The youth with a saber on his back left peacefully.

…

When the youth with a saber on his back heard Chu Liang saying such arrogant words so casually, his hair flew up and a fierce gleam flared in his eyes.

Hiss—

With a swift motion, the saber unsheathed, sending a dazzling cascade of starlight across the air.

A sharp whoosh filled the air as Chu Liang activated Dimension Compression once more, narrowly evading the saber’s sudden strike.

A cold, intimidating light reflected from the saber. Had it struck, even with his physique, he wouldn’t have endured it.

“Keep this in mind. The one who will eliminate you members of the Mount Shu Sect is named Hu Sanlang!” the youth with the saber on his back shouted in a final roar.

He swung his saber down like a crashing wave. The blade glinted sharply in the light.

What a ruthless strike!

Seeing this, Chu Liang couldn't help but feel shocked. No wonder Hu Sanlang always had that wickedly charming expression—he really had the skills to match it.

Without hesitation, Chu Liang channeled his cultivation energy at full force, lifting his Dustless Sword to block the saber.

When dealing with the team from Taotie City, every move Chu Liang executed felt ruthless, though he hadn’t unleashed his full cultivation energy at the time. Now, standing before Hu Sanlang, he quickly circulated his qi to the max, revealing his true cultivation level.

He was at level two of the fifth realm.

Not long before he started the special training organized by the Mount Shu Sect, Chu Liang had achieved a breakthrough into the fifth realm.

After a few months of training in the Primordial Chaos Hidden Realm, he reached level two of the fifth realm.

Even before attaining the fifth realm, he had achieved Completion of Five Elements, thanks to the Colorful Doll, granting him control over all five elements. The recent breakthrough in his cultivation level just allowed him to channel both metal and wood foundational qi from both of his Golden Cores[1].

Hu Sanlang, who was opposite him, was merely at level one of the fifth realm in cultivation, yet the force behind his saber swing radiated a killing intent that surpassed typical cultivation power.

Boom—

When the second strike fell like a dragon's tail, it shattered the long street, splitting it apart. In an instant, a massive trench several dozen zhang long formed in the center. �

As Chu Liang raised his Dustless Sword, the Ten Thousand Swords Seal instantly formed a shield of swords. It managed to deflect the sharp saber, yet the dazzling saber light still sent him stumbling back over ten zhang..

He flipped backward, commanding the myriad swords in the air, and launched a counterattack with the Myriad Talismanic Sword.

This time, he unleashed the Talismanic Script of Fire, which descended like a fiery meteor shower from the sky, engulfing the entire street and surrounding buildings.

It was unavoidable!

But Hu Sanlang did not dodge.

“

Haah—

” With a step of his right foot and a half spin, the saber light swept around him like a whirlwind, clearing away the fiery swords in all directions.

Seeing this, Chu Liang couldn't help but feel dubious.

Although the cultivation of the fifth realm was not weak, the glint reflecting off his saber was really too sharp for his cultivation level. This kind of saber qi and knife glint was sharp for even a sixth-realm cultivator.

While the cultivation of the fifth realm was formidable, the glint reflecting off his saber was exceptionally sharp for his level. This kind of saber qi and blade glint could challenge even a sixth-realm cultivator.

Before he could think any deeper, Hu Sanlang had already soared into the air, a sweeping cold light blocking out the sky, determined to not stop until Chu Liang was slain!

As the saber strike loomed down like the weight of the sky, leaving him nowhere to evade, Chu Liang had no choice but to lift his Dustless Sword and face it directly.

He unleashed the Heaven-Raising Sword!

A massive sword light erupted from the ground, clashing with the saber light in midair. The solid sword light collided with the cascading saber light, producing crackling sounds of thunder and lightning, before merging into a chaotic mass that scattered around them.

Both Chu Liang and Hu Sanlang felt the impact, retreating ten zhang away from each other.

Chu Liang felt a bit more recoil, as he had been at a disadvantage during the clash earlier. Even with the Heaven-Raising Sword, he was unable to penetrate the saber.

However, his body was exceptionally strong, and with the protection of the Jiuli Soul Armor, the damage he sustained was minimal.

Meanwhile, Hu Sanlang, pushed back by the dispersed sword qi, now had blood streaks across his body and face.

Yet, this level of injury didn’t weaken his fighting spirit; instead, it only fueled his ferocity.

As Chu Liang witnessed the fierce qi flames blazing, he finally connected the dots and asked, “Could this be the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike from the Fuyao Kingdom?”

The cultivation system of the Fuyao Kingdom, derived from Penglai Supreme Sect, primarily focused on ancient mystical techniques. They had only a few cultivation legacies, with the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike being one of the most well-known.

According to legend, on the day the Fuyao Kingdom was founded, countless sea monsters gathered, attempting to seize the new nation’s fate and fortune. The first king of Fuyao was said to have slain countless demons with a single saber, parting the sea for three days and instilling fear throughout the East Sea region.

Yet, the legacy of the Wave-Cleaving Saber remained exclusive to the royal family, with only its members granted the privilege to learn it.

Chu Liang thought to himself,

Is Hu Sanlang part of the Fuyao Kingdom’s royal family?

“For eight years, I fought in the Tiger’s Den until my esteemed teacher rescued me. She broke the rules when she taught me the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike.” Hu Sanlang said, looking down and focusing intently on the blade of his saber. He continued, “And all of this is to take revenge on all you tyrants from Mount Shu!”

With his declaration, the saber light surged anew, growing even more powerful!

