Chapter 179 - 107: Meng Fusheng?

Chapter 179: Chapter 107: Meng Fusheng?

Xuzhuang looked inside. It was as if he could see through time, watching Meng Fusheng move back and forth within the palace. The aura was so potent, it seemed Meng Fusheng had passed through here just moments ago.

Xuzhuang contemplated for a moment before retracting his Tracing Skill. He casually chose a corridor and walked forward. After twenty or thirty steps, his gaze suddenly froze. In an inconspicuous corner, a scorched mark stood out starkly.

’Traces of a Daoist skill. Could someone have been fighting here?’ Xuzhuang narrowed his eyes. ’It seems Meng Fusheng isn’t the only one in this Bronze Palace.’

Xuzhuang grew a little more cautious and strode forward. He didn’t stop again and soon saw a growing light ahead. Emerging from the corridor, he found himself in an expansive, high-ceilinged chamber that resembled the hall of a giant’s palace.

The moment he entered, Xuzhuang sensed something. He looked up to see the dome was covered in ancient patterns, which encircled a massive, luminous pearl embedded in the very center. The pearl cast a bright light, illuminating the entire chamber.

But in Xuzhuang’s Spiritual Sense, a person was concealing their aura, furtively hiding within the luminous pearl.

He hadn’t expected to encounter another person so soon after entering the hall. Xuzhuang stared directly at the massive pearl, his mind racing. He decided to call the person out. "I have seen through your hiding place. Are you not going to show yourself?"

"I was merely regulating my breathing here, not intentionally hiding. I saw your unfamiliar face and feared you might be an ally of my enemy, so I remained silent."

A clear voice emanated from the pearl. With a flash of light, a young cultivator wearing a Carefree Scarf and an Embroidered Crane White Brocade Robe floated down. His eyes still held a trace of wariness as he cupped his hands and said, "I meant no offense. Please forgive me."

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. The man’s features were identical to the phantom image conjured by his Tracing Skill. ’Could this be Meng Fusheng himself?’

Xuzhuang hadn’t expected to find Meng Fusheng so easily. He had a faint feeling that something was not quite right with the man before him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to reveal his identity and simply cupped his hands in return. "I too have just entered this place. I feared an ambush, which is why I exposed you. I meant no offense."

Seeing that Xuzhuang didn’t appear to have hostile intentions, Meng Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "My name is Meng Fusheng. I cultivate at the True Form Temple in Yunlan Province. And you are?"

Xuzhuang paused for a moment before replying coolly, "My name is Xuzhuang, and I cultivate at the Tai Su Orthodox Sect."

"The Tai Su Orthodox Sect?" Meng Fusheng’s eyebrows shot up, his face showing a hint of suspicion. He said warily, "Where did you hear that name? Are you trying to deceive me?"

"Oh?" Seeing Meng Fusheng’s reaction, Xuzhuang actually relaxed a little and smiled. "I was born in Yunmeng Marsh and sought the Dao at the Tai Su Sect. Why would I deceive you?"

When Meng Fusheng heard him mention Yunmeng Marsh, he grew even more uncertain. "Who exactly are you?"

Things having come to this, Xuzhuang no longer concealed anything. He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "I am a twelfth-generation True Inheritance disciple of Tai Su, with the Daoist title of Daomiao. I came to the Celestial Waterfall Realm under orders to take charge of the True Form Temple. I am here specifically to find you."

"Daomiao!" Hearing Xuzhuang’s clear and logical explanation, most of Meng Fusheng’s suspicion vanished, replaced by a measure of respect. He adopted a more deferential tone and asked, "Can it really be you, Martial Uncle? Do you have any proof?"

Xuzhuang smiled freely and shook the True Inheritance Golden Sword from his sleeve. "Will this serve as proof?"

The moment Meng Fusheng saw the golden sword, his spirits lifted. He bowed low and said, "I didn’t realize it was truly Martial Uncle before me. I have been most disrespectful. Please forgive me."

"There is no need for such ceremony." Xuzhuang waved his hand dismissively and asked, "You mentioned an enemy earlier. Does that mean there are others in this Bronze Hall?"

Meng Fusheng straightened up and replied, "That’s right. Besides myself, there are two others in this Bronze Hall. I have been fighting them for a long time, but we’re locked in a stalemate."

Xuzhuang frowned. "Nephew Meng, how did you end up here? And where did these enemies come from? Please explain everything in detail."

"Yes, Martial Uncle," Meng Fusheng replied. "After Master left, the True Form Temple lost its pillar of support. My two senior brothers knew that our sect occupying an entire province without a Nascent Soul Venerable to protect it would sooner or later attract prying eyes."

