Chapter Forty

Yet in the very next instant, something wholly unexpected occurred.

The violet-gold hammer in Chu Tiange’s grasp shimmered with a strange radiance, as though possessed of its own sentience. Chu Tiange smiled faintly, a thread of incredulity flashing in his gaze. He lifted the hammer high without hesitation and swept it toward the heavens.

The violet-gold hammer arced through the sky, then crashed down hard upon the head of a Moon-devouring Wolf. This wolf, already gravely wounded—half its skull shattered by lightning—stood no chance. A surge of spiritual power erupted from the hammer, thundering like a storm; with a single blow, the wolf’s skull was pulverized, and a fountain of blood and brain matter sprayed in all directions.

All present stared, dumbfounded. Chu Tiange’s action caught everyone off guard. Was he not provoking the entire pack of Moon-devouring Wolves?

“Chu Tiange, do you have a death wish?!” the fat youth’s expression changed drastically. He exchanged glances with the two men beside him, both cultivators at the Gathering Spirit stage, and together they made the decision to intervene.

Chu Tiange was, after all, the head of the main peak, a figure of great significance. If he were to die here today, none of them would be free from blame—punishment would surely follow.

The three of them simultaneously summoned their spiritual artifacts and charged toward Chu Tiange, bent on carving a bloody path through the wolves. The two Gathering Spirit cultivators trailing behind didn’t hesitate either, following close behind.

A furious howl erupted—Moon-devouring Wolves roared, their eyes blazing with savagery. Though badly injured, they were still demon beasts; even deprived of reason, their instincts remained. Mere insects—how dare they strike at them when they were down?

One after another, the wolves leapt at Chu Tiange.

“It’s over!” Many disciples of the Morning Immortal Sect shut their eyes. Though five Gathering Spirit disciples had rushed to help, the wolves were simply too close. In their minds, they could already see the grisly scene: Chu Tiange’s head bitten off like a candied fruit on a skewer.

Zhang Tiedan, however, stared wide-eyed, both legs quivering. He wasn’t too worried about Chu Tiange—after all, he’d witnessed his “bargain master” slay a Core Formation cultivator with his own eyes. But he himself had sneaked in here, and now panic filled his heart.

Just as the disciples of the Morning Immortal Sect began to mourn Chu Tiange in silence, the heavens split with thunder once more.

A deafening rumble! In that moment, every disciple felt as though their bodies were being torn apart by lightning. Startled, they looked up to behold a massive vortex forming in the sky, dazzling violet-gold light streaming out like a blazing meteor streaking across the night.

Chu Tiange stood at the eye of the vortex, emanating a powerful aura, as if he had become the master of heaven and earth. His gaze radiated an unrivaled majesty, allowing not the slightest hint of negligence from any present.

“Is… is that Chu Tiange?” The fat youth was stupefied.

A dragon’s roar suddenly echoed from the heart of the vortex. The violet-gold light surged forth with incomparable force—bolts of lightning rained down, obliterating the Moon-devouring Wolves in an instant.

The wolves had just leapt when they were struck down, their bodies torn apart. Amidst the blinding light, blood rained and screams filled the air, plunging the entire region into chaos.

Everyone was left in awe; none had ever seen such a scene, and reverence welled up in their hearts. This was the power to command the forces of nature—something beyond the reach of mere Nascent Soul cultivators. Had Chu Tiange been concealing his true strength all along?

This display of Daoist magic far exceeded their wildest imaginings, making their own efforts seem utterly insignificant.

Not a scrap of flesh remained from the Moon-devouring Wolves. Even the Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish nearby was caught in the blast, reduced to a skeleton.

As the vortex faded and calm returned, only the stench of blood and lingering cries remained, echoing in their ears.

+10 points.
+10 points.
+20 points!

Streaks of light poured into Chu Tiange’s chest—his merit talisman tallying up the ever-increasing score. Joy welled in his heart—he’d swept the field! His score soared skyward.

More than forty first-tier beasts, eight Moon-devouring Wolves, and two Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish—all dispatched in a short span, netting him 620 points! Added to the 90 points from slaying two Corpse Fiends in the Forgotten River Mountains and three first-tier demon beasts along the way, his total reached 710 points!

