Chapter 453: Return to the Holy Sect
Beneath Crimson Dragon Mountain, Xu Sanyan squinted his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Hiss… Hah…”
“Such an intoxicating scent.”
After two years, Xu Sanyan had finally returned!
Two years ago, when the Hundred Saints Secret Realm opened, he obtained a treasure that drew the covetous eyes of others. He was relentlessly pursued by Venerable Crane Jade, the Hall Master of the Blood Refinement Branch, forcing him to flee for his life. During his escape, he killed Crane Jade’s son, Tu Wanshan, deepening their enmity.
With no other choice, Xu Sanyan crossed the Mist Sea, nearly losing his life in the process. Now that he had achieved significant cultivation progress, it was time to settle old scores.
As he ascended Crimson Dragon Mountain, Xu Sanyan’s brow furrowed slightly, sensing something amiss.
Why is it so quiet here?
While Crimson Dragon Mountain didn’t have a large number of disciples, it certainly wasn’t deserted. Such silence was unnatural.
Could it be… something has happened to the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect as well?
Just then, Xu Sanyan stopped in his tracks and turned his head toward a tree. He sensed someone hiding behind it.
A figure darted out from behind the tree, shouting, “Who are you?”
Xu Sanyan frowned deeply as he gazed at the black-robed youth. Celestial Being Realm?
This person’s cultivation level was only at the Celestial Being Realm.
Back when Xu Sanyan was the holy son in charge of the Crimson Heart Faction, the minimum requirement for guarding the mountain gate had been the Foundation Establishment Realm. Had things deteriorated so much since then?
Seeing Xu Sanyan’s prolonged silence, the black-robed youth’s expression turned menacing. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he demanded coldly, “What is your purpose here?”
“Don’t you recognize me?” Xu Sanyan asked in surprise. He had personally organized and presided over the disciples’ tournament. Logically, every disciple of the Crimson Heart Faction should have seen him before.
“Hah! Do you think you’re the Hall Master, wandering around wherever you please? ‘Don’t you recognize me?’ Should I?” The black-robed youth sneered disdainfully. He wasn’t afraid of offending anyone; at this time, only Outer Sect Disciples remained on the mountain, and he knew all the named ones. This person was definitely not among them.
Xu Sanyan smiled faintly. “Is the Mad Daoist in the mountains?”
“Audacious! How dare you address the Hall Master by his personal name…” The black-robed youth began to scold, but then he realized this person’s status must be extraordinary to dare speak so casually of the Hall Master. His demeanor instantly shifted to obsequious flattery.
“The Hall Master has gone to execute the traitors. Elder Liu is overseeing the mountain in his absence. May I ask which Celestial Immortal you are? This disciple will report your arrival immediately.”
Xu Sanyan didn’t answer, simply lifting his leg and striding up the mountain. The black-robed youth trailed half a step behind, no longer daring to obstruct him.
“Elder Liu… is that Liu Tang?” Xu Sanyan asked casually.
“Exactly! Do you know Elder Liu?”
“Heh…”
Know him? Xu Sanyan thought. Liu Tang owes his current position entirely to my patronage.
When Xu Sanyan had first ascended to the position of holy son, he wielded no real power. Liu Tang was among the first to pledge allegiance, joining his earliest supporters. Yet Xu Sanyan hadn’t expected the old man to cling to life so stubbornly—he was still alive after two years.
“Why is the mountain so quiet?” Xu Sanyan asked, curious.
“You haven’t heard?” The black-robed youth seemed genuinely surprised. How could he not know about such a major event?
“Hmm?” Xu Sanyan sensed something amiss in his tone and pressed, “What happened? Explain in detail.”
“Hall Master Crane Jade Venerable of the Blood Refinement Branch and Hall Master Hua Gu of the Joyous Union Lineage have jointly defected, leading their disciples to abandon the Holy Sect and establish their own mountain gate.”
“Oh?” Xu Sanyan was even more surprised. “And what’s the current situation?”
The black-robed youth’s eyes shone with awe and envy. “That day, the Sect Leader personally intervened. I heard he only used a single palm strike, and Hua Gu was instantly killed, her corpse and spirit utterly annihilated.”
“Did you see the Sect Leader?”
“No, the Sect Leader didn’t reveal himself, but I saw the palm strike. It was terrifying beyond words.”
The black-robed youth recalled the scene, his heart swelling with wonder as he began to ramble about the events of that day.
Xu Sanyan listened silently, his mind painting a vivid picture:
That day, a colossal phantom rose from Back Mountain, its radiant white light illuminating the sky like twin suns, its brilliance surpassing even Taiyang’s.
When the phantom’s palm descended from the heavens, Xu Sanyan nearly believed the Holy Sect was about to be destroyed. Yet the strike landed solely on Hua Gu. The Hall Master, a formidable void harmony expert, couldn’t withstand even a single blow, her body shattering into dust on impact.
Venerable He Yu, however, had fled just in time. The Sect Leader ordered the Mad Daoist and the previous holy son, Qi Yuanzhu, to pursue and eliminate him.
Meanwhile, all Foundation Establishment disciples and above from the Crimson Heart Faction and United Heart Faction had mobilized to exterminate the Blood Refinement Branch’s traitors, explaining the scarcity of people on the mountain.
Xu Sanyan nodded slightly, feeling a pang of regret for Hua Gu’s death. He had actually quite liked that woman…
Only mature women have true flavor, and Hua Gu was undoubtedly ripe—almost rotten, in fact. He’d always wanted to taste her.
Hua Gu wasn’t particularly beautiful or shapely; her appearance was unremarkable. Yet she possessed an aura of authority, the kind that comes from long years in a position of power, radiating self-assuredness and disdain. This presence earned her considerable respect.
But now it was too late. She was gone, reduced to dust. He couldn’t exactly make love to thin air.
The two arrived at the mountain peak, one ahead of the other. Crimson Dragon Mountain remained unchanged, almost identical to how it had been when he left.
Xu Sanyan strode into the great hall and unceremoniously seated himself in the head seat, his eyes sweeping the room with a hint of nostalgia.
The black-robed young man, ever observant, asked, “Does the Celestial Immortal wish to find Elder Liu? This disciple will lead the way.”
Xu Sanyan shook his head with a smile. “I’ll wait here. Go fetch Liu Tang for me.”
“Um… May I ask the Celestial Immortal’s name?”
“Xu Sanyan.”
“Yes, this disciple will go at once…”
The young man instinctively agreed, then froze. The name sounded familiar. After a moment’s thought, he realized why: for the past two years on the mountain, those three words had been the most frequently spoken.
“Ho… Holy Son? You’re the Holy Son?”
“Go,” Xu Sanyan waved his hand dismissively.
“Yes, sir!” The black-robed youth, his heart pounding with excitement, sprinted away.
Just then, the secret realm fruit wrapped in cloth behind Xu Sanyan suddenly glowed brightly, and a naked, muscular figure tumbled out.
Lin Fan shook his head vigorously, a strand of glistening, viscous saliva still clinging to the corner of his mouth. Even from a distance, Xu Sanyan caught the pungent, seawater-like stench and immediately understood what had happened.
He knew that smell all too well.
Seeing Xu Sanyan’s knowing smile, Lin Fan’s face flushed crimson. He hastily wiped his mouth and pulled out a set of clothes to change into.
“Holy Son, about what just happened…”
Before he could finish, Xu Sanyan raised a hand to stop him. “I understand.”
Lin Fan grew even more agitated, launching into a flurry of explanations. “No, you’ve misunderstood…”
Only then did he notice his surroundings and exclaimed in surprise, “Crimson Dragon Mountain? We’re back?”
“Yes, we’re back…” Xu Sanyan nodded, deciding not to send Lin Fan back to the Secret Realm World.
Because Lin Fan had been constantly shifting between the secret realm and reality, he remained unaware of Xu Sanyan’s evil deeds, nor did he realize that the destruction of the five cities was partly his doing.
Sometimes, knowing less can be a blessing.
(End of the Chapter)