novel-bin Chapter 116 Interception
Chapter 116 Interception
Chapter 115 Interception
Linwu City.
The city gates were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and people lined the streets, cheering loudly.
Bai Hong and Shen Jun gave a brief speech at the city gate, then dismissed the crowd, allowing Liang Cheng and the others to return to the martial arts academy to rest.
Zhenchuan Peak Courtyard No. 3.
Ning San Niang had already prepared hot water and food, and Liang Cheng pushed open the door and entered.
"Mother, I'm back."
Liang Cheng smiled and accepted the hot towel his mother handed him.
Yang Wei held Yang An under the eaves. Little Yang An reached out his hand and babbled. Liang Cheng stepped forward and took it. The little guy actually giggled.
"This kid, you two are destined to meet."
Yang Wei sighed with emotion, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Ya Ya, heavily pregnant, came out with Tie Niu. The family sat down to eat, and Liang Cheng ate quietly while listening to his mother chatter about everyday things.
night.
The alchemy room on the back mountain.
When Liang Cheng came over, Old Huang still didn't look up.
"Mr. Huang, I need to report to the main hospital now."
"Well, given your abilities, that's to be expected."
"Elder Huang, I need to exchange some pills for the main hospital's needs."
As he spoke, he took out his identity jade token.
Old Huang nodded, took the jade token, and Liang Cheng's voice rang out again, "Exchange all of them?"
Liang Cheng nodded. "In addition to the True Essence Pill, please also prepare some healing and poison-avoiding pills."
"Then you'll have to wait a while. You've exchanged quite a lot of contribution points for pills, and I don't have enough for now."
"Then I'll have to trouble Elder Huang."
Two days later, at the Mingxin Pavilion of the Martial Arts Academy.
Bai Hong pushed a bright red token in front of Liang Cheng.
"This is a reward from the City Lord's Mansion and the Martial Academy for this competition. This is a token that is universal to the main academy. Once you arrive at the main academy, you can transfer it to your identity jade token and exchange it for resources."
"The main hospital has huge expenses; this should barely cover your initial needs."
Bai Hong then gave a brief introduction to the main hospital.
The main hospital is located in Yunhai City on Canglan Island, and consists of two branches: an internal branch and an external branch.
Most of the outer disciples are at the True Qi Realm, while those at the True Yuan Realm can enter the inner courtyard.
The courtyard contains a Hall of Contribution, a Scripture Repository, a Weapon Forging Workshop, an Alchemy Room, and other facilities, all of which require contribution points to exchange for.
However, the ways to obtain contribution points are still the same as in the Martial Academy: completing tasks within the academy, ranking in the arena, and contributing external resources, etc.
"The competition at the main hospital is ten times more brutal than in Linwu City."
Shen Jun said in a deep voice, "It is common for disciples to form cliques. Newcomers are easily bullied if they do not have a backer. You need to keep a low profile on your trip and not offend others. It's just that my Linwu City has been at the bottom for decades and I don't have many connections in the main academy."
Liang Cheng cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Dean and City Lord."
"There's one more thing. Back then, Elder Huang was an alchemist at the main academy. I don't know why he came to Linwu City to retire. If you have time, you can ask Elder Huang."
"After you finish your chores in a couple of days, set off as soon as possible. It takes more than a month to travel from Zhongyuan Island to Canglan Island by sea. Two months is too rushed. It's better to leave sooner rather than later."
Liang Cheng nodded: "This disciple understands."
After leaving Mingxin Pavilion, Liang Cheng went to the alchemy room in the back mountain.
Old Huang was grinding herbs, and when he saw him come in, he didn't even lift his eyelids.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes."
Old Huang stopped what he was doing and took out a large bundle.
"True Essence Pill, Warm Sun Pill, Poison Avoidance Pill—all are ready, and there's also an improved Source Replenishment Pill, which is even more effective for injuries. This time, you nearly killed me."
Liang Cheng accepted it, feeling a warmth in his heart: "Thank you, Elder Huang."
Don't give me that.
"Mr. Huang, I heard you came from the main hospital? What's the situation like there?"
2
Old Huang waved his hand: "You're asking about these old stories of mine because you want to know if I have any connections at the main hospital to take care of you?"
Liang Cheng chuckled.
"Don't overthink it. You'd better not mention me. I have quite a few enemies in the main hospital. If you want to avoid trouble, you'd better not get involved with me."
"However, within the main academy, Chen Xuanfeng of the Transmission Hall is a decent person. If you wish to become his disciple, you might consider it."
Liang Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, get out of here. Don't die out there. I'm still waiting for you to come back and test the medicine."
Back at True Transmission Peak, Liang Cheng began packing his bags.
Ning San Niang silently helped him pack his luggage. Her son had become quite capable, so she would just support him quietly.
As evening fell, Yun Jinghong came to visit.
The two sat facing each other at a stone table in the courtyard.
"When do we set off?" Yun Jinghong asked.
"Three days later."
Yun Jinghong nodded, and after a moment of silence, she said, "The Three Cities Grand Competition is held once every ten years. I can't wait, but I will break through to the True Essence realm before the next competition, and then I will go to the main academy."
Liang Cheng raised his glass: "I'll be waiting for you."
The two drank it all in one gulp.
After Yun Jinghong left, Lu Qingzhou rushed over and presented her with a light red token.
"Senior Brother Liang, this token can be exchanged for resources at Jubao Pavilion. Be careful on your journey."
Liang Cheng did not refuse, and after accepting it, he thanked him solemnly.
Over the next three days, Liang Cheng found Li Mu and Zhao Yuan and urged them to cultivate diligently.
When they arrived at Chen's Trading Company, Chen Zi'an was already waiting, presenting them with an account book and a token.
"Guest Liang, this is 30% of the profits the business has made in the past six months. It has been deposited into Jubao Pavilion. You can withdraw it at any branch of Jubao Pavilion with this token."
After Chen Bainian's death, Chen Zi'an took over, and the business flourished even more.
"While I'm away, please take good care of the martial arts academy and my family. Also, please don't forget about Da Tou and Er Gou."
"Rest assured, Mr. Liang, the Chen family will do their utmost."
After leaving the trading company, Liang Cheng strolled through the city.
On the way back to the Martial Arts Academy, a carriage blocked the road.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with a beaming smile stepped out.
"Could it be Liang Zhenchuan? I am Wen Ruoqian, the newly appointed manager of Jubao Pavilion."
Liang Cheng paused, staring intently at Wen Ruoqian.
Wen Ruoqian quickly followed and handed over a token: "I heard that Master Liang is about to go to the main hospital. Jubaoxuan has prepared a small gift to express our gratitude. There was some misunderstanding before. I hope Master Liang will not take it to heart."
Liang Cheng glanced at the token but did not take it.
"I appreciate Jubaoxuan's kindness, but there's no need for a gift."
Wen Ruoqian's smile remained unchanged: "Manager Qian acted improperly and has already been punished by the main building. The head of the building specifically instructed that you must resolve the past grievances with Liang Zhenchuan."
There is no misunderstanding.
Liang Cheng said no more, walked around the carriage, and left.
Wen Ruoqian stood beside the carriage, watching Liang Cheng's departing figure. The smile in his eyes disappeared. He slowly put away the token and said in a low voice, "Notify the headquarters that the target has refused to be recruited and is clearly hostile. I suggest handling it according to the second plan."
A low response came from inside the carriage.
On the eve of his departure, Liang Cheng sat quietly in the courtyard.
Ning San Niang sewed him new clothes, Ya Ya prepared dry food, and Yang Wei stayed by his side, drinking silently.
The next morning, at the gate of the Martial Arts Academy.
Bai Hong, Shen Jun, Yang Wei, Ning San Niang, the couple Ya Ya, and many disciples from the Martial Academy all came to see them off.
Liang Cheng shouldered his bag, put on his sword, and bowed solemnly to the crowd.
"I'm gone."
Without saying much, he turned and left, stepping onto the ferry at the dock, which was mostly filled with merchants and martial artists.
The ferry departed the port, heading north with the wind.
Liang Cheng stood on the deck, watching the outline of Linwu City gradually blur until it disappeared into the horizon, before turning back to his cabin.
The ship sailed for a month, and the wind and waves were calm.
Liang Cheng lived a secluded life, spending most of his time cultivating inside the cabin.
His cultivation at the early stage of the True Essence Realm has been completely stabilized. He is steadily advancing in the third level of the Broken Wave Technique. After perfecting the Wind and Thunder Slash, he has also made progress in the Profound Yin Sword Technique. He can use it as easily as his own arm and fingers, and it is expected to be perfected.
[The Third Level of the Broken Wave Technique: Beginner (1752/5000)]
[Mysterious Yin Sword Technique: Mastery (10953/12000)]
In his spare time, he would occasionally go up to the deck to relax, which attracted the attention of the other martial artists on the ship, but no one dared to approach him to speak.
