Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

The curtains could cut off the prying gazes of bystanders, yet they could not cut off the mental connection that had long since been formed between them.

Xu Yourong saw Chen Changsheng shift his gaze in her direction and knew what he was thinking. After pondering it for a few moments, she lightly shook her head.

Chen Changsheng felt the black stone somewhat familiar, not merely because the black stone on the red plate was very similar to his black stone. It was more because the Qi emitted by the small black stone was very similar to that emitted by the black stone he had found in the Lingyan Pavilion. In other words, the small black stone taken out by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets might have something to do with Wang Zhice.

The small black stone left behind by Wang Zhice that he had obtained from the Lingyan Pavilion was a Heavenly Tome Monolith, so could this small black stone be another Heavenly Tome Monolith? After visiting the Mausoleum of Books and the Mausoleum of Zhou, and having that conversation with Divine General Han Qing, no one was clearer than him and Xu Yourong on the whereabouts of the lost Heavenly Tome Monoliths, so it was hard not to have some misgivings.

Only ordinary Heavenstones had been taken out in past Boiling Stone Summits, so those elders and important figures that had once attended were also rather astonished. However, those cultivators attending the Boiling Stone Summit for the first time were not clear on the distinction. Yet when they noticed Chen Changsheng turn his gaze to those curtains, they couldn’t help but be excited as they thought, Little Principal Chen really does have deep feelings for his once-fiancée.

The majority of cultivators from the south were sitting in the same place as those from Holy Maiden Peak. Upon seeing the gaze Chen Changsheng sent over, many of their faces revealed ridicule or empathy. There were even some disciples of Holy Maiden Peak who, when thinking of that dispute caused by ending the engagement, could not help but speak a few mocking words, teasing that a certain person’s pestering was really quite dull. Some also harshly criticized that a certain person should look in a mirror and realize that some things couldn’t be denied just because one didn’t want them, couldn’t be obtained just because one wanted them. Some people even very solemnly requested a certain person to act with dignity.

Not a single cultivator from the south mentioned Chen Changsheng’s name, but everyone knew that all these words were aimed at him.

This world-famous engagement had experienced far too many twists and turns, attracted far too many disputes. Only last winter when the Pope forcefully annulled the engagement could this phase finally be said to have come to a close.

In this story, Chen Changsheng was naturally the party at the very beginning to suffer all the humiliation and harm, but in the end, it was Xu Yourong that carried all the shame and dishonor.

In everyone’s view, it was only right that the person in the world that currently most loathed Chen Changsheng was Xu Yourong.

She was the Holy Maiden of the south, the Heavenly Phoenix immortal worshipped by countless others. If she did not like Chen Changsheng, there would naturally be many other people that did not like Chen Changsheng, especially those cultivators from the south. It was only natural that they not show any sort of good expression towards Chen Changsheng. Even if he was the future Pope, they still wanted to vent the Holy Maiden’s anger for her.

The pavilions were all in a cool breeze, tranquil and serenely beautiful. Those jeers aimed at Chen Changsheng were like catkins in the wind, drifting to and fro about the plaza and falling in everyone’s ears.

The priests of the Orthodoxy all had rather unsightly complexions, Mao Qiuyu was calm and silent, and Linghai Zhiwang raised his brows, seemingly very interested.

Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze from the location assigned to Holy Maiden Peak and somewhat uneasily rubbed his knee.

Zhexiu did not care about these opinions while Tang Thirty-Six knew the inside story, so his laugh was all the more splendid.

......

......

A splendid sword glow would occasionally rise up from the stone platform between the towers. It was like those commonly seen summer lightning bolts, but also very much like those soul-shaking brushstrokes upon a mural.

Besides Star Seizer Academy, which represented the military might of the Great Zhou Army, the vast majority of cultivators in the world were most accustomed to using swords. In today’s Boiling Stone Summit, the sword glows seemed to never cease.

Cultivators qualified to attend the Boiling Stone Summit all possessed incredible talent, or at least had outstanding potential. They all possessed strong cultivation, at least one entire level stronger than what they were during the Grand Examination and the Garden of Zhou. Those brave enough to walk on the stone platform and challenge others or those worthy of being challenged by others were at least at the middle level of Ethereal Opening.

The several matches that had already concluded had all been exceptionally marvelous. All the fighters had used their unique skills and their full strength. Moreover, with the important figures of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets and the Orthodoxy keeping watch, there was no possibility of serious injuries being inflicted by accident. Inevitably, however, it was hard for the stone platform to avoid a few bloodstains.

Although Chen Changsheng was very interested in that black stone, he had no intention of stepping onto the stage, and naturally, no one came to challenge him.

