Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

RUMBLE!

Billowing dark clouds and crashing thunder cast an indescribably massive shadow over the entire Immortal Pivot, obscuring even the sun, moon, and stars. The moment that pair of narrow, elongated eyes appeared, countless Cultivators in the Immortal Pivot immediately sensed it. They subconsciously raised their heads and made eye contact with those eyes. In an instant, even the Foundation-Stage Cultivators who had previously been unaffected by the Netherworld began to emit the aura of death just a second after meeting that gaze.

Soon, the influence began to expand. At this moment, utilizing the characteristics of the Immortal Pivot, the Netherworld had already permeated the entire Void Sea of Light. Consequently, Ang Xiao’s Mighty Power was also constantly climbing! Simultaneously, the narrow eyes ascended higher and higher. Transcending the Current World, unbound by anything and without any restrictions, they calmly reflected all the Perfected Lords below in their field of vision.

"Is this... Ang Xiao’s true body?"

"Impossible! Then who was the Ang Xiao just now?"

"It was... that avatar!"

The Earth-Walking Avatar!

As the saying went, Ang Xiao was not the type to make grand public displays. When he appeared openly before the world, it was either because he was forced to... or because he had already brought his plans to fruition.

"Long before you arrived, I had already entered the Netherworld. I left the Earth-Walking Avatar outside merely to make you misjudge my progress."

The rumbling Thunder Sound echoed. During this process, all the Perfected Lords noticed the anomaly. They realized that the surrounding space and their own Positions were suddenly collapsing and plummeting, while their environment was infinitely magnifying. The narrow eyes above them almost covered the absolute limits of their vision.

"This is... Degradation!"

From the direction of the Pure Land, the Spiritual perception transmitted by the Bao Lian Hidden Buddha carried a hint of shock. "Such a Profound Mysterious technique is actually stronger than when I use the Fruit of Hairpin-Brace Metal?"

This was unreasonable! After all, the fundamental Profound Mysterious nature of the Fruit of Hairpin-Brace Metal was Degradation. Yet, even when she, at the Great True Monarch Level, pushed it to its absolute limits, she could not achieve this current effect! How was this possible?

For a moment, all the Perfected Lords present unleashed their respective Profound Mysterious abilities, attempting to break free from this Degradation of their Positions. However, the next wave of attacks followed closely on its heels.

There was no earth-shattering momentum. There was not even any radiance or anomaly. The narrow eyes, perched high above the firmament and seemingly having achieved Transcendence, merely performed an incredibly simple action—they slowly closed.

"..."

In an instant, all sounds died away in dead silence. All the Perfected Lords whose Positions were still under the effects of Degradation vanished from their spots. The rest of the Living Creatures, as well as those in Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, closely followed suit. If anyone had been standing outside the Immortal Pivot at this moment, they would have been utterly horrified by the scene before them. At this very second, the Immortal Pivot disappeared. Only a turbulent mass of haze remained in its place. It was impossible to pierce through with Spiritual perception or comprehend it, resembling a bottomless abyss.

Meanwhile, inside the Nourishing Life Master.

"GASP!"

Lü Yang nervously pinched Mu Changsheng’s thigh, unable to stop himself from taking a sharp breath. "Since when could this old ghost control the Netherworld?"

Others might not see it, but how could he be blind to it? How had Ang Xiao carried out the Degradation on the Positions of all the Perfected Lords? The answer was very simple. He did not apply Degradation to their Positions; he merely spread the Netherworld’s Mighty Power over them, blessing all the Perfected Lords with Positions belonging to the Netherworld.

That’s right, this wasn’t Degradation at all. It was a blessing! The only problem was that the Netherworld’s Positions were negative and downward-facing. As a result, the Netherworld’s blessing caused the Positions of the Perfected Lords to crash down instead.

"This old ghost really didn’t spend all these years in the Netherworld in vain. However, borrowing the Netherworld’s Mighty Power... he definitely couldn’t do that before. It must be an ability he just acquired. Is it because he spread the Netherworld’s Mighty Power to Quanghai, earning the Netherworld’s favor once again?"

It was entirely possible! Just like Seeking Gold, Ang Xiao’s act of expanding the Netherworld was equivalent to an ultra-massive Magic Instrument, through which he earned the Netherworld’s attention.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang wished he could thoroughly study Ang Xiao’s operation. However, as Ang Xiao closed his eyes, an Extreme Veil of the Trees completely obscured the entire Immortal Pivot, naturally cutting off Mu Changsheng’s live broadcast.

