Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Two and a half years flew by in the blink of an eye.

「Overseas, at Skyline」

A lone island stood amidst an endless ocean. On a remote cliff, shrouded in dense fog, a hazy figure sat cross-legged.

"Netherworld..."

Ang Xiao sat upon the cliff, gazing out from Skyline toward the distant Netherworld, his eyes filled with deep longing and fury.

He wanted to curse someone, but he didn’t know who.

It all came down to the same thing: he didn’t know the bastard’s name!

For the past two and a half years, he had been constantly pulling at the Great Net of Karma Links, scouring Heaven and Earth for any sign of his foe, but the man had simply vanished without a trace, as if he’d evaporated from the world.

If the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire weren’t still vacant, showing no sign of revival, he might have even suspected his plan had actually succeeded. Yet every time he allowed himself this fantasy, he was forced to confront reality—his machinations had not only failed to improve his situation...

...it had gotten even worse.

’Sword Pavilion... that old bastard Gangxing has been in seclusion this whole time. He’s probably made some progress. I’d wager he managed to copy one of the five Supreme Fruit Position Books.’

’The Stain Sect... forget them.’

’As for the Pure Land... I guess I’m lucky. The Bhagavat doesn’t seem interested in coming after me, which is a surprise. It seems to have something to do with my past self...’

At this thought, Ang Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly.

His memory was, in fact, incomplete.

This was normal enough. He knew too much—some of the forbidden knowledge was so significant that he had sealed it away himself using the Veil of the Trees.

The seal was located in his Spiritual Space. His intuition told him it could only be undone when he sought to become a Master of Dao. If he broke it before then, disaster was certain; he could drop dead on the spot, even in the Netherworld. That was why he’d never dared to access those memories.

However, just because he couldn’t access them didn’t mean he was without clues.

’It’s as I suspected. The memories I sealed away must be related to the Pure Land and the Bhagavat. There’s no other way to explain his tolerance toward me.’

This applies to the Dragon and Snake Coiling Shadow Bodhisattva affair, as well as other things.

This was both a blessing and a curse.

The blessing was that the Master of Dao most capable of interfering with the Current World wouldn’t affect him much. The curse was that a single careless misstep could see him fall into a trap.

If he one day found himself crying out "Eee!" like the others, that would be true despair.

Thinking of this, Ang Xiao glanced toward the South again, the somber look in his eyes intensifying.

True Monarch Gangxing... although he’d also taken a huge hit this time, he had at least managed to copy a Supreme Fruit Position Book. He now had a chance to continue on his path of Dao.

’Damn it, that freeloader actually managed to make a comeback!’

’Even a hack with True Monarch Gangxing’s level of Cultivation has a chance to recover and return to the rank of Great Perfected Lord, yet I, with my heaven-sent talent, can do nothing but sit here?’

He refused to accept it!

As he stewed in his thoughts, Ang Xiao’s mind once again turned to that nameless bastard. By now, he was certain the man wasn’t some reincarnated Master of Dao.

’He most likely inherited the legacy of the Master of Dao of the Dao of Arcane Body.’

At this thought, Ang Xiao was once again beside himself with rage.

He was clearly just a bothersome little insect, no one important, yet just like a real bug, he’d squirmed and squirmed until he’d actually won!

Who could accept a loss like that?

But the cruel reality was laid before him. Even if Ang Xiao’s heart burned with a million grievances, he had to set them aside for now and rethink his path forward.

’Reviving the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire and making a swift return to the rank of Great Perfected Lord is no longer an option.’

’The Nourishing Life Master opportunity was a one-time deal; assembling such a lineup again would be practically impossible. And he couldn’t kill Lü Yang on his own.’

’My only choice is the path of the Void Certificate.’

As the thought arose, the void behind Ang Xiao cracked open, revealing the Sea of Suffering. Faintly, an immensely wide platform materialized.

This was a strange sight.

Nothing should exist upon the Sea of Suffering besides Dao Fruits and Great Daos. A platform had no business being here.

On closer inspection, however, one would discover the truth of this platform: it was also a Great Dao. But unlike the Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s Great Dao of Money or the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Sword Dao, this Great Dao did not point up from the Sea of Suffering toward the unseen Other Shore.

Instead, it pointed *downward*, beneath the Sea of Suffering!

The entire Great Dao began at the surface of the Sea of Suffering, with the vast majority of it plunging deep beneath the waves. The ’platform’ was merely the very top, the only part that broke the surface.

It was upside-down!

’Back then, I intended to take advantage of the Earth Reversal to embed this Great Dao, cultivating with its intent. It was also a perfect fit for the unique Position of the Netherworld.’

’Now, however, it’s useless.’

Ang Xiao sighed deeply. Was this Great Dao powerful? Of course it was! To put it bluntly, its Position was at the level of a Great Perfected Lord!

The problem was, it was unusable.

Because the bulk of the Great Dao was located beneath the Sea of Suffering, any progress he made along it was futile.

The only part that could actually empower him was the small section of the platform exposed above the water. Everything else was submerged and buried by the endless waters of the Sea of Suffering!

He had chosen the wrong path; the harder he worked, the more mistaken he became.

Of course, this dilemma only existed within the Sea of Suffering. If he were in the Netherworld, this Great Dao would not only be unrestricted but could be unleashed to its full potential.

In other words, Ang Xiao’s true peak state in this life was actually in the Netherworld. There, he was not only a Great Perfected Lord of the Pocket World Technique who had reached Five Elements Perfection, but also a Great Perfected Lord of the Void Dao Fruit. Empowered by this dual Position, he would dare to snarl in the face of a Master of Dao, should one descend to the mortal world!

’Alas, a tiger stranded on the plains is bullied by dogs...’

At this thought, Ang Xiao felt his heroic spirit deflate. Of course, even now, he could still uproot his Great Dao of the Void Certificate from the Sea of Suffering.

If he did, he would instantly regain his Great True Monarch Position.

However, doing so would mean completely giving up on the Netherworld. What would be the point? To add one more Great Perfected Lord to the world? He could never stop at just that!

Just then.

"BOOM!"

Accompanied by a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar, the entire Void Sea of Light and the Billions of World Heavens resonated once more. Countless Living Creatures raised their heads to the sky.

Then came a burst of wild laughter:

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Amidst the laughter, a towering figure slowly emerged—a practitioner of the Dao of Arcane Body. For a moment, within the Immortal Pivot, countless Perfected Lords held their breath.

’Again!?’

The next second, the towering figure moved. He raised his fist high, and then, under the horrified stares of countless onlookers, he slowly stuck up his middle finger.

"Ang Xiao, fuck you!"

"I’ll be waiting for you in the Human World for three days! You show up, and I promise you’ll regret it! I’m going to rip that damn mist off you and beat your face black and blue!"

Ang Xiao: "..."

Soon, the image of light and shadow dissipated.

Elsewhere, Ang Xiao sighed. Despite being provoked by Lü Yang in a broadcast across the entire Sea of Light, he remained quite calm, showing no trace of anger.

"BANG!"

After casually smashing the island beneath him, Ang Xiao stood up calmly. That’s right. With a Dao Heart as firm as his, how could he possibly get angry over a junior?

’So he wants to settle the score with me?’

Ang Xiao sneered. "It seems he’s had some gains—progressed in the Dao of Arcane Body, healed his injuries, and returned to his peak. Now the arrogant fool thinks he can actually fight me."

Arrogant whelp!

Did he really think he could fight me to a standstill? I only held back last time because I wasn’t certain I could kill him. I was just waiting for the right moment to finish him off.

’Perfect. Since the little whelp is so overconfident, I’ll use it to my advantage... Even if I can’t kill him, if I go all out and use a few tricks, I should still be able to suppress and seal him temporarily. And while he’s sealed, I’m bound to find a way to finish him off for good.’

At this thought, Ang Xiao’s spirits lifted.

He immediately began his preparations without a moment’s rest, setting up Arrays and Refining Secret Treasures. Once he was fully prepared, he stepped into the Human World.

........

Lü Yang didn’t show up.

Ang Xiao was absolutely livid.