“Pant… Pant…”

Xu Ziyang could hear the thunderous rush of blood and qi within his chest, his cultivation running at high speed, his body shrouded in a mist of steam as if enveloped by a layer of leaping flames.

He clenched his fists tightly, taking a difficult step forward, and then another.

This was the fifteenth level of the Heavenly Staircase, and only a very few could reach this point. Each step he took was a challenge to himself, not a competition with others.

The towering mountains, the steep stone steps, his solitary figure was like a flagpole, standing straight and tall no matter how much force was exerted against his back.

Boom!

With each step, he shattered the rocks beneath his feet.

Finally.

When his vision was almost blurred, a glimmer of dawn appeared ahead. Was that the end of the road?

He gritted his teeth and charged forward.

Whoosh—

In a flash of light, his figure appeared at the summit of Tongtian Peak, in front of the stele’s light and shadow.

Xu Ziyang looked up, and the first thing he saw was the massive stele, with a name etched high above, seemingly unchangeable.

Chu Liang…

And below that was his own name, Xu Ziyang.

Had he lost again?

The moment Xu Ziyang saw the name, a sense of disbelief surged in his heart. Had he really lost despite cutting through all obstacles and pushing forward?

His gaze shifted slightly downward, and there stood Chu Liang in front of the stele, seemingly having just emerged not long ago, still surveying his surroundings.

He looked much more at ease than Xu Ziyang, appearing elegant and effortless.

How could this be?

Xu Ziyang’s brows furrowed tightly.

Not only was he shocked, but so were the spectators from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands on the high platform.

Previously, only a few had paid attention to the name Chu Liang. Most of the visitors to Shu Mountain were more focused on the names Xu Ziyang and Jiang Yuebai.

But now, a previously not-so-famous junior disciple had completely stolen the limelight from those two, boldly claiming the first place in this trial!

Just how strong was this first place?

The representatives of the various immortal sects, who had been slow to notice, now converged their gazes on Chu Liang, memorizing his harmless smile and unassuming figure in their hearts.

Wang Xuanling’s expression was particularly solemn.

Having watched the entire process, he clearly understood where Xu Ziyang had fallen short.

In terms of cultivation, his own disciple was definitely stronger, but from the start, he had cut through all his mental burdens and moved forward without hesitation. Chu Liang, on the other hand, had carried all his burdens forward, making his journey arduous.

However, as the external pressure increased in the middle section of the Heavenly Staircase, all those burdens would transform into a powerful force, helping one to advance.

At that moment, Xu Ziyang fell behind.

Chu Liang, propelled by numerous illusions, had almost effortlessly reached the top of the Heavenly Staircase in the latter half. After being the first to reach the summit, his ranking on the stele naturally wouldn’t change, and he was undoubtedly the first.

To say that Chu Liang won by luck was not entirely true.

After all, there were other disciples who made the same choice, like Lin Bei, who also didn’t want to give up his obsessions, but those disciples didn’t have the strength to carry all their burdens to the middle section.

The first place Chu Liang obtained seemed more like a combination of strength, wisdom, and a bit of luck.

Wang Xuanling flew down beside Xu Ziyang, placing a hand on his shoulder, and instantly a warm current flowed through him, washing away all fatigue.

“Master…” Xu Ziyang’s face showed a hint of shame.

“It’s alright,” Wang Xuanling seemed to guess what he was thinking and gently shook his head: “As long as you have gained some insight from today’s trial of the heart, winning or losing doesn’t matter.”

“Didn’t I always tell you that winning or losing is not important? How come you casually took first place as soon as you got up?” Di Nvfeng also flew to Chu Liang’s side, speaking loudly: “You’re making the person who worked hard for second place lose face, where should they put it?”

“Hmph.”

Wang Xuanling could only flick his sleeve and let out a cold snort.

…

In the dimly lit room, the phantom of the man in white robes met again with the man in black.

“The Shu Mountain Summit has finally begun…” The man in black said with a sinister smile: “I suppose it must be quite lively, right?”

“It’s just the first day of the preliminaries, and that Chu Liang has taken the top spot again, truly infuriating,” the man in white robes said with a hint of personal grudge, grinding his teeth.

