Chapter 243: All of You, Kneel

When Chu Liang requested for Pushan and Luo Yao to keep the fact that he possessed the Blue Dragon's Orb a secret, he was, of course, not asking them to lie to their sect elders. That wasn't a realistic request.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Chu Liang just hoped that the people who would come to know about this matter would be limited to a small number among the higher-ups of their three sects. He didn't want this information about him to be spread any further than that.

The Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm was immensely significant to the world. Once the news of its discovery spread,

The Seven Stars Gazette

would surely release an article about it. Then the whole world would know about it too.

The situation would then become like the saying, “An ordinary man is innocent, but if they possessed a treasured jade ring, they would become a wanted criminal.”[1]

Chu Liang's cultivation level wasn't that high. If news were to get out that he had obtained the Blue Dragon's Orb, it was likely that many people, with good and bad intentions, would try to get close to him in hopes of getting him to spit out the Dragon Orb.

Some might even force him to spit it out, just like how he'd forced the little golden butterfly to do it. The saying "You reap what you sow" might very well apply to Chu Liang in this case.

That's why Chu Liang made that request.

Luo Yao nodded and immediately agreed, "Sure."

She was fairly accustomed to witnessing others using shady methods, perhaps due to her background. From her perspective, if Chu Liang were worried that they would leak information about this matter, he could have silenced them by killing them while they were tending to their injuries earlier! That was what Enchantress Liu and Master Mu had tried to do, and it might even be the safest choice for Chu Liang.

Luo Yao was lost in her thoughts for a moment.

Noticing this, Chu Liang responded to her unsaid concerns. "Miss Luo, I've never been worried that you would leak the information."

Monk Pushan frowned. "

Huh?

"

Feeling a little like his righteous character was being doubted, Pushan's bald head moved up and down without the slightest hesitation. "Rest assured, Young Hero Chu. Since I've benefited from this, I will, of course, keep my mouth shut like a closed bottle."

Chu Liang nodded with a smile.

You'd better.

The trio had formed a deep bond after spending this short time undercover together. Chu Liang chose to trust that they would keep their promises.

Just as their negotiations ended, a booming crack rang out from the sky! It sounded as if the sky was being ripped open!

The Dragon Orb inside Chu Liang flashed, indicating that an enemy had charged into the hidden realm! The draconic descendants with keen senses let out terrified cries!

Boom—

A ball of fire descended from the sky and crashed into a nearby mountain, causing the mountain to crumble. The trio watched as the mountain disintegrated. Just like that, its existence was erased from the hidden realm.

Debris fell all over them like rain.

The ball of fire gradually subsided and transformed into wings of fire that spread open behind a tall woman. She was covered in flames and wore a fierce expression.

The woman shouted, "Where's my disciple?"

"Esteemed Teacher, I'm right here," Chu Liang was trembling as he stood up hurriedly. "You almost crushed me to death..."

"

Hmm?

"

Di Nufeng shifted her gaze to the front. Upon seeing that it was indeed Chu Liang and that he was unscathed, she gradually withdrew all the flames covering her body.

Di Nufeng sighed in relief and said, "I thought you were in a life-threatening crisis."

"Things did get pretty bad earlier, but fortunately, I had the help of my friends. We defeated the diabolical cultivators together."

Di Nufeng shifted her gaze to Luo Yao and Pushan and smiled. "We've met before, right? You're both really good kids."

Luo Yao and Monk Pushan quickly stood up. Their eyes were filled with alarm and fear as they bowed respectfully to Di Nufeng.

After seeing someone nearly crush three people to death just by landing, it would be hard for anyone not to revere her, especially if they're one of those three people.

Right then, something else appeared through the rip in the sky that Di Nufeng had made. A beam of light descended and landed swiftly. It then transformed into a young monk dressed in a white robe.

He appeared to be around the same age as Monk Pushan, but his profound and compassionate gaze proved that he definitely wasn't an ordinary monk.

When Monk Pushan saw this monk, he immediately walked over.

Monk Pushan called out, "Master."

It turned out that this young monk was actually Monk Pushan's teacher, Dhyana Master Shenyou[2]—a renowned high monk of the Buddhist Cloud Monastery, one of the sects in the Divine Nine.

He was considered an outlier in the Buddhist Cloud Monastery. The monastery was far removed from worldly affairs, and its disciples rarely ventured into the world. Yet, Dhyana Master Shenyou liked to travel the world under the guise of various identities, leaving behind many legends of a saint appearing in the mortal realm. However, those legends originated from over a century ago. It had been some decades since Dhyana Master Shenyou last appeared in public.

After landing, Dhyana Master Shenyou turned toward the people before him. He smiled and bowed in greeting.

"I have to say, you monks of the Buddhist Cloud Monastery sent someone to save lives but couldn't even send someone who can speak. Does your sect not treat your disciples as important?" Di Nufeng said with a frown. "If we had cooperated outside, we could have broken into this hidden realm a long time ago."

Di Nufeng had always been impatient, and encountering the unhurried Dhyana Master Shenyou had undoubtedly made her furious. She had used up a lot of energy ripping open the hidden realm alone.

"

Hehe.

" Monk Pushan scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "My esteemed teacher has been practicing silent meditation for thirty years."

