Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Nourishing Life Master.

When True Monarch Gangxing set foot inside, he surveyed his surroundings. The vast pagoda was filled with countless Fruit Position Books, yet not a single person was in sight.

’They’re all waiting for me.’

True Monarch Gangxing knew full well that no one would appear and waste their time here until after he had taken the Supreme Fruit Position Book.

’After all, if they showed themselves now, it would just give me an opportunity to pick them off one by one. I could easily eliminate them first before going for the Supreme Fruit Position Book. That’s why they’re waiting. They want me to retrieve the book, get injured in the process, and only then will they appear to snatch the spoils of war...’

It was all too simple.

But its very simplicity made it unavoidable, unless he was willing to forsake the fated opportunity within the Nourishing Life Master... And how could he possibly do that?

His entire path of the Dao was at stake.

He had cultivated the Dao his entire life. To give up at the final step? He would rather die. In fact, even death would bring no peace.

If he fought and lost, he could at least admit he was outmatched.

But to die without even daring to fight... that would be a truly worthless death.

At that thought, True Monarch Gangxing cast aside all hesitation. His figure slowly rose into the air, his robes swaying as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword.

SHING! SHING!

A crisp sword hum echoed throughout the Nourishing Life Master. The magnificent Sword Light that had once dominated the Star Palace flared into existence once more. In that instant, True Monarch Gangxing’s Position skyrocketed, breaking through the barrier of a Great Perfected Lord. With a single slash, he simultaneously shattered the invisible barrier above the pagoda’s sixth floor.

In an instant, the world opened up before him.

True Monarch Gangxing looked up and around as a wave of immense Spiritual Qi washed over him. Only then did he realize that a mere four bookshelves stood on the floors above the sixth.

Each bookshelf was marked with a plaque.

Immortal Pivot, Celestial Mansion

Star Palace, Profound Wall.

Though there were only four bookshelves, the Dao essence they contained far surpassed everything on the floors below. Innumerable complex array patterns and talismans seemed to breathe as they flowed across their surfaces.

’What a truly magnificent place... It rightfully belongs to my Sword Pavilion!’

Not daring to delay, True Monarch Gangxing immediately went to the bookshelf marked "Immortal Pivot." But the moment he drew near, his brow furrowed. As he approached, an invisible pressure washed over him, causing his Great True Monarch Position to become dangerously unstable!

An unharmed Great Perfected Lord would have been unaffected, of course.

But he was not. He was in a crippled state and had already expended one slash. He was relying entirely on his Sword Light to maintain his Position, and that light was now dissipating at an unimaginably fast rate!

But the arrow was already nocked; he had no choice but to fire.

If he chose to retreat now, his previous slash would have been for nothing—a catastrophic loss. He made his decision instantly.

RUMBLE!

True Monarch Gangxing drew his sword once more, unleashing two more beams of Sword Light. With one move, he stabilized his Position and arrived right beside the bookshelf.

The Sword Light swept past, and the arrays and talismans on the bookshelf rapidly shattered and dispersed.

Soon, five books came into view: the Fruit of Celestial Fire, the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal, the Fruit of Rampart Earth, the Fruit of Vast-Sea Water, and the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood!

The Five Elements Supreme Fruit Position!

Without the slightest hesitation, True Monarch Gangxing took them all. He swept all five Supreme Fruit Position Books into his robes.

For safety’s sake, he could have taken only the Fruit of Celestial Fire. A single Supreme Fruit Position Book would be useless to Perfected Lords whose paths didn’t align with it. Doing so might have convinced some of his would-be ambushers to back down. In the end, however, he chose to take them all.

This wasn’t greed; on the contrary, it was a calculated decision.

The Fruit of Celestial Fire and the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal were, of course, things he was determined to obtain for himself. The Fruit of Vast-Sea Water could be used to win over the Old Dragon Monarch.

The Fruit of Great-Forest Wood could be used to persuade Ang Xiao to back down.

If he had to choose, only the Fruit of Rampart Earth was optional. But the Pure Land would certainly be happy to receive such a generous gift, so taking it was by no means a loss.

