novelraw Chapter 158 : 【The Organization】Has Arrived
Chapter 158 : 【The Organization】Has Arrived
Chapter 158: 【The Organization】Has Arrived
ㄴ In the Gentleman Temple, Xu Ziqing was somewhat stunned.
He knew very well what kind of scene it would be if he gripped the sword with his right hand.
— By then, the one Senior Brother would be facing would not be me, but… this sword left behind by the Dao Ancestor!
Though only one of its nine restrictions had been unsealed, Xu Ziqing was still aware of how terrifying its power was.
『Senior Brother is truly strong, stronger than any First Realm cultivator!』
『But if the one he faces is it, with one seal undone…』
Xu Ziqing cast a glance at the sword case behind him. 『Even Senior Brother would have no chance of winning.』
This alone proved just how powerful the Bronze Sword was.
Little Xu held an almost blind admiration for Chu Huaixu—he truly believed he couldn’t win.
Its power carried a form of positional suppression.
It was a force completely different from the spiritual energy within a cultivator.
Moreover, when held in his left hand, the sword spirit remained dormant.
Even in that state, the Bronze Sword would instinctively devour the opponent’s spiritual energy.
If held in the right hand, once the sword spirit awakened—then it would actively devour!
He couldn’t even be sure if, due to the sword’s sinister nature, it would inflict irreversible internal damage upon his Senior Brother!
This earnest young man, however, gave little thought to himself.
At this moment, Xu Ziqing looked up at Little Martial Uncle Ancestor and summoned his courage to say:
“In that case, Little Martial Uncle Ancestor, isn’t the goal of the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition to choose the strongest First Realm cultivator?”
“If I hold the sword in my right hand, then even if I win, it wouldn’t be a righteous victory.”
This boy had the heart of a pure youth, and the teachings he received since childhood also guided him toward becoming a righteous young hero of the martial world.
Such behavior conflicted with his internal ideals of chivalry.
Jiang Zhi looked at him with an expression that seemed to say: I knew you’d say that.
Still calm and composed, as if he had foreseen this all along.
After spending some time together recently, he had come to understand this youth more and more.
He believed that with Xu Ziqing’s temperament, he was indeed suited to be a Savior of the Sword.
He was just like the Senior Brothers and Sisters who had reached the fifth layer of the Origin Spirit Realm—willing to sacrifice their own strength, even their lives, for all beings.
“I ask you—if a great calamity were to descend upon the world, and you were the one chosen to stop it, would you be willing?”
The youth immediately turned serious: “Of course! It’s my duty!”
“Even if it meant facing death with almost no hope of survival?” Jiang Zhi pressed again.
“It’s still my duty!” Xu Ziqing answered loudly.
▶ Such was the conviction of a World Protagonist.
Jiang Zhi’s next words began to shake Xu Ziqing’s earlier resolve.
He said, “Then what if I told you—the champion of the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition is required to go to a special place, to accomplish a world-saving mission, and the odds of survival are nearly zero?”
“If only the First Realm can enter that place, then tell me—who is more suitable? You, with the Dao Ancestor’s Sword? Or the Senior Brother you so admire?”
Xu Ziqing was instantly stunned.
He opened his mouth but eventually asked, “Is it really that dangerous? Even with Senior Brother’s strength, he’s not enough?”
“If it were like previous years, he’d be more than enough. But this time is different. It’s a death trap.”
With that, he pointed at the sword case. “Only you, in the First Realm, carrying it, can break this trap.”
The fair-faced youth’s expression kept shifting—he hadn’t expected such hidden truths.
But Little Xu wasn’t entirely inflexible. His eyes quickly lit up—he’d thought of a plan.
Yet Jiang Zhi, already anticipating this, gave him a sharp, stern glare.
“Don’t bother—I know exactly what you’re thinking!”
“Let me guess—you want your beloved Senior Brother to win the competition, and then afterward you’ll secretly take his place and go in his stead?”
Xu Ziqing immediately nodded hard. “Little Martial Uncle Ancestor truly sees through everything!”
“Absurd!” Jiang Zhi let out a cold snort.
“Do you realize the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition has existed for centuries? It’s actually a tacit agreement between the Four Great Sects of the Eastern Continent and the Moon Country’s royal court.”
“Because where you’re going involves both the great calamity and an ultimate treasure!”
“In previous years, the situation wasn’t too extreme.”
“Everyone competing for the championship was essentially fighting for the right to claim the treasure.”
“Doing what you plan would break a tradition of centuries! It involves other nations, not just the Mirror Country of our Eastern Continent.”
“Do you think the Grand Competition is child’s play?”
Jiang Zhi, after sternly reprimanding him, softened his tone a bit, guiding him gently:
“Whoever wins the championship will be rewarded, and the sect will support them with resources.”
“When you return after your trial, you can handle all those things however you like—sell them to the Treasure Pavilion, or gift them to someone. I trust you understand what I mean?”
“As for the glory of being the champion—it’s merely the strongest First Realm in the Xuanhuang Realm.”
“The First Realm… is still just the First Realm!”
“Before a Major Cultivator, you’re like an ant.”
“You might shine for a moment, but what’s there to be proud of!”
“I’ve said all I need to say—think it over yourself.”
With that, Jiang Zhi disappeared from the rattan chair, leaving Xu Ziqing dazed and still.
– This Little Martial Uncle from the Dao Gate had arrived at a courtyard where a madman was being kept.
Standing outside the gate, his divine sense had already swept through the place.
This madman once had the greatest chance of becoming the Master of the Gentleman Temple.
In fact, people believed he had the talent to hold both the position of Sect Master and Temple Master.
He was strong, shrewd, and brilliant beyond compare!
No matter the crisis, he would always smile calmly, appearing composed and in control, reassuring everyone that he could handle it.
He was the one Jiang Zhi admired the most—and perfectly fit his idea of what a Gentleman Temple Master should be. Sometimes, he even imitated him intentionally.
『Fifth Senior Brother… was this the right thing to do?』 the Little Martial Uncle muttered to himself.
ㄴ In the end, Jiang Zhi hesitated for a moment but still didn’t push open the courtyard gate.
Because after eating so many nauseating Ding-sheng Pastries these past few days—twenty servings in one go—he felt he needed a moment to recover.
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As dusk fell, the Dao Gate’s upper echelon received a flying sword message.
Just today, over in the Moon Country, the Western Continent Grand Competition had officially come to an end.
Unlike the Eastern Continent, which had seen a string of unexpected upsets, everything in the Western Continent went just as expected.
The one who claimed the title of Champion was none other than the highly renowned Heir of Prince Rui.
The royal family of the Moon Country possessed many unique cultivation methods, producing outstanding talents and countless experts for over a thousand years.
And this Heir of Prince Rui was truly extraordinary.
He had crushed all his opponents along the way, winning every match decisively.
His championship title was one of absolute merit.
For a time, this man’s fame was unmatched.
Born noble, blessed with exceptional talent—rumor had it he was also strikingly handsome, with a graceful and composed temperament befitting that of an emperor.
In the Western Continent’s Moon Country, he was said to be the dream lover of countless young noblewomen.
And once the Eastern Continent’s competition concluded, he would set out for the Dao Gate.
According to centuries of custom, if the Eastern Continent had won last time, then this time the Champion of the Western Continent must come to the East to compete.
Previously, the West had narrowly lost.
Now, it was said that morale there was high—many believed His Highness the Heir would surely avenge that loss!
The Dao Gate’s high elders, however, could only find it amusing.
“One such as the Bronze Sword—no one can stand against it.”
“If this Heir faces Xu Ziqing wielding it with his right hand, there’ll be no avenging anything—only disgrace upon disgrace.”
Still, the man’s identity was a special one—a member of the royal family.
His visit to the Mirror Country thus carried diplomatic significance.
Therefore, when the Dao Gate received him, the level of formality would certainly be elevated. He would not be treated as merely the Western Continent’s Champion.
“Nangong Junior Sister, you will be in charge of this matter. For trivial tasks, have the Outer Sect Steward assist you,” ordered Xiang Yan.
“Understood.” Nangong Yue immediately replied.
As for which Outer Sect Steward should assist—none was more suited to internal affairs than Niu Yuanshan.
When Old Niu received the notice, his face remained calm, but within, countless ripples stirred.
【The Organization】 held an exceedingly special position within the Mirror Country—controlled by the royal family, serving the royal family.
He knew that 【The Organization】’s leader was a member of the royal family, though which one, he did not know.
But regardless, the Heir of Prince Rui carried royal blood—that alone made him one to whom he owed allegiance.
“It is also the one to whom Chu Huaixu owes allegiance,” Niu Yuanshan thought to himself.
For people like us… we are but the hounds of the court.
Old Niu even speculated that before coming to the Dao Gate, the Heir of Prince Rui would likely have been informed by 【The Organization】’s high command of the identities of those agents they had planted within the Dao Gate.
He felt the possibility was high—for indeed, the other party had the authority to know. His father, Prince Rui, was a prince with true power.
“In that case, the Heir’s arrival this time is equivalent to 【The Organization】 itself coming.”
And the ones being visited—were Chu Huaixu and me, his ‘servants.’
When he returned to his quarters, Niu Yuanshan sat upon his bed, lost in thought for a long time.
It had been many years since he left 【The Organization】 to infiltrate the Dao Gate.
Yet his loyalty to 【The Organization】 had never waned, not even slightly.
Now, Niu Yuanshan sincerely hoped that Chu Huaixu could defeat Xu Ziqing and claim the title of Eastern Continent Champion.
“In that case, everything will be secure,” he thought.
In the First Realm division of the Eastern and Western Grand Competitions, the West had already lost twice.
They said things don’t happen thrice—thus, the Heir of Prince Rui carried with him the hopes of countless people.
If they were to lose again, the people of the Mirror Country would mock the Moon Country for years to come!
Niu Yuanshan hoped that the final duel on the platform would be between two people from the Moon Country.
“But although Chu Huaixu is a Moon Country native by blood, he must, like me, continue his infiltration within the Dao Gate.”
“If he wins, in the eyes of the world, it will still be an Eastern victory—equivalent to the West losing three times in a row.”
“Unless he exposes his identity!”
“But that is unnecessary—not beneficial for long-term plans, nor for 【The Organization】’s grand design!”
“Judging from Chu Huaixu’s current performance, he will surely be able to enter the Gentleman Temple in the future.”
“That would be a great achievement indeed!”
For so many years, Old Niu had quietly followed the rumors and affairs of the Moon Country.
He had long heard that this Heir of Prince Rui was exceptionally strong.
But stationed in the Dao Gate, he had no way to gauge how strong—after all, strength was a vague concept, one that had to be proven in battle.
“But that doesn’t matter. As long as the Eastern Continent’s Champion is Chu Huaixu.”
“That boy is sharp-minded. Though his ways differ greatly from ours—never one to act low-key, always treading the unorthodox path—he surely knows his limits.”
“As a member of 【The Organization】, once he stands on the platform, he will know exactly what to do,” Old Niu thought.
“Chu Huaixu has only been in the Mirror Country for a short while—his loyalty must burn even hotter than mine!”
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