Chapter 484 - 7: Trouble

Chapter 484: Chapter 7: Trouble

News of Shen Changchuan’s return from the Nanyue Kingdom and his defeat of the Yuqing Immortal Sect’s Inner Sect Disciple, Lu Haoxuan, with a single sword strike swept through the entire Tian Nan Domain like a hurricane.

It even rippled out to several neighboring domains, sparking fervent discussion among countless people.

Unlike the "nobodies" Shen Changchuan had slain in the past, Lu Haoxuan—while not a household name—held a title that sent a chill down the spine of anyone who heard it: "Inner Sect Disciple of the Yuqing Immortal Sect."

Every person who became an Inner Sect Disciple of an Immortal Sect was a prodigy of their generation. Across the Southern Great Domain’s Thirty-Six Small Domains, they were figures who truly mattered!

And yet,

such a prodigy couldn’t even withstand a single sword strike from the returning Shen Changchuan and was ultimately captured alive!

This went to show...

...just how powerful Shen Changchuan was.

Among the younger generation, he was undeniably at the very peak!

This point...

...was now irrefutable!

Moreover,

what was even more shocking...

...was that Shen Changchuan, the one who had accomplished this, was merely at the Soul Emergence Seventh Layer!

This was truly unbelievable!

’Once he advances to the Soul Emergence Ninth Layer, I fear even an Immortal Sect Daoist will be his equal at best, right?’

Some sighed with this sentiment.

Of course,

others spoke up to refute such claims.

"That Shen Changchuan is certainly extraordinary, but comparing him to an Immortal Sect Daoist is a bit of an exaggeration."

"The Immortal Sect Daoist is the ultimate existence who dominates the younger generation within the Immortal Sect. The Cultivation Resources and Techniques he possesses are far beyond anything Shen Changchuan could compare to."

"He stands at the peak of all young Cultivators across the Thirty-Six Small Domains. His talent and power are something others can only look up to in awe!"

"Though that Shen Changchuan is remarkable, there is still a considerable gap between him and the absolute pinnacle of the younger generation of Cultivators in the Thirty-Six Small Domains!"

"Besides, until a genius has fully matured, they are, in the end, still just a genius!"

"I heard that Lu Haoxuan’s trip to Dawan Village was on the orders of the Immortal Sect Daoist. Now that Lu Haoxuan has been captured in Dawan Village, how could the Immortal Sect Daoist possibly let the matter rest?"

"In the near future, Shen Changchuan will surely face the Daoist’s thunderous retribution. At his meager Soul Emergence Seventh Layer, it remains to be seen if he can survive this calamity!"

Countless people were caught up in the debate.

The news spread so quickly that it soon reached the Nanyue Territory.

It was only then...

...that the Demon Cultivators of the Nanyue Territory realized with a shock that Shen Changchuan, the man who had inflicted such heavy losses on them not long ago, had quietly departed!

Regarding the departure of this young Cultivator who had caused such immense damage to the Demon Cultivator Alliance, some were filled with regret,

lamenting that they had missed the chance to assassinate Shen Changchuan and squandered a golden opportunity for a meteoric rise.

As for the upper echelons of the Demon Cultivator Alliance,

they seemed to have secretly gathered for a discussion because of this.

But as for what they plotted,

no one knew besides those involved.

The turmoil in the outside world had little effect on Shen Changchuan.

Or rather, at this moment, he had no time to concern himself with the discussions of the outside world.

Defeating Lu Haoxuan with a single sword strike had certainly been satisfying,

but dealing with the aftermath had put him in a difficult position.

From Du Fucheng, the Sub-Pavilion Master of the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion, he had already learned that Lu Haoxuan was not only an Inner Sect Disciple of the Yuqing Immortal Sect but also a subordinate of the Immortal Sect Daoist!

If he were to kill him,

first, he would have to bear significant blame for the crime of killing an Immortal Sect Disciple without authorization.

Second, it could directly provoke the Immortal Sect Daoist, leading to endless future troubles!

But if he simply let him go, it would be letting the other party off far too easily.

After all, Shen Changchuan had already learned from Du Fucheng about Lu Haoxuan’s arrogant attitude during his journey.

From the very beginning, the man had planned to directly perform a Soul Search on his grandfather, Han Qinhu. He even boasted that if Shen Changchuan dared to interfere, he would kill him as well!

This was the plan Lu Haoxuan had bluntly stated to Du Fucheng during their journey.

This arrogance, this treatment of others’ lives as worthless,

did not surprise Shen Changchuan in the slightest.

If he hadn’t possessed enough strength to defeat the man, the consequences would likely have been exactly as he had threatened!

Since the other party had intended to kill him, Shen Changchuan naturally couldn’t let him off easily.

But now, he could neither kill nor release him.

He could only temporarily imprison Lu Haoxuan and use the opportunity to interrogate him about the purpose of his trip and to gather intelligence on the Immortal Sect Daoist.

’Fine, I’ll contact my master first!’

Unable to think of a better solution, Shen Changchuan decided to contact his master, Master Wandering Dragon, to seek a way forward.

’This so-called Immortal Sect Daoist... his title is impressive, but he’s only in the Soul Emergence Realm. In terms of status, how could he possibly compare to my master, one of the Seven Immortal Sect Sons?’

His master, Master Wandering Dragon, was also one of the sect’s Disciples. Asking for his opinion was undoubtedly the best option.

’The Immortal Sect Daoist, huh... Even without this incident, we would have faced off sooner or later!’

’As long as I intend to pass the Immortal Sect’s Hundred-Year Grand Competition and use it to gain the opportunity to advance to the Divine Travel Realm, I will most likely meet him in the arena!’

’A confrontation with him is inevitable!’

After sending the Communication Talisman, Shen Changchuan recalled Lu Haoxuan’s verbal threats in the dungeon.

Though his heart was heavy, he felt no fear.

On the contrary, a sharp glint flickered in the depths of his eyes, revealing a blazing fighting spirit.

It was rumored that the reason the Immortal Sect dared to jointly host the Hundred-Year Grand Competition nine years from now with the top-level powers of other Great Domains was precisely because of this Immortal Sect Daoist.

The existence of the Immortal Sect Daoist was the Yuqing Immortal Sect’s greatest trump card!

However,

so what?

Shen Changchuan had never feared a challenge!

If he grew timid every time he met a powerful enemy, Shen Changchuan would never have made it this far!

Nor would he have achieved his numerous victories, slaying enemies far above his own Realm!

Of course,

he was also aware of the gap between himself and his opponent.

’So, in the time I have—at least before the Immortal Sect Daoist comes looking for me—I must increase my strength as much as possible!’

Shen Changchuan’s focus then fell upon the remnant page of the *Minghuan Gu Scripture* that recorded the Void Escape Gu.

The materials to refine the Void Escape Gu were now all gathered. During this time, his Gu Dao Cultivation had also risen to Quasi Tier Three, and he had gained a deep understanding of the Flying Heaven-Splitting Spirit Ant King Gu Technique from the Li Family’s legacy.

All the preparations were made.

All that was missing was the final piece.

It was time!

And so,

amid the turmoil of the outside world,

Shen Changchuan temporarily entered secluded cultivation.

With the help of his progress bar panel, he began to focus all his efforts on his Gu Technique, simulating the refinement method for the Void Escape Gu in his mind.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

After a month of arduous Cultivation,

Shen Changchuan had finally and completely assimilated the Li Family’s Gu Technique legacy.

He successfully took control of the Flying Heaven-Splitting Spirit Ant King—the one that had lost its intelligence and consciousness under the Divine Soul Power attack from a Divine Travel Peak Realm expert!

This brought a wave of joy to Shen Changchuan’s heart.

He had originally thought this step would be incredibly difficult; he never expected it to be completed so smoothly!

However,

this was likely due to the Flying Heaven-Splitting Spirit Ant King having lost its Spiritual intelligence after suffering the Divine Soul attack,

leaving it with only its physical instincts!