Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

RUMBLE!

The moment World Purger Fei Xue finished speaking, she showed no intention of remaining to guard the Stain Sect. Instead, she charged out brazenly, hurtling straight toward the South!

"Hmph..."

Seeing this, True Monarch Gangxing’s gaze darkened. As for World Purger Fei Xue’s words, while they had struck a chord, he paid them no mind.

Those with different Daos cannot walk the same path.

World Purger Fei Xue believed her own principles were her Dao. But in his view, that was far too ethereal and intangible, not nearly as real or clear as one’s Realm and Fruit Position.

The notion that a path without principles is meaningless, even if it’s the strongest in the world, was utter nonsense to him. Who cared if it was truly his own? As long as it could be used, made him stronger, and allowed him to reach the Other Shore, that was all the meaning he needed. He couldn’t even be bothered to argue with her.

After all, this wasn’t a debate on the Dao. It was Combat.

Truth is only found on the edge of a blade!

The next second, True Monarch Gangxing shot forward, sword in hand. High in the sky, the Fruit of River-Sand Gold suddenly blazed, casting down thousands of rays of Splendid Light.

In addition, two other Fruit Position Stars responded to him at this moment: the Fruit of Stove-Inside Fire and the Fruit of Roof-Top Earth, which began to glow in succession.

Seeing this, World Purger Fei Xue’s eyes narrowed.

Both she and Ang Xiao had been disdainful of how True Monarch Gangxing had crippled himself while breaking through to the Great Perfected Lord Realm.

They had believed it was due to True Monarch Gangxing’s insufficient Cultivation.

However, that wasn’t entirely accurate. True Monarch Gangxing’s failure was less a matter of insufficient Cultivation and more a case of bad luck.

His calculations had actually been quite sound.

The precious nature of the Fruit of River-Sand Gold is hidden deep within and requires fire to reveal its true form. But it must be a gentle, soft fire, and the Fruit of Stove-Inside Fire was a bit too violent.

To compensate, he had introduced the Fruit of Roof-Top Earth. By using an Earth Fruit Position as a balancing agent, he could both disperse the fire’s intensity and nurture the Gold, creating a "Fire begets Earth, and Earth begets Gold" cycle. In theory, it should have been a rather Upper Grade combination.

Unfortunately, his calculations were off by a single step.

The conflict between the Fruit of Roof-Top Earth and the Fruit of Stove-Inside Fire planted a hidden danger that magnified over time, ultimately leaving him half-crippled.

But was that his fault?

At most, only half of it was. The other half was simply rotten luck.

After all, the Sword Pavilion only had the Fruit of Stove-Inside Fire and the Fruit of Roof-Top Earth at the time. It was already quite an achievement for him to find a viable path with just those two.

Who could have predicted such a pitfall?

He even suspected someone had been plotting against him back then.

Therefore, even though he had fallen from the Position of a Great Perfected Lord, True Monarch Gangxing’s strength was by no means weak. It was more than enough to fight World Purger Fei Xue head-on.

RUMBLE!

For a time, it was like celestial thunder striking terrestrial fire. Two of the most powerful Golden Core Perfected Lords beneath the rank of Great Perfected Lord had brought out their True Fire, and the clash was so intense it felt as if heaven and earth were torn asunder.

However, all the shockwaves were channeled into the Light Sea Boundary River between the South and the North. By unspoken agreement, both sides avoided causing any damage to the Immortal Pivot.

Of course, this was also because both of them were confident in their plans.

On World Purger Fei Xue’s side, she was confident because she had already told Profound Turtle Great Saint and Bright Pearl Great Saint everything that needed to be said, so she hadn’t delayed her true objective.

As for the Fruit of Celestial Fire.

She could guess True Monarch Gangxing’s goal, but the Fruit of Celestial Fire had been hidden from the world for so long. How could it be captured so easily?

On the other side, True Monarch Gangxing was just as confident.

In his eyes, while World Purger Fei Xue was certainly powerful, her ultimate weakness was her youth. She lacked experience, having cultivated for merely five thousand years.

Thus, there were certain ancient methods she knew nothing about.

........

「Sea of Suffering.」

After seeing World Purger Fei Xue off, the Old Dragon Monarch took a deep breath and looked at the group. "Alright, follow me. Any later, and we might lose our chance."

At his words, Celestial Python and Mu Changsheng readily complied, following without hesitation. Although Profound Turtle Great Saint and Bright Pearl Great Saint looked hesitant, the Old Dragon Monarch had presided over the Overseas region for many years and still commanded a great deal of prestige. After a moment of thought, the two Great Saints chose to follow as well.

Soon, the group arrived at their destination.

SWOOSH!

Instantly, everyone squinted, their vision filled with a blinding, vermilion light so intense it made even a Perfected Lord’s Dharma Eye ache.

Once they finally adjusted to the intense light, they could see its source... it was a Fruit Position, bobbing in the Sea of Suffering like a solitary island.

"What... is this?"

Profound Turtle Great Saint stared blankly at the Fruit Position before him, feeling the Fruit of Thunderbolt Fire under his control stir with a powerful tremor.

However, unlike its usual violent nature, the light now emanating from the Fruit of Thunderbolt Fire showed an unprecedented meekness. It was like an ever-victorious general meeting his sovereign; even from a distance, it made him feel a step below the presence before him.

’It’s the Fruit of Celestial Fire!’

’Not only is it the Supreme Venerable of the Fire Element, but it is also the Emperor Fruit that symbolizes "dominion." Its suppression of other Fire Fruit Positions is simply incredible!’

"He actually found it..."

Nearby, Bright Pearl Great Saint was also in a daze. To find a Fruit Position directly in the Sea of Suffering—an Emperor Fruit, no less—was no different from striking it lucky beyond belief.

Theoretically, it should be impossible!

’But everything has its variables and exceptions. That is a fundamental principle of Heaven and Earth.’

The Old Dragon Monarch reflected on how he had found the Fruit of Celestial Fire. It was simple, really. It was all thanks to the Fruit Position Book that True Monarch Gangxing had obtained.

For five whole years, aside from recuperating, True Monarch Gangxing had been performing constant deductions in the Sea of Suffering. He used the Fruit of Celestial Fire’s entry in the Fruit Position Book to track the currents it stirred in the Sea of Suffering. It took five years of pursuit, leveraging the Cultivation of a Great Perfected Lord, to finally lock down its location.

And even that was only temporary.

A Fruit Position’s location in the Sea of Suffering is not fixed; it is constantly shifting. A single movement could span an astronomical distance, making it impossible to capture.

One moment it’s here, the next it could be gone.

Therefore, the Old Dragon Monarch dared not delay. He immediately looked at Celestial Python and Mu Changsheng and said in a low voice, "Delays breed trouble. Move now! Seal it immediately!"

Celestial Python and Mu Changsheng hurried forward upon hearing his command.

Of the two, only Celestial Python had been specially groomed by him; Mu Changsheng was an unexpected bonus. And Celestial Python’s purpose—or rather, the purpose of the Fruit of Sky-River Water—was for this very moment.

’The fire from the heavens and the water of the celestial river are naturally opposed.’

Although the Fruit of Celestial Fire typically suppresses the Fruit of Sky-River Water, under special circumstances, the Fruit of Sky-River Water could turn the tables and become the dominant one.

This was the Old Dragon Monarch’s plan.

He wouldn’t try to claim the Fruit of Celestial Fire. Instead, he would find its location directly in the Sea of Suffering, seal it, and then snatch it away in complete secrecy.

Furthermore, once sealed, the Fruit of Celestial Fire would be conceptually diminished by the experience, making it easier for True Monarch Gangxing to strip it of its Supreme Venerable Position. If not for this, True Monarch Gangxing would never have cooperated with the Old Dragon Monarch, let alone taken the initiative to hold back Fei Xue.

Meanwhile, Mu Changsheng was growing increasingly nervous.

’I wonder if that Nameless True Monarch from the Stain Sect has received my message... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... I can’t let the Old Dragon Monarch succeed.’

The Old Dragon Monarch was his biggest bargaining chip right now.

If the Old Dragon Monarch became a Great Perfected Lord, and the Nameless True Monarch gave up on revenge, how would he ever advance? Good heavens, this could affect his entire path of cultivation!