Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Almost the instant Mu Changsheng's voice fell, Lü Yang realized something. 'This is a good place to help me achieve the Void Attainment Position in the future!'

According to Mu Changsheng's description, the trials within the Nourishing Life Master were roughly divided into three stages:

First, one had to read through the entire collection of books in the attic. This was the easiest hurdle to cross. Even if one couldn't use spiritual perception for speed-reading, given enough time, you could always finish them slowly.

Second was to write a "book" of one's own.

This step was extremely profound and mysterious. Once the "book" you wrote was acknowledged by the Nourishing Life Master, you would receive a corresponding World Heaven Seed.

After that, it was a process of continuously nurturing this World Heaven Seed, allowing it to become a Fruit Position Prototype, then a true Fruit, and then further optimizing and enhancing it... Mu Changsheng was currently at this stage. According to Lü Yang's speculation, the condition for clearing the trial was for the cultivated Fruit to meet a certain requirement.

He set aside the question of what that specific condition might be for now.

What was important was this method of cultivating a Fruit through continuous trial and error. For someone like him, who possessed the Centome, this place was practically tailor-made!

'Ordinary cultivators, like Mu Changsheng, can't use cheats.'

'In the best-case scenario, he might cultivate a No Heaven, but no matter how powerful the final Fruit is, he can no longer achieve Void Attainment.'

'That's because a corresponding Fruit already exists in the world.'

'In that situation, even if he has mastered the method of weaving a Fruit and has the foundation for Void Attainment, he can only resonate with the existing Fruit.'

'But I'm different. I can use this life for infinite trial and error inside the Nourishing Life Master, cultivating the strongest possible Fruit according to my previous plans. Then I can start over in the next life, using the Cultivation and experience accumulated from my previous life to directly achieve Void Attainment! This place is practically made for me!'

Lü Yang's expression remained impassive, but inwardly, he was ecstatic!

His goal had always been to achieve the Void Attainment Position, but it had been shelved due to various reasons like insufficient Cultivation, inadequate ability, and a lack of foundation.

He had even formulated a five-life plan for this purpose.

In his previous life, he sought the Fruit of Celestial Fire. In this life, if he could obtain either the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal or the Fruit of Rampart Earth, that would be enough; he would figure out the other one in the next life.

The Fruit of Vast-Sea Water was for the fourth life.

The Fruit of Great-Forest Wood would wait until the final life... According to Lü Yang's plan, by then, he should have already broken through to the Late Stage of Golden Core and would be able to fight Ang Xiao.

But now, he had a better option.

'If it's really as Mu Changsheng says, and every Fruit in the world has a corresponding book here... then the Emperor Fruits will certainly be no exception!'

In that case, why would he need to risk snatching food from the tiger's mouth by confronting the Sword Pavilion and the Bhagavat? As long as he could find the books corresponding to the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal, the Fruit of Rampart Earth, and even other Emperor Fruits here, then completely absorb and understand them, he would naturally gather the requirements for Void Attainment!

At this thought, Lü Yang immediately looked at Mu Changsheng.

"What about the Emperor Fruits? Where are they?"

His question was also on the minds of the Old Dragon Monarch and Ang Xiao. In that moment, three pairs of eyes stared at him, and Mu Changsheng immediately felt the pressure.

However, he gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"I don't know."

Before he had even finished speaking, Lü Yang and Ang Xiao had already raised their hands.

The Old Dragon Monarch, meanwhile, continued to put distance between himself and Mu Changsheng, clearly worried that if a fight broke out, he'd get splattered with blood.

"Wait!"

Seeing this, Mu Changsheng hurriedly shouted, "I really don't know! I've only been to the first three layers so far... I haven't seen any of the books on the higher layers!"

Lü Yang and Ang Xiao paused.

The next second, both of them rose to their feet.

First layer, second layer, third layer... Both of them came to an abrupt halt on the sixth layer, as if they had run into an invisible barrier.

'Tsk...!'

In that instant, Lü Yang cursed inwardly, 'The attic has nine layers. The lower three are for the Outer Dao, the middle three are for the orthodox path, and only the top three hold the Emperor Fruits!'

'I can't go up?'

'Why?'