With his current status, unless he was willing, no person could force him to accept a challenge, just like in the summer of last year.

Xu Yourong’s current status was even higher than his and she was thus even less likely to take part in this affair.

They just quietly sat at the side of the Elder of Heavenly Secrets, watching the matches on the stone platform.

What was strange was that with the passage of time, still no one challenged the other two members of the Orthodox Academy.

Zhexiu only watched for a while before closing his eyes to rest. He seemed to show little interest for those marvelous matches.

Tang Thirty-Six, on the other hand, was rather bored. He was constantly calling on the maids of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets to switch out the tea in his cup and commenting on the snacks on his plate.

Only when a certain person walked onto the stone platform did Zhexiu open his eyes, did Tang Thirty-Six put down his tea cup and take out a towel to wipe his lips, his expression growing more serious.

The person stepping onto the stage was Liang Banhu.

His opponent was an expert from Hanqiu City’s Emotion-Severing Sect.

This Emotion-Severing Sect expert had previously using his exceptionally marvelous Myriad Willows Sword to easily defeat a female disciple from Gentle Stream Monastery. His age was around thirty years old, his cultivation already at the upper level of Ethereal Opening. In the past, he would definitely have been praised as a genius, but in the past few years, too many cultivators had suddenly emerged that were younger than him, more talented than him, and had higher cultivation levels than him...

Liang Banhu was a disciple of the Mount Li Sword Sect, the fifth of the Divine Kingdom’s Seven Laws, and he was naturally the representative of these youths.

Perhaps it was because he had just defeated a cultivation expert from the south and his confidence was at its peak. Perhaps it was because, over the past two years, the Divine Kingdom’s Seven Laws had snatched away too much glory and he had already accumulated too much discontent. Of course, it was also possible he held a grudge over the one letter of Su Li’s that had destroyed the Myriad Willows Garden. Whatever the reason, this expert of the Emotion-Severing Sect without hesitation issued a challenge to the Mount Li Sword Sect.

He had challenged Liang Banhu. This seemed like a very casual choice, but many people could tell that this was a choice arrived at after careful deliberation, and was even somewhat insidious.

Liang Banhu was Liang Xiaoxiao’s brother by blood—and now the entire continent knew that Liang Xiaoxiao had colluded with the demons, attempting in vain to harm his fellow disciple and Chen Changsheng in the Garden of Zhou. After meeting with failure, he chose to brutally commit suicide in a bid to frame Chen Changsheng.

This expert of the Emotion-Severing Sect had chosen Liang Banhu as his opponent naturally because he wanted to make an issue of this matter. Just as expected, the moment Liang Banhu stepped onto the stage, this person’s cold voice uttered, "Although you are Liang Xiaoxiao’s brother, I will not place his sins upon your head, but I will also not permit you the chance to obtain this piece of heaven."

At this statement, the entire place grew extremely quiet.

Everyone knew that this Emotion-Severing Sect expert was just looking for a reason. In reality, he just wanted to shake Liang Banhu’s fighting intent.

Yet neither the Mount Li Sword Sect nor its partner Holy Maiden Peak could reply to this statement.

Liang Xiaoxiao and Liang Banhu were both descendants of the Liang Household. The role played by the Liang Household in this portion of history was excessively complex. If Liang Banhu was like Liang Xiaoxiao, finding it impossible to forget his princely origins, finding it impossible to strictly adhere to his identity as a disciple of the Mount Li Sword Sect, then his obtaining a Heavenstone was something many powers were not willing to see.

Guan Feibai’s face seemed to be covered in a sheet of frost. The gaze he aimed at the Emotion-Severing Sect expert was brimming with murderous intent, but in the end, he did not move.

Gou Hanshi’s expression did not change as he quietly gazed at Liang Banhu’s figure. He was very confident in his junior brother.

In this silence, before the battle began, a voice spoke.

The person speaking was Tang Thirty-Six.

He looked at the expert from the Emotion-Severing Sect and said, "If you want to fight, just fight. What need is there to speak so much nonsense?"

With the transformation these words wrought on the atmosphere, the expression of the Emotion-Severing Sect expert also subtly changed.

No one could have imagined that it was not over. Soon after, everyone could hear Tang Thirty-Six’s next sentence.

"...just like the old ancestor of your sect, in the end, you might be beaten into idiocy."

......

......

The Sect Master of the Emotion-Severing Sect, the lord of Hanqiu City, and the soul of the Tianliang Zhu clan were all one person, the old ancestor of many people, the Emotion-Severing Sect expert included.

