"Boom!"
The dark clouds still churned, the mountain rocks rolled, the earth rumbled, and thunder and fire boiled around the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, but the great battle had quieted.
Victory and defeat had been decided, life and death determined.
When the dust settled, it was Yuan Zhen who had lost.
Inside Yuan Zhen’s body, his Innate Eight Qi churned, his flesh and blood disintegrated, and yet a Divine Soul forcibly half-escaped from his body; his Divine Sense fluctuated, spreading a ssage far and wide.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang has profound cultivation. Among those of Sixth Rank, only you are revered. I am utterly convinced in defeat."
At this mont of imminent death, Yuan Zhen seed to bear no resentnt; instead, he was elevating Jiang Li’s reputation.
"On the brink of death, you still seek to glorify ..." Jiang Li said emotionlessly, "Daoist, you are really ruthless."
This was not a hero cherishing another hero. It was rely the last tactic of the defeated.
Lauding the Sixth Rank to glorify Jiang Li and using this reputation to draw enemies for him was indeed glorifying.
Before dying, to suppress all negative emotions and praise his killer was ruthless indeed, even if it was ant to glorify.
Even to use his own death as a tool showed his unscrupulous nature.
"Since we were enemies, naturally, no holds were barred." Yuan Zhen’s Divine Soul managed a faint smile, its form almost dispersing.
"A truly unscrupulous strategy... But as a concession to the defeated, I accept your praise."
The arm armor disintegrated and returned to his waist, transforming into a long sword. Jiang Li, with his hands behind his back and without losing his composure, said, "I will do as you wished—defeat all peers including those other renowned figures, including Zhang Daoyi, and attain the title of Sixth Rank. I accept all your glorification and will fulfill it, letting you die with your eyes wide open."
"Furthermore, as a counter to you, I will disclose what you have done, letting everyone judge the conduct of the disciples of the Daode Sect, to see for themselves the virtue of the current chief disciple."
His words were calm, betraying no anxiety or worry, maintaining composure throughout.
Jiang Li was confident he could defeat all his contemporaries, unfazed by Yuan Zhen’s glorification.
Moreover, his composure was the last thing Yuan Zhen wanted to see at this mont.
No worry about the glorification, nor any pride from defeating such an enemy—his ntal State remained stable, no different from if he were killing an ant...
"Pu—"
Yuan Zhen suddenly coughed up fresh blood; various anomalies appeared on his body: water imrsion, fire burning, wind tearing, thunder striking, petrification, earth covering... These anomalies seed to segnt Yuan Zhen, thoroughly annihilating both his physical body and Divine Soul.
"Disappear, loser." Jiang Li said indifferently.
The anomalies born from his Innate Qi buried Yuan Zhen, accompanied by the fluctuating Qi chanism, making the wind sing scriptures.
Spread across all ten directions of the Realm, always imposing Divine Power,
To rescue all beings, to help them escape from confusion,
The beings unknowingly, like the blind perceiving sun and moon...
This was the "Supre Cave Mysterious Treasure Sutra," similar in purpose to the Buddhist "Rebirth Mantra," aid to elevate the lost souls, purify the resentnt, letting Yuan Zhen depart cleanly.
In short, it erased any possible resentnt and vengeful thoughts, ensuring Yuan Zhen could not return, completely dissolving into nothingness.
After all this, the intertwining Sword Gang and Divine Light in the sky also began to dissipate, as the battle was indeed concluded.
"It seems my disciple has won."
Tianxuan chuckled as she withdrew her power. The starlight retracted, and Ming Yue returned to her form, "Dan Xu, Wen Xu, it seems you have lost."
Dan Xuzi, with a grim face, retracted the True Fire and said solemnly, "Under Dinghu Sect, truly a place where talents erge. First Yun Jiuye ascended to the fifth rank, and now Jiang Li is proclaid Sixth Rank; who will lead their peers in the future remains to be seen."
"This isn’t a matter for the Daode Sect," Tianxuan retorted, "You should protect the remaining descendant of the Daoist Lord. Also, rember the terms of this battle—it was not about revenge."
This direct challenge was a matter of life or death based purely on skill, effectively making a life-and-death agreent. Henceforth, the Daode Sect should not seek retribution against Jiang Li under the pretext of revenge.
After all, they are a reputable sect and should not break the rules.
Of course, what they do in secret is another story.
Rules can only restrict, not prevent.
And if Jiang Li had not been from Dinghu Sect, if he hadn’t been Tianxuan’s disciple, these rules might not even protect him.
Only standing on equal footing can one talk about rules. Even the upright and noble Daode Sect cannot escape this custom.
"I will inform the disciples," Dan Xuzi grunted.
But how effective this will be, Dan Xuzi couldn’t guarantee.
This grudge has been settled.
For this, Tianxuan was also prepared. Ever since she noticed the covert actions of the Daode Sect, she had been ready to oppose them; now it was simply the anticipation becoming reality.
"Please,"
Tianxuan said "please" and prepared to take her disciple and leave.
However, just at this mont, the earth shook and the lake water churned. A luminous aura flashed from afar, shooting straight into the clouds, and spreading in all directions. In the blink of an eye, it occupied most of Dinghu and the surrounding mountains.
The area where East Mountain was located was within this, and the pure radiance simultaneously covered the mountain’s peak, its slopes, and the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform. In an instant, light and shadows intertwined, human figures flickering.
