sonovelo Chapter 682: Rage
Chapter 682: Rage
Chapter 682: Rage
Taotie City, the Northern Regions.
Red Cotton Peak and the Immortals' Square rose to prominence one after the other in a very short time, and the resulting impact on Taotie City was obvious.
Though the Huyan Family had made numerous efforts to remedy the situation, there was still a visible decline in visitor traffic in Taotie City. Soon, the merchants started relocating their businesses elsewhere and the honored allies gradually started leaving as well.
A charity auction only added insult to injury for the already struggling Taotie City.
"Two and a half million Vermillion-Bird coins, for a mere broken Celestial Cosmic Ring..."
Huyan Dong's chest heaved, his eyes red with fury as he fixed his gaze on his kneeling son. His breath quickened and grew heavy.
Just two days ago, he had made a trip to the Eastern Regions and used the name of the Penglai Supreme Sect to secure support from various factions. But upon his return, he was greeted with this crushing news.
If this had been back when Taotie City stood alone at the top, he would have let it go. But now, with the fierce competition against the Red Cotton Peak and the Immortals' Square, drawing on such a large sum would mean forfeiting many opportunities to fight.
"Father, please calm down..." Huyan Bin knelt, lifting his eyes with a pleading expression. "Thankfully, both the court and Mount Shu paid substantial sums. In the end, this charity auction resulted in all three sides at a loss."
"They suffered losses but still walked away with something. What have you brought back?" Huyan Dong asked in an irritated tone.
"I got..." Huyan Bin hesitated for a moment before answering, "The friendship of the Penglai Supreme Sect."
"I—"
Huyan Dong raised his hand in anger, but remembering that this was his own flesh and blood, he lowered it without striking.
Huyan Dong gnashed his teeth as he lectured, "You should know that they only befriended you because you have money. Once they've drained you dry, will they still see you as a person? Do you even know what kind of people the Penglai members are?They are outlaws, bandits at their core! Do you really think there's any good in them?"
"Father, you know this too?" Huyan Bin murmured, his voice barely audible. "I didn't want to spend this money, but given the situation, if I had refused, Daoist Xuan Lu would've turned against us on the spot! I might not have even made it back to see you..."
Huyan Dong's veins bulged with fury. "Which do you think I would want to see—you or the two and a half million?"
Huyan Bin thought quickly, racking his brains to calm his father. He quickly added, "But the Penglai Supreme Sect isn't doing nothing for us. They made some promises."
"What promises?" Huyan Dong asked.
"Daoist Xuan Lu suggested we could use some unconventional methods, like attacking Red Cotton Peak's Four Extremities Hall to disrupt their deliveries..." Huyan Bin said. "Then over time, no one will go to Mount Shu to buy goods anymore. Even if Mount Shu finds evidence and decides to declare war on Taotie City, the Penglai Supreme Sect will step in to help us..."
Huyan Dong looked intently at his son, his vision momentarily darkening. He felt at a loss for words.
Huyan Bin tilted his head with innocence shining in his eyes and asked, "What do you think?"
Huyan Dong's hand trembled as he pointed at him. In the end, all he said was, "That brain of yours... it takes after your mother."
Chu Liang had come this time to personally deliver the enormous sum of money for the Demon-Slaying Sword. To ensure its safety, he even brought Wang Xuanling[1] along for protection.
The reason he chose Old Wang instead of his esteemed teacher was because Chu Liang feared that Di Nufeng would be tempted by the money and develop ill intentions.
Although the Buddhist Cloud Monastery was overwhelmed with work at the moment, this matter was still treated as the top priority. Dhyana Master Shenjie had personally stepped in to coordinate with various parties, striving to deliver the first batch of supplies to the Southern Regions as quickly as possible. The Whale Gang and the Mount Shu Sect had also contributed significantly to this effort.
"Haah!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After delivering the money, Pushan escorted Chu Liang out, and they encountered a construction site ahead. A group of three to five monks stood in line, working together to lift a murky crystalline pillar.
Dhyana Master Shenyou stood at the front.
As the monks let out a series of synchronized shouts, Dhyana Master Shenyou brought his palms together like a saber, striking down with tremendous force and slicing the pillar into several segments.
"What are they doing?" Chu Liang asked.
"That's a crucial material for constructing the great hall," Pushan explained. "In our Buddhist sect, it's known as Sumeru Crystal, or Earth Mother Sand. This material can condense spiritual energy and be integrated into enchanted formations. Without it, the formation on the building would not be able to have any effect on the inside of the wall, and the buildings would become far less durable.
"However, the Sumeru Crystal is incredibly tough, and only those at the seventh realm could cut through it, though with great difficulty. These crystals naturally form in long prisms, and the smaller the fragments, the greater their effect. Unfortunately, even my teacher could only cut this crystal into a few segments, though that was sufficient for our needs.
"When embedded into the walls, this material fuses the great hall with the enchanted formations, rendering it indestructible for tens of thousands of years. Only fights between the Eminent Ones could cause any significant damage."
Chu Liang's simple question immediately prompted Pushan's detailed explanation.
Just as he said, even with Dhyana Master Shenyou's cultivation level, he could only cut the Sumeru Crystal into a few pieces before it became too difficult to cut further. The resulting smaller stone pillars could only be used as they were.
"Very hard?" Chu Liang asked, feeling intrigued.
He stepped forward, picked up a fragment of Sumeru Crystal about the thickness and length of a child's arm, and took out the Crimson Augmented Shears.
The monks looked on, confused, wondering what his next move would be. With a strong squeeze of the shears, Chu Liang cut down.
Snap.
The augmented qi surged, and the Sumeru Crystal broke cleanly into two pieces.
The monks, seeing this, felt a sudden chill run down their spines, and they instinctively pulled their head backward.
Chu Liang smirked and said, "It's not that hard..."
1. The way the Chinese phrased it made it sound like Wang Xuanling is a dog. ☜