In Bashu, long renowned as a land of plenty, the most famous sect by far is the Tang Sect.
The Tang Sect is located in a mysterious place; many people only know that it lies halfway up a mountain, and that at the very peak of this mountain sits a place with a name terrifying enough to chill one's heart: Ghost See Sorrow.
Should one throw a rock from the cliff of Ghost See Sorrow, it would take a full nineteen seconds before the echo of its landing could be heard, such is its height. It is precisely because of these nineteen seconds, one more than the eighteen layers of hell, that it got its name.
A youth clad in gray stood at the peak of Ghost See Sorrow. The fierce mountain wind failed to make his body move even slightly. The large Tang character on his chest identified him as from the Tang Sect, where gray clothing signified a disciple from the outer sect.
He was twenty-nine years old and had been taken into the Tang Sect shortly after his birth. Among the outer sect disciples, he was third in terms of seniority, which is why they referred to him as Third Young Master. Of course, when it came to the inner sect disciples, he was known simply as Tang San.
The Tang Sect had been split into the inner and outer sects from its establishment. The outer sect comprised disciples with different surnames or those who had been granted the Tang surname, while the inner sect consisted of direct descendants of the Tang family, the bloodline heirlooms.
At this moment, Tang San's face was a mix of expressions, at times smiling, at times crying, but no matter what, he couldn't hide the excitement emanating from deep within his heart.
For twenty-nine years, ever since the outer sect elder, Old Tang Lan, had taken him back to the Tang Sect as an infant swaddled in his blankets, the Tang Sect had been his home, and its hidden weapons were his everything.
Suddenly, Tang San's expression changed drastically, but it swiftly turned to resignation as he muttered bitterly to himself, "What must come, will come in the end."
Seventeen silhouettes, seventeen white figures, leaped towards the peak from halfway up the mountain like shooting stars. These seventeen shadows, the youngest of whom was over fifty years old, bore solemn expressions. The white robes they wore symbolized the inner sect, while the golden Tang character on their chests was the emblem of the Tang Sect's elders.
Including the sect leader, Mr. Tang Da, the Tang Sect's inner sect Elder's Hall had a total of seventeen members, and the ones ascending the mountain were precisely these seventeen. Not even the grand martial arts conference could compel all the elders of the Tang Sect to act simultaneously. It is worth noting that the eldest among these Tang Sect elders had lived for more than two full sixty-year cycles.
The cultivation levels of these Tang Sect elders were all at a transcendent stage. In just the blink of an eye, they had already reached the peak.
When an outer sect disciple encounters an inner sect elder, they have no choice but to kneel in greeting. However, at this moment, Tang San did not move. He simply watched quietly as these solemn-faced elders approached him, blocking every path of departure, with Ghost See Sorrow at his back.
After releasing three Furious Tang Lotuses, Tang San cast a final, reluctant glance at them, a trace of contentment on his lips. He had succeeded, after all. Having worked hard for twenty years, he had finally completed the summit of the Tang family's outer sect hidden weapons. The sense of fulfillment that accompanied this achievement was beyond what words could convey.
At this moment, Tang San felt that nothing else mattered to him anymore. Whether it was breaking sect rules or life and death, it seemed as if all of it came to an end with the sight of these three blossoming Tang Lotuses before him. The Furious Tang Lotus, the most domineering hidden weapon in the world, was born from his hands. What could possibly bring more excitement to Tang San, who had devoted his life to hidden weapons?
"I know that entering the inner sect in secret and stealing the ultimate techniques of the sect are unforgivable offenses according to the sect rules. But I, Tang San, can swear to heaven that I've never revealed a single secret of the ultimate techniques I've learned to the outside world. I'm saying this not because I wish for the elders' forgiveness, but to tell them that Tang San has never forgotten his roots. I never did before, nor will I ever in the future."
Tang San's demeanor was very calm, perhaps the calmest he had ever been in his life. Looking down at the ancient and fragrant courtyards of the Tang Sect on the mountainside and breathing in the air that belonged to the Tang Sect, Tang San's eyes grew moist. Since the day he became of age, one could say that he was meant for the Tang Sect. And now, it was time to depart from the Tang Sect for the pursuit he had been dedicated to in his life.
