High in the sky, six Unity stage experts were engaged in battle, each displaying their mystical abilities. The cultivators below were dazzled by the spectacle, even Lu Yang and his four companions watched the fight with rapt attention, as it was incredibly rare to witness a battle between Unity stage cultivators.
Only one person had no interest in observing the fight between the Unity experts, instead, he was glaring fiercely at the ancient cultivator couple, gnashing his teeth.
“Those damn ancient cultivators, they’re everywhere!” Vice Sect Leader Petrified Bone from the barbecue shop wished he could join the fight himself and give the ancient cultivator couple a beating—better yet, kill them and turn their bodies into corpse puppets to vent his anger.
Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the authorities would thoroughly investigate this place, and for safety reasons, the Qingzhou Grand Gathering would surely be cut short.
The gathering was supposed to last eight days, but now, it had only been two days and it was already coming to an end.
He had come to Qingzhou to do some field research, to see if the barbecue business had potential here, and to find out what types of skewers the people of Qingzhou liked best in order to tailor his preparations accordingly.
As it turned out, the barbecue shop was extremely popular with the people of Qingzhou, and its future looked promising.
He had also planned to use the gathering as an opportunity to boost the barbecue shop’s reputation and break into the Qingzhou market.
But now, all those plans were up in smoke.
“Ancient cultivators, huh? Just don’t let me run into you!”
In terms of cultivation and combat strength, he far surpassed the three sect deputies. If he joined the battle, it would undoubtedly result in a one-sided victory.
Unfortunately, his identity was too unique, and he couldn’t participate.
If his true identity were discovered, he would be as good as dead.
...
“Stealing the Sky and Swapping the Sun!” The male cultivator formed a hand seal, and clouds gathered in the sky, blotting out the sunlight. In an instant, the sky became pitch black, so dark that one couldn’t even see their hand in front of their face. Amidst the darkness, the eerie sound of teeth grinding could be heard, as if some enormous creature was chewing on bones.
“Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!” another voice shouted. It was the female cultivator, exuding endless black qi, which coalesced into various forms of ghosts floating in the air.
Specters, seductive ghosts, blade ghosts, headless ghosts, corpse-possessing ghosts...
The hundred ghosts remained silent, exuding a deathly aura, like an army of the undead, ready to overrun the mortal realm.
If not for the rules restricting them, the death qi from the hundred ghosts would turn this entire mountain into a desolate wasteland, with no survivors.
Even though they knew the area below wouldn’t be affected, the more timid among the onlookers were so terrified by the sight that their legs trembled, and they wanted to flee the scene.
“Let me tell you all, don’t be afraid. With the State Governor here, these are just petty tricks that can’t amount to much,” the Unity stage expert maintaining the rules reassured Lu Yang and his companions.
After some conversation, they learned that his name was Xia Qun, an early-stage Unity realm cultivator.
“Besides, the State Governor has the power of the nation’s fate. For dealing with these unsophisticated ancient Unity cultivators, he’s is more than enough. I just wonder when I’ll get to become a State Governor myself.”
“You don’t have to be so formal with me; after all, I’m somewhat connected to your Five Great Immortal Sects, so you could say I’m like half a senior brother to you.”
“Lord Xia, did you join one of the Immortal Sects?” Lan Ting asked, surprised.
“Not exactly, but I did take part in your sect’s entrance exam. The questions were ridiculously hard, you know? I was eliminated in the first round. I almost became your senior brother, so it’s not too much to say I’m half of one.”
Lan Ting: “...”
“Supreme Sword Projection! The State Governor is going all out!” Xia Qun exclaimed in shock. “Using the Supreme Sword Projection will cost him—he won’t be able to engage in any intimate activities for three months!”
“I’m telling you, using the Supreme Sword’s shadow comes with a heavy price, but the effect is absolutely phenomenal. Unless a Tribulation Crossing Stage expert shows up, the State Governor could use it to cut down both of these ancient cultivators!”
The Supreme Sword Projection clashed with the golden dragon and the ghost, the resulting brilliance blinding everyone present, forcing them to close their eyes.
“Who won?” No one could tell which side had gained the upper hand.
As the smoke cleared, the Supreme Sword Projection shattered, the golden dragons disappeared, the Golden Dragon Shears were broken, and the ghost was sliced in half, its black blood gushing out. The male cultivator was severely injured, coughing up blood.
In contrast, the State Governor stood there, radiant and unfazed, as though the collision had never happened.
“The State Governor won!” The cultivators below cheered, and even Sect Leader Mi and the others breathed a sigh of relief. If the State Governor had lost, it would have been difficult to stop these two ancient cultivators.
Clap—clap—clap.
A rhythmic applause rang out. The sound was thin but managed to suppress all other noise. After three claps, the entire area fell silent, as if in the dead of winter.
A figure dressed in red appeared in the center of the battlefield, walking through the air. When one tried to probe him with their spiritual sense, they found no trace of spiritual energy within him—he seemed like a mere mortal.
But how could a mortal possibly appear in a place like this?
The figure in red smiled faintly and spoke slowly, “I’ve long heard of The Great Xia’s extraordinary national fortune. Seeing it today, it truly is impressive. It can protect tens of thousands of citizens, enhance cultivation levels and combat power, and even transform into a sword projection.”
“Though I can’t tell exactly what sword that was, the fact that its mere projection could sever a Tribulation Crossing Stage treasure means the real thing must be beyond the Tribulation Crossing Stage.”
“It seems my efforts in orchestrating this battle weren’t in vain. It’s been quite fruitful.”
The State Governor’s expression grew tense, as if facing a formidable enemy. “You planned all of this?”
He had been suspicious all along. The secret realm had been thoroughly inspected; it was safe, with no ancient cultivators in hibernation. Where had these two ancient cultivators come from?
Now it made sense—they had a backer.
Below, Meng Jingzhou grew anxious. “The State Governor looks very grim. That guy’s at the Tribulation Crossing Stage.”
If a Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivator started slaughtering here, who could stop him?
“What do we do?” Meng Jingzhou sent a telepathic message to Lu Yang.
“Don’t worry, he won’t cause much trouble,” Lu Yang responded calmly.
“Where’s that confidence coming from?” Meng Jingzhou turned his head in surprise.
What he saw was a cold, stunningly beautiful woman standing next to Lu Yang.
Xia Qun, standing nearby, didn’t dare make a sound.
“Eldest Senior Sister?!”
Lu Yang had long suspected someone was pulling the strings behind this situation. To be safe, he had called his Eldest Senior Sister ahead of time.
(End of the chapter)