Chapter 563: Love and Peace

After a brief attempt, his effort to awaken the White Pagoda failed, as if the spiritual qi in the world had suddenly been cut off, leaving Chu Liang rather disappointed.

He had hoped to use this chance to awaken the spirit of the White Pagoda and perhaps communicate with it, learning about its origins.

The effects of the Great Pill of the Endlessly Devouring Whale effects were supposed to be reliable; with a Boundless Sea of Qi, he shouldn't still be lacking qi.

It had to be that the spiritual qi supplied by Immortal Jiuyi in this illusory realm was finally running out.

Even with Immortal Jiuyi's cultivation energy, it was not enough to revive the White Pagoda, which furthermore indicated the incomprehensible power of the spirit in this enchanted tool.

Chu Liang stopped trying. With the limited time, he couldn't bother wasting it all on this.

Because he was concerned about a sudden attack from the members of Penglai, he had taken the Great Pill of the Endlessly Devouring Whale just before meeting them, allowing him to deliver the blow that instantly killed Qi Lin'er.

With only a fifteen-minute duration, there wasn't much time left.

He needed to act now.

Across from him, Yang Shenlong had already taken action. A three-chi azure light appeared out of nowhere in his hand, and though he stood in place, Chu Liang could feel the killing intent coming from behind him.

The combination of Shadow of Radiance and Dimension Compression, a divine technique he was familiar with thanks to Jiang Yuebai's mastery of both.

Yet, he didn't need to make any moves; the Dustless Sword's senses were far sharper than his own. With a ringing clash, the Dustless Sword surged with sword qi, blocking the strike.

Of course, it was still draining Chu Liang's foundational qi, but that was the one thing he currently had more than enough.

After the Dustless Sword made its first move, the other enchanted tools swirling around also closed in, launching their strongest attacks on Yang Shenlong.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Yang Shenlong's sneak attack had failed, and now he found himself surrounded by enchanted tools. Though it was a one-on-one fight, he suddenly felt as if he were being swarmed from all sides.

He instantly moved. Shrouded in a jade-colored glow, he was evidently activating his Jade Pure Physical Form. His foundational qi surged as he struck back the enchanted tools one by one.

At that moment, the actual Chu Liang arrived. "

Haah—

"

With a clear shout, Chu Liang punched forward, carrying the immense power of the Blue Dragon.

Bang—

Yang Shenlong countered with a backhanded strike, transforming his palm into a massive azure dragon claw, clashing against Chu Liang's blow.

Boom—

Yang Shenlong was hurled backward, crashing into the surrounding rubble. The clash sent him flying with swift, decisive force!

Never in his life had Yang Shenlong encountered a peer so evenly matched, let alone one that made him suffer such a setback. Though his Azure Dragon legacy had not primarily enhanced his physical body, the fortification it provided was still incredibly powerful.

Apart from a natural monster like Qi Lin'er, there was no peer with a stronger physique than his, not even among those with physical cultivation or martial arts training.

The power in Chu Liang's punch...was definitely beyond what anyone below the realms of the Heavenly Gate could possess!

And indeed, that was the case. Chu Liang's punch carried the power of the Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm. With his White Dragon legacy at the third realm, even without fortification, his physique was already slightly superior to Yang Shenlong's; with this added boost, it was unmatched.

Yang Shenlong, who had been hurled into the air, could only fully activate the power of his Azure Dragon legacy to alleviate the pain.

When he was about to crash on the ground, he rebounded to counter attack… because Chu Liang was already charging at him!

Boom—

Enveloped in Divine Dragon Fire, he roared forward, his flaming fist crashing down once more!

Yang Shenlong spun around and suddenly, three identical forms of him appeared in place.

There were three Yang Shenlongs!

He had used the Immortal Art: External Manifestation!

This immortal art allowed him to create clones with the same cultivation level and physique as his own. Each additional clone was a significant threshold, and most who mastered the External Manifestation art could only create one clone. Jiang Yuebai and Chu Liang, in his normal state, were no exception.

Yang Shenlong, however, had managed to create two clones—a feat even some seventh-realm Eminent Ones couldn't achieve.

In fights among peers, having additional clones almost guaranteed a crushing victory.

When Yang Shenlong single-handedly defeated most of the members in the team from the Mount Shu Sect, he did not create three clones, if not any.

He wanted to reserve his full power for the next round, the Battle at the Imperial City, and did not want to reveal all his techniques.

But now, he couldn't hold back anymore. He even suspected that three of himself might still not be enough against Chu Liang.

This overwhelming feeling of despair was something he had always inflicted on others, yet he never imagined he'd experience it himself.

In truth, he shouldn't have used this technique.

Because it reminded Chu Liang that he could use this technique too!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

With a series of explosive sounds, twelve Chu Liangs appeared, surrounding the three Yang Shenlongs.

At that moment, Yang Shenlong felt a hint of absurdity.

If you create four, or even five clones, I might admit you're stronger. But isn't creating twelve a bit too much?

Most people can't even create twelve mindless puppets using Army of Beans, and here you are with twelve full-powered clones?

Something is definitely off.

Yang Shenlong even thought of Immortal Jiuyi, wondering if Immortal Jiuyi had helped Chu Liang cheat. In the illusory realm, only Immortal Jiuyi could achieve something like this.

But if Immortal Jiuyi is helping him, that would be too much.