“Don’t worry, when our plan is set in motion and Shu Mountain is thrown into chaos, we can leave him for you to deal with,” the man in black said.

“Let’s forget it,” the man in white robes thought for a moment and shook his head: “This kid has something evil about him; the Twin Blade Killer has tried to kill him several times and failed, I don’t have that confidence.”

“Heh, you’re actually afraid of a greenhorn kid,” the man in black sneered.

“Have you not seen his miraculous side?” the man in white robes retorted.

The man in black paused, then said: “Regardless, in the face of the boss’s grand plan, he can’t change anything.”

“When exactly is the boss planning to act?” the man in white robes asked, “To this day, we still don’t have an exact time.””Because we’re still waiting for news from the Mingwang Sect, Shu Mountain is no ordinary place; they need to make some preparations.” The man in black said, “The closer we get to this juncture, the less we can afford to be impatient.”

“You might not be in a hurry, but I can’t wait to leave.” The man in white robes said resentfully, “Do you know? Elder Danding has finally chosen his closed-door disciple.”

“Oh? The one to inherit his mantle?” The man in black asked, “Haven’t you been eyeing that position for a long time? Has a more talented newcomer appeared?”

“Yes.” The man in white robes nodded, “And that person is Chu Liang.”

“Him again?” The man in black was astonished.

Suddenly, he felt that this name was appearing too frequently.

Why was it always him?

“This kid is not only skilled in cultivation but also in alchemy?” He found it hard to believe.

“In just one month, he concocted a high-quality Green Pill, attracting Elder Danding’s favor. What’s most infuriating is…” The man in white robes gritted his teeth, “He even refused.”

Elder Danding had been looking for a true successor to become the chief alchemist of Shu Mountain after his demise. His direct disciples all knew of his intentions, so they had been trying hard to impress him in recent years.

The man in white robes was no exception.

But who would have thought that Elder Danding would set his sights on a disciple from outside the Danding Hall? And to make matters worse, that person actually refused!

The direct disciples had been competing for this position for years to no avail, yet he dismissed it with disdain, which was infuriating to anyone.

“It seems I need to speak to the boss and prioritize his importance ahead of Xu Ziyang and Jiang Yuebai,” the man in black muttered to himself.

A genius in alchemy is undoubtedly more valuable than a mere cultivation genius.

…

“Achoo.”

Chu Liang sneezed again but didn’t care. He was used to being talked about behind his back.

Besides, he had more important things to do at the moment.

Before him was an open-air vast square, with hundreds of tables set up, each spaced several meters apart. Not only the disciples from various peaks were participating, but also the peak masters and some elders were personally taking their seats at the tables, ready for action.

Sitting in front of Chu Liang were three people, all staring seriously at the table in front of them, which was covered with densely packed white jade mahjong tiles.

It was the second day since he had won the first place in the Heavenly Ladder, and today was the Shu Mountain Mahjong Tournament!

The atmosphere was even more intense than yesterday’s Heavenly Ladder!

On Shu Mountain, many people could accept being told they had weak cultivation, but not that they were poor at playing cards.

In the first round of the Mahjong Tournament, participants were randomly assigned to a table, four people per table, to play sixteen rounds. The one with the most chips at the end would advance, and the other three would be eliminated.

The other three disciples were also unfamiliar faces; Chu Liang did not know them before, but they clearly knew him—after the Mountain God Festival and yesterday’s Heavenly Ladder, there were few on Shu Mountain who did not know Chu Liang.

“Senior Brother Chu is also participating in the Mahjong Tournament,” one disciple greeted.

“I’m just here to see what it’s like.” Chu Liang showed a feigned smile, “I don’t know how to play.”

Upon hearing this, the other three immediately smiled, and someone comforted him, “Don’t worry, beginners have the best luck.”

Chu Liang’s eyes widened innocently, “Really?”

Good morning.

Thanks to the alliance leaders “Regardless of Everything” and “Great Dao Scholar 0 Tracing Plum Blossoms in the Snow” for their rewards, the owed chapters are back to 44.

(End of chapter)