This old ancestor was one of the Storms of the Eight Directions, the Solitary Drunk under the Moon, Zhu Luo.

This statement of Tang Thirty-Six’s was very impudent, very offensive, very tough, but when carefully considered, not wrong either.

Whether it was in the night rain of Xunyang City or the spring wind of the Myriad Willows Garden, Zhu Luo had suffered crushing defeats. Su Li’s one letter had cut him into an idiot.

This statement of his had greatly swelled the momentum of the Mount Li Sword Sect.

Guan Feibai gazed in the direction of the Orthodox Academy, thinking, why did this guy have such a change in temperament today? If I can challenge him in a little while, then...I’ll have him vomit up less blood.

The Emotion-Severing Sect expert’s expression shifted back and forth as he coldly said to Tang Thirty-Six, "In a little while, I will definitely challenge you."

Tang Thirty-Six shook his head, saying, "You won’t have the chance."

A clamor rose up as everyone thought, why is he so confident in Liang Banhu? Yet no one noticed him scooting closer to Chen Changsheng and using a voice that only the two of them could hear to whisper, "Based on your insight, which one is stronger, Liang Banhu or this idiot?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "Why is it that you seem extremely worried right now?"

Tang Thirty-Six answered, "I feel...I was venting your anger for you, and cursed Zhu Luo in this way. In a little while, that guy will definitely go all-out against me, so it’s best if I don’t run into him."

Chen Changsheng gazed at Liang Banhu and said, "There’s no need to worry, you spoke correctly—that person won’t have the chance."

Both he and Gou Hanshi were well-versed in the Daoist Canon, an extremely rare feat. Amongst their peers, they naturally possessed extremely good insight as well.

Gou Hanshi had never been concerned about Liang Banhu.

Chen Changsheng also thought the same.

Liang Banhu was different from Liang Xiaoxiao.

Liang Xiaoxiao was a pine tree that had grown up in a gloomy ravine.

Liang Banhu was a stalk of grass growing on a sunny slope.

Liang Banhu’s personality was very wooden. He didn’t speak, and even the expression on his face changed very little.

Amongst the Divine Kingdom’s Seven Laws, he had always been the least renowned.

But that did not mean that he was the weakest.

Let alone the fact there was not a single weakling among the Divine Kingdom’s Seven Laws.

Liang Banhu unsheathed his sword and gazed at the expert of the Emotion-Severing Sect, saying a single word, "Please."

The Emotion-Severing Sect expert arched his brows, preparing to say something.

However, Liang Banhu did not give him another chance to speak.

A plume of dust suddenly appeared on the clean stone platform. Like a dragon of dust, it charged forward with incredible speed.

A plain and unsophisticated Qi that seemed like yellow earth could be sensed by the crowd with the emergence of this dragon of dust.

Even the nearby lake seemed to feel some sort of pressure, faint ripples forming on its surface.

Nobody blinked—nobody had time to blink. With the charging dust, the curling of a yellow dragon, Liang Banhu arrived before that Emotion-Severing Sect expert.

The expert’s pupils suddenly constricted as he felt an intense sense of danger.

He had not imagined that Liang Banhu’s sword style was actually at complete odds with his personality, was actually so fierce and unyielding.

How could he break through such a fierce sword intent? Only with an even fiercer sword intent.

With a furious roar, the Emotion-Severing Sect expert sent his sword whistling through the air, carrying no intention of yielding as it stabbed straight at Liang Banhu!

Liang Banhu’s expression did not change. He was like a peasant plowing the slopes, holding his sword like it was a hoe, smashing it down in an honest and open fashion.

This attack seemed to be a very ordinary sword technique. In reality, it really was a very ordinary sword technique.

This attack was not fast, not even one-fifth of the speed of the Heavenly Dao Academy’s Sword of Hithering Light.

This attack was not cruel, not even having the slightest aura of the Orthodox Academy’s Toppling Mountain Staff.

This attack was not beautiful, not in the slightest bit worthy of comparing with the legendary "Departing Spring" of South Stream Temple.

Compared to the countless wondrous sword styles of the Mount Li Sword Sect, there was nothing worth mentioning about Liang Banhu’s attack.

But this attack was very stable. Both the hand gripping the sword and the sword technique itself were very stable, like an unmoving mountain cliff, a path amongst the mountains.

The reason this attack was so stable was that this sword style was a foundation, the foundation of all of the Mount Li Sword Sect’s countless sword styles.

"Mountain Gate Sword."

Zhexiu gazed at the not-at-all-dazzling sword glow on the platform. A light flashed through his eyes, and then they began to blaze.