Chapter 176: Shangguan Yu

"My, so this is the high-ranking Immortal Sect official you lot captured."

A voice suddenly manifested behind Lu Yang, startling him terribly; turning around, he beheld the young maiden, Shangguan Yu.

"You'd think a man with a perfectly good barbecue shop wouldn't throw it all away to run off and mix with a demonic cult, wouldn't you?" Shangguan Yu wagged her head back and forth, savoring the lingering aftertaste of the skewers, filled with pity for such people.

"In any case, your Daoist Sect has done a fine job, landing a big fish like this. It's been how many years since a figure of this caliber was caught? May you wring some useful intelligence from him."

Shangguan Yu smiled and clapped Lu Yang on the shoulder: "I see you were born to belong to the Daoist Sect. Work hard and keep it up, I think very highly of you. Who knows, perhaps you will surpass Daoist Buyu in the future!"

Yun Zhi spoke from the side: "Naturally, he will surpass Master."

Shangguan Yu scratched her head. What she had actually meant was that Lu Yang's bizarre imagination would surpass Daoist Buyu's; had little Yun misunderstood something?

Ah, forget it, no use explaining, far too troublesome.

Just as Lu Yang was about to speak, he saw Shangguan Yu vanish into thin air, by what manner of method he knew not.

Upon the spectator stands, the Great Elder restored order: "Everyone, do not be anxious. It is merely a few demonic cultists of the Body Integration Stage launching a sneak attack upon us with immortal treasures. It is of no great consequence."

The Great Elder wore an expression that proclaimed: 'This is a common enough occurrence here in our Daoist Sect,' 'You of the Five Elements Sect have never seen the like, have you?' and 'Such people cannot stir up the slightest wave in our waters.'

Qiu Jin'an would wager his life that this grandson of a gun was showing off to him.

Demonic cultists of the Body Integration Stage launching a sneak attack with immortal treasures—had this occurred within the Five Elements Sect, the sect would surely be placed on the highest level of alert. How could they be like the Daoist Sect, still possessed of the humor to play with their captives?

The sheer magnitude of your carelessness is truly staggering.

"Of the Immortal Sect?" Qiu Jin'an recalled that Yun Zhi possessed certain secrets regarding the Immortal Sect; she must have grasped some clues.

The Body Integration Stage—such a person would surely hold the rank of Vice Cult Master within the Immortal Sect. The Daoist Sect had indeed hooked a monstrously large fish this time.

Qiu Jin'an watched with covetous eyes; if one were to dig deep into this big fish, a wealth of good things would surely be unearthed.

How was it that all such stroke-of-luck matters always fell to the Daoist Sect!

"Indeed so," the Great Elder replied in a stilted, literary tone.

Suppressing the urge to give the Great Elder a thorough thrashing, Qiu Jin'an bargained: "The Five Great Immortal Sects share a common hatred for the enemy. Whatever intelligence you wring out, do share a word with us as well."

The Great Elder sat in composed majesty: "That is easily spoken for. So long as you proactively admit that your Five Elements Sect is inferior to the Daoist Sect and become our little brother, we, as the elder brother, will certainly tell you whatever intelligence we possess."

"Qin Jiunian, do not push people too far! Of the Nine Masters of your Daoist Sect, the only one I cannot defeat is Daoist Buyu!"

Qiu Jin'an struck the table, shifting his stance until his joints popped and groaned.

The Great Elder let out a cold laugh and snapped his fingers. The Second through Eighth Elders materialized in unison behind him, fanning out like a peacock spreading its tail.

Qiu Jin'an felt a suffocating, terrifying aura—the Sixth Elder was here.

The Great Elder flashed a smug smile, but just as he was about to speak, he discovered he could not utter a single word.

Helplessly, he transmitted his voice to the Sixth Elder: "Sixth Junior Sister, when will you ever properly control your Immortal Body?"

The Sixth Elder rolled her eyes: "Count your blessings. Of all the Immaculate Immortal Bodies in history, mine is controlled the best. The last recorded possessor was named Chi Qianqian. After she reached the Body Integration Stage, she automatically repelled the surrounding spiritual energy, causing her to give up cultivation entirely."

Evidently, even an Immortal Body possessed its drawbacks.

Disrupted by the Sixth Elder's antics, the Great Elder lost all inclination to mock Qiu Jin'an.

