Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Ang Xiao felt completely bewildered.

To be honest, it wasn’t that he hadn’t considered the possibility of his reversal of the Earth of Chen being discovered. He had even made contingency plans and imagined various scenarios. For instance, an exceptionally talented Foundation-Stage Cultivator might sense the Fruit’s rejection of their own Abilities while Seeking Gold. Under those circumstances, discovering the issue with the Earth of Chen wouldn’t be difficult. However, most Foundation-Stage Cultivators who made this discovery died suddenly from failing to Seek Gold before they could even speak of it.

Yet, he never in his wildest dreams expected this. The secret of the Earth of Chen and his own identity were exposed in such a manner—bafflingly broadcasted across the entire Full Immortal Pivot by an Outer Dao True Monarch!

"Why did this happen?" Ang Xiao wondered. His mind was filled with doubts and he couldn’t make sense of it no matter how hard he tried. However, his actions did not hesitate in the slightest. He instantly shifted his gaze toward the Pure Land to take over the control of the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva!

Since his identity was exposed and the Earth of Chen was known to others, securing his fallback plan was crucial. Without another word, he moved to seize the Fruit of Sand-Within Earth and the Fruit of Pewter Metal! In an instant, radiant light bloomed across the Pure Land.

Meanwhile, Lü Yang’s voice continued to echo through the Immortal Pivot. Upon hearing it, the expressions of True Monarch Gangxing and World Purger Fei Xue drastically changed. After all, they each had a Foundation-Stage Cultivator under their command connected to this matter. This was especially true for World Purger Fei Xue, who had placed great hopes on Minor Metal Seeking the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire. However, the moment the secret of the Earth of Chen was exposed, she immediately realized that the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire could no longer be sought. Her stable Qi trace instantly erupted into violent fury! Without any hesitation, she charged straight toward the Pure Land with Killing intent!

The entire Immortal Pivot instantly fell into chaotic turmoil.

But none of this mattered to Lü Yang anymore. He calmly looked at the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata in front of him. "Senior, let’s settle this quickly."

This was his trump card: dragging Ang Xiao down with him!

He thought to himself, "I told you earlier, I’ll feast on your secret for a hundred lifetimes! Considering you helped me out of a tight spot this time, I won’t charge you interest for this lifetime."

On the other side, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata frowned slightly. "Benefactor... it seems your background is quite extraordinary as well."

According to the intelligence Mingfeng shared with him, this person was merely an Outer Dao. Yet, the fact that he could reveal Ang Xiao’s secret proved this could not be explained away by him simply being an Outer Dao. "This is bad," the Tathagata thought.

Slowly corroding the Profound Spirit Realm by building strong camps and fighting a steady, attritional war was the tactic he had deduced to have the highest chance of victory. However, that was based on the premise that his rear was secure. Now, with the Pure Land caught in turmoil and Ang Xiao making his move, the Tathagata found himself in an incredibly difficult position. The problem wasn’t Ang Xiao himself—he had long been aware of the issue regarding the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva. The real problem was that Ang Xiao had forcefully occupied the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva, leaving the current Pure Land without a single Bodhisattva standing guard!

To make matters worse, World Purger Fei Xue had just charged over. With someone taking the lead, the other Perfected Lords would naturally refuse to watch Ang Xiao successfully harvest the Fruits. It was only a matter of time before they joined the fray.

Therefore, the Pure Land was bound to become a battlefield for the Perfected Lords. The Tathagata realized, "Given the shamelessness of the Stain Sect, the Sword Pavilion, and the Dao Court... if a massive battle breaks out, leaving the Pure Land as anything more than ruins would be an act of mercy on their part!"

At this thought, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata could no longer sit still. He had to end the battle with Lü Yang as quickly as possible and return to reinforce the Pure Land, ensuring it wouldn’t be completely destroyed. He finally shifted his stance, forming a Hand Seal with both hands shaped like a cupped lotus, pressing it three inches from his chest. In an instant, rippling light enveloped his entire body.

Divine Foot Technique!

"Here he comes!" Lü Yang thought.

He had been on high alert. The very moment the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata Pinched together the Hand Seal, Lü Yang raised his hand and struck out with his palm, causing golden lightning to explosively bloom.

Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder!

In the next fraction of a second, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata had already crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, traversing the void without obstruction. The vast distance of the horizon instantly shrank to mere inches. With just one step, he arrived right beside Lü Yang. His broad hand reached out, aiming to ruthlessly tear out Lü Yang’s heart, only to be met by a sudden flash of lightning.

RUMBLE!

Elevated by the Star Marrow, the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder had clearly undergone another transformation. It even seemed to have transcended the very imagery of lightning, filling the vision with nothing but dazzling brilliance.

