Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 342: A Person’s Persistence

Sea of Clouds, Holy Fire Cliff.

A golden light erupted from the ground, shining as brilliantly as a thousand lamps. It illuminated a dense network of arcane patterns, all bustling and converging toward a central figure.

He wore a crane-feather cloak and a faint smile played on his lips. With a gentle wave of his feathered fan, he cut a dashing and romantic figure.

Merely by standing there, he seemed to have monopolized all the good fortune, wealth, and even luck between Heaven and Earth, inevitably stirring feelings of resentment in others.

The Perfected Fortune!

This reincarnated Perfected Lord was only now beginning to reveal a hint of his former glory. A look of nostalgia appeared in his eyes as he gazed up at the sky.

"How long has it been...?"

Five thousand years!

For a full five thousand years, he had not seen the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire. Despite being a reincarnated Perfected Lord, he had been reduced to a wretched state, as if abandoned by his Fruit.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth. ’Ang Xiao...!’

Right now, the Perfected Fortune’s hatred for Ang Xiao was so immense it felt like a torrential river that could never be washed clean.

After all, ever since retrieving the *Void Internal Observation of Heaven and Earth True Understanding* and the *Upper Bright Golden Cup Jade Light*, he had recalled the memories that had been stripped from him in the past.

There was nothing wrong with the two Dharma Gates, because Fortune himself had left a hidden safeguard within them. This ensured that only he could use them and that no outsider could tamper with them. If not for this, he wouldn’t have been so bold as to attempt Seeking Gold relying on these two Dharma Gates alone.

’I can’t let my guard down.’

The Perfected Fortune was on high alert, knowing full well how much his Seeking Gold would affect Ang Xiao. It was easy to imagine that Ang Xiao would stop at nothing to thwart him.

And just then.

RUMBLE!

In the Jiangnan Gantang Dao, within a Grotto Heaven Fragment, as Minor Metal activated the Magic Instrument on his body, the Perfected Fortune suddenly felt the gaze of the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire shift away.

"Hm? It’s Minor Metal..."

The Perfected Fortune’s brow furrowed at the sight. Although it wasn’t enough to cause failure, Minor Metal’s interference had introduced an unexpected variable.

Thinking this, he immediately looked nearby.

There, dressed as a court lady, the poised and elegant World Purger Fei Xue stood with her hands clasped, not in the least bit perturbed by Minor Metal’s appearance.

"Daoist... why is this happening?"

The Perfected Fortune couldn’t help but ask. After all, she had clearly abandoned Minor Metal and bet on him, so why would she still allow Minor Metal to make these petty moves?

However, to the Perfected Fortune’s surprise, World Purger Fei Xue not only had no intention of explaining, but shot him a disdainful look before speaking in a calm tone. "Instead of asking me, you should be thinking about how to win back the Fruit’s attention as quickly as possible. In the end, a person must rely on themselves!"

"I need a Daoist who is useful."

"Not an incompetent fool!"

The implication was obvious: she had allowed Minor Metal to do this!

True, World Purger Fei Xue already considered Minor Metal a discarded piece, yet she hadn’t stopped him from seeking another path. She had even tacitly approved of it!

At this moment, the Perfected Fortune could only take a deep breath and swallow the words he wanted to say.

’This concerns my path to the Dao, whether I can reach the Late Stage of Golden Core! One wrong step and the entire game is lost. On such an important matter... she’s still clinging to this pointless conviction!’

’This... Mad Woman!’

Why was World Purger Fei Xue known as the Mad Woman by all the Perfected Lords in the world?

Was it just because she enjoyed Combat? Because she was a bit neurotic? Don’t be ridiculous. The Stain Sect was full of extraordinary people; that sort of thing wouldn’t even rank.

The real reason was: she had her own principles!

She firmly believed that "a person must rely on themselves," and she had practiced this philosophy from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment and all the way to Golden Core, never once wavering.

What kind of world was this?

It was a world where you either devoured others or were devoured by them. Among those who could still become a Perfected Lord in such a world, who didn’t operate without a bottom line? Whose principle wasn’t to have no principles at all?

But World Purger Fei Xue was different.

She actually had principles!

For the sake of this principle, for the conviction in her heart, she was even willing to set aside her path to the Dao. In the Perfected Fortune’s eyes, how could anything be more irrational?

If that wasn’t madness, what was?

’Fine...’

The Perfected Fortune took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure. ’This place is already being watched by all the Perfected Lords. It’s not a big problem. The advantage is still with me!’

However, just at that moment.

CRACK!

With a sharp crack, a boundless expanse of purple qi materialized out of thin air in the vast skies of the North. It blotted out the sky and surged toward the Perfected Fortune!

.......

The Netherworld, a place beyond description.

This was a grand hall situated within the cycle of reincarnation. The hall itself was of a peculiar construction, built from a material called Kunshan Jade, a type of Metal Element Spiritual Material.

It belonged to the Fruit of Pewter Metal.

A hall built from this substance would absorb the light of the sun and moon and condense Yin and Yang Qi. Its form was bright and its body pure—the true color of Gold, possessing the miraculous ability to nurture and sustain life within a host form.

Within the grand hall flowed a great river with no visible beginning or end, stretching into infinity.

This was the Fruit of Long-Flow Water.

As far as the eye could see, the great river churned, its surging waves and roiling currents carving out a domain where Dragon and Snake lay coiled in hiding, holding up the entire grand hall.

This was the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth.

Stepping into the grand hall, one could see a golden lamp. Its faint light illuminated the chamber, and also a figure completely shrouded in mist.

The Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire!

The Power of Fruit Position from four different Fruits intertwined in this domain. Fire creates Earth, Earth creates Metal, Metal creates Water, Water creates Wood... Together, they wove an unimaginable curtain, completely concealing their existence from the workings of the Netherworld and carving out this small territory from the land of reincarnation.

The Fruit of Great-Forest Wood!

"A pity..."

Inside the grand hall, Ang Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, the mist around him never dissipating. In his hands, he caressed a lifelike wooden puppet.

"Back then, I left this Earth-Walking Avatar behind just as a precaution. I never thought there would come a day I’d actually need to use it. It just goes to show how many heroes there are in the world... Looking back now, I was too careless. I didn’t prepare enough hidden cards."

It was undeniable that he was currently trapped in the Netherworld.

However, this was a self-imposed confinement because he wished to advance to Master of Dao. It did not mean he was completely unable to leave or that he was without any means to do so.

"With this, it will be enough to make a trip for me."

His main body could not leave.

However, with his blessing, the Earth-Walking Avatar could exert combat power far exceeding the Middle Stage of Golden Core. It was more than enough to stop the Perfected Fortune.

"That being said, it is not my main body taking action. With all the world’s Perfected Lords trying to intercept me, I will need time to gradually suppress them and find an opportunity to stop Fortune. If Minor Metal hadn’t bought me time, Fortune might have actually made a lucky escape..."

Unfortunately, the Earth-Walking Avatar could only be used once.

Once it went to the Current World and fought a great battle, its Qi trace would become impossible to hide, even with a Veil of the Trees. Upon its return to the Netherworld, it would inevitably be crushed to dust by the cycle of reincarnation.

"...So be it. It’s time to make the trip!"

.......

RUMBLE!

The purple qi filled the sky, eventually transforming into a colossal eye that blotted out the sun. It gazed down upon Heaven and Earth from above, its stare ultimately locking onto the Perfected Fortune.

Although Ang Xiao’s gaze was focused on the Perfected Fortune, the mere aftershocks were enough to make every Cultivator in the world feel an immense pressure.

Even Lü Yang, who was at the South Celestial Gate, was no exception.

"As expected...!"

Lü Yang looked up at the sky, unsurprised by Ang Xiao’s move. In fact, this was precisely why he had predicted that the Perfected Fortune’s Gold Quest would be difficult to achieve.

Although he didn’t know about the existence of the Earth-Walking Avatar, he knew that in his Previous Life, Ang Xiao had intervened during Minor Metal’s Gold Quest. Back then, Ang Xiao had single-handedly fought multiple Perfected Lords to a standstill. Since he had acted in the Previous Life, there was no reason he wouldn’t act in this one.

’My chance... has come!’

The next second, a glint appeared in Lü Yang’s eyes. Without a doubt, the attention of all the world’s Perfected Lords was now focused on the Perfected Fortune’s Gold Quest.

No one would be paying attention to him anymore.

’I’ll use this opportunity to reincarnate and send the Shen Metal to my main body!’