Tianxuan, Tian Ji, and Wuqu all felt a strong sense of disparity, as if sothing was converging.
"Jiang Li!"
Tianxuan imdiately looked down, only to see Jiang Li standing within the radiance, also looking up at them.
But Tianxuan and the others were outside the radiance.
Inside the radiance, it was like another world, overlapping with the real world, enveloping so within the light and leaving others in their original space.
It seed as though they were still together, but in reality, they were already far apart.
Tianxuan’s phoenix eyes revealed the Star River, her expression filled with intense killing intent. She raised her palm, stroking the air, and ripples appeared beneath her hand, about to forcefully penetrate into the radiance.
Unexpectedly, in the void, an unknown Daoist power spread, firmly suppressing the space. The ripples stirred by Tianxuan couldn’t match it and were forcibly smoothed out.
Despite her fourth-rank status, she still struggled to counteract this force.
Third grade?
Tianxuan’s brows drew together sharply, like two sharp swords, fiercely on display. "Protect the palace for ."
She focused her mind and divided her consciousness, communicating through a certain anchor point, using the Void Illusion Realm.
······
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Iron Pillar Temple.
Daoist Light shimred covering the temple, and within the original temple’s structure, shadows of more majestic, brilliant buildings overlapped.
Behind the Iron Pillar Temple, chains entwined around iron pillars were wildly shaking. The central iron pillar even developed cracks from which light shone through.
Looking at the situation, all this Daoist Light appeared to originate from within the iron pillars.
Around the iron pillars, a group of Taoists moved in the Sword Gang formation, striking out seal techniques that shook the pillars, causing the cracks to widen further.
Fourth Prince, Ji Chengyuan, stood in the way with a fierce aura, blocking a figure.
"Your Highness, Iron Pillar Temple is a place beyond the outer lands, and even if you are royal nobility, you should not lightly commit offenses here."
At this mont, Tong Yuanzi had completely lost his usual carefree deanor. His face was tense, and his large sleeves billowed, even revealing a touch of fierce murderous intent. "It’s not too late to stop now."
"Now?" mocked the Fourth Prince. "Is the temple master joking? We’ve co this far, and you ask to stop? It was hard for the battle between Jiang Li and Yuan Zhen to draw away all attention, even causing the temple master to be distracted in protecting the temple, giving this opportunity."
"This is indeed a heaven-sent opportunity; if not seized, it would be to invite misfortune upon oneself."
After his strength and realm were exposed by Jiang Li, he had been relentlessly pursued by the Second Prince, suffering great losses during these days.
Yet even so, he did not leave the Iron Pillar Temple but stubbornly stayed on, without any intention of leaving.
People saw him and thought the Fourth Prince wanted to lay low, but unknown to them, this was not avoiding disaster but seeking sothing within Iron Pillar Temple.
"I initially wanted Yuan Zhen to stop Jiang Li’s ascension, thus pitting Dinghu Sect and Daode Sect against each other, both thwarting Jiang Li’s ascension and involving Iron Pillar Temple in the turmoil, taking advantage of it. Although I didn’t stop Jiang Li’s progress, another goal has been achieved..."
Between his brows, heart, and dantian, three dark holes appeared, oozing a viscous black mist like liquid, a fierce and eerie qi filling Tong Yuanzi with a great sense of crisis.
anwhile, the Fourth Prince’s words also shocked him deeply.
The battle at the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform between Jiang Li and Yuan Zhen indeed occupied Tong Yuanzi’s attention, and although he was a recluse in the outer lands, it was impossible not to be curious about this battle.
Therefore, before this, Tong Yuanzi had always been watching from afar outside the temple, so he hadn’t noticed the unrest within the temple.
He hadn’t expected that so many had joined under the Fourth Prince’s command.
Thinking thus, Tong Yuanzi felt remorse, and imdiately, his Heart Fire surged with anger.
"No good!"
He shouted in alarm and imdiately stepped forward.
He had fallen for it!
The Fourth Prince seed very self-satisfied, babbling on and revealing a lot of information. But in reality, his words were designed to manipulate Tong Yuanzi’s emotions, allowing the Three Corpse God Dao Fruit to take effect.
Just like now—
As anger surged in Tong Yuanzi, a black energy rose from the Fourth Prince. Countless black and red mists, like insects, gathered into a Calamity Cloud, rolling forward.
"Nine Insect Technique, Qi Turbidity, and Blood Stagnation."
The Qi was like a plague of locusts, overwhelming. Tong Yuanzi had not yet co into contact with it but already felt as if his waist was heavy, his eyes weak, his ears ringing, and aches spread throughout his body.
He stamped through the Calamity Cloud, a vast qi gathering into a foot shadow, suppressing the evil qi. It was the ability of the Barefoot Immortal from his Dao Fruit—the "Foot Breaks All Laws."
The eerie qi was suppressed by a single stomp, Tong Yuanzi’s leg like a giant axe, sweeping and striking with the might of cleaving mountains, raising another foot stomp, and even the insect-like evil qi would be obliterated under this stomp.
However, at the sa mont, the iron pillar finally cracked apart, dazzling Daoist Light illuminating all directions. A Daoist temple, a minor world, erged brilliantly from the emanating Daoist Light.
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