Chapter 564: Any Kind of Blade Will Do

Chapter 564: Any Kind of Blade Will Do

As Chu Liang launched his night raid on Misty Waters City, a surge of multicolored clouds gathered over Emperor's Mound, lighting up half the sky with brilliant hues.

The audience, absorbed in the battle, was momentarily distracted as a figure in a deep blue Daoist robe descended gracefully from the heart of the clouds.

"Daoist Cangsheng!" someone called out.

Everyone looked up, eager to catch a glimpse of the world's foremost righteous figure.

Though the Assembly of Immortal Sects was a grand occasion, cultivators at the seventh or eighth realms of the Heavenly Gate would often spend years—or even decades—in a single closed-door cultivation session. This twelve-year event wasn't something they always attended.

And the leaders of the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten sects rarely appeared in public, so seeing them wasn't easy. Especially Daoist Cangsheng, the sect leader of Penglai—he hadn't been seen for years.

He showed up for this Assembly of Immortal Sects?

Unfortunately, the clouds surged for a moment before retracting, and the figure vanished atop Emperor's Mound, so those who reacted slowly saw nothing.

The fight between Chu Liang and Du Wuhen was reaching a critical point on the screen, and everyone turned their attention back to the match.

However, Daoist Cangsheng's arrival sparked murmured discussions.

Meanwhile, the people on Emperor's Mound stood up to welcome him.

"Daoist Master Cangsheng, it's been over forty years since you last attended the Assembly of Immortal Sects, hasn't it?" Immortal Jiuyi said with a smile. "What brings you here in the External Manifestation of your true form today?"

The man who sat beside him wore a blue Daoist robe layered over white, his hair secured with a bamboo hairpin. His sharply arched brows and bright, piercing eyes gave him a commanding presence, while his fair face and soft, wispy sideburns lent an air of wisdom and solemnity, making him seem like a dignified and austere Daoist elder.

Immortal Jiuyi could instantly tell that this Daoist was a clone of Daoist Cangsheng. For eighth-realm cultivators who had attained the Heavenly Origin, the cultivation required to comprehend the Dao was time-consuming, making it rare for them to travel freely. Most remained in closed-door cultivation for years, only going out as a clone of their true form when necessary.

For instance, the Venerable Wen Yuan, who was always busy in the Boundless Palace on Mount Shu, was not the actual Wen Yuan. It was just a clone.

For these powerful figures, showing up even as a clone already indicated that something important had occurred. If they actually showed up with their true form, it meant that the situation was serious, and a fight was about to happen.

"Just here to see Lin'er," Daoist Cangsheng replied. "It's his first time away from Penglai, and the Assembly of Immortal Sects is quite important, so I wanted to see how he's doing."

Upon hearing his straightforward answer, Immortal Jiuyi couldn't help but feel curious. He wondered, Are the rumors about Qi Lin'er being Daoist Cangsheng's illegitimate son true? Otherwise, why would he show such open affection for Qi Lin'er?

Meanwhile, he continued, "Qi Lin'er has performed exceptionally well in the Competition of a Hundred Sects, achieving several solo team-wipe victories. At his age, this is truly remarkable, even among top-tier prodigies..."

His words abruptly stopped.

On the screen, it showed the exact moment Qi Lin'er leaped in front of Chu Liang, taunting him, only to be slapped dead in an instant.

The air became thick with tension.

Daoist Cangsheng was the first to break the silence. "This young man is quite excellent. Which immortal sect does he belong to?"

...

The losers weren't the only ones feeling awful.

As the victor, Chu Liang wasn't feeling great.

Following Chu Liang's instructions, Monk Pushan gathered the soul crystals, located a secluded valley near the coast, and summoned the great bell to hide there.

Chu Liang's body was rigid; he couldn't move a muscle. Forget channeling qi—even lifting a pinky was out of the question. It felt as though blades were tearing through his insides, causing relentless agony.

So this was why the description of the pill advised using it with moderation? Chu Liang thought.

In that fleeting moment after taking the Great Pill of the Endlessly Devouring Whale, he had wielded his power without limits and it felt awesome. But for every bit of foundational qi he had overdrawn, he now felt the fierce backlash. This was the price of lacking self-control in his youth.

At this moment, Chu Liang could see both a good side and a bad side to his situation.

The good news was that Pushan was right beside him. Thanks to the monk's help in fleeing and hiding, he didn't have to lie there exposed, waiting to be picked off.

The bad news was also that Pushan was right beside him.

"At first, I thought you were going to get yourself killed! But wow, you actually managed to defeat Yang Shenlong. No wonder you looked so confident when you went in..." Pushan commented.

"Uh-huh," Chu Liang replied.

Pushan continued, "If Yang Shenlong hadn't wiped out most of the members in our teams, I bet you would've kept your ability hidden until the Battle at the Imperial City. How cunning of you..."

"Mhm," Chu Liang replied.

"I take it Jiang Yuebai's elimination really got to you," Pushan said. "You rushed into battle out of anger for a beautiful maiden? Honestly, when you charged into Misty Waters City, I thought you were so lost that you were ready to follow Jiang Yuebai to death in the name of love."

"Oh, screw you," Chu Liang retorted.

Pushan continued his enthusiastic monologue while Chu Liang lay there in silence, unable to resist. Eventually, he even lost the will to respond.

It was like a relentless background hum.

After a long while, Chu Liang finally spoke up again. "Pushan, do you have a saber?"

"I don't use that kind of weapon—just a knife for cutting fruit. What do you need it for?" Pushan asked.

"As long as it can give me a quick end..." Chu Liang said with a helpless sigh. "Any blade will do."



GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT