Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

In the South, at Gantang Dao.

Just outside the clan grounds of the Ganhai Li Clan, groups of Qi Refining Disciples worked overtime, setting up Arrays and refining Dao Altars.

Before long, Forbidden Arrays rose from the ground, surrounding a Dao Altar. Like a spiderweb, they completely encircled Gantang Dao with the altar at the center. On the altar, a young Cultivator, enveloped in the radiant light of Abilities, stood with his hands behind his back, staring ahead with a cold and gloomy expression.

After a moment, he suddenly sent out a message via Spiritual perception: "Two Seniors, do you think the Ganhai Li Clan will come out?"

Before his voice faded, a Spiritual perception transmission immediately replied, "Of course. They are Loose Cultivators after all. Seeing us set up Arrays here, they will naturally be terrified."

It was an incredibly bizarre scene. In fact, even if someone proficient in the Celestial Eye Technique, possessing keen Spiritual perception, and capable of calculating Karma Links were here, they wouldn’t be able to see where the speaker was at all. Only a Great Trueman at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment could vaguely spot a thin smoke screen beside the young Cultivator, isolating all Spiritual perception sensing. Behind the smoke screen stood two Cultivators with surging Qi traces and higher Positions, each surrounded by the radiant light of their Innate Divine Techniques.

"Daoist, this Artifact of yours is quite extraordinary," a man in a black robe sighed softly while looking at the smoke screen. "With our Cultivation, standing here should have made us stand head and shoulders above the rest, making these Loose Cultivators in the South shrink back in fear. Yet, no one has noticed anything amiss."

The other man shook his head and said in a deep voice, "This Artifact doesn’t belong to me. It was lent to me by Master Xiang Ye, and its effects are limited to those below the level of a Great Trueman. A Great Trueman would be enough to see through this concealment."

"It’s still a Marvelous Treasure."

If Lü Yang were here, he would definitely recognize the two of them. After all, one of them was the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, Chen Taihe, and the other was Wu Cang. Both were Lü Yang’s old acquaintances, having even shared life-and-death experiences with him in the past.

"If you ask me, there’s no need for such trouble or setting up intentional ambushes," Wu Cang shook his head. "With our Cultivation, who can stop us unless a Great Trueman from the Sword Pavilion comes in person? We should just violently break the Arrays, destroy Gantang Dao, and return as soon as possible. Hiding and sneaking around only creates more Variables."

Hearing this, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak glanced at Wu Cang and smiled, "Typical Loose Cultivator."

Wu Cang was utterly baffled. At those words, his previously calm face twisted instantly. His expression darkened frighteningly, and a fierce look appeared in his eyes. "Daoist... what do you mean by that?"

As a Foundation-Stage Cultivator who only joined the Saint Sect after reincarnating, his past history as a Loose Cultivator was the greatest pain in his heart and a lifelong stain. Therefore, he hated it most when others called him a Loose Cultivator!

Seeing this, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak merely shook his head and continued, "Daoist Wu Cang, if you don’t want people calling you a Loose Cultivator, you need to change your Loose Cultivator mindset.

"If you always keep this Loose Cultivator mindset, even if everyone refrains from calling you one to your face, they will still look at you like a Loose Cultivator behind your back. Take your previous suggestion, for example. Violently break the Arrays? That is the logical thinking of a Loose Cultivator who only knows about senseless brawling."

Hearing this, Wu Cang became somewhat exasperated and said, "Then according to you, fishing here is fine? Will that person in Gantang Dao really come out? What if they choose to cower and defend?"

"Is that so?" The Master of Heaven Mending Peak nodded upon hearing this, changing the subject, "Then let me ask you, Daoist. If you were Master Xiao Hai of Gantang Dao, would you make a move?"

"Of course not!" Wu Cang subconsciously shook his head. "Since we are both at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, how would I dare to deal with a Saint Sect Zhenren? The most reasonable choice is to defend and wait for the Sword Pavilion’s reinforcements."