This resolute fighting spirit caused Chu Liang to frown slightly. “Tyrants?”

How did I suddenly become the villain?

…

On the high platform, at the seats reserved for the members of the Penglai Supreme Sect, Han Lingshuang sat alone, with no one within several zhang of her.

In her black attire, her snow-white skin stood out even more.

As she watched Hu Sanlang relentlessly strike at Chu Liang and push him to retreat, her usually composed eyes finally betrayed a flicker of excitement.

This day has finally arrived

, she thought.

Everyone in the Royal Wave Bureau knew Han Lingshuang as cold and distant, but few were aware that she had once been the most beloved little princess of the Fuyao Kingdom’s royal family. Sixty years ago, she had been a talented and sweet girl, like an innocent little flower that had never left the greenhouse.

It wasn’t until that year, when she traveled to the capital of Yu to participate in the Assembly of Immortal Sects…

At first, the journey went smoothly. The Fuyao Kingdom’s team easily passed the Great Selection of the Four Seas, advancing to the Competition of the Hundred Sects. In the midst of their celebrations, they started dreaming of making it to the round of the Battle at the Imperial City.

Then, the teams from the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten made their appearance. That year, the Mount Shu Sect sent a team consisting of Jiang Tiankuo, Yan Zi, and Di Nufeng.

Among the younger generation, these three were perhaps the equivalent of this year’s Yang Shenlong. The difference was that, unlike this year, there were three of them—all on the same team.

They dispersed and hunted down other teams one by one, not just wiping out individual teams but effortlessly crushing alliances of several teams. The immortal sects were so thoroughly defeated that, in desperation, teams of four had to split up to minimize the risk of total annihilation.

In those days, it was said that whoever was spotted by the Mount Shu Sect team first would be eliminated and the remaining fortunate ones would then advance to the next round.

If encountering a member of the Mount Shu Sect team was unfortunate, then crossing paths with Di Nufeng would be the epitome of misfortune.

The Fuyao Kingdom team had been hiding in an underground sand cavern when they were discovered by Di Nufeng.

Han Lingshuang could never forget that scene.

Crouching in the underground cavern, she focused on hiding her qi, not daring to reveal even the faintest hint. Meanwhile, Di Nufeng was outside burning the sand with her divine fire, heating the ground until it was almost molten.

As the horrifying, eerie laughter echoed, her teammates fell one by one, unable to endure, dragged out and left screaming in pain.

Suddenly, everything went quiet outside.

Han Lingshuang didn’t dare extend her divine sense, so she strained her ears to listen carefully to the sounds outside. After a while, she thought Di Nufeng had finally left and raised her eyes to look out.

At that moment!

A head appeared upside down at the entrance of the underground cavern!

“

Hee-hee-hee…

” the voice cackled. “Little beauty, you wouldn’t want your Fuyao Kingdom to end here, would you…”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—”

In that moment, Han Lingshuang made the choice to end her own life.

With a single glance, she resolutely drew her saber and ended her own life, finally bringing an end to that terrifying ordeal. For years afterward, she couldn’t bear to sleep; whenever she drifted off, nightmares haunted her, transporting her back to that underground cavern, where the horrifying, sinister laughter echoed outside…

Her act of taking her own life out of fear at the Assembly of Immortal Sects turned her into a laughingstock among her peers in the royal family. The once-beloved princess felt, for the first time, the cold harshness of life.

So, she committed herself to seeking vengeance.

Since this grudge began at the Assembly of Immortal Sects, she was determined to settle it there. She focused on overcoming her weaknesses, training with all her might until she eventually secured the lead position at the Royal Wave Bureau.

She then discovered a child who had been taken in and raised by a tiger demon from a young age. This child possessed a rare natural disposition for developing saber intent, so she brought him into the Royal Wave Bureau and made an exception to teach him the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike, a technique that only members of the royal family could practice.

Everything she did was for the Assembly of Immortal Sect this year.

If the Mount Shu Sect were eliminated in the Competition of the Hundred Sects for five consecutive years, they would lose their place among the Divine Nine. If her disciple could personally eliminate the team from the Mount Shu Sect, Han Lingshuang would finally be free from her inner demons.

Hu Sanlang, I’m counting on you for everything!

she cried out inwardly.

How similar was the saber light of the youth within the light screen to Han Lingshuang’s gaze outside it? Both shone with equal intensity and determination.

When she turned her gaze toward Di Nufeng in the distance, she saw that terrifying woman sitting at ease, engaged in conversation with two old men. Several jars of wine lay at her feet, and she held a bowl of beef offal, casually skewering pieces with a bamboo stick as she spoke and ate.

She appeared completely at ease, with no awareness whatsoever that her own disciple was on the verge of elimination.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Surely, you’re just feigning calmness…

Han Lingshuang thought to herself.

When your disciple causes the Mount Shu Sect to lose its place in the Divine Nine, I doubt you would still remain this carefree.

But as she observed Chu Liang’s expression on the light screen, she realized it closely resembled that of his teacher.

Both of them were effortlessly composed.

Han Lingshuang felt a rush of panic grip her unexpectedly.

1. Some explanation about this cultivation. It’s important to remember that he possesses two Golden Cores. The five elemental foundational qi generated through the Colorful Doll originate from the Golden Core within the Golden-Core Puppet. This particular Golden Core can produce all five elemental foundational qi. In contrast, his actual Golden Core has only mastered the metal and wood foundational qi. As a result, only these two types of foundational qi have two sources: one from his actual Golden Core and the other from the Puppet's Golden Core. ☜

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT