Chapter 168: Honorable Teacher, You Have Quite A Few Enemies, Heavenly Tribulation Begins

“Linghu family sect?”

Chu Kuangren was slightly surprised when he heard Elder Ruyan bringing them up. “You’re saying that the Linghu family sect might come and look for us?”

Elder Ruyan nodded slightly. “Yes. When Sect Leader was cultivating in the outside world back then, he once had a conflict with the sky-pride of the Linghu clan, Linghu Hong. Linghu Hong had taken a lot of losses in the hands of Sect Leader, so he has always held on to the grudges.”

“It’s likely that they will come and ruin things for Sect Leader’s ascension this time.”

Chu Kuangren pondered for a while.

“Linghu clan… This spells trouble to me.”

In Firmament Star’s swordsmanship world, there was a famous saying of “a mountain, a sect, and two clans”. This saying described the four orthodoxies that were most skilled in sword Dao.

“A mountain” referred to Tempest Mountain, while “a sect” referred to Black Heaven Sect.

“Two clans” would then be the Linghu clan and the Murong clan.

These “a mountain, a sect, and two clans” were sage orthodoxies that were equally adept in sword Dao. Constant competition would exist between these four on any usual day as they attempt to oust or best each other both openly and secretly. Each one of them strived to prove that they were the strongest amongst all, hence they were on hostile terms with each other.

This was especially true between the Linghu clan and Black Heaven Sect. The relationship between these two was as incompatible as oil and water.

Back then, Honorable Xuan Qi had beaten Linghu Hong to an incredibly awful state, so bad that he could not hold his head up ever again. He hated Honorable Xuan Qi and even the whole Black Heaven Sect to the core. Due to that, it was highly likely that he would take Honorable Xuan Qi’s ascension this time as an opportunity to do something.

“Aside from Linghu Hong, Sect Leader has also offended quite a number of people during his earlier travels. For instance, Honorable Swordsman of a Thousand Cries, one of the Seven Heroes of the Swordsmanship World. This guy challenged Sect Leader to a battle during his younger days and was defeated by Sect Leader in just three sword strikes.”

“There’s also Feng Wuchang, whose whole arm was chopped off by Sect Leader…”

“On top of that, the Great Elder of Jade Watersword Sect… Honorable Zhuo Lang, a wandering cultivator of the Thirty-Six Isles from overseas, Honorable Wusheng…”

Chu Kuangren’s head started to spin as he listened on. He looked at Elder Ruyan who was rattling endlessly, then quickly cut her off. He wanted to cry so badly but failed to shed a tear.

“Why does Honorable Teacher have so many enemies?”

“Sigh, who isn’t hot-headed and prone to offending people when they were younger? Kuangren, haven’t you offended quite a few sky-prides too?”

Elder Ruyan remarked nonchalantly.

“But this is way too many.” The edge of Chu Kuangren’s lip twitched.

What kind of Honorable Teacher had he sought tutelage under…

One who was so skilled at making enemies?

After sending Elder Ruyan off, Chu Kuangren stroked his eyebrow. It seemed that he had a great task ahead for Honorable Xuan Qi’s ascension this time.

“I hope these people would be a bit wiser to not come and seek their own deaths.”

Chu Kuangren muttered under his breath as a cold glint flashed past his eye.

…

Atop a mountain on Black Heaven Sect.

Honorable Xuan Qi was sat cross-legged inside the Thundersoother Rod with both his eyes slightly shut and a mysterious Daoist Rhyme flowing through his body.

At that moment, it seemed like he had felt something and so he looked up into the sky.

“It’s coming.”

He had just finished speaking when he saw the layer of clouds from a distance away tossing and tumbling. It looked as though a drop of ink had dripped onto a pile of freshwater, slowly dying it into a shade of black.

The ominous dark clouds amassed, gushing towards his direction.

Wherever these clouds passed, a majestic force of nature followed.

All cultivators of the entire Black Heaven Sect had felt this too.

“It’s the heavenly tribulation. Heavenly tribulation!”

“What a horrifying energy. Sect Leader’s heavenly tribulation is finally here.”

“It’s my first time witnessing an ascension.”

“Once Sect Leader succeeds in his ascension, we, the Black Heaven Sect, would be welcoming a new Boundary Sage. And we’d have the addition of a new Sage in the near future.”

“That’s right, God bless.”

“It’s fine, I’m sure Sect Leader will succeed in his ascension.”

Everybody looked towards the direction of the dark clouds, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Elder Ruyan and the others had quickly gotten up as well to head towards the mountaintop where Honorable Xuan Qi was currently at, preparing to safeguard him.

At the mountaintop, Elder Ruyan, Seventh Forefather, and a few others were standing guard around him.

“This fella is more excellent than I am. I haven’t attempted ascension even after all these years. He had beat me to it.”

Seventh Forefather looked towards Honorable Xuan Qi with a faint smile.