"But what if the Sword Pavilion’s reinforcements have already arrived?"

"Oh? Who?"

"Ye Guyue, Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Perfection."

"Then what’s there to be afraid of? Just directly..." Wu Cang blurted out subconsciously. However, before he could finish his sentence, he shut his mouth with a dark face.

Seeing this, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak smiled. "This is a Loose Cultivator’s mindset."

As if to confirm his words, the Array gates of Gantang Dao burst open in the very next second. Two streaks of Flying Light leaped out, charging straight towards the trio.

"They really came!" Seeing this, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak grinned broadly. Ever since he received the intelligence that Ye Guyue had arrived at Gantang Dao, he had prepared a strategy to besiege the target and ambush the reinforcements. As for how he found out about this news... it was actually quite simple. He managed to capture a Foundation Establishment Honored Guest Elder of the Ye Family. Then, using the Heaven-Mending Skill, he copied the method to contact the Ye Family, intercepted their communications, and thus learned of Ye Guyue’s movement toward Gantang Dao.

"The time has come. Daoist, you strike first," the Master of Heaven Mending Peak said in a deep voice. "Your appearance will lower their guard. After that, fight while retreating, and lure the two of them into the Forbidden Array I’ve set up."

Hearing this, Wu Cang stepped out with a long face. He cursed inwardly, "Damn it, so what if I was originally a Loose Cultivator? What did Loose Cultivators ever do to him? He talked all that big talk, but doesn’t he still have to rely on me, a Loose Cultivator, in the end?"

On the other side, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak was making his own little calculations. He thought to himself, "I offended Fortune before, so making this trip for him now can be considered repairing our relationship. In the future, he might even support my breakthrough to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment."

Immediately after, he glanced in the direction of Gantang Dao again and mused, "Interesting, Master Xiao Hai actually broke through to the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment? No wonder Ye Guyue made a special trip. Could she be planning to take advantage of this opportunity to send him into the Sword Pavilion?

"That’s not bad. It’s the perfect chance to let Wu Cang and Tuanxu stall for time, making Ye Guyue think the outcome is set. Even without Master Xiao Hai, she would believe she could win on her own. This way, she might end up killing the opponent herself without me having to lift a finger. By the time I strike, it won’t require any effort at all..."

Thinking of this, he grew even more confident. He thought to himself, "No matter how you look at it, the ratio of Foundation-Stage Cultivators is three to one. We have an extra Early Stage of Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Saint Sect’s Direct Lineage. The advantage is mine!"

Despite this, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak was completely unaware that just above the smoke screen where he was situated, a figure was sitting upright in the clouds, sizing him up coldly.

"So it’s Chen Taihe."

Minor Metal frowned slightly. "He’s not easy to deal with. The Master of Heaven Mending Peak is definitely carrying an Imperial Decree Jade Token. I can’t just kill him, and making a move would easily alert the enemy. The Imperial Decree Jade Tokens of the Inner Sect Four Peaks of the Saint Sect are different from other means. The Jade Token itself is not only bound to the Soul but also to karmic links. It can be activated manually or triggered passively, having been personally refined by a Perfected Lord. Acting rashly would only backfire."

However, a smile soon appeared on Minor Metal’s face. "This is also an opportunity. Since it’s inconvenient to strike at the Saint Sect here, I might as well make the Sword Pavilion my first target.

"I’ll take this chance to lure out another Great Trueman from the Sword Pavilion for the Heart Demon to consume.

"Once the Sword Pavilion ups the stakes, I can justifiably dispose of the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, forcing the Saint Sect to up the stakes as well. It will keep escalating until the Perfected Lord has to intervene!"

Thinking of this, he even felt a little excited. After all, ever since he became the Interim Sect Leader of the Saint Sect, he rarely set traps for people anymore, often relying on overwhelming momentum to suppress them. He didn’t expect to return to his old profession today.