Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 562: Next Time, This Will Become Reality

At this moment, Lü Yang could only remain silent.

Like Hongtian, he gazed into the distance toward Jiangnan. It was a Sword Light lashing out from there that had shattered Hongtian’s last hope.

Not only that, but as Hongtian fell, the True Body Tathagata and the Celestial Kingdom Supreme Technique arrived right after. One seized Hongtian in its hand, while the other ensnared the Fruit of Celestial Fire. As for the Sword Light that had cut down all hope, it slowly extracted a strand of Sword Intent from Hongtian’s Spiritual Space.

’So this was Jiangnan’s goal?’

’All for a Sealed Title Sword Intent?’

Lü Yang watched the scene coldly, his mind involuntarily recalling the White Chilong’s Golden Attribute he had once settled, and its corresponding Talent Skill:

’The Dragon-Stripping Platform...’

Hongtian’s current situation was undoubtedly the same. The Immortal Court took the Fruit of Celestial Fire, the Bhagavat claimed his body, and the Jiangnan Sword Sect was stripping away his Sword Intent!

Seeking Gold leads to death, and the great houses feast on the remains!

But at this moment, as a chill filled Lü Yang’s heart, he was also filled with questions.

’In the Pseudo-History, Jiangnan still has a Perfected Lord, so it’s not surprising they could produce such a Sword Light. But what about the Current World? The Sword Pavilion of the Current World has no Perfected Lord!’

’The seclusion of the Sword Pavilion’s Perfected Lord is a near certainty. After all, even when the Saint Sect breached the Sword Pavilion in my Previous Life, no Sword Pavilion Perfected Lord emerged. Besides, the Sword Pavilion is different from the Pure Land; it doesn’t have an Outer Dao True Monarch presiding over it... But if that’s the case, who in the Sword Pavilion of the Current World could unleash such a sword strike?’

Master Demon-Vanquishing Perfected? Absolutely not!

Lü Yang couldn’t figure it out for the life of him. However, since this scene had appeared in the Pseudo-History, he had to consider the worst-case scenario: it would happen in the Current World as well!

BOOM!

Just then, a tremendous roar erupted from Jiangnan.

Lü Yang glanced over and saw a Sealed Title Sword Intent slowly rising... It belonged to the Pseudo-History’s counterpart of Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, a man named Black Tortoise Zhenren.

However, because the Bhagavat didn’t exist in the Pseudo-History, Black Tortoise Zhenren lacked the Non-Killing Sword Intent, making him far weaker than the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected of the Current World. Even so, this Black Tortoise Zhenren still drew his sword without hesitation, fiercely striking out at his own Sect!

"Insolence!"

Instantly, a cold snort echoed from the depths of the Jiangnan Sword Sect. A Mighty Power then descended, violently suppressing the enraged Black Tortoise Zhenren.

Lü Yang’s heart grew heavy as he watched.

’Is this a premonition for me? The Sword Pavilion will kick me when I’m down, and Master Demon-Vanquishing Perfected will act on my behalf, but the result will just be him dying alongside me...’

At this moment, realization dawned on him:

’No wonder... No wonder the Saint Sect Ancestral Master is helping me.’

Look at this scene. In the Pseudo-History, the Dao Court, the Pure Land, and the Sword Pavilion all benefited, carving up Hongtian for themselves. Only one power wasn’t invited.

The Saint Sect was fucking left out!

How could the dignified Saint Sect tolerate such a thing?

’Those three want to hog all the food. They don’t even want to give the Saint Sect Ancestral Master a sip of the soup, let alone the meat. That’s why the Saint Sect Ancestral Master came to help me!’

’If you won’t give me a share, then no one gets a share!’

’From another perspective, the Saint Sect Ancestral Master... is probably the strongest of the Four Great Daoist Lords. So much so that the other Daoist Lords would rather risk the Variable of his intervention than let him gain even the slightest advantage. At the same time, this is also my chance for survival!’

Even at this moment, Lü Yang still hadn’t given up. He was even filled with anticipation:

’Daoist Hongtian, what a wonderful death you had!’

Although Hongtian failed in Seeking Gold, he had tested the waters and exposed all the dangers for him: the True Body Tathagata, the Immortal Dao Law, the Sword Pavilion’s sneak attack—all of it was out in the open!

With intelligence, he could find a way.

There was still hope!