"Therefore, my two senior brothers shouldered all the sect’s responsibilities, allowing me to focus solely on my cultivation. Fortunately, I didn’t disappoint them and finally reached the Nascent Soul realm. It seemed I could finally support the sect."

Xuzhuang nodded. This was more or less consistent with what he had learned after arriving in the Celestial Waterfall Realm.

Meng Fusheng recalled, "But as time passed, Master’s lingering prestige faded. I had only just reached the Nascent Soul realm and my cultivation was still shallow. I gradually became unable to deter those with ulterior motives, and the True Form Temple’s position became precarious once more."

"With the Celestial Waterfall Dharma Assembly approaching, how could I face my Master’s memory if I couldn’t preserve the sect? I grew desperate." Meng Fusheng sighed. "It was then that I happened upon a map that recorded the location of this Immortal Mansion. I decided to try my luck and came here seeking an opportunity, only to find myself trapped inside, unable to escape for a long, long time..."

As he spoke, a look of relief appeared in Meng Fusheng’s eyes. "Day and night, I worried about the sect’s situation. Thankfully, with your arrival in this realm, Martial Uncle, I’m sure you have stabilized things."

Xuzhuang nodded slightly. "Nephew Meng, please continue telling me about this place. If we cannot escape and return soon, I’m afraid things will become unstable again."

Meng Fusheng’s expression flickered. He quickly said, "Yes. So that you know, Martial Uncle, I did make a discovery in this Immortal Mansion."

"There is actually nothing else in this Immortal Mansion, save for a carving on a wall in its deepest part. I don’t know who left it, but it records a Qimen Daoist Skill. It’s a long story to explain what makes this Daoist skill so strange; it will be easier if I just show you later, Martial Uncle."

Xuzhuang remained noncommittal, so Meng Fusheng continued, "In short, this Daoist skill provides a massive boost to one’s combat abilities, which was exactly what I needed. I resolved to begin studying it, but the skill is incredibly profound. I struggled to comprehend it for over ten years before making just a little progress. Then, those two scoundrels appeared out of nowhere."

"Sigh. It’s just a Daoist skill, not a Magical Artifact or some great treasure. We could have all just studied it together. But for some reason, those two scoundrels insisted on making an enemy of me. The three of us are about equal in cultivation and combat prowess, so I couldn’t do anything to them and was forced to retreat."

Xuzhuang said thoughtfully, "So it seems the main gate really is one-way, in but not out?"

Meng Fusheng replied, "Yes. The main gate seems to only open from the outside. The wall carving says that mastering the Qimen Daoist Skill is the only way to open a path out. Damn those two scoundrels for refusing to study it with me! I have no choice but to fight them, hoping to defeat them so I can study the Daoist skill and finally leave."

Xuzhuang asked doubtfully, "Nephew Meng, you said their cultivation and Daoist skills are on par with yours. How have you managed to be locked in battle with them for so long?"

Meng Fusheng sighed. "You don’t understand, Martial Uncle. The two of them don’t get along with each other, either. Right now, you could say this place is a three-way free-for-all."

The more Xuzhuang listened, the more confused he became. Meng Fusheng said he arrived here and then spent over a decade comprehending the Daoist skill before the others appeared. ’Doesn’t that mean he’s been fighting them for close to twenty years?’

Twenty years wasn’t a long time for a Nascent Soul Cultivator, but to fight for so long without a victor? ’Couldn’t they have called a truce and studied the skill together?’

’Or what about forming an alliance? Team up with one to eliminate the other, and then settle things between the remaining two?’

Xuzhuang’s mind raced, but he couldn’t sort out his thoughts. He decided to put it aside for the moment and said decisively, "In that case, let’s just take care of these two. Nephew Meng, do you know where they are now?"

Meng Fusheng’s face lit up. "Exactly! With your help, Martial Uncle, we can finally get rid of those two."

After a moment’s thought, he said, "I don’t know their exact locations right now. But since the three of us are constantly at each other’s throats, we all head to the wall carving to study the Daoist skill whenever there’s a lull in the fighting. We just have to go there; we’re bound to run into them."

Xuzhuang nodded. "Then please lead the way, Nephew Meng."

"Yes, Martial Uncle." Meng Fusheng cupped his hands, then took the lead, flying deep into the corridor. With a flick of his sleeve, Xuzhuang turned into a streak of light and followed.

It seemed Meng Fusheng and the other two hadn’t wasted their twenty years of fighting in this hall; he was extremely familiar with the layout. His escape light moved swiftly, and in a few moments, they had already passed through a dozen halls and chambers. Traces of various Daoist skills, both large and small, were scattered about. But as Xuzhuang’s gaze swept over them, his sense of unease grew.

Among all these marks, he couldn’t discern many different styles of techniques. It looked more like one party was only defending, never attacking, with all the traces having been left by a single person.

’Or perhaps they were left by disciples from the same sect sparring with one another. That could also leave such traces.’

Xuzhuang suppressed his doubts and followed Meng Fusheng through another corridor. Suddenly, his eyes moved. He looked up to see a streak of light shooting straight for Meng Fusheng.

’So there really is someone else here?’ Xuzhuang’s eyebrow twitched. Before Meng Fusheng could even move to defend himself, Xuzhuang activated his technique. An immense surge of Magical Power erupted from the crown of his head like a geyser, rushing upward and batting the streak of light aside.

Meng Fusheng was startled, but Xuzhuang’s gaze had already swept forward to see the flash of a robe disappear down the corridor ahead. Xuzhuang narrowed his eyes. Instead of giving chase, he formed a Magic Formula and let out a low shout.

BOOM! In an instant, a vast and powerful aura rose from Xuzhuang, causing the entire Bronze Hall to tremble. The fleeing figure had only just felt a jolt of alarm when he sensed the spiritual energy in the room churn. A formless, immense power enveloped him. His body suddenly felt light, then was released, and he tumbled to the ground. When he looked up, all he could see were two pairs of boots beneath the hems of two robes.

Xuzhuang had used the Five Elements Escape Skill to forcibly teleport him to their location.

"What a formidable Divine Technique," the man said with a bitter smile. "I never expected Meng Fusheng to find such a powerful ally. I am no match for you. Kill me or torture me, I am at your mercy."

Meng Fusheng’s spirits lifted. "Martial Uncle, your Divine Techniques are truly profound! You captured this scoundrel with such ease!"

But when he glanced at Xuzhuang, he saw a look of utter astonishment on his face. Xuzhuang was staring back and forth between him and the man on the ground.

Meng Fusheng’s brow furrowed. He reached up to touch his own face and asked, "What is it, Martial Uncle?"

’What is it?’ The handsome young man on the ground, wearing a Carefree Scarf and an Embroidered Crane White Brocade Robe—wasn’t he the spitting image of Meng Fusheng?!

Xuzhuang frowned and asked, "Who did you say he was?"

The Meng Fusheng on the ground looked startled and answered, "Meng Fusheng."

"Then who are you?" Xuzhuang demanded.

At this, the Meng Fusheng on the ground’s expression turned serious. He answered gravely, "My name is Meng Fusheng, and I cultivate at the True Form Temple in Yunlan Province."

"This..." Xuzhuang’s gaze hardened. He turned to the Meng Fusheng beside him. "Nephew Meng, can you tell me what is going on here?"

The first Meng Fusheng looked perplexed. "Reporting to Martial Uncle, I don’t quite understand the question. If Martial Uncle would be so kind as to elaborate, I will certainly tell you everything I know."

Xuzhuang pressed, "You are Meng Fusheng, and he is also Meng Fusheng. Don’t you find that a little odd?"

Meng Fusheng said with a bewildered expression, "Of course I am Meng Fusheng." He pointed at the man on the ground and said in a low voice, "This Meng Fusheng is one of the two scoundrels I’ve been entangled with for so long. I truly don’t understand your question, Martial Uncle."

Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed. He turned back to the Meng Fusheng on the ground. "Do you know of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect?"

"What?" The Meng Fusheng on the ground froze, a light flashing in his eyes. He asked urgently, "Where did you learn of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect? Who are you?"

Seeing his reaction, Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed even deeper. "You want to know? Let me ask you another question first. Who is the other person in this place?"

The Meng Fusheng on the ground replied, "Naturally, it’s that brat, Meng Fusheng. I told the other one long ago that we should team up, eliminate Meng Fusheng first, and then settle things between us, but he refused."

He glanced at the Meng Fusheng beside Xuzhuang and sneered. "Now that Meng Fusheng has a powerful helper like you, I doubt the other Meng Fusheng is getting away."

His words were a jumbled mess. A normal person would have no idea which Meng Fusheng was which! But Xuzhuang, of course, understood perfectly. His gaze hardened. ’The third person in this place is also Meng Fusheng!’

[Author’s Note: I was exhausted from the Qingming Festival. Sorry about this one.]