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Chapter 277: I Am Not Telling You

"However, every dozen years or so, a few prodigies capable of restoring the sect's glory appear in Mount Shu. These prodigies carry the banner of Mount Shu as if defying fate and changing destiny."

As Scholar Sun watched the young men standing on the stage, he suddenly remarked emotionally, speaking at a slow pace.

Scholar Sun wanted to express that this was what generally happened in the world of immortality cultivators. Regardless of how prosperous the sect once was, it would inevitably fade away from the historical stage once its prosperity waned.

This wasn't something to feel sad about as this had always been the way of things since ancient times. There were never any immortal sects that would remain standing forever. The story of the Heavenly Star Divine Cult would be the best example.

Despite experiencing several thousand years of prosperity and enduring severe damage, the Mount Shu Sect should have faded into obscurity. Yet, there were always one or two individuals standing at the foot of the stage, propelling Mount Shu back onto the platform during crucial moments, adamantly refusing to let it exit the spotlight.

"Yes. Ah Feng, Daoist Yan, and that man appeared sixty years ago. And now, we have Jiang Yuebai, Xu Ziyang, and Chu Liang..." Elder Huang said, nodding emotionally. "The similarity is striking."

"It's like the sparks that linger long after the fire has died down. They may seem like mere embers, but even the slightest breeze can reignite their brilliance," Scholar Sun added.

"This must be the spirit of a sect being passed on to the next generation," Elder Huang said, pondering. "A prodigy can guard a sect for a few hundred years, and a legendary artifact can safeguard the sect for several thousand. However, only the spirit of the sect can persist and be passed on to the next generation for all eternity."

"The spirit of the Mount Shu Sect..." Scholar Sun muttered.

"Wang Xuanling! Where's Wang Xuanling? Talk to me!"

"..."

As the two elders were deep in contemplation, a loud, arrogant shout from the other side abruptly silenced them.

Di Nufeng tilted her head and looked at Wang Xuanling.

"Xiao Wang, you don't need to worry," she said with her chin lifted. "When I become the grand peak master, I won't be targeting you."

Wang Xuanling's expression darkened, and it took him a moment to respond.

"There's no need for arrogance, Di Nufeng," he said. "Our original bet was that your disciple would become the head disciple. Only then would I consider passing the position of grand peak master to you."

As Di Nufeng reflected on their agreement, she realized that Wang Xuanling was right.

During that heated argument when she made the bet with Wang Xuanling, he had been concerned that if the wager was based on a direct fight between their disciples, Silver Sword Peak disciple might be eliminated before ever facing his own.

As a result, the bet was made on their disciple securing the position of head disciple.

Although Chu Liang had defeated Xu Ziyang, Wang Xuanling had merely lost the chance of winning; it wasn't an actual defeat yet.

The act of thinking ahead back then ended up giving Wang Xuanling a lifeline.

"Hmph," Di Nufeng grunted, not going back on her promise as she nodded. "Let's wait and see."

After a pause, she turned to Daoist Yan beside her. "But whether my disciple or Yan Zi's disciple wins, it's all the same. Our peaks are like one family."

Daoist Yan's pupils visibly dilated, and her lips twitched slightly, as if the words "Who said we are like family?" were at the tip of her tongue.

However, she still held back, turning to the side, pretending as though she had not heard Di Nufeng.

Feeling stifled sitting in the spectator stand, Wang Xuanling flew up and landed beside the stage.

At that moment, Xu Ziyang, freshly bandaged by the disciples from the Hall of Alchemy, descended the stage with a feeble gait.

Upon catching sight of Wang Xuanling's darkened expression, he lowered his head slightly, maintaining his composure, and said, "Esteemed Teacher, I couldn't win."

"How are your injuries?" Wang Xuanling asked.

"They are just external injuries, nothing severe," Xu Ziyang answered.

"Good," Wang Xuanling said without a tone of harshness. "This defeat doesn't mean anything. Don't take it to heart."

"I know..." Xu Ziyang said as he looked up at his teacher. But he noticed an expression of unhappiness on Wang Xuanling's face, even a hint of feeling wronged. It was the first time he had seen this type of expression on his teacher's face.

Xu Ziyang's lips trembled. He didn't know whether he should say it.

"Esteemed teacher, you are the one who shouldn't take it to heart," Xu Ziyang said inwardly.

...

This defeat did not evoke a strong sense of failure in Xu Ziyang. Since he began following this Dao, he had never been defeated before. He was considered the talent for immortal cultivation, destined to lead Mount Shu to prosperity.

Whether it was the pressure from the world or self-imposed, Xu Ziyang felt immense stress. He constantly felt as though there was a heavy weight on his shoulders.

As he lay collapsed on the floor earlier, a scene from his childhood flashed through Xu Ziyang's mind.

During that time, he lay on the grass on the hill near the back area of the Jade Sword Peak, watching the clouds float in the sky, feeling as though he was one of the clouds.

That was the only time he had ever felt such an emotion.

As Xu Ziyang's extraordinary cultivation aptitude became evident, both his teacher and the sect started having higher expectations of him. Sometimes, these expectations felt like a force heavier than any command.

It seemed as though his destiny was to revive the glory of Mount Shu.

As he collapsed on the ground, there was a sense of relief. Xu Ziyang realized that he wouldn't have to be the one to carry the banner for Mount Shu. There were others who could do it, and perhaps even do it better than him.

Xu Ziyang always had a good impression of Chu Liang.

Xu Ziyang was a very righteous person, and he never disliked Chu Liang's way of doing things. In fact, he admired Chu Liang's creativity and unrestrained ideas.

Losing to an opponent like this didn't seem that hard to accept.

Of course, it was necessary to remain brave after feelings of shame.

He resolved to work even harder at cultivating. While he hadn't lost in terms of cultivation level, he had learned a valuable lesson from this fight: never underestimate any opponent.

Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it would use its full strength.

Throughout the entire fight, he was at a disadvantage because he had underestimated Chu Liang, which allowed Chu Liang to deliver a series of successive attacks. In the end, he wasn't able to recover in time. In reality, he still had techniques he had yet to reveal.

It wasn't that he didn't want to use them; he simply never got the chance. Once the fight started, Chu Liang never gave him an opening.

During this fight on the stage, Chu Liang intentionally avoided attacking his vital points. But if it were elsewhere in the nine provinces, who would show him mercy?

These were things he needed to reflect on. Without much thought, he continued walking with a straight posture, joining the group of Jade Sword Peak members.

This was the last fight of the day. The crowd dispersed one by one, leaving only the disciples of the Jade Sword Peak waiting there, staring at him with expressions of concern.

All the disciples of the Jade Sword Peak knew that their eldest senior brother had never lost before. Today, he was defeated by someone of a lower cultivation level, and everyone was worried.

As Xu Ziyang approached, he appeared nonchalant as he spoke, "Let's go."

"Ah?" Xu Ziqing froze. "Where to?"

"The Jade Sword Peak of course," Xu Ziyang responded, patting her on the head. He then added, "I want to eat hotpot."

"Hehe." Seeing that her brother wasn't feeling devastated by the loss, Ziqing smiled and said, "Yay!"

The two walked side by side, surrounded by a big group of their peers from the Jade Sword Peak, all heading back together.

As they walked, Xu Ziyang leaned over to Xu Ziqing and whispered, "Chu Liang is a good guy. If you like him, I approve of this relationship."

"Eh?" Hearing this, Xu Ziqing raised her eyebrows and said, "What are you talking about?"

Her reaction surprised Xu Ziyang, leaving him stunned as he asked, "Don't you...?"

"How could I possibly like Senior Brother Chu? He already has a partner," Xu Ziqing said confidently.

"Is that so?" Xu Ziyang asked. "Who is it?"

"Heh," Xu Ziqing chuckled, a hint of smugness in her voice. "I know who it is, but I am not telling you."