As for the Fortune he had just lost by using the Divination Lottery for Hongtian, Lü Yang didn’t care. To him, Fortune was now optional.

After all, he was already Ruling the World. If he wanted to, he could command all the world’s Fortune for his own use. What was the small amount he’d spent on Hongtian? It was merely an act of conscience because he couldn’t stand to watch, a way to ease his own discomfort... When it was his turn for Seeking Gold, that would be the time to truly bet everything and go all out.

Meanwhile, high in the dome of the sky.

Hongtian’s figure reappeared. The steps he had previously condensed had crumbled, his Position had fallen, and he had been ejected from the Foundation Establishment Realm, remanifesting in reality.

However, he had no time to worry about any of that.

He didn’t even have the strength to speak.

The Fruit of Celestial Fire had fallen into the great net, with no hope of escape. His Sword Intent had also been extracted. His thoughts were growing increasingly hazy.

’I’m going to die...’

Never before had Hongtian realized this so clearly. The True Body Tathagata’s methods for trapping him were extraordinary; he had no way to escape!

He couldn’t even reincarnate!

Just then, the True Body Tathagata spoke:

"Amitabha. Daoist, you can submit to me today and become my Tathagata Body. In doing so, you can save your life, and I will even take you to experience the world outside."

The True Body Tathagata directly stated Hongtian’s greatest lifelong wish.

Faced with such a temptation, however, Hongtian merely gave a cold smile and glanced contemptuously at the True Body Tathagata. "Become your Puppet, and then go to the outside world?"

What difference was there between that and moving from one cage to another?

Therefore, he would only ever have one answer:

"I would rather die!"

RUMBLE—!

With a final glance at Lü Yang below, Hongtian’s Soul suddenly exploded, scattering to the winds and causing a blazing light to flash across Heaven and Earth.

But like a candle blown out by the wind, the light vanished in the blink of an eye.

Only the True Body Tathagata was left, standing quietly in mid-air. Its Buddhist face remained composed, its smiling expression not wavering in the slightest:

"...Stubbornly foolish."

As his voice fell, he too looked down in the direction of Hongtian’s final gaze, only to see a handful of scattered tribulation ash.

........

「Zouyu Ruins」

Lü Yang’s true body opened its eyes.

But before he could react, a serene voice drifted over—gentle, calm, and even carrying a hint of pity, making one unable to resist believing it:

"Lü Yang? Du Huan? Young Friend, you are listening, are you not?"

Lü Yang: "...!?!?’’

That single sentence caused Lü Yang’s expression to instantly lose control. An indescribable terror, one he hadn’t felt in a long time, flooded his heart in an instant.

’He knows I’m here?’

’The Bhagavat, he knows that I am inside this Pseudo-History right now!’

In that moment, all of Lü Yang’s calculations and future hopes turned to a blank void in his mind. Only after a long while did his thoughts begin to resurface:

’Am I... am I still me?’

’No... The Saint Sect Ancestral Master was the one who let me into this Pseudo-History. If the Bhagavat could catch me at will, then what would be the point of me coming in?’

Lü Yang gritted his teeth and looked around, trembling.

No one had suddenly appeared, and his thoughts were fine—at least he felt no impulse to cry out "Yi!" His thinking was stiff, but that was mostly from fear.

’He wasn’t speaking specifically to me, but broadcasting his voice to the entire world.’

’That’s right... The Bhagavat can’t find me! He can only sense that I’m in this Pseudo-History, but he can’t follow the clues to pinpoint my location!’

Lü Yang let out a long breath.

Soon, however, an even heavier weight settled on his heart:

’But... if the Bhagavat already knew I was in this Pseudo-History, he must have taken precautions against me. In that case, is anything I’ve seen still useful?’

The Pseudo-History could no longer be trusted!

Because Lü Yang had no way of knowing if the Bhagavat had secretly altered something.

Maybe it was all real, maybe some was real and some was fake, or maybe it was all just a fatal trap set by the Bhagavat to mislead him and guide him toward the wrong judgment!

Lü Yang gritted his teeth and immediately manipulated another Puppet, raising its head to look in the direction of the True Body Tathagata.

High in the heavens, the True Body Tathagata wore a leisurely expression, the smile on its face growing ever wider. As if sensing his gaze, it spoke softly:

"This was just a rehearsal."

"But next time, it will become reality."