Hearing what Yun Chaoxian said, everyone couldn't bother about anything else. They all cheered as they went with him to fulfill his agreement. They were all eager to see just how "special" this Miss Tie Chui was.

In any other immortal sect, Tie Chui's talent and strength would have already earned her fame. But at South Melody Conservatory, reputation hinged more on beauty and artistry than combat prowess, which was why she had remained relatively unknown even after years in the sect.

Of course, without South Melody Conservatory's dedicated training, she likely wouldn't have achieved her current level.

Chu Liang had someone cut wood and bamboo to make a small cart for himself to sit in, with Pushan pushing him along. All he lacked was a feather fan, and he would have resembled the legendary strategist Zhuge Liang[1].

The group ventured into the bamboo grove, only to find no one in sight. It seemed the disciples of South Melody Conservatory had detected them and hidden themselves in advance.

Yun Chaoxian stepped forward and called out, "Tie Chui! Didn't you agree to meet me here? Have you chickened out?"

"Nonsense!" a booming voice echoed as a large figure burst from the shadows and landed with a thud. Tie Chui's fierce gaze swept over them. "So what if you have more people? Come at me—all of you!"

"Hm?" Her words left everyone bewildered.

Isn't Yun Chaoxian supposed to meet the love of his life here? Could this be Tie Chui? The situation felt oddly intriguing, but that wasn't the main issue at hand. The real question was… is this something that everyone should do together?

"No need for anyone else! In a fair one-on-one, I can take you down easily!" Yun Chaoxian declared as he swung his halberd. While his voice was still loud and clear, he ripped his clothes.[2]

This scene left the others stunned.

By ripping his clothes right away, he seemed a bit too eager for you-know-what.

But the way he undressed… Well, it was certainly unusual.

"What exactly did they arrange to meet for?" Chu Liang turned to ask Luo Yao.

"They had a fight earlier," Luo Yao explained. "There were too many people from the South Melody Conservatory at the time, so I told him we needed to leave. He promised to come back and duel her again."

Ah, so that's how it was. So that's what happened. The special thing about Tie Chui was her especially good fighting skills

, Chu Liang muttered inwardly.

One should never harbor romantic fantasies about these rugged warriors.

It was like a clash between a dragon and a tiger. As Miss Tie Chui wielded her two golden hammers, the thunderous rhythm of her drums unleashed a terrifying aura.

On the other hand, Yun Chaoxian swung his halberd with such force that it seemed to shake both the land and sky, clearly on par with the attacks unleashed by Miss Tie Chui.

After a few rounds, the two had already cleared out the surrounding bamboo trees. Without her fellow disciples to support her with the instrument's melody, Tie Chui gradually began to fall behind.

Though Tie Chui possessed great innate strength and had trained diligently, Yun Chaoxian was a martial prodigy from the Great Astral Sect. With a physique like a fierce beast and equally refined martial skills, he had the upper hand in their clash.

After several exchanges, Tie Chui began to show signs of exhaustion.

This demonstrated the power of Xue Lingxue's music. Previously, with her playing in support, Tie Chui was basically beating Yun Chaoxian up.

Seeing Tie Chui being at a disadvantage, her teammates could no longer hold back.

The melodies of instruments began to play from the depths of the bamboo grove, shifting the balance of the fight once again.

"Stop fighting…" Chu Liang, recognizing the familiar melody, called out, "Miss Xue, please come out so we can talk face-to-face."

This situation was unexpected. He had initially planned to leave without meeting the members of the South Melody Conservatory, but they had ended up here anyway due to a misunderstanding of Yun Chaoxian's intentions. It would be impolite to leave without saying a word now.

If they thought he had come solely to take their soul crystals, it would be even worse.

Clearly, Chu Liang was seen as a trustworthy figure. Upon hearing his words, Yun Chaoxian withdrew and stepped back into the group, while the three core disciples of the South Melody Conservatory gradually revealed themselves.

The appearance of Xue Lingxue, Yu Xiang'er, and Shen Qingyan transformed the beauty and elegance of the scene, taking it to a whole new level.

"What happened to you? How did you turn out like this?" Xue Lingxue asked in surprise upon seeing Chu Liang.

"A minor injury," Chu Liang replied with a smile. "We didn't come here to seize soul crystals… There was a misunderstanding. We thought Brother Yun had arranged a meeting with Miss Tie Chui for something else… turns out it was to fight."

"We planned to leave as soon as we were discovered, but Tie Chui insisted on staying here to fight him again, so we had to hide," Xue Lingxue said with a resigned smile.

Oh, goodness. So they really do share mutual feelings for each other with this agreed duel.

Shen Qingyan looked at the mixed group across from her and asked, "Young Hero Chu, are you all allied?"

"Yes," Chu Liang nodded, "Since we all met here, we agreed to support each other."

Shen Qingyan's eyes sparkled as she asked, "Then can the team from the South Melody Conservatory join your alliance?"

She had asked this for the sake of her sect. Although they had managed to gather some soul crystals through some schemes in the beginning, the same strategy was becoming less effective.

As the Competition of a Hundred Sects progressed, it truly came down to combat power. Even with an abundance of soul crystals, one misstep could lead to total defeat.

South Melody Conservatory hadn't yet gathered enough soul crystals to make it to the next round, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to make further progress on their own. If they ventured out to hunt for more soul crystals, they'd likely become prey themselves.

Over the past day or two, she had already been considering forming an alliance. When Chu Liang and his well-prepared team appeared—and as they were familiar—she naturally asked about joining forces.

Upon hearing her request, Chu Liang smiled.

Before he asked Xue Lingxue to step out, he had done his calculations.

Since their paths had crossed, the team from the South Melody Conservatory might as well join them in the alliance.

Although he had mentioned some disadvantages previously, there were advantages.

Firstly, South Melody Conservatory wasn't weak, especially in a support role. While their individual combat strength might not be top-tier, their contributions in group battles could rival those of the Great Astral Sect brothers.

Secondly, their combat strength was limited. Once they advanced to the next round, the Battle at the Imperial City, he would be happy to fight opponents like them.

It was like how the Penglai Supreme Sect had intended to ally with factions like the Fuyao Kingdom and Taotie City so that they could be the stronger ones in the next round.

The weaker the allies now, the weaker the opponents in the next round.

If the team from the South Melody Conservatory joined...then the Great Astral Sect could serve as the warriors, the Valley of the Three Absolutes as assassins, the South Melody Conservatory as support, Pushan as the cheerleader, and he himself could take on the role of commander...

With this strength, they could temporarily dominate the illusory realm.

Initially, he had two concerns.

First, he worried that the number of soul crystals needed would increase. However, since the South Melody Conservatory had been here for a while, they likely had an accumulation of soul crystals and shouldn't be needing too much.

Second, he was concerned that if this alliance grew too large, it might attract unwanted attention. However, given the current situation, they would just need to act as discreetly as possible.

So, faced with Shen Qingyan's inquiry, he didn't hesitate for long and promptly replied, "That would be ideal."

…

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

The court officials visiting Emperor's Mound that day suddenly noticed a figure at the highest point of the stands. They jolted in surprise and quickly approached to pay their respects. The emperor on the high platform waved them off with a cheerful smile, allowing his officials to enjoy themselves freely.

It was clear that the emperor was in high spirits.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The emperor's good mood had its reasons.

Although he hadn't come to this place in recent days, news from the Competition of a Hundred Sects still reached Night Dragon Hall promptly. Yesterday, he received two updates: one was that Daoist Cangsheng had arrived, and the other was that Yang Shenlong had been eliminated.

The relationship between the imperial court and the sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten had always been a blend of cooperation and rivalry, with both sides constantly seeking to suppress one another. As the foremost immortal sect, the Penglai Supreme Sect stood as the primary adversary of the court and other immortal sects. Although they maintained cordial relations on the surface, covert confrontations were frequent.

