“Really?!”

Chu Liang overturned the mahjong tiles, his eyes filled with naive surprise as he looked around at everyone. The meaning in his gaze seemed to say that beginner’s luck was real!

Pure suit, floating win, winning on a kong.

He swept away a significant amount of chips from the other three players in an instant, and the key point was, this was only the third round of dealing… They hadn’t even properly organized their own hands yet.

Moreover, this was Chu Liang’s fourth consecutive win, and they had only played four rounds in total.

Was this beginner’s luck?

They must be kidding!

Even when we first touched mahjong straight from the womb, we never encountered such a thing; this guy was clearly pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger!

The other three Shu Mountain disciples, who had also been immersed in mahjong for many years, naturally didn’t believe Chu Liang’s nonsense anymore. They exchanged glances and silently reached a consensus.

Because the first round of the mahjong competition was a selection of one out of four, and after sixteen rounds, only one person from their table could advance. Now, after four rounds, Chu Liang had won all by himself, naturally becoming the target everyone was ready to gang up on.

No matter who among the other three wanted to advance, they had to make him spit out the chips he had won!

One against three, let’s see how you can still win!

Slap.

“Is this what they call the ‘Pure Dragon Seven Pairs’?”

Chu Liang had only played two rounds when he once again overturned his hand, still with a puzzled look as he turned to everyone. The tiles he revealed were shockingly impressive.

“Huh?” The three of them were so shocked that their mouths hung open.

If this weren’t the site of the Shu Mountain Mahjong Competition, they would definitely suspect this person of using magical powers to cheat.

But the venue of Shu Mountain had long been shielded with magical instruments and formations, ensuring that any use of true qi to cheat would be impossible to hide. The person before them, if not relying on luck, could only be relying on skill.

But did such miraculous card skills really exist?

They were all cultivators, with strong spiritual minds, but precisely because of this, they knew that achieving such a feat without magical powers was nearly impossible.

Even if the three of them were determined to focus on one, they needed a chance to play! Now all the tiles seemed to be arranged by him; how could they play?

Just as Chu Liang won for the tenth consecutive time, a disciple across the table couldn’t help but stand up!

He stared straight at Chu Liang, paused, and then said, “Senior Brother Chu, I don’t want to play with you anymore. Take me as your disciple! I want to learn how to play cards from you!”

Chu Liang quickly waved his hands and laughed, “I’m just lucky, that’s all.”

“Luck alone can’t do this!” the disciple exclaimed loudly.

“Why not? Look at her…” Chu Liang raised his hand and pointed to a table nearby.

It turned out that while playing cards, he still had the leisure to pay attention to the situation at the next table. Sitting there was a pure and naive girl, who, with a bit of nervousness, laid down the tiles she had just drawn.

“Is this… another win?” the girl asked somewhat anxiously.

She could tell from the expressions of the three people opposite her that they were becoming increasingly fierce.

Afraid.

Especially after she won another round with a heavenly hand.

This girl was naturally Liu Xiaoyu, the player sent by Silver Sword Peak. She looked at the gloomy expressions of the three at her table and cautiously asked, “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” replied a male disciple opposite her with a smile that looked more like a cry, “You’re doing very well.”

Chu Liang looked at the several large stacks of chips in front of Xiaoyu, taller than her head, and nodded in satisfaction. Worthy of being a player from my Silver Sword Peak!

Seeing this, the others at his table also felt a chill in their hearts. What kind of divine gambler breeding ground was Silver Sword Peak, producing such terrifying individuals?

Just as this thought crossed their minds, a loud shout came from not far away: “Do you even know how to play?!”

Master?

Chu Liang was startled and turned to look.

He saw Di Nvfeng standing up, pointing at a disciple in front of her who was as silent as a cicada in winter, yelling, “You keep playing tiles that the next player obviously needs, are you in cahoots with him? Where’s the elder? There’s foul play at my table, I won’t accept being eliminated like this! Waaah—”

Seeing Di Nvfeng about to go berserk, Chu Liang quickly stepped forward to stop her, repeatedly urging, “Master! Calm down! There’s still me and Xiaoyu, Silver Sword Peak will definitely win! Don’t be angry! Don’t be angry!”

Di Nvfeng’s outburst caused chaos.

People were overturned.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

…

Northern Sacred Mountain.

In the far north beyond the Northern Region, there is a range of snow-capped mountains, among which the tallest and most majestic one soars into the clouds like a sharp sword piercing the cold sky.

