"The entire Shu Mountain owes you a favor this time."
When Chu Liang arrived at the Wuliang Palace on Tongtian Peak and met Wen Yuan Senior, the first words from the leader of the Shu Mountain sect took Chu Liang by surprise.
"I dare not accept such praise!" he immediately replied. "At a time when Shu Mountain's very existence is at stake, it is only right for everyone to give their all. As a member of Shu Mountain, it is my duty to contribute as much as I can."
Wen Yuan Senior gave a slight smile, his eyes filled with approval as he looked at Chu Liang. "Hakutaku is in seclusion to break through to the Ninth Realm, a crucial matter for our Shu Mountain. Your slaying of the Taowu can be said to have saved the great hope of Shu Mountain. And weren't you the first to report the attack from the Mingwang Sect? It's no exaggeration to say that you played a pivotal role in this battle."
"I was able to slay the Taowu thanks to the purple and green swords and the Heaven and Earth Longevity; I dare not take all the credit," Chu Liang said.
Wen Yuan's gaze on Chu Liang grew even more satisfied.
As the leader of Shu Mountain, positioned high above the clouds, he seldom paid attention to the affairs of the younger disciples.
Previously, his impression of Chu Liang was not deep, seeing him only as a standout among the young disciples, and somewhat surprised to learn that he came from Silver Sword Peak.
It was unbelievable that Di Nvfeng could have taught such an outstanding disciple.
But after this battle, he had thoroughly remembered the name Chu Liang.
"You needn't be overly modest. Shu Mountain's victory over the enemy was indeed a collective effort, but your contribution was monumental," Wen Yuan Senior praised generously. "From now on, the sect will focus on nurturing you, treating you with the same regard as the chief disciple."
The chief disciple of the Shu Mountain sect enjoyed special privileges, such as unlimited access to the Law Enforcement Hall, a monthly stipend of five thousand sword coins, priority reservation of important resources, and the right to represent Shu Mountain at major immortal sect events, among others.
Originally, these privileges belonged only to the chief disciple, Jiang Yuebai. Now that Chu Liang was also granted these benefits, aside from lacking a single Authority Command, it was as if he were on par with the chief disciple.
It was like sharing a seat with Jiang Yuebai.
"And there's more..." Wen Yuan Senior continued, handing over a golden jade talisman. "This is a shattering void immortal technique that I've personally imbued. If you encounter danger in the future, crushing it will allow you to escape thousands of miles away instantly, hardly hindered by anything ordinary. Consider it a life-saving talisman."
Chu Liang's eyebrows twitched.
This was a genuine life-saving talisman!
Now that Chu Liang had made a name for himself, stepping outside would be different from before; he might attract a lot of attention, both good and bad. On Shu Mountain, he had the protection of the purple and green swords and had nothing to fear. But if he were outside, he certainly couldn't carry the swords with him. If they were lost, he would become a sinner of Shu Mountain.
This was when life-saving treasures were truly needed.
Ordinary storage talismans or travel talismans often had countermeasures. For example, in areas with witchcraft prohibitions, these talismans could be rendered useless.
But an immortal technique imbued by an Eighth Realm powerhouse was different. Unless someone of the same level intervened, it was difficult to counter!
In other words, no matter when or where, crushing the talisman would allow him to escape thousands of miles away instantly.
This was incredibly precious.
Even the chief disciples of the Nine Heavens Immortal Sects might not all possess such an item.
It wasn't that the Eighth Realm powerhouses were too prestigious to spare the time to store a divine technique for their chief disciples. Rather, the materials for the talismans had their own limits, and talismans capable of storing Eighth Realm immortal techniques were extremely rare.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!" Chu Liang quickly accepted the talisman.
After giving the talisman to him, Wen Yuan Senior spoke leisurely, "Now that Hakutaku has revealed himself, those with intentions will inevitably target Shu Mountain. The days ahead may not be so peaceful. As disciples of Shu Mountain, you may face targeted threats when outside, so be prepared."
He was somewhat worried when he mentioned this.
Behind the battle of Shu Mountain, there must have been a powerful force at play. Lu Chengchou was not qualified; he was merely a pawn, not yet worthy of making moves in such a high-level game.
The hidden hand behind the scenes was likely someone on the same level as Hakutaku.
With the enemy in the dark and us in the light, we must be vigilant.
"Yes!"
Chu Liang's voice was even crisper after receiving the talisman.
He didn't need to worry about the concerns of the higher-ups. Today's rewards and the recognition from Wen Yuan Senior were enough to make him happy.
***
Di Nvfeng was probably the happiest person on Shu Mountain right now.
Three days had passed since the battle, and its impact had mostly faded, with the peaks of Shu Mountain restored to their former states.
However, the repercussions of the battle were just beginning to spread, and news of the fight gradually reached all corners of the cultivation world, shocking everyone who heard about it.
The Mingwang Sect had audaciously infiltrated Shu Mountain during the peak conference and launched a surprise attack! Murder, arson, destruction of buildings, assault on spiritual beasts, assassination of geniuses, theft of orchards...
They committed every conceivable atrocity!
Battles between good and evil were common, but one of this magnitude was rare! By comparison, the battle earlier in the year where the Jiuyi Immortal slew the Silver King seemed insignificant.
Yesterday should have been the day for the Tian Shu Pavilion to publish the Seven Stars Gazette, but it was delayed by a day, only being released today.
There had been such delays before, usually due to some sudden major event that changed the planned content. This time, the big event that disrupted the Tian Shu Pavilion's schedule was, of course, the battle.
"Shu Mountain!"
The article in the Nine Provinces Strategy began with just these two bold characters.
This time, the article about Shu Mountain was penned entirely by Master Huang, who had previously promised to write a piece praising Di Nvfeng to help improve her reputation.
Di Nvfeng had been waiting for this day, and as soon as the Seven Stars Gazette was delivered by a white crane, she eagerly opened it.
Compared to the writing style of the disciples from the Wind Catching Hall, Master Huang's was more casual but also more vivid, making readers feel as if they were there.
The article was divided into three sections. First, he briefly recounted his experience watching the Shu Mountain summit a few days earlier, deeply impressed by the emergence of a new generation of outstanding disciples who would surely carry the banner of Shu Mountain in the future.
During this section, he dedicated nearly eight hundred words to describing the new chief disciple of Shu Mountain, Jiang Yuebai, sparing no praise, which clearly showed Master Huang's favor.
Then came the main event: the Mingwang Sect's surprise attack on the Shu Mountain sect!
Before writing this article, he must have communicated with the Shu Mountain leadership, as he did not mention the past incident involving Wen Yuan Senior and Lu Chengchou.
Aside from that, he recorded every detail of the battle. It was hard not to suspect that the old man did nothing but observe during the fight.
The battle had many dramatic turns, with the focus ultimately on Chu Liang's slaying of the Taowu with the purple and green swords.
The story of a young disciple wielding divine weapons to slay an ancient fierce beast was enough to stir anyone's blood.
Master Huang then spent another five hundred words lavishing praise on Chu Liang, thrusting this previously not-so-famous Shu Mountain newcomer into the spotlight.
At the end of the article, his tone shifted.
"Speaking of Chu Liang, one inevitably thinks of his master."
Di Nvfeng's eyes lit up as she held the gazette, full of anticipation for the next page.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
"In this battle, the Criminal Law Elder, the Sword Transmission Elder, the Alchemy Cauldron Elder, the Law Enforcement Elder, and the various peak masters, such as the Master of Biluo Peak, Uncle Yan, and the Master of Silver Sword Peak, Di Nvfeng etc, all made outstanding contributions."
The article ended.
Praised, but not fully.
Di Nvfeng looked at the words "Di Nvfeng, etc." and fell silent for a moment, then two words burst from her gritted teeth:
"Old thing—"
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas