Chapter 138.2: I Am Doing This for the People of the World

RWhat the hell?!

This guy actually thinks I'm a lecherous scoundrel?!

Chu Yang shot him a disdainful look. "Senior Brother, your thoughts are so filthy. I approached Miss Zhao simply because I'm interested in Southern Border sorcery and Gu techniques. She's the only one here who understands them."

With that, Chu Yang flipped his palm, revealing a plump, wriggling Gu insect in his hand.

"Ah?"

Xu Changqing's face flushed with embarrassment. Realizing his mistake, he hurriedly apologized.

Chu Yang sneered. "Tsk tsk, the dignified top disciple of Shu Mountain, yet your mind is so impure. With thoughts like that, I must report you to our master once we return!"

Xu Changqing was so anxious he almost knelt before Chu Yang, repeatedly pleading for mercy.

"If you want me to keep quiet, that's fine—but no matter what happens later, you must follow my lead and keep your mouth shut!"

Xu Changqing pounded his chest, swearing that for his Junior Brother, he would brave fire and steel without hesitation.

By the time they reached the General's Tomb, night had already fallen. The surrounding zombies had become more active, moving much faster than they had during the day.

Chu Yang simply stood by and let Xu Changqing handle the monsters alone.

After all, Xu Changqing was Shu Mountain's top disciple, rigorously trained from childhood. He was far stronger than the inexperienced Li Xiaoyao, and the Skeleton General was no match for him.

Moreover, with the Devourer Gu constantly slowing the Skeleton General's movements, the battle was one-sided.

A few flashes of golden light later, the Skeleton General's body was completely dismantled, and all the power it had accumulated was absorbed by the Devourer Gu.

The two continued deeper into the tomb, eventually reaching the lowest level.

A terrifying blood pool came into view.

An overwhelming crimson glow illuminated the underground space—it was impossible to tell how many lives had been sacrificed to create it.

Xu Changqing trembled, furious beyond words. Compared to the Red Ghost King, the Serpent Demon's sins were a hundred times lesser. This was the most fiendish specter he had ever encountered.

"Evil creature, prepare to die!"

Xu Changqing commanded his sword to strike the Red Ghost King.

Sword energy surged, intertwining with the crimson glow.

The Red Ghost King was doomed. No matter what abilities Chu Yang used against it, they were of no consequence. Unlike Lin Tiannan, there was no need to worry about revealing his powers.

The King's Haki, combined with Xu Changqing's assault, pressed down upon the Red Ghost King.

Perhaps due to its spectral nature, the Red Ghost King demonstrated strong resistance to mental attacks.

Instead of fainting outright, it fell into a state of confusion.

But that was enough.

Disoriented, the Red Ghost King never managed to complete a single spell during the battle.

It was mercilessly cut down by Xu Changqing's relentless strikes, its body utterly shredded by sword energy.

Had Chu Yang not been quick to react, the Devourer Gu might have been destroyed by the residual sword energy, wasting a thousand years' worth of accumulated power.

After the Red Ghost King perished, a brown pearl flew out from its body and landed at Xu Changqing's feet.

Picking it up, Xu Changqing's pupils contracted sharply as he exclaimed, "The Earth Spirit Pearl?!"

"No wonder the Red Ghost King was able to wreak havoc—it had obtained the Earth Spirit Pearl. Junior Brother, we must hurry and deliver this pearl to Shu Mountain. Leaving it here would be disastrous."

Chu Yang nodded.

At this stage, the five Spirit Pearls were as dangerous as the Infinity Stones. He wasn't planning to mess with them just yet—it was better to let Xu Changqing take it to Shu Mountain.

After all, even if it ended up there, it would still be within his reach.

With the Red Ghost King vanquished, Xu Changqing approached Chu Yang. He had seen Chu Yang using Gu insects on both the Skeleton General and the Red Ghost King, noting how the insects changed after absorbing energy.

"Junior Brother, what exactly is that Gu insect's function?"

Chu Yang didn't intend to hide it. "It's the Devourer Gu. It absorbs the power of demons, ghosts, and monsters, storing it for later transfer."

Xu Changqing frowned. "Junior Brother… don't tell me you intend to…"

Chu Yang nodded. "That's right—I plan to use the Devourer Gu to strengthen my own cultivation."

Xu Changqing seemed to have expected this, sighing heavily. "Junior Brother, I know you've been frustrated for years, which is why you're considering such an unorthodox path. I understand."