He shot from three hundred sixty to first place, pulling ahead of the former leader, Huaxi Zi, by two hundred fifty points!

“Make my name public?” Chu Tiange pondered, then chose “yes.” But the ranking displayed a different name: World’s Little Invincible, 710 points.

Supreme Sect, Huaxi Zi: 460.

At that moment, many noticed the change in the leaderboard—and were instantly shocked! But apart from World’s Little Invincible, no one else’s score had changed. Who was this World’s Little Invincible?

A captivating young man, just having picked a spirit herb, saw the change and his face turned grim.

“World’s Little Invincible? Who dares appear before me?”

He was the most renowned prodigy of the Supreme Sect, and since the opening of the Azure Mystery Realm, had never regarded any other as a threat. For he possessed the Immortal Bone—a legendary trait said to be peerless beneath the heavens.

“Heh, I’ll just take it for myself,” Huaxi Zi sneered.

…

Back at the Moon-devouring Wolves’ lair, the dazzling light had not faded, and everyone’s faces flickered with uncertainty as they stared dazed at the figure standing in the glow.

Chu Tiange paused in thought, then once again mobilized the Devouring Heavens Creation Technique and silently invoked the Three Thousand Thundering Sword, summoning lightning anew.

Now was not the time to reveal his true strength—he had to hide it and deceive Ning Wujue.

Thunder roared, the deafening sound splitting the air. But this time, the lightning struck Chu Tiange himself.

In a flash, a powerful electric current wreathed his body, as if seeking to consume him.

The crowd watched, dumbfounded, sensing an unstoppable and terrifying force emanating from Chu Tiange.

A collective gasp—Chu Tiange had been struck by lightning!

He collapsed, rigid, as the light faded, revealing a charred and trembling body, smoke curling from his mouth.

Utter silence followed as every gaze fixed on Chu Tiange’s fallen form. Their feelings were tangled and inexpressible. The Sect Master of Morning Immortal Sect’s main peak, struck dead by lightning before their eyes—this was too bizarre, unsettling them all.

Some curled their lips, as if to mock the absurdity of such an end. Some were stricken with terror, others could not help but laugh, finding a twisted amusement in the spectacle, as though it were some incomprehensible joke.

“He was killed by lightning! Nothing to do with us!” someone muttered, though no one dared approach Chu Tiange’s body.

The disciples of Morning Immortal Sect grew anxious and fearful, knowing that if Chu Tiange perished in the Azure Mystery Realm, the sect’s wrath would soon descend on them. Such an outcome was unacceptable.

“Master!” Zhang Tiedan, witnessing the scene, felt a secret delight. If the master died, there’d be no one to punish him for sneaking in, especially since he’d also brought Li Erwa with him into the realm, and the unlucky lad had been chased by a Moon-devouring Wolf—almost certainly doomed.

Now, with his “bargain master” dead, he could even reclaim his treasured spiritual artifact. Stumbling forward, Zhang Tiedan remembered that Chu Tiange was still his nominal master, so instead of laughing, he began to wail loudly.

“Master! Master! What a miserable way to go—struck by lightning!”

He ran to Chu Tiange’s side, cradled the body, and, smelling the burnt flesh, his stomach rumbled with hunger.

The other disciples, watching this display of filial piety, made a shushing gesture and quietly slipped away. Someone had to take the blame for Chu Tiange’s death, and Zhang Tiedan—so insolent at the Maiden Peak’s inauguration and forced to become Chu Tiange’s disciple—was an ideal scapegoat.

Soon, only Zhang Tiedan remained.

“Master…” he sniffled, wiping his nose on Chu Tiange’s body. His eyes darted around to make sure no one was watching, then he laid the corpse down, stood up, and picked up the precious violet-gold hammer.

“Master, I’ll take good care of all your treasures,” he murmured, patting the body in search of a storage pouch.

But he found nothing.

“That’s odd…” Zhang Tiedan frowned, then a sudden realization struck him and he cursed himself, “Damn! I’m such an idiot!”

“Tsk, this unlucky old man liked to hide his storage pouch in his butt crack!” Zhang Tiedan muttered, marveling as he prepared to turn the body over.