Besides, there was another point:

’Having all Five Elements will be of great help in attaining the Void Certificate. If I can gather the cultivation from all Five Elements Supreme Fruit Positions, I might even be able to attempt for the Void Certificate myself one day...’

Lost in thought, True Monarch Gangxing had already retreated from the upper floors.

At the same time, the Sword Light surrounding him began to dim. His Position plummeted, and in a few moments, he had fallen back to the level of the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

"Hmph..."

With a cold snort, figures suddenly materialized within the once-empty pagoda, forming a ring that trapped him in the center.

Lü Yang, Ang Xiao.

World Purger Fei Xue, the True Monarch of Contained Light and Floating Heaven.

The Old Dragon Monarch, Mu Changsheng.

Aside from Mu Changsheng, who was of the Outer Dao, everyone else was at the Middle Stage of Golden Core—and elites at that. The lineup was nothing short of stacked.

’Four of them are from the Stain Sect...’

True Monarch Gangxing sighed inwardly. In comparison, while the Sword Pavilion had three other Perfected Lords besides himself, they were all only at the Early Stage of Golden Core.

Of course, a group of Early Stage Golden Core cultivators would be more than worth it if they could support a Great Perfected Lord at the Late Stage of Golden Core. The problem was, he was half-crippled. This put the Sword Pavilion in an awkward position. Because of him, the other Sword Pavilion Perfected Lords couldn’t advance their cultivation, and their top-tier combat strength was now lacking.

With this in mind, True Monarch Gangxing stated plainly:

"I only want the Fruit of Celestial Fire and the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal. As for the other books, I can hand over whichever ones you want. Why must we resort to fighting and killing?"

At his words, the expressions of the others shifted slightly.

But Ang Xiao just laughed. "Everyone, if Gangxing takes the Fruit of Celestial Fire and the Fruit of Blade-Edge Metal, there’s a very good chance he’ll recover to his peak."

"Do you really want a flawless Great Perfected Lord to emerge in the Immortal Pivot?"

It was a masterfully crafted statement, completely sidestepping any debate with True Monarch Gangxing and striking directly at the core interests of every other Perfected Lord present.

Who among them wanted a Great Perfected Lord ruling over them?

"So be it."

As the words fell, True Monarch Gangxing heaved a deep sigh. He knew there was no longer any room for negotiation. A fight was inevitable.

The next second, True Monarch Gangxing drew his sword.

A brilliant light filled Heaven and Earth as a gentle breeze stirred. Everyone watched as the longsword slid from its sheath, inch by inch. Then, the Sword Light seared itself into their Spiritual Spaces.

Victory Sword Intent!

A terrifying Sword Intent erupted forth. Even without the amplification of a Great True Monarch Position, making it far inferior to the slash he had unleashed in the Star Palace, its power was still overwhelming.

A golden-white brilliance filled Heaven and Earth before collapsing inward. It was clear that in his current state, True Monarch Gangxing could no longer launch an all-out attack that struck everyone at once. He had to converge his Sword Intent and Abilities into a focused assault, concentrating on a single target.

And the target he chose was—Lü Yang!

Lü Yang was not surprised by this. But just then, a sudden premonition struck him. His pupils shrank as he sensed a ripple in the unseen web of karmic links.

In the next instant, the Old Dragon Monarch made his move.

An azure radiance exploded to Lü Yang’s left. Without any hesitation, the attack also shot toward Lü Yang. The Old Dragon Monarch had betrayed them the very moment the battle began!

’So, my earlier pretense has been seen through.’

Lü Yang’s expression remained calm. He had anticipated the Old Dragon Monarch’s betrayal, but he hadn’t expected the man to target him instead of attacking Fei Xue as planned.

Even so, he remained composed.

With his Rebirth Appearance, he could divert any attack aimed at him without his true body suffering the slightest harm. This level of assault was not yet beyond his limits.

Until a third person attacked.

An ethereal wisp of smoke appeared without any warning. Before Lü Yang could react, it had already gently touched the vital point on his back, carrying with it a devastating roar.

Ang Xiao!