An eerie laugh echoed, "Hee-hee-hee..."

With Yang Shenlong's crushing defeat, reactions varied—some cheered, some mourned, and others laughed with a devilish thrill.

Di Nufeng leaned back on the platform, a faint smirk curling her lips as she glanced at the two elders on either side. "Now

this

is what is meant by the saying, 'A great teacher that produces a disciple of such brilliance,' eh?" Scholar Sun looked astonished. "Yang Shenlong was already remarkable for being at the sixth realm of cultivation, yet Chu Liang managed to overpower him and win. It's downright terrifying! I know I've said this before, but your disciple never ceases to amaze. He's truly extraordinary!

"This night raid on Misty Waters City will no doubt be remembered in the Assembly of Immortal Sects for years to come. Chu Liang seems more like a devil that had descended from the heavens… a Heavenly General of Tai Sui[1] in the mortal world…"

Scholar Sun shook his head, clicking his tongue in admiration, while Elder Huang looked bewildered, struggling to find words.

As a descendant of the Heaven Observer from the Celestial Pivot Pavilion, Elder Huang's senior brothers always made accurate predictions. He, however, seemed cursed to consistently get it wrong, suffering countless misjudgments over the centuries. Still, he believed that a true Heaven Observer needed to make bold predictions.

These days, he could accept being wrong most of the time, but there were some things he simply couldn't accept.

How on earth did Yang Shenlong lose?

No matter how much Elder Huang thought about it, he couldn't make sense of it.

After a long, awkward silence, he could only manage to utter two words, "Fucking powerful."

Not far away, Chief Xu Bashan of the Four Seas Whale Gang had a wide smile on his big and fierce face. Leaning back, he looked around and chuckled. "Now this is what it means to have the wisdom to recognize true talent, eh?"

"When I first swore brotherhood with Chu Liang, none of you understood why," Xu Bashan said with a sigh. "Now, perhaps, you see his strength. Though he's young, he never fails to impress. Whatever he sets his mind to, he accomplishes. Python Belly City, Red Cotton Peak, the Assembly of Immortal Sects… This isn't the first time I've seen him in a scene like this."

Meanwhile, Huang Hanshan and Huyan Dong looked as if someone from their family had just died, their faces dark with silent frustration.

After a moment, Huyan Dong finally said, "Something's definitely off. I'm reporting this to the imperial court and the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. We need a thorough investigation. How is it possible that a fifth-realm cultivator could unleash such a power? There must be some trickery involved."

"Give it a rest," Huang Hanshan scoffed. "If there were really an issue, Immortal Jiuyi would have mentioned it already. What makes you think you can question it now? Besides, doubting this isn't just questioning the Mount Shu Sect; it's questioning Immortal Jiuyi himself."

"You were eliminated too, weren't you?" Huyan Dong pressed. "Don't you want to kick the Mount Shu Sect out of the Divine Nine?"

"Of course I do," Huang Hanshan shrugged. "But when my disciple was eliminated, there was no issue. The truth is, my disciple was simply weaker than Chu Liang. So what can I say? Sure, I want Thunderbolt Stronghold to ascend to the rankings of the Divine Nine, but I won't drag others down to make it happen."

"You…" Huyan Dong's frustration spiked.

Everyone here is thinking about how their sect would fail to rise. How can you take the moral high ground and act as if you are above it all?

Huyan Dong muttered inwardly.

However, the reality was that he and Huang Hanshan were fundamentally different.

At its core, the Thunderbolt Stronghold was a cultivation sect that respected strength, and Huang Hanshan accepted his disciple's loss without any resentment.

On the other hand, Taotie City had turned into a business entity at its core, willing to use any means to achieve its goals and prioritizing profits over honor. Thus, his mind was open to various approaches.

Below the stage, where the Mount Shu Sect disciples were seated, Lackey A and Shang Ziliang were hugging each other and crying loudly.

"This is unbelievable! It's all thanks to Big Bro—no one else could've done this…" Shang Ziliang said.

"He really did it… I'm bawling my eyes out…" Lackey A sobbed, overwhelmed by joy.

"I told you all, but no one believed me," Lin Bei leaned back, glancing around with pride. "Now this is what it means to be the best bro, eh?"

