Chapter 68: Ambush
Chapter 68: Ambush
“Uncle Xue, why did you let all the disciples leave the mountain?”
Only one person in Tai Chu Immortal Gate dared speak to Zuo Meng this way—Zhi Hua.
Years had changed her greatly. She’d gained a Dao partner and a daughter. Her parents died of illness years ago. The girl who once loafed in Zuo Meng’s little shop now served as Tai Chu Immortal Gate’s famed Material Hall Elder. Her daughter, already over eight, had been announced to Zuo Meng at birth—though he’d been busy then.
Her daughter and husband now resided within Tai Chu Immortal Gate: the girl as a disciple, the husband as an External Affairs Elder.
“They wished to leave. So I permitted it.”
Zuo Meng smiled at the grown woman before him. He recalled her younger self obsessing over painting. Years slipped by like blinking. Time’s flow sometimes wearied him like an old man seeing through worldly matters.
Time exhausted.
He longed to awaken, yet doing so would waste all efforts.
“You run this sect like your old little shop.”
Zhi Hua sighed. Uncle Xue’s bone-deep laziness never changed. Other clans retained core disciples as pillars to strengthen their position. Yet Tai Chu Immortal Gate let trained disciples depart freely. Given choice, most fled back to worldly ties. Only Old La Ta remained—a mediocre talent.
“That little shop thrived well enough.”
Zuo Meng never truly aimed to lead a sect. He’d planted a seed.
Disciples leaving fulfilled his purpose. Returning to families or factions, they’d spread Tai Chu Immortal Gate’s teachings—like when he’d given cultivation methods to Cold Mountain Temple’s Jie Ming, but now done openly.
“Your shop…”
Zhi Hua scoffed. Few customers after years? Any normal merchant would’ve starved.
“Enough of that.”
Zuo Meng changed topics casually.
“How’s little Xin’er?”
Zhi Xin’er took her mother’s surname—Zhi Hua overpowered her Dao partner in both status and cultivation. The child mirrored her mother’s youth, rejecting parental plans and often complaining to Zuo Meng.
😌😌😌Golden Novel translates the best Chinese web novels for you!😌😌😌
“Gone wandering again.”
Zhi Hua massaged her temples.
“I’ll handle it.”
Seeing Zuo Meng’s indifference, she gathered her things and left.
Next dawn.
Zuo Meng vanished from Tai Chu Immortal Gate’s blessed land without farewells.
Walking streets, he felt alien among bustling crowds.
He’d created this world, yet its growth escaped his control. Like children maturing, it birthed its own elements. His manipulations drew hostility from those opposing his world-shaping—the sealed Ancient Era and hidden golden shadow stayed quiet only from fear.
“They’ll act soon. My identity’s surely confirmed.”
None noticed Zuo Meng moving through the crowd, not even brushing shoulders. His cultivation had grown terrifying even within Xue Chuan’s body.
“Will they attack openly like the Ancient Era or scheme secretly? They’ve grown…”
During his inattention, the Ancient and golden shadow had absorbed multiple eras’ power. Now they could alter laws—more troublesome than himself.
Hmm?
Zuo Meng paused, gazing skyward.
Auras from beyond Three Realms possessed select individuals.
They thought themselves hidden. He saw through instantly.
“Learned stealth, have they?”
He dismissed it as childish rebellion—to be disciplined later. After perfecting his cultivation method and harvesting the Entire World, he’d spank these naughty “children.”
Observing the possessed pawns, his eyes narrowed.
“These pieces… watched me long? How they’ve grown.”
His vision pierced clouds to spot a fleeing figure—Zhi Xin’er. Other auras connected to Xue Chuan’s identity: a distant cousin raised by Great Chu’s court, plus recently departed disciples Du Fan and Prince Xing’s heir Zhao Zheng.
New law applications.
Zuo Meng returned to Tai Chu Immortal Gate’s blessed land with one step.
“Today I enter Closed Door Meditation for breakthrough. This is deadlock. All clan affairs pass to Elder Yu Ruyi.”
His voice boomed through the sect.
Disciples stood stunned. Zhi Hua checked his meditation chamber—empty. All assumed the Headmaster’s retreat would last years. None guessed six centuries!
Six hundred years drowned memories.
Master Xue’s legends faded.
For ten years, Emperor of Chu and demon emperor probed cautiously. Twenty. Thirty. A hundred. Two hundred! Only when feeble Golden Core Cultivators died did folk realize—Master Xue might truly have fallen. Deadlock’s meaning chilled cultivators’ hearts. Defying heaven meant countless deaths beneath Heavenly Demon’s gaze.
With Master Xue confirmed gone, demon tribe and Great Chu clashed violently in Border Wasteland.
Peaceful for two centuries, Great Chu plunged again into war.