Chapter 69: The Heavenly Talent Assembly, Chen Changsheng Am I The Undertaker’s Disciple
Chapter 69 The Heavenly Talent Assembly, Chen Changsheng Am I The Undertaker’s Disciple
“Junior Ye Hensheng pays his respects to the Senior!”
Before the rolling green peaks stood a young man clad in Daoist robes. Possessing sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, the youth cupped his hands in a deep salute, seemingly seeking an audience.
Yet, the vast, misty mountains offered nothing but silence in response to his plea.
Anxious at the lack of response, the youth attempted to step forward, only to be violently repelled by an invisible, tyrannical Formation.
Just as the youth agonized over a solution, a young man appearing no older than eighteen or nineteen casually strolled out from the depths of the verdant woods.
Carrying a hoe over his shoulder, the barefoot youth, face shaded by a simple bamboo hat, ambled leisurely toward a nearby thatched hut.
Spotting someone emerging from the profound Formation, Ye Hensheng hurriedly stepped forward.
“Daoist brother, might I trouble you to announce my presence?”
Chen Changsheng: ???
The stranger’s plea left Chen Changsheng completely bewildered.
“Announce what?”
“It is like this. My Master shares a karmic connection with the Senior residing within. I have come specifically to beseech the Senior to emerge from seclusion.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng scratched his head, sweeping his gaze up and down the unexpected visitor.
“Then do you even know this Senior’s name?”
“I do not. This Junior only knows that the Senior is addressed as The Undertaker.”
Chen Changsheng: ???
Ye Hensheng’s solemn declaration utterly baffled him, for The Undertaker was none other than himself!
Indeed, this barefoot youth was Chen Changsheng, having spent the last two centuries living a mundane “egg-watering” life.
To breathe life into that dead egg, Chen Changsheng had established a peerless Formation, violently drawing upon the primordial essence of heaven and earth.
Throughout this era, he tirelessly nourished the egg with spiritual spring water and the Heaven-Mending Paste.
Living within the array’s nexus, Chen Changsheng’s own flesh was saturated by the world’s pure essence, unexpectedly reversing his physical age.
While this superficial metamorphosis could not extend a cultivator’s true lifespan, reverting his mortal shell to its youthful prime was effortless.
Faced with his increasingly juvenile physique, Chen Changsheng felt deeply troubled; he had no desire to walk the mortal realm trapped in a child’s body.
Consequently, he recently constructed a thatched hut outside the core Formation to isolate himself and resolve this minor irritation.
Yet, the moment he stepped outside, he found someone kneeling at the boundary, explicitly demanding an audience with him.
What truly amused him was the sheer absurdity that the messenger did not even recognize his face.
Processing this, Chen Changsheng’s mind raced with cold logic.
Very few souls in the mortal realm knew he was cultivating here, and the majority were ancient acquaintances.
If an old friend was sending a disciple to beg for aid, there was absolutely no reason for the messenger to be ignorant of his true name!
“Might I inquire about your esteemed name?”
Chen Changsheng probed gently. Ye Hensheng cupped his hands in respect. “My surname is Ye, my given name Hensheng.”
Ye Hensheng? ‘Hates Sheng’?
This name radiates pure malice toward me, Chen Changsheng mused. But it must be a coincidence. Who in the world would be petty enough to specifically name a child just to curse me?
“Ah, so it is Brother Ye! Forgive my lack of manners!”
“May I ask who Brother Ye’s Master is? I have resided deep within these mountains for some time and am ignorant of the outside world’s current affairs.”
At these words, Ye Hensheng’s expression turned intensely serious.
In truth, he had been scrutinizing the barefoot youth from the start. The mountain’s Formation was undeniably profound, an absolute barrier to the ignorant.
If this mere teenager could stroll through the boundaries unhindered, there was only one logical conclusion.
Sensing that Ye Hensheng was on the verge of deducing his true identity, Chen Changsheng smiled faintly, preparing to drop the charade.
It was highly probable an old friend was begging for salvation. Whether he would actually lift a finger was irrelevant; he needed to extract the intelligence first.
“Daoist brother, judging by your profound bearing and unfettered aura, you must be…”
Chen Changsheng nodded, a confident smile playing on his lips.
“Indeed. I am…”
“…The Undertaker’s disciple, correct?!”
Before Chen Changsheng could utter his own title, Ye Hensheng excitedly cut him off.
Chen Changsheng: ???
Faced with this utterly absurd leap in logic, Chen Changsheng’s internal gears jammed for exactly one second before he answered with unwavering conviction.
“Exactly. I am The Undertaker’s sole disciple, Chen Changsheng.”
“So you are the Senior’s esteemed disciple! Your reputation precedes you. Please, Brother Chen, announce my presence so I may pay my respects to the Senior.”
Deluded into believing the youth was the heir to the legendary Undertaker, Ye Hensheng was practically vibrating with joy.
Chen Changsheng, however, picked his ear casually. “It is not that I cannot pass on a message.”
“But Master issued strict edicts: he refuses all idle visitors. You have yet to reveal your Master’s identity. I can hardly disturb his seclusion blind.”
Panicking at the rejection, Ye Hensheng hurriedly declared, “My Master is the Wolf Emperor of the Night Moon Country!”
Realizing this was Wan Yan Yue’s disciple, the origin of the spiteful name ‘Hensheng’ instantly clicked in Chen Changsheng’s mind.
“Ah, Senior Wolf Emperor! My Master does indeed share past karma with her.”
“I merely wonder, why does the Wolf Emperor seek to break my Master’s seclusion?”
At this probing, Ye Hensheng’s expression tightened with hesitation.
“My Master strictly commanded that these words may only reach the Senior’s ears.”
“Is that so? Then you can enjoy a long wait. Even I do not know when Master will emerge.”
Without a second glance, Chen Changsheng hoisted his hoe and turned back toward his hut. Seeing his only lifeline walking away, Ye Hensheng panicked.
“Brother Chen, this matter concerns the very survival of the realm! I beg you to pass on the message!”
Deaf to the dramatic pleas, Chen Changsheng kept walking.
“The Heavenly Talent Assembly!”
“The Middle Heavens is hosting the Heavenly Talent Assembly! This grand event requires the Senior’s absolute presence!”
At the mention of the Middle Heavens, Chen Changsheng’s bare feet finally halted.
“What Heavenly Talent Assembly?”
“It is an unparalleled gathering hosted by the Kunlun Holy Land in the Middle Heavens.”
“This assembly summons the absolute pinnacle of prodigies from the Middle Heavens, the Western Continent, the Eastern Wasteland, the Northern Desert, and the Southern Plains.”
“The assembly serves two purposes. First, to decipher the God Source ores recently excavated from the Sacred Ruins.”
“Second, to forge an alliance to encircle and annihilate the vile villain plaguing the Middle Heavens, Wu Li.”
Absorbing the intelligence, Chen Changsheng glanced back over his shoulder. “If that is the case, your Master has no business seeking mine!”
“A ‘Heavenly Talent Assembly’ is clearly a playground for the younger generation. My Master and yours are ancient monsters of the same era. How could they stoop to participate in such a farce?”
“Furthermore, your Master’s cultivation is tyrannical in her own right. Even if an alliance is needed to execute a villain, it shouldn’t require dragging my Master from his grave!”
Ye Hensheng offered a bitter, defeated smile. “Logically speaking, you are correct.”
“However, my Master recently entered a life-or-death Secluded Cultivation. The State Preceptor, the Unbeaten Daoist, has done the same.”
“Right before sealing her cavern, Master thrust this location into my hands and commanded me to retrieve the Senior. The finer details were kept hidden from me.”
Hearing the full truth, Chen Changsheng’s lips curled into a cold sneer. The puzzle pieces finally snapped together perfectly.
It was blatantly obvious: Wan Yan Yue and Song Yuanshan were shamelessly slacking off, tossing their disciples at him so he could play the role of an unpaid Dao Protector.