Chapter 661: I'll Pass On That.

"Nangong Zhi is dead."

Six years had passed, but the decor of the chancellor's private chamber remained unchanged—simple and elegant as always.

Su Qian, still dressed in his scholar's robes, sat quietly, his expression calm and serene. Having risen to the highest position in the imperial court, there was no further to climb. Maintaining the status quo was his ideal scenario.

"The Imperial Supervisory Bureau was about to take him away, but that Mount Shu disciple intervened and killed him," said the man seated across from Su Qian.

The one sitting across Su Qian was Gu Shanfeng, the sect leader of the Mystic Wind Sect.

Among the Chancellor's Sixteen-Faction Alliance, few could sit as equals with Su Qian. Gu Shanfeng was one of them.

A letter lay on the table. Su Qian had just finished reading it, and with a sweep of his divine sense, Gu Shanfeng grasped its contents as well.

"Compared to Nangong Zhi's death, I find that disciple of the Mount Shu Sect far more interesting," Su Qian said with a smile.

"Chu Liang?" Gu Shanfeng echoed. "Wasn't he that unlucky champion of the Assembly of Immortal Sects? The one who got involved in palace affairs right after winning, exposing Empress Wu and nearly getting killed by Cheng Hu? I didn't expect him to survive, let alone return."

"Yes, it hasn't been long since he started venturing out of Mount Shu, but all his experiences have been rather extraordinary," Su Qian replied.

"If you must say, Cheng Hu was a fool. A powerful seventh-realm cultivator could kill someone of a lower cultivation level at any time. Why would he do it in the palace? Even if he did succeed, he would still be trading his own life for Chu Liang's life. Regardless, it would be a huge loss. The worst thing was that he failed and became a laughing stock," Gu Shanfeng scoffed.

"Actually, it's quite the opposite," Su Qian said as he shook his head. "Had Cheng Hu succeeded in taking Chu Liang's life, it would have been a great victory for him. Though his failure is regrettable, his actions were far from foolish."

"What do you mean by that?" Gu Shanfeng asked, feeling puzzled. "What's so special about this disciple of the Mount Shu Sect?"

While prodigious disciples were valuable, as long as they hadn't achieved a breakthrough and attained the seventh realm, they could still be stopped. Their worth couldn't compare to that of a cultivator at the Dao Attainment Realm.

This was a common understanding in the world of immortality cultivators.

But from what Su Qian said, it seemed like Chu Liang's life was far more valuable than Cheng Hu's.

"You will know it by just looking at Red Cotton Peak," Su Qian said. "How many seventh-realm cultivators do you think the Mount Shu Sect would be willing to trade for the Red Cotton Peak?"

"That's true." Gu Shanfeng nodded. "But a cultivator must still be assessed by their cultivation level."

"He's clearly someone with great fate. It is impossible for him to live a life of inferiority," Su Qian replied. "Just as clouds foretell rain or shine, one's fate can be predicted through their qi. His fortune shines like a rainbow, and gold lies hidden within his fate. I very much envy him."

"Chancellor, you simply walk a different path. Why envy him? Had you been born into an immortal sect, you would be no less than these prodigies."

"Haha," Su Qian chuckled and shook his head. "I was born with a weak fate, destined for an early death and sickness. It was only because someone altered my destiny that I achieved what I have today. That is precisely why I believe in this Dao."

"Oh?" Gu Shanfeng raised his eyes slightly. "Such methods exist?"

"But every alteration in fate comes with a price. I paid dearly for it," Su Qian explained. "When it comes to the study of destiny, no one surpasses the Celestial Master of Celestial Charm Sect. I suspect that Cheng Hu's attempt to kill Chu Liang was orchestrated by him... or at least he was the one who encouraged it. Most likely, he foresaw the boy's potential to threaten him and sought to kill him early."

"The Celestial Charm Sect's Celestial Master?" Gu Shanfeng found it hard to believe. "He's a powerful eighth-realm cultivator. Why go through such efforts to kill a young disciple? Couldn't he simply handle it himself?"

"It's not that simple..." Su Qian seemed to want to say more but hesitated. "Just remember—whether he's in Mount Shu or not, it's best to avoid going against him in the future."

Gu Shanfeng stared at Su Qian. Everyone around the chancellor knew he believed in fate, but this level of conviction seemed a bit extreme.

"By the way," Gu Shanfeng continued, "the Crown Prince has once again sent an invitation to South Melody Conservatory. This has happened multiple times over the past few years. It seems he still can't forget Miss Shen."

"Let him be," Su Qian replied. "South Melody Conservatory never responds anyway."

"Didn't you previously try to arrange a marriage between the Second Prince and Shen Qingyan?" Gu Shanfeng asked curiously. "Now that the Second Prince has successfully become Crown Prince, why don't you support it anymore?"

"The Crown Prince?" Su Qian's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "No one even knows how much longer the Yu Dynasty will last."

...

Standing on the deck of Lianglong, Wang Xuanling voiced his thoughts as the wind howled around him.

"How much longer can the Yu Dynasty last? Ten years? Twenty? If these natural disasters persist, the humans across the land of the nine provinces could collapse sooner than we think. If mortals can no longer survive, how can cultivators stay alive?"

"This Heavenly Peak Banquet isn't just about raising donations. The real goal is to find a solution. We are seeing disasters happen year after year. This is not normal. We must uncover the hidden hand behind this."

As the grand peak master, Wang Xuanling naturally handled Mount Shu Sect's external affairs. As for the disciples accompanying him, they were Chu Liang, Lin Bei, and Shang Ziliang.

These three were part of the core members that led Red Cotton Peak.

"Endless disasters bring endless strife and deaths," Chu Liang added. "Wu'an City fell to the rebels of Mount Mang, with heavy casualties. Many innocent lives were lost, even in the prosperous lands of the Eastern Regions."

"I find it strange that the rebels of Mount Mang were able to seize Wu'an City," Shang Ziliang remarked. "How did such a large force cross the mountains between the Eastern and Southern Regions without leaving a trace? Whether by air or land, there should have been signs of their movements."

"Someone must have helped them secretly but we don't know who..." Wang Xuanling growled. "No doubt it's the work of those who thrive on chaos."

The hardships of the Southern Regions barely stirred the imperial court. The panic only set in when the rebels of Mount Mang breached the Eastern Regions.

As they spoke, the golden haze of Buddhist Cloud Monastery began to shimmer above the clouds in the distance.

Lin Bei suddenly pointed. "That group is from the Great Astral Sect."

"Hm?" Chu Liang uttered.

He glanced over and spotted a colossal exotic beast, its sleek, panther-like body towering like a mountain. Several martial artists in fitted robes stood and sat atop the beast. They were indeed from the Great Astral Sect.

Lin Bei leaped into the air, waving and laughing loudly. "Heheheh!"

The Great Astral Sect noticed Mount Shu Sect's airship and immediately steered towards them.

Not recognizing the accompanying elder of the Great Astral Sect, Chu Liang stepped back and allowed Wang Xuanling to engage alone. However, the disciples behind the elder were all familiar to Chu Liang.

They were none other than Ren Hongdao, the eldest senior brother of the Great Astral Sect, accompanied by Li Fujian and Ji Lingyu.

Ren Hongdao still carried his long saber and maintained his usual stoic demeanor. But when his eyes met Chu Liang's, he smiled faintly. "I heard you were back. I didn't think I'd see you this soon. Unfortunately, Junior Brother Yun hasn't been back recently. If not, he would have rushed to see you the moment he knew."

"I've missed you all as well," Chu Liang said sincerely, glancing at the two beside him with a playful grin. "Brother Li, it seems like you have been living a happy life."

Li Fujian looked very different from back then. Back then, he had been a handsome and sharp young man. But now, he had grown slightly plump. His face was rounder, and a small bulge showed at his stomach. He no longer gave off this aloof expression. Instead, he was always carrying this warm, sheepish smile. If Chu Liang had bumped into him somewhere out on the street, he might not have recognized him.

The most likely reason for this change was marriage.

His wife was none other than the gentle and refined woman standing by his side.

It was Ji Lingyu, the Ninth Young Lady of the Ji family.

Fate had taken an unexpected turn. Back then, Ji Lingyu had run away from home and sought refuge at the Great Astral Sect because she was friends with Tang Shi. What began as a temporary stay gradually became permanent. Over time, she officially joined the sect and eventually married into it.

As one of the rare intelligent minds in the sect, Ji Lingyu quickly earned a place as a trusted advisor within the sect. This was why the Great Astral Sect entrusted her with attending the Heavenly Peak Banquet.

The once sharp-tongued girl remained much the same, though her demeanor now held a gentler, more refined grace.

Ji Lingyu met Chu Liang's gaze with a smile. "It's good to see you back. Senior Brother Yun is always talking about you at the sect. You're basically the second person he talks about the most."

"Oh?" Chu Liang asked curiously. "Who's the first?"

"Of course, it's Miss Tie Chui," Li Fujian replied with a grin.

Hah. Who would've thought one of the Great Astral Sect brothers would be the first among my friends to awaken to love? Truly magical,

Chu Liang thought

.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chu Liang retrieved several tokens and handed them to the group.

"Take a look at Mount Shu's latest creation—the Circle of Immortal Friends," he said.

"What's this?" Ren Hongdao and the others asked curiously.

"I call it the Circle of Immortal Friends. Just try it, and you'll see," Chu Liang replied with a grin.

Following Chu Liang's guidance, each of them injected a fragment of their spiritual sense into the jade slip, binding the tokens to themselves.

As they entered the interdimensional soul domain, they were startled by the sheer number of participants.

"I didn't expect this many people!" one of them said.

Chu Liang began demonstrating the functions of the Circle of Immortal Friends.

Before long, the airship drifted closer to the gates of Buddhist Cloud Monastery.

A familiar figure hurried forward, beaming with enthusiasm.

"Ah! I saw you approaching and rushed out to greet you. Oh, and friends from the Great Astral Sect too! This is truly—huh?"

"Quick! Put it away!" Chu Liang whispered urgently.

But it was too late. Pushan had already noticed the items Chu Liang handed out. Although the tokens were swiftly tucked away, he became curious.

"What did you just give them?" Pushan asked puzzledly.

"Oh..." Chu Liang chuckled. "Oh... just Mount Shu Sect's latest specialty—stinky tofu, fermented with durian and pickled bamboo shoots. Want to try some?"

Pushan froze. His hand twitched mid-air before he forced a wry smile. "I'll... pass on that."