Beside him, Elder Ruyan said, “Seventh Forefather, the only reason you couldn’t complete an ascension before this was that you’ve entered the Heavenly Deterioration Stage Five. Now that you’re back at your peak, surely you can look forward to another ascension attempt. We Black Heaven Sect must prosper.”

“Heh, instead of counting on me ascending successfully, I think Black Heaven Sect’s future would still have to rely on that little fellow,” Seventh Forefather said.

Everybody knew exactly who the little fellow he referred to was.

Elder Ruyan deeply agreed with that. “Yeah, this boy Kuangren is indeed too extraordinary. Just look at what he did for the ascension this time. The things that he has brought out for us are all incredibly rare treasures!”

“No matter in fate and good fortune, or in talent and dexterity, he is truly one of a kind throughout the ages. The key to Black Heaven Sect’s longevity and prosperity would depend on whether or not he could continue developing and dominate over this era.”

At that moment, a white-clad figure arrived not far away.

It was the person whom they were discussing, Chu Kuangren.

“Greetings, Elder and Seventh Forefather. How is Honorable Teacher doing?” Chu Kuangren bowed to them upon his arrival before he asked worriedly.

When they saw how concerned he was towards Honorable Xuan Qi, they felt very pleased.

“Lead Disciple, don’t you worry. The heavenly tribulation has not yet begun.”

“That’s right. With the things that you’ve prepared for Sect Leader, I bet we can be nine-tenths certain that he will succeed in the ascension this time.”

Chu Kuangren nodded. “Still, we need to be cautious.”

Who knew what sort of gimmicks those enemies of his Honorable Teacher would pull off.

Up in the sky, the dark clouds became heavier.

That incredibly terrifying domineering aura had become increasingly stronger as well. Every living thing within a ten thousand miles radius had felt a shudder rippling through their hearts.

The force of nature!

This was the true force of nature!

“It’s about to begin,” Seventh Forefather said solemnly.

The dark clouds started to tumble and form a colossal black whirlpool, where flashes of azure blue lightning were flickering crazily inside it.

A large bolt of blue lightning shot down from the sky all of a sudden, locking down onto Honorable Xuan Qi. This bolt of light was very appalling as it ripped through space and formed an invisible barrier that confined the space around, leaving Honorable Xuan Qi with no means to escape. All he could do now was face-off with the heavenly tribulation!

He would either have to survive through the heavenly tribulation and reap the rewards, or get wiped off from the face of the earth by the heavenly tribulation!

Honorable Xuan Qi slowly got up onto his feet, and an immense sword qi erupted from his body. An incredibly majestic Sword-based Daoist Rhyme started to circulate around his body.

At a distance away, the Sword Mountain quivered. A purple longsword gushed through the air like a stream of light before it dashed into the pillar of lightning and appeared right in front of Honorable Xuan Qi.

This sword was the Purple Star Sacred Sword!

There was a time where Honorable Xuan Qi would wield this sword and traverse across all of Firmament Star. After he had become the Sect Leader of Black Heaven, he returned this sword back to the Sword Mountain.

“Old friend, let’s fight this heavenly tribulation together!”

Honorable Xuan Qi held on to the Purple Star, exuding a sense of regality.

Meanwhile at a place far away.

A ferocious energy wave erupted from the direction of the Black Heaven Sect. Immediately following that, Elder Ruyan’s communication compass started to vibrate.

When she had gotten the message, her expression turned incredibly grim. “Someone is here to cause the Black Heaven Sect trouble!”

Upon hearing that, many of their faces turned strange.

It need not take idiots to deduce that, for someone to cause trouble at Black Heaven Sect at this impeccable timing, it must be those who came for Honorable Xuan Qi.

Then, more messages came through that people were wreaking so much havoc at each corner of Black Heaven Sect, there were already many casualties amongst their disciples.

“D*mn it, they’re trying to stray us from our objective, luring us away from guarding the Sect Leader.” Elder Ruyan and the others were incredibly pissed.

“You guys, go and deal with those lackeys.”

Suddenly, Honorable Xuan Qi spoke.

“Sect Leader, but you won’t have anyone left to safeguard you.”

“Haha, I don’t need any safeguarding. When I’m in ascension, they won’t dare to touch me. They can’t even touch me when I’m not in ascension!”

Honorable Xuan Qi burst out in laughter.

If people were to intervene when a cultivator was attempting ascension, they would become a mark for the heavenly tribulation as well.

As such, those people would not dare to harm Honorable Xuan Qi during his ascension. The only thing they could do was to wait for the interval between each surge of tribulation recharge and attack him at that time.

However, Honorable Xuan Qi would be completely free by then.

“Quick, just go. Let them know that Black Heaven Sect is not a place where they could come and go as they please,” Honorable Xuan Qi said.

“We’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Elder Ruyan gritted on her teeth as she led some of her people over to soothe the chaos.

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