"If he'd lost just now, I can't imagine how cold the river would've felt tonight," Shang Ziliang said, his voice trembling.

"But we can't relax just yet; my fifty sword coins are still at stake," Lackey A pointed out. "Big Bro's situation doesn't look good."

"Believe in Chu Liang!" Shang Ziliang said firmly.

…

Chu Liang and Pushan's hiding spot in the mountain hollow was certainly secluded, and they had both nearly perfected concealing their presence, yet they were still discovered. 𝑅

A group of four approached, all dressed in black with sabers at their sides, surrounding the entrance of the hollow, two of whom were familiar faces.

They were the team from the Night Saber Sect.

The leaders among them were none other than the brothers Guo Zhanfeng and Guo Zhanlei, whom Chu Liang had met before.

Guo Zhanfeng rubbed his nose and chuckled, "Good thing I imprinted Baixue's sense of smell onto a spirit talisman before coming here; otherwise, how would we have found people hiding so well?"

The Snow Mountain Divine Hound he kept, named Baixue, was the same breed as Huang Ling'er's Hua Hua.

The dog was not here, but its nose was present.

"Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect and Monk Pushan from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery." Guo Zhanlei muttered upon recognizing them. He continued, "You've gathered together here, so doesn't this mean we can eliminate two sects of the Divine Nine at once?"

This person seemed to harbor a unique hostility toward the immortal sects in the Divine Nine. During the last chaotic brawl at the Mount Shu Summit, he had mindlessly helped the sects in the Terrestrial Ten against the sects against the immortal sects in the Divine Nine.

He seemed to very much enjoy the thrill of drawing his saber against stronger opponents.

Monk Pushan suddenly stood up, facing the group. "I advise you not to act rashly. Chu Liang just killed Yang Shenlong."

"Hm?" Hearing this, Guo Zhanfeng's eyes lit up. "He killed Yang Shenlong. If I kill him, doesn't that mean I'm even stronger than Yang Shenlong?"

Chu Liang was momentarily speechless.

How can you say that while I'm lying here paralyzed? Don't you think that's a bit heartless?

Just as it seemed a brawl might break out, the whistling of wind announced the arrival of four figures nearby.

One of them was a petite girl in a black robe, with white hair and a cold expression. While her figure didn't stand out in the crowd, the other three clearly formed a protective formation around her.

It was none other than Luo Yao from the Valley of the Three Absolutes.

By now, it was the fifth day of the Assembly of Immortal Sects, and the various sects, which had initially been cautious, were now actively hunting for soul crystals. Unlike in the early days, coming across a single "fat sheep"[2] could yield enough soul crystals to ensure their advancement to the next round.

The team from the Valley of the Three Absolutes had likely heard the commotion and come to investigate, arriving just as the Night Saber Sect team was about to clash with Pushan.

Spotting Luo Yao, Guo Zhanfeng quickly exclaimed, "Luo Yao! These two just claimed they killed Yang Shenlong and are now seriously injured. They must have a large number of soul crystals. Let's capture them together and split the crystals fifty-fifty. What do you say?"

"Oh…" Luo Yao replied with a slight nod, drawing her curved saber.

Clang—

In the next instant, she appeared right in front of Guo Zhanfeng with her huge saber. If Guo Zhanfeng hadn't drawn his saber in mid-air just in time, that strike would have nearly cleaved him in two!

He stumbled back a few steps and shouted, "What are you doing?"

"These are friends…" Luo Yao said, gesturing toward Chu Liang and Pushan with her saber, then pointing it at the Night Saber Sect team. "And these are enemies."

After explaining this to her teammates, she immediately gave a clear shout: "Attack!"

1. According to Chinese astrology, there are altogether 60 Tai Sui, and they are in charge of humans' fortune in turn once every 60 years. In that year, the on-duty Tai Sui, also named Liu Nian Tai Sui, is regarded as the guardian God for everything, including one's health, wealth, career and marriage. ☜

2. fat sheep (肥羊, féi yáng) is a Chinese slang term that typically refers to a person or group seen as an easy target for exploitation, scams, or profiting from. It can imply someone who appears wealthy, naive, or vulnerable, making them a prime target. ☜

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT