The Left Protector gave Bai Yujing a deep look, then stared for a moment at the scarred, ugly man who had suddenly appeared beside him.
“Let's go,” the Left Protector said.
As he spoke, a ring of air erupted from his body, but Guan Ren'ai casually waved his hand and erased it.
The Left Protector fell silent for a moment. Realizing he couldn't save the other Shengxue Cultists, he shattered the wall, grabbed Old Master Liu, and retreated.
Wow, smooth. He even made off with my spear.
Watching the two rapidly receding figures, Zhuang Xun said softly, “Elder Guan, catch them.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Guan Ren'ai bowed respectfully and vanished on the spot.
So fast... Zhuang Xun muttered to himself. Just as he was about to head over and help, he saw that Guan Ren'ai had already returned.
Holding the unconscious Old Master Liu in one hand and the Left Protector in the other, he said respectfully, “I have fulfilled your command, Young Master.”
“?”
Uncle, are you sure your martial arts are only at the First Rank?!
Zhuang Xun recalled Guan Ren'ai telling him that the Shengxue Cult was nothing to fear. It turned out he really hadn't been bragging.
Although he was shocked deep down, Zhuang Xun maintained a calm exterior, looking as if everything was completely within his expectations.
“Thank you for your hard work, Elder Guan.”
Hmph, I won't be outdone when it comes to looking cool... Huh? He suddenly sensed someone spying on him and instinctively looked in that direction.
Guan Ren'ai followed his gaze, a slight shock rippling through his heart.
The Young Master has such sharp perception... He actually noticed before me, even though I'm suppressing my strength.
...
On a hillside about a kilometer away from the Liu Manor.
Two men of extraordinary bearing stood there. Billowing white mist, resembling wide sleeves, swirled around them, making their figures appear indistinct as they quietly watched the scene below.
One of them, a man with bright, fiery eyes, spoke up. “Only fifteen or sixteen, yet his martial arts have already reached the Third Rank. Such cultivation speed would place him in the top three even in our Dao. I didn't expect to see such a genius in a backwater place like this.”
The other man had a mysterious aura, seemingly floating in midair supported by the white mist. He said indifferently:
“That's not a fair comparison. Our Dao's martial arts are profound and unfathomable, incredibly difficult to learn and master. If he were to study our Dao's techniques, he would hardly progress at such a miraculous speed. Not to mention, he was born in a small, rustic place. His future achievements are easily foreseeable. How could he possibly compare to the geniuses of our Dao—”
His voice abruptly cut off. In his peripheral vision, he saw the handsome youth they had been discussing just a second ago now standing right behind him, a sword pressed against his neck. His mind went entirely blank, and cold sweat drenched his back.
Seeing him suddenly fall silent, the bright-eyed man looked over in surprise. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. Backing away repeatedly as if he had seen a ghost, his voice trembled:
“Y-Y-You... when did you get here?! How did you see through our Dao's secret treasure to find us?”
A secret treasure? I thought it was just mood lighting.
Zhuang Xun glanced at the ribbon-like white mist beneath his feet, then pressed the longsword down slightly, saying coldly, “Yujing is not a bloodthirsty man. State your origins and purpose, and perhaps Yujing will spare your lives.”
Feeling the coldness and stinging pain of the blade against his neck, the mysterious man immediately raised his hands and said in a panic, “Don't do it, little brother! My name is Yue Chengfeng! I am a disciple of Cangsheng Dao, the leader of the world's orthodox sects! We came to the Xietian Mountain Range solely to find our sect leader, who has been missing for a thousand years! We have no ill intent!”
The other man also hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, little brother, we really mean no harm! We were only drawn here by the sounds of battle. Seeing that they were remnants of the Shengxue Cult, we stopped to watch for a bit. Since you are willing to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, you must also be a disciple of the righteous path. As they say, all righteous sects under heaven are one family, and our Cangsheng Dao is the leader of them all. We're on the same side, we're all on the same side!”
Cangsheng Dao?
Searching for a sect leader who has been missing for a thousand years?
Zhuang Xun raised an eyebrow as the corresponding information surfaced in his mind.
Shengmingzi—the sect leader of Cangsheng Dao and the last leader of the righteous path. After a battle with the Demon Venerable a thousand years ago, both of them vanished.
The world believed that he and the Demon Venerable had perished together, but Cangsheng Dao had always firmly believed that their sect leader was still alive. They had consistently sent people to search for him, never giving up for a thousand years.
The battle between Shengmingzi, the leader of the righteous path, and the Demon Venerable had taken place right here in the Xietian Mountain Range.
Except back then, the Xietian Mountain Range was called the Zhetian Mountain Range. Its countless massive mountains were as high as the heavens and as long as the earth, completely separating the Northern and Southern Domains.
However, during that earth-shattering battle, the mountain range was sliced into a smooth slope by a single sword strike. Since then, the Zhetian Mountain Range had been renamed the Xietian Mountain Range.
And the Ziwo Demon Sect, which had nearly ruled the world, completely fell into decline after losing their Demon Venerable in that very battle.
However, a century ago, an exceptionally brilliant sect master emerged in the Ziwo Demon Sect, showing signs of a resurgence. This momentum became even more pronounced after the Jiyi Sect was severely weakened by the Shengxue Cult.
Today, the Ziwo Demon Sect showed signs of dominating all other sects in the world, and that brilliant sect master was universally acknowledged as the strongest expert in the world today.
All of this made Cangsheng Dao incredibly anxious, fearing that the Ziwo Demon Sect would make a comeback and once again harbor thoughts of world domination.
Since the disappearance of Shengmingzi, they had never produced another world-startling genius. Among all the top-tier powers, they had now dwindled to the very bottom. Thus, they desperately wanted to find their sect leader to lead Cangsheng Dao back to glory and eradicate the Ziwo Demon Sect.
Running through the information in his mind and confirming that these two Cangsheng Dao disciples were not lying, Zhuang Xun sheathed his Shiliu sword and said:
“My apologies. It was an urgent situation, and it was difficult for Yujing to distinguish friend from foe. Please forgive my rudeness.”
The mysterious man breathed a sigh of relief and said, “We were the ones who entered your territory without permission. The fault lies with us. Don't worry, little brother, we will leave on our own in a moment.”
Zhuang Xun nodded slightly. “Yujing still has important matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first. Please help yourselves, but please do not enter the Liu Manor, lest it cause unnecessary misunderstandings.”
“Of course... Eh?”
The bright-eyed man stared at Bai Yujing, who had abruptly vanished the moment he finished speaking. He dazed for a moment before letting out a long breath.
The mysterious man, who had just had a sword held to his throat by Bai Yujing, was completely drenched in sweat. He slumped onto the ground, staring blankly at his uncontrollably trembling legs, and muttered:
“I really thought I was going to die. Is he truly someone who can appear in a place like this? Even Senior Brother Zhang has never given me such a sense of oppression...”
The mysterious man suddenly realized he was acting a bit embarrassingly. He instinctively looked at his companion, and seeing him staring, he said in annoyance, “You didn't face him directly, so you don't know! His aura is too powerful, so overwhelming that one can't even summon the will to resist! Seriously, not a single true disciple of our Dao can compare to him, not even Senior Brother Zhang.”
“I know,” the bright-eyed man said, holding down his trembling hand beneath his sleeve with a bitter smile. “My body was shaking the entire time I spoke to him. Even though he is so exceptionally handsome, I just couldn't control the fear in my heart. It felt as if... I were the relative of a prisoner guilty of a crime warranting the execution of nine generations, facing an expressionless emperor.”
“It's good that you understand. Even if one of our Dao's true disciples were in my position just now, they would have performed just as miserably. A genius like him is simply not someone our disciples can compare to. Perhaps only our sect leader could rival him. It's not my fault...” The mysterious man suddenly paused, then said, “Say, should we report him to the elders?”
“What?”
“I mean recruiting him into our Dao, making him our fellow disciple! He could definitely become a true disciple of our Dao, or even the Dao Child! We would also be in a prime position to build a relationship with him through this connection. Who knows, we might even be able to follow him in the future... This is our opportunity!”
“Great idea! Shall we go find the elders now?”
“Of course.” The mysterious man scrambled to his feet, saying excitedly, “A genius like him won't remain obscure for long. He might rise to prominence very soon, and when that happens, all the major forces will definitely fight over him. We have to hurry.”
Cangsheng Dao? It feels like that sect has way too many issues. I don't really want to go... Zhuang Xun preferred the Ziwo Demon Sect. After all, it was the strongest power in the world today. If he was going to join a top-tier power, he should definitely join the best. What was the point of going to a declining one? It sounded like a lot of hardship. It would be even better if he could become the disciple of that exceptionally brilliant sect master.
If this keeps up, I feel like I'm going to turn into Lu Bu... Zhuang Xun suddenly remembered he already had two masters, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
No, wait. I haven't killed any of my masters. I should be more like Confucius. (He thought righteously.)
Shaking off these thoughts, Zhuang Xun stopped paying attention to the two departing men and focused on the battle between his disciples and the members of the Liu family.
“To test my, Wuyong's, worth, it seems you are not quite qualified! Yujing Slash!”
Zhuang Xun: ?
Rate on N.U.
