Chapter 40 - The Terrifying Foundation of the Zizai Palace! Comparable to a Holy Land!
Chapter 40 The Terrifying Foundation of the Zizai Palace! Comparable to a Holy Land!
The head of the Samsara Palace had undergone a drastic change in temperament recently. He locked himself in a mountain cave and hadn’t stepped out at all.
Even when he occasionally appeared, he wore a long face, as if everyone owed him money. In the blink of an eye, it had already been two months since the last time he left the cave.
On Samsara Peak, they studied profound mysteries and played with the forces of karma. The disciples on the peak all knew a thing or two about esoteric arts. Almost everyone carried a horsetail whisk and wore a Daoist robe. When they walked, they swayed their heads like earthly immortals.
“Oh my heavens!”
“Master, what’s wrong with him exactly?”
A young man stared at the tightly closed cave entrance, frowning in confusion.
“Ever since he returned from the secret domain of the Blood Corpse Demon Clan more than three months ago, he’s been completely different.”
“He used to be a lively, mischievous rogue Daoist who loved to joke around with the junior disciples.”
“But now, not only does he not leave his cave, even when he does go out after many days, his brows are tightly furrowed.”
“Even the beautiful female disciples he used to like talking to—he completely ignores them now.”
“Is he sick?”
This young man was the head disciple of the Samsara Palace Master, named Li Duxiu. On the surface, he was already a master at the Xuanfu Realm, the senior brother of everyone on Samsara Peak.
Now that their master had secluded himself and the senior elders were all focused on cultivation, all the sect’s affairs were dumped on him. It was driving him crazy!
Li Duxiu also desperately wanted to cultivate. Otherwise, if the junior disciples surpassed him, how embarrassing would that be?
At the very least, he had to make it look like he was trying to break through. But he simply didn’t have the time right now.
“Senior Brother.”
A young woman in a Daoist robe walked over. She was pretty and sweet, holding a string of prayer beads. She smiled gently and asked, “Master still won’t come out?”
She was the second disciple of the Samsara Palace Master, Zhou Yangluo Qing.
Li Duxiu shook his head with a sigh. Suddenly, he looked at Zhou Yangluo Qing and asked, “You’ve broken through to the Xuanfu Realm?”
“I broke through just yesterday. I stabilized it a bit and wanted to come see Master today.”
Zhou Yangluo Qing smiled softly. She was petite and delicate, and her smile was especially comforting.
“Looks like you’ve caught up to me, Junior Sister. I really need to work harder now,” Li Duxiu said with a wry smile. Zhou Yangluo Qing was a few years younger than him, yet she had already reached his level.
“It’s alright. It’s just surface-level, right?”
“Who knows how much strength Senior Brother is really hiding!”
“Well, this Junior Sister definitely hasn’t hidden anything,” Zhou Yangluo Qing replied sincerely. With her delicate and earnest expression, it was easy to believe her. But Li Duxiu was the senior brother of Samsara Peak, after all…
“So shrewd—he inherited the true teachings of the Reincarnation Palace Master. How could he be fooled?”
Zhou Yangluo Qing’s words went in one ear and out the other.
On Saint Demon Mountain, anyone who said they weren’t hiding their strength was lying. Straight-up nonsense with a straight face. But even so, no one cared. As long as they didn’t admit it, there was nothing they could do.
“I see Master frowning and burdened with worry. If this continues, he might fall into inner demons and something serious could happen!” Li Duxiu said with concern.
Zhou Yangluo Qing replied, “I went to check with some other peaks. Master’s condition might have something to do with the other Palace Masters—especially the Fighting Demon Palace Master.”
“What do you mean?”
Li Duxiu hadn’t had time to investigate. Lately, all the miscellaneous tasks at the Reincarnation Peak had fallen on him, and he couldn’t spare a moment.
“Master went with the Grand Palace Master, a few other Palace Master-Uncles, and the True Spirit Grandmaster-Uncle to subdue the Blood Corpse Demon Clan. Everyone had a chance to show off a bit of their hidden strength.
Apparently, Master didn’t perform as well compared to the Palace Master-Uncles, so…”
Li Duxiu understood.
“So he’s throwing a tantrum?”
Zhou Yangluo Qing nodded and said, “Now we can only wait for Master’s cultivation to catch up with the other Uncles. Otherwise, we probably won’t see him out of the cave for a while.”
Li Duxiu turned to look at the distant palace and sighed helplessly.
“Master may seem like the most scheming on the surface, but in truth, he’s the most pure-hearted.”
“Yeah.”
Zhou Yangluo Qing nodded in agreement. Those Palace Master-Uncles really went too far.
They hit Master’s pride hard. Especially the Fighting Demon Uncle—rumor has it Master scolded him for ages, calling him a “repressed narcissist.”
“Hmph!”
Suddenly, the cave door opened. The Reincarnation Palace Master walked out with a stern face, glared at them, and scolded, “You think your Master is that petty?”
“Don’t believe those baseless rumors!”
“Throwing a tantrum because I couldn’t outperform the other Palace Masters? That’s nonsense! Utter fabrication!”
“Don’t bring it up again!”
Li Duxiu and Zhou Yangluo Qing straightened their faces and nodded.
“Understood, Master. Everyone else is just gossiping. You’re just in seclusion to calm your mind, that’s all.”
“Exactly.”
The Reincarnation Palace Master nodded, expressionless, though inside he was cursing.
Damn heavens! Just you all wait. If I don’t outshine you next time, I’ll write my name, Hong Qitian, backwards!
“Remember what I said. Don’t overthink—focus on your cultivation.”
“Mark my words: cultivate diligently and don’t let those core disciples from other peaks outshine you!”
“I’m heading to the Freedom Palace for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
He flicked his sleeve. A cloud appeared beneath his feet, lifting him into the sky as he flew toward the Freedom Palace.
“Master is still so prideful.”
Zhou Yangluo Qing chuckled, exchanging a look with Li Duxiu. The two of them shook their heads with a helpless smile.
Their Master was tough in every way—except when it came to admitting defeat. Li Duxiu gazed in the direction of the Freedom Palace and said, “Master’s going to see the Freedom Palace Master again. But he’s probably going to come back disappointed once more.”
The Reincarnation Palace Master had hardly left home in recent months, but each time he did, it was almost always to visit the Freedom Palace. Unfortunately, the Freedom Palace Master had been away for over three months and still hadn’t returned to the sect.
“The Freedom Palace is rich in heritage. Master probably wants to scavenge some good stuff.”
Zhou Yangluo Qing said.
The Freedom Palace was the First Palace of the Saint Demon Palace. Every generation of the Chu family had produced top-tier geniuses. But oddly, they never accepted disciples.
Even stranger, they all seemed to be cursed. Most of them only lived for a few hundred years—passing away in the prime of their lives. It was a real pity for the disciples of the sect.
If each generation of the Chu family’s ancestors had lived longer, the current strength of Saint Demon Mountain might already rival that of a proper holy land!