With his movement blocked, the fleeting opportunity slipped away. Having sensed the danger, Lü Yang had already pulled back to a safe distance, causing the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata to frown deeply.

He thought, "I see... so it’s a manifestation that responds to Heart Thoughts?"

Although he was not the Bhagavat’s true body, his Cultivation was equally profound. In just one brief exchange, he had already deduced the Divine Effect of the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder acting upon will.

On the other side, Lü Yang felt a lingering dread. He thought, "Damn it, why does this guy like ripping people’s hearts out just like Ang Xiao?"

If the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder hadn’t responded to his thoughts, automatically locking onto the enemy and bypassing the travel time to directly strike the opponent’s body, he would have undoubtedly fallen victim to the attack.

Meanwhile, having understood the Profound Mysterious nature of the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata formulated a countermeasure. He reached into his robes and pulled out a Purple Gold Alms Bowl. Tossing it into the air, he changed to a different Seal Technique. The Purple Gold Alms Bowl immediately plummeted down, attempting to shroud Lü Yang!

"Giving up on surprise attacks and opting to overwhelm me with pure force? You want to suppress me?" Lü Yang thought.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, choosing neither to dodge nor evade. With a single Heart Thought, he concentrated the blessings of the Profound Spirit Realm, and bright golden light surfaced in his eyes.

Celestial Will!

In an instant, the muffled rumble of thunder rolled out, blasting into the ears of every Living Creature within the Profound Spirit Realm, carrying an intense aura of violent rage.

The Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata also looked up at the sound.

Looking into the distance, at the highest peaks of the sky, the Cloud Sea abruptly parted to reveal a vast expanse of lightning, where endless Power of Destruction was brewing.

"The wrath of Heaven and Earth..."

The Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata’s brow furrowed. A mere Outer Dao Realm Heaven was naturally nothing in his eyes... the real problem lay in the one commanding it. The fury of the Profound Spirit Realm, which initially posed no threat to him, had truly reached an alarming level. Bolstered by Lü Yang’s high Position and manifesting its Mighty Power through the Fruit of Divine-Empyrean Thunder, it was still accumulating and growing, seemingly without end!

Almost simultaneously, Lü Yang secured his Daoist Hand Seal and shouted, "Celestial Punishment, Nine-Nine Celestial Tribulation!"

Before the Daoist voice even faded, Heaven and Earth abruptly turned blindingly white!

With his vision obstructed, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata’s expression changed drastically for the first time. He immediately activated the Divine Foot Technique again, trying to create distance.

However, the lightning reacted to the mind—there was simply nowhere to hide!

Seeing this, he had no choice but to quickly recall the Purple Gold Alms Bowl and use it to cover himself, hoping to fend off the incoming apocalyptic lightning.

BOOM! RUMBLE!

For a moment, thunder and fire roared in unison, swallowing All Phenomena. A full eighty-one bolts of lightning poured down, instantly shattering the Purple Gold Alms Bowl to pieces!

Immediately following that, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata locked his Seal Technique and manifested his Golden Body. Still, he was unable to stabilize himself. Swept up by the thunder and fire, he plummeted, smashing directly into the ground of the Profound Spirit Realm. He pierced through the crust and drove deep into the planet’s core, causing a terrifying shockwave to detonate deep underground.

In the next second, the earth’s crust shattered!

The originally unified landmass of the Profound Spirit Realm was cleaved squarely in half. Crumbling continents, accompanied by boiling magma, erupted toward the sky. Millions of miles of territory were torn to shreds!

Yet this was merely the aftershock. The vast majority of the damage was dispersed by the Profound Spirit Realm, distributing the impact among the countless minor realms under its jurisdiction. Therefore, the fallout from this collision extended far beyond a single location. Instead, dozens, even hundreds of Outer Realms experienced violent turbulence due to this strike. Some minor realms even had all connections with the Profound Spirit Realm completely severed.

By the time the eighty-one bolts of lightning dissipated, millions of miles of land had been reduced to a massive crater. Endless seawater poured forth from the void, flooding into the pit. Given time, this place would transform into a Vast Ocean, and the fragmented continental pieces would become islands amidst the sea.

Of course, that was a matter for the future.

For now, from within a human-shaped crater in the center of the devastation, the Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata slowly crawled out, his body battered and broken.

"Amitabha."

The Vajra Realm Treasure-Born Tathagata let out a deep breath. With the chanting of the Buddha’s Name, his shattered Golden Body began to rapidly mend, returning to its original state in mere moments.

However, this was only a superficial appearance. Compared to his intact Golden Body, his Mana had evidently dropped by sixty percent from when the battle began. His lifeforce was like a flickering candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

Yet despite this, a compassionate smile still hung on his face. He simply looked up at Lü Yang and spoke softly, "Benefactor, you have indeed done your utmost.

"What a pity, but this poor monk is still one step ahead."