Luo Yao watched her companions reunite with their teachers and then looked up at the crack in the sky. Right then, she saw an elderly man poke out of the crack, behaving rather furtively. He was an elder from the Valley of the Three Absolutes.

The elder gestured to Luo Yao, beckoning her over. Then he disappeared as abruptly as he'd appeared, not daring to enter the hidden realm.

Luo Yao glanced over at Di Nufeng and roughly figured out why her elder was behaving so timidly.

Di Nufeng had always been ruthless when she beat up old men.

In their last encounter, Di Nufeng had taken on three elders from the Valley of the Three Absolutes all by herself. Despite that, she had beaten them up so badly that they had cried out to the heavens and the earth about the great injustice they were facing.

This was why that elder had behaved like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw Di Nufeng again.

"Master, shall we get out of here?" Monk Pushan said.

Dhyana Master Shenyou gave a light nod. He turned to Chu Liang and smiled. There was a deep expression in his eyes. It was as if he had figured out what Chu Liang had experienced with just one glance.

Luo Yao and Pushan left the hidden realm with their teachers. However, the remaining teacher and disciple from Mount Shu were in no rush to leave.

Chu Liang needed some time alone with Di Nufeng so that he could tell her in detail the events that had occurred in this hidden realm. He proceeded to give her a rough account of the perilous adventure he'd been on. Once Di Nufeng heard that Chu Liang had obtained the Blue Dragon's Orb, she was extremely shocked.

"You killed those two powerful diabolical cultivators and even became the master of this hidden realm?!" Di Nufeng exclaimed. She paused and then added, "You've truly proven yourself to be my disciple!"

"Technically, I can't be considered its master yet," Chu Liang said with a chuckle. "I have to keep training until my cultivation prowess is strong enough that I can have complete control over this hidden realm."

"Well, doesn't that still mean it's yours? It's just that it will continue to exist here for now." Di Nufeng laughed jovially, patting Chu Liang on the shoulder. "This hidden realm is really valuable. Looks like I can rely on you to provide for me when I'm old and retired."

Chu Liang smiled along with her. However, he couldn't help but think that if she hadn't blasted that huge hole in the sky of the hidden realm, this place would have been even more valuable.

Fortunately, Dhyana Master Shenyou would help Chu Liang resolve this problem.

Chu Liang and Di Nufeng left the hidden realm and returned to the valley beneath the dragon's lair.

The vortex by the mountain rampart had disappeared quite a while ago. After Chu Liang took possession of the Blue Dragon's Orb, the Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm wasn't supposed to have any entrances or exits anymore, and Chu Liang was the only one with the authority to access the hidden realm. Yet, Di Nufeng had used her brute force to blast open the illusion barrier that had kept the Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm concealed.

Once Dhyana Master Shenyou saw that Chu Liang and Di Nufeng were out, he gently waved his hands, and a white light slowly filled the crack in the hidden realm's barrier.

Di Nufeng was an expert at destruction, but for repairs, they had to rely on this Buddhist monk who was also an Eminent One.

All three pairs of teacher and disciple stood in the valley at a short distance from each other. Just as they were about to bid each other farewell, there was the rumble of thunder and faint waves of diabolical qi soaring into the sky.

The group of teachers and their disciples quickly concealed themselves. They then saw a dark cloud descend from the sky with over a hundred diabolical cultivators standing on top it. At the forefront of these troops was a pale-faced General Hei Yu.

Earlier, Master Mu and Enchantress Liu hadn't forgotten to deal a fatal blow to General Hei Yu before they chased the three youngsters into the hidden realm. However, having spent many years in White-Bone Hall, General Hei Yu had acquired some life-saving divine skills.

He used those skills to feign his death, barely managing to survive and escape. The first thing he did upon returning to White-Bone Hall was gather troops to seek revenge for his brothers.

Arriving at the valley with his troops, General Hei Yu behaved blusterously, totally different from the pitiful man who had feigned his death and then fled.

General Hei Yu shouted, "Let's block them off here! That devious couple must not have emerged from the hidden realm yet! They dared to scheme against my Hall of Loyalty. This time, I've brought brothers from eight halls. Let's see if they can kill us all!"

It seemed that General Hei Yu had been worried that Enchantress Liu and Master Mu would run away once they'd gotten their hands on the hidden realm's treasures. So, he'd gathered some troops with great urgency and charged back over here. Every minute counted when it came to seeking revenge.

Unfortunately for General Hei Yu, he would never be able to meet the people he was waiting for.

The group of diabolical cultivators surrounded the valley. There was a gloomy, eerie, and chilling atmosphere like that of an area filled with ghosts.

A woman suddenly emerged from the valley.

She was tall and voluptuous with breasts that looked like full moons, followed by a slender waist and long legs. This beauty, who carried an air of languidness, had the face of a valiant yet charming woman.

Many pairs of eyes filled with wicked desires immediately locked onto her. Yet, this woman felt nothing.

Under the gazes of the many diabolical cultivators, she raised her head and shouted, "Hey! All of you... kneel."

1. In other words, everyone will go after him because they want the ring. ☜

2. Dhyana Master is a title used for a monk who is a master of meditation. Shenyou's name could be translated to “going on a mental journey.” ☜