I Might Be a Big Shot — Chapter 37
Xuan Minglie was wondering what exactly he had done wrong to inherit this Heaven-Shaking Sect, which was already riddled with holes, and to have to worry every day about the vice sect master seizing power.
When the sect master before last, Sect Master Xue, was still alive, Heaven-Shaking Sect kept a low profile, rarely clashing with the righteous sects. It looked unimpressive, but in reality, its power was considerable. Under the mighty reputation of Xue Qianjie, many itinerant cultivators who admired him joined Heaven-Shaking Sect. Back then, it truly was the number one sect of the demonic path.
Later, when Sect Master Xue mysteriously disappeared for several centuries, the former sect master took over, relying on the foundation laid by Xue Qianjie over a thousand years to lead the demonic path into a war between righteous and demonic sects, utterly routing the righteous sects. However, just as they were about to win, Yin Changkong emerged out of nowhere. As the head of the righteous sects, he was both devious and cunning, his methods even more numerous than those of demonic cultivators. When cultivators fought en masse, he could even employ military tactics, killing countless experts of the demonic path. After the former sect master’s death, that righteous–demonic war ended in a crushing defeat for the demonic path.
After that, Heaven-Shaking Sect was thrown into chaos for a long time. Almost all its experts had perished in the war, and the remaining members respected no one. Heaven-Shaking Sect, unlike the righteous sects, was not a sect with a single lineage but rather an amalgamation of many itinerant cultivators and demonic sects. Without a core leader, it quickly fell into disarray.
After becoming sect master, Xuan Minglie spent many years just to restore a semblance of strength to Heaven-Shaking Sect. He was finally starting to look the part of a sect master and enjoy life a little before transcending his tribulation — when Changkong Zhuoyu appeared.
This man’s existence was even more unreasonable than Xue Qianjie and Yin Changkong. At least those two had been famous in the cultivation world for a long time, and their power was still within what the cultivation world could withstand. But this Changkong Zhuoyu? Who had ever seen a cultivator like this? He was laying down the Dark Yin Bloodthirst Formation! The number-one formation of the demonic path, evolved from an ancient sinister formation, one that could even kill ancient gods back in antiquity — could he at least take it seriously? {Another divine formation identified, with the Dark Yin Bell being its anchor.}
Seeing the twelve Bloodthirst Banners firmly pressed down by a single palm from Changkong Zhuoyu, Xuan Minglie felt completely drained. His own experts had fought desperately to defend the banners, yet they were nothing compared to a casual press of this man’s hand. How was this fight supposed to be won?
It couldn’t be won.
Xuan Minglie genuinely wanted to give up. But so many of his subordinates were watching. Besides, if he didn’t at least try, how would he know? After all, the sect’s secret formation was quite formidable. So he said with difficulty, “The formation still needs a little more time — spiritual energy is lacking at the moment.”
Changkong Zhuoyu nodded slightly. From the setup of the Dark Yin Bloodthirst Formation, he could already tell it wasn’t weak. It was worth watching, and he could wait. But standing around doing nothing with so many people watching was really dull, and besides, they had more important matters at Heaven-Shaking Peak.
During this time, Li Xinglun had either been dueling Golden Core-stage experts or recovering from injuries. He didn’t really know what earth-shattering things his master had done. As for his master gaining yet another identity — wasn’t that perfectly normal? His master was the kind of person who could casually pick up a new identity just by walking along. There was nothing to be surprised about.
All he needed to worry about was that Changkong Zhuoyu wouldn’t blow his cover in front of the demonic sect.
In fact, Li Xinglun didn’t even need to worry about that. After just a few moves, Changkong Zhuoyu had already intimidated the entire demonic sect. Even if he stood there laughing wildly with his hands on his hips and asked everyone whether he was impressive, they would only feel it was the swagger of an expert.
Changkong Zhuoyu observed every single member of the demonic sect and sent a sound transmission to Li Xinglun: “While they’re setting up the formation, let’s carefully check whether any of them are demonized. The baleful energy at Heaven-Shaking Peak is too heavy. I did absorb some spiritual energy just now to help heal you, but it wasn’t enough to deplete all the spiritual energy here. Heaven-Shaking Peak has a spiritual vein. Even if the energy is drained, it should quickly replenish. This recovery is taking too long — I suspect it’s related to the baleful energy.”
Baleful energy wouldn’t necessarily weaken spiritual energy. But if its source was near the spiritual vein, it would suppress it.
This again was from eight hundred years ago...
Changkong Zhuoyu casually reached out, and from a distance grabbed a seemingly highly skilled cultivator. The Soul Transformation peak expert had no chance to resist and was obediently dragged over. Holding him, Changkong Zhuoyu asked, “You look like you’ve lived over a thousand years. When did you come to Heaven-Shaking Peak?”
The man couldn’t even summon the will to resist and could only reply meekly, “I was already here when Sect Master Xue was alive. Back then I was just a Golden Core-stage cultivator.”
“Mm,” Changkong Zhuoyu nodded. “Then you must know quite a few people here. Of the people here, which ones came to Heaven-Shaking Sect eight hundred years ago? Point them all out to me.”
A cultivator who had survived eight hundred years in Heaven-Shaking Sect was exceedingly rare. There were only three present. One was the Azure Dragon Protector, whom Changkong Zhuoyu had already defeated. One was this Soul Transformation-stage expert he was holding. The last was the vice sect master, who had been coldly watching with his men all along.
Changkong Zhuoyu had already dealt with the first two and found no sign of demonic transformation. As for the last one...
A Great Ascension-stage expert, who had joined Heaven-Shaking Sect nine hundred years ago as a Nascent Soul cultivator, then advanced to Soul Transformation-stage within just a hundred years, participated in the righteous–demonic war, and had been vice sect master for many years now. His subordinates were countless, yet he had never become sect master.
After listening to the man’s detailed account, both Changkong Zhuoyu and Li Xinglun turned their gaze toward the vice sect master.
“Worth a try,” Li Xinglun nodded slightly.
“Good.” Changkong Zhuoyu casually picked up the Dragon Scale Saber and flew toward the vice sect master, leaving the remaining three Sacred Beast immortal artifacts to protect Li Xinglun so no one could harm him.
Once again being protected, Li Xinglun...
In just one year, he had gone from Foundation Building stage to late-stage Golden Core, now faintly feeling like he was about to form his Nascent Soul — a peerless genius never before seen in the cultivation world. In any great sect, he would be a favored son of heaven, adored by all. But unfortunately, he had followed an invincible master, never experiencing the feeling of being the center of attention, always relegated to being his master’s backdrop, worrying daily that his master might slip up, and constantly feeling frustrated at being the one protected.
When would he ever be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with his master?
Watching Changkong Zhuoyu carve a path through the crowd with a single slash, sending the demonic sect members flying in the blade’s wind, Li Xinglun quietly thought that day would probably never come...
At this moment, Changkong Zhuoyu had already engaged the vice sect master.
The vice sect master was a very strange man. By rights, no matter what grudges he had with the sect master, when Heaven-Shaking Sect faced a formidable enemy, he should have set aside his differences and fought alongside Xuan Minglie. But he had continued to stand idly by, showing no intention of intervening as Changkong Zhuoyu crushed the demonic sect.
The Dragon Scale Saber was an immortal artifact. Since leaving the valley, this was the first time Changkong Zhuoyu had used such a fine artifact. Before, he had always used wooden swords or the plain iron swords of Mount Shu disciples, none of which could even withstand his power. But now, using the Dragon Scale Saber, he could finally inject his true essence into it fully and unleash his strength.
The Dragon Scale Saber emitted waves of dragon roars, and an Azure Dragon phantom emerged from the blade’s patterns, floating into the air. A piercing dragon cry shattered everyone’s resistance, and all cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage collapsed, writhing on the ground in pain.
Yet the vice sect master’s expression didn’t change. He and his subordinates slowly summoned their own artifacts, which gathered together in the air, unleashing a suffocating baleful energy that enveloped the entire summit of Heaven-Shaking Peak. Even the Azure Dragon phantom vanished under its assault.
Though it was clearly daytime, the sun was blocked by the baleful energy, and the sky grew darker. Black mist gradually seeped from the vice sect master and his men, who all howled at the sky in unison, emitting sharp, inhuman screams.
Their bodies began to swell. One subordinate, whose cultivation was the lowest, expanded fastest. When he reached his limit, he suddenly burst apart with a “boom.” Yet his body contained no flesh or blood — only boundless demonic energy, which spread rapidly, pouncing toward those nearby.
This chain of events stunned the demonic sect members. The demonic cultivators closest to the vice sect master were about to be devoured by the demonic energy when a streak of flame flew in, burning the demonic energy to nothing.
But that was just one strand of demonic energy. Countless more still spewed from the man’s body, and there were still over a dozen people, one even a Great Ascension-stage expert!
If they all self-destructed, borrowing the baleful energy, the demonic energy would be enough to engulf all of Heaven-Shaking Sect!
Changkong Zhuoyu was strong, but he couldn’t guarantee he himself wouldn’t be consumed by the demonic energy. At most, he could take Li Xinglun and escape. But now, because of him, Heaven-Shaking Peak’s formation had become one-way — allowing entry but no exit. The demonic cultivators trapped in the mountains likely couldn’t escape and would all be demonized!
In his urgency, Changkong Zhuoyu instantly appeared before Xuan Minglie and shouted angrily, “What are you waiting for? Hurry and finish the formation to trap them!”
Still clueless, Xuan Minglie: “?”
“Forget it, you’re too slow. I’ll do it myself.” With that, Changkong Zhuoyu snatched the Dark Yin Bell, the main formation artifact, from Xuan Minglie’s hands, instantly severing his connection to it.
Xuan Minglie, relying on his Great Ascension-stage strength to barely avoid coughing up blood: “...”
Although the Dark Yin Bell was shaped like a bell, it had never made a sound before. Xuan Minglie had always thought “bell” was just a descriptive name. But the moment it reached Changkong Zhuoyu’s hands, it rang out crisply with a series of “ding-ding” chimes. With the ringing, spiritual energy broke through the barrier of baleful energy and gathered together.
Changkong Zhuoyu’s fingers moved rapidly, and in an instant, he cast hundreds of incantations. Thirty-six Bloodthirst Banners rose into the air, fluttering in the wind, gathering all the spreading demonic energy and enclosing the vice sect master and his men in blood-red light.
The Dark Yin Bell floated into the air, ringing constantly. Another subordinate behind the vice sect master self-destructed, but this time the demonic energy didn’t spread, all blocked by the Bloodthirst Banners.
Changkong Zhuoyu guided all the spiritual energy into the Dark Yin Bell. The Bloodthirst Banners swayed rhythmically with the bell’s chime. When the bell turned entirely crimson from absorbing all the energy, the vice sect master and his men self-destructed simultaneously!
A tremendous explosion shook all of Heaven-Shaking Peak, but Changkong Zhuoyu didn’t budge. He pressed his palms downward, sending the Dark Yin Bell into the formation as the Bloodthirst Banners quivered. The blood-red formation enveloped all the demonic energy, not letting a single wisp escape.
Only then did Changkong Zhuoyu let out a breath, nodded to Xuan Minglie, and said, “The Dark Yin Bloodthirst Formation is indeed formidable.”
Xuan Minglie: “...”
~ Chapter End ~
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