Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

As Ang Xiao's words faded, Lü Yang fell into immediate silence.

He thought, "The True Monarch of Radiant World isn't dead?"

"No!"

Lü Yang's eyes narrowed as a sharp sense of vigilance rose in his heart.

"According to him, he saw the True Monarch of Radiant World five thousand years ago," he mused. "This means that regardless of his origins, the True Monarch lived until at least then. Furthermore, since he could meet with Ang Xiao, he must be at least at the Middle Stage of Golden Core, perhaps even a Great Perfected Lord. But with such Cultivation, having lived until five thousand years ago, being a Saint Sect True Monarch, and free from the Veil of the Trees—how could absolutely no information about him have been passed down?"

At this thought, Lü Yang gave Ang Xiao a profound look.

"Either this inherently wicked old ghost made a deal with the True Monarch of Radiant World and used the Veil of the Trees to erase all information about him," Lü Yang continued to ponder, "or the True Monarch of Radiant World possessed the necessary abilities himself. He could have relied on some Profound Mysterious method, different from the Veil of the Trees, to wipe out all traces of his existence... Damn it, the more I think about it, the more he sounds like Bhagavat!"

Lü Yang's expression shifted before he asked directly, "Since you've said this much, Senior, if the True Monarch of Radiant World is truly still alive, where would he be now? What are his schemes and plots?"

Ang Xiao gave a half-smile. "That is not hard to guess, actually.

"In all the world, there are very few people—fewer than the fingers on one hand—who can make me hold my tongue and hesitate to speak of them. With your insight, Daoist, you should be able to guess."

Lü Yang fell speechless.

He thought, "Spot on! The so-called True Monarch of Radiant World is nine times out of ten the secret alias Bhagavat used when he was studying at the Stain Sect. That is why Ang Xiao is so wary of him!"

At this realization, Lü Yang immediately recalled the incident from five thousand years ago. He thought, "In the Pseudo-History, the transition of power within the Dao Court occurred five thousand years ago. Bhagavat eradicated the Dao Court's Zouyu Royal Family, seized the Fruit of Rampart Earth, and severed Time after proving his Nascent Soul. That was what gave birth to the Pseudo-History.

"However, the Current World is different.

"The Zouyu Royal Family of the Current World perished fifteen thousand years ago. The Fruit of Rampart Earth was also lost at that time and fell under the control of the Pure Land.

"Yet, the Pure Land was not established fifteen thousand years ago.

"The founding of the Pure Land can be traced back one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years to the great war of the Masters of Dao that swept across the Sea of Light and determined the current landscape of the Immortal Pivot."

It was an intense distortion of Time. This distortion did not just occur in the history of the Pure Land; it also affected the period from the last Millennium Tribulation to the present. The so-called "five thousand years" was actually an imaginary number.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang looked up and suddenly asked, "Daoist, do you know how many years have passed since the last Millennium Tribulation?"

"Hm?" Ang Xiao raised an eyebrow.

This was a probe. Lü Yang had only grasped this intelligence through the Centome. On the surface, the last Millennium Tribulation took place five thousand years ago, but that was not the truth. In reality, at least three thousand years of Time had been extracted out of thin air from those five thousand years. The actual time that had passed was merely a thousand years at most!

"The vanished three thousand-plus years actually became the foundation for constructing the Pseudo-History," Lü Yang mused. His mind raced as he recalled the intelligence regarding Bhagavat, the Pure Land, and the Pseudo-History. The layers of scattered clues gradually grew clearer, and he soon unraveled the underlying thread. "The entire timeline appears chaotic, but there is actually a crucial juncture—and that is five thousand years ago! Just what exactly happened during that Millennium Tribulation five thousand years ago?"

His gaze turned scrutinizing as he looked at Ang Xiao. After all, the information regarding this matter was standard forbidden Knowledge, which Ang Xiao had willingly shared in the Previous Life just to trap him. Looking at it now, this inherently wicked old ghost was definitely still holding something back!

"Ho ho." Under Lü Yang's scrutiny, Ang Xiao's gaze did not waver in the slightest. Shrouded by the hazy smoke, Lü Yang could not see any shift in his expression.

After a moment, Ang Xiao spoke again. "You know more than I imagined, Daoist."

A strange luster flickered in Ang Xiao's eyes. Before, he might have felt curious and puzzled by Lü Yang's bizarre question. But things were different now. As the Millennium Tribulation approached, the memory seal within his Spiritual Space had automatically lifted, and the various hidden secrets of the past had returned to his grasp.

Thus, he smiled naturally and said, "That tribulation from five thousand years ago? Of course I know. It's only been one thousand five hundred and thirty-seven years since then. Looking at it that way, Time really does fly by..."

He thought, "Fuck!"

Such an exact number immediately made Lü Yang's expression turn solemn. Ang Xiao's statement undoubtedly revealed the Knowledge he possessed.

"That..." Lü Yang paused. Although they were currently inside the Nourishing Life Master, referring to Bhagavat by name and discussing forbidden Knowledge still made him feel a bit apprehensive.

Therefore, after a brief moment of silence, he decisively changed his term of address. "That lord who deigns to ask his inferiors should be the mastermind behind the Millennium Tribulation five thousand years ago. However, I still don't understand—exactly when did he prove his Nascent Soul? Five thousand years ago? Or hundreds of thousands of years ago?"

RUMBLE!

Before Lü Yang could finish his sentence, an intense sense of crisis suddenly swept over him. Even the previously tranquil Nourishing Life Master trembled slightly at this moment.

"Damn it, did Bhagavat notice?" Lü Yang thought, his eye twitching slightly.

In contrast, Ang Xiao chuckled lightly at the sight. "Do not worry, Daoist. It is just that what you said was far too shocking. It merely triggered a spontaneous response from the Void Sea of Light.

"Furthermore, you were very smart not to directly say the True Name and Honorary Title of that... ah, that lord who deigns to ask his inferiors. Otherwise, there truly might have been a risk."

After speaking, Ang Xiao examined Lü Yang with an unprecedented gaze before suddenly asking, "Have you been to that Pseudo-History, Daoist?"

"By a stroke of luck." Lü Yang's expression remained calm. He wasn't surprised that Ang Xiao could guess it, but he didn't elaborate, instead shifting the topic. "You haven't resolved my confusion yet, Senior."

"You certainly know what to ask," Ang Xiao laughed. "In all the world, I am likely the only one who can answer that question. Even that Old Loach knows absolutely nothing about it.

"However, why should I tell you?"

"Oh, then I won't ask." Lü Yang spread his hands dismissively.

Ang Xiao's laughter choked off instantly. He then sighed in exasperation. "You little sly fox. I am growing more and more curious about your origins.

"You know so many hidden secrets, yet I can find absolutely nothing about your background, as if you popped out of a rock. I don't even know your name right now... How about this? If you can tell me your Honorary Title—without lying—I will answer your question.

"Do not try to fool me.

"I have lived in this world for tens of thousands of years. I still have some ability to distinguish truth from falsehood... Since it has come to this, just satisfy my curiosity, Daoist."

Lü Yang furrowed his brows slightly before saying in a deep voice, "The True Monarch of the Imperial Extreme and Fate."

At these words, Ang Xiao's expression remained impassive, but beneath his sleeves, his hands were already moving in rapid calculations as he attempted to trace the karmic links.

Yet he quickly stopped.

"I cannot divine it..." Ang Xiao thought. "No matter how I calculate, I cannot find any trace of such a Perfected Lord. But judging from his words and demeanor, it doesn't seem like he gave me this Honorary Title just to trick me."

It was far too strange!

Looking at Ang Xiao, who was tilting his head in contemplation, Lü Yang remained perfectly composed. After all, he truly hadn't lied. That was indeed his Perfected Lord Honorary Title from his Previous Life.

What? He couldn't divine it?

Then he only had his own lack of skill to blame. If his Cultivation were truly heaven-defying, enough to divine the karmic links from before the Centome reset, wouldn't he have been able to figure it out?

"Well?" Lü Yang asked calmly. "Can you resolve my confusion now, Senior?"

Ang Xiao pursed his lips. He was tempted to go back on his word, but considering the objective of this trip, he kept his voice low and provided the answer. "That lord who deigns to ask his inferiors truly achieved the Dao five thousand years ago—that is His 'Present.' Then, using a heaven-defying Divine Effect to trace cause from effect, He reached backward to influence the 'Past' from hundreds of thousands of years ago, and reached forward to influence the 'Future,' right up to this very moment we are currently in!"

At this moment, Ang Xiao's tone was incredibly grave.

Every word he spoke triggered a violent tremor within the Nourishing Life Master, like an Earth Dragon Flipping Over, each time more intense than the last.

"He...

"Achieved the Dao in the Present.

"Manifested from the Past.

"And reigns supreme in the Future!"