Chapter 552: Worry Not, Ah Feng
"What happened?" the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner asked as he approached.
When the screen was showing the team of the South Melody Conservatory for too long, the members of the immortal sects watching the competition naturally sensed that something was off. They realized that there might be trouble within the illusory realm.
Immortal Jiuyi opened his eyes and smiled. "Everything is fine now."
Just moments ago, Immortal Yuan Lu had infiltrated the illusory realm, and someone had created a barrier between reality and illusion, blocking any outside power from entering. They had tried to take control of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams. It was a truly dangerous situation.
Unexpectedly, before Immortal Jiuyi could break through the barrier, someone inside the illusory realm had already solved the crisis.
Now, with his power restored in the illusory realm, Immortal Jiuyi had effortlessly erased all traces left by Immortal Yuan Lu. If he was not busy now, he would have taken the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams along the boundary between reality and illusion to hunt down anyone daring enough to covet the legendary artifact of the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals.
And all of this was thanks to that disciple from the Mount Shu Sect…
Immortal Jiuyi made a mental note of Chu Liang's name. Though this matter shouldn't be publicized, he needed to deny the fact that there was this debt of gratitude.
Yet, the incident could only have been caused by someone with profound mastery of the Great Dao of Reality and Illusion. Immortal Yuan Lu could never have managed it alone.
Immortal Jiuyi couldn't help but frown slightly as he wondered who had helped Immortal Yuan Lu.If this matter remained unresolved, they would have to prohibit any outsiders from entering the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams.
This would mean that, for all future Assemblies of Immortal Sects, such unrestricted battles would no longer be possible as the disciples could no longer fight in the illusory realm created by the Divine Mirror.
Most people were already growing dissatisfied with the prolonged musical performances, though some die-hard fans of the South Melody Conservatory were thoroughly enjoying every moment.
For example, a certain Mount Shu Sect disciple with thick brows and big eyes.
"Qingyan! Qingyan! She is beautiful and has a sweet voice![1]" Lin Bei cheered.
"How can you be so relaxed?" Shang Ziliang asked. "Didn't you place a bet?"
"Of course I did," Lin Bei replied. "Chu Liang gave me his spare money to bet with, so I naturally put in some of my own."
"Aren't you worried they might not make it to the next round?" Shang Ziliang asked, full of concern.
He had also bet his entire fortune on the Mount Shu Sect, and though he had confidence in their team, he couldn't shake the anxiety as the competition unfolded.
"With Chu Liang present, what is there to worry about? Just wait until the competition ends—it'll be another victory," Lin Bei said, his expression conveying an inexplicable confidence in Chu Liang.
Although Shang Ziliang also had faith in Chu Liang, he couldn't help but feel a bit of regret when he thought about his entire fortune.
He absolutely couldn't make such a foolish move again in the future.
A small bet might only harm the body, but a big one could cost one's life.
Turning his head, he saw that Lackey A's face had turned green—clearly frozen with anxiety.
"You bet everything too?" Shang Ziliang asked.
"I bet a full fifty Vermillion-Bird coins," Lackey A replied through gritted teeth.
Shang Ziliang rolled his eyes. "Then why are you so nervous..."
"I heard the river outside the capital of Yu is really cold this season…" Lackey A muttered.
"Losing fifty isn't worth jumping in a river for!" Shang Ziliang snapped.
"It's just… pity for my never-before-seen wife and my unborn child…" Lackey A lamented.
"Which means there's no one to pity at all!" Shang Ziliang sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Relax," Lin Bei said. "How much do your life savings even amount to? Compared to Chu Liang, it's nothing. If he's confident, what are you so worried about?"
Hearing this, Shang Ziliang nodded. "True enough."
Lackey A added, "Anyway, all my money was earned with Big Bro; even if I lose it all with him, it's no big deal."
"Can the guy who only bet fifty just stay quiet!" Shang Ziliang yelled.
Meanwhile, Di Nufeng watched with delight.
"Oh my, these little sisters are so beautiful," she said with an infatuated look. "The more I watch, the more I wanna eat them up! Yum!"
"Ah Feng, control yourself a bit," the elderly Sun and Huang said, shivering beside her.
"But why have we been watching the South Melody Conservatory team for such a long time?" Scholar Sun pondered. "Something must have happened in the illusory realm."
"It probably isn't anything major; otherwise, Immortal Jiuyi would have taken action," Elder Huang speculated.
Di Nufeng replied, "I just hope it doesn't affect the Mount Shu Sect."
"Don't worry, Ah Feng," Elder Huang seized the moment to flatter her. "Jiangjiang will surely lead Mount Shu to great success."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden uproar erupted from the crowd!
…
The scene suddenly changed to Yang Shenlong, who was now fighting alone against the teams from the Mount Shu Sect and Buddhist Cloud Monastery. After such a long period of calm, the abrupt switch to this intense scene left the audience feeling a bit unprepared.
They saw a figure with a blazing and fierce silhouette flash by, leaving an afterimage before Yang Shenlong.
With a roar like thunder, he slammed his fist toward Yang Shenlong!
It was none other than Ling Ao from Mount Shu Sect!
After months of special training, Ling Ao's cultivation level remained at the peak of the fourth realm. However, even without a breakthrough, his physical strength had significantly improved. With this strike, he exuded the faint power of a True Dragon.
Yang Shenlong responded with a sudden gleam in his eyes. A spark of divine fire lit up in his pupils and his irises turned a brilliant gold.
"Roar—"
An apparition of the coiled Azure Dragon appeared behind him. As the dragon's authority was unleashed, Ling Ao's fierce flames instantly weakened.
This was the breath of a True Dragon!
As Yang Shenlong lifted his left hand, three azure scales could be seen beneath his wrist.
Yang Shenlong had inherited the legacy of the Azure Dragon and cultivated it to the third realm. With the power of the True Dragon now revealed, Ling Ao's dragon-blood physique became significantly weaker.
Bang—
Yang Shenlong extended his palm and caught Ling Ao's powerful punch mid-charge, his stance as immovable as a rock. Then, a green light emanated from his palm, causing Ling Ao to shrink under his grip, reducing him to the size of an insect in moments.
With a forceful press, he slammed down.
Boom.
With a resounding blast, Ling Ao turned into a soul crystal.
Yang Shenlong had used the Immortal art, World Within One's Sleeve.
This was a technique of the Great Dao of the World, capable of compressing the enemy along with the surrounding space, capturing them completely. Yang Shenlong was truly wielding the world in his palm.
In an instant, he had eliminated one person, and the situation on the field had dramatically shifted.
Ling Ao had not charged forward blindly; he was trying to buy time for the others. He just hadn't expected to die immediately after making his move.
As his body dissipated, the three monks from Buddhist Cloud Monastery appeared behind Yang Shenlong, while the two from the Mount Shu Sect flanked him on either side.
With a clang of swords, Xu Ziyang and Jiang Yuebai drew their blades and struck simultaneously.
Before Chu Liang appeared out of nowhere, these two had been regarded as the two pillars of the Mount Shu Sect and the standout disciples of the younger generation.
With Jiang Yuebai and Chu Liang stealing the spotlight lately, Xu Ziyang had taken a step back. However, he hadn't slacked off; instead, he harbored a quiet determination, dedicating himself to intense cultivation.
Now, his qi surged skyward, sword qi swirling around him with the roar of a dragon, showcasing the full extent of his cultivation power.
It was the fourth level of the fifth realm!
At the Mount Shu Summit, he had only reached the first level of the fifth realm, which had already amazed everyone. Now, in just over half a year, he had advanced three levels?
Those who had witnessed his performance at the Mount Shu Summit were shocked.
Though resources were crucial in the fifth realm, even with abundant supplies, one needed to fully comprehend their arts to make progress in cultivation. How had he managed to break through so quickly?
As Wang Xuanling watched from the sidelines, he felt a deep sense of comfort as he realized it was finally time for his disciple to showcase his prowess to the world.
Wang Xuanling had witnessed every step of Xu Ziyang's journey.
In fact, by the time of the Mount Shu Summit, Xu Ziyang had already attained the fifth realm for some time, and shortly after losing to Chu Liang, he advanced to the second level of the fifth realm.
But he didn't rest or indulge himself. He paused all non-essential tasks to focus entirely on cultivation, reaching the third level before the special training even started.
After these months of special training, he had advanced to the fourth level while he was in the palace at Emperor's Mound.
As he was born a prodigy, his cultivation had always been the pride of the Mount Shu Sect. Prior to losing to Chu Liang at the Mount Shu Summit, he had never tasted defeat before. Some might have been crushed by this sudden defeat, but not Xu Ziyang.
A legendary sword could only be forged through repeated polishing and refining. He had remained silent, patiently waiting for the moment to reveal himself to the world.
Boom—
By reaching the fourth level of the fifth realm, he now possessed four types of foundational qi: metal, wood, water, and fire.
As his sword qi surged fiercely, even his teammates shuddered, not daring to approach.
He unleashed the Heaven-Raising Sword!
The enormous swordlight bore down on Yang Shenlong, its reflection glimmering in his golden eyes.
Suddenly, Yang Shenlong grasped the air with his right hand and pulled out an azure beam of light measuring three chi in length. Everyone watching could see it clearly. It was not a sword, but a section of azure and black bone.
It looked like a dragon bone.
Holding the beam of azure light, Yang Shenlong appeared to unleash his full strength, the aura around him intensifying as a layer of azure jade radiance enveloped his skin.
He then aimed the beam of azure light in his palm directly at Xu Ziyang's sword qi.
At this moment, he revealed his cultivation power entirely and a hush fell over the entire crowd.
It was the sixth realm.
1. This is an exact same chant used in chapter 71. https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/young-noble-be-monster-slaying/yns-chapter-71 ☜
GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts
Translator: GT