The elders remained silent, still not yet recovered from the emergence of the Furious Tang Lotus. Two hundred years, a full two hundred years had passed since the Furious Tang Lotus had emerged in the hands of an outer sect disciple. What did this signify? That absolute weapon of the world, that even the Tang Sect's own members could not withstand, heralded the arrival of another peak for the Tang Sect.
Seeing the elders with their heads bowed in silence, Tang San smiled openly, "Everything about Tang San was given by the Tang Sect, whether it be life or the abilities I possess, it all comes from the sect. No matter when, Tang San lives as a person of the Tang Sect, and in death, my spirit belongs to the Tang Sect as well. I know the elders will not allow the body of an outer sect disciple who violated the sect rules to remain within the sect. If that's the case, then let my bones dissolve into the natural world of Bashu."
Tang San's calm, even somewhat excited voice, finally awakened the elders. When they looked up at him, they saw a milky white stream of energy instantly spreading from his body.
"Mystic Sky Records, you've even learned the highest inner power of our sect from the Mystic Sky Records?" Mr. Tang exclaimed in disbelief.
With a booming explosion, as the elders stepped back to prepare for any contingency, what they saw was Tang San, completely naked.
Tang San smiled, his smile bright and dazzling, "Naked I came, naked I shall go. The Furious Tang Lotus is perhaps the last gift Tang San will leave for the sect. Now, aside from myself, I have taken nothing of Tang Sect with me. The secret manuals are beneath the first brick inside the door of my room. Tang San now returns everything to Tang Sect."
"Hahahahahahahaha..." Tang San laughed uproariously, stepping back forcefully. At that moment, the Tang Sect elders suddenly realized that not a single person could stop him in time. His body, shrouded in white light, leapt like lightning toward the front, his tall and proud figure soaring into the clouds of the mountains.
"Wait a moment." Mr. Tang finally came to his senses, but by then it was already too late.
The clouds were thick with moisture, robbing the sunshine and also taking away Tang San who dedicated his life to Tang Sect and hidden weapons.
Time seemed to stand still. Mr. Tang, with trembling hands, cradled the three Furious Tang Lotuses before him. His eyes moistened, "Tang San, oh Tang San, why go through such lengths? You've brought us so many surprises..."
"Big brother." The Second Elder stepped forward, "Why feel so deeply for this traitor?"
Mr. Tang's gaze instantly turned icy, his whole body radiating a chilling aura as he stared at the Second Elder, "Who are you calling a traitor? Have you ever seen a traitor not flee after obtaining the highest secret manuals of our sect? Have you ever seen a traitor demonstrate his resolve with death? Have you ever seen a traitor possess a peerless hidden weapon capable of destroying any expert of Tang Sect, yet offer it as the last gift to the sect? Tang San is no traitor, but rather the most brilliant genius of our sect in two hundred years."
The Second Elder was dumbstruck, "But he stole from our sect..."
Mr. Tang interrupted sharply, "If you could produce a Furious Tang Lotus, I wouldn't care what you stole. You were wrong, I was wrong, just a moment ago, we actually watched as the opportunity for Tang Sect to shine again slipped through our fingers."
The elders gathered around, their expressions complex with confusion, sorrow, sighs, and mostly regret.
"You don't need to say anything. Issue my command, order all disciples to set out, search below the Ghost Sorrow for Tang San. Alive, we want to see the person; dead, we want to see the body. Starting from this moment, Tang San is promoted to an inner sect disciple, and if he is still alive, he will be the sole candidate to succeed my position as Sect Leader."
"Yes, Sect Leader." The elders bowed in unison and obeyed the order.
If Tang San were still on this cliff and could hear Mr. Tang's words, even in death, he would surely be at peace, knowing his efforts were not in vain. But all this came a little too late.
Ghost Sorrow, where a stone takes nineteen seconds to fall, which seems to exceed the eighteen layers of hell, how could it possibly allow a living person to be released by the clouds and return? Tang San was gone, forever departed from this world, but his next fate was just beginning.
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