Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 539: Reversing the Earth of Chen

The practice of cultivation is about more than just Qi Refining and Enlightenment.

’Governing a nation is also a form of cultivation.’

At least for the Fruit of Celestial Fire, managing a myriad of daily affairs, balancing Yin and Yang, and shouldering the weight of the Nine Provinces and Ten Thousand Directions was, in fact, a method of cultivation.

Celestial Wu Hall, upon the Dan Chi.

Lü Yang slowly spread his arms. Empowered by the Immortal Dao Law, the East, the North, the West, and even the Overseas territories were now all woven into one great net.

Never before had Lü Yang’s perception been so sharp:

"The Dao Court is an extension of my own two hands."

And beyond the reach of the Immortal Dao Law, the only unaffected region, the South, had also been secretly infiltrated by the Eternal Joy Garden left behind by Progenitor Tingyou.

And so, one month later, the new law was decreed.

The law’s contents spread throughout the world via the Immortal Dao Law, instantly causing a massive uproar. No one had expected Lü Yang to actually be serious.

But on second thought, it wasn’t so hard to accept. After all, Lü Yang had already eradicated the entire Buddhist Lineage—what else in this world would he not dare to do? Furthermore, he had suppressed the Pure Land, and the Bhagavat had not personally intervened, seemingly giving tacit approval. This only made the Demon Dragon’s background seem all the more unfathomable.

Simply put, he was not someone to be crossed.

With such momentum, and with the East as its epicenter, the new law was quickly pushed throughout the world via the Immortal Dao Law, causing turmoil wherever it went.

As for the contents of the new law, they were actually quite simple:

Immortals and mortals would be separated. Mortals would live below, where academies would be opened so that anyone could pursue cultivation and seek immortality. Cultivators would reside above, using the resources supplied by the mortals for their own practice.

Like a pyramid.

Mortals were like ants, sustained by things cultivators disdained—grain, livestock, and housing—and given an upward path called "Cultivation."

Above them were the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment realms, further subdivided by stage.

Thus, layer by layer, the people on the bottom were exploited to support those on the level above, until finally, everyone supported the one person standing at the very peak—

"And that person is me!"

Although the new law had many details, its underlying logic was singular:

"Under my rule, all beings are equal; only talent matters. Whether mortal, Qi Refining, or Foundation Establishment, all are simply promising assets under my command!"

Regarding this, most people’s assessment was quite consistent:

"Daoist Court Emperor Huanming? Ha! This dragon is definitely a spy from the Stain Sect!"

Of course, the loyal officials of the Imperial City Department were there to handle such slanderous rumors. Master Lü, after all, had a fragile heart and couldn’t bear to listen to the filth spouted by his haters.

........

Lü Yang was unconcerned with the massive uproar his new law had caused.

After all, the Dao Court, the Stain Sect, and the Overseas factions had joined forces. Who could possibly resist such a powerful alliance? If anyone could, it would only be the Sword Pavilion in the South.

The issue was that under Lü Yang’s new law, commoners were actually protected by the Immortal Dao Law. There wasn’t much to be squeezed from them, after all. The ones most exploited were the cultivators. The higher their realm, the more severe the exploitation, which targeted everything from their cultivation and Spiritual Materials to their Cultivation Techniques.

Some did resist, but Lü Yang suppressed them all.

"What a joke! In the entire world, who is more merciful to these cultivators than I? If not for my grace of Non-Killing, would there even be so many of them?"

The outcome was thus self-evident.

The Demon-Vanquishing Perfected defied popular opinion and showed no intention of interfering. He even privately asked Lü Yang if the new law could be extended to the South.

「Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.」

A decade may seem like a long time, but in hindsight, it passed in the blink of an eye. In that time, the entire Five Domains of the World had undergone a monumental transformation.

Celestial Wu City, the former Dao Capital of Jiangdong Dao, had been officially renamed Huaming City. Within it, a colossal tower now stood in the very center of the Imperial Palace.

It was named the Star-picking Tower.

As its name suggested, the tower was in essence a Spiritual Treasure. From bottom to top, each floor was inscribed with countless arrays. The weakest of the cultivators who carved them was at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. These arrays combined and stacked upon one another, ultimately forming a Grand Ward at the very top of the Star-picking Tower.

The Feather Transformation Ascension Profound Immortal Array!

The array was Fourth Grade, but empowered by the Immortal Dao Law, it was comparable to a Third Grade one. It was a secret passed down by the Celestial Wu Royal Family—an Array of Seeking Gold prepared specifically for the Crown Prince.

While inside the array, ascending to a Blessed Land would consume thirty percent less mana.

