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Chapter 285: The Future Belongs to You

Though he suffered minor injuries, the aftermath of burning his blood left him feeling even weaker than the palm strike delivered by Jiang Yuebai.

He was, however, in better condition than Ling Ao. When he burnt his blood, he promptly replenished it using the Dragon-Blood Crystal, mitigating the severity of the exhaustion. The two ultimate-tier Golden Cores would help him recover quickly, so he would soon be back in peak condition.

What puzzled him was the way people around him were looking at him. Their gazes were complex, subtle, filled with mixed emotions, and carried varying degrees of malice.

It was as if he had done something unforgivable.

Wait a minute?

A sudden flash of memory hit Chu Liang, and the events before he lost consciousness came rushing back to him in a torrent of recollection.

At that moment, Senior Sister Jiang unleashed the Five-Lightning Heart of the Sky, an ancient art renowned as the strongest method used by qi practitioners in ancient times against demons and devils. This advanced lightning art had the power to destroy the heavens and earth.

With mastery of this art, even a physically weak cultivator would not have to fear the approach of a physically powerful demon, making it a classic counter to melee combat. Jiang Yuebai's deliberate use of this divine ability against him was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Not only would evil entities be restrained within the range of the Five-Lightning Heart of the Sky, but the use of arts and techniques would also be inhibited because the paralysis triggered by the art of lightning would affect both the physical body and delay the flow of qi and the use of divine intent.

This was the reason why Chu Liang could not teleport using the Dimension Compression.

Instead, he could only throw himself at Jiang Yuebai to avoid the attack.

Mm, that was exactly what happened.

It was all just a simple accident during the fight.

Why are you all glaring at me?

Sensing the overwhelming hostility from everyone around him, Chu Liang felt very wronged.

"Haaa," he heaved a sigh.

He lost when he was only one step away from becoming the head disciple. However, this defeat was justified. Most of the time, such matches were indeed competitions of trump cards. Jiang Yuebai mastered a multitude of divine techniques, and since she hadn't revealed any in previous matches, Chu Liang was unaware of the methods she could employ and had no means to defend against them.

On the other hand, he had unveiled all the methods he could employ during the bout against Xu Ziyang, hence why the outcome of this fight was within his expectation.

Moreover, he was of a lower cultivation level than both Xu Ziyang and Jiang Yuebai. The fact that he reached this level in fights against a fourth-realm cultivator and a fifth-realm cultivator was no easy feat.

Although he did not win the title of head disciple, he was satisfied with this achievement.

I will just need to head back and work even harder cultivating. The journey of cultivation is long, and I have only just begun, Chu Liang thought.

“Are you awake?” As Chu Liang remained in a daze, a voice suddenly interrupted his train of thoughts. It was the Weapons Master, who was walking over.

"I'm fine now," Chu Liang immediately stood up.

"Then get ready to go on stage. In a while, I'll take you all to Sword Sheath Peak," the Weapons Master called out, turning to walk toward the stage.

Although the tournament had ended, the audience didn't leave. They were still waiting for the sword-bearing ceremony, a highlight of the Mount Shu summit.

Jiang Yuebai, Chu Liang, Xu Ziyang, and Ling Ao, the top four disciples, stepped onto the stage together. The surrounding area erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, celebrating these rising stars of Mount Shu.

Chu Liang stood beside Jiang Yuebai, the gentle breeze lifting her hair and carrying a familiar, sweet fragrance.

"Senior Sister Jiang..." he called softly, "sorry about earlier..."

"Let's focus on the important matters first," Jiang Yuebai said, casting a glance at him. "I'll deal with you later."

Chu Liang gave an awkward smile and didn't dwell on it further.

From the spectator stand, the sect leader of Mount Shu, Venerable Wen Yuan, gracefully descended and landed on the stage.

The four promising disciples immediately showed a solemn expression.

For the past hundred years, Venerable Wen Yuan had been living in seclusion and rarely ventured outside. Among this batch of disciples, some might have caught a glimpse of him during the Mount Shu Summit ten years ago. However, those who joined later had likely never seen the sect leader before.

It would have been impossible for them to have met the sect leader face-to-face.

The sect leaders of the immortal sects in the Divine Nine, even the one from Mount Shu, which was ranked the lowest in the Divine Nine, were considered one of the most powerful and influential figures in the world.

Even without this status, the sect leader of the Mount Shu Sect was an eighth-realm cultivator. He was an Eminent One at the Heavenly Origin Realm...

The mere fact that he had control over the Heavenly Origin carried immense authority and pressure.

However, Venerable Wen Yuan did not exude an overwhelming sense of superiority. Instead, he wore a gentle smile and his eyes appeared clear and calm, making those in his presence feel as if they were basking in the warmth of a spring breeze.

"Whenever this time of the decade comes, I feel deeply emotional. Having talented young people in the Mount Shu Sect is truly a blessing," Venerable Wen Yuan said as he gazed at the young woman and young men before him. "The future belongs to you."

The four disciples nodded and bowed in respect.

Venerable Wen Yuan turned to address the audience and declared, "From this day forth, Jiang Yuebai shall stand as the head disciple of the Mount Shu Sect! The Mortal-Realm Wanderer of our sect! She shall represent the Mount Shu Sect! Fellow cultivators and members of immortal sects from all corners of the nine provinces, join me in witnessing this."

He wasn't loud, but his voice, like a stone dropped into the sea and stirred up waves of excitement.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts, banners bearing Jiang Yuebai's name waving vigorously. This moment of celebration truly fulfilled everyone's expectations.

For the next ten years, Jiang Yuebai would serve as the face of Mount Shu, representing the sect in the mortal realm.

Jiang Yuebai stepped forward. Chu Liang, who was behind her, stood with a warm smile, feeling genuinely happy for her.

Xu Ziyang's gaze appeared sharp and steadfast, conveying the same determination and enthusiasm as always.

As for Ling Ao, his eyes burned with a fierce intensity, filled with a powerful longing and determination.

With the twist of his wrist, Venerable Wen Yuan took out a white jade token and placed it on Jiang Yuebai's hand.

"Guard this Human Authority Token with utmost care. With this token, it will be as though Mount Shu itself stands beside you. As the head disciple from this moment onward, you must work even harder in cultivation, uphold the righteous path, and proudly carry the banner of Mount Shu," he advised earnestly.

Jiang Yuebai accepted the Human Authority Token and responded firmly, "I will heed your teachings!"

On the Mount Shu Sect, there were three tokens of authority: the Heaven Authority Token held by the sect leader, the Earth Authority Token belonging to the grand peak master, and the Human Authority Token held by the head disciple. All these tokens symbolized the most powerful individuals of their respective generations.

The sect leader, of course, managed all affairs within the immortal sect. However, the sect leader, being the strongest in the sect, generally would not be the one to venture outside.

Thus, the grand peak master assumed responsibility for numerous day-to-day affairs and frequently represented the sect leader when they were absent, receiving treatment equivalent to that of the sect leader from other immortal sects. Should the sect leader fall, the grand peak master would be the first in line to succeed.

The head disciple was the face of the immortal sect. They were the Mortal-Realm Wanderer of the sect.

Jiang Yuebai was undoubtedly a fitting representative in every aspect.

Venerable Wen Yuan turned around and spoke, "The turbulent times ahead present both opportunity and challenge for your generation. It is within such tumult that the Violet and Azure Twin Swords have emerged. Should these swords select you, you will shoulder considerable responsibility for Mount Shu. Given your outstanding performance during this Mount Shu Summit, the four of you will accompany the Weapons Master to Sword Sheath Peak. There, you'll see if you have been chosen by fate to wield the Violet and Azure Twin Swords."

"Yes!" The four replied at the same time.

Even before the Mount Shu Summit began, rumors spread that the Violet and Azure Twin Swords would choose their masters from the disciples who performed exceptionally well.

Yet, the definition of exceptional disciples remained somewhat flexible.

While choosing only the two finalists was an option, it might feel like imposing specific masters onto the Violet and Azure Twin Swords, which the notoriously picky sword spirits might not appreciate.

However, if the Violet and Azure Twin Swords were to choose a master who proved to be too weak, it would undoubtedly result in a loss for Mount Shu. Even if a disciple with only average talent were to acquire the swords, it remained uncertain whether they could effectively safeguard Mount Shu.

Therefore, after consulting with the sword spirits, the leaders of Mount Shu decided that the top four finalists of the Mount Shu Summit would participate together in the selection process.

In the martial world, rumors suggested that the spirits within the Violet and Azure Twin Swords were once lovers. It was believed that because of this bond, they preferred to select couples as their masters. The theory was that with both sword wielders in a harmonious relationship, the power unleashed by the swords would be even greater.

As for whether this rumor was true, no one knew for certain.

Back in those times, the most powerful disciples in many Mount Shu Summits were men. If this were the case back then, would these men have needed to make adjustments to align with the preferences of the Violet and Azure Twin Swords? The idea sounded very absurd.

A more logical explanation was that the two individuals chosen as sword masters would naturally spend ample time together for cultivation purposes and would share responsibilities equally.

Under such favorable conditions, it was more likely for these sword masters to form romantic relationships and become couples.

Over time, this rumor could have arisen, suggesting that the Violet and Azure Twin Swords only select couples.

Following this reasoning, it suggested that Jiang Yuebai was very likely to be chosen as one of the sword masters.

However, there were many who envied those who might become the master of the other sword. They envied the guy who would get the chance to perform the dual sword combination with Fairy Jiang so intensely that they were almost going mad!

The audience observed the three young men on stage, speculating which of them would be that fortunate bastard.

Logically, Chu Liang had advanced the farthest in the competition, but his cultivation level was somewhat lower. Xu Ziyang seemed like the heroic figure capable of saving Mount Shu, making him the safest choice to entrust with the swords. Ling Ao, on the other hand, had an even lower cultivation level than Chu Liang—a fact that surprised many. Yet, he possessed a mysterious and intriguing appeal, akin to a dark horse candidate with unexpected potential.

It was hard to predict the preference of the Violet and Azure Twin Swords.

Many people stayed behind, eagerly awaiting the final news from Sword Sheath Peak.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Weapons Master transported the four disciples on a cloud, swiftly flying them to Sword Sheath Peak in an instant.