighty Power of the [Centome] had clearly alarmed that very Bhagavat!

’He could even fucking talk!’

Lü Yang gasped for breath, the terror in his heart not subsiding until much later. His wariness of the Pure Land, however, had risen to a whole new level.

Not long ago, he had been lamenting that things were going ”too smoothly.”

But then came the Daoist Remnant, then a Perfected Lord, and finally, even the Pure Land Bhagavat showed up, instantly crushing the pride that had just begun to swell within him.

’This world is too dangerous!’

’The vast power gaps between Realms are one thing, but the real problem is that those Great Powers fucking love to smash weaklings. Every last one of them shamelessly comes to the Newbie Village to smurf.’

At this thought, Lü Yang instantly made a decision:

’This [Fruit of Rampart Earth]... to hell with it!’

’The karmic links are too heavy! I’m just in the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, and I’m already being targeted by a goddamn Perfected Lord. How am I supposed to live like this? I’d better find a way to jump ship and run while I still can.’

Lü Yang had already formulated a plan.

’First, I’ll raise my Cultivation as much as possible at the second Anchor Point and uncover the secrets of the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm. I need to see if it’s really possible to cultivate the so-called Mahayana First Grade True Qi.’

’Then, I’ll see if there are any schemes from Primal Daoists pulling the strings in the background.’

’If there are no issues, or if I find a way to deal with them, I’ll take the cultivation method for Mahayana First Grade True Qi and return to the first Anchor Point to start over!’

’To hell with that trash Ninefold Dragon Metamorphosis! It only gives Third Grade Qi. I don’t want it anymore!’

’Next time, I’ll start with First Grade True Qi and the experience of Foundation Establishment. It won’t take long to regain my level. That will be the true, wide-open path of the Great Dao!’

At the same time, Lü Yang learned a lesson:

’My cheat is still not strong enough!’

Thinking of this, Lü Yang grit his teeth and opened the [Centome]’s interface. This time, he chose the second Anchor Point, where he was at his peak.

[Name: Lü Yang]

[Lifespan: 100 years]

[Cultivation: Early Stage of Foundation Establishment]

[Talent Skills: Cultivation Genius (White), Got a Pair (Purple)]

[Dao Foundation: Imperial Dragonrise Foundation]

[Abilities: Imperial Dragon Chariot (Separation, Determination, Differentiation, Justification)]

[Artifacts: Primal Qi (Upper Grade Rare Treasure), Myriad-Soul Banner (Superior Sentient Artifact), Abi Sword (Superior Sentient Artifact), Prophetic Orrery (Superior Sentient Artifact), Soul-Devouring Gourd (Middle Grade Sentient Artifact)]

[Available Leaves of Centome: 92]

[Anchor Point Number: 0]

Without any hesitation, Lü Yang chose [Artifacts] and exchanged for the Earth Qi he had worked so hard to obtain in his previous life.

He could have chosen a Talent Skill, but that would have meant he’d have to go overseas again.

’Too dangerous. Better to play it safe.’

Soon, a wisp of ethereal smoke, without cause or effect, settled into Lü Yang’s palm.

’Now that I have the Earth Qi, I don’t need to go searching for opportunities overseas anymore. I can start preparing to break through to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment right away!’

Lü Yang already had a plan for this.

First, he planned to replicate his actions from his previous life.

First, outlive Arhat Fulong.

Then, join the family of the Master of Heaven Mending Peak and obtain Chen Shuqian’s Cyan Simurgh Noon Fire.

This time, Lü Yang wasted no time. After using the Cyan Simurgh Noon Fire to heal his injuries, he decisively began to merge with the Earth of Wu and prepared himself mentally.

’This breakthrough is, strictly speaking, a bit risky. I don’t know the nature of the Tribulation for reaching the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, or how powerful the [Yin Fire] will be, so failure is a possibility... But it doesn’t matter. If I fail, I can just start over and pick a Talent Skill this time.’

