Chapter 139.2: Chaos in Shu Mountain! Martial Uncle, Let Me Tell You a Little Secret!

The Sword Saint said solemnly, "Since the tower is in this state, none of us can leave. You two have already found one of the spirit pearls—it means you have a connection to them. The rest will also be your responsibility to bring back to Shu Mountain."

Xu Changqing cupped his hands and said, "Uncle-Master, you flatter me. This is our duty as disciples."

Suddenly, Chu Yang spoke up. "Finding the Earth Spirit Pearl was not our achievement alone. I hope Uncle-Master Sword Saint and Sect Leader can grant rewards to those who contributed."

The Drunken Sword Immortal shot Chu Yang a look, signaling him to stop speaking.

The Sword Saint's expression had already changed.

Cang Gu sighed helplessly and reminded him, "Ah Yang, Shu Mountain can barely take care of itself right now. We cannot afford to help others."

Chu Yang replied solemnly, "Master, we are not helping others—we are helping ourselves. If the Lunar Sect Cult continues to grow unchecked, it will no longer be just Nanzhao Kingdom's problem."

Cang Gu fell silent.

The Sword Saint said indifferently, "All things in the world follow the cycle of cause and effect. Birth, old age, sickness, and death all have their destined times. There is no need for unnecessary interference."

Chu Yang turned to look at the Sword Saint. "If the Demon Lord hadn't suddenly appeared and destroyed the Demon-Sealing Tower, weren't you planning to imprison Zhao Ling'er inside, keeping her there until Li Xiaoyao died of old age?"

The Drunken Sword Immortal, who had just taken a sip of wine to steady his nerves, immediately spat it out.

He looked at the Sword Saint in shock. "Senior Brother, is this true?"

"It is." The Sword Saint nodded, his gaze unexpectedly curious as he looked at Chu Yang. "How did you know?"

Chu Yang smirked. "Isn't that just like you, Uncle-Master Sword Saint? You always run away from problems. Whether it was Yin Ruozhuo over a decade ago or now, as Dugu Jian Sheng, nothing has really changed."

As soon as these words left his mouth, even Qingwei's expression shifted. He sternly reprimanded Chu Yang, telling him to stay silent.

The Drunken Sword Immortal took several big gulps of wine, cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

Damn!

This disciple Qingwei took in was something else!

He actually dared to confront the Sword Saint head-on!

What a pity...

If only he were my disciple instead!

However, the Sword Saint's expression remained unchanged. He didn't seem the least bit angry. Instead, he looked at Chu Yang with great interest. "Go on."

"You have spent your life in pursuit of the Dao, believing it to be the highest form of love, one that transcends worldly attachments."

"But I say, a love so great that it cannot tolerate even the smallest affections is nothing but a pile of crap!"

"Silence!"

For the first time, Qingwei's tone turned harsh, completely devoid of his usual gentle demeanor.

"It's fine. Let him continue."

The Sword Saint's gaze was intense as he stared at Chu Yang. "Do you even understand the Dao?"

"Not one bit!" Chu Yang replied bluntly. "I just think that someone who would rather tear others apart, stand by and watch his juniors walk to their deaths, yet refuses to step forward and take responsibility himself is nothing but a coward."

"If a person like that were to comprehend the Great Dao, then heaven must truly be blind."

Chu Yang knew that debating Dao with the Sword Saint was pointless, so he chose to curse him instead. As long as he could shake his opponent's Dao heart, then he had already won—because only a Sword Saint with a shaken Dao heart would be forced to act.

The Drunken Sword Immortal quietly put away his wine gourd and inched closer to Chu Yang, afraid that his senior brother might lose his temper and strike down this audacious disciple on the spot.

This wasn't a debate about Dao.

This kid was outright cursing the Sword Saint to his face!

"You're quite interesting. Then let's see if, in the future, you can show me a different answer—an answer beyond the natural cycle of cause and effect."

The Sword Saint didn't appear angry—at least, not on the surface. He simply uttered those words and then, with a flicker of his figure, returned to his position at the broken summit of the Demon-Sealing Tower.

At this point, only one elder in Shu Mountain still had the freedom to move.

The Drunken Sword Immortal.

And he was the laziest of them all—not exactly a great example for the disciples sent to exorcise demons.

"Alright, alright! I've got an idea," the Drunken Sword Immortal said, draping an arm around both Chu Yang and Xu Changqing's shoulders, his breath reeking of alcohol. "Shu Mountain is in trouble. Why don't you take those Nanzhao folks along to find the Five Spirit Pearls? If they help solve this crisis, then my senior brother and Qingwei will have no choice but to agree to whatever demands they make!"

Xu Changqing's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

Though it did seem like using their goodwill as leverage, it was still a feasible plan.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Uncle-Master!" Xu Changqing cupped his hands in gratitude.

At that moment, the Sword Saint suddenly spoke. "Qingwei, if you won't tell them now, are you planning to wait until they've already left?"

His anger erupted without warning.

Xu Changqing, baffled, turned to look at Qingwei.

Qingwei's face showed a trace of struggle, but in the end, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Several decades ago, a peerlessly talented disciple of Shu Mountain succumbed to demonic influence and turned his blade against his fellow disciples. Even the sect leader at the time perished by his hand, and the Sword Sect nearly lost its entire inheritance."

"What made it even worse was that this fallen disciple attracted a massive invasion of extraterrestrial demons. With both internal strife and external threats, Shu Mountain was on the brink of total collapse."

"At the time, my junior brothers and I were obsessed with becoming immortals and had secretly practiced a forbidden technique of Shu Mountain, completely unaware of the disaster unfolding outside. It was only thanks to divine providence that we emerged in time to turn the tide."

"But the severe damage to Shu Mountain was already irreversible, and all the blame lies with me..."

The Drunken Sword Immortal shook his head slightly and interrupted, "Let me take it from here, Senior Brother. If you keep going, this will turn into a self-condemnation."

He turned to Xu Changqing and Chu Yang. "The forbidden technique your master and the others practiced forcibly expelled their inner evil thoughts to strengthen their Dao. While highly effective, it carried immense hidden dangers."

"That expelled evil absorbed a tremendous amount of extraterrestrial demonic energy, making it nearly impossible to control the moment it was released. Back then, we could only seal it inside the Demon-Sealing Tower using the power of an ancient divine artifact."

"But now that the Demon Lord has broken the tower's seal, that malevolent force has escaped and disappeared without a trace."

"It's even more troublesome than the Lunar Sect Cult. Be extremely careful while searching for the Five Spirit Pearls!"

By this point, Chu Yang had already guessed what they were talking about.

Evil Sword Immortal!

The only question was—which version?

Some versions of the Evil Sword Immortal were beaten to a pulp by Chonglou, while others were strong enough to snap off one of Chonglou's horns.

But as he thought about it more carefully, the bigger problem seemed to be Chonglou himself.

If they were dealing with an overpowered version of Chonglou, then it wouldn't matter—no version of the Evil Sword Immortal could stand against him.

But if it was a weaker version...

Then the weight of saving the world might truly fall on Chu Yang's shoulders.

Red-haired big bro, you'd better not let me down!

Meanwhile, Xu Changqing, after learning the truth, wore a deeply conflicted expression.

In his heart, both his master and the sect leader were revered as Daoist sages who had dedicated their lives to saving the world.

Who could have imagined that, in their pursuit of immortality, they had nearly brought about an irreparable catastrophe?

The more he thought about it, the more dazed Xu Changqing became. His faith was beginning to crumble.

"Senior Brother, no one is perfect. It's human nature to have desires. The path of cultivation is about understanding oneself, accepting oneself, and then refining oneself to move toward the Dao we truly seek."

"If someone were born perfect, then what need would there be for cultivation at all?"

As soon as Chu Yang said this, a smile appeared on the Sword Saint's face as he stood atop the tower, silently nodding in approval.

This kid is quite something. No wonder he dares to debate Dao with me.

The Drunken Sword Immortal patted Chu Yang's shoulder in admiration. "Well said!"

The heavy atmosphere lifted, and relief showed on the faces of Qingwei and the others.

"Changqing, I know you're disappointed in us," Qingwei said, "but right now, we must focus on the greater good. Do not let your Dao heart be shaken."

Xu Changqing took a deep breath and cupped his hands. "I will heed my master's teachings!"

"Alright, we've said all we needed to. Now, hurry down the mountain!"

As he spoke, the Drunken Sword Immortal suddenly hesitated, looking a bit bashful.

"And... make sure to take good care of the Princess of Nanzhao Kingdom."

Wow.

He completely ignored his own biological daughter while worrying about his first love's daughter instead.

Tch! Scumbag!

A sly smile flashed across Chu Yang's eyes. He beckoned to the Drunken Sword Immortal.

"Uncle-Master, come here. I have a little secret to tell you."

Seeing Chu Yang's mischievous look, the Drunken Sword Immortal hesitated but eventually stepped forward.

"Uncle-Master, during my journey down the mountain, I met another little girl from Nanzhao Kingdom. She's about the same age as Zhao Ling'er and claims to be the disciple of the Saintess."

At the mention of the Saintess, the Drunken Sword Immortal's entire body trembled.

Chu Yang leaned in and whispered in his ear, "And that girl... looks just like you."

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