“My dear disciple, are you trying to unblock your master’s meridians for him?”

Suddenly, a faint voice drifted into Zhang Tiedan’s ears.

“Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad. Consider it a filial gesture,” Zhang Tiedan replied.

“Ha, what a good disciple you are,” Chu Tiange sneered.

“Who? Who’s there pretending to be a ghost? Show yourself!” Zhang Tiedan roared, but there was no one in sight.

Chu Tiange slowly sat up and smiled at him with a gentle expression. “Tiedan, don’t be afraid of ghosts. I’ll protect you.”

A chill ran down Zhang Tiedan’s spine, fear gnawing at his heart. Suddenly, he heard a low, sinister laughter, as if rising from the very earth.

“Tiedan, you must weep as though spring wells from your eyes. Realize you have a powerful master to rely on, someone you can trust. Swear in your heart to become as strong as your master.”

At that moment, Zhang Tiedan stiffly turned around and saw the charred, blackened corpse sitting up—a corpse had come to life!

His eyes bulged, his body frozen like wood. Staring at the corpse, he let out a shrill scream, “Ghost! Ghost!” Terror seized him and he trembled uncontrollably.

The corpse remained unmoving, just sitting there.

The voice spoke again: “Tiedan, don’t be afraid. This is a test your master left behind in this world. Only by passing it can you gain greater strength.”

Zhang Tiedan’s lips quivered as he stammered, “Master, you… you really won’t hurt me? Are you a ghost?”

He couldn’t believe what was happening—his master, struck by lightning, had come back to life!

“Heh, good disciple, have you ever seen a ghost appear in daylight? But you’re about to become a ghost yourself.”

With a cold laugh, Chu Tiange stood, slashed his sword at a tree—sending it crashing to the ground—and then smacked Zhang Tiedan on the head, knocking him out cold. He tied him to a tree.

Chu Tiange walked to the lakeshore—today, he would play the part of Old Chu fishing for fortune—the willing would take the bait.

There was more than one Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish in this lake.

And this good disciple would be the perfect lure.

Today, he would rack up more points!

...

Zhang Tiedan, bound to the tree, had no idea what was happening.

A roar erupted!

The lake surged as several enormous Black-scaled Fish, five or six meters long, broke the surface, their red eyes gleaming with murderous intent. They bared their fangs and lunged at Zhang Tiedan with terrifying speed, reaching him in an instant.

Zhang Tiedan woke at that moment, opening his eyes to see a row of gaping, bloody maws.

“No! Help!!!”

He was petrified with fear.

Snap! A Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish nearly tore through the flesh of his chest.

Just missed.

Zhang Tiedan felt the icy ropes binding him, rendering him helpless. His vision blurred, then cleared, revealing a darkness below the water, countless pairs of blood-red eyes fixed on him like wolves on prey.

“Master, let grudges find their rightful owner! You were struck by lightning, not me!” Zhang Tiedan wailed.

Suddenly, a deep fin-slapping echoed from beneath the water. Then, a Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish, even larger than the others, glided toward him. Nearly ten meters long, its black scales gleamed with a ghostly light, exuding a terrifying aura.

Zhang Tiedan’s heart clenched. This was the leader of the Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish, the true lord of the lake, far stronger than any other.

The great fish drew near, and Zhang Tiedan could see the savage light in its eyes, staring at him as though he were a pitiful insect. It opened its maw, revealing razor-sharp teeth, ready to swallow him whole.

“Oh, hell no!” Zhang Tiedan felt nothing but despair.

He would be devoured, leaving no trace behind!

A roar!

The third-tier Black-scaled Giant-bone Fish made its move, leaping from the lake. Before it, Zhang Tiedan was nothing more than a morsel—a fly, perhaps, but even a fly is still meat.

“Save me!” Zhang Tiedan shrieked, nearly losing bladder control.

Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared overhead, illuminating the underwater world.

A thunderous boom!

Lightning crashed down in an instant!

Notice: The book was rushed out so quickly that its data is terrible and cannot be published. Without publication, there’s not a penny in royalties—regrettably, I’ll finish out the month and then cut it off. Apologies; I’ll devote myself to preparing a new book next.