Lü Yang and Ang Xiao exchanged a glance, and both saw the same guess in the other's eyes: 'Because of our cultivation... Are we only at the Middle Stage of Golden Core right now?'

'Cultivation discrimination!'

'Only Great Perfected Lords at the Late Stage of Golden Core can see the books on the top three layers. This is absurd! How the hell can orthodox Fruits compare to Emperor Fruits?'

Just as Lü Yang's brow furrowed, and he was even tempted to punch the invisible barrier to see if he could break the Fa with brute force, Ang Xiao suddenly moved. He stopped on the sixth layer, took out a book, and then drifted down to land in front of Mu Changsheng.

"Can you read this?" Ang Xiao asked softly.

Mu Changsheng took the book, somewhat flattered, and immediately opened it to read. A look of pleasant surprise crossed his face. "I can! This orthodox Fruit is so marvelous..."

"What's it called?" Lü Yang asked suddenly.

"Lesser Yin!" Mu Changsheng replied, and even began reciting the book's contents. Lü Yang listened carefully, cross-referencing it with his own knowledge.

'That's it... It really is an orthodox Fruit from the Celestial Mansion!'

'The content is correct, too, not just made up. This means... people on the lower layers can actually read books from the higher layers, as long as someone helps them!'

Lü Yang instantly understood Ang Xiao's idea.

'True Monarch Gangxing!'

'Although he's only at the Middle Stage of Golden Core when he isn't pushing himself to the limit, he is a Great Perfected Lord nonetheless. So he should be able to reach the 9th Layer!'

At the same time, the Old Dragon Monarch also realized what they were planning. "Fellow Daoists, are you perhaps targeting the Sword Pavilion?"

"Is there a problem?" Lü Yang turned his head.

"Of course not!"

The Old Dragon Monarch wished he could raise both claws in approval. He hastily said, "I'm just worried... if we let True Monarch Gangxing in, will it affect us?"

He was a Great Perfected Lord, after all.

Especially since True Monarch Gangxing was trapped by his Fruit, a profound and mysterious place like the Nourishing Life Master could be considered the perfect place to solve his problem.

Once he found out about it, he would surely covet it desperately.

So, the Old Dragon Monarch wasn't worried that True Monarch Gangxing wouldn't come; he was worried that they would lose the initiative within the Nourishing Life Master because of him.

After all, the Sword Pavilion's Sword Species... while not as formidable as the Stain Sect, were not to be trifled with!

"Taking a step back, if we place our hopes on him to bring the books down for us, what do we do if he tampers with them?"

The Old Dragon Monarch's point was very reasonable.

But even he had to admit one thing: among the Great Perfected Lords at the Late Stage of Golden Core, True Monarch Gangxing was the easiest to manipulate.

Who else was there?

The Taiyin Immortal Venerable of the Celestial Mansion? That would truly be entrusting one's life to another. After all, she was a Great Perfected Lord at her absolute peak, unbelievably powerful!

'Besides, I have a grudge against that "dear" senior sister of mine...'

But then again—

"Old Loach, you've got one thing wrong."

Ang Xiao said grimly, "Share intel about the Nourishing Life Master with that Gang Form fellow and have him fetch the books for us... Is that your plan?"

The Old Dragon Monarch was stunned. "You're not?"

"Of course not," Lü Yang said, shaking his head.

As Stain Sect True Monarchs, they weren't in the habit of placing their hopes on a Sword Species from the Sword Pavilion. What was the difference between that and aiding the enemy? The plan would be far too likely to backfire.

"..."

At that moment, Lü Yang and Ang Xiao exchanged another glance. In front of the Old Dragon Monarch and Mu Changsheng, neither of them spoke their true thoughts aloud.

Because their method was actually very simple.

'Find an opportunity, set a trap, and lure True Monarch Gangxing in. Then, let him take the books. To get them, he'll have to use his full power.'

'And given his condition, he won't be able to linger above the sixth layer for long.'

'So his only option will be to grab all the books indiscriminately and take them with him. Afterward, he'll inevitably suffer a backlash from using his full power and be severely injured.'

'At that point, he'll be a severely injured man holding a large number of books from the sixth layer and above—a juicy target... It will be the perfect, heaven-sent opportunity for murder and robbery!'