PCJ – Chapter 757 Fellow Countrymen Meet

Seeing Liang Dengheng’s appearance, it was clear he had suffered greatly since entering the Immortal Realm. He had lost an arm, and a scar like a giant centipede stretched across his face, giving him a terrifying look. If not for his eyes—still as sinister and sharp as when Zhang Jiaohua had first seen him at Kunlun Mountain—Zhang Jiaohua might not have recognized him.

Zhang Jiaohua still had a deep impression of Liang Dengheng, for back on Earth he was one of the highest-level cultivators Zhang had ever met.

As Zhang Jiaohua looked at Liang Dengheng and the others, Liang seemed to sense something. He turned toward Zhang’s direction, and when his eyes landed on him, his brows furrowed slightly. “Hm?”

Wan Jiqing stood right beside him. Noticing Liang’s unusual expression, he asked, “Daoist Liang, what’s wrong?”

“There’s a young cultivator over there who looks very familiar,” Liang replied.

“You’ve seen him before? In the Immortal Beast Mountains or back home?” Wan Jiqing asked curiously. Liang had not been in Yan City long; after arriving, he went straight into the City Lord’s mansion with almost no contact with outsiders. If he felt someone looked familiar, it had to be from before.

“Back home,” Liang said.

“He’s from one of your Three Great Sects?” Wan Jiqing already knew much of Liang’s past. Now that Liang had pledged allegiance to him and was living under his protection, he dared not withhold anything.

Liang shook his head. “If our Three Great Sects had such an outstanding young man, I wouldn’t possibly have no impression of him. Look—where have I seen this person before?”

He waved a few others over. Their conditions were no better than his; one had even lost an eye. Those who had survived were all Kunlun’s elites—not only strong, but also incredibly lucky.

Someone really did recognize Zhang Jiaohua. “Sect Master, you must have seen him on television.”

“He’s a celebrity?” Liang asked in surprise.

“Not an entertainer, but more famous than any entertainer. He was the one who developed the miracle cure for cancer. Oh, and I also checked—he’s the head of the Meishan Sect. He founded it himself. Though it hasn’t been around long, it’s incredibly powerful, the strongest sect outside of the Three Sacred Lands. When we crossed over, the Meishan Sect was the least active in its response.”

“How did he get here?” Liang found it hard to believe. When the portal first opened and the elites of the Three Sacred Lands entered the Immortal Realm, spirit beasts swarmed from all sides, killing more than half in an instant.

Liang reacted quickly at that time, fleeing with a handful of prized disciples. But they were pursued by spirit beasts the entire way. By the time they finally made it out of the Immortal Beast Mountains, fewer than one in ten of his elite disciples remained.

Now seeing Zhang Jiaohua standing there unharmed, it was clear he could not have come through the Immortal Beast Mountains.

“Sect Master, should we go ask him?” someone suggested.

Liang shook his head. “His cultivation is no weaker than mine. In my current state, I wouldn’t be his match. This isn’t Earth anymore—our Kunlun Sect has suffered devastating losses. From now on, you all must act more cautiously.”

These words were spoken as much to his disciples as they were to Wan Jiqing.

Wan Jiqing smiled faintly, then walked straight over to Zhang Jiaohua.

From Liang’s reaction, Zhang Jiaohua already knew he had been recognized. But he wasn’t concerned. With his cultivation, even if he fell out with Wan Jiqing, he could easily leave this place. Though Wan Jiqing had ruled Yan City for a thousand years, it was not enough to trap him. Zhang could also tell that Wan Jiqing’s cultivation was slightly higher than his own—but he was confident he wouldn’t fall behind. Not only did he have Leopard, Fat Monkey, and Fat Cat as capable allies in his Dao Diagram, but also spirit beasts from several great clans. If it came to a fight, once Zhang released them, it was uncertain whose domain Yan City would truly be.

Wan Jiqing approached him. “This Daoist looks unfamiliar. May I ask your esteemed name?”

“City Lord Wan, this humble Daoist’s surname is Zhang, given name Jiaohua. I came without invitation, and hope City Lord will forgive the intrusion,” Zhang replied.

“Not at all! It is my own ignorance that I failed to know such a remarkable person had arrived in Yan City. For not personally calling upon you, I have been most discourteous.”

“City Lord flatters me,” Zhang said, cupping his hands.

“Daoist Zhang, over there sit several Kunlun Sect Daoists who have just arrived in the Immortal Realm. They are your fellow countrymen. Why not sit with them? I also have many matters I’d like to consult you about. Would Daoist Zhang honor me?” Wan Jiqing lowered his stance greatly, puzzling the surrounding cultivators as to who this young man could be, for Wan Jiqing to treat him so respectfully.

“Then I shall accept,” Zhang said, rising to follow.

As Wan Jiqing spoke with Zhang, he tried probing Zhang’s cultivation with divine sense several times, but failed each time. He understood at once that Zhang’s cultivation was at least equal to his own, and so he grew even more cautious.

Zhang followed Wan Jiqing to the table where Liang Dengheng and the others sat. Liang, visibly excited, asked, “Daoist, are you none other than Zhang Jiaohua, head of the Meishan Sect?”

“Indeed. Sect Master Liang, it has been a long time,” Zhang nodded.

“Ah! Back on Earth, my Kunlun Sect was one of the Three Sacred Lands, brimming with elites. But now, less than a week after entering the Immortal Realm, my sect lies nearly in ruins. As its sect master, I am guilty beyond measure!” Liang’s words were filled with grief.

“Sect Master Liang, there’s no need for sorrow. With Kunlun’s surviving elites, the day of its revival will surely come,” Zhang comforted.

“Daoist Zhang, if I may ask bluntly—how did you enter the Immortal Realm? Why are you unscathed?” Liang asked.

“Because I entered differently than you did. Naturally, I appeared in a different place,” Zhang answered frankly, explaining his circumstances without concealment.

“So that’s how it is. Daoist Zhang, so young, and already a Returning to Void stage master—truly enviable,” Liang said sincerely.

Wan Jiqing also sat down. “Daoist Zhang, I believe you’ve already heard the stories about me. Like you, I am not the same as the other cultivators of the Abandoned Lands. We come from the same place.”

Zhang Jiaohua was struck with shock. Though he had suspected from earlier that Wan Jiqing might have come from Earth—especially when hearing he had crossed the Immortal Beast Forest—it was still astonishing to hear it directly from Wan Jiqing’s own lips.