Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

As True Monarch Gangxing emerged from the Sword Pavilion, Sword Light flooding the heavens, a figure at the Holy Fire Cliff finally strode out of the Secret Realm, hands clasped behind his back.

It was Lü Yang.

Instantly, a Qi trace no weaker than True Monarch Gangxing's pierced the high heavens. It transformed into a bright light that vanished into the clouds, illuminating over half of the Immortal Pivot.

At that moment, his entire body seemed to be wreathed in roaring flames. A brilliant, crystalline firelight coursed over him, tinting even his hair with its luster. It made him appear all the more radiant and dazzling, before finally coalescing into nine shimmering, golden, divine rings that encircled him.

He wasn't one to let someone else steal the spotlight.

The next second, Lü Yang took a step. The world seemed to warp beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, he had left the Holy Fire Cliff, crossed the Jiangbei Land, and arrived at the Great Dragon River.

"Hmph..."

True Monarch Gangxing's eyebrow twitched. This only affirmed his earlier decision; it was a good thing he'd waited until the Pure Land and the Dao Court had chosen their sides before making a move.

Otherwise, judging by the power Lü Yang was displaying, winning would have been no easy feat. Though he was confident he wouldn't lose, he couldn't rule out the possibility of an upset.

At this thought, True Monarch Gangxing suddenly smiled. "Daoist, you are already well aware of the situation. I don't actually intend to kill you. Just hand over the Fruit of Celestial Fire, and I will turn and leave. You possess an Ancient Golden Core. Even if you give up the Fruit of Celestial Fire, it won't cost you your life."

"This is your last chance."

"Hand over the Fruit of Celestial Fire and you live. If you insist on resisting to the bitter end, then don't blame me... With your level of Cultivation, Daoist, it can't have been easy to get this far."

Lü Yang's eyebrow twitched at his words. A smirk played on his lips.

"Things have already come to this. Why are you still playing mind games with me? I'd say this talk of surrender is just a pretense. What you really want is to see if I have any trump cards left, isn't it?"

'Hand over the Fruit of Celestial Fire and live?'

'Yeah, right!'

True Monarch Gangxing's goal was never the Fruit of Celestial Fire itself. He wanted to demote the Fruit of Celestial Fire's Supreme Position. The mere Fruit was useless to him.

And the best and fastest way to demote the Fruit of Celestial Fire's Supreme Position was, without a doubt, to crush Lü Yang in a battle between equals. If Lü Yang actually gave in and handed over the Fruit, it would be pointless for him.

So why did he bother saying all that?

The reason was simple: if Lü Yang hesitated, it would prove he had no more cards to play. Then, True Monarch Gangxing could crush him without a shred of concern.

Unfortunately for him, that was not what happened.

'His attitude is still so firm... Does that mean he really has another card up his sleeve? But what kind of trump card could possibly stand against the two Great Perfected Lords on my side?'

'Impossible. Absolutely impossible!'

Though True Monarch Gangxing felt a growing sense of gravity, his expression remained composed. He sneered, "If you insist on doing this the hard way, then I will no longer show any mercy."

"You should have done that from the start!"

Lü Yang didn't give an inch. A fervent glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at True Monarch Gangxing. The True Monarch had designs on him, but was the reverse not also true?

After all, no matter how crippled, he was still a Great Perfected Lord.

If Lü Yang could obtain his Gold Attribute, what kind of Talent Skill would the Centome grant him? This was one of the reasons he had chosen to face this battle head-on.

Before the words had even faded, a beam of Sword Light slashed forth!

It was the same familiar attack. True Monarch Gangxing's Sword Light moved like a shadow, giving Lü Yang no chance to react before it went straight for his head!

'But I'm not the same as I was in my Previous Life!'

Lü Yang didn't flinch or dodge. He gripped the Righteous Banner, unfurling it to the wind. Instantly, a chorus of insect cries like the rumble of Thunder Sound roared out!

It was the Qi-Eating Insect Swarm!

A second later, among the Pure Land Camp, the Profound Turtle Great Saint's expression changed drastically. "So it was him stealing my Fruit... The Fruit of Celestial Fire can be used like that?"

After summoning the Qi-Eating Insect Swarm, Lü Yang performed a one-handed Finger Technique to modify their logic. At the same time, he called forth the Fruit of Thunderbolt Fire, channeling its profound and mysterious power to enhance the swarm. Instantly, the already ferocious Qi-eating Insects ignited with firelight, a vast, dark cloud of them severing the link between Lü Yang and True Monarch Gangxing.

The Sword Light plunged into the sea of insects.

It looked like a lone skiff against a monstrous tide. Though it cut through the waves, it was ultimately swallowed by the endless flood.

"CRUNCH CRUNCH!"

With every inch the Sword Light advanced into the insect sea, countless Qi-eating Insects pounced, relentlessly gnawing away at its Mighty Power and causing it to grow ever dimmer.

True Monarch Gangxing was inwardly shocked.

He hadn't used his Great True Monarch Position for that strike, but it was still a full-power attack. The profound and mysterious nature of the Qi-eating Insects, however, still exceeded his expectations.

'They're not just devouring my Mana; they're even consuming the Victory Sword Intent I infused into the Sword Light. Can these bizarre insects eat anything?' True Monarch Gangxing's brow furrowed. He had been about to charge into the insect sea, but now he hesitated.

'And what about their numbers?'

His gaze shifted as he silently calculated the change in the Qi-eating Insects' numbers. His brow furrowed even more deeply. 'There's almost no change at all...'

What did that mean?

It meant his last attack had been almost completely ineffective. With the Qi-Eating Insect Swarm protecting him, Lü Yang was essentially wrapped in an impenetrable shield.

Of course, there was a simple way to deal with it.

'If I elevate my Position, I can annihilate this swarm with a single strike...' True Monarch Gangxing considered this for a moment, then shook his head.

'No, that's not right. This is a trap!'

'The feedback from the karmic links is telling me something's wrong. He's deliberately trying to bait me into attacking. It seems these insects have some unknown means of recovery...'

Meanwhile, from within the Qi-Eating Insect Swarm, Lü Yang watched True Monarch Gangxing. The man seemed eager to act but ultimately held back, and a flicker of regret appeared in Lü Yang's eyes.

'He was a Great Perfected Lord, after all. Even half-crippled, his skill with karmic divination is still absurdly strong. It was too much to hope that I could completely cloud the karmic links and make him fall for it. A pity. If he'd taken the bait and struck first, the rest of this fight would have been much easier for me...'

True Monarch Gangxing's judgment was spot-on.

This was Lü Yang's trap. The Jade Maiden, who was the Qi-eating Mother Insect, had been protected inside the Righteous Banner all along and had not yet joined the fray.

If True Monarch Gangxing had truly unleashed a strike at the level of a Great True Monarch Position, he would have wiped out the swarm. But as long as the Jade Maiden was safe, the swarm could be regenerated in a matter of breaths. Lü Yang would be effectively unscathed, while True Monarch Gangxing would suffer backlash and be injured for forcibly elevating his Position.

As one waned and the other waxed, Lü Yang would gain the upper hand.

Unfortunately, his opponent had keenly sensed that something was amiss and chose to hold his position. Lü Yang took a deep breath, unshaken.

'It was always going to be a tough fight, one way or another.'

Lü Yang's expression was calm. His gaze swept toward the South... He hadn't forgotten that the Old Dragon Monarch was still there, watching him like a hawk.

'If that Old Loach really makes a move... the Ancestor is there to block him.'

'No rush. The opportunity hasn't arrived yet.'

With that thought, Lü Yang was in no hurry to force a conclusion. He continued to command the Qi-Eating Insect Swarm to protect him, perfectly content to rely on this one, brutally effective tactic.

And it was indeed a very useful tactic.

'Come on in, if you've got the guts!'

Lü Yang was full of confidence. His meticulously designed insect-sea tactic wasn't flashy. It was designed for one purpose: to be utterly revolting to deal with.

To kill him, one had to charge through the sea of insects.

And if anyone dared to charge into that sea, they couldn't blame him for using it to trigger his All Evil Beheaded. He'd guarantee they'd go in strong and come out limp!

'Come on, then! Come and get me!'