After Being Reborn, I Refuse To Be The Holy Son Of The Sect Anymore

Chapter 53:

Xiao Yang gripped the Star Pearl as he ventured deeper into the passageway.

The tunnel was long and dry, yet the further he went, the colder it became.

With every breath, white mist billowed from his lips, and the chill seemed to seep into his very bones. Xiao Yang had to channel his inner energy to resist the cold as he pressed onward.

After walking for what felt like a thousand meters, a faint light appeared in the distance.

His heart surged with excitement, and he quickened his pace.

The light grew brighter and brighter until it illuminated the passage. Xiao Yang put away the Star Pearl as he emerged into a vast underground cavern.

“What the…”

Xiao Yang looked up, stunned to see an enormous dragon suspended in mid-air, staring directly at him.

For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.

Dragons? Impossible.

On the Yuanwu Continent, dragons, like immortals, were creatures of legend—spoken of in myths but never seen in reality. There was no way such a legendary being could exist at the bottom of Thousand Dragon Pond.

Xiao Yang, who had roamed the Northern Territory for a thousand years in his previous life and had ascended to the rank of Sword Saint, was no stranger to extraordinary sights. Steadying his nerves, he focused on the figure and quickly realized it wasn’t a real dragon—it was merely a phantom.

The initial shock wore off as Xiao Yang scrutinized his surroundings with caution.

Across the cavern, he spotted another entrance on the far wall. The floor and walls around him were etched with formation patterns, their intricate lines glowing faintly.

“An Eightfold Spirit Gathering Array?”

Xiao Yang immediately recognized the formation.

The array was powered by spirit stones embedded at key points, drawing residual spiritual energy from the depleted underground leyline.

The array master who set this up wasn’t particularly skilled, Xiao Yang thought, though he couldn’t deny that the density and purity of the spiritual energy here were far superior to those outside—enough to surpass even the Holy Son’s estate.

Surveying the area, Xiao Yang realized the underground leyline had long since been exhausted, leaving behind only trace amounts of spiritual energy.

“Wait… this array seems newly placed…”

Xiao Yang’s expression turned serious.

This ancient ruin might have been abandoned, but someone had deliberately set up a Spirit Gathering Array to concentrate the remaining energy and nourish something within the array.

This is a trap.

Xiao Yang’s mind raced as he pieced it together.

The treasure that countless powerful cultivators had fought over in his previous life was here.

The emergence of this treasure back then wasn’t a coincidence—it was orchestrated.

The purpose? To ignite a bloodbath among the strongest forces in the Northern Territory.

What a devious plot.

Xiao Yang recalled how, in his past life, the treasure’s appearance had plunged the Northern Territory into chaos. Rival factions clashed endlessly, and even cultivators at the Divine Martial Realm had intervened.

The infighting weakened the region’s major powers, paving the way for the Demonic Sect to rise unopposed.

The Demonic Sect planned this all along.

And it all connected to Qin Fei.

In his previous life, this treasure had ultimately fallen into Qin Fei’s hands. Xiao Yang’s master, Jiang Qitian, had even risked offending Guiyuan Martial Sect to seize it from a Divine Martial Realm elder and gift it to Qin Fei.

So that’s the truth…

A chill ran down Xiao Yang’s spine as he realized just how deeply Qin Fei had schemed.

His patience, ruthlessness, and cunning far exceed what I anticipated.

But this time, Xiao Yang was determined to change the outcome.

“I’ll take the treasure now. Let’s see how you stir up chaos and pit the factions against one another.”

With that, Xiao Yang raised his sword fingers and directed a burst of invisible sword aura at the dragon phantom.

The dragon stirred, baring its claws and fangs as it lunged toward him.

The sword aura shattered upon impact, dissipating like smoke.

“Interesting,” Xiao Yang muttered, his lips curling into a smirk. He had merely tested the waters.

Treasures often possessed a will of their own.

The fact that this phantom was so reactive only underscored the treasure’s extraordinary nature.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yang unleashed his Heaven-Subduing Sword Intent.

A sharp sword hum resonated through the cavern as his energy surged forth, obliterating the dragon phantom in an instant.

“One sword to subdue the heavens—what’s a mere phantom of gathered spiritual energy?”

Xiao Yang stood confidently, hands behind his back.

With the dragon phantom gone, the array’s central point was revealed.

Suspended mid-air was a pearl the size of a fist, radiating an icy brilliance.

Spiritual energy from the array poured into the pearl, fueling its power. Within the pearl, a faint dragon shadow seemed to swirl.

“The Lunar Dragon Pearl,” Xiao Yang whispered, his heart pounding with excitement.

This was a treasure coveted by countless cultivators—a relic that had sparked a bloodbath across the Northern Territory in his past life.

Even Divine Martial Realm cultivators had been tempted by its allure.

It was with the aid of this pearl and a breakthrough pill that Qin Fei had soared to prominence, attaining the Saint Martial Realm and becoming a formidable foe.

Now, the treasure was within Xiao Yang’s reach.

Suppressing his excitement, he stepped into the array.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him lit up. Formation patterns glowed as an intricate killing array activated.

A chilling wind swept past Xiao Yang’s face, slicing through the air and severing a few strands of his hair.

Startled, Xiao Yang quickly withdrew his foot.

“Hidden formations within the array? Clever.”

Realizing he had nearly fallen into the trap, Xiao Yang’s respect for the setup grew.

But considering the treasure’s importance, he wasn’t surprised the Demonic Sect had added such precautions.

“Too bad for you, I came prepared.”

Enveloping himself in sword aura, Xiao Yang stepped boldly into the array.

The killing formation activated again, sending countless invisible wind blades toward him.

This time, the blades shattered harmlessly against his protective aura.

Undeterred, Xiao Yang approached the array’s core and plucked the Lunar Dragon Pearl from its resting place.

A chilling energy radiated from the pearl, causing a thin layer of frost to form on his hand.

“Who dares to steal the holy treasure of our sect?”

A furious voice echoed as a black-robed figure emerged from an entrance across the cavern.

Xiao Yang turned, his eyes narrowing.

The newcomer was an elder with disheveled hair and a face marred by scars, exuding a dense demonic aura.

“A remnant of the Demonic Sect?”

Xiao Yang’s smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.