Can't you at least pretend?

How on earth is he doing this…

While he was deep in thought feeling confused, the twelve Chu Liangs simultaneously swung fiery fists, causing a series of explosive sounds.

Amid the roaring noise, Yang Shenlong's two clones burnt up all their cultivation energy, raising a fierce whirlwind that temporarily forced the surrounding Chu Liangs back a few chi.

The actual Yang Shenlong was instantly cloaked in golden light, transforming into a beam of light that shot straight toward the sky!

This time, he used the Golden Path!

This was the most powerful flying immortal art in the world that could allow the user to teleport across big distances. By using this immortal art, one could cross vast distances in a blink of an eye. Yang Shenlong realized he had no chance of defeating Chu Liang and prepared to escape.

But in the next instant, Chu Liang was already in pursuit.

Yes, although he didn't know the Golden Path, he still managed to keep up.

He was using Dimension Compression.

Certainly, the Dimension Compression couldn't match the Golden Path over long distances. But that was only because Dimension Compression wasn't designed for long-range use.

It was like a sprinter chasing a long-distance runner. While the sprinter might not be a long-distance expert, he could break the thousand of meters into several hundreds of meters and sprint each segment at full speed.

The only drawback was that it might be exhausting.

But Chu Liang wouldn't get tired.

He only worried about running out of time.

Smack.

Yang Shenlong never expected to be caught by the ankle while using the Golden Path.

In that moment… he was so shocked like a living person seeing a ghost.

Boom!

With a single-arm swing, Chu Liang hurled Yang Shenlong back into Misty Waters City.

Thinking of escaping?

Not a chance.

If Chu Liang let him escape, it would be his own death in just moments.

Chu Liang slammed Yang Shenlong to the ground, then leapt down, stomping on his chest and leaning in to deliver a powerful punch!

Boom!

The punch aimed directly at his face, and if it hit, even an Eminent One would perish. But Yang Shenlong still had strength left; flames ignited in his eyes as he opened his mouth, transforming his head into that of a dragon, and actually caught Chu Liang's fiery fist in his jaws!

Whoosh—

While he was in the dragon form, he inhaled, producing this powerful force twisting the Great Dao of the World.

He wanted to shrink Chu Liang and swallow him whole.

Once again, he was using the World Within One's Sleeve technique, a move he usually used with a single palm to suppress opponents. Who would have thought he could apply it with his mouth?

But at this moment, Chu Liang was simply unbeatable.

He fought back by giving another punch with his left hand.

Boom—

Then another punch!

Boom—

And then continuously...

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

The heavy fiery punches rained down on Yang Shenlong's body relentlessly. No matter how powerful the Azure Dragon's regenerative physique was, it couldn't keep up with the speed of Chu Liang's punches.

By the time Chu Liang had enough of the smashing, he noticed that nothing remained beneath him except a small soul crystal.

"

Hah—

" Chu Liang exhaled deeply and leaped up.

When he looked over at Yang Yuhu and Xi Miaoxian, he found them both staring blankly, looking somewhat dazed.

It wasn't that they didn't want to help, but there was simply no way for them to intervene in this fight.

They wanted to run, but if Yang Shenlong had not even been able to escape with the use of the Golden Path, how could they possibly escape?

Yang Shenlong had always been an invincible figure in their minds, yet seeing him fall so utterly, defeated in such a brutal manner, left them bewildered and lost.

Then, Chu Liang took a step forward and suddenly stopped.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

After a slight pause, a smile appeared on his face. "Brother Yang, Miss Xi, there's no need to be tense. Your elder brother killed my teammates, so I came to seek revenge. Since I know you two, I don't plan to end your path forward."

"Leave behind all the soul crystals Penglai has collected these days, and you may go."

"Brother Chu…" Yang Yuhu was even more stunned upon hearing this. "You're letting us go?"

"When will revenge ever end?" Chu Liang said calmly, "I came here to stand up for my teammates. I am not here to make the conflict with Penglai worse."

In that moment, his smile seemed noble, radiating the light of love and peace.

Xi Miaoxian was quicker to react; upon hearing this, she placed a bag of soul crystals on the ground, saying, "Thank you, Young Hero Chu, for your noble act. We won't forget this kindness."

Saying this, she pulled Yang Yuhu along, and they swiftly took flight.

The two of them fled like startled birds, clearly frightened out of their wits.

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze swept over the rubble-strewn remains of Misty Waters City, leaving only Chu Liang standing there, his gaze distant as if savoring the thrill of the fierce fight.

Moments later, Monk Pushan approached, his face filled with shock. "Oh my goodness, you actually won! I knew you were strong, but I never expected this level of strength. You even let them go! Even us disciples of Buddhism might not have had the same heart. It's truly admirable… huh? Why aren't you moving?"

"Keep your voice down…" Chu Liang replied weakly, "Use your Heavenly Eye to check if there's anyone around."

"Hmm?" Pushan sensed something was wrong, immediately scanning the area. "No one's here."

"Then pick up that bag of soul crystals and quickly take me somewhere safe," Chu Liang instructed.

"What's wrong?"

Pushan looked at Chu Liang in surprise. He had observed the fight from afar; Chu Liang had emerged unscathed and had easily overpowered his opponents, so he shouldn't be injured.

Chu Liang didn't respond; he suddenly stiffened and fell straight back with a dull thud.

Thud.

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT