Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Overpowered

The sun and moon shone as one, and the stars blazed in chorus, all standing guard around Lü Yang’s form.

At this moment, all was silent. Lü Yang stood with his hands clasped behind him, not uttering a single word, yet it was as if he stood atop Heaven and Earth itself, the sole existence in the Current World.

In all the world today, no one cultivated the [Fruit of Celestial Fire].

Yet at this moment, all the Foundation-Stage Cultivators and Qi Refiners in the world who cultivated other Fire Fruit Positions—the [Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire], the [Fruit of Mound-Foot Fire], the [Fruit of Mound-Top Fire], the [Fruit of Stove-Inside Fire], the [Fruit of Thunderbolt Fire]—all of them involuntarily fell to their knees, prostrating themselves before the figure high in the dome of the sky!

The [Fruit of Celestial Fire] was the Supreme Venerable of the Fire Element.

It was also the imagery of Emperor’s Qi, of Ruling the World, so it was naturally and utterly tyrannical. It saw all other Fire Fruit Positions as its own vassals and directly commandeered them!

Every Fire Element Cultivator in the world was one of its bearers!

This change caused the once-confident [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] to freeze in place. The [Chengyang Book] in his hands cycled endlessly through its Profound Mysterious transformations.

And yet—it produced nothing.

His [Ten Thousand Transformations] was, in the end, merely an Outer Dao Fruit Position. How could it possibly produce a Profound Mysterious capable of countering the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]? No matter how it transformed, it was like a mayfly trying to shake a great tree!

WHOOSH...!

In the next moment, Lü Yang let his Qi trace unfurl completely. Though this was also a Fake Holding, the feeling the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] gave him was utterly different from the [Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire].

What was an Emperor Fruit?

It wasn’t just a simple disparity in power, but a difference in essence. Compared to other Fire Fruit Positions, the Position of the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] was simply a cut above!

’This is still just a Fake Holding. I’m merely tapping into the [Fruit of Celestial Fire], not yet in complete control of it. To truly grasp the Fruit Position Profound Mysterious of an Emperor Fruit, I’d have to condense a Grotto Heaven and become its true master... Still, even if I can’t unleash its Profound Mysterious abilities, the Fruit Position Imagery alone seems to be more than enough.’

At this thought, Lü Yang finally raised his head to look at the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva].

HISS!

Almost at the same instant, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] sucked in a sharp breath. His figure abruptly dimmed, and with no intention of engaging in Combat, he turned to flee!

”Come back.”

Lü Yang didn’t try to stop him from fleeing. He simply spoke that one phrase. Yet, as his voice faded, a line of text suddenly materialized between Heaven and Earth:

[Those who flee from battle shall be severely punished.]

BOOM!

In the next instant, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva]’s dim figure solidified once more, his expression one of horror. He saw blazing fire appear all around him without any warning. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped and incinerated him, filling his vision with nothing but Bright Light, rendering him completely immobile!

’What is this!?’

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] was horrified. He hurriedly performed a Finger Technique and an Incantation, using the Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell technique to shed his Golden Body, and only then did he ride a ray of Splendid Light to escape the sea of fire.

When he looked back, he saw the Golden Body he had abandoned had already been incinerated to ash.

’This... This...’

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] gritted his teeth. Looking up at the text hanging high in the sky, he finally understood what he had just experienced.

’This rule... It manifested through the Fruit Position Imagery of Ruling the World. If violated, even a Perfected Lord would immediately suffer the Celestial Fire Body Burning Punishment...’

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] was utterly flabbergasted.

’Setting laws for the world. Obey and live, defy and be slain... What tyrannical imagery! And most importantly, it doesn’t just work on Lower Cultivators—it’s effective against Perfected Lords, too!?’

Imagery like this was on par with the Profound Mysterious of an ordinary Fruit Position!

Was there any Celestial Principle left in the world?

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] was horrified but didn’t dare to run again. Just then, another burst of fire erupted in the sky, illuminating a new line of text:

[Those who stubbornly resist shall be severely punished.].

’What?’

Just as the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] was trying to figure out the meaning of this new rule, Lü Yang moved. He simply extended his right hand, made a grasping motion with his fingers, and pulled.

BOOM!

The next moment, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva]’s entire body jolted. The [Chengyang Book] in his hand suddenly went out of control, completely severing its connection to him, its master. Instead, it flew eagerly and joyfully toward Lü Yang, as if defecting to the enemy!

’Mine! It’s all mine!’

’Stop!’

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] gritted his teeth. The [Chengyang Book] was his Innate Ability artifact; he had poured countless efforts into Refining it. How could he possibly let it go so easily?

But in the next instant, he realized:

’Something’s wrong!’

But it was too late. As he forcibly suppressed the [Chengyang Book] to stop Lü Yang’s attempt to Deprive him of it, a bolt of Celestial Fire appeared from nowhere and set him ablaze.

’It’s happening again!’

The Celestial Fire Body Burning Punishment!

A bitter taste filled the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva]’s heart. He now understood the meaning of ’[Those who stubbornly resist shall be severely punished.]’ It meant that in the face of an attack, one could not defend, only accept it. His act of suppressing his artifact had undoubtedly violated this rule, and so the Celestial Fire descended once more, giving him no chance to react!

AHH!

Raging flames burned his body while Bright Light seared his soul. This was no ordinary pain. Even with the willpower of a Perfected Lord, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] could not help but cry out in agony.

But this was merely a release.

As a Pure Land Bodhisattva, an incarnation of the Bhagavat, he had naturally inherited the Bhagavat’s fine tradition: when in pain, one doesn’t simply endure it. He didn’t mind letting out a scream or two.

Thus, he remained perfectly calm.

’Setting laws, Depriving... he Deprives me of my possessions, then sets a law so I can only be robbed... Are all so-called Emperor Fruits this shameless?’

’But even if it is this shameless, it can’t be flawless. There must be a reason... Otherwise, how could a single rule be enough to injure a Perfected Lord?’

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva]’s mind raced. He calculated his karmic links to aid his deductions and quickly reached a conclusion: ’These rules, established through Fruit Position Imagery, must be effective against him as well! That’s the only way the restrictive power of the rules could reach a level capable of harming a Perfected Lord...’

At this thought, he sprang into action.

Counterattack!

In the next instant, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] directly manifested his own Fruit Position. It appeared as a roiling, gray-white mist, seeming to contain a myriad of transformations within it.

BOOM!

A self-sacrificial charge!

Even for an Outer Dao Fruit Position, a self-sacrificial charge was immensely powerful. More importantly, he was banking on the two rules Lü Yang had laid down: one forbidding flight, the other forbidding defense. If those rules applied to Lü Yang as well, then he would have no choice but to take this hit head-on!

Just then, a third burst of fire erupted in the sky:

[Those who engage in violent struggles shall be severely punished.]

BOOM!

The Celestial Fire descended upon him once more. And yet, the [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] did not stop. Instead, he accelerated through the flames.

’Worst case, I’ll just endure this Celestial Fire.’

’But at least I’ll make sure you get hurt!’

Carrying all his hopes, his [Ten Thousand Transformations] Fruit shot straight forward, about to smash into Lü Yang. But just then, a smile touched Lü Yang’s lips.

In the next instant, Lü Yang’s figure flickered.

The [Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva] could only watch as his [Ten Thousand Transformations] Fruit, in which he had placed so much hope, struck nothing but air. A look of utter disbelief filled his eyes.

’How could this be...’

He instinctively looked up at the three rules in the sky. He saw that while ’[Those who engage in violent struggles shall be severely punished.]’ remained, the other two had simply vanished... For a moment, he felt his chest tighten, a thousand emotions caught in his throat, leaving him speechless.

Finally, they could only resolve into a single thought:

’You absolute bastard...!’

His guess hadn’t been wrong. The rules were indeed effective against Lü Yang... it’s just that Lü Yang could also cancel them whenever he pleased.

How the hell was he supposed to fight this?

The [Fruit of Celestial Fire]?

Completely broken!