"But as I've told you before, you've already entered the Dao. There are no longer any bottlenecks in your cultivation. With your talent, you can ascend smoothly without worry."

Unexpectedly, Chu Yang suddenly put on a righteous expression, speaking passionately.

"Senior Brother! You're wrong! I'm not doing this for myself—I'm doing it for the people of the world!"

Xu Changqing: "???"

Chu Yang's expression was filled with sorrow. "Senior Brother, you already know that my claim about Shu Mountain helping Xiaoyao and the others was a lie. Shu Mountain will never interfere in worldly affairs, and Xiaoyao might not even get the chance to become a disciple."

Xu Changqing was startled. "You knew this, yet you still deceived them…?"

Chu Yang spoke softly, "To give them hope. Otherwise, returning to Nanzhao would be nothing but suicide. At least on Shu Mountain, there's still a sliver of possibility."

Xu Changqing shook his head. "There's no possibility at all. I told you, Shu Mountain will not intervene."

Chu Yang's gaze was resolute. "Then I've made my decision. If the sect leader refuses to act, I will go to Nanzhao myself and lend them a hand."

"Even if it costs me my life, I will not allow the Lunar Sect Demon to bring disaster upon the world!"

Moved by Chu Yang's unwavering determination, Xu Changqing swore that he would do everything in his power to persuade their sect leader.

Right before Xu Changqing's eyes, Chu Yang absorbed the thousand years of cultivation power from the Red Ghost King and the Skeleton General.

Xu Changqing's expression was one of deep sorrow, as if Chu Yang had just consumed a deadly poison instead of power.

After leaving the General's Tomb, the two returned to Baihe Village. Seeing Xu Changqing's solemn expression, the others assumed their mission had not gone well.

With the Red Ghost King eliminated, Baihe Village was no longer in danger. Everyone decided to rest for the night and continue their journey the next morning.

While the others slept, Chu Yang used his newly acquired thousand years of cultivation to push the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique to its thirteenth and final level.

At the eleventh level, he possessed the strength of twenty dragons and twenty elephants.

At the twelfth level, his power surged to fifty dragons and fifty elephants.

Now, at the thirteenth level, he had the terrifying might of a hundred dragons and a hundred elephants!

Every casual punch he threw caused the air to rumble and tremble violently.

He had become a true wielder of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!

"Now I'm actually looking forward to the day I face the Lunar Sect Cult Leader…"

His newfound strength brought him a sense of confidence and composure.

At the break of dawn, the group left Baihe Village. Since Chu Yang had already eliminated any spies lurking nearby, their journey proceeded without any unexpected incidents.

The Lunar Sect Cult Leader remained blissfully unaware.

After traveling for an entire month without interruptions, Chu Yang and his group finally arrived in Yuzhou.

In ancient times, Yuzhou was known as Bashu, the land at the foot of Shu Mountain. Here, Shu Mountain's influence extended far and wide—most of the larger businesses were under its control.

Thanks to its proximity to Shu Mountain, Yuzhou had a high level of security. Any demons or monsters that appeared were swiftly eradicated by Shu Mountain disciples.

The local people deeply respected the Shu Mountain Sect. Wherever its disciples went, they were warmly welcomed.

At least, that was how it should have been…

But when Chu Yang and the others entered Yuzhou, they found the city strangely desolate, completely different from when they had last come down the mountain.

The streets were almost empty. Even the few pedestrians they saw cast them wary and complicated looks upon noticing their Daoist robes.

There was no trace of the usual enthusiasm.

Xu Changqing frowned. "Junior Brother, something is wrong!"

Chu Yang gave him a sidelong glance. "Senior Brother, that's stating the obvious."

The entire city felt like a ghost town—any fool could tell something was off.

Even the others in their group sensed that something was amiss.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Li Xiaoyao grabbed a passerby and asked, "Brother, why is everyone in Yuzhou in such a hurry? Did something big happen?"

The man panicked and pushed Li Xiaoyao away. "Don't touch me! I need to get home!"

But Li Xiaoyao's stubborn nature kicked in, and he refused to let go. He held onto the man firmly, determined to get an answer. The poor man was on the verge of tears.

"If you're from out of town, leave as soon as you can! The Demon-Sealing Tower of Shu Mountain has collapsed! Countless demons have escaped, and the entire city is in chaos. No one dares to step outside!"

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