Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect-Chapter 271: Unavoidable

What a godforsaken place, a godforsaken place, a godforsaken place!

At this moment, this was the only thought left in Lü Yang’s mind. To be honest, a moment ago, he had nearly detonated himself to activate the Centome.

’It was definitely Ang Xiao!’

’Even though I was using a clone, I didn’t split my Divine Sense. Instead, I projected my consciousness directly into it. But it ended up being used as a medium to influence my true self!’

A bitter expression crossed Lü Yang’s face. He hadn’t split his Divine Sense to control the clone. His intention had been to prevent the clone from being turned against him or, worse, developing its own consciousness and betraying its creator. That was why he’d chosen to project his own consciousness to control it. But the precaution had backfired spectacularly; a Perfected Lord had used it to influence his very self from afar!

It had been better when he wasn’t lucid. The clarity, now that it had returned, was even more terrifying.

Everything that had happened before felt like a dream. His decisions and words had been shrouded by an Illusion Barrier, and now, he barely dared to look back on them.

’I must have been insane!’

’To think I actually came Overseas believing that if I just found the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and broke through to Mid-stage Perfection, I could even take on a Great Trueman...’

’Was that really me? Never mind whether I could win—even if I could, why would I even want to? Wouldn’t it be far easier to use the power of a Great Trueman to bully cultivators in the Mid-phase and Early Stage of Foundation Establishment?’

The more Lü Yang thought about it, the more his scalp tingled with dread.

Soon, however, an even greater question surfaced in his mind. ’Why me? I’m only in the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment. What have I done to be worthy of such a grand scheme?’

The player is lost, but the spectator sees all.

Now that Lü Yang had finally broken free from the influence of the Veil of the Trees, he instantly understood Ang Xiao’s intention: he wanted him to search for the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain!

’Thank heavens... Thank heavens!’

Lü Yang looked down at the Magical Sword in his hand and recalled his earlier decision to "prioritize improving my strength." A look of immense relief washed over him.

Thank goodness a leopard can’t change its spots.

Even while under the Perfected Lord’s influence, he had stuck to his cautious instinct to "play it safe" and sought out Sui Huan to refine a Spiritual Treasure first. As a result, he had inadvertently managed to break the spell.

’Wait... maybe it wasn’t an accident at all.’

’Would a Perfected Lord really allow such a fluke to happen?’

Lü Yang turned to Sui Huan beside him and asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, tell me the truth. Were you really completely confident about refining this Spiritual Treasure?"

Sui Huan looked back, a bitter smile on his face. "Completely confident? If it were an ordinary Spiritual Treasure, perhaps. But you brought out so many, Fellow Daoist. How could I possibly forge them together on my own? Not unless a Perfected Lord intervened! To truly succeed, it would be at least ninety percent up to the will of the heavens..."

Sui Huan’s voice trailed off.

Lü Yang stared at the Magical Sword in his hand. It felt like a burning coal, searing his palm. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to keep holding it or to throw it away.

Artifact Refining that, without a Perfected Lord’s intervention, would be left entirely to the will of the heavens.

And yet, it had somehow succeeded?

Who would believe that a Perfected Lord hadn’t intervened? But if it was Ang Xiao, why would he have bothered waking the two of them from the Illusion Barrier?

Unless...

’...Could there be a second Perfected Lord involved?’

’So, what Sui Huan and I have been experiencing is, in essence, just two Perfected Lords engaged in Combat?’

Lü Yang pressed the spot between his eyebrows. For the first time, he truly understood what it felt like to have no Perfected Lord watching his back. Everything was a blur, and he felt like he’d been completely duped without even realizing it.

If World Purger Fei Xue hadn’t been in seclusion, would he ever have been in such a state?

"Senior Brother? Senior?"

Just then, Chongming gave Lü Yang a bewildered look before turning to Sui Huan. "Aren’t you two in a hurry to get to the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain—"

THUMP!

Before Chongming could finish, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. Sui Huan’s expression didn’t change as he said, "If you would, Fellow Daoist, please shine that Sword Light on him as well."

