Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 526: Grudges

"Strange," Chu Liang muttered. "Is there a grudge between us?"

Why is he provoking me for no reason?

At that moment, Wang Xuanling beside him spoke with a meaningful tone, "You don't have a grudge with him, and the Mount Shu Sect has no grudge with the Fuyao Kingdom either."

"Now I get it," Chu Liang immediately understood. Say no more. It must be another grudge caused by my esteemed teacher back in the day.

Wang Xuanling pointed to the opposite side of the arena, where the leader of the Fuyao Kingdom team stood. She was a tall, middle-aged woman with a stern expression and snow-white skin, dressed in a fitted black outfit. Her hair fell just past her ears, partially covering one of her eyes.

"That's Han Lingshuang from the Fuyao Kingdom's Royal Wave Bureau," Wang Xuanling explained. "She has been managing the bureau's internal affairs in recent years and wields significant power. Back in the day, she and your esteemed teacher participated in the same Assembly of Immortal Sects, where your teacher beat her up so badly that she burst into tears on the arena stage."

The Fuyao Kingdom's Royal Wave Bureau operated much like the Yu Dynasty's Imperial Supervisory Bureau, both serving as cultivator institutions under the authority of their respective courts. However, the Royal Wave Bureau had a closer connection to the royal family, being nearly entirely controlled by them. For a woman to attain such a high-ranking position there, she must have remarkable skills and abilities.

Chu Liang observed the woman, who exuded an air of aloofness and coldness. It was hard to picture her in tears, breaking down in public.

It's just losing a fight on the arena stage. What's there to cry about? Chu Liang thought.

But then he realized something—his teacher was Di Nufeng. He couldn't help but imagine that she had likely taunted Han Lingshuang during the fight, hurling insults and teasing the poor girl while mixing physical attacks with psychological torment. Otherwise, how could he, a disciple of the next generation, be caught up in this grudge?

"Be mentally prepared," Wang Xuanling warned. "Your teacher made quite a few enemies back then, and many of them are now core figures in various immortal sects. If they see you, they might take a special interest in you."

Chu Liang slapped his forehead in realization. No wonder he had felt so many hostile stares the moment he stepped into the arena.

At first, he thought it was due to his close relationship with Senior Sister Jiang. But now, it seemed that his teacher was the main reason.

He couldn't help but sigh and say, "How could she possibly make so many enemies just by participating in one Assembly of Immortal Sects..."

"The Di Nufeng you see today is much more mature," Wang Xuanling explained. "When she was younger, she was probably a hundred times worse."

"..." Chu Liang fell silent for a moment.

Was she even human back then? Did she slap every old man she passed on the street? Did people from three streets away flee in fear when they heard her coming? Were even the dogs within ten miles terrified of her?

With a sigh that seemed to carry a thousand thoughts, Chu Liang finally said, "Senior Uncle Wang, you must have had a difficult time all these years."

The old man had been fighting the dark forces within the Mount Shu Sect alone for years, and it had been tough for him.

"Haaaaaa!" Wang Xuanling responded with a sigh as well.

During this time, Chen Xuanlu provided a brief overview of their upcoming match against the team from the Fuyao Kingdom.

Fuyao Kingdom was a powerful enemy that would surely secure a spot in the competition of the hundred sects, which meant that their team would most likely face off against the Mount Shu Sect. Therefore, it was crucial for the Mount Shu Sect to gather as much information as possible.

Unfortunately, Chen Xuanlu didn't have much information to provide.

He only knew that the young cultivators from the Fuyao Kingdom practiced some unusual divine techniques. As the most skilled cultivator in the Profound Mind Sect, Liu Yunzheng was naturally chosen to fight first, aiming to secure the first victory for their team.

However, he faced a towering cultivator from the Fuyao Kingdom, whose body resembled solid metal—immune to sabers, spears, and divine techniques. The man charged forward and threw a powerful punch.

Liu Yunzheng, quick on his feet, swiftly dodged behind the opponent. However, to his shock, two more arms suddenly emerged from the man's back, grabbing him and kicking him off the stage in a single fluid motion.

The remaining two contestants from the Fuyao Kingdom were both women. One was petite and skilled in stealth techniques, making her movements unpredictable even on the open stage. The other was tall and could transform into a crane and send her feathers flying like sharp arrows.

Each of the three fighters far outmatched the disciples of the Profound Mind Sect, all of whom were defeated within three moves.

As for the youth with the saber on his back who had taunted Chu Liang, he hadn't even entered the match. Judging by his demeanor on the sidelines, he was likely the strongest member of their team.

The first day's matches proceeded at a fast pace. The winners advanced, while the losers left, and the second round of matches immediately followed.

The members of the Profound Mind Sect lost interest in watching and decided to leave. Meanwhile, the Mount Shu Sect team was searching for their next target when they heard a commotion coming from the other side.

They all turned their attention in that direction.

...

Not far away, a crowd had gathered around an arena, people standing layer upon layer, all staring at the person on stage. However, their gazes were not filled with admiration, but rather with a hint of curiosity, as if they were watching for entertainment.

On the stage was a woman holding a longsword, engaged in battle.

She wore crimson-gold armor over a neatly fitted white dress, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail that accentuated her sharp, determined aura. With high-arched brows and almond-shaped eyes, her skin was as smooth as white jade, radiating a vibrant glow.

The longsword in her hand was equally striking, measuring four and a half chi in length, with red inscriptions etched along its blade. When she channeled her foundational qi into it, the sword erupted into roaring flames.

Whoosh—

The woman swung her sword, and the longsword slashed through the wind with a scorching blaze!

Her opponent was a young cultivator in a Daoist monk robe. Seeing the fierce strike coming his way, he quickly formed a seal, and a shield wall of chaotic wind and thunder gathered in front of him, blocking the woman's path.

But the woman remained undeterred. With determination in her eyes, she raised her sword high and brought it down with force onto the shield wall!

Boom—

With a thunderous crash that reverberated throughout the arena, the wall of wind and thunder shattered! The Daoist monk behind it quickly altered his stance, thrusting forward with a palm strike that roared with the power of dragons and tigers.

The woman's sword strike had just landed, and her qi was momentarily depleted, making it impossible for her to raise her sword again. Yet she did not back down; instead, she charged forward, seemingly ready to meet the palm strike head-on!

But just as the wind from the palm strike approached, the woman's eyes suddenly lit up, and her armor burst into blazing purple-gold flames!

"Samadhi True Fire!" the Daoist monk exclaimed in shock, quickly pulling back his palm.

The foundational qi in the wind generated by his palm instantly dissipated the moment it came into contact with the purple flames. As the woman advanced, the Daoist monk found himself forced to retreat, completely unable to fight back.

Fortunately, the purple-gold flames around the woman quickly faded, disappearing within a breath.

At this point, the Daoist monk had backed away to the edge of the arena. With the longsword in her right hand filled with qi, the woman closed in and slashed downward once more!

Boom—

The sword qi sliced through the air with a thunderous roar!

The Daoist monk could only twist his palms together, raising them in defense.

In his rush, he barely had time to form a complex seal, managing only to create a basic green barrier to shield himself from the fiery sword qi.

Bang—

This was clearly wishful thinking, as the woman's sword qi shattered the barrier effortlessly. With no room left to retreat, the Daoist monk had no choice but to leap off the stage to escape the strike.

The winner of the match was instantly decided.

The woman spun gracefully, holding her longsword in reverse, and strode back to the center of the stage with an air of authority.

With her flaming sword, she appeared heroic and carefree.

"Bravo!" Cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

This Daoist monk was a top disciple from Cold Cloud Temple, known for his strength among local cultivators. Yet, against the woman's divine fire and sword qi, the fight had been swift and one-sided.

Even those who had initially come just for entertainment were now captivated by the woman's heroic presence.

She swept her eyes across the crowd and caught sight of the Mount Shu Sect team. In a flash, her gaze sharpened, targeting Chu Liang like an arrow.

Chu Liang quickly lowered his head to evade her piercing gaze.

This was actually the first time he had seen this woman, but considering her identity, he wasn't shocked by the intensity of her glare.

Among the three children of the imperial family currently possessing the Divine Fire Spirit, the Second Prince was the eldest and had already participated in the previous Assembly of Immortal Sects. Consequently, the Sixth Princess and the Thirteenth Prince from the Xia imperial family participated in this year's assembly.

The one who had just ascended the stage, wielding the Profound Aetherflame Iron Sword, was none other than the Sixth Princess, Xia Shu.

Until now, she had seldom appeared before the citizens of the capital. The most well-known tale about her was how she had been rejected twice when the Emperor attempted to arrange marriages for her, turning her into a subject of gossip and jokes across the nation. However, her participation in the Assembly of Immortal Sects drew many curious spectators eager to see her in action.

Her remarkable strength was unexpected and the crowd responded with genuine cheers.

Chu Liang lowered his head, thinking to himself, The competition of the hundred sects hasn't even started, and I'm already making enemies left and right. Is my name simply unlucky? Can I change my name to Chu Pengyou[1]? Or is it too late?

1. Pengyou means friend ☜