sonovelo Chapter 742: Competitive (I)
Chapter 742: Competitive (I)
Chapter 742: Competitive (I)
Huyan Dong stood amid the cold, mighty gusts of wind blowing past Holy Mountain. He said with slight surprise, "You actually managed to move the Noble Dharma. How did you do it?"
"Sincerity," answered the slender boy, Chu Yi.
Hearing that, Huyan Dong couldn't help but remark, "For someone so young, you sure say a lot of crap."
On the Holy Mountain, Huyan Dong had the Noble Dharma's protection. That meant his safety was no longer under Chu Yi's control, so his courage naturally grew.
Without Huyan Dong's connection to the Noble Dharma, it would have been difficult for Chu Yi to meet the Noble Dharma in the first place, so Chu Yi did not bother responding to his provocation.
Chu Yi simply smiled and said, "I can't share the details with you. You only need to know that the Noble Dharma has taken me as his disciple. He wants me to train on the Holy Mountain for ten years before I may leave."
Huyan Dong nodded.
Of course, he knew that it was extraordinary to have the Noble Dharma's support.
The Noble Dharma was the oldest living human cultivator. He did not wield a legendary artifact, yet he still received the utmost respect from the Divine Nine immortal sects, which spoke volumes.
Even if he had no way of advancing to the eighth-and-a-half realm, the Realm of the Heavenly Origin Terminator, the Noble Dharma was undeniably one of the most powerful eighth-realm Eminent Ones.
Although the Noble Dharma had seemingly remained hidden from the world for years, he still maintained absolute control over two sects in the Terrestrial Ten. The proof was in how the imperial court had bestowed the Monastery Tower, one of the Terrestrial Ten, with the title of "Nation Guard" precisely because of its ties to the Holy Mountain.
The Holy Mountain stood on equal footing with the sects in the Divine Nine. The influence and power it held could not be underestimated.
With the Noble Dharma's protection, Chu Yi had truly found solid footing. Even if the imperial court were to discover his identity as the former dynasty's young emperor, there was nothing they could do to him as long as he remained on the Holy Mountain.
The purpose of Noble Dharma's order for Chu Yi to remain on the mountain and train for ten years was not only to cultivate his character but also to protect him. This way, no one could harm him while he was still a child.
Huyan Dong gazed at the remarkable child before him. "What was the collaboration you were talking about earlier?"
"Are you interested, City Lord Huyan?" Chu Yi asked with a smile.
During his time on the Holy Mountain, Huyan Dong learned about the events occurring in the outside world.
As he had expected, Taotie City had been mercilessly cast out of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. Furthermore, no one had attempted to rescue him—not even the Penglai Supreme Sect, the sect that Taotie City served and had the closest relations with.
In the meantime, the sects in the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten had already begun scheming against one another to determine which sect would ascend into the Terrestrial Ten. Each sect sought to push its own ally to take the spot for the sake of securing greater influence and power in the future.
The name "Taotie City" seemed to be vanishing from history.
"Didn't we have an agreement? If you could obtain the Noble Dharma's protection, we would discuss the collaboration further," Huyan Dong said with a smile. "Now we can talk."
Chu Yi explained, "It's simple. Since I can't leave the mountain, I need someone to act on my behalf outside. Taotie City fell because it lacked a strong supporter and true power. But now, you'll have both. The Holy Mountain will be your supporter, and the Mount Mang rebels will be your strength...
"Since Taotie City has already been destroyed, there's no need to rebuild it. Instead, we will merge Taotie City with the Mount Mang rebels and establish a new force, one even greater than before. We will reclaim everything that once belonged to Taotie City."
Chu Yi's eyes gleamed as he looked at Huyan Dong. "We'll call it Mount Mang City!
"All the hopes you once placed on Taotie City, all the ambitions you never had the chance to fulfill—you can realize them here. You know my ambitions lie elsewhere. This is merely a stepping stone for me. In the future, our fates will be intertwined, but in the end, Mount Mang City will belong to the Huyan Family. You will surpass your ancestors and achieve even greater glory..."
"Mount Mang City?" Huyan Dong uttered. He had to admit that the boy's words stirred his heart.
Taotie City had been wealthy, but it lacked true power of its own. No matter whose protection it sought, it had never been a lasting solution.
However, with the Noble Dharma as a supporter, the possibilities were endless.
In fact, Huyan Dong could do much more than just reclaim a spot in the Terrestrial Ten. If he wanted to, he could even achieve his long-cherished wish of pulling the Mount Shu Sect down from the Divine Nine...
Nevertheless, as he looked at the boy in front of him, Huyan Dong dismissed the thought.
Tiger Whale chimed in, "That's right. Several human cultivators were also on Misty Island, including an Eminent One with great sword skills. His attacks were extremely sharp!"
The sea demons of the Ruins of Return did not know much about humans. Otherwise, they would have recognized that this human Eminent One was none other than the renowned Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect.
"If that's the case, our failure to rescue Grand Ancestor Fuyou will only make that old thief Wuchao more vigilant." The Sea Master's expression turned as dark as stormy waters. "They may even trace it back to you two. How will my Ruins of Return Cult escape then?"
The Sea Master's fear of Wuchao's might stemmed from a terror deeply rooted in his heart. That was precisely why he had wanted to free Grand Ancestor Fuyou, who had once fought Wuchao in a great battle. The Sea Master knew that with his strength alone, he had no chance of victory against Wuchao.
"Sea Master, I have something to say," Squid King said, pulling back into his robes.
"Speak!" Sea Master commanded.
"If someone were to report to Wuchao about Misty Island, it would definitely take some time. You should take advantage of this window to go down in person and rescue Grand Ancestor Fuyou. That way, Wuchao will be preoccupied dealing with Grand Ancestor Fuyou and won't have time to bother with us. Having just repelled our attack, Misty Island would not expect us to strike again so soon..." Squid King explained slowly. "The most important thing now is to be quick!"
Boom!
The Sea Master erupted in fury, striking Squid King with his palm. Squid King was sent flying, coughing up blood as he crashed into the wall. He was already heavily injured before, and now he was barely clinging to life.
Despite attacking Squid King, the Sea Master withdrew his hand and said quietly, "This plan is feasible."
"..." Squid King's eyes widened. "If it's feasible, then why, Esteemed Sea Master—"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?!" the Sea Master snapped, flinging out his sleeves in anger. He took a step outside the pavilion and vanished.
Squid King: "?"
Of course, what the Sea Master said was just an excuse. The real reason for his anger was that his subordinates' incompetence had forced him to take action personally—something he had no desire to do.
If he did that, it would be much easier for others to figure out that he was involved. After all, there weren't many eighth-realm Eminent Ones in the Ruins of Return. It wouldn't take much effort at all to deduce who was responsible for the incident.
However, his subordinates' attempt to free Grand Ancestor Fuyou had already failed. If the Sea Master still refused to act, there would be no salvaging his plan.
No matter what, I have to take GrandAncestor Fuyou out of that seal today!
If the Bloodmist Manor managed to send word to Wuchao about the failed attempt, he would definitely tighten the defenses around Misty Island. At that point, all hope would be lost. Fortunately, Wuchao had been deeply focused on his closed-door cultivation, so it would take some effort to track him down. This provided a crucial time gap that the Sea Master could exploit.
1. Sugar-coated fruit on a bamboo skewer. Chances are you've seen plenty of vids of it on YouTube or TikTok. ☜
2. Steamed bun. ☜
GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts
Translator: LD
Term Change:
Honorable Ancestor -> Grand Ancestor
For the foodie readers...
Mantou: These are quite often plain, but there are ones with filling as well. Whenever I think of mantou, I think of my friend telling me about how they are a must-have when eating chilli crab to soak up all the delicious sauce... ????
Tanghulu: Traditionally, they're the red round ones, made with hawthorn.