For instance, the Penglai Supreme Sect's open support of the Fuyao Kingdom in the East Sea was a clear act of defiance against the Yu Dynasty.

One could easily imagine the emperor's delight upon receiving these two pieces of news.

The emperor thought to himself,

Ah, Chu Liang, Chu Liang… You are truly my dear Imperial Younger Brother.

Since it was nighttime, he thought that showing up at Emperor's Mound immediately would be too conspicuous. So, he held back his excitement and came the next day, eager to see Daoist Cangsheng's frustrated expression.

Unfortunately, Daoist Cangsheng had already left.

Since he was already there, the emperor sat for a while, enjoying some quiet time with his consort.

However, it wasn't long before the Second Prince arrived as well.

"This humble son of yours pays my respects."

The Second Prince stepped forward, made a gesture of respect, and then took a seat beside the emperor. While his gaze remained fixed on the scene in the light screen, he occasionally glanced to the side.

The emperor glanced at him and quickly guessed what was happening.

It was clear that the Second Prince was here on a mission.

The emperor had come with only his consort to watch the competition. If people saw this, who knew what rumors might spread?

Clearly, Empress Wu was not pleased, but she felt too embarrassed to come herself. Instead, she had sent her son to keep an eye on the emperor and the consort, ensuring they wouldn't be overly affectionate.

The emperor couldn't help but give a wry smile. After many years of cultivation and at an old age, he hardly indulged in such romantic sentiments anymore.

The main reason he had shown favor to this consort in recent years was that his sons were growing older, and it was time to make a decision about the heir. Although the Second Prince was initially the clear choice for Crown Prince, the Thirteenth Prince had displayed exceptional wisdom and intelligence, leading to some hesitation on the emperor's part.

Empress Wu inevitably grew anxious. Whenever they met, she would quickly bring up the topic of succession. Since they had been together for many years, she spoke freely, without holding back like others might. Although the emperor wouldn't scold her, he didn't like hearing it. The more she pressed the issue, the less he wanted to visit her.

Conveniently, this imperial consort was beautiful, gentle, and understanding…

She was really like a sweet little sister.

This contrast only made his wife seem all the more unpleasant.

This subtle atmosphere lingered for a while until the Second Prince's attention was suddenly drawn to the scene displayed in the light screen.

At that moment, the scene displayed showed the South Melody Conservatory team.

The emperor couldn't help but smile and say, "The one I recommended to you before, that would be Miss Shen from South Melody Conservatory, right?"

The Second Prince nodded slightly, "That's right."

"How's it going?" the emperor asked again.

Seeing his son's expression, he didn't bother asking for his opinion on her. It was clear he was satisfied.

"It's going alright," the Second Prince replied.

I've already agreed… I am just waiting for her

, he silently added to himself.

"That girl is smart, knowing to ally with Chu Liang," the emperor chuckled. "Maybe this time, the team from the South Melody Conservatory will advance to the next round."

Since Chu Liang had taken down Yang Shenlong, the emperor was finding him more and more likable.

At the mention of this, the Second Prince's expression suddenly tightened.

After a pause, he said angrily, "Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect is already injured this badly; what could he still accomplish? I think Miss Shen made a poor choice in choosing him as an ally."

"Oh?" asked the emperor. "Besides Chu Liang, does she have a better option?"

"Of course she does!" the Second Prince blurted out instinctively.

The palace attendants below were startled, unsure why the always-composed Second Prince had suddenly lost his temper… especially in front of the emperor.

The emperor's words had been casual, but it was clear the Second Prince's mind had wandered elsewhere.

The emperor was momentarily taken aback by his shout. After a pause, he said sternly, "Why are you shouting like that?"

1. Someone important from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. A Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the end of the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220) and the early Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. Refer to this link. ☜

2. How many shirts does he have? He ripped one already earlier. ☜

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT