Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Fei Xue’s Breakthrough, The 5 Tiers of Perfected Lords

Lü Yang had to admit, for a fleeting moment, he was tempted.

However, he quickly and decisively abandoned the thought. After all, he was aiming for the Nascent Soul realm, his heart set on the Great Dao. How could he possibly choose to anchor himself to someone else’s Grotto Heaven?

”I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Senior.”

Lü Yang waved his hand, politely refusing, ”The imagery of the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] is special; it cannot bow to another. If I were to anchor my Grotto Heaven, I’m afraid it would rebel.”

”What’s so difficult about that?”

World Purger Fei Xue chuckled lightly. ”It’s merely a matter of your imagery not being strong enough. As long as you engage in Dual Cultivation with me, with me taking the lead and suppressing you, you can anchor your Grotto Heaven during the process. With that kind of imagery, I expect even the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] would be helpless, forced to submit to me, just like you.”

Lü Yang: ”...”

As soon as she said this, Lü Yang’s expression visibly hardened, and his face tensed up. ’I knew it! You want to beat me until I kneel!’

’Do you think I’ll agree just because you’re beautiful?’

’Let me tell you, you’ve misjudged me!’

In the next second, however, World Purger Fei Xue shook her head. ”Forget it. The [Fruit of Celestial Fire] is, after all, intensely fierce, and my [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water] has not yet ascended to the Supreme Venerable position.”

”Besides, I have no prior experience with this.”

”If we really were to engage in Dual Cultivation and you insisted on resisting, I might not be able to suppress you. If you managed to turn the tables on me, it would not only be unhelpful for our cultivation, but actually harmful.”

Lü Yang fell silent upon hearing this.

Of course, the talk of Dual Cultivation wasn’t important. What mattered was the deeper meaning behind World Purger Fei Xue’s words. ”Senior... you wish to change the Supreme Venerable position?”

”And why not?”

World Purger Fei Xue smiled. ”Among the Five Elements, water has no constant form. The Supreme Venerable position is the easiest to change. If the [Fruit of Sky-River Water] can hold it, why can’t my [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water]?”

The moment her voice fell, World Purger Fei Xue’s Qi trace began to rise steadily. The entire Crimson Water Cave Heaven rumbled violently. High in the sky, the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water] erupted in a splendid light, followed by a profound and mysterious power of clarity that seemed capable of washing away all the filth in the world.

In the middle of their conversation, she had actually begun her breakthrough!

’So decisive...’

Seeing this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but marvel at World Purger Fei Xue’s swift and decisive nature. She said she’d break through today, and she was breaking through today, showing no hesitation even after his rejection.

BOOM!

In the next second, the nearby True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo also released her Qi trace. Beside the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water], a Fruit Position Star began to shine:

[Fruit of Mulberry-Thorn Wood]!

「Meanwhile, on Holy Fire Cliff.」

Minor Metal stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water] and [Fruit of Mulberry-Thorn Wood] appearing in the sky. His face, once full of anticipation, now showed a hint of disappointment.

”He didn’t agree...? Right, after all, what he achieved was an Emperor Fruit.”

Anchor his Grotto Heaven, and his path on the Dao would be severed.

For Minor Metal, this was actually unacceptable. Unfortunately, his debt of gratitude to World Purger Fei Xue was simply too great; he could not refuse to repay this karmic link.

Although as a Saint Sect True Monarch, he was known for not keeping his promises.

But World Purger Fei Xue’s power was too immense. If he really didn’t repay her, he was guaranteed to be beaten by her until he did. So, on second thought, it was better to just pay her back.

”So be it, so be it.”

Minor Metal sighed internally, though he wasn’t too dejected. After all, compared to a Foundation-Stage Cultivator, a Perfected Lord’s greatest advantage was a near-eternal lifespan.

Fortune was an exception to the rule.

Generally speaking, even for someone in the Early Stage of Golden Core, as long as their Divine Soul wasn’t obliterated in a great calamity, the probability of them returning to their position after reincarnation was nearly one hundred percent.

’With her ambition as a True Monarch, she is bound to seek the Dao in the future. And for someone whose heart is set on the Great Dao, a Fruit will only become a burden that must eventually be discarded. When the True Monarch seeks the Dao, regardless of success or failure, I will regain my freedom. Before that, the proper course of action is to continuously accumulate my cultivation.’

At this thought, Minor Metal no longer hesitated.

BOOM!

In the next second, a candlelight rose from above Minor Metal’s head. Within the light, All Phenomena were displayed in a myriad of splendid colors—it was precisely his refined Dongyang Hidden Observation Grotto Heaven!

At the same time, another Fruit appeared beside the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water].

[Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire]!

Water, fire, wood—the three Fruits intertwined, seeming to transform into a massive Alchemy Furnace, about to concoct a perfect and Flawless Golden Core!

And during this process, World Purger Fei Xue’s already immense Qi trace began to grow exponentially. In an instant, it seemed to break through some invisible barrier. Though she was clearly standing right in front of Lü Yang, she gave him a feeling of being Piaomiao and transcendent, as if her True Body stood in another world.

’Late Stage of Golden Core!’

In the world today, there was no one at Golden Core Perfection. It wasn’t even certain that such a realm existed. After all, even Ang Xiao was only at the Late Stage of Golden Core cultivation.

Therefore, the Late Stage of Golden Core was the absolute peak!

Meanwhile, Lü Yang personally witnessed the many images emerging from World Purger Fei Xue, which she was clearly revealing intentionally for him to observe.

However, what surprised Lü Yang was—

’Besides the imagery related to the [Fruit of Gully-Rill Water], there’s actually another one... This imagery is the most vast, the largest in scale, and it even encompasses Heaven and Earth...’

The imagery was simple: [Five Thousand Years of Fighting Number One]!

This was an affirmation of World Purger Fei Xue’s talent, and also her greatest achievement. It was so widely acknowledged by all the True Monarchs in the world that it had actually formed its own imagery!

’No, that’s not right!’

’This imagery is crucial. Five Thousand Years of Fighting Number One, an imagery that encompasses Heaven and Earth... is this the secret to World Purger Fei Xue’s cultivation being so far beyond ordinary people’s?’

Lü Yang’s eyes shone brightly, his fingers hidden in his sleeves constantly making calculations. ’An imagery that encompasses Heaven and Earth, acknowledged by the world, engraving one’s own imagery between Heaven and Earth... Doing so is of immense benefit to a True Monarch’s cultivation. World Purger Fei Xue must have relied on this to be invincible among True Monarchs.’

In Lü Yang’s view, below the Late Stage of Golden Core, the strength of True Monarchs could be roughly divided into five grades.

The Fifth Grade consisted of Outer Dao True Monarchs and those with a Fake Golden Position. Although they were far beyond Foundation Establishment cultivators, they were basically looked down upon by everyone at the True Monarch Level.

The Fourth Grade was the likes of True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde.

They were relatively weak among True Monarchs. Stunning Outer Dao cultivators like Progenitor Tingyou, or incarnations created through the Enlightenment of a Master of Dao like the True Body Tathagata, could rival them.

The third grade represented the level of most True Monarchs.

Having been polished by the passage of time and with increased cultivation, in addition to their Fruit Position Imagery and profound mysteries, they had also successfully refined a few True Treasures from them to protect their Dao.

The second grade was the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

They had mastered their own Seeking Dao Immortal Technique, their Grotto Heavens were immune to falling, and they could resurrect infinitely. Compared to True Monarchs below the second grade, their lead was like a cliff’s edge.

And Lü Yang assessed his own current combat power to be somewhere between the second and third grades.

Relying on the imagery and profound mysteries of the [Fruit of Celestial Fire], few third-grade True Monarchs were his match. Second-grade True Monarchs might win a battle, but not the war.

As for the first grade, that was World Purger Fei Xue.

So far, Lü Yang had only ever met one such person. She was simply invincible, her cultivation already at the level of a Great Perfected Lord. All she needed was to gather the required Fruits to break through.

At this thought, a sudden realization dawned on Lü Yang. ’This so-called five-grade system for True Monarchs doesn’t actually have a decisive difference in Position. It’s just my personal classification—not only is it subjective, but the boundaries between grades are very fluid. It hasn’t been acknowledged by the world, let alone been able to influence Heaven and Earth.’

However, given time, if he, too, could be like World Purger Fei Xue and make the concept of ”Five Grades of True Monarchs” acknowledged by Heaven and Earth, and even evolve it into a real difference in Position...

Then perhaps he too could reach her level!

’Thinking about it, didn’t Ang Xiao also use a faked death to deceive the whole world while at the Late Stage of Golden Core? In a sense, that also counts as influencing Heaven and Earth...’

Lü Yang’s mood suddenly grew fervent:

’This, perhaps, is also an advantage of an Emperor Fruit!’

’The reason World Purger Fei Xue was able to make ”Five Thousand Years of Fighting Number One” so deeply ingrained in people’s minds and acknowledged by Heaven and Earth was that she achieved it by surviving a brush with death to defeat a Mid-phase opponent while at a lower stage.’

’However, Ang Xiao didn’t need to go through so much trouble... and neither do I!’

’Ang Xiao achieved his faked death by relying on the [Veil of the Trees]. But I have the [Engraving Laws]. Influencing Heaven and Earth would be effortless for me.’

The only drawback was that his current cultivation wasn’t high enough.

His cultivation was too low, and his understanding of the Middle Stage of Golden Core wasn’t deep enough. That was why he couldn’t immediately engrave the concept of the ”Five Grades of True Monarchs” into Heaven and Earth.

But at least he now had a direction.

Just then, a clear sound that pierced Heaven and Earth broke Lü Yang’s train of thought. High in the sky, the Golden Core refined from the three Fruits was finally forged.