# Chapter 587: The Mountain Gate of Lishan (Part 1)
The gauze curtain could block prying eyes from peering in, but it could not block the understanding that had long been shared between the two.
Xu Yourong watched him turn to look, and she knew what he was thinking. After pondering for a moment, she gently shook her head.
The reason Chen Changsheng felt a sense of familiarity was not only because the small black stone in the red tray closely resembled his own small black stone in shape, but also because the fluctuation of energy emanating from this small black stone was very similar to the one he had found in Lingyan Pavilion. In other words, this small black stone brought out by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might be related to Wang Zhice.
The small black stone left by Wang Zhice that Chen Changsheng had obtained in Lingyan Pavilion was a Heavenly Book Stele. Could this small black stone be another Heavenly Book Stele? Having visited the Heavenly Book Mausoleum and the Zhou Mausoleum, and having had a conversation with Divine General Hanqing, he and Xu Yourong were most familiar with the whereabouts of those Heavenly Book Steles lost to the world, so they couldn't help but have some suspicions.
In the past, the Stone Boiling Conference had always produced ordinary celestial stones, so the elders and important figures from various sects who had previously attended the conference were also somewhat surprised. However, those cultivators attending the Stone Boiling Conference for the first time were unaware of the distinction. When they noticed Chen Changsheng looking toward the layers of gauze curtains, they became quite excited, thinking that Dean Chen was indeed deeply attached to his former fiancée.
Most of the cultivators from the south were seated in the same direction as the Holy Maiden Peak. When they noticed Chen Changsheng's gaze, many faces showed mockery or sympathy. Some disciples of the Holy Maiden Peak, recalling the engagement annulment incident in the capital, couldn't help but utter sarcastic remarks, mocking someone for clinging on stubbornly and being utterly boring. Others sharply pointed out that someone needed to look in the mirror—some things weren't a matter of wanting or not wanting; you couldn't just take them whenever you pleased. Still others spoke heavily, telling someone to show some self-respect.
Not a single cultivator from the south directly mentioned Chen Changsheng's name, but everyone knew these words were directed at him.
This world-famous engagement had gone through too many twists and turns, causing too many storms, until last winter when His Holiness the Pope forcibly annulled it, finally bringing the matter to a close.
In this story, Chen Changsheng was naturally the one insulted and harmed at the beginning, but in the end, it was Xu Yourong who bore all the humiliation.
In people's minds, the person in the world who hated Chen Changsheng the most now was naturally Xu Yourong.
She was the Southern Holy Maiden, the Heavenly Phoenix True Maiden admired and loved by countless people. Since she didn't like Chen Changsheng, naturally many people wouldn't like Chen Changsheng either, especially those cultivators from the south. They certainly wouldn't show Chen Changsheng any good face, even if he was the future Pope. They had to vent on behalf of the Holy Maiden.
Pavilions and terraces stood amidst the clear breeze, quiet and beautiful. Those mocking words about Chen Changsheng, like willow catkins brushed away by the wind, drifted continuously across the square, falling into everyone's ears.
The faces of the national religion's clergy turned somewhat unpleasant. Mao Qiuyu remained calm and silent. Linghai Zhiwang raised his thick eyebrows slightly, as if quite interested.
Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze from the direction of the Holy Maiden Peak and awkwardly rubbed his knee.
Zhe Xiu didn't care about these matters. Tang Thirty-Six, knowing the inside story, smiled brilliantly.
...
...
Brilliant sword lights flashed from time to time on the stone platforms between the pavilions, like summer lightning, or like those breathtaking strokes in murals.
Except for the military forces of the Great Zhou represented by the Star Picking Academy, most cultivators in the world were still most accustomed to using swords. Today at the Stone Boiling Conference, the sword lights seemed never to cease.
The cultivators qualified to attend the Stone Boiling Conference were all extremely talented geniuses, at least with outstanding potential and strong cultivation realms—at least a whole level stronger than during the Grand Examination or the Zhou Garden. Those bold enough to step onto the stone platform to challenge others, or qualified to be named as opponents, were at least at the Tongyou Middle Realm.
The several battles that had already concluded were exceptionally brilliant. Both sides used their ultimate techniques without holding back. Under the watchful eyes of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the national religion's important figures, there couldn't be any overly serious accidental injuries, though some bloodstains inevitably remained on the stone platforms.
Although Chen Changsheng was very interested in that black stone, he had no intention of stepping down, and naturally, no one came to challenge him.
Given his current status and position, unless he was willing, no one could force him to step down and fight, just like last summer.
Xu Yourong's current status and position were even higher than his, so she would be even less likely to participate in this matter.
They sat quietly beside the Heavenly Mechanism Elder, watching the battles on the stone platforms.
Strangely enough, as time passed, still no one challenged the other two members of the National Education Academy.
Zhe Xiu only watched for a short while before closing his eyes to rest, seemingly uninterested in those brilliant battles.
Tang Thirty-Six, on the other hand, was bored to the point of idleness, constantly ordering the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's maids to change the tea in his cup and commenting on the snacks in the tray.
It wasn't until someone stepped into the arena that Zhe Xiu opened his eyes, and Tang Thirty-Six put down his teacup, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, and became serious.
The one who stepped down was Liang Banhu.
His opponent was a master from the Heartless Sect of Hanqiu City.
This Heartless Sect master had previously used a very brilliant Ten Thousand Willow Sword Technique to easily defeat a female disciple from Cijian Temple. He was about thirty years old, already at the Tongyou Upper Realm. In the past, he would definitely have deserved the praise of being called a genius, but in recent years, too many cultivators had emerged who were younger, more talented, and at higher cultivation realms...
Liang Banhu was a disciple of the Lishan Sword Sect, ranked fifth among the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, naturally making him a representative of these young people.
Perhaps because he had just defeated a Southern cultivation master and his confidence was at its peak, or perhaps because the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom had stolen too much of the spotlight over the past two years and his dissatisfaction had accumulated too much, or perhaps because of the resentment from the destruction of Ten Thousand Willow Garden by a letter from Su Li, this Heartless Sect master unhesitatingly challenged the Lishan Sword Sect.
He named Liang Banhu as his opponent, which seemed like a casual choice, but many knew it was a carefully considered decision, even somewhat insidious.
Liang Banhu was the blood brother of Liang Xiaoxiao—and now the entire continent knew that Liang Xiaoxiao had once colluded with the demon race, attempting to harm fellow disciples and Chen Changsheng in the Zhou Garden. After his plan failed, he had even committed suicide in a brutal manner, intending to frame Chen Changsheng.
By choosing Liang Banhu as his opponent, this Heartless Sect master naturally intended to exploit this matter. Sure enough, as soon as Liang Banhu stepped into the arena, the man said coldly, "Although you are Liang Xiaoxiao's blood brother, I won't hold his crimes against you. But I also won't allow you to have the chance to obtain this celestial stone."
Upon hearing these words, the arena fell very quiet.
Everyone knew that this Heartless Sect master was just deliberately finding an excuse, actually trying to shake Liang Banhu's fighting spirit.
However, neither the Lishan Sword Sect nor the Holy Maiden Peak lineage, which shared the same stance, could react too much to these words themselves.
Liang Xiaoxiao and Liang Banhu were both descendants of the Liang Prince's Mansion, and the Liang Prince's Mansion had played too complex a role in this history. If Liang Banhu, like Liang Xiaoxiao, could not forget his origins in the Prince's Mansion and could not strictly adhere to his identity as a disciple of the Lishan Sword Sect, then many forces did not want to see him obtain the celestial stone.
Guan Feibai's face was covered with a layer of frost. His gaze at that Heartless Sect master was filled with killing intent, but in the end, he still didn't move.
Gou Hanshi's expression remained unchanged as he quietly watched Liang Banhu's figure. He had great confidence in his junior brother.
In the silence, the battle didn't begin; instead, a voice rang out first.
The speaker was Tang Thirty-Six.
He looked at that Heartless Sect master and said, "If you want to fight, just fight. Why spout so much nonsense?"
The atmosphere in the arena shifted instantly. The Heartless Sect master's expression changed slightly.
No one expected that this wasn't the end. Immediately after, everyone heard Tang Thirty-Six's next words.
"...Just like that ancestor of yours, in the end, wasn't he beaten into an idiot?"
...
...
The sect master of the Heartless Sect, the master of Hanqiu City, and the soul of the Tianliang Zhu Clan were all the same person—the ancestor of many, including that Heartless Sect master.
That ancestor was ranked among the Eight Winds and Rains, none other than Zhu Luo, who drank alone under the moon.
Tang Thirty-Six's words were very presumptuous, very offensive, and very forceful, but upon careful thought, they weren't wrong.
Whether in the night rain of Xunyang City or the spring breeze of Ten Thousand Willow Garden, Zhu Luo had been utterly defeated, cut down like an idiot by a letter from Su Li.
His words greatly boosted the Lishan Sword Sect's momentum.
Guan Feibai looked toward the National Education Academy, thinking that this guy had changed his temperament today. If they ended up facing each other later, then... he'd let him bleed a little less.
That Heartless Sect master's expression changed dramatically as he looked at Tang Thirty-Six and said coldly, "Later, I will definitely challenge you."
Tang Thirty-Six shook his head and said, "You won't have the chance."
The arena erupted in uproar. Everyone wondered why he was so confident in Liang Banhu, but no one noticed him leaning close to Chen Changsheng and whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "In your judgment, who's stronger—Liang Banhu or this idiot?"
Chen Changsheng said, "Why do you look so worried right now?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "I think... since I insulted Zhu Luo like that to vent for you, this guy will definitely fight me to the death later, so it's best if I don't run into him."
Chen Changsheng looked at Liang Banhu's figure and said, "Don't worry. You're right—that person won't have the chance."
He and Gou Hanshi had thoroughly studied the Daoist Canon, a rarity in the world, and among their peers, their judgment was naturally excellent.
Gou Hanshi had never worried about Liang Banhu.
Chen Changsheng thought the same.
Liang Banhu was different from Liang Xiaoxiao.
Liang Xiaoxiao was a pine tree in a dark ravine.
Liang Banhu was a blade of grass on a sunny slope.
Liang Banhu's personality was very dull. He rarely spoke, and even his facial expressions seldom changed.
Among the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, he had always been the least famous.
But that didn't mean he was the weakest.
Moreover, there were no weaklings among the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom.
Liang Banhu drew the sword at his waist, looked at that Heartless Sect master, and said one word: "Please."
The Heartless Sect master raised his eyebrows slightly, preparing to say something more.
However, Liang Banhu didn't give him another chance to speak.
A cloud of dust suddenly rose on the clean stone platform, rushing forward like a dust dragon with incredible speed.
A simple, thick aura, like yellow earth, appeared in everyone's perception.
The nearby lake water seemed to feel some pressure, rippling with slight waves.
No one blinked; no one had time to blink. The dust storm surged, the yellow dragon rolled in, and Liang Banhu was already before that Heartless Sect master.
That Heartless Sect master's pupils suddenly contracted as he felt an extremely strong sense of crisis.
He hadn't expected that Liang Banhu's swordsmanship would be so starkly opposite to his personality—so violent and forceful.
How could one counter such violent sword intent? Only with even more violent sword intent.
A fierce roar erupted. The Heartless Sect master's sword pierced through the air, howling as it went, showing no retreat, stabbing directly at Liang Banhu!
Liang Banhu's expression remained unchanged, as if he were still that farmer tilling the slopes, holding his iron sword like a hoe, and he brought it straight down.
This sword strike looked like a very ordinary technique, and indeed, it was a very ordinary technique.
This sword was not fast—not even one-fifth the speed of the Heavenly Dao Academy's Linsword Technique.
This sword was not fierce—not even a trace of the National Education Academy's Mountain-Toppling Staff's aura.
This sword was not beautiful—it had no right to be compared with the legendary "Spring Has Gone" of the Nanxi Zhai.
Compared to the countless exquisite sword techniques of the Lishan Sword Sect, Liang Banhu's sword strike had nothing worth mentioning.
But this sword was steady—whether the hand holding the sword or the technique itself, it was extremely stable, like an unmoving cliff, like a mountain path in the hills.
The reason this sword could be so steady was that this sword technique was the foundation, the basis of countless sword techniques of the Lishan Sword Sect.
"Mountain Gate Sword."
Zhe Xiu looked at the not-so-dazzling sword light in the arena, but a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, and then it grew fervent.