Chapitre 182: Chu Chenzi
The disciples of Imperial Academy and Yuan Sword Sect continued their ascent, while Mo Qingkuang persistently blocked Lu Feng halfway up the mountain.
Lu Feng was both resentful and helpless regarding Mo Qingkuang's shameless behavior. He couldn't outrun him, nor could he confidently defeat him in a fight. Mo Qingkuang's relentless obstruction left Lu Feng with no solutions.
Estimating that the others had mostly reached the summit by now, Mo Qingkuang smiled at Lu Feng, "Mission accomplished. I'll be waiting for you at the top."
With that, Lu Feng only saw a blur as Mo Qingkuang disappeared from his view, leaving behind a seemingly endless staircase.
Deeply shocked by Mo Qingkuang's terrifying speed, Lu Feng felt utterly helpless.
Gritting his teeth, he mounted his flying sword and sprinted upwards with all his might.
***
Shortly after the last batch of disciples arrived at the summit, Mo Qingkuang followed closely behind.
His lightning-fast speed was truly astonishing; everyone felt a gust of wind as he suddenly appeared beside the patiently waiting Chen Kong.
Looking up at Yunxiao Palace, one of the four great sects of Tianxuan, Mo Qingkuang noticed that the main gate was tightly closed. The decorations on the gate were simple and unadorned.
The plaque above, inscribed with three large characters, 'Yunxiao Palace,' exuded a certain ethereal, transcendent quality. It was said that this plaque was personally inscribed by Yunxiao Zhenren, the founding master of Yunxiao Palace, and contained an unparalleled and sublime essence.
Seeing Mo Qingkuang arrive without breaking a sweat, Chen Kong's almost pure white eyes seemed to reveal a bit more emotion. He nodded at Mo Qingkuang without saying any words of gratitude.
Chen Kong was not one for words, and Mo Qingkuang didn't mind.
The disciples of Yuan Sword Sect looked at Mo Qingkuang as if he were a monster. After all, this was a staircase of over 108,000 steps. Even Chen Kong, with his immense stamina as an Earth Spirit Physique, needed a moment to catch his breath after climbing.
Mo Qingkuang, however, sprinted up at such a speed and seemed completely unfazed, which left them astounded.
"Ah... Old Qin, it seems your Yuan Sword Sect disciples aren't quite up to par. Your disciple is still only halfway up the mountain." Fu Qing, in high spirits, mocked Qin Wufeng with a smile.
Qin Wufeng's face was ashen. This damn Fu Qing had no awareness of a Martial Emperor's dignity, acting like a petty rascal who held grudges. Yet Qin Wufeng had no way to respond, only cursing his incompetent disciples inwardly.
"Hahaha, guests are welcome. Let's discuss inside the Palace," Zhou Xuanqing tried to smooth things over, attempting to alleviate Qin Wufeng's embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, Fu Qing had no intention of being considerate, completely ignoring Zhou Xuanqing's attempt to save face. "Old Daoist, don't just laugh it off. Call out your disciples. My disciple wants to spar with Yunxiao Palace today!"
Zhou Xuanqing's forced smile froze on his face as he looked at Fu Qing, speechless for a long moment.
Finally, the old Taoist glared at Fu Qing before shouting towards the Palace, "Disciples of Yunxiao Palace, come out and meet our guests!"
The commotion at the gate had long been noticed by the Yunxiao Palace disciples. However, since the visitors didn't enter or cause trouble, and without instructions from their seniors, the disciples did not intervene.
Now, hearing the command from their sect master, the disciples opened the main gate and welcomed the visitors inside.
Leading them was a young Taoist, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with red lips and white teeth. He held no duster, his long hair tied into a bun with a simple pinewood hairpin, exuding an aura of heroism.
"Oh, this must be Chu Chenzi, the current top disciple of Yunxiao Palace. He looks decent." Fu Qing descended from his position and approached Chu Chenzi, scrutinizing him closely.
As he examined him, Fu Qing clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk, good appearance, but I wonder if he can fight."
Chu Chenzi's face darkened. The way this person looked at him was extremely unpleasant, as if he were inspecting livestock.
If it weren't for the crowd, Chu Chenzi had no doubt that this lecherous-looking fat man would pry open his mouth to check his teeth.
However, this fat man dared to speak so boldly in front of his master and at Yunxiao Palace. His strength must be on par with his master's, so Chu Chenzi dared not get angry. He could only silently recite the Heart Sutra to calm his emotions.
Zhou Xuanqing, seeing Fu Qing's behavior, was so furious that his beard trembled. He stepped forward to block Fu Qing and said coldly, "Whether he's capable or not, let your disciple try and see. Don't waste your breath in front of him."
Fu Qing smiled, "Let's find a place then."
This time, Zhou Xuanqing did not refuse. He instructed his disciple Chu Chenzi, "Chu Chenzi, take our friends from Imperial Academy and Yuan Sword Sect to the martial arts courtyard. If anyone challenges you, you can accept. If anyone makes unreasonable demands, feel free to meet their requests."
Though unsure of what was going on, Chu Chenzi decided to follow the instructions. He led Chen Kong and the others to a spacious square.
The square was equipped with numerous weapon racks, stocked with swords, spears, and halberds, as well as some exotic weapons like throwing knives and duster whisks. The disciples of Yunxiao Palace usually trained here.
"I am Chu Chenzi. Greetings to all," Chu Chenzi said, cupping his hands in salute.
"Chen Kong." As the team leader, Chen Kong stepped forward, while there was no response from Yuan Sword Sect since Lu Feng was still on his way.
"Chen Kong? I've heard of you." Chu Chenzi nodded.
Among the four great sects, the disciples of the Buddhist and Taoist sects rarely engaged with worldly matters, focusing mainly on meditation and seldom appearing on various rankings.
Their actions were low-key, and they rarely participated in disputes.
However, thinking their disciples were not formidable would be a grave mistake.
As one of the four great sects, their disciples were certainly not weaker than those from Yuan Sword Sect or Tiandao Sect.
Chu Chenzi, at twenty-six years old, was the top disciple of Yunxiao Palace, a personal disciple of the sect master. He was a ninth-rank grandmaster, just one step away from becoming a Great Grandmaster. He would easily rank within the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
His low profile had kept his fame in check.
He had heard of Chen Kong, whose reputation had soared in recent years. After becoming an Earth Spirit Body, he defeated the first and second on the Young Qilin Ranking before turning twenty, taking the top spot. Now, in his early twenties, he was a third-grade grandmaster, already ranked within the top fifty of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
It's important to note that the Hidden Dragon Ranking included those under thirty, and Chen Kong still had ten years to reach the age limit.
In the future, the top three positions would undoubtedly include him.
But for now, Chu Chenzi wasn't afraid. Even though he wasn't a spirit body, the difference in their cultivation levels was too great. If Chen Kong wanted to challenge him, Chu Chenzi was confident he could handle it.
"Brother Chen, are you here to challenge me?" Chu Chenzi asked warmly.
Chen Kong shook his head, "Not just you."
"Hmm?" Chu Chenzi didn't understand at first.
Chen Kong glanced at his teacher, Fu Qing, who was already seated with Zhou Xuanqing and Qin Wufeng on a high platform, ready to watch the show. With a sigh, Chen Kong declared, "I want to fight ten disciples of Yunxiao Palace together!"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone