Chapter 240 - 226: Secret
Yu Changsheng stared at the message that had suddenly popped up, his initial shock giving way to confusion.
’Red-scaled Pangolin? Didn’t I already sell that to Li Minghan?’
’What did that kid do? He actually used up the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon Bloodline and successfully evolved it?’
’Doesn’t that mean he’s about to hit the big time? How did he manage that? Does he have a cheat ability too?’
Yu Changsheng wondered about it, making a snide comment to himself, though he knew it wasn’t really possible.
’Besides... why did I get a notification? And receive Essence Points? I don’t have a contract with it.’
Yu Changsheng pondered, and a theory began to form in his mind.
’Is it because that Spirit Beast was one I raised using my Golden Finger? Is its very essence now connected to my system?’
After a moment’s thought, he concluded that was the only plausible explanation.
’It’s just a shame I didn’t get a boost to my own cultivation out of it.’
Yu Changsheng shook his head. The thought was fleetingly disappointing, but he was still quite satisfied.
’Then again, that kid really has some guts to be able to pull off its evolution. No wonder he was willing to trade the equivalent of two Second-stage Spirit Beasts for it. He must have been planning this from the start, huh?’
Yu Changsheng’s brow furrowed as he mumbled to himself. A moment later, however, a faint smile touched his lips, free of any other emotion.
’He’s got courage. It’s good that he succeeded. Looks like the Beast Taming competition between our sects will be more exciting than I anticipated.’
Shaking his head, he put the matter aside. Yu Changsheng’s mind grew calm as his thoughts drifted.
...
Night fell. The sky was dotted with stars and a fierce wind howled. The bright moon emerged, its vast, brilliant light pouring unsparingly down upon the world. The forests and mountains were all bathed in a silver sheen, a mirror to the heavens above.
Within the Wanxiang Sect, all was still. Bathed in moonlight on the side of Beast Taming Peak, a tall, slender figure stood atop a cliff, gazing into the distance and facing the bright moon.
The man was well-proportioned and lean. His dark hair was tied back, with a few strands breaking free to dance on the night wind. Moonlight flowed over his dark cyan robes. A piece of Warm Jade inlaid with Gold Stone was tucked into his waist. His silhouette was like that of an immortal, his bearing as otherworldly as a Divine Son.
It was none other than Yang Chengxu.
A shadow warped. The space behind Yang Chengxu rippled, and a figure clad in a black robe, completely shrouded in darkness, knelt on one knee. He bowed his head and cupped his fist in salute to Yang Chengxu’s back.
"What’s the situation? Any results?"
Yang Chengxu didn’t turn around. His voice, cold and clear, drifted on the wind to the man’s ears. His silhouette, shimmering in the moonlight, took on an even greater sense of mystery and otherworldly grace.
The Black-robed Cultivator lowered his gaze, his voice deep and respectful. "Young Master, I have secretly patrolled the Wanxiang Sect during this time. Aside from a few forbidden areas, I’ve checked everywhere, but I haven’t found any traces."
"What about the main target, Sword Control Peak? Is there anything unusual in the places where Huang Suyu lived and frequented?"
Without turning, Yang Chengxu gave a slight nod, his expression still calm as he spoke coolly.
"No." The subordinate shook his head, a flicker of shame on his face. He cupped his fist again. "I focused my investigation on Sword Control Peak. With Huang Suyu dead, I carefully examined every trace he left behind, but found nothing of note."
The wind continued to howl. Hearing this, Yang Chengxu fell into a thoughtful silence, his brow furrowed slightly.
’I’ve already searched Beast Taming Peak myself these past few days and came up with nothing. That means the only remaining lead is Yu Changsheng, the one who killed Huang Suyu.’
Yang Chengxu mused, his gaze as deep as a still pool. A thoughtful glint appeared in his eyes, flickering for a moment at the mention of Yu Changsheng’s name.
"Yes." The Black-robed Cultivator nodded respectfully and continued his report. "Based on my inquiries, it seems the only potential source of clues about Huang Suyu is Yu Changsheng himself. We may need to start with him."
Yang Chengxu’s brow creased. His chilly voice carried an unidentifiable emotion as he spoke.
"Huang Suyu’s death is trivial. What matters is the item I’m looking for. I certainly hope it hasn’t vanished with him."
"Yu Changsheng... I’ve heard that name. When he joined the Inner Sect six months ago, he supposedly climbed eight thousand steps of the Celestial Ladder, triggering a rare phenomenon, correct?"
"That is correct." The Black-robed Cultivator nodded in affirmation. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Furthermore, my investigation revealed that Yu Changsheng was also the one who single-handedly annihilated nearly the entire Tang Family in Dongyang City three months ago."
As he spoke, the Black-robed Cultivator took a deep breath, a look of sheer disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"Rumor has it that he single-handedly fought three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, all with higher cultivation than his own, and killed them all within the time it takes a single stick of incense to burn. Afterward, with ruthless efficiency, he proceeded to slay Patriarch Tang of the Tang Family—Tang He, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer..."
At this point, the Black-robed Cultivator paused. He glanced up at Yang Chengxu’s back as if a thought had occurred to him, and when his gaze calmed, he continued.
"In my judgment, that battle might not have even been his limit. All things considered, while it’s impossible for his cultivation to have reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment so quickly, his combat power most likely has."
To be honest, the Black-robed Cultivator had been stunned when he first learned of these events. He was genuinely impressed by Yu Changsheng’s feats, but that was the extent of it.
He had seen many truly astonishing geniuses in his time. Yu Changsheng was certainly outstanding, but compared to his Young Master, he was destined to be nothing more than a backdrop.
And just as he’d expected, a brief flicker of interest crossed Yang Chengxu’s eyes upon hearing the report, but there was no surprise. He simply nodded, his expression as placid as ever.
"Not bad. To be able to kill Huang Suyu during his Qi Refining stage, and to possess such combat power after reaching Foundation Establishment... this Yu Changsheng is quite the prodigy. He bears watching."
"Perhaps... the item I’m looking for is in his possession."
As he finished speaking, a rare smile appeared on Yang Chengxu’s impassive face, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. "Interesting. To think that besides Shen Xingchen, the Wanxiang Sect has another prodigy of this caliber. It seems the upcoming Beast Taming competition will be more entertaining than I’d anticipated."
The Black-robed Cultivator kept his head bowed and his fists cupped, a fanatical light in his eyes. "Young Master, your talent is a gift from the heavens. Even if this Yu Changsheng has some skill, he is nothing compared to you."
"Once you find what you’re looking for and ascend to the Nine-Layered Spirit Platform, who in all the Martial Continent—among all the other prodigies, even the Saint Sons of the Three Sects—could possibly rival your brilliance?"
Yang Chengxu merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. At the mention of the Nine-Layered Spirit Platform, a flicker of longing—gone in an instant—appeared in the depths of his calm eyes.
He waved a hand dismissively, his gaze shifting as he looked up at the moon.
"If that’s the case, we’ll leave it at that for now. Inform me if you learn anything new. And one more thing, keep your movements discreet. You didn’t stir up any of the old fossils here in the Wanxiang Sect, did you?"