Chapter 178: Chapter 146: Zhan Tianxia (Part 2)

A trace of contempt flashed across Hai Dongping’s face as he declared, "Him? I don’t even consider him a threat. I just want to see what tricks he used to deceive the Great City Lord and Yuechan."

Qi Feiyun and Liu Yunfeng exchanged a look. The two fellow disciples agreed this was a great opportunity, and enthusiastic smiles instantly spread across their faces. "The people of the Song Clan are masters at bewitching the hearts of others. Fellow Daoist Hai, let’s find a quiet place to discuss this properly."

——————

"No wonder I was treated like some troublemaker with ill intentions when I mentioned your name coming up the mountain. I didn’t really get it at the time, but today I finally see why. Fellow Daoist Zhuang, walking beside you is a ton of pressure," Song Changsheng joked as they approached the Dao Discussion Hall.

"Please don’t tease me, Fellow Daoist. I have no idea who started the rumor that I’m my master’s designated successor, which is what led to this situation. I’m exhausted by it all. If you hadn’t come up the mountain, I would still be in seclusion."

Zhuang Yuechan’s delicate brows furrowed; she was clearly mentally and physically exhausted by all these people.

"If you put it that way, then I feel quite honored. No wonder that Hai Dongping looked like he wanted to eat me alive," Song Changsheng said with a laugh.

"That fellow is a disciple of the Vagrant of the Vast Sea. He acts humble and courteous, but behind the scenes, he’s like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows. Fellow Daoist, you must be extremely careful of him."

At this, Zhuang Yuechan felt a pang of guilt. Her original thinking was that with Song Changsheng coming up the mountain alone, it would be too rude of her not to greet him personally. She never expected it would cause him unnecessary trouble.

"The Vagrant of the Vast Sea?" Song Changsheng had heard the name. He was a powerful Loose Cultivator who roamed the regions of Rong Province and Xuu Province, having appeared suddenly in recent years. His reputation was far from stellar, and at times, he was said to be no different from an Evil Cultivator.

’As the saying goes, if the beam on top is crooked, the ones below will be skewed. Song Changsheng could guess what sort of person a disciple taught by a man like that would be without even having to think.’

’He would almost certainly come looking for trouble again.’

’But Song Changsheng wasn’t afraid of him. His opponent’s cultivation was on par with his own, but his aura was unstable, suggesting a recent breakthrough. Song Changsheng didn’t consider him a threat in the slightest.’

’But the Vagrant of the Vast Sea backing him was a real problem. People like that had no scruples and were notoriously petty. Sometimes, they were even more despicable than Evil Cultivators. Provoking one was asking for trouble.’

"You worry too much, Fellow Daoist Zhuang. Here on Celestial Sound Mountain, not even the Vagrant of the Vast Sea would dare to act recklessly," Song Changsheng said, reassuring her.

Hearing this, Zhuang Yuechan nodded, feeling a little more at ease. In the entire Daqi Cultivation World, very few people would dare cause a scene on Celestial Sound Mountain. Even Golden Core Masters from the two major sects wouldn’t dare to act with impunity here.

When the two arrived at the Dao Discussion Hall, many people were already seated on the meditation cushions inside. Unlike last time, the moment they stepped through the door, they attracted everyone’s gaze.

However, their attention wasn’t on Song Changsheng, but on Zhuang Yuechan beside him.

Song Changsheng was no longer surprised by this. After all, they had run into plenty of people like this on the way up. He could understand their thinking, too. ’Beautiful women are a common sight, but the title of successor to the Great City Lord is one of a kind.’

’Even if they weren’t sure about the rumor’s authenticity, it wouldn’t stop them from scheming.’

The two found an inconspicuous spot to sit down. The once-empty cushions around them were instantly filled, with some people even glaring at each other as they vied for a position.

"Friend, how about switching places?" A greasy, pot-bellied man walked up to Song Changsheng and looked down on him.

Song Changsheng glanced up at him and shook his head. "Sorry, not interested."

The man’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment at the rejection, but not knowing Song Changsheng’s background, he didn’t dare to act rashly and could only depart in a sulk.

’He came to try his luck looking like *that*?’ Song Changsheng couldn’t help but shake his head. ’This world might respect the strong, but it also judges by appearances. Isn’t he just asking for humiliation?’

He hadn’t expected the fat man’s departure to be just the beginning. Quite a few people had their eyes on his spot. One after another, people came over to ask him to switch places. Some used threats, some offered bribes, and some tried to reason with him—the methods were many and varied.

’Although the offers from two of them were extremely generous, Song Changsheng refused them all. It wasn’t that he had designs on Zhuang Yuechan himself; it was a matter of the Song Clan’s honor.’

The situation continued unabated until the appearance of another person finally put an end to it.

She was a woman as remote as an iceberg. She possessed a pair of ink-black eyes, cold as frozen stone, that seemed capable of freezing one’s very soul and made it impossible to meet her gaze.

Her features were like exquisitely carved jade, her skin was flawless and as white as snow. She was tall and slender, her graceful form a perfect combination of power and delicate beauty. Her bearing was noble, and her steps were as light as a fairy descending to the mortal realm.

Her arrival once again drew the eyes of everyone in the hall, even eclipsing Zhuang Yuechan. For a moment, Song Changsheng felt the chatter around him quiet down, and the hall even seemed to grow brighter.

Song Changsheng turned to look as well, raising an eyebrow. "So it’s her."

"Fellow Daoist Song, you know her?" Zhuang Yuechan had heard him muttering and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

If it had been anyone else, they might have felt resentful about having their spotlight stolen, but Zhuang Yuechan felt deeply relieved, even wishing no one would ever notice her at all.

Song Changsheng nodded and smiled. "I saw her once at an auction. A hall of several thousand people fell completely silent when she appeared. It’s just that back then, no one was as brazen as these people, daring to swarm her directly."

"These people all have powerful backgrounds, so naturally they feel emboldened." Zhuang Yuechan had been utterly sick of these people for days. Now, however, that burden was being shifted to someone else.

Xia Qingxue watched the "young elites" swarm her like flies, a look of undisguised disgust on her face, but there was nothing she could do about them.

Fortunately, she hadn’t come alone. A burly man appeared at her side and snorted coldly. A powerful aura erupted from him, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew heavy.

With a Purple Mansion Cultivator present, the crowd finally reverted to their usual humble and courteous demeanor, returning to their cushions to sit properly. Still, they couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Xia Qingxue from the corners of their eyes.

"Dai Zichen, your Golden Crow Sect certainly is imperious." An old man with an aquiline nose walked in, his sinister gaze fixed on the burly man.

Dai Zichen retracted his aura and crossed his arms, speaking unhurriedly. "Hardly compares to your Celestial Vein Sect. You’ve made a complete mess of half the Daqi Cultivation World."

"Hmph. The Daqi Cultivation World will know peace the day your Golden Crow Sect is wiped out," the old man said coldly, his expression turning sour.

"Right back at you," Dai Zichen snorted, then walked straight to the Dao Discussion Platform at the front of the hall.

The elder gave a chilling smile and also walked forward, sitting down opposite him.

With the Elders of the two Major Sects tearing into each other right then and there, the juniors present could only lower their gazes and hold their breath.

The feud between the two Major Sects was ancient, having lasted for several thousand years. The two men had already traded barbs several times since arriving on the mountain, so the crowd was no longer surprised.

These two were the main event of today’s Dao discussion, but for some reason, neither made a move to begin. It seemed they were waiting for something.

The crowd was confused, but Zhuang Yuechan seemed to recall something. She hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Song Changsheng. "Fellow Daoist Song, we need to leave. Now."

Song Changsheng was confused. ’The Dao discussion is about to begin. Why are we leaving now?’

But seeing her anxious expression, he couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

"Ugh, let’s just get out of here first! It’ll be too late in a moment. Can I just explain later?" Zhuang Yuechan’s voice was laced with urgency.

Although he couldn’t make heads or tails of her behavior, Song Changsheng knew Zhuang Yuechan wouldn’t act this way without a reason. He was just getting to his feet when she suddenly said, "It’s too late."

"What’s too late?" Song Changsheng asked, his face a mask of confusion. He didn’t sense any danger, and he couldn’t believe anyone would dare cause a disturbance on Celestial Sound Mountain.

Soon, he understood what Zhuang Yuechan was worried about.

A hulking man wreathed in lightning walked into the Dao Discussion Hall...