Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Golden Core Realm
Hu Bufeng kicked him hard and shouted angrily, “Shut up! Why are you yelling so loudly?”
His confidant staggered, barely managed to steady himself, but his heart was still pounding. He stammered, “If this is true, then nine years ago, how old could he have been? Is that possible?”
Hu Bufeng snorted coldly, “Cultivators sever feelings and desires, pursuing the emotionless Way of Heaven. What do parents matter? If they stand in the way of their so-called Dao, they die all the same. That boy was clever from a young age and loved studying the Dao; he must be a prodigy.”
The confidant said, “But this is all hearsay, there’s no proof. Are you being too hasty, General?”
Hu Bufeng’s face darkened and he fell silent.
The great cultivator who guarded South River City back then was from the Central Plains Academy. The speculation was based on someone having witnessed it that day, but the witnesses had long since disappeared.
The matter involved a sacred ground of cultivators; as a mere frontier captain, Hu Bufeng dared not guess too much.
His confidant, however, was quick-witted and whispered, “General, if this is true… but that person seems to be from the Daoist Sect now.”
Hu Bufeng frowned deeply and finally said, “Daoist Sect… We can’t afford to provoke them, but some can. The disciple from Azure Emperor City who came recently to investigate the demon domain is exactly the kind of person who can challenge the Daoist Sect…”
The confidant nodded and turned to leave.
Hu Bufeng turned to look at the young corpse lying on the ground and spoke bitterly, “Though you were useless, you are still of our Hu family from Northern Desert. I will see justice done for you.”
…
Li Chan looked down at the ant-like man standing respectfully at the foot of the steps, a trace of disgust at the corner of his lips.
Had it not been for the fact that this man was a border captain of the Great Li Dynasty, he would have smashed him into pulp with a punch. A mere martial officer of the initial sensing realm dared to orchestrate murder from the shadows.
After recounting the events, Hu Bufeng cautiously added, “Master, based on my deductions, this is almost certainly true. But that person is a disciple of the Daoist Sect…”
Due to disturbances across the river in the Southern Barbarian demon domain, the capital unexpectedly called upon someone from Azure Emperor City to investigate. Normally, such matters were under the Daoist Sect’s jurisdiction.
Faced with the young man named Li Chan, brimming with power, Hu Bufeng dared not show the slightest disrespect.
Li Chan waved his hand and said, “Daoist Sect, huh? Things are finally getting interesting…”
Both Azure Emperor City and the Daoist Sect were among the nine sacred lands of the Spirit Wilderness, and had been bitter enemies for three thousand years. Disciples of the two sacred lands almost always fought to the death upon meeting.
A century ago, the Daoist Sect’s leader and Azure Emperor City’s lord set a pact of the Great Dao, and the next confrontation was still more than a decade away.
No one knew why Daoist Sect and Azure Emperor City were so irreconcilably opposed, but the ancient Kunlun sacred land speculated that the first lord of Azure Emperor City had died at the hands of the Daoist Sect’s founder three thousand years ago.
Li Chan, of noble status in Azure Emperor City, knew that these rumors were false. In the city lord’s mansion, there was a stone tablet inscribed with several lines:
“Ascend by treading the Dao.”
This ancestral motto of Azure Emperor City meant to ascend by surpassing the Daoist Sect. Over three thousand years, several lords had won the pact of the Great Dao with the Daoist Sect and ascended.
Of course, many more had died in pursuit of that pact.
Li Chan’s lips curled with amusement.
“Daoist Sect disciples, I’ve killed plenty already.”
……
Late at night, the Shen family manor.
The man in hemp robes did not attack; he merely looked around with curiosity, his gaze occasionally lingering on the man by the fire.
Hu Bufeng had recounted many secrets about this place. The man asked, “I heard you killed everyone in the Shen family yourself. Is that true?”
Shen Yu said nothing.
“Azure Emperor City, Li Chan.”
The man paid no attention to Shen Yu’s silence and, raising his voice, laughed, “Those mortals—killed, so what? No one cares. What interests me is you, born of the Daoist Sect.”
Shen Yu replied with an indifferent “Oh,” and fell silent.
“Shen Yu, Dao Entry realm, three months ago, in the Daoist Sect’s Four Halls display, you defeated Lan Yingxing, Chen Jianzhi, and Fang Hen, fifteenth on the Rising Cloud List. You’re the Daoist Sect leader’s newly accepted disciple.”
Li Chan said calmly, “I’m not wrong, am I?”
Shen Yu replied, “Oh.”
Li Chan’s smile faded; his tone turned chilling. “Everyone knows I look down on Daoist Sect people. That ant in South River City tried to use me to kill you, but I didn’t mind. It’s a perfect excuse to kill you myself. Don’t you agree?”
The light inside flickered; the flames in the brazier nearly died out.
Shen Yu stood up and said quietly, “So, Azure Emperor City and Daoist Sect aren’t on good terms?”
Li Chan scoffed, “And you call yourself Daoist Sect? A hundred years ago, your master and our city lord made the pact of the Great Dao. When it comes to the Dao, how could our sects be friendly?”
Shen Yu looked at him, “The pact of the Great Dao isn’t quite what I asked. If it were Azure Emperor City’s senior brother, perhaps his answer would differ from yours. It seems you aren’t Ling Weiyang’s direct disciple.”
Li Chan’s expression was extremely grim.
Because Shen Yu was right. Though he possessed the pure lineage of ancient ancestors in Azure Emperor City and exceptional talent, the city lord’s eyes had always favored his simple, short elder brother since childhood.
He didn’t envy his brother, but there was always a suffocating frustration in his heart.
Now, this person had openly struck his sore spot and treated him with such indifference.
Li Chan was furious.
Bang!
Li Chan’s knees bent slightly and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string, swinging a hard fist straight out.
The force of the blow stirred up the dust and made the young man’s blue robe flutter.
Shen Yu didn’t move; he stood calmly and then gathered all his strength for a counterpunch.
Boom!
The fists collided, sending an invisible ripple through the air and scattering broken furniture everywhere.
In an instant, Shen Yu was flung backwards, crashing into the west wall of the main hall. Bricks tumbled down in a cloud of dust.
Li Chan didn’t pause; he darted to the breach, and this time both fists came down together. The air was soon filled with his fist shadows. The hole made by Shen Yu’s impact grew larger, and the entire hall began to shake violently.
Li Chan was ferocious, like a rampaging ancient beast.
Suddenly, he stopped, sneering, “Pretty good at running.”
Shen Yu, holding a red wooden sword, somehow appeared behind him.
The blade shimmered with a faint blood-red glow.
“When did the Daoist Sect start copying those sword cultivators from Sword Immortal City? Aren’t you supposed to command all worldly arts?” Li Chan said with disdain, then swung his right fist again at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu met him with a sword.
The tip of the sword and the fist collided; the wooden blade, of unknown origin, bent into a huge arc. Shen Yu frowned and stepped back.
Li Chan was unstoppable, swinging both fists with overwhelming force.
The main hall was a whirlwind of crossing fist and sword shadows.
Sword shadows split rosewood pillars; fist shadows shattered hard walls.
The furniture, thick with dust and cobwebs, was already in ruins.
After several intense clashes, Li Chan drew back and stood still.
“Not bad. A Dao Entry realm cultivator able to trade blows this long—the Daoist Sect is impressive.”
Li Chan gave a wicked grin. “But this is as far as you go.”
Then, a torrent of spiritual energy surged from all directions, gathering in his right fist, which was surrounded by a faint golden aura.
“Shatter the heavens!”
Li Chan roared, his right fist blazing, shooting out like a meteor.
The speed of this punch surpassed even that of flying swords.
Shen Yu had nowhere to evade; he raised his sword to block.
Li Chan’s fist smashed the wooden sword, then struck Shen Yu’s chest. Shen Yu was hurled back, breaking a railing and crashing heavily into the snow outside.
Li Chan stepped out of the hall, regret in his voice. “A pity. I’ve reached the fourth martial realm, the Open Mansion stage—what you cultivators call the Cave Truth stage. How could you withstand me?”
The snow had not stopped,
But the figure in the snow stirred slightly.
The air seemed to fall silent; even the sound of snow was faint, and the flurries seemed to halt.
“Not a pity.”
Shen Yu rose slowly, seemingly unhurt, dusted himself off, and said calmly, “Dao Entry realm isn’t enough. Then let it be the Golden Core realm.”
Li Chan watched, sneering. “Heh, so you’ve broken through.”