Boom—

The buildings in Misty Waters City had already been reduced to ruins by the relentless carpet bombing of Thunderfire Pills. Now, wherever Hu Sanlang’s saber light touched, even the rubble crumbled into dust.

This saber technique basically swept up the entire street. It was so scary that even his teammates hid far away, not daring to approach.

In the middle of the whirlwind, Chu Liang moved quickly, dodging every attack and never letting himself get hit. Even when Hu Sanlang trapped him again and again, Chu Liang used his Dimension Compression skill to slip away, always staying just out of reach.

After attacking nonstop for fifteen minutes, Hu Sanlang finally stopped, holding his saber and catching his breath.

"Tired?" Chu Liang looked at him.

Chu Liang had thought it was weird how Hu Sanlang could unleash a saber power that seemed stronger than his actual cultivation level.

After realizing his opponent was using the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike, Chu Liang figured out the secret. During their special training in the Primordial Chaos Hidden Realm, they had studied techniques from different immortal sects and major factions, including the Fuyao Kingdom's Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike.

The secret to this saber technique was to build up saber intent over time and strike only occasionally. The longer the intent was stored, the stronger the attack when it was finally released.

This was also why they decided to team up with the Penglai Supreme Sect.

Hu Sanlang had to limit how often he attacked so he could save up enough power for when he really needed it.

But this stored saber intent would eventually run out. The energy would weaken over time, and in the long, drawn-out fight that Chu Liang planned, Hu Sanlang’s saved-up saber intent was finally weakening.

Hu Sanlang stood with his saber, staring at Chu Liang across from him and feeling just as shocked.

Sure, it is true that my stored saber intent is limited and will eventually run out. But is your Sea of Qi endless? Does Dimension Compression really use only a tiny bit of foundational qi?

These questions filled Hu Sanlang's head.

In just that short fifteen minutes, he’d seen Chu Liang nearly engulfed by the light from his saber countless times. But each time, in the blink of an eye, Chu Liang managed to escape using Dimension Compression.

This divine skill is still an immortal art, after all. Are you really using it so freely?

Hu Sanlang wondered.

Hu Sanlang thought his saber intent would last longer than Chu Liang’s foundational qi. Once Chu Liang couldn’t dodge anymore, he’d bring the fight to an end with one decisive slash.

Who would have thought that Chu Liang’s foundational qi would seem endless...

Hu Sanlang couldn’t tell if Chu Liang had an enormous Sea of Qi or a monster-like recovery speed. All he knew was that his own saber intent was already drained.

Meanwhile, Chu Liang remained completely unscathed.

The teammates watching nearby, along with the audience outside, began to realize that although Hu Sanlang had held the upper hand, his strength was now waning.

This situation was, in fact, exactly what Chu Liang had intended.

Had he clashed head-on with the full force of the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike, he might not have been defeated, but both him and Hu Sanlang would have ended up both severely injured. Now that he was on his own, he needed to secure victory at the lowest possible cost. ℞𝒶

Fortunately, he possessed both an enormous Sea of Qi and a rapid recovery speed.

With the strength of three Large-Headed Dolls, two ultimate-tier Golden Pills, and foundational qi harmonized by the Completion of Five Elements, his combined combat power was unmatched by anyone else in his realm.

Even as he was of the fifth realm as Hu Sanlang, he was different. If ordinary cultivators were rated one-star, and immortal sect prodigies rated two-star, then Chu Liang could be considered a three-star cultivator at the fifth realm—an exceptional state.

As long as it wasn’t a divine ability or enchanted tool requiring a much higher cultivation realm, he could use his techniques freely—just as casually as spending spirit-stone coins.

"I won’t rest until you’re cut down by my saber," Hu Sanlang replied.

"Your saber is clearly not as sharp as your words," Chu Liang smirked.

"You think you’ve already won?" Hu Sanlang suddenly retorted.

It seemed he had made his decision. Raising his saber high, he formed a gesture with his left hand, and the low, rumbling sound of surging waves filled the air.

"Hu Sanlang!" his teammates from the Fuyao Kingdom couldn’t help but shout.

"Tongshi[1], Baihe[2], Ying[3]…" Hu Sanlang said slowly, "I will give my all; the rest is up to you."

"No matter how much you look at them, they can’t save you," Chu Liang said. "There was no grudge between us—I had no reason to kill you. But you chose to side with Penglai, and I really need soul crystals today. That’s why I can’t let any of you go."

"Heh." Hu Sanlang gave a cold laugh.

Boom—

Suddenly, his saber swung—not at Chu Liang, but at his own wrist, slicing it with a sharp hiss.

Blood spurted forth.

As his saber absorbed his blood and essence, the saber light took on a deep crimson hue. He leaped into the air, slashing down from above with renewed force!

The typical approach with the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike was to build up saber intent over a long period, then release it all in a single, powerful strike.

But in desperate situations, there was another way.

What if the saved saber intent was exhausted? The answer was to draw upon power one didn’t yet possess.

The user could tap into saber intent from future reserves, but at a steep cost: severe damage to their meridians. Pushing this technique too far could even lead to instant death.

The power behind this fatal strike was, predictably, immense.

Boom, boom, boom—

This time, the saber light wasn’t a crashing wave from above but a vast ocean rising from the ground, leaving no room for escape. Even Dimension Compression couldn’t slip him out of the reach of that crimson glow.

Hiss—

Chu Liang’s figure was engulfed in an instant.

Bang!

After the thunderous crash, everything fell into silence.

"Hu Sanlang!" A few teammates rushed over.

They found Hu Sanlang half-kneeling, blood staining his body as he leaned on his saber for support. It was clear he wouldn’t survive.

"Heh…" A faint smile appeared on his face. "I’ve finally avenged my esteemed teacher… I’ve eliminated the Mount Shu Sect…"

Moments ago, the saber light had engulfed Chu Liang like a vast ocean, a blow that would mean certain death for any enemy. Hu Sanlang turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, wondering if his esteemed teacher outside the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams had witnessed this…

It was unknown as to whether Han Lingshuang had witnessed it, but in that moment, Hu Sanlang saw something terrifying.

He saw Chu Liang calmly walking out of the rubble nearby, a flicker of lingering fear in his eyes. "That strike was no joke; it was brutal."

"You…" Hu Sanlang’s pupils trembled. He tried to speak, but blood filled his mouth. After a long pause, he uttered, "Sacrificial Substitute?"

In that instant when he struck down with his saber, he had clearly sensed that Chu Liang had no chance to dodge and he felt Chu Liang’s life slip away. Yet now, he stood unscathed. He had likely used the Sacrificial Substitute technique to escape death.

"Correct," Chu Liang smiled, "Consider it a lesson—don’t announce your big moves next time."

…

"Sacrificial Substitute, huh," Scholar Sun remarked in a leisurely tone. "At the last Mount Shu Summit, he hadn’t mastered that skill, had he? This kid really does surprise us every time."

"His talent and perception are both exceptional. Now that his cultivation level is higher, mastering immortal arts comes even easier to him," Elder Huang added. "His potential is boundless."

"Weren’t you the one who doubted him back then?" Scholar Sun chuckled.

"It’s not my fault I misjudged him," Elder Huang replied, a hint of resentment in his voice. "Who would have thought someone with such extraordinary talent would have such a low cultivation level? Did he only begin cultivating a year or two ago? What was he doing before that?"

Scholar Sun smiled. "In any case, his accomplishments today are surely thanks to Ah Feng’s guidance."

Di Nufeng, in the middle of enjoying her beef stew, swallowed a bite and looked up with a grin. "You can’t say that. At least seven percent of Chu Liang’s success is due to his own efforts… my contribution is, at most, ninety-three percent."

"Speaking of which, these young ones from the Fuyao Kingdom are something else," Elder Huang sighed. "One after another, they keep charging forward, even after their strongest has fallen. Anyone watching might think they were sworn enemies with the Mount Shu Sect."

"Who knows? No grudges in the past, no resentments now. What’s all this even for?" Di Nufeng shook her head.

A short distance away, the three bigshots from the Whale Gang, Taotie City, and Thunderbolt Stronghold sat together, their expressions changing noticeably.

At first, Huyan Dong from Taotie City laughed, while Huang Hanshan and Xu Bashan remained expressionless.

Then, Huang Hanshan from Thunderbolt Stronghold started laughing as Huyan Dong and Xu Bashan kept their stoic expressions.

Now, it was Xu Bashan from the Whale Gang who laughed, while Huyan Dong and Huang Hanshan stayed stone-faced.

Indeed, the smiles never truly vanished; they simply passed from one face to another.

Initially, both Taotie City and Thunderbolt Stronghold held high hopes of advancing to the next round, making Huang Hanshan the most nervous of the three. Later, when Taotie City was eliminated, he was brimming with joy. But who could have guessed that Chu Liang wouldn’t stop there? After defeating Taotie City, he went on and took out the Fuyao Kingdom’s team too!

What’s he doing?

If Chu Liang continued pressing forward, he would meet the last remaining member of the Thunderbolt Stronghold.

Although Huang Hanshan had confidence in his eldest disciple, Chu Liang’s unstoppable momentum was daunting. From the looks of it, he truly intended to fight his way straight to Yang Shenlong to seek vengeance.

Is this really necessary? When will this cycle of vengeance ever end?

Huang Hanshan wondered.

Meanwhile, Huyan Dong, whose face had been ashen since Taotie City’s elimination, now had a spark of hope in his eyes. Watching Chu Liang—whom he had seen as an enemy just moments ago—he whispered inwardly,

Keep it up.

1. meaning bronze lion ☜

2. Meaning white crane ☜

3. meaning shadow ☜

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT