Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 648: Chapter 643: Super Power, Opening a Dao in the Sea of Suffering

RUMBLE!

Despite his astonishment, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s actions didn’t pause in the slightest. With a tremendous BOOM, an overwhelming tide of blood-red light drowned Progenitor Tingyou.

He had self-detonated!

This was a common combat tactic for Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs. They used their trait of infinite regeneration, self-detonating their Dharma Body to turn the tables and prevent an enemy from snowballing their advantage.

It was especially effective for a stronger party bullying a weaker one.

In that instant, a surging tide of blood-red light howled past, crashing onto the phantom of light and shadow Progenitor Tingyou had become and instantly blasting it to smithereens.

Immediately after, Progenitor Tingyou staggered and fell from the shattered phantom. The five illusory Dao Fruits he had just manifested popped one by one like bubbles. The backlash even struck his Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven, destabilizing his Position. A bitter smile touched his lips. ’I guess I’m still not much of a fighter...’

He had been so close to succeeding!

To use the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven to manifest the Five Elements Fruits, turning illusion into reality—it was a miracle Progenitor Tingyou had accomplished through his own Cultivation and astonishing wisdom.

In a way, he had even transcended the limitations of a Dao Fruit.

Unfortunately, his foundation was still too shallow.

The foundation of his Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven was insufficient, and the Five Elements Fruits he had barely managed to manifest by absorbing the waters of the Sea of Suffering were merely a facade, making them impossible to truly unify.

’Still... I’ve found the way forward.’

Progenitor Tingyou was not discouraged. He had already seen the path to improving his Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven: stacking more concepts onto his existing Dao Fruit!

He would use the conceptual framework of the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven, combined with his own Cultivation, to manifest the Five Elements Fruits. This process wouldn’t interfere with the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven’s own function. Instead, he would stack them, layer by layer, on top of it. With the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven as the core, he could construct a grander system and forge an even greater Dao Fruit!

This was a path that belonged to Progenitor Tingyou alone!

’If I succeed on this path, could I reach the Late Stage of Golden Core? I don’t know... For someone like me, the distinctions between Realms probably don’t apply anymore.’

After all, he didn’t have a Grotto Heaven!

For him, there was no Pocket World Falling, much less a need to unify other Dao Fruits, because he could manifest the Five Elements Fruits all on his own!

Therefore, conventional Realms no longer had any meaning for Progenitor Tingyou.

But he didn’t mind.

’This path has another advantage. It allows me to go through the trial and error for Lü Yang ahead of time. In the future, no matter which Dao Fruits he wants to use to complete the Five Elements, I can scout the path for him...’

At this thought, a wave of satisfaction washed over Progenitor Tingyou.

Just then, however, a figure silently coalesced behind him. It was Du Xuan Immortal Monarch, his Dharma Body reformed and his power returned to its peak!

"Die!"

Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s gaze was frigid. As he spoke, he once again unleashed the Celestial Capital Demonic Breaking Divine Sound, instantly extinguishing all the Divine Effects around Progenitor Tingyou.

Then, a mass of shimmering, golden light gathered in his hand. Within it, water and fire intertwined to form a Taiji diagram. As they collided, they erupted with a brilliant light, exuding an aura of utter annihilation and profound terror. He formed a Daoist Hand Seal, preparing to smash it down on Progenitor Tingyou!

The Water and Fire Tribulation!

The Lesser Yin Immortal Monarch had once used this profound technique, causing Lü Yang to suffer terribly. It was like a cancer clinging to the bone; once it took hold, it was nearly impossible to shake off.

And now, unleashed by Du Xuan Immortal Monarch, its power was even greater!

After all, the Tai Chong Land was also called Lesser Yin, and above Lesser Yin was the Sun. Though both unified water and fire, how could the Lesser Yin Position possibly compare to the Sun Position?

This time, Progenitor Tingyou couldn’t dodge.

An Outer Dao True Monarch facing a Mid-stage Immortal Monarch head-on was a desperate struggle to begin with. Forcing Du Xuan Immortal Monarch to self-detonate once was nothing short of a miracle.

Now, he had no strength left.

’Fortunately... I don’t have to worry about what comes next.’

Progenitor Tingyou raised his head. At that moment, his handsome face began to crack, and from the visible fissures, the utterly frenzied essence of water and fire seeped out.

And yet, he smiled.

His astonishing intellect told him that since he wasn’t actually good at combat, he should leave it to someone who was. It was time to call in the big guns.

"I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist."

CLANG!

A clear ring of a sword answered Progenitor Tingyou. Then, a beam of Sword Light appeared from thin air and swept lightly across his body.

And then, under Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s incredulous gaze, the Water and Fire Tribulation—the attack he had placed such high hopes in, the death sentence that should have clung to its victim like cancer—was simply slashed away by that beam of Sword Light. It shattered and dispersed, the resulting explosion becoming a barrier that blocked Du Xuan Immortal Monarch from pressing his advantage.

"How is that possible..."

Du Xuan Immortal Monarch froze in place, still maintaining the Daoist Hand Seal that controlled water and fire. His eyes, fixed on a point in the distance, were filled with utter disbelief.

That was the Water and Fire Tribulation!

And it was just... cut away?

He had seen things that could neutralize the Water and Fire Tribulation before, but they always involved either suppression through a higher Position or a direct conceptual counter.

When had he ever seen something so unreasonable?

...Wait, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t completely unheard of.

In the next instant, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s expression turned grim. He suddenly remembered seeing something just as unreasonable five thousand years ago.

The Fruit of Money!

When faced with the same Water and Fire Tribulation, that person had used a high-denomination Immortal Talisman—a seemingly worthless piece of paper—to neutralize it with ease.

If that was the case—

’A Void Certificate? Impossible!’

Du Xuan Immortal Monarch quickly crushed the thought. A Void Certificate was something a cultivator attempted when breaking through from the Middle Stage of Golden Core to the Late Stage, or even when pursuing the Nascent Soul Realm.

His conviction grew even stronger after he got a clear look at the person who had acted. ’A mere Early Stage Golden Core cultivator... It can’t be a Void Certificate! It must just be a particularly special Dao Fruit. If it were a Void Certificate, this person would have had to manifest a Dao Fruit via a Void Certificate back in the Foundation Establishment Realm... How could something so absurd exist in this world?’

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Du Xuan Immortal Monarch immediately discarded the thought. What a joke. A Void Certificate at the Foundation Establishment Realm? If that were true, wouldn’t it mean that he, who still hadn’t obtained one, had completely wasted his life?

On the other side, the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected gently set Progenitor Tingyou down.

"How are your injuries?"

Progenitor Tingyou shook his head. "Thanks to you, Fellow Daoist, it’s nothing serious."

The terror of the Water and Fire Tribulation lay in its continuous, corrosive damage. The Demon-Vanquishing Perfected had struck so quickly that it hadn’t had time to take root, so the injuries were naturally light.

Only then did the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected nod. "Good."

He then drew his sword, his gaze sweeping across the area below the Ninth Layer of the Celestial Mansion. A flash of anguish crossed his face.

Because of Si Chou’s revival, droves of mortals and Cultivators were still dying, yet he was powerless to help... This only made the flames of fury in his heart burn hotter.

Seeing this, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s brow furrowed. "This... young friend."

Although the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Qi trace also seemed to be that of the Outer Dao, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch no longer dared to underestimate him. His form of address had even changed to "young friend," and his expression was one of extreme caution.

"There’s no deep-seated hatred between us."

"My only goal is to revive the Master of Dao. Why must you two aid a tyrant? A wise man submits to the circumstances. If you were to help the Master of Dao revive, a grand future on the path of cultivation would await you..."

The Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s response was swift and decisive:

"Kill!"

In an instant, a beam of Sword Light shot forward. Seeing this, however, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch breathed a sigh of relief. At least this wasn’t as flashy and convoluted as Progenitor Tingyou’s techniques.

’Looks like this one will be easy to deal with...’

The next second, Du Xuan Immortal Monarch’s eyes flew wide.

For as the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Sword Light passed, the Sea of Suffering rumbled and split open. And there, rising from the depths, was a Great Dao a thousand zhang wide.

Carving a path through the Sea of Suffering!

This was an Early Stage of Golden Core cultivator!?