Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 339: Someone is Seeking Gold?

For a moment, Lü Yang’s main body, far away in the South, nearly held its breath.

Everything that had happened flashed through his mind, and he instantly grasped the key point. ’A trap! This is a plot within a plot. Ang Xiao is also deliberately setting a trap!’

Minor Metal was certainly scheming.

Using him as bait to lure Ang Xiao into the South Celestial Gate was obviously part of a plan, but Ang Xiao was no fool.

Judging from Ang Xiao’s reaction, he had clearly sensed something was wrong and had even laid a trap in return. Whatever Minor Metal and World Purger Fei Xue were plotting, they would likely end up walking right into it. By then, both of them would probably be in a life-or-death situation!

’These people... they’re so devious!’

Lü Yang felt that compared to them, he was practically harmless. ’Turns out I’m still a good person at heart, unchanged to the core.’

’But... wait...!’

Suddenly, Lü Yang realized something. ’Why is Ang Xiao telling me all this? Isn’t he afraid I’ll betray him and tell Minor Metal?’

Or... is the act of ’telling me’ part of the plan itself?

If I actually believed him and went to warn Minor Metal and World Purger Fei Xue, would that instead make them fall into Ang Xiao’s real trap?

’How many layers deep am I in this? And how many is he?’

For a moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Lü Yang’s mind. Finally, he spoke in a low voice, "So? How do you want me to help you, Daoist? And how can I help you?"

"It’s a simple task."

Ang Xiao smiled faintly and said, "If I’m not mistaken, Xue Feihong will definitely go to the Grotto Heaven Fragment I left at the bottom of the water in Gantang Dao."

"When that happens, I will open a gate to the Netherworld there."

"I just need you, Daoist, to strike once at that moment and help me knock Xue Feihong into the Netherworld. I will handle everything that follows."

At these words, Lü Yang fell silent.

Ang Xiao’s plan was excellent, and the reward he offered was indeed tempting: a method to reverse Earth of Chen and a Supreme Dao Secret that led straight to the Late Stage of Golden Core.

There was just one problem.

’I’m not a Perfected Lord! I don’t even have a single True Monarch Level ability. How am I supposed to help him?’

’No... this is also a test!’

’He’s testing my strength! If I agree, everything will be fine. But if I refuse, he’ll find out my true capabilities!’

Lü Yang hesitated for only a moment.

Yet that single moment of hesitation was enough for Ang Xiao to confirm his suspicions. A composed smile spread across his face.

"Interesting. It seems your strength is still somewhat lacking, little friend."

"Daoist" had become "little friend."

Lü Yang took a deep breath and gave up on overthinking it.

Without a doubt, there was no way he could outplay these old foxes at his current level.

’Since it has come to this...’ At this thought, Lü Yang’s expression calmed. "That may be so, but it seems you aren’t so mighty yourself right now, Senior?"

As his voice fell, a deep fragrance began to drift through the air.

’Essence of All Flowers!’

Faced with the pressure from Ang Xiao, Lü Yang stopped trying to guess his opponent’s thoughts and motives and instead focused on his own goal.

’In the end, I wasn’t planning on letting this body live anyway.’

’My original plan was for this Split Soul to reincarnate and then wait for the Sword Pavilion to come for me... In fact, it’s a good thing Ang Xiao showed up when he did!’

If Ang Xiao had appeared while he was committing suicide to reincarnate, he would have been truly powerless to resist. The Split Soul would have been snatched and Refined in an instant, before it could even enter the Netherworld. From this, it was clear Ang Xiao wasn’t omniscient.

’At least he doesn’t know about my suicide plan!’

’In that case... let’s fight!’

’If Ang Xiao can crush me, I’ll just abandon all plans and blow up this Split Soul. But if he can’t, then I have a real chance!’

In the end, all he wanted was to kill himself and reincarnate.

Although Ang Xiao’s main body was in the Netherworld, he definitely couldn’t interfere with reincarnation. Otherwise, he would have taken control of the Netherworld long ago. Why would he still be hiding?