"Is he trying to prevent me from seeing the process of seeking the Nascent Soul?

"Animal!"

...

At the Overseas Skyline, Ang Xiao’s figure reemerged.

"You can’t see it, so you’re anxious, aren’t you?"

His eyes were tightly shut and a smile played on his lips, as if he could see a certain little animal jumping up and down in anger. The next second, his eyelids twitched slightly, almost springing open. However, he was well-prepared for this. He immediately formed a Daoist Hand Seal and gently brushed his palm over his cheek. A layer of hazy radiance flickered, swiftly soothing the twitching of his eyelids and reinforcing the seal of the Veil of the Trees.

Following that, without pausing his movements, he took a step forward.

BOOM!

Accompanied by a loud explosion, his figure resolutely plunged into the Skyline. What greeted his eyes was a Boundless darkness expanding infinitely.

"The Netherworld..."

Ang Xiao understood in his heart that this was the Netherworld—moreover, it was the Netherworld that had expanded to the entire Void Sea of Light with his help, climbing to its absolute zenith! In his eyes, the original Netherworld had an entrance and an end. That was why he had been able to hide within the gates of the Netherworld and sit back to watch the long river of Souls flow by. However, now, as far as his gaze could reach, he could no longer see its boundaries. The Netherworld was constantly swelling, expanding frantically as if it would never end!

"Just as I intended."

Ang Xiao chuckled softly. He fully unleashed his Qi trace. Finally, a dim, infinitely collapsing radiance slowly materialized behind him. It was a Great Dao.

In the Sea of Suffering, this Great Dao was of no use, because like the Netherworld, it spread downwards. However, it was a completely different story here in the Netherworld. When ordinary people entered the Netherworld, all their Positions would undergo Degradation to the Extreme. Yet, this Great Dao was like a roaming dragon entering the sea. Instead of declining, Ang Xiao’s condition grew increasingly powerful. Meanwhile, the resistance of the Perfected Lords he had suppressed using the Veil of the Trees grew weaker and weaker.

With this shift in momentum, Ang Xiao felt increasingly at ease.

Nevertheless, he did not stop moving. He continued down along the Great Dao, advancing into the depths of the Netherworld. Along the way, he passed by a series of eerie and bizarre scenes. Those were the regions within the Netherworld. Vaguely, there were even Living Creatures traversing through them. But right during this period of drastic changes in the Netherworld, these Living Creatures did not dare to act rashly and all huddled in place. Naturally, Ang Xiao had no interest in them either.

A moment later, Ang Xiao finally halted his steps. Standing amidst the darkness, he slowly opened his eyes, lifting the blockade on the Immortal Pivot.

"This should be about right."

Ang Xiao chuckled softly. He had now arrived at the deepest part of the Netherworld. Even if those Great Perfected Lords outside still wanted to stop him, it was already too late. Of course, this was also his limit.

"I have only cultivated my Void Test Dao to this step. I have no way to reach the pinnacle of the expanded Netherworld yet, nor can I reach the level of the Other Shore where the Master of Dao resides."

However, this was also within his expectations. Or rather, up to this point, all developments had been within his original plan. It was precisely from this step onward that a new Variable came into play.

The next second, Ang Xiao gently formed a Daoist Hand Seal. Immediately following that, Fruits successively materialized around him. They were none other than the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood, the Fruit of Sky-River Water, and the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth, orbiting around him as the center.

"How hateful... If I hadn’t been plotted against by that little animal, I should have five Fruits by now!"

Ang Xiao cursed inwardly. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he directly tossed the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth into the Void Test Dao behind him.

BOOM!

In the blink of an eye, the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth vanished!

In its place, the Void Test Dao behind him acted as if it had received infinite resources, astonishingly extending further down into the depths of the Netherworld!

"As expected... it works!"

Seeing this scene, Ang Xiao was immediately thrown into ecstasy. Although he had long concluded that this method was feasible, seeing it with his own eyes still made it hard for him to conceal his excitement.

For a moment, his memory seemed to drift back to that day five thousand years ago. When the Bhagavat achieved Attainment, the entire world grieved. In today’s world, he was probably the only Perfected Lord of the Golden Core who had truly witnessed with his own eyes how the Bhagavat had achieved the Nascent Soul and set foot on the Other Shore!