Chapter 184: Chapter 100: Aftermath (Fifth Update)
Atop the Sky Dome Floating Magic Boat.
The atmosphere in the grand hall was unusually heavy, like the oppressive calm before a storm, making it hard for anyone to breathe.
Zhuang Liangru sat upright in his chair, his face clouded over with dark fury, a rage that seemed impossible to suppress, and deep in his eyes was a trace of sorrow that couldn’t be wiped away.
Next to him sat the master of Miao Yin Temple, Si Xin Ying, also seated here. Even with a veil covering her face, it was evident that her complexion was very poor.
“Yao’er, you’ve disappointed your teacher greatly,”
Si Xin Ying said with a sigh, looking at the disciple kneeling before her.
“Master, Elder Zhuang, it’s my fault for not saving Brother Du. It’s all my fault.”
Mo Shiyao’s tears had already streaked her beautiful face, and she knelt on the ground, sobbing non-stop.
Thinking of how Du Shaochang was not only beaten so miserably but also failed to recover his body, she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sadness, crying even more heartbreakingly.
Zhuang Liangru sat alone in his chair, with dark red lightning streaking across the void around him, and the sound of thunderous rumbling filled the room with an air of deadly silence.
This was a capability unique to the Taoist Platform Realm; the soul was itself Heavenly Might, and the various emotions of a person could cause phenomena in the heavens and the earth, indicating the extent of his rage.
“Brother Zhuang, restrain your grief, the dead cannot be brought back to life,”
Si Xin Ying turned to comfort Zhuang Liangru, knowing that although Zhuang Liangru had more than one disciple, Du Shaochang was his only direct disciple.
The man was extremely talented and had a powerful divine body. He had made quite a name for himself in Qingzhou, recognized as a reserve of the Taoist Platform Realm. It was said that he could have broken through to the Secret Realm much earlier but chose to suppress his cultivation and refine his foundation to perfection, aiming for higher achievements in the future, and had always been regarded by Zhuang Liangru as his successor.
Now, he had perished in the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, a young life with barely a tenth of his talent and genius fulfilled, truly a cause for endless sorrow.
Zhuang Liangru’s voice seemed to drift out from the Nine Netherworld, it was he who had personally ordered Du Shaochang to go to the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace to execute Su Jie. He hadn’t imagined that this parting would be forever.
“What kind of means does this person possess, Yao’er, tell me in detail how you could have been defeated so miserably, is the enemy truly that strong?”
The atmosphere in the room was so tense that even Si Xin Ying, a powerhouse of the Secret Realm, felt alarmed. Concerned that Mo Shiyao might bear the brunt of the anger, Si Xin Ying took the initiative to ask about the full story.
“That Su Jie is also a person with a divine body, wielding a mysterious Heavenly Thunder, and hanging on his waist is a Sword Nourishing Gourd, nurturing over a hundred Flying Swords and tens of thousands of Flying Insects, among which there are not only Low Grade but also Middle Grade poisonous insects, as well as a Ghost Banner wrapped in Yin Souls. His Lifebound poisonous insect is a Thousand-Handed Centipede over ten zhang long, a Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect,”
Speaking of the battle, Mo Shiyao gritted her teeth in anger and said resentfully, “What’s more, this person’s methods are utterly despicable, with no regard for martial virtue. Capitalizing on his flying ability, he struck from high above, attacking and harassing Brother Du from the sky, using a myriad of poisonous insects and Yin Souls to deplete Brother Du’s physical strength and Spiritual Power. In the end, Brother Du was worn down to death.”
“This man must not be spared.”
Hearing her disciple’s words, Si Xin Ying couldn’t help but be shocked.
With such numerous attack methods and powerful poisonous insects, along with the flying ability usually only possessed by those in the Secret Realm without relying on external objects, it was no wonder Du Shaochang was defeated by the opponent.
Such a demon cultivator so powerful in the Yunling Realm, if he were to break through to the Secret Realm and be given time to grow, he would likely become another powerhouse of the Secret Realm, at the level of people like Taoist Qiu and Tang Peiqing.
“Besides that Su Jie, there was another female demon cultivator at the scene. She has a Xuanyin Body constitution, and she was holding me back, so I couldn’t provide help to Brother Du.”
Mo Shiyao provided the complete account of the incident without hiding any details.
It was at this moment that Zhuang Liangru slowly spoke, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and his voice, booming like thunder, spread across the heavens.
“Issue an order, the one who kills Su Jie shall be rewarded with one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.”
The voice carried far and wide, and in order to avenge Du Shaochang, Zhuang Liangru was willing to offer a hefty reward of a hundred thousand spirit stones for Su Jie’s head.
At the checkpoint leading to the outside world of Ghost Ridge Palace, atop a towering tower.
Over twenty Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace were seated cross-legged, their auras intertwining. The terrifying presence caused ripples in the void.
Beneath their cushions lay the array eye that connected and controlled the Mountain Protection Array that shielded the entire territory of Ghost Ridge Palace.
They had to maintain the operation of the Mountain Protection Array while also dealing with the assaults from the righteous sects’ Secret Realm, which meant nearly all available Elders were mobilized. Most had gathered here to guard against the righteous sects’ offensive.
Had it not been for the Mountain Protection Array, and the enemy’s fear of an Insect Valley uprising, Ghost Ridge Palace could never have withstood the combined forceful assault of the five righteous sects.
A golden Messenger Crow flew to the window, its amber eyes lively as it looked at those present, then hopped and jumped towards Sect Master Zhang Junwei, delivering the letter tied to its left leg.
Zhang Junwei’s face was solemn as he took the letter with gravity.
This kind of golden Messenger Crow was used by the Elders to convey important messages, signifying that the news was extraordinary. Currently, only a few Elders stationed at the mountain gate of the inner sanctum of Ghost Ridge Palace would not easily leave their strategic post. Could it be that the righteous sect had broken through, attacking the mountain gate…
A bad premonition flashed through Zhang Junwei’s mind as he tore open the envelope and began to read the letter word by word.
However, as he read on, the solemn expression on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by a light smile in his eyes, and he ended up exclaiming “Good!” three times.
“Good, good, good! Taoist Qiu, you’ve truly taken on a fine disciple!”
One Elder after another opened their eyes, puzzled by their Sect Master’s reaction.
Zhang Junwei wasted no words, directly using spiritual power to project the words from the letter for everyone to see.
Gradually, the expressions on the Elders’ faces varied.
Some were envious, some jealous, some stroked their beards and smiled, while others had a stern countenance.
The former were mostly those on good terms with Taoist Qiu or neutral, while the latter were mainly those with a discordant relationship with him.
Eventually, all eyes fell on Taoist Qiu.
“He even let that Qingyin Fairy go, which is really unacceptable. I will have a stern talk with him when we return.”
Facing the gaze of many eyes, Taoist Qiu spoke with an indifferent tone, but the slight lift of his eyebrows made it hard to miss his joy.
There, putting on airs for us.
One Elder after another looked at Taoist Qiu without a word, knowing well that a formidable disciple had emerged from your branch. That tone was not one of blame but clearly one of boasting.
Killing a Jade Sun True Body was not enough; he even wanted to net Miao Yin Temple’s proud disciple, such wishful thinking!
“However, being able to achieve such a feat also shows that those righteous sects are not so fearsome after all. What of the Jade Sun True Body? Our poisonous insects can still devour him.”
Taoist Qiu shifted his rhetoric, then spoke from the bigger picture to boost morale.
“You speak truly. These righteous sects have gone too far, and this time it’s a lesson for them.”
Zhang Junwei nodded in satisfaction and then took something out of his storage bag, saying, “Taoist Qiu, your disciple’s actions cannot go unrewarded. This treasure shall be given to your disciple as encouragement for him to continue striving. Our sect will not let down any of its disciples.”