Under his deliberate replication, this life’s experiences weren’t much different from the last.

Although he skipped the part where he went overseas, outliving Arhat Fulong and his public triumph with the family of the Master of Heaven Mending Peak still made his name ring throughout the Stain Sect.

’The Talent Skill born from this should be pretty good.’

’Let’s go for it!’

With that thought, Lü Yang cast aside his remaining worries. His Dao Foundation manifested, and with four dragons pulling a chariot, the magnificent [Imperial Dragon Chariot] appeared within his Foundation Establishment Realm.

Immediately after, the Earth Qi appeared.

One of the four Flood Dragons before the [Imperial Dragon Chariot]’s carriage raised its neck and, without hesitation, swallowed the wisp of Earth Qi.

’The first of the Heavenly Stems, fused!’

Lü Yang’s brow furrowed as he carefully sensed the changes in his Dao Foundation and Innate Ability. Soon, he discovered that one of the Profound Mysteries of his Innate Ability was stirring.

’Is this... [Differentiation]?’

Lü Yang pinched his fingers, his mind racing as he made a quick calculation. ’For this breakthrough, I specifically chose 3:00 AM. At this time, the Qi of the Earth Evil Position [Yin Wood] is at its most abundant.’

Fusing with a Heavenly Stem at this moment perfectly corresponds to the Earth of Wu meeting [Yin Wood].

The Innate Divine Technique born from this

is called [Embracing Mountain]!

’To embrace the one and guard the center before the dawn of creation, allowing one to differentiate the similar from the dissimilar... I see. The Innate Divine Technique actually corresponds to the Profound Mysteries of the Innate Ability!’

Understanding dawned in Lü Yang’s mind.

’Why is it said that only those with Third Grade Qi have a hope of reaching the Golden Core?’

’Because only a Dao Foundation built with Third Grade Qi will have an Innate Ability with four Profound Mysteries, allowing it to fully accommodate four Innate Divine Techniques!’

’But for those below Third Grade, from the weak like Perfected Huan Wu of the Divine Martial Sect to the strong like Wu Cang, they have either one or three Profound Mysteries. Not only is there a gap in their current strength compared to me, but their future paths are also set in stone. They can never reach Foundation Establishment Perfection, let alone ascend to Seek Gold.’

Just then, Lü Yang suddenly felt a chill start from the soles of his feet.

’...It’s here!’

Lü Yang instantly held his breath and focused his mind, watching as a black flame spontaneously erupted from his Yongquan acupoint and surged toward his Mud Wall Palace.

Wherever the [Yin Fire] passed, his five organs were incinerated!

Seeing this, Lü Yang remained calm. On one hand, the [Yin Fire] burned his Dharma Body; on the other, the Cyan Simurgh Noon Fire constantly repaired it. The two thus formed a delicate balance.

During this process, the [Yin Fire] also enveloped his Dao Foundation, as if performing Alchemy. The Dao Foundation was the furnace, while the Innate Ability and the wisp of Earth Qi were the ingredients within. If he could endure until the Earth Qi transformed into an Innate Divine Technique, he would have passed the Tribulation.

However, as time passed, the speed of his recovery gradually began to fall behind the speed of the burning.

’My Cyan Simurgh Noon Fire alone isn’t enough...’

Fortunately, he had another trick up his sleeve.

Lü Yang sighed and immediately called Chen Shuqian in.

「Ten days later.」

Lü Yang walked out of the seclusion chamber, looking refreshed and invigorated. ”Ten days of bitter cultivation, countless hours of effort and sweat... I’ve finally succeeded!”

As his voice fell, a towering mountain shadow suddenly materialized within his [Imperial Dragonrise Foundation], which was shrouded in layers of auspicious golden clouds inside his Foundation Establishment Realm.

The Innate Divine Technique, [Embracing Mountain], was forged!

Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment!