Chapter 564: Any Kind of de Will Do


    As Chu Liangunched his night raid on Misty Waters City, a surge of multicolored clouds gathered over Emperor''s Mound, lighting up half the sky with brilliant hues.


    The audience, absorbed in the battle, was momentarily distracted as a figure in a deep blue Daoist robe descended gracefully from the heart of the clouds.


    "Daoist Cangsheng!" someone called out.


    Everyone looked up, eager to catch a glimpse of the world''s foremost righteous figure.


    Though the Assembly of Immortal Sects was a grand asion, cultivators at the seventh or eighth realms of the Heavenly Gate would often spend years—or even decades—in a single closed-door cultivation session. This twelve-year event wasn''t something they always attended.


    And the leaders of the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten sects rarely appeared in public, so seeing them wasn''t easy. Especially Daoist Cangsheng, the sect leader of Peni—he hadn''t been seen for years.


    <em>He showed up for this Assembly of Immortal Sects?</em>


    Unfortunately, the clouds surged for a moment before retracting, and the figure vanished atop Emperor''s Mound, so those who reacted slowly saw nothing.


    The fight between Chu Liang and Du Wuhen was reaching a critical point on the screen, and everyone turned their attention back to the match.However, Daoist Cangsheng''s arrival sparked murmured discussions.


    Meanwhile, the people on Emperor''s Mound stood up to wee him.


    "Daoist Master Cangsheng, it''s been over forty years since youst attended the Assembly of Immortal Sects, hasn''t it?" Immortal Jiuyi said with a smile. "What brings you here in the External Manifestation of your true form today?"


    The man who sat beside him wore a blue Daoist robeyered over white, his hair secured with a bamboo hairpin. His sharply arched brows and bright, piercing eyes gave him amanding presence, while his fair face and soft, wispy sideburns lent an air of wisdom and solemnity, making him seem like a dignified and austere Daoist elder.


    Immortal Jiuyi could instantly tell that this Daoist was a clone of Daoist Cangsheng. For eighth-realm cultivators who had attained the Heavenly Origin, the cultivation required toprehend the Dao was time-consuming, making it rare for them to travel freely. Most remained in closed-door cultivation for years, only going out as a clone of their true form when necessary.


    For instance, the Venerable Wen Yuan, who was always busy in the Boundless Pce on Mount Shu, was not the actual Wen Yuan. It was just a clone.


    For these powerful figures, showing up even as a clone already indicated that something important had urred. If they actually showed up with their true form, it meant that the situation was serious, and a fight was about to happen.


    "Just here to see Lin''er," Daoist Cangsheng replied. "It''s his first time away from Peni, and the Assembly of Immortal Sects is quite important, so I wanted to see how he''s doing."


    Upon hearing his straightforward answer, Immortal Jiuyi couldn''t help but feel curious. He wondered, <em>Are the rumors about Qi Lin''er being Daoist Cangsheng''s illegitimate son true? Otherwise, why would he show such open affection for Qi Lin''er?</em>


    Meanwhile, he continued, "Qi Lin''er has performed exceptionally well in the Competition of a Hundred Sects, achieving several solo team-wipe victories. At his age, this is truly remarkable, even among top-tier prodigies…"


    His words abruptly stopped.


    On the screen, it showed the exact moment Qi Lin''er leaped in front of Chu Liang, taunting him, only to be pped dead in an instant.


    The air became thick with tension.


    Daoist Cangsheng was the first to break the silence. "This young man is quite excellent. Which immortal sect does he belong to?"


    "He''s Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect," Immortal Jiuyi replied. "He''s been outstanding in thispetition, though he''s likely no match for Yang Shenlong."


    "That''s to be expected," Daoist Cangsheng said with a slight nod, appearing reluctant to discuss Yang Shenlong further.


    Immortal Jiuyi didn''t say much more, but he was aware of some internal matters within Peni. The Yang Family held a prominent position within the Peni Supreme Sect, much like the Lu Family whose status was glorious in the Mount Shu Sect. These were families with legacies in the immortal sects.


    Their ancestors carried the bloodline of Hallowed Yang, a revered figure among humans. Three of the sect leaders of Peni hailed from this lineage, with thest being Daoist Cangsheng''s own teacher.


    However, after Daoist Cangsheng assumed leadership, he intentionally sought to diminish the Yang family''s influence, both covertly and overtly. When Yang Bujue betrayed Peni to join the Celestial Charm Sect, rumors spread that Daoist Cangsheng had plotted against him out of fear that another exceptional young talent from the Yang family would threaten his position.


    Large family factions within the immortal sects were indeed a chronic issue for many sects. Even the best-managed sects found that these rtionships hindered growth. To avoid theplexities of familial ties, many secluded immortal sects even preferred to take in orphans.


    As Daoist Cangsheng''s cultivation progressed and his position within the sect became more secure, his efforts to suppress the Yang Family became more rxed. In the wake of this change, outstanding talents like Yang Shenlong and Yang Yuhu emerged in this generation.


    Then came the moment when Immortal Jiuyi sensed the tremendous force of absorption from Chu Liang, followed by a brutal disy as Chu Liang beat Yang Shenlong up.


    Finally, Daoist Cangsheng could no longer bear to watch. He turned to Immortal Jiuyi and asked, "Does this seem normal to you?"


    It was no surprise he asked; anyone observing might be wondering if the Mount Shu Sect and the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals had made some under-the-table deal.


    They would surely wonder if Venerable Wen Yuan had sent gifts to Immortal Jiuyi. With what had urred, Chu Liang was clearly cheating. Otherwise, how had he possibly thrashed Yang Shenlong, who was of a higher cultivation level?


    Daoist Cangsheng did not suspect that Inmortal Jiuyi would do such a thing. But since Immortal Jiuyi was the overseer of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, he should provide some exnation to this.


    Yet, Immortal Jiuyi was equally puzzled.


    He could sense that Chu Liang had unleashed an immense vortex of force that nearly absorbed all his qi, but he had no idea about its source.


    Using his divine sense to sweep over Chu Liang, he detected that Chu Liang had taken some kind of pill, though he remained unsure of the exact nature of this pill.


    With Daoist Cangsheng''s skeptical gaze upon him, Immortal Jiuyi suddenly had an idea.


    He replied, "It seems he''s taken a pill to enhance his power. This doesn''t break the rules."


    As the overseer of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, his words carried significant weight. If he deemed that the pill had not broken any rules, there would be no issue. However, if he questioned its legitimacy, it would necessitate an investigation into Chu Liang.


    After all, like legendary artifacts, any item that could significantly alter the bnce of power beyond normal cultivation levels would be scrutinized, as such things could render the contest meaningless.


    Everything had to stay within certain limits.


    However, since Immortal Jiuyi had made his judgment, it indicated that while the pill was powerful, there was a limit to it, leaving no room for further debate.


    As for whether this was truly the case, no one else''s words held more credibility than Immortal Jiuyi''s.


    Daoist Cangsheng remained silent, appearing calm andposed, but he was likely far from pleased. After traveling so far to witness Qi Lin''er''s performance, he ended up watching him get defeated brutally. And now, the Peni Supreme Sect team was on the brink of elimination. Anyone would be in a foul mood if something like this urred to them.


    …


    The losers weren''t the only ones feeling awful.


    As the victor, Chu Liang wasn''t feeling great.


    Following Chu Liang''s instructions, Monk Pushan gathered the soul crystals, located a secluded valley near the coast, and summoned the great bell to hide there.


    Chu Liang''s body was rigid; he couldn''t move a muscle. Forget channeling qi—even lifting a pinky was out of the question. It felt as though des were tearing through his insides, causing relentless agony.


    <em>So this was why the description of the pill advised using it with moderation? </em>Chu Liang thought.


    In that fleeting moment after taking the Great Pill of the Endlessly Devouring Whale, he had wielded his power without limits and it felt awesome. But for every bit of foundational qi he had overdrawn, he now felt the fierce bacsh. This was the price ofcking self-control in his youth.


    At this moment, Chu Liang could see both a good side and a bad side to his situation.


    The good news was that Pushan was right beside him. Thanks to the monk''s help in fleeing and hiding, he didn''t have to lie there exposed, waiting to be picked off.


    The bad news was also that Pushan was right beside him.


    "At first, I thought you were going to get yourself killed! But wow, you actually managed to defeat Yang Shenlong. No wonder you looked so confident when you went in…" Pushanmented.


    "Uh-huh," Chu Liang replied.


    Pushan continued, "If Yang Shenlong hadn''t wiped out most of the members in our teams, I bet you would''ve kept your ability hidden until the Battle at the Imperial City. How cunning of you…"


    "Mhm," Chu Liang replied.


    "I take it Jiang Yuebai''s elimination really got to you," Pushan said. "You rushed into battle out of anger for a beautiful maiden? Honestly, when you charged into Misty Waters City, I thought you were so lost that you were ready to follow Jiang Yuebai to death in the name of love."


    "Oh, screw you," Chu Liang retorted.


    Pushan continued his enthusiastic monologue while Chu Liangy there in silence, unable to resist. Eventually, he even lost the will to respond.


    It was like a relentless background hum.


    After a long while, Chu Liang finally spoke up again. "Pushan, do you have a saber?"


    "I don''t use that kind of weapon—just a knife for cutting fruit. What do you need it for?" Pushan asked.


    "As long as it can give me a quick end…" Chu Liang said with a helpless sigh. "Any de will do."<blockquote>


    GLTD Alternate Universe''s Thoughts


    Trantor: GT</blockquote>