Lü Yang shook his head. "I tried. It’s no use... The Sword Light’s Divine Effect is potent, but his cultivation is too low. He was only caught in the periphery of what affected me, yet the influence runs even deeper in him. Unless... that person willingly retracts their Abilities, or we get help from a Perfected Lord, I’m afraid he won’t be waking up."

At that, both of them fell silent.

Lü Yang instinctively began a divination with his fingers, but then stopped himself. This was clearly a Perfected Lord’s scheme. What was there to calculate? Any result he got would likely just be further misdirection.

’Could I just not go? Return to the Sea of Clouds?’

Lü Yang’s first thought was to flee, but a chilling realization quickly stopped him: he had been allowed to leave the Stain Sect without any trouble at all.

Lü Yang refused to believe that no Perfected Lord could have noticed he was under Ang Xiao’s influence. And yet, he had left the Sea of Clouds completely unimpeded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He hadn’t thought anything of it then, but looking back now, the implications were terrifying. Was this not an indirect reflection of the Stain Sect’s position?

’Have I been abandoned?’

It wasn’t surprising. After all, in the eyes of most, he was a Perfected Person whose path to the Dao was severed. No matter how brilliant his past, he was no longer indispensable.

’If something more important is at stake, it would be only natural to sacrifice me.’

’But what is this ’something’? What role am I supposed to play? What effect does the Perfected Lord behind the curtain want me to achieve?’

At this thought, Lü Yang’s head snapped around.

Almost at the same instant, Sui Huan glanced over at him. A bitter smile touched the corners of his mouth, his thoughts clearly moving just as fast as Lü Yang’s.

’Just like in the Ten Thousand Martial Realm, I’m just a means to an end. Sui Huan is the real target!’

’Was Ang Xiao’s true target him? Was he using me to make Sui Huan search for the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain? No, that’s impossible. The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are useless to him...’

Bathed in the glow of the Sword Light, Lü Yang’s thoughts grew increasingly clear, racing like lightning.

The next moment, he jerked his head down, his gaze falling upon the Magical Sword in his hand.

’This Spirit Sword could only have been refined because a Perfected Lord intervened in secret. And it’s precisely because of it that Sui Huan and I were able to awaken from the Illusion Barrier...’

’That’s it! That’s my purpose in all this!’

"My purpose was to wake Sui Huan up!"

In an instant, a look of dawning comprehension spread across Lü Yang’s face. ’I was wrong! All wrong! The mastermind behind all this isn’t actually Ang Xiao!’

Until that moment, Lü Yang’s theory had been that Ang Xiao had manipulated their fates to lure him and Sui Huan into a trap, and then some mysterious Perfected Lord had stepped in to save them.

But the truth was likely the exact opposite.

Ang Xiao was the one who saved them!

’It was Sui Huan who was caught deep in a plot without realizing it. Ang Xiao used me to draw him out, refining this Magical Sword to shock him back to his senses!’

That was the only thing that made sense!

As realization dawned, Lü Yang’s expression grew even more bitter. "If that’s true... then the intent is for Sui Huan and me to act together!"

After all, both of them had only been awakened by the Magical Sword’s Divine Effect.

If they were to separate, it wouldn’t matter for Lü Yang, but Sui Huan would inevitably fall back into his stupor. Under those circumstances, how could Ang Xiao possibly allow him to leave?

’If I’m not mistaken, I must have already provoked a powerful enemy... That’s right, the Four Seas Sect! Because I killed Dragon King Sui Ying! The Prophetic Orrery was supposed to conceal the karmic links so no one could divine the truth, but now... I can’t be sure anymore...’

’If the Four Seas Sect truly divines those karmic links, now that I’m Overseas, I’m afraid only Sui Huan will be able to protect me. The moment I leave his side, I’ll surely die at the hands of the Dragon Race!’

So much for mysterious karmic links! This was clearly just another form of Combat between Perfected Lords!

Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but look at Sui Huan.

"Senior... what on earth did you do?"

As he spoke, Sui Huan glanced at him and gave a bitter laugh. "I was looking for a path to survival. A pity... it seems someone is unwilling to even grant me that."

"And I’ve dragged you into this, Fellow Daoist."

"Don’t say that."

What was done was done. Lü Yang wasn’t about to complain. After all, for better or for worse, they were now two grasshoppers on the same string.