Chapter 660: Xu Changsheng
Having reached minor completion, the Dark Body could contend with a Sacred Body at the same cultivation level. This alone was enough to astonish countless Sacred Transmission disciples.
Who wouldn’t want to marry such an outstanding, heaven-blessed daughter?
Moreover, the stark contrast between holiness and darkness in Han Qiu’s demeanor held a fatal allure for men.
Even a prodigy like Xu Changsheng couldn’t help but show admiration in his eyes as he looked at Han Qiu.
Xu Changsheng’s gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen and his two companions, furrowing his brow. “What’s their background?”
Pang Long crossed his arms over his chest and snorted coldly. “These three are called Lin Yue, Xun Hualiu, and Mu Jiji. They’re nothing but three lowlifes with despicable conduct, calling themselves the ‘Three Swordsmen of Romance.’ In reality, they specialize in harassing the female disciples of the sect. Today, they dared to openly flirt with Junior Sister Han Qiu. They’re getting more lawless by the day, and no one does anything to rein them in.”
Pang Long wanted to act as Han Qiu’s protector, stepping forward to deal with Zhang Ruochen and his group. However, ever since Zhang Ruochen had defeated him, he was keenly aware that his strength was far inferior to his opponent’s.
That was why he didn’t act rashly, instead provoking Xu Changsheng with his words.
Gai Hao glanced at Pang Long, his brow creasing.
Gai Hao could clearly see that Pang Long was deliberately goading Xu Changsheng, hoping to get him to deal with the Three Swordsmen of Romance.
This tactic was somewhat crude and rather off-putting to him.
Still, Gai Hao also disapproved of Lin Yue and his companions’ behavior. If Xu Changsheng stepped in, it might teach them a lesson.
Moreover, with Xu Changsheng’s formidable cultivation, he could probe Lin Yue’s true strength. Gai Hao was genuinely interested in that, so he kept his mouth shut.
Xu Changsheng snorted coldly. “The sect’s recruitment of disciples is becoming more and more uneven. How can just anyone become a Sacred Transmission disciple?”
With that, Xu Changsheng straightened his collar and sleeves, stepped forward, and came to stand behind Han Qiu.
Gai Hao and Pang Long naturally followed closely, positioning themselves beside Xu Changsheng.
Xu Changsheng’s gaze swept over Zhang Ruochen and the other two, and he gave a cold, mocking smile. “So you’re the so-called Three Swordsmen of Romance?”
Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji met Xu Changsheng’s eyes. Instantly, a shiver ran through their bodies, their limbs went weak, and fear showed on their faces as they involuntarily retreated three steps.
It wasn’t that Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji were truly cowardly, but rather that Xu Changsheng’s cultivation was too powerful.
Just now, though it seemed casual, he had infused his Martial Soul’s power into his gaze, transmitting a deterrent force as he looked at Zhang Ruochen and the other two.
Xu Changsheng was at the eighth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm, and his Martial Soul’s intensity surpassed that of many cultivators at the ninth change. With Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji only at the first change, they naturally couldn’t withstand it.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression remained unchanged. He also mobilized his Martial Soul’s power, channeling it into his gaze, and met Xu Changsheng’s stare directly. “What do you mean by this, sir? We’re all fellow disciples of the same sect. There’s no need to go this hard, is there?”
To be honest, although Xu Changsheng appeared quite refined on the surface, his methods were actually quite vicious, and he struck with considerable force.
If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t used his Martial Soul to block his gaze, Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji would surely have been reduced to two mindless vegetables by now.
“This man is very insidious. I’ll need to be on guard against him in the future,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s unflinching demeanor, Xu Changsheng showed a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting his opponent to possess such a powerful Martial Soul.
With Xu Changsheng backing him, Pang Long naturally had nothing to fear. He barked coldly, “Lin Yue, Senior Brother Xu can’t stand you harassing Junior Sister Han Qiu, so he wants to teach you a lesson.”
Xun Hualiu had already recovered, rubbing his temples. Then, pointing at Pang Long’s nose, he cursed loudly, “Teach a lesson, my ass! Xu Changsheng is at least a powerhouse of the eighth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm. Picking a fight with us three newly promoted Sacred Transmission disciples—aren’t you ashamed?”
Mu Jiji added, “Pang Long, you’d better make things clear today. Which eye of yours saw us harassing Junior Sister Han Qiu? It’s obvious that Junior Sister Han Qiu came to find our boss Lin Yue to catch up. The two of them—one is stunningly beautiful, the other is elegant and refined—they’re a match made in heaven. Why are you butting in?”
Pang Long’s gaze turned icy. His fists clenched, and the ground beneath his feet had already sunk in. He said in a low voice, “How could Junior Sister Han Qiu associate with scum like you? Do you even deserve it?”
“Who are you calling scum?”
Xun Hualiu refused to back down and was about to charge forward to duel Pang Long, but Zhang Ruochen stopped him.
Although the Three Swordsmen of Romance weren’t well-known, Xu Changsheng, Gai Hao, and Pang Long were each more outstanding than the last, known as the “Three Talents of Shangqing Palace.” As a result, they enjoyed great fame among the Sacred Transmission disciples.
It was precisely because of their renown that many Sacred Transmission disciples were drawn to watch, standing around as spectators.
Xu Changsheng finally realized he had been used by Pang Long, and a surge of anger welled up inside him.
Of course, countless eyes were on him. If he backed out now, he would surely earn the contempt of many. More crucially, that female disciple named Han Qiu was truly beautiful, giving him a feeling of love at first sight.
Xu Changsheng raised one hand quite elegantly, signaling Pang Long to step back.
Then, he walked over to Han Qiu’s side and offered a graceful smile. “Junior Sister Han Qiu, would you like me to step in and teach those three scoundrels a lesson? I forgot to introduce myself—I’m Xu Changsheng, a Sacred Transmission disciple of Shangqing Palace.”
Han Qiu’s phoenix-like eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen across from her, revealing a meaningful smile. Then, she gracefully bowed to Xu Changsheng, her voice sweet. “So it’s the renowned Senior Brother Xu. Han Qiu thanks you for your kindness. However, since we’re all fellow disciples of the same sect, let’s let them off this time. If there’s a next time, I’ll deal with them myself.”
Pang Long said urgently, “Junior Sister Han Qiu, you can’t just let them go like this.”
Xu Changsheng shot a cold glare at Pang Long and said in a deep voice, “Pang Long, since Junior Sister Han Qiu doesn’t want to pursue this, let’s spare them once. Why bother lowering ourselves to the level of three scoundrels?”
Feeling Xu Changsheng’s anger, cold sweat broke out on Pang Long’s forehead, and he quickly and wisely stepped back.
Xun Hualiu stared at the retreating figures of Han Qiu and the Three Talents of Shangqing Palace, seething with anger. He spat heavily on the ground. “What does this mean? What exactly does Han Qiu mean? When did we ever harass her? And she says she’s letting us off—does she really think we Three Swordsmen of Romance are scum?”
Mu Jiji quickly stepped forward to console him. “Give it a rest! Junior Sister Han Qiu was clearly helping us just now. Can’t you see? Pang Long had already pushed Xu Changsheng to the forefront. If she hadn’t said that, how could Xu Changsheng have saved face? If Xu Changsheng couldn’t save face, he would have had to tough it out, and then we’d be the ones in trouble.”
“Given Xu Changsheng’s status and position, even if he crippled us or destroyed our cultivation, the sect wouldn’t do much to him. So you should be grateful.”
Xun Hualiu thought it over and found some truth in Mu Jiji’s words. He turned his gaze to Zhang Ruochen. “Is that really the case?”
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his chin with his fingers, pondering the intriguing smile Han Qiu had just shown, and nodded. “Given the situation just now, Junior Sister Han Qiu was indeed helping us.”
Xun Hualiu scratched his head and laughed happily. “Before, the beautiful Han Qiu couldn’t stand the sight of us three. Whenever she ran into us, we’d definitely get a beating. What’s gotten into her today? Could it be… Boss Lin Yue has secretly won the heart of the beautiful Han Qiu?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile.
In truth, he was also quite puzzled.
Had he revealed some flaw somewhere, and Han Qiu recognized his true identity?
“Boom!”
The ground trembled slightly as the mountain gate of Ancient God Mountain slowly opened.
A large crowd of Sacred Transmission disciples immediately surged through the gate, beginning to climb the first mountain of Ancient God Mountain. Xun Hualiu took the lead, charging forward, and soon reached the base of the first mountain.
Zhang Ruochen wasn’t in a hurry. He stood still and observed, and soon noticed a strange phenomenon.
Although many Sacred Transmission disciples had gathered outside the mountain gate, only about half of them were making a serious effort to charge toward the first mountain. The rest remained where they were, showing no intention of moving.
Mu Jiji seemed to guess what Zhang Ruochen was thinking and chuckled. “Ancient God Mountain opens once every month, so most people know their own limits well. Even if they try to conquer it, they won’t gain anything. These people aren’t here to challenge the mountain—they’re here to scout out potential opponents for the sword dao competition.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Is conquering Ancient God Mountain that difficult?”
Mu Jiji replied, “It’s not just difficult—it’s as hard as reaching the heavens. A Sacred Transmission disciple who can reach the first mountain is already a rare find.”
“But I heard that Gai Hao reached the first mountain at the first change of the Fish-Dragon Realm,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Mu Jiji gave a bitter smile. “That’s because he’s Gai Hao. How many Gai Haos can the Liangyi Sect produce? Ancient God Mountain tests a cultivator’s sword dao, comprehension, and willpower. Of course, cultivation level also plays a role—the higher one’s cultivation, the stronger they tend to be in all aspects.”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze swept over Ancient God Mountain. Suddenly, he saw five figures charging extremely fast, having already broken through the three trials of sword dao, comprehension, and willpower. They reached the summit of the first mountain and dashed straight toward the second mountain.
Beside him, a female disciple’s shrill voice rang out: “The one in the lead is Senior Brother Qin Yufan! He’s so amazing—with his ability, he might even reach the summit of the second mountain.”
Zhang Ruochen looked up and indeed saw Qin Yufan on the second mountain. This man’s strength was extraordinary, and he would surely be a formidable opponent.
It was said that with each mountain conquered, one could drink the sacred spring at the summit, enhancing their cultivation and gaining deeper insights into the sword dao.
That was precisely why everyone was so desperate to conquer Ancient God Mountain.