Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 655: Chapter 650: Yesterday’s Cause, Today’s Effect

Having received the Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s approval, the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata immediately broke into a smile.

He was not the true Bhagavat, after all, but merely a Tathagata created by the Bhagavat’s Enlightenment. Although his Position was exceptionally high, comparable to a Great Perfected Lord, he still had his limits.

At the very least, if it came to a real fight... he was likely no match for the Taiyin Immortal Venerable.

Therefore, he had known from the very beginning that he had to give away the Void Attainment Position in his hand. If he didn’t, the Taiyin Immortal Venerable would simply take it by force.

Since it had to be done, he might as well make it a gesture of goodwill.

At this thought, the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata tossed the Profound Pearl in his hand to the Taiyin Immortal Venerable. Then, with a flicker of his thought, he returned directly to the Current World.

He was going to capture Lü Yang!

’When I first gained self-awareness, the Bhagavat issued a Decree, ordering me to bring Enlightenment to another fated person.’

’Lü Yang... Du Huan... who is he, really?’

’This man is shrouded in secrets. It’s highly likely he’s the reincarnation of some Saint Sect True Monarch from a distant era. If I can bring him to Enlightenment, it would be a great act of Merit.’

The next second, the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata appeared in the Celestial Mansion.

However, the place was already deserted. The only thing left behind was a single sphere, inside of which was none other than Du Xuan Immortal Monarch, sealed and suppressed by layers of symbolic imagery.

”Hm? He’s gone?”

......

At this moment, Lü Yang was already in the Outer Heaven Sea of Light.

After all, with his keen perception as a Saint Sect True Monarch, how could he possibly be foolish enough to stay put after seeing the Bhagavat? That would be no different from seeking death.

Of course, Lü Yang also knew that escaping into the Outer Heaven Sea of Light wasn’t a guarantee of safety. Thus, the moment he entered the Sea of Light, he dove directly into the Void Land. This place cut off all external perception, making it a natural safe haven. Although he couldn’t stay for long, it would serve as a temporary refuge.

”What do I do now?”

Seated within the Void, Lü Yang couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose. ”Damn that Bhagavat, always chasing me. Looks like I might really have to restart this time.”

The only saving grace was that the one who had appeared was not the Bhagavat’s true body.

Otherwise, the moment his opponent had appeared, he would have had no escape. The fact that he’d managed to get away meant he still had a sliver of hope.

Unless it was his absolute last resort, Lü Yang didn’t want to restart.

’On the bright side, at least the plots and schemes at the Celestial Mansion are now clear. I can give up this life; the next one is when I’ll make my move.’

With this in mind, Lü Yang closed his eyes and began to ponder.

’Where should I go?’

’Returning to the Immortal Pivot... is absolutely out of the question. The Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata is after me; going back would be suicide. But I have nowhere else to go.’

Lü Yang could clearly sense that the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata was not the same entity as the previous Tathagata who had stopped him from Seeking Gold. The ”materials” used to create them were completely different: one was conjured from nothing by the Bhagavat’s Enlightenment, while the other was brought into being using the Corpse of a Master of Dao as nourishment.

’I’m afraid... he’s comparable to a Great Perfected Lord!’

The more Lü Yang thought about it, the more helpless he felt. This crisis was even more absurd than the one with True Monarch Gangxing. It was a clear-cut case of the strong bullying the weak.

How was he supposed to fight this?

As for the Saint Sect Ancestral Master, Lü Yang held out even less hope.

’To have reached this point... I’m afraid I’ve already been cast aside as a pawn. It’s clear that my previous action of quickly securing a Void Attainment Position wasn’t actually that useful.’

True, he had caused some trouble for the Taiyin Immortal Venerable and the Bhagavat.

But he hadn’t broken the stalemate.

’There must have been a better way to handle things. At least, the Saint Sect Ancestral Master thought there was a way, but I just failed to find it, and so I was abandoned.’

Now, he could only rely on himself.

Lü Yang calmed his mind and quieted his breath. From within the Void, he silently extended his senses into the Outer Heaven Sea of Light, carefully examining every realm he had ever visited, searching for a place to land.

’Seven Luminaries Heaven... no.’

’The Ten Thousand Martial Realm... suicide.’

Location after location flashed through Lü Yang’s mind. Yet no matter which one he chose, even if he picked one at random, a tremendous sense of crisis would well up within him.

Such feelings don’t arise from nothing; there had to be a reason.

’Does this mean... I’ve been locked onto by that Enlightened Body of the Bhagavat? That as soon as I leave the Void, he can reach me in an instant, no matter where I go?’

Lü Yang abruptly clenched his fists, his expression turning ugly.

”Fuck!”

......

”Amitabha.”

On the Celestial Mansion’s Ninth Layer, the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata looked up, as if sensing someone’s furious emotions. The smile on his face grew even more compassionate.

”Little benefactor, where do you wish to go?”

”And where could you possibly go?”

”In all the world, only the Star Palace and the Profound Wall could offer you a foothold, and it is inconvenient for me to travel to them... But do you even know the coordinates of those two places?”

The Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata slowly turned the Prayer Beads in his hand, appearing utterly at ease. After all, not even a Perfected Lord could remain in the Void for long. He didn’t have to do anything but wait patiently. In time, Lü Yang would naturally emerge from the Void and become a part of the Bhagavat.

......

In the Void Land, Lü Yang’s eyes snapped open.

”...Huh?”

At that moment, his face was a mask of surprise, because just now, he had suddenly sensed a place with which he shared an immense karmic link.

And when the thought of taking refuge in that place arose, the sense of crisis from being locked onto by the Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata did not reappear.

’A safe place?’

Lü Yang instinctively grew wary. ’This couldn’t be a trap set by the Bhagavat, could it? A reverse-psychology trick where he Refines me the instant I enter?’

That wasn’t impossible!

When it came to the Bhagavat’s depravity, Lü Yang always judged others by his own standards; anything he was capable of doing, the Bhagavat could certainly do as well!

’But... that place is certainly peculiar.’

Back when he was being hunted by True Monarch Gangxing, he had once spat out a mouthful of blood in the Void Land. That blood had subsequently fallen into the Outer Heaven Sea of Light.

And the location he was sensing was the very spot where that mouthful of blood had landed.

At this thought, Lü Yang’s brow furrowed tightly:

’It’s too much of a coincidence.’

’The place where a mouthful of my blood fell just happens to be able to help me avoid an avatar of a Master of Dao, one whose Position is comparable to a Great Perfected Lord? How could such a fortunate thing exist in this world?’

For a moment, Lü Yang hesitated.

’Should I go, or not?’

’Truthfully, I’ve already achieved my goal, so it wouldn’t be a loss to restart now... But if I restart just like this, it would be a terribly inefficient use of the Centome.’

He recalled his younger days, before he had fully integrated into the Stain Sect. His actions had been more impulsive then; he would restart without a second thought. But the more he grew, the more he understood the value of the Centome. It was the very treasure that ensured his survival, absolutely not something he could afford to waste.

’Don’t be fooled by the fact that I still have several dozen pages left.’

’If I truly encounter a situation of certain death or some insurmountable difficulty, I’ll burn through them like water. That’s why I can’t afford to waste even a single page.’

With that thought, Lü Yang made his decision.

He would go!

’Worst comes to worst, I’ll prepare to self-destruct and just restart the moment something feels off... If it really is a trap, then seeing through it ahead of time would be a good thing in itself.’

The next second, Lü Yang focused his spiritual perception.

RUMBLE!

The Void Land trembled. Lü Yang’s figure vanished in an instant, plummeting toward the place where his blood had fallen long ago. At the same time, he pushed his spiritual perception to its limit to get a look.

’That’s...’

Lü Yang’s eyes widened as he saw the place clearly. But what was exceptionally strange was that, looking down from the Void Land, the place looked like—

’...a single... footprint?’

「Meanwhile, on the Celestial Mansion’s Ninth Layer.」

”Hm!?”

The Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata’s eyes snapped open. His originally compassionate and composed face froze slightly, and an indescribable shock surfaced in the depths of his eyes:

’The karmic link... it broke?’