Chapter 242: Is the Immortal Pill Tasty? Chu Yang vs. Dixiatian!

The title "Heaven Sword" in the Wind‑and‑Cloud world seems like a benchmark flag; villains always try to tear that flag down, as if that would count as their victory.

Whether it is Xiong Ba or Dixiatian, without exception they all set Wuming as their target.

To prepare for a possible appearance of Dixiatian, Zhonghua Ge has recently reduced taking guests, lest a fight later accidentally harm ordinary people.

The Heaven Gate incident has become a hot topic, even the recluses Nie Feng and Mingyue have been drawn in; left with no choice, they had to seek refuge at Zhonghua Ge.

Soon after they arrived at Zhonghua Ge, a group of strange guests appeared, specifically requesting to see Wuming.

The leader wore a demon mask and a black robe, looking like a messenger from hell.

Those who followed him to Zhonghua Ge were all prominent figures in the underworld; at a glance Wuming recognized several familiar faces.

Seeing this, Wumin realized the visitor was the Dixiatian spoken of by Chu Yang, so he immediately dismissed the other guests; shortly thereafter only two people remained in the main hall.

Dixiatian and Wuming stared at each other from a distance.

"Heaven Sword Wuming, you already knew I was coming?"

A hoarse voice rang out, and Dixiatian's laugh, muffled by the mask, sounded unusually dull.

"You must be Dixiatian, then. May I ask what business brings Your Excellency to Zhonghua Ge?"

Wuming already knew Dixiatian's true identity, but did not reveal it outright, fearing the other would become angry and embarrassed.

"I intend to establish Heaven Gate and recruit talented individuals; I hope that senior Wuming can also join."

Dixiatian said politely.

"I cannot accept the term 'senior'; I have been detached from worldly matters for many years, so I hope you will seek another person."

Wuming quickly waved his hand, a shiver running over his skin; the thousand‑year‑old monster calling him 'senior' was truly disgusting.

Fortunately Chu Yang hadn't told Wuming that the Dixiatian opposite was actually his ancestor; otherwise it would have been even more repulsive.

"Your humility is excessive; Xiong Ba and Jue Wushen both fell under your hand, proving that you are the strongest in the martial world today; I also wish to learn a few moves from you."

Chu Yang intended to stay low‑key, so the glory of defeating Xiong Ba and Jue Wushen fell on Wuming; among them, Jian Chen contributed significantly, spreading the master's achievements everywhere.

All of this was orchestrated by Chu Yang.

Dixiatian already knew Wuming would refuse, so his words were merely a pretext to challenge Wuming.

He would not let this chance slip by; by taking down Heaven Sword Wuming, he could plunge the martial world into chaos, make Heaven Gate's name known to all, and then, under the name Xu Fu, step in to restore order.

This is his meticulously planned game, one that only a madman could devise.

All that circumvention is merely to satisfy his already diseased heart.

Fun.

Interesting.

Given the current situation, Chu Yang and Wuming had already discussed it, and Wuming had reached a conclusion in his mind.

He calmly said, "I can teach you, but not here in Zhonghua Ge; I still have business to conduct. If you are willing, follow me to another place."

Dixiatian did not answer immediately; instead he stared at Wuming for a long time, the answer Wuming gave being far from what he had expected.

Given Wuming's habit of staying out of worldly affairs, he would normally refuse repeatedly, yet now he readily nodded in agreement.

Could there be deception?

But Dixiatian thought again, and wondered, what does it matter if there's deception?

With his current martial cultivation, even if Wuming were to cheat, he could not affect him.

"As you wish."

Dixiatian replied lightly.

Wuming smiled, nodded, and stepped toward the outside.

Meanwhile, the crowd from Heaven Gate blocking the exit involuntarily stepped aside, making way for Wuming.

The reputation of Heaven Sword is enough to intimidate petty thieves.

Seeing his disciples like that, the face beneath the mask on Dixiatian was not pleasant; he silently resolved to kill these people the moment his identity shifted to "Xu Fu".

Wuming led Dixiatian to the spot where he once sparred with Chu Yang; at that time the Sword Saint was also watching the duel, but time has since changed…

Wuming showed a contemplative expression.

Fortunately, the unparalleled art "Sword Twenty‑Three" was passed down through Chu Yang; he also learned his own "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Root", innovating and flourishing the sword path.

Dixiatian followed Wuming all the way, strolling as if in his own backyard, his every gesture exuding an attitude of not taking Wuming seriously.

Until…

He saw a figure standing by the distant lake.

A young man stood on the lake's surface, sword qi swirling around him, yet the water remained unusually calm, even fish could be seen swimming freely.

The emerald waves stretched endlessly, tranquil and serene.

Clearly this was an exceptionally advanced sword‑controlling technique; its power was so high that even Dixiatian rarely witnessed such skill.

Did Wuming bring me here to meet this young man?

His fists behind him tightened silently, and a solemn glint flashed in Dixiatian's eyes, curious about the youth's identity.

Although Wuming walked ahead, he constantly watched Dixiatian's reaction; seeing him become suddenly solemn, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Having spent much time with Chu Yang, he knows Chu Yang's martial cultivation has reached an extremely profound level, yet still worries that his counterpart cannot handle Dixiatian.

After all, he is a thousand‑year‑old monster; no amount of caution is enough.

But Dixiatian's reaction now shows that Chu Yang still poses a great threat to him.

The two arrived at the lake shore and, without prior agreement, both looked toward Chu Yang.

Dixiatian's hoarse voice rang out, "Did senior invite me here because of this young man?"

Wuming replied calmly, "I am not your opponent, so the one who will fight you is him."

"The famed Heaven Sword is so easily dismissed?" Dixiatian sneered, "Spreading that would only invite ridicule from fellow martial artists."

"Victory and defeat are already meaningless to me, and so is reputation," Wuming replied calmly, "Besides, I've only lived a few decades; losing to you wouldn't be surprising at all."

De Shi Tian suddenly turned his head, his inner strength blazing like fire searing oil, stirring up wave after wave of heat.

Facing the oncoming heat wave, Wuming activated Ten Thousand Swords Return to shield himself; the two forces collided, and Wuming was blasted dozens of steps away.

With a single strike De Shi Tian gained absolute advantage and thought of pressing the attack, when a sudden roar rang in his ears.

"Xu Fu, does the First Emperor's immortality elixir taste good?"

Having his true name called—De Shi Tian, or perhaps Xu Fu—his steps halted as if struck by lightning, then he slowly turned around.

The demonic mask stared ferociously at the youth standing on the lake's surface.

"Who are you?"

A thousand years had made De Shi Tian forget most emotions; now an inexplicable fear suddenly rose in his heart.

"You still haven't answered my question—does the immortality golden pill forged with phoenix blood taste good?"

Chu Yang said with a half‑smile, half‑smirk, "How could you know… Those people were all wiped out back then, their descendants too, so no one should know about this."

De Shi Tian's breathing grew rapid, his intense murderous intent turning into a cold wind that swept the surroundings.

In the next instant, his figure shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

De Shi Tian could never have imagined that a thousand years later someone would remind him of the fact that he is Xu Fu.

These past events that should have been unknown to anyone were still being mentioned!

A fear of the unknown instantly enveloped De Shi Tian.

He roamed the mortal world, toying with countless people as if he were an all‑knowing, all‑powerful god.

When someone learned his identity, the matter exceeded even a "god"'s control!

De Shi Tian's inner fear surged, intensifying, and the only way to dispel it was to seize the youth and interrogate him for everything he wanted to know! Empowered by the Peerless Lightness Skill, Unrestrained Ascension Step, De Shi Tian closed in on Chu Yang at breakneck speed, his raging inner force erupting a spray of mist on the lake.

As De Shi Tian approached, Chu Yang also moved; he pointed his fingers together, forming a sword, and countless sword qi around him seemed to sense his intent, all pointing at De Shi Tian.

The sword qi erupted, raising a rolling torrent.

"Don't think you're the only one who can wield Ten Thousand Swords Return!!!"

De Shi Tian let out a ferocious laugh, simultaneously unleashing sword qi that formed a wave almost identical to the other's.

The sword‑qi torrents collided, the clashing of metal sounding like a downpour of rain.

Wuming stared at the scene in shock, unable to imagine that De Shi Tian also possessed a sect‑defining sword art; at this moment, the millennia‑old De Shi Tian finally took a concrete form in his mind.

Recalling Chu Yang's words that De Shi Tian had entered countless sects over the ages, mastering all their martial arts over several hundred years, a chilling feeling rose in Wuming's heart.

Ten Thousand Swords Return VS Ten Thousand Swords Return!

The same technique pits the cultivators' levels against each other.

De Shi Tian felt victory was assured; how could a fresh‑blood youngster compare to his thousand‑year accumulation?

He even feared that a misstep might kill Chu Yang, leaving his power underutilized.

But as time passed, De Shi Tian saw that his opponent showed no sign of exhaustion; sword qi flowed endlessly, seemingly infinite.

Realizing something was off, De Shi Tian rushed to give his all; for a moment sword qi surged like tide, cleaving the lake beneath his feet into two.

But…

Chu Yang remained unmoving, only his eyes turning into reincarnation‑cycle eyes, recording the paths of De Shi Tian's inner force.

As the living encyclopedia of martial arts in the world of Storm and Cloud, every technique De Shi Tian employed in this battle will ultimately become Chu Yang's possession.

To allow De Shi Tian to unleash more techniques, Chu Yang always held back a sliver of strength, giving him the illusion that a little more effort would defeat him.

Even so, De Shi Tian was immensely shocked; his decades‑long accumulation had almost been caught up by that kid.

"A peerless genius…"

"We must not let him continue to grow."

Knowing his secret and possessing great talent, De Shi Tian could not allow such a youth to survive, lest he create a formidable enemy for himself.

With that thought, De Shi Tian unleashed all his moves at once, showing no restraint.

The great battle officially began; even Wuming could not get close, and to prevent innocents from intervening, he stayed outside the battlefield.

Soon, familiar figures appeared nearby—Nie Feng and Ming Yue, who had come seeking refuge.

They had been hiding in Zhonghua Pavilion; upon seeing Wuming challenge De Shi Tian, they followed out of concern.

Chu Yang did not want the two to get involved, fearing mishaps midway; Nie Feng, who excels at dealing with beautiful confidants, is truly a celestial‑bane lone star.

But he couldn't deny that they were two good‑hearted people, making it hard to stand aside.

"Senior Wuming!" Ming Yue, having witnessed De Shi Tian and Chu Yang's astonishing duel, hurried forward to ask, "Is this person the De Shi Tian of Heaven's Gate?"

Wuming nodded.

Nie Feng said anxiously, "Senior, why not intervene to help Chu Yang? De Shi Tian is not on the righteous path; there's no need for moral talk with him. For the sake of all living under heaven, such a villain should be eliminated early."

Wuming forced a bitter smile, "Take a good look; this fierce battle is beyond my ability to intervene. It's not that I wish to stand aside, but that I have no choice."

Nie Feng's complexion changed at the words, his expression turning solemn as he stared at the two.

A lake formed by the confluence of a fine river tributary was brutally vaporized by their combined power, revealing a terrifying void dotted with scattered puddles.

De Shi Tian's millennial cultivation, a snap of his fingers could cause mountains to crumble; his unique constitution automatically heals external injuries, allowing him to battle Chu Yang for a long time.

It is also thanks to his extraordinary constitution that Chu Yang could glimpse many martial arts; De Shi Tian, a scholar of the arts, meticulously cultivated only superior techniques.

The aptly named "Xu Fu Selection" also spared Chu Yang the process of "removing the dregs and extracting the essence".

Techniques such as Ten Thousand Ren Piercing Clouds, Imperial Heaven Furious Thunder, and Dry Ice Palm gradually manifested in the fight.

The exquisite moves left Wuming and the others entranced.

On the other side, Chu Yang's martial arts were equally intricate, not inferior to De Shi Tian's at all, and perhaps even superior.

Regarding the phrase "profound and extensive", Chu Yang was confident he was not weaker than De Shi Tian; his repertoire combined martial arts from different worlds.

Among them, the martial arts from Jin Yong's wuxia world, though not of high realms, are conceptually deep; top‑level arts like Tai Chi even touch the Dao realm.

When executed by Chu Yang, the techniques' brilliance was truly world‑shaking.

Even Emperor Shitian, his opponent, had to look at him with new eyes.

Another doubt arose in his heart.

No matter how talented a person is, it's impossible to learn such vast and complex martial arts in less than thirty years, let alone master them all to a very deep level.

Emperor Shitian didn't believe there could be such an outrageous talent in the world.

Furthermore, Chu Yang understood his past self from a thousand years ago very well, even knowing that phoenix blood was the raw material for making the Undying Golden Pill like the back of his hand.

All kinds of signs seemed to point to one answer……

Emperor Shitian, who had the answer in mind, suddenly raised his head and exclaimed, "Could it be that you too have lived for a thousand years?!"

Chu Yang blinked slightly, then looked at Emperor Shitian with a strange expression, guessing why he said that, and suddenly felt a bit amused.

If he really had lived for a thousand years, not only Emperor Shitian, but even the heavenly gods and buddhas wouldn't be his match.

After sparring with Emperor Shitian for so long, aside from the Holy Heart Secret and the Seven No Absolute Boundary, he had already used every martial art he knew.

It was also time to put in extra effort and force out his hidden trump cards.

Chu Yang decisively employed the Dragon Elephant Bright King Technique; his body emanated a faint golden light, and the strength of a hundred dragons and a hundred elephants surged forth.

The pressure on Emperor Shitian suddenly surged.

Realizing the opponent might be an old monster like himself, Emperor Shitian could no longer hold back his panic, preparing to unleash his ultimate arts, the Holy Heart Secret and the Seven No Absolute Boundary.

Nie Feng, watching from the side, had already gone blank-eyed, not knowing where he was, and finally understood why the Nameless had said he couldn't intervene in their battle.

This is absolutely not a duel between mortals!

(End of chapter)