Furthermore, with the array’s help, a cultivator could more clearly sense the location of a Fruit. This array alone increased the chance of success by at least ten percent.

Moreover, this Immortal Array had another mysterious quality.

The rarer the materials used and the more Array Patterns inscribed, the stronger the Immortal Array’s effect in aiding the Seeking Gold process. At its peak, it could increase the chances of success by a full thirty percent.

This array was a major reason why the Dao Court’s successive Crown Princes were able to smoothly ascend the throne.

However, this Immortal Array was incredibly costly. As a result, even a Crown Prince could typically only afford the most basic configuration to aid their attempt at Seeking Gold.

But things were different for Lü Yang. He had the cultivators of the Five Domains of the World to provide for him, so he was short on neither Spiritual Materials nor Array Patterns. He immediately upgraded the array to its peak configuration. He even spent a fortune to build the Star-picking Tower to anchor the array’s core, further enhancing its power.

At this moment, atop the Star-picking Tower.

Atop the Star-picking Tower was an open-air platform. Lü Yang stood in its very center, quietly breathing in Spiritual Qi.

WHOOSH!

The tower pierced the heavens, a place where fierce winds should have churned the Cloud Sea. Yet, as the gales swept over the rooftop, they fell silent, like courtiers greeting their sovereign.

’Just what... am I still missing?’

Lü Yang wondered.

After ten years of consolidation, he felt he had pushed every aspect to its absolute limit.

His Gold Attribute was complete. The Profound City Blessed Land had fully merged with his Dao Foundation. And his new law now covered nearly all of the Five Domains of the World.

And yet, his Spiritual Sense was still sending him warnings. The Immortal Dao Law, too, kept reminding him that he was still missing one final step.

If he didn’t take this final step, his attempt at Seeking Gold would be left to chance.

At this thought, Lü Yang’s brow furrowed. He had offended the Bhagavat greatly. If any uncertainty arose, the Bhagavat would surely not spare him.

Just then, a streak of Flying Light descended.

The light dissipated, revealing Chong Guang’s face. His eyes, brimming with a sharp, soaring aura, immediately fell upon Lü Yang, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

’He’s strong... very strong!’

Chong Guang frowned slightly. For ten years, he had watched Lü Yang’s cultivation change. Back then, he could still perceive Lü Yang’s Cultivation and Dao Practice. He could even deduce many of his techniques and felt that, while not his match, he could at least put up a fight. Now, however, when he looked at Lü Yang...

At a glance, he seemed like an ordinary person.

Closing his eyes, his Divine Sense found nothing—only a vast emptiness.

He had only ever witnessed such an indescribable state in one other person: the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, Ye Guangji.

’Peak Foundation Establishment, Returning to the Truth!?’

Chong Guang’s pupils shrank. He knew this was an incredibly subtle state. Those who reached it had either gained the unique favor of a Fruit or had experienced some other great fortune.

Regardless of the reason, anyone who achieved this state stood a cut above all other Foundation-Stage Cultivators.

But besides the Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, only World Purger Fei Xue had ever achieved it. He never imagined that Lü Yang would also reach this realm, becoming the third person in history to do so!

After a moment of silence, Chong Guang clasped his hands in a salute. "Congratulations on your great progress, Fellow Daoist."

Lü Yang shook his head and, with his back still to Chong Guang, replied leisurely,

"You flatter me. Until I achieve Seeking Gold, I am nothing but an ant."

Chong Guang’s gaze flickered. "In that case, Fellow Daoist, when do you plan to attempt Seeking Gold? After a decade of consolidation, you must have resolved the hidden issues in your cultivation."

Lü Yang gave a noncommittal smile.

"See? You’re getting anxious again."

He understood Chong Guang’s true meaning, of course. Chong Guang wasn’t really asking about his attempt at Seeking Gold. He wanted to know when Lü Yang would reverse the Earth of Chen, which would allow *him* to attempt Seeking Gold.

’Knowing Master Chong Guang’s personality, he’s probably prepared for the possibility that I’ll go back on my word.’

However, he had no intention of breaking his promise.

At this thought, Lü Yang finally turned, revealing pupils that shone with a brilliant light. If one looked closely, it was as if they could see the faint dance of the sun and moon within them.

"There’s no time like the present."

"Today, I will reverse the Earth of Chen for Fellow Daoist Chong Guang."

The moment he said this, the look in Chong Guang’s eyes shifted. It wasn’t excitement he revealed, but suspicion. ’A Demon Dragon like you... really helping me out of the kindness of your heart?’

’There has to be a catch, right?’