Liu Tianyang and Ye Zheng were momentarily speechless. So this is what you two were aiming for all along?

Just now, you were the ones fighting the fiercest. The damage to the mountain range was all your doing. We were the ones getting beaten the whole time, and now we’re supposed to do the restoration?

“Actually, we can pay the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect to handle the restoration,” Liu Tianyang conceded. One must lower their head when under another’s roof. He had no choice but to negotiate in a conciliatory tone. He wasn’t keen on doing it himself. After all, I am a Fusion cultivator.

They truly couldn’t make sense of it. We can accept that the fusion of Heaven-Earth Dharma Manifestation and the dharma manifestation elevates one’s attack and defense enough to counter Fusion cultivators, but how could Lu Yang also be immune to rules?

What kind of sorcery is this?

“That won’t do. The two of us are currently helping the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect with their work. In the end, it will still be us doing the labor.”

“I don’t care about that. In any case, I’ve already offered a solution, and I am willing to pay the spirit stones.” Liu Tianyang acted shamelessly, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. I refuse to believe these two juniors can do anything to me.

Lu Yang sighed and kindly advised, “Seniors, you should know that Cultivation Monthly is published by our Dao-Seeking Sect. This humble one, though not talented, is responsible for its content.”

Liu Tianyang was taken aback. He knew Cultivation Monthly was published by the Dao-Seeking Sect, but he hadn’t known that Lu Yang was in charge of it. Suddenly, he had an ominous feeling.

“Seniors, I believe you wouldn’t want to see a newspaper headline that reads, ‘Fusion cultivators Liu Tianyang and Ye Zheng ignored the dissuasion of temporary personnel from the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect, assaulted said personnel, caused severe damage to the Canglan Mountain Range, and declared that they had plenty of spirit stones to pay the sect for the restoration.’”

Liu Tianyang’s right eyelid twitched. I’ve heard that the old Taciturn scoundrel rarely returns to the Dao-Seeking Sect and hasn’t taught Lu Yang much. How does this kid come up with rotten ideas even more outrageous than that old scoundrel’s?

Ye Zheng and I are respectable figures. If such a report were to get out, wouldn’t our reputations be gone?

Meng Jingzhou stepped forward and continued the topic, saying, “On the other hand, if you restore the Canglan Mountain Range, the newspaper would report, ‘Facing the devastated Canglan Mountain Range, Fusion cultivators Liu Tianyang and Ye Zheng stepped up proactively and personally restored the mountain range, serving as a role model for all cultivators.’”

When Lu Yang was in seclusion and couldn’t keep up with the newspaper deadlines, Meng Jingzhou would take charge of the content. The two worked together seamlessly, and the newspaper business flourished.

Ye Zheng had no idea what to say. Before meeting you two, I always thought that the newspaper reports were true. Wait, both versions of the report would technically be true.

“Fine, fine, fine. We’ll restore it, we’ll restore it,” Liu Tianyang quickly agreed, terrified that Lu Yang would go with the first version.

Ye Zheng thought to himself, I knew your stories weren’t true, you old Taciturn scoundrel. The two brats in your tales weren’t this clever and uncanny.

Liu Tianyang was skilled in earth-element spells, making the environmental restoration easy for him. Ye Zheng wasn’t limited to water-element spells either. He also knew some wood-element spells, which were more than sufficient to restore the mountain range.

Liu Tianyang and Ye Zheng couldn’t recall what the Canglan Mountain Range had originally looked like. Fortunately, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had just restored it and knew its original appearance.

Watching the two Fusion cultivators toiling away, Lu Yang felt that Great Xia cultivators fought recklessly, often causing the earth to rumble and mountains to shake, greatly increasing the workload of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect.

“This must have been how Third Elder felt. Sending us to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect is his way of letting us experience what he went through then.” Putting himself in Third Elder’s shoes, Lu Yang understood his intent. Who would have thought that though Third Elder appears brash, he’s actually a meticulous person?

“Is that what Third Elder was thinking? Why doesn’t it feel like it?” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy voiced her doubt. As a guest elder of the Dao-Seeking Sect, she could also address him as “Third Elder.” I feel that Third Elder looks brash and is actually brash.

Lu Yang put on a stern expression. As the Imperial Tutor, it is my duty to correct the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s mistaken view. “Your Exalted Majesty, you are judging a book by its cover. Looks don’t reflect personality. For instance, though Your Exalted Majesty appears adorable, innocent, and lively, you’re also a meticulous and shrewd ruler, right?”

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy contemplated. That’s true. I’m so adorable, but also very smart. Xiao Yangzi’s judgment of people is really accurate. It seems Third Elder is the same type of person as this immortal.

“By the way, seniors, I forgot to ask. What was the conflict between you two that led to such a fierce fight?” Lu Yang suddenly remembered to ask.

Ye Zheng patted a mountaintop. “There wasn’t really any conflict. We’re both from the Heavenly River Sect. The old sect leader is stepping down to make way for someone more capable, and both of us have a chance to become the next leader, so we proposed a duel. Whoever wins becomes sect leader.”

Liu Tianyang glanced at Lu Yang with a mischievous smile. “According to the rules, you should be the sect leader.”

“Me? No, no, no way.” Lu Yang frantically refused. How could I possibly be the sect leader of the Heavenly River Sect?

Seeing Lu Yang’s flustered expression, Ye Zheng burst out laughing. “It’s just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Both of us have consumed too much energy today. We’ve agreed to settle the battle another day.”

With the Canglan Mountain Range restored for the second time, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou bid farewell to Ye Zheng and Liu Tianyang before heading to their next destination.

~~~

As they flew, something occurred to Lu Yang, and he discussed it with Meng Jingzhou. “Say, with so many cultivators fighting recklessly and destroying the terrain, the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect has only been able to barely keep up thanks to our help. After we leave in a month and a half, how busy will Sect Leader Kong and the others be?”

“True.” Meng Jingzhou nodded.

Both were loyal and righteous individuals. Although they had only been at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect for half a month, they had already come to see themselves as part of the sect.

“How about this? When we encounter cultivators fighting, we’ll dissuade them. Even if only a little, it might change the ethos of cultivators fighting wantonly and destroying the environment.”

“Sure.”

~~~

After the two completed their current missions, they returned to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect.

Sect Leader Kong looked at their mission reports, his face full of bewilderment.

“Are you saying that while completing your missions, you happened to encounter some cultivators fighting each other, and after your dissuasion, they realized that damaging the environment would be troublesome, so they voluntarily agreed to fight in the sky or engage in literary competitions?”

“That’s right.” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou nodded. The mission this time could be considered a complete success.

Sect Leader Kong’s head was full of question marks. Since when have Great Xia cultivators been so amenable? I’ve made public appeals and personally dissuaded them many times, all to no avail. Cultivators always feel that a battle isn’t a real battle unless they shatter a few mountains. How is it that they listened to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou?

Is my status as the sect leader of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect inferior to that of these two?

“You didn’t threaten them with force, did you?”

“Senior Kong, what are you talking about? We were just lucky to run into reasonable people. Old Meng and I both agreed that their exemplary behavior should be featured in the newspaper and widely promoted.”