Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Though they spoke of scheming against True Monarch Gangxing, the reality was harsh. A Great Perfected Lord was not so easily outmaneuvered.

Worse, one careless mistake could end up aiding the enemy.

This wasn't to say that Ang Xiao and Lü Yang were any less cunning than True Monarch Gangxing. The crucial point was the vast disparity in their power.

To say nothing of anything else, as a Great Perfected Lord, if he had the slightest suspicion, he could effortlessly uncover Ang Xiao and Lü Yang's entire plot simply by invoking his Position or divining their karmic links. In the end, their grand scheme would not only fail but also cost them dearly.

Even the Veil of the Trees was useless against this.

It was a gap of pure, unadulterated power. If Ang Xiao were still in the Late Stage of Golden Core, it wouldn't be an issue. But now, they were trying to make bricks without straw.

Of course, it wasn't entirely hopeless.

'We do have one advantage... The Fruit Position Book inside the Nourishing Life Master is extremely important to True Monarch Gangxing.'

So important that he would never give up on it.

In other words, regardless of whether True Monarch Gangxing sensed the danger, he would be forced to risk injury to retrieve the books from the sixth floor and above.

And he would definitely succeed in taking them.

This was because he couldn't maintain the battle power of a Great Perfected Lord for long. This point was particularly crucial; it was the key reason he and Ang Xiao dared to scheme against him.

Otherwise, it would be suicide.

However, there was another variable... At this thought, Lü Yang couldn't help but glance at the Old Dragon Monarch, who stood beside Mu Changsheng with an innocent expression.

This old fossil from the True Dragon Race was quite possibly the longest-living being in the entire Immortal Pivot. At times, his presence was so faint it was pitiful, almost as if he had his own personal Veil of the Trees. Standing next to Mu Changsheng, one might mistake Mu Changsheng for the one in charge at first glance, making it all too easy to overlook him.

But what was the reality?

'If my previous deduction about the Fruit of Celestial Fire was correct... then the Old Dragon Monarch, that guy... besides cozying up to the Dao Court, he might also be in league with the Sword Pavilion!'

Could this Old Loach have a connection to True Monarch Gangxing?

At this thought, Lü Yang's brows furrowed. This was precisely why he hadn't mentioned ambushing True Monarch Gangxing in front of the Old Dragon Monarch just now.

'The Old Dragon Monarch is just too important.'

'An Emperor Fruit, Middle Stage of Golden Core... After living for so many years, even a pig would have accumulated an immense level of cultivation. If he suddenly turned on us...'

The consequences would be catastrophic!

Thinking of this, Lü Yang had already reached a conclusion: 'To successfully ambush True Monarch Gangxing, the strength of our current group is definitely not enough.'

To tip the scales, they needed at least two more reliable allies.

'According to my theory on the five ranks of True Monarchs, Ang Xiao is without a doubt a First-class True Monarch, while I'm probably at the Peak of the Second Rank.'

'The Old Dragon Monarch has yet to display the fundamental profound mysteries of his Fruit of Vast-Sea Water. Erring on the side of caution, I'll count him as having first-class battle power. As for True Monarch Gangxing, even without exerting his power as a Great Perfected Lord, he's still a solid First-class True Monarch... Our combat strengths are just about evenly matched, a situation where neither side can gain the upper hand.'

'Even if the Old Dragon Monarch really does betray us, I can keep him occupied.'

'In that case, with Ang Xiao plus two more First-class True Monarchs, and with True Monarch Gangxing being seriously injured, we should have about a thirty percent chance of victory.'

The problem was, where would they find two first-class allies?

At this thought, one name naturally came to mind:

'World Purger Fei Xue!'

She was undoubtedly a First-class True Monarch and a Stain Sect True Monarch at that. Moreover, she likely had a great need for the intelligence on Fruits from the Nourishing Life Master. Their interests were aligned.

So, she could be won over!

But what about the second one?

Lü Yang couldn't help but glance at the Old Dragon Monarch again. If he didn't know this old fellow had ties to the Sword Pavilion, he might not have bothered looking for a second ally.

'After all, on the surface, the Old Dragon Monarch and the Sword Pavilion are supposed to be mortal enemies. It was True Monarch Gangxing himself who went Overseas and forced the Old Dragon Monarch to abandon his eldest son, White Chilong. Who would have guessed that he'd actually been secretly colluding with them all along? That move was truly insidious!'

Even he only suspected it because of his experiences from a past life.

It was only by connecting True Monarch Gangxing's intent to denigrate the Fruit of Celestial Fire with the fact that the Old Dragon Monarch possessed the current inheritance for it that he had managed to piece together this guess.

And if his guess proved true, the result would be disastrous.

'Ang Xiao and Fei Xue might be fine. Because their Grotto Heavens are undying, they can resurrect infinitely. True Monarch Gangxing probably can't kill them.'

'At least, it would be very difficult, since True Monarch Gangxing is in poor condition himself.'

'But I'm different.'

'I'm an Ancient Golden Core cultivator now, without any infinite resurrection ability. If a Great Perfected Lord really did cut me down with a single slash, my only option would be to start over.'

This was the advantage of the Pocket World Technique.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He glanced subconsciously at Ang Xiao, only to see him frowning deeply as well, apparently wrestling with the same problem.

'...This is a tough one.'

With this thought, Lü Yang glanced at the Old Dragon Monarch again.

The Old Dragon Monarch: "???"

'What's his deal! Why does he keep looking at me? There's nothing on my face... Don't tell me he's planning to move against me? What did I ever do to provoke you bastards?'

The Old Dragon Monarch was miserable. He was well aware that Mu Changsheng wanted to use him as a counterweight to Ang Xiao and Lü Yang, but he had no desire to go up against the Stain Sect! For all these years, he had stayed hidden in safe places. When had he ever led the charge? This wasn't his kind of job.

Lü Yang's gaze, in particular, made him feel extremely uneasy.

'...He couldn't have guessed, could he?'

The Old Dragon Monarch's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He did indeed have another ace up his sleeve, but it was one he had kept hidden to this day, never once revealing it to the outside world.

'No, that's impossible.'

The more the Old Dragon Monarch thought about it, the more frightened he became, his mind racing:

'My plan for the Fruit of Celestial Fire is hidden very deeply. I haven't even officially started it yet. There's no way anyone could have guessed. I must be overthinking things.'

'But... that's the Stain Sect we're talking about!'

'No, knowing the Stain Sect's methods, even if they only have the slightest clue, they'll treat me as a potential enemy. I'm no match for them!'

The Old Dragon Monarch weighed the pros and cons, and a plan gradually formed in his mind.

'To deal with the Stain Sect, I'll have to go to the Sword Pavilion...'

'If I cooperate with the Stain Sect... I'll definitely have to do the heavy lifting, but there's no guarantee I'll see any of the rewards. They might even just get rid of me when they're done!'

'Of course, that bunch of Sword Species from the Sword Pavilion isn't any better.'

'But if I drag the Sword Species into this, I can let them fight it out. While they're busy tearing each other apart, I can fish in the troubled waters and have an easier time bargaining for my own benefits.'

At this thought, the Old Dragon Monarch immediately collected his Heart Spirit.

........

「South, Sword Pavilion.」

On Zenith Cliff, True Monarch Gangxing's eyes suddenly snapped open. A flicker of doubt appeared in their depths, and he then chuckled. "Daoist, your arrival is quite a surprise."

As his voice fell, the Cloud Sea rippled.

A moment later, a figure began to emerge from the Cloud Sea. It was impossible to tell if they were male or female, nor could their origins be discerned. Only a muffled voice emanated from within:

"Daoist, do you know of the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness?"