At this thought, Lü Yang once again connected with the mysterious Mighty Power within the Myriad-Soul Banner. Inside his Spiritual Space, the light of four Abilities flared, pushing his Position back up to the level of a Great Trueman! Without another word, he thrust a palm toward Ang Xiao, intending to kill him with a single strike.

From the very first move, Lü Yang went all out!

Since he was going to commit suicide and reincarnate anyway, Lü Yang didn’t care about any backlash. He pushed through his injuries to once again Fake Hold the power of a Great Trueman, aiming to decide the battle in a single move.

"...You’re getting hasty, little friend."

Seeing this, Ang Xiao still wore his composed smile. He rose, stepped back, and with that single step, his figure vanished.

Lü Yang’s movements suddenly froze. ’Who... was I about to hit?’

The next second, however, he snapped back to his senses, realizing that his Puppet ability was still linked to another person’s vision.

’Whose is it?’

Lü Yang couldn’t remember, but that didn’t stop him from using this "stranger’s" line of sight to unleash his Ability with a thunderous roar!

BOOM!

With a tremendous crash, an invisible barrier shattered. The just-vanished Ang Xiao reappeared, the smile on his face having faded slightly.

Meanwhile, Lü Yang recalled the recent shift in his thoughts and let out a breath of Muddy Qi, still shaken. ’Good thing I kept the Puppet ability running ever since I discovered Ang Xiao had possessed Master Xiao Hai. Otherwise, he would have hidden from me again!’

Ang Xiao’s concealment had conditions.

He hadn’t noticed before because he hadn’t used Puppet to control Master Xiao Hai from the very beginning, and as a result, he had forgotten such a person existed.

But ever since Ang Xiao revealed himself, Lü Yang hadn’t turned off the Puppet ability.

Although he couldn’t control Master Xiao Hai through the Puppet ability while Ang Xiao was possessing him, he was no longer able to simply overlook the man’s existence.

Moreover, this exchange had proven Lü Yang’s speculation.

"It seems your strength is also somewhat lacking, Daoist."

Lü Yang’s Dharma Body burst apart, once again transforming into a vast sea of smoke. He tried to sense Ang Xiao’s emotions, but all he received was a calmness as deep as a lake.

Ang Xiao simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

The next second, he smiled.

"Thank you for your help, little friend."

Before his voice had even faded, dense cracks appeared all over his body. Lü Yang’s last strike, backed by the Position of a Great Trueman, had hit him squarely.

Or rather, he had no intention of dodging.

Immediately after, Ang Xiao closed his eyes and his body exploded with a bang. A Soul quietly drifted out, instantly vanishing into an indescribable place.

Master Xiao Hai was dead.

The Soul reincarnated, the Netherworld’s gates opened!

Along with it went the consciousness of Ang Xiao that had been attached to the body!

In that instant, Lü Yang finally understood the Late-stage Golden Core Great True Monarch’s plan. ’I was wrong... this guy didn’t appear because he was in control at all...’

’He was bluffing before!’

’He really was tricked by Minor Metal and World Purger Fei Xue! A sliver of his consciousness was trapped inside the South Celestial Gate, completely oblivious to the Current World!’

Ang Xiao’s situation was extremely unusual.

His main body was in the Netherworld, so his perception of the Current World was actually very limited. The most direct example was the Chongguang Gold incident, where his reaction was incredibly slow.

He didn’t even sense anything until Minor Metal was attempting to attain the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire and was only one step away from success.

Therefore, when the possessed Master Xiao Hai was trapped inside the South Celestial Gate, unable to leave, he was basically completely blind to the Current World!

What had been happening outside during this time?

「South, Hidden Sword Manor.」

Lü Yang’s Immortal Spirit Body opened its eyes and looked far off, Beyond the Heavens. In the direction of the North, a magnificent golden light was slowly rising.

Everywhere it passed, it shone with the brilliance of countless lamps.

’Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire!’

Someone was Seeking Gold!

’Who!?’