Chapter 202.3: Lu Changsheng Finally Returns; The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect Is Shaken! (III)
"Hall Master, what is this about?" Lu Changsheng asked.
Zhong Yu gave a rueful shake of his head. "The truth of it is that we are the ones in the wrong. One of the Enforcement Hall's Dao Foundation elders personally moved to hunt down a disciple who had broken sect rules. During the pursuit, they crossed paths with an Immortal Master. A misunderstanding arose, and in the end the elder accidentally killed the Immortal Master.
"It later came to light that the Immortal Master was a member of the Purple Sun Immortal Sect and a personal disciple of Dao Lord Kong Ling. When Dao Lord Kong Ling heard what had happened, he flew into a rage and came here demanding that the Enforcement Hall answer for it.
"A Dao Foundation elder killing an Immortal Master does violate the established rules, even if the whole thing was an accident. The elder in question has already been punished, and the Enforcement Hall offered compensation. But Dao Lord Kong Ling refused to let it go, and has been blocking our sect ever since, refusing to leave. I've been dealing with the headache by simply not showing my face."
The picture became clear to Lu Changsheng. Indeed, a Dao Foundation expert moving against an Immortal Master did break the unspoken rules that everyone operated by.
Back when Lu Changsheng himself had been causing trouble, not a single Dao Foundation martial artist or Dao Lord had ever openly acted against him while he was still at the Divine Treasury Realm. Everyone had been mindful of that line.
But now, an elder of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect's Enforcement Hall had crossed exactly that line, and even if it was an accident, that changed nothing. Perhaps the scandal could have been quelled if the victim had been an ordinary individual, but this was about a disciple of Dao Lord Kong Ling. Judging by the way Zhong Yu was handling the situation, it became clear that Kong Ling was not someone to be taken lightly.
Boom!
A surge of powerful Dao Foundation energy erupted from somewhere nearby.
"Dao Lord Kong Ling, you are going too far! So what if your disciple was killed? What of it? I will come out and settle this personally!"
The moment those words landed, Zhong Yu's face changed completely. "This is bad. That's Elder Wen..."
Elder Wen was the very Enforcement Hall elder who had accidentally killed Dao Lord Kong Ling's disciple. Zhong Yu had warned him in no uncertain terms to stay inside and not engage. But Dao Lord Kongling's repeated provocations against the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had pushed Elder Wen past his breaking point.
"Lu Changsheng, your matter will have to wait. I'll be back shortly," Zhong Yu said.
Zhong Yu knew that Elder Wen stepping out would only make things worse. Dao Lord Kong Ling was not someone to be underestimated. If Elder Wen showed himself, Dao Lord Kong Ling might very well go in for the kill, and Zhong Yu had no intention of standing by while Elder Wen was cut down.
"Please go ahead, Hall Master," Lu Changsheng said.
Zhong Yu rose immediately, his figure flickering as he burst out of the Enforcement Hall and flew outside the sect.
Lu Changsheng thought it over. This was, after all, a matter concerning the entire Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. So, he decided to follow close behind Zhong Yu, flying out of the sect.
Outside the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, Elder Wen was hovering in the air, but the moment he moved forward, a towering mountain peak came crashing down toward him with overwhelming force.
It was an enchanted treasure—and a fearsome one at that, no doubt driven by a Dao Lord's power. Its might was tremendous, and if it landed, Elder Wen would certainly die.
"Dao Lord Kong Ling..." Elder Wen had spotted him.
It seemed like he had not expected Dao Lord Kong Ling to actually strike, right there outside the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, with no hesitation at all.
Dao Lord Kong Ling's gaze was ice cold. "You used your strength to bully the weak and broke the rules. Now, I shall avenge my fallen disciple!"
Dao Lord Kong Ling was a supreme Dao Lord, ranked among the top three within the entire Purple Sun Immortal Sect. Neither Zhong Yu nor Elder Wen could stand against such an entity. That was precisely why Zhong Yu had kept out of sight all along. He was well aware that he could not beat Dao Lord Kong Ling.
"Dao Lord Kong Ling, stop!" Zhong Yu arrived at the critical moment. Without a second thought, he unleashed a divine technique.
Whoosh...
A violent gale tore through the air, thick with swirling yellow sand. It was a divine technique, and a compound one at that. Though not at Perfection, its power was still formidable.
The gale crashed directly into the enchanted treasure, halting it for just a fraction of a moment. That small opening was enough for Zhong Yu to sweep in and pull Elder Wen behind him.
"Dao Lord Kong Ling, enough! This is the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. Do not go too far!" Zhong Yu's voice rang out like a thunderclap.
"Too far? The Ancient Region Heavenly Sect is the one that has gone too far! But since you're here, Zhong Yu, and you insist on protecting Elder Wen, I will cut you both down together!"
Dao Lord Kong Ling swept a hand through the air. Brilliant flying swords materialized one after another, covering the sky in a blinding display. They merged into a single colossal sword, stretching hundreds of zhang across the sky, radiating a crushing, oppressive force.
Zhong Yu's expression darkened instantly.
He's lost it!
It seemed like Dao Lord Kong Ling was actually going for the kill. He was not afraid of the Divine Ability grand elders of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect either; they had no grounds to interfere in a confrontation taking place outside sect grounds. Dao Lord Kong Ling was a Dao Lord, operating at the same cultivation tier as a Dao Foundation expert. In other words, he was not breaking any rules by being here.
Furious as he was, Dao Lord Kong Ling had not actually lost his head. He had been making noise outside the sect grounds without actually intruding, patiently waiting for Zhong Yu or Elder Wen to come out to him.
"Heaven Lifter!" Zhong Yu did not hesitate to unleash his most powerful divine technique.
Elder Wen did the same, releasing his own divine technique in tandem.
But Dao Lord Kong Ling's gaze remained ice cold.
"Heavenly Sword, cut down!" he shouted.
The colossal sword came sweeping down directly toward Zhong Yu and Elder Wen. It was nearly impossible to stop. In an instant, it cleaved straight through the divine techniques of both men. If that strike landed, both Zhong Yu and Elder Wen were done for.
The fury of a supreme Dao Lord was truly unstoppable, beyond anything they could match.
However, before the blade could strike true, a figure stepped forward through the air, moving at what seemed like a leisurely pace, yet arriving before the massive sword in an instant.
Lu Changsheng had been observing everything with his Sense Domain. He did not know Elder Wen, but Zhong Yu was different. Zhong Yu had shown him kindness, looking out for him consistently back when he was still at the Divine Treasury Realm. As such, he was not going to stand by and watch Zhong Yu die.
"Subdue!" Lu Changsheng said quietly.
With that, everything froze. The colossal sword hanging in the sky and the towering mountain peak both came to a complete and absolute standstill, as though time itself had seized around them.
"Wha...?"
Everyone was stunned as they stared at the figure hovering in the air. It quickly became clear what had happened: Lu Changsheng had used his Mind Space to lock both enchanted treasures—the sword and the mountain—in place. What made it shocking was the fact that those were the enchanted treasures of Dao Lord Kong Ling himself.
"Who are you?" Dao Lord Kong Ling's composure cracked. He could not believe that a Dao Foundation artist he didn't recognize had actually managed to stop his treasures just like that.
Lu Changsheng glanced at Dao Lord Kong Ling and spoke with calm indifference. "Dao Lord Kong Ling, everyone here understands how this situation came about. You mentioned rules. Then let's settle this by the rules. I'm taking over this matter!"
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He was aware that this matter could no longer be solved with just words. Dao Lord Kong Ling's disciple was dead, and nothing would bring them back. Regardless, he would not allow Dao Lord Kong Ling to actually kill Elder Wen.
As things stood, there was only one path left: the established rules of the Ancient Region. And just like that, Lu Changsheng had stepped in.
"You?" Dao Lord Kong Ling let out a cold laugh. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to take over this matter?"
Lu Changsheng walked slowly and deliberately to Zhong Yu's side, uttering each word with measured clarity. "I am Lu Changsheng of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect. As a Dao Foundation martial artist of this sect, I believe I have every right to take over this matter."
Kong Ling's eyes widened the moment he heard that name.
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