Chapter 847: Fond of Joining Mount Shu

Daoist Cangsheng returned to the original site of Penglai with Daoist Cangqiu and Daoist Cangyun. With great enchanted power, he gathered the scattered stones and temporarily formed a small island to serve as their resting place.

Earlier, they had been tracking the Azure Dragon’s aura. But once they left the East Sea, his trail vanished completely, and they had no idea where he had gone.

The Azure Dragon had played a major role in defending Penglai. Daoist Cangsheng had originally planned to personally escort him back as a gesture of respect. But with no way to locate him now, he had no choice but to return first to Penglai and retrieve an azure scale.

He shaped his fingers into a brush, like a halberd poised to strike, and inscribed words onto the azure scale:

We have returned to the mountain. We wonder how your injuries are, where you are now, and whether we should come to personally welcome you back.

Truthfully, he wasn’t too concerned about the Azure Dragon’s safety. With his talent and mastery of his Great Dao, it would be incredibly difficult for someone like the Azure Dragon to die. No matter how badly he was injured, as long as he escaped in time, he would eventually recover to his peak with enough rest.

However, now that the Penglai Supreme Sect lay in ruins, they had no choice but to show proper respect to their guardian beast.

Daoist Cangsheng then tossed the azure scale into the sky, where it transformed into a streak of blue-golden light and soared through the air.

This azure scale was an enchanted artifact left by the Azure Dragon to deliver messages. Regardless of where the Azure Dragon was, this azure scale would reach him even to the ends of the world. Before the Circle of Immortal Friends became widespread, this was considered a high-end communication tool in the world of immortality cultivators.

But now that the Circle of Immortal Friends was used everywhere, flying message artifacts like this felt outdated and a bit clunky.

The Penglai Supreme Sect and the Mount Shu Sect had been enemies for a long time, so they had feared that using the Circle of Immortal Friends might allow the Mount Shu Sect to steal their secrets. And even if they wished to use it, Chu Liang wouldn’t grant them access. As a result, aside from a few individuals close to Chu Liang, the Penglai Supreme Sect remained one of the few major immortal sects isolated from the Circle of Immortal Friends.

So what if their messages arrived a bit later? The cold words of the Circle of Immortal Friends Token could never match the solemn grace of a handwritten note.

The disciples of the Penglai Supreme Sect once promoted this idea, blaming any foolish behavior in life on "spending too much time in the Circle of Immortal Friends."

In response, the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect often sneered, "What era are you living in? Still relying on traditional flying messages?"

Shortly after the azure scale was sent off, a streak of rainbow light descended from the sky, and Yang Shenlong landed alone on the island.

"Shenlong?" Daoist Cangyun asked. "Didn’t the sect leader tell you to organize the team and return together? Why did you come back alone?"

Yang Shenlong answered solemnly, "It’s not that I wanted to disobey the sect leader’s order. There’s just an urgent matter that needs to be reported right away."

"What matter?" Daoist Cangsheng asked.

They all knew Yang Shenlong to be calm and dependable. He was not someone who would spread stories with the intention of scaring people. If he said it was something serious, then it certainly was.

Then they heard Yang Shenlong reply, "The Mount Shu Sect’s influence has already spread throughout the East Sea. Hong Jufeng of Starhold Island said he no longer wishes to maintain any ties with the Penglai Supreme Sect. Since the very beginning, he had only obeyed Chu Liang."

Daoist Cangqiu shot to his feet. "What?"

As the one overseeing the East Sea, the Starhold Island was a key part of his jurisdiction. The revelation that the Mount Shu Sect had infiltrated it without his knowledge struck him with disbelief and alarm.

"Hmph." Daoist Cangsheng snorted coldly. "This Chu Liang is truly cunning. No wonder he’s been able to pull off so many astonishing feats. Starhold Island has thrived under our protection for years, and now they choose to betray us? I’d like to see how they plan to establish themselves in the East Sea after this."

"There’s more..." Yang Shenlong continued. "The Fuyao Kingdom just released a statement: Han Lingshuang has voluntarily abdicated the throne and welcomed Han Lingshou back as king. They’ve also declared that an alliance with the Mount Shu Sect would begin henceforth."

"The audacity!" Daoist Cangqiu roared as he stomped hard, and the ground trembled with a loud boom. "I ordered Han Lingshuang to assassinate Han Lingshou. How dare she deceive me!"

"Heh." Daoist Cangsheng sneered through gritted teeth. "There’s no doubt this is another one of Chu Liang’s schemes. Very well. It seems they’ve been colluding with the Mount Shu Sect from the start and only jumped ship now that they believe our sect is powerless. I’ll be watching. Let’s see how long they can survive in the East Sea."

Though he kept talking tough, his expression had already darkened.

The Penglai Supreme Sect had been thoroughly plundered, suffering a blow unlike anything seen in thousands of years. Once the disciples returned in a few days, the shortage of resources would reach an unprecedented level. Daoist Cangsheng had originally hoped to drain a bit of support from Starhold Island and the Fuyao Kingdom—those he once considered loyal dogs.

However, to his surprise, they severed ties with the Penglai Supreme Sect at the very first opportunity.

If the Penglai Supreme Sect attacked them because of this, it wouldn’t take much to guess what would happen. The Mount Shu Sect would undoubtedly intervene, most likely sending the Vessel of God to shield them. No matter what, the Mount Shu Sect would protect those who had "abandoned darkness and embraced the light."

Daoist Cangsheng could do nothing for now. He could only endure in silence. But once he recovered his primordial qi and so long as they remained in the East Sea, he would make sure those two factions paid the price.

So you prefer the Mount Shu Sect’s side? Fine. When the time comes, I’ll show you who the true eternal overlord of the East Sea is!

Daoist Cangsheng screamed inwardly.

Just as that fierce resolve began to take shape in his heart, a streak of blue-golden light flashed across the sky and came to a halt before his chest.

It was a reply from the Azure Dragon!

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

He quickly picked it up and opened it, only to find a single short message on the azure scale:

All is well. Tending to some matters in Mount Shu. No need to worry.

Crack!

The azure scale shattered in Daoist Cangsheng’s hand. His complexion darkened with a purplish hue, and the veins in his eyes swelled visibly.

"Sect Leader..." Cangyun asked worriedly, "What’s wrong...?"

Daoist Cangsheng opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, a cloud of blood mist burst forth uncontrollably. The hidden injuries he had sustained from countless clashes between legendary artifacts, combined with the fury boiling in his veins, erupted all at once and shot several zhang into the air.

...

The Azure Dragon casually replied to the message from the Penglai Supreme Sect and continued speaking with Chu Liang.

After sharing the story of the Twin Ghost Xiaos, he had expected a polite response at best. He thought Chu Liang might accept the trial reluctantly, simply to gain his favor and persuade him to join the sect.

But to his surprise, Chu Liang had truly placed himself in the dragons’ shoes. His hatred toward the Human-Faced Xiao ran deep, down to the bone. The way he had just declared he would eliminate them on sight was even more intense than the Azure Dragon’s own reaction.

It didn’t seem fake at all.

This made the Azure Dragon hesitate, wondering if Chu Liang could truly be the one foretold in the dragon race’s prophecy.

"Noble Azure Dragon, please remain in Mount Shu for now. Whether I succeed or fail, I’ll return with news as soon as I can," Chu Liang said, already eager to set off.

If this trip went well, the obvious rewards would be the Dragon God’s orb and the Azure Dragon. Of course, these obvious rewards were tempting, but they were not enough to make his blood stir like this.

What truly excited him were those two cunning Ghost Xiaos—those Human-Faced Xiao Kings with 3,800 years of cultivation.

Chu Liang had a clear understanding of himself. Although all his achievements were earned through his own "hard work," the reason he could spend so much time and energy to handle countless mundane affairs and still surpass top-tier prodigies in cultivation was... thanks to the tireless efforts of the Large-Headed Dolls inside the White Pagoda.

If the Large-Headed Dolls weren’t toiling day and night until smoke rose from the White Pagoda, then even constant closed-door cultivation wouldn’t have allowed him to catch up to someone with a Transcendent Spirit.

Since reaching the seventh realm, he hadn’t had the chance to slay a Human-Faced Xiao. Who would have thought that opportunity would come today?

Though both were demon kings at the peak of the seventh realm and wouldn’t be easy to deal with, Chu Liang now had the Demon-Slaying Sword. With that in hand, he feared no evildoer of the same realm.

It was about time the White Pagoda got some new staff.

"This isn’t something that can be rushed," the Azure Dragon said. "The nine provinces and four seas are vast, and searching for those two thieves would be like searching for a needle in the ocean. Those two shape-shifting thieves won’t be found so easily."

"Leave it to me," Chu Liang replied. He waved his hand and turned, flying off into the distance.

"He’s in such a hurry," Baize said with a hint of confusion as she watched Chu Liang’s departing figure. "He’s never acted like this before."

The Azure Dragon gazed at the arc of light fading into the horizon. With emotion in his eyes, he murmured, "Perhaps... he is more of a true dragon than me."