Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 669: Chapter 664: Gasp

Ang Xiao’s projection was still pondering, but Lü Yang had already made his move.

In this moment, within the small world where the two stood, time seemed to accelerate. Mountains and rivers changed, the sun and moon spun, and millions of years passed in the blink of an eye.

Instantly, the Qi trace of Ang Xiao’s projection began to weaken. Its originally vigorous life force vanished into thin air, replaced by a thick aura of decay. It was as if it had suddenly reached old age. Behind the mist on its face, those narrow eyes lost their luster and grew turbid.

’An embodiment of time?’

The projection of Ang Xiao was stunned for only a moment before it regained its composure and chuckled. ”Daoist, such a petty trick cannot harm me.”

Before it could finish speaking, a burst of smoke erupted!

It was still the Veil of the Trees, but its application had changed. Lü Yang felt his mind grow slightly heavy, and a thought subconsciously surfaced:

’What did I just do?’

The moment he forgot what profound mysterious technique he had just unleashed, the Qi trace of Ang Xiao’s projection returned to normal. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Seeing this, Lü Yang gasped.

HISS!

Anyone else might have been bewildered, with no idea what had just occurred. But he was different. He had seen a similar technique before!

’Back when Ang Xiao first appeared and fought the world alone, he took a sword strike from True Monarch Gangxing. He used a similar technique then—using the Veil of the Trees to erase others’ memories of something, thereby erasing its existence on a factual level.’

An incredibly domineering technique!

It was so domineering that it barely even seemed like the Veil of the Trees anymore. Lü Yang was in awe of the extent to which Ang Xiao had developed the profound mysteries of this Fruit.

’Fortunately... the advantage is still mine!’

Lü Yang thought to himself. Above his head, the light of the sun and moon illuminated Heaven and Earth, growing ever more brilliant, like a pair of eyes staring down from above.

This was the technique he had previously used against Du Xuan Immortal Monarch.

From the moment he had activated the Yellow Court to open this small world, Ang Xiao had fallen into the palm of his hand. Any Combat after that would be futile.

’No matter how great his Abilities are, I’ll just use this technique to wear him down. Sooner or later, I’ll...’

Lü Yang’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt.

Because in the next second, Ang Xiao’s projection inside the small world suddenly looked up, its narrow eyes seeming to pierce through Heaven and Earth to look right at him!

”Daoist, you underestimate me.”

Instantly, Ang Xiao’s projection summoned a Flying Light and shot straight for the border of the small world. Lü Yang’s reaction was just as fast.

’...Not good!’

Everything within the small world was under Lü Yang’s control. With a single thought, the distance between Ang Xiao’s projection and the world’s border instantly began to stretch.

Of course, this spatial extension wasn’t infinite. So, Lü Yang used a clever trick: he dismantled the area of space the projection had just passed through and placed it in front of it. By repeating this cycle, he constructed a boundary that could, in effect, never be reached.

In addition, Lü Yang continuously mobilized the embodiments within the small world to surround and intercept it.

Soon, however, Ang Xiao’s projection noticed the spatial changes. It chose to stop in place, its voice drifting eerily into Lü Yang’s ears:

”Daoist, this small world of yours is quite extraordinary.”

”Refining Treasure with a Grotto Heaven... Daoist, are you perhaps planning to one day open an Outer Realm to accommodate numerous Fruits? Truly worthy of being a prodigy of my Stain Sect.”

”A pity that you are a jack of all trades, master of none.”

Before Ang Xiao’s projection finished speaking, Lü Yang’s pupils shrank, and shock filled his eyes. The projection inside his small world had suddenly vanished into thin air!

’The damn Veil of the Trees again?’

At this thought, Lü Yang immediately formed a Daoist Hand Seal. His three True Treasures began to rotate, and guided by his Dao Heart, the Seeing Myself Immortal Technique once again erupted in brilliance.

The purpose of this Immortal Technique was actually quite simple: to help Lü Yang stabilize his Dao Heart and hold fast to his sense of self. After all, he wasn’t some Outer Heaven Wanderer who single-mindedly pursued power. Brute force without a proper method was useless. In this broken place, the ”self” was the most important thing of all!

The next second, he was struck by a sudden realization.

BANG!

A fair-skinned hand pierced through his chest, but it tore no flesh. A second before impact, Lü Yang’s Dharma Body had dissolved into blazing fire, escaping a short distance away before re-forming.

Ang Xiao’s projection had escaped the small world. This was within his expectations.

However, that was born from his faith in Ang Xiao’s abilities. In truth, he was still completely baffled, unable to understand what method the other had used.

”It’s actually not that difficult.”

At this moment, Ang Xiao’s projection strode through the air and said nonchalantly, ”You just have to use the Veil of the Trees in reverse. Apply it to myself.”

”Make Heaven and Earth forget me, and I shall naturally achieve Transcendence.”

”I can tell just from watching your Combat methods. Your development of the Emperor Fruit is far from sufficient. That is not how you use the Divine Effect of the Fruit of Celestial Fire.”

There was a hint of mockery in the projection’s tone, carrying an instructive air. Only now did it adopt the bearing of a Stain Sect elder, chuckling lightly. ”The profound mysteries of an Emperor Fruit are, in fact, already the Dao. It is something that can truly reach the Other Shore.”

”For you to not ponder this deeply is to grasp at the branches and neglect the root.”

”Instead, you blindly focus on Refining Treasure and consolidating your Seeking Dao Immortal Technique. Rushing your Cultivation like this will inevitably lead to an unstable foundation, needlessly wasting your potential.”

”From the looks of it, you seem to want a Void Certificate as well?”

”You can forget about it.”

”You haven’t even built a proper foundation. You haven’t sublimated the profound mysteries of your existing Fruits to the Supreme Domain. You’re a jack of all trades, master of none. A Void Certificate is just empty talk for you.”

”Unfortunately, you no longer even have a chance to salvage it.”

”After all, your Realm has already reached this stage. There are no do-overs in life. You won’t get another chance to rebuild your foundation.”

Ang Xiao’s projection was merciless in its mockery. As it spoke, its actions didn’t cease. It cloaked itself directly with the Veil of the Trees, making it difficult for Lü Yang to perceive its existence. Even when pushing the Seeing Myself Immortal Technique to its Extreme, he could only realize he had been hit after he was already injured.

Yet Lü Yang remained calm and composed.

’He’s trying to disrupt my Dao Heart... No do-overs in life? That may be true for you people who don’t have cheats, but it’s not the case for me!’

Lü Yang was, of course, aware of the many problems with his Cultivation. After all, his innate talent was only average.

But whether it was mistakes or flaws, he could learn slowly and make up for them over time.

If worst comes to worst, he could just restart!

BOOM!

Another loud bang. Lü Yang was suddenly aware of a large hole blown through his chest. He counterattacked while simultaneously putting distance between himself and his opponent again.

On the other side, Ang Xiao’s projection reappeared.

Despite its confident words, it was actually going all out against Lü Yang, and it had not emerged unscathed from their several exchanges.

This was because Lü Yang’s strategy was too simple. Since he couldn’t perceive his opponent, he simply gave up trying. He continuously established rules to obstruct the opponent’s attacks, reinforcing them with the Engraving Laws. His main strategy was defense and counterattack, forcing a situation where the enemy would suffer eight hundred losses to inflict a thousand. He was dragging it into a war of attrition.

The effect was quite obvious.

Lü Yang’s Dharma Body was being shattered by the projection’s attacks, causing him to cough up blood with every step. But the projection had also been burned until half of its body was charred black.

’But if this drags on, I will still be the one to win.’

The projection’s will was firm. At worst, it would be severely injured. It was just a projection, an embodiment of an idea, not its main body. What was there to fear?

’I’ll beat him half to death first.’

’Afterward, I can spare his life. I’ll see if I can get some valuable information out of him and learn more about the situation in the outside world...’

At the same time, Lü Yang, the one taking the beating, was also in a calm state of mind.

’He’s strong. Very strong. I’ll die if this continues.’

’But I haven’t even used my full power yet. If I were to use my shocking wisdom, super strength, and perfect support all at once, I would be the one to win.’

So I haven’t lost yet!

Possessing an invincible Dao Heart, Lü Yang would naturally never admit defeat. He could only keep using his Seeing Myself Immortal Technique while searching for a way to break the stalemate.

But gradually, as Lü Yang pushed his Cultivation to its absolute limit, an indescribable power that had long been dormant slowly began to awaken within him. It was the embodiment of the Outer Dao Fruit Positions, Imperial Decree and Mingtian, that he had swallowed in the past to rapidly advance and refine True Treasures.

As fate would have it, both Outer Dao Fruit Positions had once belonged to a Pure Land Bodhisattva.

Imperial Decree, from Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.

Mingtian, from the Nameless Bodhisattva.

At this moment, the embodiments that had surfaced began to shatter continuously, like the shell of a peeling egg, revealing the true substance within. They gathered inside Lü Yang’s body.

Finally, they coalesced into a single thought:

’Yi...’