The Sixth Elder tactfully departed. The closing ceremony was not yet concluded; if she remained here, neither the Great Elder nor Qiu Jin'an would be able to read their closing remarks.

In the contest between the Five Elements Sect and the Daoist Sect, the Five Elements Sect had lost miserably, winning almost nothing.

The disciples of the Five Elements Sect were no hothouse flowers; they had slain demons and vanquished devils often enough, and had mingled in the mundane markets to complete their missions. Their combat experience and worldly wisdom were rich indeed.

Yet they had truly never witnessed the style of fighting employed by the Daoist Sect; it was too far beyond expectation, rendering all past experience entirely useless.

As for those few matches the Daoist Sect did lose, they were merely instances where the Daoist Sect disciples suffered intermittent fits of lunacy.

For example, in one Golden Core Stage match, a Daoist Sect disciple began his assault with terrifying ferocity, utterly contrary to his usual impression. Just as the Five Elements Sect disciple was on the verge of collapsing under the onslaught, the Daoist Sect disciple suddenly exhausted his strength and collapsed to the ground.

On the brink of passing out, he gasped to the referee: "This is a battle of burning one's boats... Before the match, I swallowed a poison pill... It takes effect in five minutes... Only after leaving the stage can I take the antidote... If I cannot defeat my opponent within five minutes... I am doomed to die... I... I can hold on no longer... How I wished to win a single match..."

Seeing that the boy was about to expire and possessing no antidote himself, the referee hurriedly fished out two identical poison pills to extend his lifespan by ten minutes, then rushed off-stage to find the antidote and revive him.

Having read their closing remarks with hypocritical affectation, the two leaders bid each other a reluctant farewell. To all appearances, the bond between the Five Great Immortal Sects was deep and profound, by no means resembling the rumors outside that the Daoist Sect was isolated by the other four.

"Haha, Sect Master Qiu, do come often to our Daoist Sect as a guest in the future."

"Certainly, certainly. Given the opportunity, I shall surely return to the Daoist Sect to broaden my horizons."

In their hearts, both cursed simultaneously: 'At last, I am rid of this old scoundrel.'

The Second Elder spoke to Shangguan Yu with genuine emotion: "If ever you are bullied within the Five Elements Sect, come find me. I watched Qiu Jin'an grow up from childhood; he looks proper, but he is secretly wicked to the core. Do not be deceived by him!"

Shangguan Yu giggled softly, saying that Qiu Jin'an would not dare deceive her.

The Second Elder's heart ached, declaring that she was simply too innocent, which was why Qiu Jin'an managed to deceive her.

Qiu Jin'an stepped between the two, his face so dark it could drip ink: "Ba the Second, I have told you before, stay away from her!"

The Second Elder looked utterly indifferent: "Do not frighten me. The outside world rumors that Shangguan Yu is your half-sister, but I have made inquiries; your father had only you as a son, you have no sisters whatsoever."

"We all grew up together from childhood, who doesn't know who? You have no fiancée either, so Shangguan Yu has no relation to you. By what right do you bar me!"

Qiu Jin'an flew into a towering rage: "She is my mother!"

The Second Elder stiffened his neck: "Even if she is your mother... Eh? What did you say?"

The Second Elder had instinctively retorted, but halted halfway through as he realized something was amiss.

How did trying to court a girlfriend somehow conjure up a mother?

The Great Elder and the others quietly retreated a few steps. Perhaps from being beaten too many times in their youth, they possessed an instinctive reverence for the older generation and an impulse to keep their distance.

The disciples of the Five Elements Sect reacted even more vehemently than those of the Daoist Sect; one of the Five Great Mysteries of the Five Elements Sect was finally unraveled.

"No wonder the cultivation world says one cannot judge age by appearance. It is indeed so!"

"I recall someone once came to propose marriage, and the Sect Master kicked him out with a blackened face. At the time, I thought he was just an overprotective brother; who would have thought this was the reason."

Qiu Jin'an turned back to face Shangguan Yu, who was enjoying the spectacle, his tone dripping with despairing helplessness: "Mother, you as well. You cannot go pretending to be young and deliberately hiding your identity just for the sake of it. Do you know how many misunderstandings you have caused?"

Shangguan Yu felt her son was most unfilial: "How am I pretending to be young? Am I not a mere eighteen years of age? Besides, what is wrong with me pretending to be your sister? Your father agreed to it!"

"The grass upon my father's grave is taller than I am! Did he convey this to you in a dream?!"