Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 665: Chapter 660: Trial 1, the Human World

Dragon Map’s soul scattered and dissipated.

It was utterly without suspense. Even though he had a few trump cards left, all his struggles were futile under the oppressive Position of a Perfected Lord.

Lü Yang then waved his hand.

His motion was as casual as brushing away a speck of dust. Demon Subduing Zhenren’s figure instantly vanished, as if he had never been there at all.

As for the Ten Emperor Venerable, he had supported them with his own blood, after all. Lü Yang, being a benevolent person, didn’t intend to kill them. He took out the Righteous Banner and transformed it into an Immortal Sect gate that stood in the air. Once these Emperor Venerables willingly became Banner Spirits, with him protecting their True Spirits, it could be considered a form of eternal life.

”Sigh, I’m just too righteous.”

Having done all this, Lü Yang turned his gaze to the palace complex before him. After a moment’s thought, he entered the same pavilion Demon Subduing Zhenren had emerged from.

RUMBLE!

The next moment, the pavilion doors slammed shut. Lü Yang stood inside, scanning his surroundings, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. Only his Spiritual Sense faintly thrummed.

’Looks like the trial isn’t in this pavilion.’

’Do I need to sense for it?’

Lü Yang frowned. He considered summoning Progenitor Tingyou to ask about it, but unfortunately, Progenitor Tingyou was now a Perfected Lord and couldn’t appear in this place.

’This place forbids Perfected Lords. The Progenitor and the others have fallen into a deep slumber, their Qi traces isolated. Coupled with the fact that they are Banner Spirits, they were able to sneak in with me by deceiving the heavens. If I wake them, they won’t be able to conceal themselves as I can, which would probably provoke a violent backlash from this place. The danger would be considerable.’

At this thought, Lü Yang felt a wave of helplessness.

This damned place won’t let me use my Talent Skill at all!

Dammit!

After a long moment, Lü Yang reined in his thoughts, sat down right there in the pavilion, and closed his eyes, sensing every inch of the space around him.

’No, perhaps I should try a different angle.’

Lü Yang’s eyebrow raised. He remembered what Dragon Map had said—that the trials of this Celestial Human Residual Consciousness were likely formed spontaneously by the Sea of Suffering.

’In that case, I shouldn’t view it with ordinary perception.’

’I have to peer into the Sea of Suffering!’

At that thought, a Divine Light flashed in Lü Yang’s eyes as he reached out to sense the Sea of Suffering. In the next instant, the pavilion before him changed dramatically.

’Something about this feels fake...’

Lü Yang looked astonished. The pavilion had seemed perfectly real to his normal sight, but now that he was viewing it through the Sea of Suffering, it had become illusory.

’So that’s how it is. This is the true threshold for the trial. You have to at least reach the Pursuing the Dao level, to be capable of perceiving the Sea of Suffering, to even qualify. Otherwise, you’d come all this way just to leave empty-handed... That’s why that Dragon Map guy dared to suggest we team up.’

’He really underestimated me!’

Of course, Lü Yang understood. After all, not every Perfected Lord could perceive the Sea of Suffering.

Demon Subduing Zhenren was likely the same. As a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, without Dragon Map acting as his personal guide, he wouldn’t have even been qualified to face the trial.

The next moment, the world before Lü Yang’s eyes shattered completely.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing atop a Cloud Peak. Winds howled around him amid swirling clouds, and a bright, clear sky stretched overhead.

An intangible understanding surfaced in his mind.

[Human World].

Lü Yang looked around, curious. ’The first trial is called the Human World. What’s so ”human” about it?’

In the next instant, a young, black-robed Cultivator emerged from the roiling mist. A single glance revealed his Position to be that of Foundation Establishment Perfection.

”Greetings, Daoist.”

Seeing him, Lü Yang cupped his hands in a polite gesture. ”Excuse me, but what’s the mystery behind this Human World?”

The black-robed Cultivator gave Lü Yang a long look and smiled. ”A newcomer, I see. The mystery? Kill me, and you’ll understand...”

RUMBLE!

Instantly, a giant hand descended from the heavens. The black-robed Cultivator had no time to react. The cold sneer was still on his lips when Lü Yang’s palm shattered his skull. His Soul was crushed in the same motion, and his figure disintegrated, collapsing into an abstract image before vanishing completely.

”But... I still don’t get it.”

Lü Yang frowned deeply, lamenting the wickedness of people’s hearts. He had clearly killed the guy, but the man had still lied to him. It really was hard to be a good person in this day and age.

The very next moment, however, Lü Yang’s eyebrows arched.

After the black-robed young man died, Lü Yang suddenly felt... lighter. His Soul and Spiritual Space felt clearer, and his thoughts flowed more smoothly.

”What is this?”

Lü Yang was surprised. But before he could figure it out, the Cloud Sea roiled once more, and a second challenger appeared. He, too, was at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

’Hmm... why are they all at Foundation Establishment Perfection?’

A smug look slowly spread across Lü Yang’s face. ’Right,’ he thought, ’besides me, who else could possibly sneak in here with the Cultivation of a Perfected Lord?’

’It’s only normal that they’re all at Foundation Establishment Perfection!’

”I am Qing River, a Cultivator of the Star Palace.”

The second challenger had a scholarly air, holding a folding fan. He didn’t rush to attack after appearing. Instead, he looked at Lü Yang and let out a soft chuckle.

”May I ask where you hail from, Daoist?”

RUMBLE!

Lü Yang couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries with a Lower Cultivator. Just like before, he slapped his palm out, instantly flattening his opponent into a meat pancake. The Dharma Body and Soul then disintegrated.

Witnessing this, Lü Yang’s mind grew even clearer, but a question arose: ’These people’s bodies are constructed entirely from concepts, not like living beings... They must be formed from the Liu Ying of Cultivators who entered the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness in the past. They’re no different from clones.’

’If I’m destroying them now, will it affect their original bodies?’

......

「Star Palace, Cyan Dragon Star.」

High above the Ten Thousand Lands Realm hung the Horned Wood Jiao Star Map. Within the map, a Celestial Palace floated in the void. Past nine tiers of Gold steps stood a magnificent, towering hall.

Inside the great hall, a young man sat cross-legged.

He had been meditating, regulating his breathing. His Qi trace was in perfect harmony with the Horned Wood Jiao Star Map. With each breath he took, the vital energy of the Star Sea surged toward him—a truly spectacular scene.

The next moment, however, the young man’s body suddenly trembled. His eyes flew open, and with a lurch, he tumbled from the Dao Platform with a THUD. His fair face turned beet red as he struggled to endure something. After a long moment, he could no longer hold it back and spewed a mouthful of essence blood.

”AAARGH—!”

The young man coughed up what felt like gallons of blood. It was a long time before he recovered, his face a mask of terror. ”Such a powerful Curse Killing Technique... Who is trying to harm me? And why?”

Had he not already attained the Position of Star Monarch, he feared he would be dead right now!

How could this be?

The young man scrambled back onto the Dao Platform. After regulating his breathing for another moment, he channeled his Mana and began to silently perform a divination. His expression slowly darkened.

’So that’s how it is... To think that entering the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness back then would have such a repercussion. Some up-and-coming junior must have destroyed my Liu Ying, causing this backlash to my true self... But that shouldn’t be possible. My Liu Ying is incredibly powerful, practically peerless among those at Foundation Establishment. How could someone actually destroy it?’

This wasn’t just arrogant boasting.

It was a simple fact. When he had entered the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness all those years ago, he had carried a Secret Treasure capable of unleashing the Mighty Power of a Star Monarch in a pinch.

The Liu Ying would be a perfect copy of his record from that time.

So, theoretically, it would be impossible to destroy his Liu Ying unless the opponent had a similarly profound background—like having a Star Monarch for a father, just as he did.

Besides, the Liu Ying is sentient.

Combat in the Human World doesn’t have to be a life-or-death struggle. Knowing its own personality, it would have tried to talk to the opponent first to find a mutually beneficial outcome.

’Given what happened, does this mean the other party attacked without even letting the Liu Ying speak?’

’It couldn’t be a Demon from the Immortal Pivot, could it?’

The young man’s brow furrowed with suspicion, but it soon relaxed. ”Ah, well. The Human World trial has been a dead end for ages anyway.”

’A person who acts so violently... the further they get, the faster they’ll die!’