Chapter 62: Losing Temper

The names of both the teacher and the student from Silver Sword Peak, which was seemingly insignificant, were prominently featured in the Chronicles of the Nine Provinces.

What qualities made them exceptional in character and skill?

As Chu Liang read the news, he couldn't help but recall the past few times Di Nufeng had been mentioned in

The Seven Stars Gazette

. Each time her name appeared in

The Seven Stars Gazette

, it was rarely associated with positive news.

He couldn't help but wonder if Di Nufeng had enemies within the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.

During Di Nufeng's younger days, not only was it normal for her to act tyrannically in Mount Shu, but she would also bully the disciples from other sects that she encountered during her travels. Perhaps one of them, all grown up now, was discreetly tarnishing her reputation through the pages of

The Seven Stars Gazette

.

If

The Seven Stars Gazette

had merely reported the incident, Chu Liang might not have been suspicious. However, the choice of words in the article caught his attention. Phrases like "infamous deeds" and "delightful to the people" seemed excessively pointed, hinting at an underlying motive.

Upon reflection, this was not strange at all. If one went out to buy things in Mount Shu, one could encounter eight people who held a grudge against Di Nufeng. It was not unusual for her to have a few enemies in the martial world.

Through this incident, Chu Liang learned a critical lesson: when traveling in the future, he must refrain from mentioning his teacher's name.

Otherwise, he risked triggering a potentially disastrous scenario. For instance, if he were to get into a confrontation with just three individuals and happened to mention that his teacher was Di Nufeng, it could easily escalate, leading to thirty people rushing in to retaliate against him.

The Seven Stars Gazette

went on to describe the circumstances surrounding the Four Seas Whale Gang, one of the Terrestrial Ten.

The Whale Gang ruled supreme over the Four Seas, commanding sprawling maritime and canal trade enterprises. The gang boasted a membership reaching tens of thousands and extending its reach across the nine provinces. Such staggering influence naturally led to a complex power structure, distinct from the more conventional hierarchies found in immortal sects.

The Four Seas Whale Gang derived its name from its unique organizational structure, which divided its main body into four distinct parts: the Eastern Whale Division, the Southern Whale Division, the Western Whale Division, and the Northern Whale Division. Each of these major divisions operated autonomously, functioning as independent gangs. However, this division often led to friction and rivalry among them.

The Whale Gang's center of power was the Ocean Tempest Hall, formed by electing highly respected individuals from the four major divisions who had made significant contributions to the gang.

While the Ocean Tempest Hall typically refrained from meddling in the day-to-day affairs of the four major divisions, it wielded authority over all significant matters within the gang. This included pivotal decisions such as the election of the gang's chief, demonstrating its overarching influence and role in guiding the collective direction of the Whale Gang.

Consequently, each of the Whale Gang's four major divisions endeavored to secure as many of their representatives elected to the Ocean Tempest Hall as possible. This strategic move aimed to sway major decisions within the gang in their favor. However, gaining a seat in the Ocean Tempest Hall was no easy feat. The selection process was stringent, and individuals had to demonstrate alignment with the majority's interests to earn their place. Merely occupying seats for the sake of numerical advantage was not an option.

The election for the gang's chief took place every ten years, and it was now approaching the day of re-election. The current chief, Xu Bashan, with his profound cultivation, high prestige, and fair governance, had led the Four Seas Whale Gang to a period of prosperity during his tenure. Given his remarkable accomplishments, his re-election was not only widely anticipated but also perceived as the natural progression of events.

However, recently, the vice-chief of the Eastern Whale Division, Jiang Shenting, voluntarily stepped down, passing the position to a trusted subordinate. This, however, sent a very sensitive message.

Because the vice-chiefs of the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Whale Divisions were not eligible to compete for the position of the chief.

Jiang Shenting had swiftly ascended as a rising star within the Whale Gang, having led the Eastern Whale Division for only ten years but making it the most powerful among the four major divisions. With a formidable and adept force under his command, many anticipated Jiang Shenting's seamless succession to the position of chief upon Xu Bashan's retirement.

However, Jiang Shenting's sudden resignation from leading the Eastern Whale Division left little doubt: it strongly suggested his intention to prepare for a chief candidacy, with few other viable explanations.

To outsiders, this move seemed a bit hasty. In the intricate landscape of power struggles within the gang, the exact intricacies remained obscure to bystanders.

Chu Liang, however, had only one succinct observation: the fact that news of Di Nufeng's sea voyage was reported before this event was...simply absurd!

If it weren't for the explosive news of the return of the demon god, wouldn't she have been given a headline on the front page?

They were genuinely concerned that she wouldn't provide enough embarrassment.

The news in this month's Chronicles of the Nine Provinces were too exciting for Chu Liang, to the point that the contents in the Uncommon Tales of the Martial World seemed a bit boring.

No one from the Mount Shu Sect was reported this time. The most eye-catching news would have been the new ambiguous affair of the then sect master of the Sea King Sect, but that wasn't surprising either.

Otherwise, it was the upcoming tour of Xue Lingxue, an inner disciple of the South Melody Conservatory. With summer approaching, the enthusiastic season for the musicians of the South Melody Conservatory was about to begin.

Both the Sea King Sect and the South Melody Conservatory were among the top ten, and compared to the Divine Nine, the sects in the Terrestrial Ten may have been more down-to-earth. They also appeared in the Uncommon Tales of the Martial World more frequently.

Chu Liang placed this month's

The Seven Stars Gazette

down and looked out the window with his eyes gleaming.

This world was very interesting, full of dangers and opportunities, sorrows, and joys. The world was like a stage exhibiting wonders. It was simply exhilarating that he had the chance to be near this stage. Having the opportunity to get close to this stage was truly exhilarating.

The key to stepping onto this stage was to become stronger.

He cast his gaze once again on the book

The True Dao of Talisman-Making.

As the saying went, one had to plant a seed to reap a harvest.

Since his experiment of writing talismanic characters in the air had a successful outcome last night, he couldn't be bothered practicing on paper anymore.

Instead, he directly attempted to combine the sword manipulation and the writing of the talismanic character.

Compared to the process described by Jiang Yuebai, Chu Liang seemed to be taking faster steps.

But he was used to it.

He had always been a bit faster than others... especially in terms of learning.

After a simple wash, he walked outside and arrived at an open space. As he waved his finger and activated his flying sword.

Sword Manipulation Technique!

Swish, swish, swish!

Controlled by his divine intent, the flying sword soared through the air, leaving behind numerous complicated lines of silver light in the sky! Because the lines were appearing so quickly, the radiance hadn't dissipated before the next one appeared, and the trailing light tails converged into a silver talismanic script!

Talismanic Sword Seal!

Activate!

The talismanic script was completed, and Chu Liang swept his sword forward.

Swish—

The sword light moved, slashing through the air.

A wisp of green smoke rose at the end of the sword.

"..."

Chu Liang summoned the flying sword back and pondered as he touched the slightly heated sword body.

Smoke could be seen but there were no flames. It had failed.

He thought about what had happened and deduced that it had failed because some of the movements of the flying sword were abnormal as the talisman character was being written in the air.

Although the Sword Manipulation Technique was guided by one's will, there might still be differences when compared to a direct control. This might not be evident during regular battles, but when performing the Talismanic Sword Seal, even the slightest instability could lead to failure.

Chu Liang held the sword in his hands. This time, he didn't make the sword fly in the air. Instead, he held the sword in his hands and moved it slowly. This way, it would be much more stable when writing characters.

A talismanic character was once again formed by the beams of sword light.

Activate!

Boom—

As he used his divine intent, the sword qi accompanied by a surging flame erupted in the air, landing on the ground with a loud explosion.

Bang!

This was a simple sword qi, but its power had greatly increased due to the accompanying flames.

Chu Liang's eyes gleamed.

Is this the Talismanic Sword Seal?

The fusion of the talismanic script and the sword qi didn't merely involve a straightforward addition of forces. It resembled the wind leveraging the momentum of fire and fire harnessing the might of wind. This synergy led to a significant amplification of power.

With this in mind, he had an idea!

If he could proficiently write a wind talismanic character and unleash a sword qi assisted by both the wind and fire talisman characters, the resulting power would be amplified several times over.

The Dao of Talisman-making held intricate complexities, capable of amalgamating numerous simple talismanic characters to create an extremely powerful talismanic formation.

If he could employ such a potent formation in collaboration with the sword qi...

Just the mere thought of that scene was enchanting.

With this in mind, a surge of enthusiasm filled Chu Liang, and he was eager to continue practicing to solidify his progress.

Suddenly, an angry roar erupted from the small pavilion, accompanied by a loud rumble, and the earth shook as flames soared into the sky.

Rumble!

This scene did not surprise Chu Liang.

This was how Di Nufeng behaved when she was furious.

He had exerted great effort to enhance a bit of his strength, whereas his teacher could unleash such power with just a casual fit of anger—a truly enviable display.

If nothing unexpected happened, she must have seen the account of her seafaring journey in

The Seven Stars Gazette

. Chu Liang had anticipated this scene.

However... Chu Liang pondered whether he should stop by and advise his esteemed teacher.

Approaching her while she was angry was not a very good choice. In the past, Chu Liang might have chosen the opposite, opting to avoid the situation.

Nevertheless, Chu Liang worried that if he didn't talk to her, she might go straight to the Celestial Pivot Pavilion and start a fight.

In the martial world, individuals could engage in various activities, but beating up reporters was an action that should never be done.