In the Northern Region, there is a legend that the most revered figure of the human Buddhist community lives atop this sacred mountain.

Every year, countless young pilgrims set out northward to climb this peak, all seeking to find and become disciples of that legendary figure.

It is said that if one has excellent aptitude, they can see the master’s dharma seat and become a disciple. If one’s aptitude is insufficient, they will only see the cold and desolate snowy mountain, gaining nothing.

The reason so many people are eager to climb the Sacred Mountain to seek a master is not only because of faith but also because of the deeds of this master.

It is well known in the cultivation world that the “Master of All Laws” on the Sacred Mountain is one of the longest-lived human powerhouses. Over the past years, he has taught many famous disciples.

Five hundred years ago, a disciple who had learned his Buddhist teachings descended from the mountain to the most prosperous city in the human world, Yudu City. Outside Yudu City, he built a temple called Chonglou Temple.

Yes, it is one of the ten major sects, the nation-protecting Chonglou Temple.Two hundred years ago, another disciple who inherited his swordsmanship descended from the Sacred Mountain and established his own sect by the North Sea.

Later, as the human world became tumultuous, this sect rose among the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, known as the Night Blade Sect.

Striding across the North Sea with a blade at night!

The current sect master of the Night Blade Sect is now called the Northern Imperial Heaven Blade, his might shaking the northern skies, unrivaled in prominence. Many years ago, he too was one of the young people who ascended the Sacred Mountain to seek tutelage.

How could the later generations not rush to emulate?

However, setting aside these resounding titles in the human world, this is but an ordinary snow mountain.

Atop the snow mountain lies an ancient, pure white temple, shrouded in mist, hidden from the sight of mortals.

Inside a side hall of the temple, spiritual energy is abundant at this moment.

A young girl, appearing not to have many years to her name, sits in the center of the hall, eyes tightly shut, her expression one of agony. Around her, no less than dozens of chains are wrapped around her body, and the ground is covered with complex array patterns drawn in cinnabar.

The array flickers with red light, and with each flicker, the surrounding chains tremble, squeezing out a stream of black qi from the little girl’s body.

Outside the side hall, the Whale-Riding Immortal with his bamboo hat watches the scene inside anxiously, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes, “It has already been forty-nine days, can it truly be successful?”

Previously, he had brought the little girl, who had emerged from the Immortal’s Grace, to the Sacred Mountain in the northern domain to find a way to lift the calamity from her. Although a method was indeed found, the uncertainty at this final moment was inevitable.

“Everything seems to be going smoothly so far.”

Beside him stood a slightly balding middle-aged monk, somewhat short and portly, dressed in a thick cotton monk’s robe, his face showing a bit of simplicity and honesty.

In response to the Whale-Riding Immortal’s question, he answered warmly, “The Venerable has already purged her of the accumulated death qi. However, a ‘Bá’ by nature transitions from yin to yang, from death to life. As long as she lives, she will gradually accumulate death qi. Her actions will stir the yin and evil of heaven and earth, bringing various disasters. These disasters also help her accumulate the blood qi necessary for her advancement, and she herself does not resist it. Therefore, the Venerable’s intention is that even if this is successful, she should not leave the Sacred Mountain.”

“Stay here?” The Whale-Riding Immortal pondered for a moment.

Just then, a pained cry from the little girl came from inside the hall: “Ah—”

Her brows furrowed tightly, as if she was about to open her eyes. The iron chains around her seemed to be pressing down on her soul, preventing her from awakening. Each struggle was accompanied by a violent shake of the chains, and the rebound became even more intense against her.

Boom—

The light of the array ceased to flicker and began to glow continuously, the ground’s fiery red light like a sea of fire! And in the midst of this inferno, the girl screamed in agony, spewing out a huge mass of black qi!

Bang.

The black qi nearly burst through the dome of the side hall but was eventually refined by the countless red lights.

The little girl who had expelled the black qi now saw the iron chains around her lose their spirit, falling to the ground one after another, her body going limp and falling backward.

The Whale-Riding Immortal hurried into the side hall, lifting the little girl up and asking, “How are you?”

“Ah…” The little girl’s mouth moved slightly.

The Whale-Riding Immortal asked with concern, “What do you want to say?”

The little girl slowly opened her eyes and with great difficulty uttered two words: “Fruit… child…”

The Whale-Riding Immortal fell silent for a moment.

Well then.

Even at a time like this, all she can think about is eating.