Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

The Sea of Suffering.

The Sword Dao of the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected had now transformed into a celestial pillar. One end rested on the sea’s surface, while the other pointed directly at the vault of heaven above the Sea of Suffering.

As far as the eye could see, it extended for more than three thousand meters.

Yet, the Sea of Suffering was a vast, boundless expanse; three thousand meters was no different from an ant in its presence. This length was also incomparable to the Dao of Arcane Body.

However, it was more than enough for Mu Changsheng’s purposes.

"This is the Void Certificate!"

Mu Changsheng circled the pillar of Sword Dao, muttering to himself with an excited expression, "So that’s how it works... It endlessly absorbs the water of the Sea of Suffering to improve itself..."

Mu Changsheng was no fool.

The reason he had been directly targeted by the Saint Sect Ancestral Master was that he had touched upon a taboo. But the fact that he was valued by the Heavenly God showed he still possessed considerable Talent Skill.

After all, from the perspective of the Supreme Dao Transformation, he at least retained a human form. By the standards of a being like Ang Xiao—where one had to reach that level to even be considered a ’person’—this was already an extraordinary Talent Skill. So now, as he observed the Sword Dao, inspiration sparked continuously in his mind.

"I understand now!"

Suddenly, Mu Changsheng clapped his hands, his face alight with excitement. "The Fruit Position and the Great Dao are indeed two completely different things, belonging to different domains!"

Lü Yang was also aware of this point.

After all, the Pocket World Technique specifically targeted the Fruit Position, while the Void Certificate corresponding to the Great Dao didn’t require a Grotto Heaven at all. This distinction alone revealed the crux of the matter.

However, this view was still somewhat superficial.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang took the initiative to look at Mu Changsheng and asked with a smile, "Then, in your opinion, Daoist, what is the fundamental difference between a Fruit Position and the Great Dao?"

He decided to pick Mu Changsheng’s brain.

Besides relying on one’s own enlightenment, discussing the Dao with knowledgeable people was also an excellent way to improve one’s cultivation. Working alone behind closed doors was ultimately no match for the wisdom of a crowd.

Mu Changsheng, on the other hand, was stunned.

’Sir is asking me about something like this? Isn’t this something he would have known long ago... Oh, I get it. He’s testing me! Testing my enlightenment!’

’This is a great opportunity for me to improve!’

With his previous experiences, Mu Changsheng had already resolved to cling tightly to Lü Yang’s coattails. Now that he had a chance to prove himself, he naturally held nothing back.

"The difference lies in the pursuit of the Dao!"

Mu Changsheng chose his words carefully before speaking in a low voice, "The Great Dao that emerges from a Void Certificate is, as the name implies, a road leading to the Other Shore."

"This road might only have a foundation at the beginning, requiring it to be built and climbed step by step. Only then might one have a chance to reach the Other Shore someday. In the process, a cultivator’s cultivation will also slowly rise, and their Personhood Realm is entirely dependent on how far their Great Dao can extend."

"A Fruit Position, however, is different."

"Compared to a Great Dao, a Fruit Position is more like a single-step platform. Although it starts you off on high ground, it cannot extend infinitely like a Great Dao."

"That’s why Fruit Positions need to be stacked and matched."

"Combining different Fruit Positions is equivalent to stacking these platforms one by one, ultimately forming a staircase to ascend to the Other Shore!"

Mu Changsheng had proposed a completely new perspective.

A Fruit Position is a staircase, a Great Dao is a road. Both are methods for cultivators to reach the Other Shore. This metaphorical description was a breath of fresh air for Lü Yang.

’That’s... a very vivid description!’

Moreover, this could also explain a very important question.

Why is it easier to aspire to become a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord with a Great Dao from a Void Certificate? Because the road is complete. Every step is stable, making it impossible to misstep.

A staircase, however, is different.

The matching of Fruit Positions is limited to the Five Elements at most, meaning there are only five steps. One can imagine the difficulty of reaching the Other Shore with just five steps.

If one were to accidentally misstep...

The result would be a SPLAT—a direct fall, and instant death. Thus, compared to other methods, cultivating a Fruit Position to seek the Nascent Soul realm is far less reliable than pursuing a Great Dao via Void Certificate.

’However, this doesn’t mean a Fruit Position is worse than a Great Dao. Strictly speaking, it might even be the opposite. From a pure cultivation standpoint, a Fruit Position is undoubtedly the better choice. After all, compared to a Great Dao that requires a Void Certificate, a Fruit Position is far more ’downwardly compatible.’ The difficulty of cultivating one is also much, much lower.’

To achieve a Great Dao through a Void Certificate, one needs talent, innate ability, and opportunity—not one can be missing.

But cultivating a Fruit Position is different. The finished product is already there; one only needs to resonate with it. The difficulty isn’t even in the same league.

Coming back to his senses, Lü Yang realized Mu Changsheng was still looking at him expectantly.

"Hmm... Well said." He nodded.

"You praise me too highly, Sir!"

Mu Changsheng hurriedly cupped his hands, his heart soaring, and said, "Thank you for your help this time, Sir. This humble one now knows how to use No Heaven to forge a path."

"Oh? And how will you do that?" Lü Yang asked again.

Mu Changsheng didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he got straight to a practical demonstration. With a finger technique, he pointed, and No Heaven responded, falling into the Sea of Suffering.

Then, he explained leisurely,

"Unlike ordinary Fruit Positions, the World Heaven Seed granted by the Nourishing Life Master is special in nature. It’s a Pseudo Void Certificate, so it can’t form a true road."

"But, like a normal Void Attainment Position, it can endlessly absorb the conceptual water of the Sea of Suffering to grow stronger. That being the case, I just need to change my approach... Since it can’t form a road, I’ll settle for the next best thing and build the staircase corresponding to the Fruit Position so that it’s airtight."

In the Immortal Pivot, the Pocket World Technique allows for a maximum of five Fruit Positions to be stacked.

Under these circumstances, trying to reach the Other Shore means there will inevitably be huge gaps between the Fruit Positions. As a staircase, the chance of misstepping is simply too high.

But No Heaven is different.

"As a Fruit Position created from a World Heaven Seed, it is essentially an Outer Dao. It has a low starting point, but it also doesn’t have the defect of being limited to a combination of only five Fruit Positions."

"And since it can endlessly swallow the water of the Sea of Suffering, why not use ten, a thousand, or ten thousand of them to build a staircase with no gaps to misstep on?"

This is the Pseudo Void Certificate!

"It clearly isn’t a Great Dao, yet it takes the form of one. The Great Power who created the Nourishing Life Master and developed the World Heaven Seed was truly a peerless genius!"

Mu Changsheng exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.

His words were rough, but his reasoning was sound. The so-called roads and staircases were essentially descriptions of cultivation. Though simplistic, they represented a step forward in the philosophy of cultivation.

RUMBLE!

In an instant, a roar echoed from within the Sea of Suffering. Following Mu Changsheng’s epiphany, the previously inert No Heaven suddenly burst into radiance.

This was cultivation.

When one’s cultivation was insufficient, it was like having one’s vision blocked by a single leaf or viewing the sky from the bottom of a well. Even if one already possessed the aptitude to advance further, it was difficult to escape one’s cage.

But once one’s cultivation was sufficient, the rest would fall into place naturally.

Watching Mu Changsheng in the Sea of Suffering, who was now fully focused on evolving No Heaven, building his steps, and extending his Great Dao, Lü Yang felt quite satisfied.

’It seems my help wasn’t in vain after all.’

’After all, Fellow Daoist Suo Huan is also based on a Fruit Position formed from a World Heaven Seed. With Mu Changsheng’s insight, perhaps he too will have a chance in the future.’

However, just at that moment,

Lü Yang felt the Righteous Banner tremble violently. The flag’s surface billowed, and the surrounding purple qi grew ever denser, gradually revealing a black essence as it layered upon itself.

"Ancestral Master?"

Lü Yang stared, somewhat dazed, at Progenitor Tingyou, who was causing the commotion with the Righteous Banner. Progenitor Tingyou had almost never acted like this before.

Usually, Progenitor Tingyou would just hole up inside the Righteous Banner’s inner space, either discussing the Dao with the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and Suo Huan or researching things on his own. Although he always maintained a shared interface with Lü Yang, he basically never interfered with his actions. This was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to appear.

Soon, Progenitor Tingyou’s voice emerged:

"Indeed, there are benefits to listening to others’ understanding of the Dao... Lü Yang, I believe I can also forge a path. Right now. I will forge it with the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven!"

Lü Yang was taken aback. The Ancestral Master wanted to forge a path?

It wasn’t impossible. After all, although the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven had been "washed" by the Centome, its roots were no different from Mu Changsheng’s No Heaven.

"Are you also planning to build a staircase, Ancestral Master?" Lü Yang asked curiously.

To his surprise, however, Progenitor Tingyou shook his head.

"I don’t intend to do the same as Mu Changsheng... His staircase theory has some merit, but it is not the ultimate truth. The Great Dao is personal; one should not be too bound by convention."

"As long as one can reach the Other Shore, what difference does it make if it’s a road or a staircase?"

As he spoke, a hint of passion appeared in Progenitor Tingyou’s usually calm eyes.

"I intend to use the Profound Mysterious nature of the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven and the reality-shaping power of the Ruyi Heart to conjure the Five Elements Fruit Position out of thin air... and use that to elevate myself!"

Lü Yang was stunned by his words.

Progenitor Tingyou’s explanation was so abstruse that even Lü Yang, who knew him best, didn’t understand at first. But he quickly figured it out.

If the path from a Void Certificate was a road, and the path Mu Changsheng built with a World Heaven Seed was a staircase, then Progenitor Tingyou’s method was quite bizarre.

Lü Yang summarized it in his own terms:

In short, Progenitor Tingyou intended to use the Ruyi Heart to conjure Fruit Positions, creating a booster rocket to launch himself to the Other Shore!