Chapter 199: Teacher, You Are Finally Back!
After recognizing Zhang Juque's identity, there was no thought of resistance in the minds of Liu Qin and Lu Xun. Their first reaction was to escape.
Although they were both at the beginning stage of the sixth realm while Zhang Juque was at the pinnacle of the sixth realm, it didn’t seem like the gap between them and Zhang Juque would be that significant, especially if they were to attack Zhang Juque together.
The third and sixth realms were both significant thresholds in cultivation. As one progressed to higher realms, the disparities between individuals in the same realm grew wider.
The gap between individuals in the sixth realm could be likened to the difference between humans and dogs. This perfectly described the gap between them and Zhang Juque.
The two individuals swiftly turned around and vanished into the clouds. They paid no attention to Chen Lingtong on the ground as they soared upwards into the sky. With a reputation to uphold, Zhang Juque wouldn’t beat up kids, but his actions towards them remained unpredictable.
In an instant, the two of them displayed an almost telepathic connection, splitting up in opposite directions without exchanging a word. They instinctively knew to split up.
However, escaping proved to be no easy task.
Suddenly, Zhang Juque moved, with almost no visible trajectory, appearing in the air above Liu Qin's head. The speed at which he burst forth was almost on par with the immortal technique of Dimension Compression! It was terrifying!
Liu Qin was flying face forward when a flat-patterned sole appeared before his eyes.
Bam!
In the next moment, this sole was imprinted on his face.
Boom!
Liu Qin's body crashed to the ground at a speed faster than his flight, slamming heavily onto the mountainside, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Immediately, Zhang Juque’s body swayed.
Meanwhile, Lu Xun, who had quickly left the airspace of Silver Sword Peak, was already far away. But the Old Man with the Sword only needed a flash to erase all his efforts.
Bam!
A large hand grabbed Lu Xun's ankle, causing the white-clad man suspended in midair to momentarily halt before being forcefully flung to the ground.
Boom!
He was smashed to Liu Qin’s side.
The two were stuck in the same pit.
It felt as though Zhang Juque had struck them lightly. Though seemingly gentle, those two moves rendered the cultivators unable to rise from the ground. They paused momentarily before struggling to stand upright.
The old man raised his hefty sword high before descending to the ground.
He also possessed a sense of restraint in his actions and naturally refrained from directly killing these two disciples of Mount Shu. Instead, he used the back of his broadsword to slam down fiercely!
Bang! Bang! With two heavy strikes, the two disciples of the Hall of Alchemy were knocked down once more.
Lu Xun was slightly smarter. This time, he remained on the ground and refrained from attempting to get up again.
However, Liu Qin was a bit slower; despite still trying to struggle to rise, he received another forceful blow from the broadsword with a resounding bang!
Throughout the entire process, Zhang Juque seemed to employ no martial techniques or profound divine skills. He relied solely on pure speed and strength, overwhelming with sheer force alone! The two Mount Shu disciples, both at the sixth realm, were like toys in his hands, utterly powerless to resist.
"Taking advantage of one's position to bully others... Bullying the weak... What's the difference between this kind of righteous sect and the diabolical sect?" Zhang Juque remarked with a pause. "I wonder who your teacher is. I should have a good talk with him."
As he spoke, he deftly slammed down twice with the broadsword in his hand.
Bang! Bang!
"Yes! Yes! Senior, we know we did wrong!"
"Brother Chu, you truly have a talent for martial arts," Yun Chaoxian couldn't help but admire. "If you ever find it difficult to break through the sixth realm in Qi Refinement, you might as well consider joining our Great Astral Sect. You definitely have the potential to achieve enlightenment through martial arts."
"Hehe, Brother Yun, you flatter me," Chu Liang modestly smiled in response.
Even if one day he were to switch to martial arts cultivation, he probably wouldn't consider joining the Great Astral Sect, as their temperaments just didn't match.
"Brother Yun, this time you helped me explain to Senior Zhang and also took the trouble to teach me concealed weapon techniques. I really don't know how to thank you," Chu Liang sincerely expressed his gratitude.
"Hey!" Yun Chaoxian waved his hand. "We're friends, and if it weren't for your honorable conduct, I wouldn't have been able to explain for you. Plus, your defeat of the demon god’s divine envoy last time elevated my status within the sect."
"Of the four core disciples, no one but the Eldest Senior Brother can surpass me in ranking," Yun Chaoxian said proudly with a grin. "And my Eldest Senior Brother is not as sharp as me, so I believe I have a very bright future in the Great Astral Sect."
The Eldest Senior Brother he mentioned was Ren Hongdao, the most renowned among the four core disciples of this generation. Alongside him, Li Fujian, and a spear practitioner, they represented the future of the Great Astral Sect.
"That is awesome." Chu Liang praised.
When he first heard Yun Chaoxian boasting about being the smartest within the sect, Chu Liang thought he might have been exaggerating. However, after meeting Li Fujian, Chu Liang suddenly felt there might be some truth to it.
After a while, Zhang Juque returned with Li Fujian.
He explained that he had already discussed the matter with the Alchemy Master. The elder promised to take proper measures to discipline his disciple and great-grandson in the future. Therefore, Zhang Juque decided to let the matter rest.
Chu Liang expressed his gratitude once again.
With the matter settled, Zhang Juque took the two juniors back to the Great Astral Sect. Before departing, Yun Chaoxian promised Chu Liang that he would attend the Mount Shu Summit.
...
After seeing them off, the Silver Sword Peak fell silent for a moment.
Now that the matter had been brought to the attention of the Alchemy Master, Chu Liang was not worried about further retaliation. Even if the Alchemy Master wanted to seek revenge, he would surely wait for Di Nufeng to return before taking action, rather than bothering a junior disciple like him.
Just as he was contemplating, a burst of firelight came straight towards them from the southwest.
Upon seeing this, Chu Liang immediately waved his hand and summoned the Golden-Furred Hou.
The Golden-Furred Hou’s wounds had healed in just a day, and the bandages had been removed. Now, Chu Liang swiftly rewrapped its large head with bandages.
Bam!
A loud explosion sounded.
This lively and urgent atmosphere indicated that Di Nufeng had returned home.
Her expression wasn't exactly pleasant.
Three Eminent Ones of Mount Shu arrived at the Evil Demon Mountain only to find that the ferocious beasts had escaped and wreaked havoc in multiple locations in the surrounding areas.
Aside from the Mount Shu Sect, other immortal sects had also taken notice and dispatched individuals to investigate the situation.
And the reason behind all these events was the emergence of the ferocious beast Taowu.
Hidden within the depths of the Evil Demon Mountain lay the legendary Taowu, the king of all ferocious beasts, sealed away. However, not long ago, Taowu broke free from its confines and its current location remained a mystery.
The outcome of their investigation proved unfavorable, and the three Eminent Ones spent another two days assisting in the extermination of the scattered ferocious beasts. It was a busy and hectic time, leaving Di Nufeng with a rather disheartened mood.
As soon as she returned to the Silver Sword Peak, she saw Chu Liang walking over with the Golden-Furred Hou, its head bandaged. Both of them looked dejected, as if someone had bullied them.
"What happened?" she asked while frowning.
"Esteemed Teacher, you are finally back!" Chu Liang cried, "Someone bullied our Golden-Furred Hou!"