Chapter 526: Grudges

Chapter 526: Grudges

"Strange," Chu Liang muttered. "Is there a grudge between us?"

Why is he provoking me for no reason?

At that moment, Wang Xuanling beside him spoke with a meaningful tone, "You don't have a grudge with him, and the Mount Shu Sect has no grudge with the Fuyao Kingdom either."

"Now I get it," Chu Liang immediately understood. Say no more. It must be another grudge caused by my esteemed teacher back in the day.

Wang Xuanling pointed to the opposite side of the arena, where the leader of the Fuyao Kingdom team stood. She was a tall, middle-aged woman with a stern expression and snow-white skin, dressed in a fitted black outfit. Her hair fell just past her ears, partially covering one of her eyes.

"That's Han Lingshuang from the Fuyao Kingdom's Royal Wave Bureau," Wang Xuanling explained. "She has been managing the bureau's internal affairs in recent years and wields significant power. Back in the day, she and your esteemed teacher participated in the same Assembly of Immortal Sects, where your teacher beat her up so badly that she burst into tears on the arena stage."

The Fuyao Kingdom's Royal Wave Bureau operated much like the Yu Dynasty's Imperial Supervisory Bureau, both serving as cultivator institutions under the authority of their respective courts. However, the Royal Wave Bureau had a closer connection to the royal family, being nearly entirely controlled by them. For a woman to attain such a high-ranking position there, she must have remarkable skills and abilities.

Chu Liang observed the woman, who exuded an air of aloofness and coldness. It was hard to picture her in tears, breaking down in public.

It's just losing a fight on the arena stage. What's there to cry about? Chu Liang thought.

But then he realized something—his teacher was Di Nufeng. He couldn't help but imagine that she had likely taunted Han Lingshuang during the fight, hurling insults and teasing the poor girl while mixing physical attacks with psychological torment. Otherwise, how could he, a disciple of the next generation, be caught up in this grudge?

"Be mentally prepared," Wang Xuanling warned. "Your teacher made quite a few enemies back then, and many of them are now core figures in various immortal sects. If they see you, they might take a special interest in you."

Chu Liang slapped his forehead in realization. No wonder he had felt so many hostile stares the moment he stepped into the arena.

At first, he thought it was due to his close relationship with Senior Sister Jiang. But now, it seemed that his teacher was the main reason.

He couldn't help but sigh and say, "How could she possibly make so many enemies just by participating in one Assembly of Immortal Sects..."

"The Di Nufeng you see today is much more mature," Wang Xuanling explained. "When she was younger, she was probably a hundred times worse."

"..." Chu Liang fell silent for a moment.

Was she even human back then? Did she slap every old man she passed on the street? Did people from three streets away flee in fear when they heard her coming? Were even the dogs within ten miles terrified of her?

With a sigh that seemed to carry a thousand thoughts, Chu Liang finally said, "Senior Uncle Wang, you must have had a difficult time all these years."

The old man had been fighting the dark forces within the Mount Shu Sect alone for years, and it had been tough for him.

"Haaaaaa!" Wang Xuanling responded with a sigh as well.

During this time, Chen Xuanlu provided a brief overview of their upcoming match against the team from the Fuyao Kingdom.

Fuyao Kingdom was a powerful enemy that would surely secure a spot in the competition of the hundred sects, which meant that their team would most likely face off against the Mount Shu Sect. Therefore, it was crucial for the Mount Shu Sect to gather as much information as possible.

Unfortunately, Chen Xuanlu didn't have much information to provide.

Fortunately, the purple-gold flames around the woman quickly faded, disappearing within a breath.

At this point, the Daoist monk had backed away to the edge of the arena. With the longsword in her right hand filled with qi, the woman closed in and slashed downward once more!

Boom—

The sword qi sliced through the air with a thunderous roar!

The Daoist monk could only twist his palms together, raising them in defense.

In his rush, he barely had time to form a complex seal, managing only to create a basic green barrier to shield himself from the fiery sword qi.

Bang—

This was clearly wishful thinking, as the woman's sword qi shattered the barrier effortlessly. With no room left to retreat, the Daoist monk had no choice but to leap off the stage to escape the strike.

The winner of the match was instantly decided.

The woman spun gracefully, holding her longsword in reverse, and strode back to the center of the stage with an air of authority.

With her flaming sword, she appeared heroic and carefree.

"Bravo!" Cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

This Daoist monk was a top disciple from Cold Cloud Temple, known for his strength among local cultivators. Yet, against the woman's divine fire and sword qi, the fight had been swift and one-sided.

Even those who had initially come just for entertainment were now captivated by the woman's heroic presence.

She swept her eyes across the crowd and caught sight of the Mount Shu Sect team. In a flash, her gaze sharpened, targeting Chu Liang like an arrow.

Chu Liang quickly lowered his head to evade her piercing gaze.

This was actually the first time he had seen this woman, but considering her identity, he wasn't shocked by the intensity of her glare.

Among the three children of the imperial family currently possessing the Divine Fire Spirit, the Second Prince was the eldest and had already participated in the previous Assembly of Immortal Sects. Consequently, the Sixth Princess and the Thirteenth Prince from the Xia imperial family participated in this year's assembly.

The one who had just ascended the stage, wielding the Profound Aetherflame Iron Sword, was none other than the Sixth Princess, Xia Shu.

Until now, she had seldom appeared before the citizens of the capital. The most well-known tale about her was how she had been rejected twice when the Emperor attempted to arrange marriages for her, turning her into a subject of gossip and jokes across the nation. However, her participation in the Assembly of Immortal Sects drew many curious spectators eager to see her in action.

Her remarkable strength was unexpected and the crowd responded with genuine cheers.

Chu Liang lowered his head, thinking to himself, The competition of the hundred sects hasn't even started, and I'm already making enemies left and right. Is my name simply unlucky? Can I change my name to Chu Pengyou[1]? Or is it too late?

1. Pengyou means friend ☜