Chapter 131: Slaying Demons and Vanquishing Evil—The Treasure Bestowed by the Sect Leader!
After confirming that Chu Yang was indeed the real deal, Qingwei and Xu Changqing both breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily ignoring Cang Gu's anger.
Qingwei looked at Chu Yang with a solemn expression and asked, "I'll ask you once more—are you certain you want to participate in the Sword Qi Contest?"
Chu Yang nodded resolutely. There was no way he was leaving Shu Mountain Sect!
"Your heart is so firmly set on the Dao, and yet…" Qingwei let out a long sigh as he looked up at the sky. Then he nodded. "Very well. Let's pretend I never said those words before. You may stay on the mountain."
Upon hearing this, Cang Gu immediately fell silent.
Xu Changqing looked at Chu Yang with delight. He knew that from now on, the sect leader would no longer bring up the matter of having Chu Yang leave the sect.
"Master, I still want to participate in the Sword Qi Contest."
Chu Yang's voice echoed in the grand hall, catching the other three completely off guard!
"You're really pushing it, huh? Talking all this nonsense—I don't care if you're standing before our ancestors' portraits, I'll still beat you!"
Cang Gu's temper had been fluctuating like a rollercoaster all day. He was at his limit and was genuinely ready to give his unruly disciple a good lesson in "tough love"!
Xu Changqing walked up to Chu Yang and whispered, "Junior Brother, know when to stop. Even though the sect leader is kind by nature, don't keep pushing it with such outrageous requests."
Qingwei saw the determination in Chu Yang's expression. It didn't seem like he was speaking on impulse, and for a moment, he was deeply moved. He asked, "Why go this far?"
Chu Yang replied, "If I can hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening."
Xu Changqing took a few steps back, re-evaluating the junior brother who had been by his side for years, his face showing admiration.
Cang Gu no longer felt anger. He just stared blankly at Chu Yang, feeling a strange sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity at the same time.
"Master, while my talent in Dao cultivation may be limited, my martial arts talent is not."
Chu Yang spoke with confidence.
The training methods of the Qi Sect and the Sword Sect were vastly different. The Sword Sect followed the path of using martial arts to enter the Dao, starting with physical training through combat techniques.
The Qi Sect, on the other hand, adhered to ancient methods—practicing internal and external alchemy, refining a golden core within, consuming elixirs, attuning with the heavenly Dao, and only after gaining mystical power would they consider martial techniques and spells.
However, both sects shared a common requirement—they had to descend the mountain and enter the mortal world to subdue demons and uphold righteousness.
This was the core philosophy of the Shu Mountain Sect, one that would not vanish due to the Sword Qi Contest.
"Martial arts?"
Qingwei was skeptical. If Chu Yang truly had talent in martial arts, then the Qi Sect had actually hindered his progress all these years.
"Changqing, have a spar with your junior brother."
With a wave of his horsetail whisk, Qingwei transported all four of them from the grand hall to a secluded bamboo forest.
They couldn't exactly have them fight in front of the ancestors' portraits, could they?
Xu Changqing had achieved mastery in Qi cultivation long ago and had been practicing martial arts for quite some time. He was also a martial genius.
Qingwei figured that if Chu Yang could last twenty moves against him, then he would be capable of protecting himself in the Sword Qi Contest.
He bent down, picked up two fallen bamboo leaves, and tossed them toward Chu Yang and Xu Changqing. Mid-air, the leaves transformed into bamboo swords and landed in their hands.
"Just spar, don't go too far."
Before the duel began, Cang Gu suddenly spoke.
Xu Changqing immediately understood and respectfully responded, "Rest assured, Master, I won't hurt Junior Brother Ayang."
Cang Gu glared at him, annoyed.
Xu Changqing scratched his head in confusion, unsure how he had managed to upset his master again.
"Senior Brother, I'm going to attack now."
Chu Yang couldn't help but chuckle, tapping his bamboo sword against a nearby tree to signal Xu Changqing.
Cang Gu had meant for it to be a quiet reminder, but Chu Yang had said it outright, leaving no room for subtlety.
Xu Changqing had emotional intelligence—just not much of it. But at least he was righteous and pure-hearted.
"Junior Brother, please strike."
Xu Changqing stood ready, not showing a single opening. It wasn't that he took Chu Yang too seriously—it was simply his habit, ingrained through years of training under his master and the elders.
Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit.
Chu Yang didn't go all out from the start. Instead, he used an unassuming yet unpredictable sword technique—Nameless Swordplay.
This technique was full of unexpected moves, difficult to grasp, yet always capable of exploiting an opponent's weaknesses.
As soon as they crossed swords, Xu Changqing's eyes lit up.
But he didn't panic. Sword light condensed around him, forming multiple blades that hovered in midair. The energy gathered to its peak, solidifying into tangible sword light—a feat only achievable by those who had mastered the art of sword control.
With his swordplay fully integrated into his being, Xu Changqing's strikes followed his thoughts, attacking and retracting at will.
Seeing this, Qingwei and Cang Gu both nodded, their faces filled with satisfaction. They were confident that Xu Changqing could take first place in the Sword Qi Contest.
As Xu Changqing advanced with his sword, Chu Yang continued to respond with Nameless Swordplay, his movements precise and fluid. In the blink of an eye, twenty moves had already passed.
Qingwei's expression grew serious.
Chu Yang's martial arts skills had genuinely surprised him. The depth of his swordplay was profound—though not yet touching the Dao, it wasn't far off.
"Twenty moves have passed. He is qualified to participate in the Sword Qi Contest."
Cang Gu was so excited that he nearly jumped for joy, but upon noticing Qingwei's displeased expression, he quickly straightened up, regaining his stern demeanor.
"Junior Brother, while this is good news, have you considered that we might have wasted his potential all these years? If he had been placed in the Sword Sect and trained under Dugu Yuyun, his achievements might not be any less than Changqing's." Qingwei spoke with guilt.
Cang Gu, who had been celebrating just moments ago, suddenly felt cold. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang and Xu Changqing continued their exchange, surpassing a hundred moves before they even realized it.
Xu Changqing gradually came to understand—his junior brother's martial talent was beyond what ordinary people could fathom.
"It's a pity… Junior Brother's talent in Dao cultivation…"
The more Xu Changqing thought about it, the more he regretted it. Without the ability to grasp the Dao, no matter how strong one's martial arts were, it would always fall short of true martial enlightenment.
"That's enough, Changqing!"
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Qingwei called off the duel and officially approved Chu Yang's participation in the Sword Qi Contest.
Cang Gu walked up to Chu Yang, looking at him with regret. "You are remarkable. Perhaps I should have sent you to the Sword Sect instead of bringing you to the Qi Sect."
Chu Yang shook his head. "A life-saving grace is greater than the heavens. To me, there is no difference between the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect."
Qingwei smiled. "Why do you say that?"
Chu Yang replied, "To slay demons and vanquish evil, both sword and qi are equally valid."
"To slay demons and vanquish evil…" Qingwei muttered, momentarily lost in thought. "For centuries, people have debated which path is more likely to lead to immortality, all obsessed with seeking transcendence. But is that truly the purpose of our cultivation?"
"…Perhaps we have been mistaken all along."
Cang Gu quickly interrupted, "Senior Brother, mind your words!"
Qingwei gathered himself, regaining his composure. "I'm getting old… too easily swayed. My cultivation is still lacking."
Then, he patted Chu Yang's shoulder. "Remember what you said. If the day comes when you must slay demons and vanquish evil, promise me—do not waver!"
"I will remember."
Qingwei led the three back to the sect's main hall.
He then had Chu Yang kneel before the ancestral portrait to complete the entry ceremony. From this day forward, he was officially a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sect.
Chu Yang's master was Cang Gu.
Even though Cang Gu tried every possible way to refuse, Chu Yang still chose him.
Cang Gu hesitated and said, "I may not be able to teach you anything."
Chu Yang smiled. "That's fine. I just want to call you 'Master.'"
Cang Gu nodded in relief.
Qingwei stroked his long beard and teased with a laugh, "Hahaha, Junior Brother, you've taken in another fine disciple. First Changqing, now Ayang—makes me so envious!"
Cang Gu coughed a few times, then said smugly, "What's the head of Shu Mountain talking about? Others not envying you is already rare enough."
Taking advantage and still playing coy!
Qingwei couldn't be bothered to argue, so he waved his horsetail whisk to shoo Cang Gu aside and then turned to Chu Yang. "Since you plan to follow the path of martial cultivation, you can't take the Qi Sect's approach. You'll need to descend the mountain and experience the world—be prepared for that."
Chu Yang nodded. "I understand, Master."
Qingwei then reminded Xu Changqing, "You, too, grew up on this mountain and have little worldly experience. This is a good chance to accompany your junior brother down the mountain and look out for each other.
"Don't forget to teach and guide him along the way."
Xu Changqing nodded excitedly. He had cultivated for so long but had never left the mountain before!
"You'll set off tomorrow morning."
The two left the main hall together.
Watching their departing figures, Cang Gu walked over to Qingwei, his voice tinged with worry. "These two kids each have their flaws. Ayang is overly cautious but lacks initiative, while Changqing… he might not escape his fated tribulation."
Qingwei sighed. "That's exactly why they need to descend the mountain. How can cultivators ignore tribulations? One must face them—only by confronting them can they break through."
Cang Gu frowned in concern. "But what if he fails?"
Qingwei replied calmly, "Then that is his fate. No one can change it."
Cang Gu let out a long sigh. "An emotional tribulation… is the hardest to overcome."
—
The next day.
Xu Changqing arrived early outside Chu Yang's room. To maintain the composure expected of a senior disciple, he took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and then knocked.
"Junior Brother! We're heading down the mountain today!" His voice was noticeably more enthusiastic than usual.
"Senior Brother, next time, don't wake me up so early. You'll mess up my biological clock."
Chu Yang opened the door with an annoyed expression. Though he complained, he was already fully dressed and washed up.
"Huh? What clock?"
Xu Changqing looked confused.
"Let's go down the mountain."
Chu Yang sighed inwardly. This guy was so naïve—if he got tricked, he wouldn't even realize it. No wonder Jing Tian played him like a fiddle.
"Alright! Where are we headed?"
Xu Changqing took the lead, turning back to look at Chu Yang.
Chu Yang didn't want to get involved with the Demon Lord so soon, so he definitely wasn't going to Yuzhou.
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