Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 365: Arrogant at First, Respectful Later

「The Southern Border, headquarters of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect.」

Inside the spacious main hall, several white-haired old men were staring with grim expressions at a pile of minced flesh before them, looking at each other in dismay.

"Master Long Wu and Master Hui Gu... are dead!"

"Their Life Gu are shattered. They’re beyond saving. Their souls have scattered and entered the Netherworld. Even if they could reappear in the mortal realm, they wouldn’t be the same people they once were."

The eyes of the several Ten Thousand Poison Sect Elders were filled with shock and anger. As the hegemons of the Southern Border, they were long accustomed to doing as they pleased with the various Miao descendants, taking whatever they wanted. It was rare for even their disciples to meet violent ends, let alone their Perfected Persons. Yet now, they had suffered such a staggering loss.

"...Was it the Sword Pavilion?"

"Our informant in the Sword Pavilion sent word that the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected sent his newly Foundation-Established disciple over. Could he be the one who killed Master Long Wu and Master Hui Gu?"

"Newly Foundation-Established?"

"How is that possible!"

"It’s not entirely impossible... Have you forgotten the nature of the Sword Pavilion? They say he’s ’newly Foundation-Established,’ but it’s more than likely he’s just an old Foundation Establishment cultivator making a comeback..."

"Oh, then that’s not surprising at all..."

The Ten Thousand Poison Sect’s Life Gu was a peculiar technique. It contained a sliver of a Perfected Person’s True Spirit and could be used to retrieve their soul at a critical moment.

By rights, even if Master Long Wu and Master Hui Gu had died outside, the pull of their Life Gu should have preserved a sliver of life for them. They could have reincarnated and, after a century or so, might have even had a chance to return to the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, the current situation was that not even their souls had been saved.

Such a vicious and deadly method of killing.

Besides the Sword Pavilion, only the other three great powers of equal renown could be responsible... Thinking of this, the expressions of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect Elders grew even fouler.

"Forget it. If we can’t afford to provoke them, can’t we at least afford to hide?"

"No matter how formidable that Sword Pavilion’s Perfected Person is, he’s not a Great Sword Cultivator. We have the Sect Leader presiding here. I doubt he’d dare to openly march up our Holy Mountain and cause trouble."

"We’ll just endure him for a few years."

"Given time, once the Ten Thousand Tribulations Gu is fully refined and the Sect Leader achieves Divine Power Perfection, we will no longer have to live by the Sword Pavilion’s whims..."

One of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect Elders was still speaking words of comfort, trying to alleviate the frustration in everyone’s hearts, when he suddenly felt something and looked up toward the sect’s main gate.

From the distance, a sword hum suddenly rang out!

CLANG! CLANG!

The hum of the sword was like a roll of thunder, exploding through the sky. It was truly world-shaking. The sonic vibrations even created visible ripples where they passed.

RUMBLE!

Instantly, lines of light from arrays lit up around the Ten Thousand Poison Sect headquarters. The Mountain Protection Grand Array had sensed the crisis and activated on its own. But as the sword hum fell, these array patterns trembled violently, then began to disintegrate in large swaths, showing clear signs of collapse!

With this crack, the Ten Thousand Poison Sect was immediately in grave danger!

Seeing this, the Ten Thousand Poison Sect Elders’ expressions changed drastically. One after another, they hurriedly manifested their Dao Foundations to reconverge the fractured array patterns.

"What kind of technique is this?"

"Sword Qi Thunder Sound... Is it that newly Foundation-Established Sword Cultivator from the Sword Pavilion? Wasn’t killing Master Long Wu and Master Hui Gu enough for him? He actually dared to come all the way to our Holy Mountain?"

"The nerve! The absolute nerve!"

The faces of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect Elders were a mixture of shock and fury, especially the one who had just claimed that the intruder wouldn’t dare attack their gates directly.

In their perception, it was as if a new sun had appeared outside the Holy Mountain. The sword hum was its scorching sunlight, filling Heaven and Earth, shaking the cosmos. Cultivators below Foundation Establishment couldn’t even survive in such an environment; just hearing it would shatter their bodies to dust!

"Where is the Master of Ten Thousand Poisons?"

High in the dome of the sky, Lü Yang appeared as one with his sword light. Every word he spoke was like thunder rolling out from the mountains, crashing down upon the gates of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect below.

’My mastery of Sword Qi Thunder Sound is getting more and more proficient...’

’Although it’s only the first realm of the Sword Dao, its power is already comparable to the Imperial Mountain Shifting Technique I once mastered, equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Dao Skill.’

’If I were to advance one more step, to the level of Sword Heart Clarity...’

’It would probably be comparable to an Innate Divine Technique.’

’It’s truly overpowered...’

’No wonder Sword Cultivators were unmatched in combat before. It’s like the Void Divine Technique granted by No Heaven—how are you supposed to compete when they have an extra ability?’

But soon, Lü Yang had another thought. ’It might be overpowered, but I’m the one who’s overpowered now.’

That was a different matter entirely.

Besides, being a Sword Cultivator really tested one’s aptitude and diligence. ’Putting aside the mechanics and stats, my achievements today are owed more to my own hard work and sweat!’

"I am the current Sword Seed Minghe of the Sword Pavilion. I am here on my master’s orders to investigate the abduction of the people of the South."

"Master of Ten Thousand Poisons, come out and see me!"

Lü Yang spoke again, brazenly activating Sword Qi Thunder Sound. He vaguely seemed to be grasping the essential principles of Sword Heart Clarity.

Just then, a cool, aloof voice drifted over, calming all the sword hums in its path.

"Young Daoist, you have gone a bit too far."

As her voice fell, a moon-white splendid light rose slowly from within the Ten Thousand Poison Sect’s mountain, transforming into a crescent moon that hung quietly between Heaven and Earth.

This wasn’t because her attainments in the Sword Dao were greater. It was purely because her realm was higher; she was suppressing him with raw power. Relying on her mana and position as a Great Trueman, she forcibly extinguished Lü Yang’s Sword Qi.

Then, a graceful figure quietly appeared.

She wore the distinctive silver-colored clothing of the Southern Border Miao descendants, a pleated skirt with magnificent embroidery, and her bare feet, fair with a hint of red, trod upon the empty air.

But what was most eye-catching was her face.

Her delicate features seemed entirely unnatural, as if every inch of her skin had been meticulously carved and polished. The only way to describe her was perfectly flawless.

Lü Yang, however, was unimpressed.

After all, as far as he knew, the Ten Thousand Poison Sect had a type of Beauty Gu specifically used to alter one’s appearance. Even the ugliest woman could use it to become a great beauty.

Lü Yang sized her up and asked coolly, "You’re the Master of Ten Thousand Poisons?"

"I am."

The white-robed woman was named Long Yue. She was a Great Trueman at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. Her pretty face was tinged with anger as she said coldly, "And what business might a Perfected Person of the Sword Pavilion have here?"

"Two things."

Lü Yang held up two fingers and said nonchalantly, "First, I ran into two of your sect’s Perfected Persons on the road. I’ve already sent them to join the Sword Pavilion."

Those words alone made Long Yue’s pretty face sink.

’Join the Sword Pavilion?’

’Throughout the entire South, who doesn’t know that’s the Sword Pavilion’s euphemism for killing someone? You don’t think much of it on a normal day, but hearing it for real... only now do I understand the sheer frustration!’

’Am I supposed to thank you for it?’

"Second," Lü Yang continued, completely ignoring Long Yue’s expression, "I came here on orders to investigate the abduction of commoners in the South."

"The Ten Thousand Poison Sect is a prime suspect."

"Now, open your gates at once, surrender without a fight, and submit to my investigation."

Lü Yang’s words were so domineering that Long Yue’s chest heaved with anger. "Surrender without a fight? That’s something the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected might have the right to say!"

’What gives you the right?’

’Does he really think that just because he killed Master Long Wu and Master Hui Gu, he can look down on everyone in the world?’ At this thought, Long Yue let out a long laugh, her killing intent laid bare within it:

"Fine! Then..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a sword hum rang out!

Lü Yang’s expression was calm. The blessing of the Tribulation Wave immediately took effect, and his Qi trace, originally at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Perfection, instantly broke through its bottleneck.

The next second, the sword hum abruptly stopped.

It was only for an instant, yet it was enough to make Long Yue’s expression freeze. Her fair throat worked, and in the blink of an eye, a smile had already blossomed on her flawless, pretty face:

"...In that case, please, Daoist, come inside so we may talk."