sonovelo Chapter 656: The Heavenly Peak Banquet
Chapter 656: The Heavenly Peak Banquet
Chapter 656: The Heavenly Peak Banquet
"Put it away, quickly!"
At the sound of that voice, Chu Liang's heart tightened. He swiftly put away the token in his hand, plastering a wide grin across his face as he stepped forward to greet the approaching figure.
"Pushan!"
Chu Liang's joy was genuine. After almost dying, he thought that seeing his chatterbox friend again was truly something to celebrate.
However, he couldn’t risk letting Monk Pushan see the Circle of Immortal Friends. There was a real chance it could tank the product’s user experience and approval ratings.
"Amitabha..."
Pushan’s appearance hadn't changed much. His divine glow had dimmed slightly, lending him a more dignified air. But the moment he opened his mouth, it was unmistakably the same old Pushan.
"Come on, tell me where you’ve been these past years. I just saw Luo Yao two days ago, and she said she misses the days we went undercover together! The Dark King Sect and the West Sea Diabolical Forces have been at each other’s throats lately. If you were around, we might have gotten involved! Seriously, you have no idea. This time, my senior brothers, Pucheng and Puyou, and I are visiting the major sects, and I picked Mount Shu Sect to be the first one. Fate must’ve brought us together!
"Hey? I asked you to tell me how you have been these past few years. Why haven't you said anything yet?"
"..." Chu Liang smiled for a while before finally finding a chance to speak. "There's so much I want to tell you."
They chatted briefly.
Well, mostly Pushan talked, and Chu Liang eventually learned the reason for his visit.
As one of the Divine Nine sects, the Buddhist Cloud Monastery resided quite literally among the heavens, isolated from the other sects. They rarely mingled with the rest of the immortal world, maintaining a detached and lofty presence.
In the monastery, there was this spacious plaza illuminated by Buddha's light. At dusk, the setting sun would bathe the plaza in gold, as if draping the entire space in a shimmering veil.
This magnificent sight was known as "Buddha’s Light on the Peak of the Heavens."
Whenever the monastery needed to announce major affairs to the sects, they held a grand banquet in the plaza, illuminated by the glow of Buddha’s Light. This banquet was known as the Heavenly Peak Banquet. The scale of the event varied depending on the occasion. For the inauguration of a new abbot, invitations were typically extended to all sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. On rare occasions, all sects from the land of the nine provinces were summoned, transforming the gathering into a magnificent spectacle.
In short—the bigger the guest list, the greater the matter at hand.
This time, the Buddhist Cloud Monastery invited all sects from the land of the nine provinces and four seas. Of course, "all" really referred to the all prominent and mid-tier sects known to the monastery, as it was obviously hard to invite the smaller, lesser-known sects as well.
To emphasize the significance of the event, the monastery dispatched young monks to personally deliver each invitation.
"A matter this serious," Chu Liang mused aloud, "must have something to do with the common people—especially if the Buddhist Cloud Monastery is taking such steps."
"Precisely," Pushan replied. "The provinces are beset by disasters, and the kingdom’s strength is waning. Our abbot seeks to convene the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten to discuss solutions and to gather alms for disaster relief during the banquet."
"Raising alms..."
So it would be a charity banquet.
Chu Liang nodded. "Red Cotton Peak wanted to start a relief donation, but we are not in the right position to gather people to do it too. If the Buddhist Cloud Monastery is willing to take the lead, that’s the best outcome."
Pushan pressed his palms together and said, "Our abbot often reminds us that even though cultivators may seem removed from ordinary life, we depend on the people to survive. We should honor them as we honor our parents and feel their suffering as if it were our own."
"The abbot’s compassion is admirable," Chu Liang said after a brief pause. "But I worry that simple alms may have limited impact. The immortal sects don’t have much silver to spare, and even if they do, much of it may not directly help the common folk."
"We understand this," Pushan replied solemnly. "But even the smallest effort is still an effort. Disasters like these... are beyond what mortal hands can prevent."
"Actually, I have an idea," Chu Liang said suddenly. "What if, instead of simply raising alms... we hold a charity auction?"
"You’re saying I am someone with a great fate?" Chu Liang asked.
"Yes. Your fate isn’t overly abundant, but it’s remarkably dense[1], unlike that of ordinary mortals. Without careful observation, it remains hidden—like gold concealed within destiny."
The White Dragon continued slowly, "I hesitated before. You were merely the best choice available. But now, with the Dragon God's mark upon you, it appears fate has chosen you to guide our race through this looming calamity!"
"Haha," Chu Liang chuckled, not letting the dragon’s flattery get to his head.
The White Dragon circled overhead, silent in thought before finally speaking. "A single scale is no longer sufficient. Please, allow me to offer my soul as tribute to the sovereign."
Chu Liang shrugged casually. "No need for that. I already have another dragon soul protecting me. Having more would just be excessive. If I ever need your help, I’ll come find you."
After a brief exchange, Chu Liang ascended from the misty Dragon-Fishing Pool.
Usually, Chu Liang wouldn’t pass up a free offer. Even if it served no immediate purpose, it was better to take it.
However, when it came to gifts from the White Dragon, Chu Liang was far more cautious.
He still remembered the first time the White Dragon had offered him the legacy of the dragon scale. Its words had made it clear—that wasn’t a simple gift, but something given with the expectation of a favor in return.
Rather than a gift, it was more like an investment.
And now, here it was again, following the same pattern. If disaster struck and the dragon expected him to fight on the front lines, could he really stand against a calamity that even a seventh-realm being couldn’t survive?
It was better not to take on more than he could handle.
Of course, he wasn’t entirely brushing the dragon off.
Dragon souls were powerful, but having too many conflicting ones was pointless. It was better to have a pure dragon soul. The Little Golden Dragon held limitless potential, so staying tied to it was enough. If the two dragons that had conflict both gifted him a dragon soul, there was a chance that the dragon souls would clash in the future.
The main reason was that Chu Liang already had an abundance of dragon-related assets. With the Dragon God’s mark, he was practically becoming a True Dragon himself. Why bother accepting favors from the White Dragon?
Would a billionaire care about a millionaire’s tip—especially if they might have to repay it later?
Simply put, he didn’t need it.
As Chu Liang mulled over his thoughts and walked away, a figure soared toward him from a distance.
The approaching figure had long, flowing hair, with bangs falling over most of his face, leaving only one eye visible. Dressed in black, his demeanor exuded cold arrogance.
Chu Liang’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Ling Ao!"
At the sight of Chu Liang, the man’s stern expression softened into a smile.
"Chu Liang?"
It was Ling Ao, who was now an attendant at the Mount Shu Sect, frequently tasked with assignments outside Mount Shu. Chu Liang hadn’t seen him since his return and hadn’t expected to cross paths with him here.
"As soon as I returned to Mount Shu, I heard you made it back safely," Ling Ao said. "I went straight to Silver Sword Peak to find you, but they told me you weren’t there. What are you doing here?"
"Did you come here looking for me?" Chu Liang asked.
"Not exactly. They didn’t know where you’d gone. I just ended up here out of habit," Ling Ao chuckled. "We did pretty well at the Immortal Sect Assembly, didn’t we? My cultivation has improved since then—enough to catch the attention of the guardian of our sect, the True Dragon. The White Dragon gave me a scale. I guess you could say it’s half my teacher now. Every time I return to Mount Shu, I make sure to stop by the Dragon-Fishing Pool to pay my respects."
Lowering his voice, he added, "I’m hoping that if I behave well enough, I could maybe ask for the cultivation legacy of a dragon soul one day."
1. Think of fate as a force that shapes one's path. ☜