At twenty years old, he was at the True Essence Realm, which would make him a top genius even in the Four Islands Alliance.
A month later, the Canglan Island pier came into view.
The ship docked, and Liang Cheng disembarked with the flow of people.
Canglan Island is several times larger than Zhongyuan Island, and the dock is bustling with thousands of sails and crowds.
The concentration of spiritual energy in the air was also significantly higher than in Linwu City, and many martial artists possessed powerful auras, with True Qi Realm cultivators being a common sight.
Liang Cheng didn't notice that in a corner of the dock, a pair of gloomy eyes were staring intently at him.
Fu Chenzhou, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a bamboo hat, watched Liang Cheng disembark, buy a horse, and ask for directions, his eyes filled with hatred that was almost overflowing.
He arrived at Canglan Island half a month earlier than Liang Cheng. He left Qinglan City under the pretext of seclusion, but in reality, he was waiting there to ambush Liang Cheng.
"You little bastard, once you leave Linwu City, let's see who can protect you."
Fu Chenzhou lowered his straw hat, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.
Liang Cheng bought a blue-maned horse and a map at the horse market at the dock, asked for directions to Yunhai City, and then set off on horseback.
Yunhai City is located in the central part of Canglan Island. Starting from here, it takes five days by fast horse, so you won't miss the two-month deadline.
The official road was wide and spacious, and Liang Cheng rode his horse at full speed.
Half a day later, a long stretch of mountains and forests appeared ahead, with the official road passing through it.
Just as Liang Cheng entered the mountain forest section, a sudden sense of foreboding arose in his mind!
"call out-!"
A streak of cyan sword energy shot out from the bushes on the side without warning, heading straight for the horse's neck!
Liang Cheng reacted extremely quickly, slapping the saddle and leaping into the air. The blue-maned horse let out a miserable neigh as the sword energy pierced its neck, causing it to crash to the ground.
The moment Liang Cheng landed, the Zhengxian Blade was already drawn, its blade pointing diagonally at the ground.
"Who?!"
A masked man in black emerged from the forest, wielding a three-foot-long sword whose blade gleamed coldly.
"Liang Cheng, today is your death day."
His voice was hoarse, clearly a deliberate act.
Liang Cheng stared at the sword in the other man's hand, then suddenly sneered, "Lord Fu, are the people of Qinglan City all just hiding their true colors?"
The man in black shuddered, then pulled off his mask, revealing Fu Chenzhou's gloomy face.
"Good eye."
Fu Chenzhou pointed his sword at Liang Cheng, his eyes filled with boundless hatred: "Ling Yun is a genius that my Fu family has seen only once in a century! How dare you cripple his dantian and sever his path to immortality! If I don't avenge this, I, Fu Chenzhou, swear I will not be a man!"
Liang Cheng stood with his knife in hand, his tone calm.
"Victory is decided in the arena; life and death are left to fate. Ten years ago, when your Qinglan City slaughtered my Linwu City disciples, did you ever imagine this day would come?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Fu Chenzhou unleashed his true essence, his body radiating a brilliant azure light. The pressure of the perfect True Essence Realm was like a mountain pressing down, overwhelming him with its imposing aura!
Fu Chenzhou clearly didn't want to waste any more words. Since he dared to show his true face, he had no intention of letting Liang Cheng leave alive. He moved, and his sword light, like a blue rainbow piercing the sun, went straight for Liang Cheng's throat!
Azure Mist Sword Technique - Piercing Sun Style!
The sword strike was as fast as lightning. Even before the sword arrived, the sharp sword energy had already made Liang Cheng's skin sting.
Liang Cheng dared not be careless. He instantly activated his Golden Armor Realm Perfected Defense, his skin glowing with a faint golden light, and unleashed a horizontal slash with his blade!
"Wind and Thunder Slash - Wind Breaker!"
Swords clashed!
"clang--!"
The piercing sound of metal clashing echoed through the mountains and forests!
Liang Cheng staggered back three steps, his hand going numb.
Fu Chenzhou's cultivation was profound. Even though Liang Cheng had perfected the principles, the depth of his true essence far surpassed that of Liang Cheng, who had just broken through.
The force transmitted through the sword was as heavy as a mountain.
"You do have some skill!"
Fu Chenzhou sneered, his sword stance changed again, and he unleashed the Azure Mist Sword Technique. The sword light was like a gentle drizzle, enveloping Liang Cheng's vital points.
Every sword strike was cunning and ruthless, targeting Liang Cheng's weaknesses.
Liang Cheng used the Dragon Step to maneuver, his body protected by the light of his sword, but he was still grazed by several sword energies. Although his Golden Armor Realm defense was strong, the opponent's powerful true essence penetrated his body, and his left shoulder was still cut by a sword energy, with blood seeping out.
I'm no match for this old geezer; I can't fight him head-on, I can only outsmart him!
Thirty moves later, Liang Cheng was struck again in the left shoulder by a sword. The sword energy penetrated to the bone, and he felt excruciating pain.
"Die!"
Seizing the opportunity, Fu Chenzhou unleashed his full power, causing the azure light at the tip of his sword to surge, unleashing the Azure Peak technique. It aimed straight for Liang Cheng's heart!
If this sword strikes, the victim will either die or be seriously injured!
At that moment, a sharp glint flashed in Liang Cheng's eyes. He had been holding back his full strength, waiting for this very moment!
"Nine Slashes of Wind and Thunder!"
As the blade flashed, the pale blue true essence suddenly turned cyan-purple!
The wind howled and thunder roared!
The swordplay was no longer confined to specific moves; the speed of the wind and the ferocity of thunder were perfectly combined, and with a single slash, it was as if the heavens had suddenly changed!
"What?!"
Fu Chenzhou's expression changed drastically. He never expected that Liang Cheng had actually been hiding his strength during the competition!
The power of this strike was at least 50% stronger than when it defeated Shi Yue!
In the rush, he could only change his attack to a block, using his longsword to parry.
"clang-!!!"
The swords clashed again, producing a deafening roar!
Fu Chenzhou groaned as a nick appeared in his longsword!
The blade's energy penetrated the sword, causing his right arm to go numb, his tiger's mouth to split open, and blood to flow down his wrist.
He staggered backward, his eyes filled with horror.
Liang Cheng was also in bad shape. He had used up a lot of his true energy to activate the perfected Wind and Thunder Slash, and blood was gushing out of the wound on his left shoulder.
But at this moment he dared not pause. Using the force of the recoil, he retreated rapidly, unleashing the full power of the Dragon Step, and like a wisp of green smoke, he disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Fu Chenzhou was furious and, disregarding his injured right arm, chased after him relentlessly.
The two chased and fled through the mountains and forests.
Liang Cheng's left shoulder was deeply wounded by a sword, exposing the bone, but he was determined and persevered. With his Dragon Steps fully mastered, his movements were as agile as a dragon, and he chose to escape through rugged and difficult terrain.
Although Fu Chenzhou had high cultivation and unpredictable movement techniques, long-distance running was not his forte. In addition, due to his carelessness earlier, he was injured in the right arm by Liang Cheng's scheme. After chasing for half an hour, the distance between them gradually widened.
"You little bastard!"
As Liang Cheng's figure was about to disappear, Fu Chenzhou flew into a rage and slashed at the ancient tree beside him with his sword, the trunk snapping in two.
He stood there, his face ashen.
The wound on my right arm was bleeding profusely, and I felt waves of pain from the splitting at the base of my thumb.
What's more troublesome is that the wind and thunder power contained in the sword energy is still eroding my meridians, so I need to heal as soon as possible.
"You're lucky you survived!"
Fu Chenzhou gritted his teeth, tore off a piece of his shirt to bandage his wound, and turned to leave.
The ambush failed, and his identity has been exposed. If Liang Cheng arrives at the main hospital alive, he will surely report him, and Qinglan City will face severe punishment from the alliance.
We must get back as soon as possible to handle the aftermath.
We were careless this time!
Fu Chenzhou was filled with regret. He should have struck first and killed the enemy. Instead, he had left behind a lot of trouble.
Deep in the mountains, Liang Cheng stopped only after confirming that Fu Chenzhou was no longer chasing after him.
He leaned against an old tree, panting heavily.
His left shoulder was throbbing with pain from the sword wound, and he had exhausted more than half of his true energy. He took out the healing pills given to him by Elder Huang and swallowed them. He then applied some wound medicine and tightly bandaged the wound with clean cloth strips.
"We can no longer take the official road."
Liang Cheng looked at his shoulder injury and understood perfectly.
Since Fu Chenzhou has set up an ambush here, it's hard to say whether there are other plans ahead.
