Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 53

Volume 7 Chapter 53: The Beginning of the Strong

Ever since Xu Qingfan merged the "Holy Spirit Buddhist Relic" and the "Demon Pearl" within him, just like every previous breakthrough, there was no powerful sound at all, the Unity of Sky and Earth or the connection between man and nature occurred silently for Xu Qingfan.

However, even so, when Xu Qingfan broke through to the Soul Splitting Stage, a part of his Original Soul emitted outward and merged with heaven and earth, causing the Heavenly Way to momentarily pause, and then although it continued to operate, there was an additional mysterious change.

This change, although almost undetectable, is still very clear to some extraordinary strong beings who have a very precise connection with the Heavenly Way.

In the land of Yongzhou State, on the top of Ronghua Mountain, Immortal Zizhen, Zhang Xusheng, and Mr. Liu are playing chess, drinking tea, and chatting leisurely.

Although the Human Alliance’s situation has become increasingly difficult over the years, the three top warriors remain calm and elegant, just as before.

It is not that they are overly confident, but because they know that if these three pillars also panic, the entire Human Alliance will lose its confidence as well.

Governing a big country is like cooking a small dish; this saying does not mean that the difficulty of both is the same, nor does it imply that cooking has the same principles as governance. It means that both require a very delicate mindset, paying attention to every detail.

So, even though the three of them feel anxious inside, they still appear calm. Zhang Xusheng and Mr. Liu continue their game, while Immortal Zizhen watches.

As always, Mr. Liu holds his ground against Zhang Xusheng without losing at all. You capture a few of my big pieces, and I build a strong defense in the corners to pressure you, both their styles shine remarkably, with black and white pieces entangled together.

However, each time they finish, counting the remaining pieces, Mr. Liu, who seems to be in the lead, finds that he has unknowingly lost by a point and a half, when he had expected to win.

Observing him, Zhang Xusheng indeed enjoys and is accustomed to using subtle tactics that allow him to achieve victory without his opponent realizing, leaving them unaware of how they lost.

Even Mr. Liu, who always seems to match Zhang Xusheng evenly, is like this.

With a sigh, Mr. Liu once again gave up and admitted defeat, yet secretly he was calculating how many times he had failed so far.

On the other side, Immortal Zizhen watched this scene and also sighed softly, feeling a sense of regret. Although it was just a chess game, it reflected their years of struggle against Zhang Xusheng; they often seemed to have the upper hand, but in the end, they always lost.

Zhang Xusheng sat at the other end of the chessboard, smiling slightly. He showed no sign of pride, but he also did not hide his expression, which remained calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

Suddenly, Mr. Liu’s right hand, preparing to forfeit a piece, slightly loosened its grip on a black stone, causing it to fall and hit the board with a clear, crisp sound.

Zhang Xusheng and Immortal Zizhen did not notice Mr. Liu’s slip-up; their expressions froze at the same moment.

Time passed, yet the three of them held their poses, unmoving, with their eyes mostly closed, as if sensing something. The lower-level cultivators attending to them were taken aback by the sight of the three masters, who looked almost divine, but they did not dare to interrupt, merely watching them with puzzled expressions.

After a long time, Mr. Liu slowly opened his eyes, a mysterious smile on his face, and said, "I lost."

Zhang Xusheng shook his head and said, "You lost this game, but in the greater game of the world, you have won this move."

"What is the reason?" Mr. Liu asked with a smile.

"Although there is no grand display, it is clear from the changes in the Heavenly Way that someone has reached our level. This person’s aura is a mix of good and evil, with a hint of dark energy. Apart from me, the only one who could have such a unique aura is Xu Qingfan, right? Over the years, Taoist Friend Liu, you have secretly helped Xu Qingfan a lot, whether in people or things. Whatever my Human Alliance needs, Mr. Liu has always been there. Plus, with Mr. Liu’s previous kindness to Xu Qingfan, it seems that soon, Mr. Liu will have a top master, just like you and me, to assist. How could this not be a win?"

Zhang Xusheng said softly.

Mr. Liu smiled slightly and said, "I didn’t expect that boy to achieve this so quickly. Over the years, I have only offered help because of old feelings. Moreover, even though he has reached the Soul Splitting Stage, he is still far from us. Just think about our own training; it took us a longer time to reach the peak of the Soul Splitting Stage than it did to go from Qi Refining Stage to the Soul Splitting Stage."

"Is it just because of old friendship? Hehe, but over the years, Taoist Friend Liu, you have gained quite a few top treasures and ‘Immortal Ascending Pills’." Zhang Xusheng hinted.

"I can’t just ignore the respect from the younger generation."

Mr. Liu sighed.

As Mr. Liu and Zhang Xusheng continued their conversation, Immortal Zizhen’s face gradually darkened. Mr. Liu has sent a large number of cultivators and items to Xu Qingfan over the years, but has also received countless treasures and pills in return. The three of them were all aware of this, but it was the first time it had been openly mentioned.

Among the three, Immortal Zizhen held the most hostility towards Xu Qingfan. He is a standard orthodox cultivator, believing that only the righteous path is worthy. He feels that those who are not of his kind must have different intentions. Working with the evil Zhang Xusheng under duress is already the limit of his acceptance. Xu Qingfan, with his dark background, reminds him of the wars that caused more destruction than the battles between humans and Shura. Immortal Zizhen cannot accept Xu Qingfan’s existence. In fact, if it weren’t for the ongoing war with the Shura Clan, Immortal Zizhen would have already led the righteous cultivators to hunt Xu Qingfan down.

Xu Qingfan also knew this. Over the years, he had no contact with Immortal Zizhen. Whenever he sent someone to the Human Alliance, besides Mr. Liu, he would secretly talk to Zhang Xusheng but completely leave out Immortal Zizhen, which made her feel even more unhappy.

Mr. Liu glanced at Immortal Zizhen’s expression and understood Zhang Xusheng’s intention, but he did not care. He suggested, "Right now, we badly need more people, and Xu Qingfan comes from our Human Alliance. He has reached the Soul Splitting Stage and has done well in the outside world, growing his power. Should we bring him back to the Human Alliance to join us in fighting against the Shura clan?"

Immortal Zizhen finally spoke, coldly snorting, "He has practiced the dark cultivation method!"

Mr. Liu countered, "But he is not a dark practitioner!"

Zhang Xusheng smiled and said, "In four or five months, the Azure Crystal Treasure House will open. By that time, Xu Qingfan will definitely arrive. Let’s contact him then and make our decision."

Mr. Liu and Immortal Zizhen exchanged a glance and silently nodded, agreeing to Zhang Xusheng’s suggestion.

Zhang Xusheng smiled slightly, stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the Southern Wasteland, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.

"Mr. Liu made the right move, but I have achieved my purpose. The fruit is ripe, and it is time for me to pick it. However, will Xu Qingfan choose the battlefield beyond the East Sea or within the Human Alliance?"

As he thought, Zhang Xusheng’s smile grew even broader.

…

At the same time, in the land of You State by the sea, a heavy silence filled the cave of the Zhong family elder.

In the endless silence, the Zhong family elder looked serious. He waved his Purgatory Staff, and immediately, the dead energy rushed into several bodies in front of him. However, these bodies looked strange and not human at all.

Naturally, they did not resemble humans; they were the bodies of the Shura Clan. For many years, the Zhong family elder had been studying how to refine the corpses of the Shura Clan. If he succeeded, the Zhong family would grow stronger with each battle, creating more and more refined corpses. At that time, how could the Human Alliance and Shura Clan compete with the Zhong family?

However, the Heavenly Way suddenly shifted, causing the Zhong family elder’s hand to tremble, and the Shura Clan bodies in front of him exploded.

The Zhong family elder’s gaze sharpened, looking like an ordinary old man near the end of his life. He shakily turned around, holding the Purgatory Staff, and looked toward the south.

"The world has gained another top strong warrior."

With a sigh, the Zhong family elder turned back to continue studying the Shura Clan bodies in front of him.

…

At the same time, in the bustling southwest of Middle-earth, the top masters of the Shura Clan, furious about the heavy losses in the battle for the Southern Wasteland, were taken aback and looked deep into the Southern Wasteland.

The emergence of powerful human masters was not in their favor. Normally, they would not hesitate to send countless experts to eliminate that human master before he grew strong. However, after the battle with the kylin, the Shura Clan had lost nearly twenty of their fifty masters, including two from the top ten, and now they were too scared to easily enter the Southern Wasteland.

"Forget it," Grand Tantian said coldly. "Let’s discuss how we should respond when the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ opens."

…

Still at the same time, in a certain place in the Western Desert, Xuan, who had suffered heavy losses in previous battles with the Shura Clan, the Demon Ancestor hiding somewhere in the world, and some figures who had not appeared for thousands of years, all turned their attention to the Southern Wasteland.

At that moment, Jiazi Cave opened silently, and after nearly three months, Xu Qingfan finally emerged.