Chapter 454: Renowned Reputation

“Holy Son!”

The voice arrived before the person. Liu Tang, accompanied by his son Liu Shuzhi, rushed in from afar, his face flushed with excitement. They entered the great hall, knelt, and bowed deeply, shouting in unison, “Welcome the Holy Son home!”

Liu Tang, a powerhouse in the void harmony realm and an elder of his lineage, showed none of his usual composure. He resembled a loyal dog who had been waiting patiently at home for his master’s return. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging furiously.

Xu Sanyan leaned back lazily in his chair, resting his chin on one hand as he watched quietly. Suddenly, he flashed a toothy grin. “Rise.”

“Thank you, Holy Son.”

Liu Tang raised his head, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen, making him appear even older.

In contrast, Liu Shuzhi’s cultivation progress had been rapid. He had already broken through Foundation Establishment Perfection and would soon achieve void harmony.

“I’m no longer the Holy Son,” Xu Sanyan said. “I heard the Holy Sect expelled me. It’s inappropriate for you to address me that way.”

Liu Tang immediately retorted angrily, “That’s just the word of those rebellious traitors! Daoist He Yu belongs to the Blood Refinement Branch—what right does he have to interfere with the Crimson Heart Faction? The Hall Master has never acknowledged expelling the holy son from the sect!”

Liu Tang’s words were accurate. The Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect was formed from the merger of four factions: the One Heart Faction, the Blood Refinement Branch, the Crimson Heart Faction, and the Joyous Union Lineage. Each faction operated independently, meaning the Blood Refinement Branch had no authority over the Crimson Heart Faction.

Though all belonged to the Holy Sect, their relationship was more of cooperation than strict hierarchy. However, the Sect Leader of the One Heart Faction, being the strongest, had always been regarded as the sect’s leader.

Venerable He Yu had long desired to leave the Holy Sect and revive the Blood Refinement Sect. Hua Gu shared this ambition, and the two conspired to defect. When the Sect Leader refused to grant their request, the current crisis erupted.

Xu Sanyan smiled, no longer caring much about such matters. The title of holy son, expulsion from the sect—none of it mattered.

He had returned to the mountain for only two reasons:

First, to seek revenge on Venerable He Yu.

But now it seemed he might not get the chance. With the Mad Daoist and Qi Yuanzhu hunting him down together, Venerable He Yu’s fate was likely sealed.

Secondly, he needed to find a way to break through to the Sage Realm!

Xu Sanyan had already reached the Peak Stage of Perfected Dao Harmonization, and his next step was to attain sagehood. This was his primary reason for returning.

In the vast Central Region, there were only five sages, and fortunately, one resided within the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect. Therefore, the sect must possess a method for breaking through to the Sage Realm.

However, Xu Sanyan was uncertain of the Sect Leader’s attitude toward him. He planned to first approach the Mad Daoist and attempt to glean information from him.

The Mad Daoist was a seasoned expert in the void harmony realm and likely possessed some understanding of how to break through to the Sage Realm.

Xu Sanyan frowned in deep thought, and the atmosphere grew quiet. The three disciples dared not interrupt, standing silently.

After a long moment, Xu Sanyan slowly said, “Call me when the Hall Master returns. You may leave now.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the disciples departed, Xu Sanyan lowered his head in contemplation before retrieving a jade slip and probing it with his divine sense.

This jade slip had been obtained from the Hundred Saints Secret Realm and contained the insights of a sage. Although Xu Sanyan had already achieved void harmony, his understanding of the heavenly dao had only just begun.

The capital of the Qian Kingdom was nearing the end of the capital examination, but Emperor Qian was overwhelmed with pressing matters and had no time to attend to it.

The chaos in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains had yet to be quelled, and demonic path demonfolk had emerged to stir up further trouble. Just as things began to settle, a crisis erupted in the Mist Sea: a barrier that had stood firm for tens of thousands of years suddenly shattered. Truly, misfortune never comes singly.

This series of calamities had turned what should have been a grand capital examination into a rushed affair, ending with a whimper rather than a bang. Emperor Qian had no mind for such matters.

If anyone had reason to resent this outcome, it was undoubtedly Tang Huanhuan. She had staked her entire fortune on this opportunity, only to see it squandered. The disappointment was unbearable.

“You deserve to die!”

Tang Huanhuan threw back her head and drained the cup of murky wine, then slammed the empty vessel onto the table, her fury beyond words.

Xu Sanyan was truly her nemesis. Why had he chosen the time of the capital examination to act? The court’s attention had been diverted, diminishing the examination’s importance and directly undermining Tang Huanhuan’s prospects.

As for how her prospects had been undermined, the final rankings had been released, listing thirty-two names. Tang Huanhuan’s name was among them, ranked seventeenth!

This was a respectable achievement. The participants in the capital examination were all exceptional talents from various provinces, backed by powerful noble clans. For Tang Huanhuan, a commoner, to reach this position was remarkable.

If none of this had happened, she would have been summoned by Emperor Qian, nurtured by him, and kept in the capital for important assignments. But now…

Everything was gone!

Emperor Qian had no time for them anymore. Having lost his favor, their treatment had deteriorated drastically. Once the final rankings were announced in a few days, they would likely be dismissed with some paltry rewards.

Tang Huanhuan now wanted nothing more than to kill Xu Sanyan!

After all the years she had slept with him, fought alongside him through life and death, was this how he repaid her?

She truly regretted not killing him with a single strike back then!

“Xu Sanyan, you deserve to die!”

Tang Huanhuan sat in the tavern, cursing under her breath, her silver cup crushed into a ball by her unconscious grip.

Just then, a voice came from behind her, “Do you know Xu Sanyan, sir?”

Tang Huanhuan turned to see a young woman in a white dress, her face veiled by a sheer scarf. She carried a sheathed silver dragon longsword and wore embroidered golden boots, looking every bit the celestial maiden. Her extraordinary beauty drew frequent glances from the men in the tavern.

“Who are you?” Tang Huanhuan frowned, disliking talking to strangers.

“I am Yang Qiyuan, a disciple of the Source Worship Sect. Greetings, Heroine,” Yang Qiyuan said softly, rising to bow.

“Yang Qiyuan…”

Tang Huanhuan searched her memory but couldn’t recall ever hearing that name. Assuming he wasn’t a formidable figure, she relaxed her tone and countered with a question, “Do you know Xu Sanyan?”

Yang Qiyuan hesitated before slowly nodding. “I know him, but I’m not certain if it’s the same person.”

Xu Sanyan’s name was now infamous, though not for any good reason. It was said that people were already using his name to frighten children. For instance, if a child refused to sleep, parents would threaten, “If you don’t go to bed, the Great Demon Xu will come and get you!”

If a child slacked off during martial arts practice, their parents would warn, “If you don’t train properly, how will you defend yourself when the Great Demon Xu comes to capture you?”

Such tales were countless.

Over time, his reputation spread far and wide, growing increasingly sinister. Many deeds he hadn’t committed were attributed to him.

Even Yang Qiyuan had heard numerous rumors on his journey. Some claimed that if chickens went missing and the authorities were too lazy to investigate, they would simply blame Xu Sanyan and tell the victims to seek him out for compensation.

Tang Huanhuan pressed again, “What’s your relationship with him? Why are you looking for him?”

Yang Qiyuan didn’t answer. He merely shook his head in disappointment and sat down. “It seems you don’t know where he is either.”

(End of the Chapter)