Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 639: Chapter 634: Young Friend, Who Are You?

A day later, Lü Yang pushed aside the unconscious Jade Toad Immortal Monarch, his face filled with the satisfaction of a hard-won battle. He silently began to take stock of his gains.

’First, the cultivation system of the Celestial Mansion!’

From Foundation Establishment on the Spirit Platform, to wiping the Spirit Platform clean, to the point it becomes dustless and radiant, to bearing an Attainment Position, and finally, using a Forbidden Technique to reinforce the Spirit Platform and render it unbreakable...

’A rather complete system.’

The two Forbidden Techniques the Jade Toad Immortal Monarch had refined—the Water and Fire Treasure Bottle Seal and the Lesser Yin Sealing Technique—were especially eye-opening. Their profound mysteries were a revelation.

’It’s different from a True Treasure. A True Treasure is forged by refining the imagery from an Attainment Position, using a Spiritual Treasure as a vessel. You could call it an artifact that carries the Dao. The Celestial Mansion method, on the other hand, uses the Spirit Platform as its foundation. It lets the Attainment Position pressure the Spirit Platform, from which one develops a method to repair it. That method is the Forbidden Technique.’

Each had its own merits.

The advantage of a True Treasure was its immense power. Moreover, if it was damaged, it could be reforged without negatively impacting the Perfected Lord’s Grotto Heaven.

Its disadvantage, however, was its over-reliance on the Attainment Position.

Since it was forged by refining the imagery from an Attainment Position, if the user ultimately failed to "leap out," they would be completely assimilated by it.

Forbidden Techniques, by contrast, were far more independent.

After all, Forbidden Techniques were created to resist the pressure of the Attainment Position and repair the Spirit Platform. They naturally didn’t rely on the Attainment Position; in fact, their very nature was to oppose it.

The trade-off, however, was that a Forbidden Technique’s power was far weaker than that of a True Treasure. Furthermore, if a Forbidden Technique was damaged, the Spirit Platform that served as its foundation would be immediately affected. This was exactly what happened to the Jade Toad Immortal Monarch. After Lü Yang shattered both of her Forbidden Techniques, her Spirit Platform had crumbled under his assault.

’Interesting.’

Lü Yang sifted through the information he had extracted from the Jade Toad Immortal Monarch, pondering, ’Unlike the Pocket World Technique, the Celestial Mansion’s Spirit Platform Technique has its own profound aspects.’

’Could I imitate it?’

Admittedly, a Grotto Heaven was far stronger than a Spirit Platform. After all, a Spirit Platform could at most only bear an Attainment Position, whereas a Grotto Heaven could directly inhabit it.

But to put it another way:

’Since a Grotto Heaven is so much stronger, if I were to use it as the foundation, wouldn’t a Forbidden Technique refined from it be far more powerful than one based on a Spirit Platform?!’

’No, I shouldn’t just adopt one school’s methods; I should combine them... Since I need to forge a third True Treasure, why not use my Celestial Pillar Profound Grotto Heaven as the material! I’ll use the method for creating Forbidden Techniques to refine my Grotto Heaven into a True Treasure. Only a True Treasure forged that way could be considered truly my own!’

At that moment, Lü Yang’s mind became crystal clear.

He had found his path!

Although it was just a nascent idea and he hadn’t worked out the specific method, Lü Yang had already resolved to forge a True Treasure from his own Grotto Heaven!

Normally, this would be impossible.

A Seeking Dao Immortal Technique’s entire purpose was to keep the Grotto Heaven from collapsing. But if you forged that Grotto Heaven into a True Treasure, it would cease to exist. How could you keep it from collapsing then?

In that case, even if the resulting True Treasure was a perfect match for you—the most flawless Seeking Dao Immortal Technique imaginable—your Grotto Heaven would be gone.

What would be the point? It would be completely putting the cart before the horse.

However, Heaven always leaves a way out—

’But I’m different! Because I have the Centome!’

Even if I forged my Grotto Heaven into a True Treasure, the worst-case scenario is that I just have to restart. I can then choose to return with my cultivation to a time when my Grotto Heaven still existed. Wouldn’t that be a perfect solution?

The perfect True Treasure, something that should have only existed in theory, now had a chance to be brought into the world, all thanks to the Centome!

Lü Yang grew excited just thinking about it.

"Heh heh..."

Then, Lü Yang looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the White Jade Hall and the Array to land on the bright, clear moon in the sky.

’My dear senior sister... She’s watching me, isn’t she?’

Lü Yang knew she was most likely sizing him up, trying to gauge his progress toward the Void Certificate and discern his true intentions. That was why she hadn’t made a move.

’But she could never have guessed... My progress is already complete!’

Lü Yang sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing. An endless stream of Cultivation flowed through his Spiritual Space. Supplemented by the Lesser Yin and Taiyin energies he had taken from the Jade Toad Immortal Monarch, he had finally gathered all Six Qi of the Celestial Mansion. He could now head to the Sea of Suffering, attempt to weave his imagery, and attain his Void Attainment Position!

At the same time, strange new phenomena began to occur within him.

As the Six Qi Dao Practice of the Celestial Mansion coalesced, Lü Yang’s spiritual perception, nourished by his cultivation, gradually began to sense things that were previously beyond his reach.

To be precise, it was a voice.

Lü Yang frowned, focusing his spiritual perception down to the finest detail. The voice, which had been minuscule and seemed to exist in another dimension, was gradually growing clearer.

It said:

"First Saint...!"

In that instant, Lü Yang shot to his feet, his heart pounding in shock!

Of course he hadn’t forgotten it. This was the voice of the Nameless Daoist Lord from the Path Opening Map—his final cry before he died creating the Celestial Mansion!

How could this be?

The voice continued to echo in his ears, growing even more complete. Apparently, the cry of "First Saint" from the Path Opening Map hadn’t been the full recording.

"First Saint... I will not rest until you are destroyed!"

"You despicable, shameless, treacherous cur... I will not submit!"

"Divinity Transformation, Divinity Transformation... AARGH!"

These were the true last words of the Nameless Daoist Lord before his death.

After a brief pause, the voice rang out again, its content identical to before. It repeated like a broken record, echoing throughout the Ninth Layer of the Celestial Mansion.

’What’s going on?’

Lü Yang fought to keep his expression neutral as his mind raced. ’Is the Daoist Lord’s Mighty Power so immense that the sound of his voice from countless years ago is still echoing today?’

It was possible!

But it was even more likely that the man hadn’t died at all!

’I couldn’t hear it before because I hadn’t yet gathered the Six Qi Dao Practice. I wasn’t qualified to pursue the Void Certificate, so my connection to the Nameless Daoist Lord wasn’t strong enough.’

Now, the connection was strong enough.

At this thought, Lü Yang couldn’t help but grit his teeth. ’My previous suspicions were correct. I can hear his voice even before attaining the Void Certificate. If I actually go through with it, won’t the Nameless Daoist Lord just resurrect himself inside my body? Is that what my "dear" senior sister wants to happen?’

’She doesn’t dare do it herself, so she’s using me to take the fall?’

’That monster!’

Lü Yang couldn’t help but curse her in his mind. The next second, however, he snapped his head up. His intuition screamed that something wasn’t right.

Glancing around, Lü Yang quickly realized what it was.

Where did the voice go?

He had heard it so clearly. That cry of "First Saint" had been echoing throughout the Celestial Mansion, ringing in his ears just a moment ago. How could it have suddenly vanished?

Thankfully, the voice returned in the next second:

"...You curse the First Saint, too?"

The voice that had been echoing throughout Heaven and Earth instantly collapsed, locking directly onto Lü Yang. Tinged with confusion and curiosity, it spoke softly right next to his ear:

"Do you know him?"

The voice was faint, like the whisper of a dying man, but it struck Lü Yang’s ears like a thunderbolt, causing him to freeze in place.

’He’s talking to me?’

Lü Yang’s pupils shrank in disbelief. ’All I did was curse someone in my head! How could he have locked onto me? This is absurd!’

But reality paid his wishes no mind.

"That’s right. I am talking to you."

The voice continued, so close it was as if someone were speaking right behind him. Lü Yang could even feel the breath carried on the words:

"Young friend, who are you?"