Chapter 739: Come on out, Grand Ancestor

The sudden turn of events caught both Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang off guard.

Before that, Chu Liang had been diligently using his Demon-Slaying Sword to excavate Thundercloud Seeds. Within moments, he had already excavated a stone roughly the size of a fist. Since he had no way of knowing how much of the refined material it would yield or the exact amount they needed to forge the Celestial Talismanic Wheel, he continued mining.

Even though this was merely a clone created through External Manifestation, he had still brought his Demon-Slaying Sword with him.

His actual form remained on Mount Shu. While he was on Mount Shu, he could wield the Violet and Azure Twin Swords. No matter what, the twin swords were far superior to the Demon-Slaying Sword, so the Demon-Slaying Sword was only useful when he was outside the sect.

If he never brought Demon-Slaying Sword along for fear of losing it, then it might as well have been an expensive but useless decoration.

While Chu Liang was focused on mining, Lin Bei was suddenly attacked. Almost immediately after, Madam Hongyu's sharp cry rang out, drawing both Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang's attention.

Two mysterious black-robed figures with formidable cultivation power appeared in the sky. Their identities were unknown, but the powerful demonic qi emanating from each attack made it clear that they were sea demons.

However, Madam Hongyu's cultivation was much more powerful. With a swift motion of both hands, she unleashed two powerful attacks. Countless blood-colored corals burst from the ground, their intertwining branches forming a massive nest-like structure that spread across the sky, trapping the two black-robed figures within.

One of the black-robed figures struck with ruthless efficiency. With a mere wave of their hand, a surge of black mist erupted, corroding and shattering countless coral branches. Meanwhile, the other figure moved like a specter, vanishing into a blur before reappearing behind Madam Hongyu.

Whoosh!

A knifehand strike cut through the air like a raging gale!

It was clear these two sought to conceal their identities, as they wielded no enchanted weapons, nor did they use any innate divine abilities. Instead, they relied purely on their physical strength to attack.

Madam Hongyu’s gaze sharpened. In an instant, she took on a crystalline, jade-like sheen. The knifehand strike landed squarely on her, but instead of cutting through, it resounded with a metallic clang!

However, the black mist was already closing in. With both enemies attacking from different angles, even with her formidable cultivation, she was about to be forced into a disadvantageous position.

At that moment, a streak of swordlight surged forth with unstoppable force!

It was Chu Liang, rushing in to assist. Though he didn’t fully grasp the situation, he knew that he had to help Madam Hongyu, who had been aiding them. More importantly, one of the black-robed figures had just sent Lin Bei plummeting into the pit.

As soon as the sides were clearly defined, Chu Liang unleashed his most powerful strike—the Sword Strike of Severing the Void! He needed to head down the pit to rescue Lin Bei, but he had to take control of the situation above first.

Swish!

The sheer power of this strike was far beyond what the black-robed figures had expected. In fact, even Madam Hongyu was momentarily taken aback.

She had assumed that, despite attaining the seventh realm at his age, Chu Liang's combat strength would still be limited. Moreover, it was clear to any keen observer that he was now a clone created with External Manifestation.

Madam Hongyu didn't think Chu Liang would be a great help in this fight, but as soon as his sword strike landed, she found herself silently apologizing for underestimating him. She even began reflecting on whether she had been too rude to these young cultivators from Mount Shu.

This strike was incredibly powerful!

The Sword Strike of Severing the Void that Chu Liang had unleashed contained great power, but the true key lay in the performance of the Demon-Slaying Sword. Against these two sea demons, the sword’s full potential erupted, elevating the strike’s destructive force to its peak!

Boom!

A deafening explosion of sword qi resounded. The black-robed figure who had attempted to ambush Madam Hongyu from behind was instantly engulfed by the attack. Half of his body ruptured, and his unnaturally colored blood splattered into the air.

"Aaaaaah!!!" he screamed in agony. Then he quickly shouted, "Into the pit!"

It seemed that not only had Chu Liang and his group been caught off guard by today’s events, but even these two black-robed figures had not expected their presence here.

Hearing the call, the other black-robed figure who was standing inside a dark cloud immediately spread his hands open and released a surge of black mist that enveloped his injured teammate. Without hesitation, the two dashed toward the pit at the center.

At that moment, Madam Hongyu had fully transformed into coral, unleashing the full extent of her cultivation power. A wide beam of red light shot down from the sky, enveloping the entire black cloud. In the span of a single breath, the light solidified, forming a massive coral pillar.

Like insects trapped in amber, the two black-robed figures in the black cloud were both trapped in the coral.

The black cloud roiled violently from within, showing clear signs that it wouldn’t remain restrained for long. But outside, Chu Liang had already raised his sword once more.

In a cooperation between powerful cultivators, words were unnecessary. The exact moment Madam Hongyu trapped the enemy, Chu Liang was already poised to strike.

Swish!

He struck once more with Sword Strike of Severing the Void.

This time, the sword qi was even more overwhelming. The Demon-Slaying Sword unleashed its full offensive potential!

Boom!

Just as the black cloud burst out from the red coral pillar, Chu Liang’s strike landed. A spray of blood erupted skyward, and a severed limb was sent flying.

These two sea demons possessed incredible physical resilience. If they had been weaker seventh-realm cultivators, they would have died. Even so, the two assassins were severely wounded. Chu Liang had single-handedly crippled them with just two strikes.

This time, they abandoned all thoughts of descending into the pit. In unison, they shouted, "Retreat!"

But it wasn’t so simple for them to escape.

Madam Hongyu raised her hand, and a massive stalk of blood-colored corals, shaped like a giant palm, reached out to grasp the fleeing black cloud.

Rumble!

A series of explosions erupted from within the black cloud, shattering the coral restraints one after another.

If Chu Liang had pursued with full force, he might have been able to capture one of them. But right now, he had no time to care about them. He turned and leaped into the pit below.

"Come back!" Madam Hongyu yelled. "The divine lightning is about to strike again!"

Between their brief period of mining and the fierce fight that followed, fifteen minutes had already passed. The relentless divine lightning was about to descend once more.

No matter how powerful the attackers earlier were, they were still threats that could be resisted. But what was about to fall from the sky now was an unstoppable calamity!

Yet, Chu Liang’s gaze remained firm, and he descended into the pit without looking back.

It was precisely because he knew time was running out that he had abandoned the chase and dived into the pit instead. His current form was merely a clone created through External Manifestation, but Lin Bei, who had fallen into the pit, was very much real.

Lin Bei had come along this time to help him. If Lin Bei were to suffer misfortune because of that, how could Chu Liang ever be at peace?

At the critical moment, Chu Liang transformed into a gust of wind and surged into the pit without hesitation!

Meanwhile, Xu Ziyang, who had not revealed himself during the fight, had already descended ahead of Chu Liang. He had placed his trust in Chu Liang to handle the situation above and had gone down first to rescue Lin Bei.

Madam Hongyu stared at the empty entrance of the pit, momentarily stunned.

Do all these disciples of immortal sects have no fear of death?

she thought.

She had no idea that Mount Shu Sect disciples never abandoned their own. They would never give up on a fellow sect member!

Madam Hongyu looked up at the rolling thunderclouds above.

The moment the divine lightning struck, Chu Liang and the others would not be able to evade it, even if they were hidden deep within the pit. It was clear that all three of them were doomed to be obliterated.

Clenching her teeth, Madam Hongyu turned and left decisively. If she hesitated any longer, even her own life would be at risk.

...

The pit was incredibly deep. Moving like the wind, Chu Liang descended swiftly. Despite entering later, he quickly caught up with Xu Ziyang.

"Senior Brother Xu," Chu Liang whispered. "Be careful. This place is dangerous."

Xu Ziyang nodded. "I know."

The two advanced side by side, one on the left and the other on the right, moving in perfect coordination.

Not long after, Chu Liang sensed an unusually dense concentration of life energy. In the depths of Misty Island, where divine lightning raged constantly, how could so many living creatures exist?

He was startled. As he looked ahead, he saw a single flickering point of light and then another. Within mere breaths, a vast cluster of tiny lights illuminated the darkness, countless glowing dots resembling watchful eyes peering at them from the void!

"What is this...?" Chu Liang muttered.

He instinctively raised his Demon-Slaying Sword, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. When facing a horde of unknown demonic creatures, it was always better to act first rather than hesitate.

Just then, a voice echoed from deep within the cave.

"Hold your strike! We're on the same side!"

"Huh?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang hesitated, pausing their attacks.

Sure enough, Lin Bei emerged from the sea of glowing dots, waving his hands. As he moved, the source of the lights became clear.

They were firefly-like insects, hovering motionlessly in the air. Their eerie glow had made them seem like countless watchful eyes lurking in the darkness. The cavern was teeming with these creatures, yet how they had managed to survive in such a place remained a mystery.

"It’s great to see you both unharmed," Lin Bei said, jogging over with evident relief.

"What's going on?" Chu Liang asked.

Lin Bei chuckled and replied, "It's hard for me to explain clearly. Why don't you guys ask him? We’re all brothers here—we can talk it out."

Under Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang’s astonished gazes, Lin Bei casually raised a hand and gestured toward the depths of the cavern.

"Come on out, Grand Ancestor."