He glanced at the map, determined the direction, and finally decided to cross the mountains and take a detour via a small path.
What should have been a five-day journey took him a full seven days to complete.
On the eighth day at dusk, Cloudsea City finally came into view.
The city is majestic, with its walls soaring into the clouds. Within the city, pavilions stand in rows, and a spiritual light seems to emanate from within.
The most conspicuous thing is a floating mountain peak in the center of the city, shrouded in clouds and mist, which is the headquarters of the Four Islands Alliance.
Suspended mountain.
Liang Cheng's clothes were tattered, he was covered in dust, and blood seeped from the bandage on his left shoulder.
He spurred his horse toward the city gate, and the guards, seeing the sword at his waist and his imposing aura, dared not stop him.
After entering the city, we sped all the way to the gate of the courtyard at the foot of the suspended mountain.
The main hospital, the square in front of the Foreign Affairs Hall.
A purple-robed deacon stood on the stone steps, holding a roster, and announced loudly, "Registration for this year's new disciples is now closed!"
Below the stage were a dozen or so young martial artists, each with a different expression.
The deacon scanned the crowd and said, "Those who are not present are considered to have forfeited. We will now begin verifying identities—"
"etc!"
A hoarse shout came from the entrance of the square.
Everyone turned to look.
-
Liang Cheng spurred his horse into the square. When he dismounted, he aggravated his shoulder injury, his brows furrowed slightly, but he did not dare to stop and quickly walked to the stone steps.
"Zhongyuan Island, Linwu City Martial Academy, Liang Cheng, reporting for duty."
The purple-robed deacon glanced at him, noticing his blood-stained clothes and travel-worn appearance, and frowned: "Why are you late?"
"We encountered an ambush along the way, which delayed our journey."
"Ambushed?"
The deacon's eyes flickered slightly. "Who dares to attack a freshman at the main academy on Canglan Island?"
"Zhongyuan Island, Qinglan City Lord, Fu Chenzhou."
These words immediately caused an uproar in the square.
Several disciples from other islands exchanged glances. They knew Qinglan City; it was one of the three cities of Zhongyuan Island.
The purple-robed deacon's face darkened: "Do you have any evidence?"
Liang Cheng tore open the left shoulder of his clothes, revealing the bandage: "This sword wound was left by the Qinglan Sword Technique of Qinglan City. The sword energy is cold and sinister. You may examine the wound, Steward."
He then took out his martial arts academy identity jade token and the main academy disciple token: "This is a disciple token issued by the deacon of the Zhongyuan Island Alliance. Its authenticity can be verified."
The deacon took the token and confirmed it was correct.
"Liang Cheng, the first place winner in the three-city competition of Zhongyuan Island, is twenty years old."
He gave Liang Cheng a deep look, then suddenly said, "Release your cultivation."
Liang Cheng nodded, took a deep breath, and the five true essence orbs in his body trembled simultaneously.
At this moment, they dared not reveal their full cultivation level, since the Martial Academy had previously reported that they had five True Qi Seeds.
boom!
A pale blue aura of true essence shot into the sky, vast and powerful, like a surging tide, its oppressive force instantly enveloping the entire plaza!
"True Essence Realm?!"
"A twenty-year-old at the True Essence Realm?!"
"How could a place like Zhongyuan Island have such a person?!"
The disciples below the stage all changed color, while the purple-robed deacon nodded slightly.
At twenty years old, his True Essence was among the top, even within the main academy.
The steward withdrew his gaze and made a mark on the roster: "Liang Cheng, identity verified, cultivation level: early stage of True Essence Realm, admitted."
He paused, then said, "The main academy will send people to investigate Fu Chenzhou's ambush. Since you have already entered the True Yuan Realm, you can directly enter the inner academy according to the rules. Go to the Inner Affairs Hall to complete the procedures."
"Thank you, Steward."
Liang Cheng put away the token, turned and walked towards the inner courtyard. Behind him, many new disciples watched his departing figure with complicated expressions.
Among the crowd, a young man in brocade robes narrowed his eyes slightly: "Liang Cheng of Zhongyuan Island, interesting."
On the other side, the girl holding the sword said softly, "At twenty years old, the inner academy is going to be quite lively this time."
Liang Cheng seemed oblivious to these discussions.
Since the Martial Academy follows the style of the main academy, whether or not the inner disciples of the main academy will protect their own will become clear after today.
If the main hospital does nothing, I'll settle this score with Fu Chenzhou later.