Flying ships spanned the skies, banners fluttering in the wind.
Cultivators gathered in swarms, a chilling aura of slaughter permeating the heavens.
A reprimand of "Dan Sect, you have gone too far" only drew a soft chuckle in return.
"Old Ghost, when you meddled in my Luotian's internal strife all those years ago, did you ever consider yourself to be going too far?"
Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, Luo Chen stepped forward.
Clad in a white robe, he stood tall at the prow of the Tianhe Lingxu Ship.
Old Ghost Motian's expression shifted slightly, his gaze instinctively darting toward the side where the cultivators of the Five Elements Divine Sect were gathered.
He took a deep breath and said, "Times have changed! This Motian Domain is the ancestral land of my Motian Cliff; since antiquity, it has belonged to my sect!"
"Haha!"
Luo Chen burst into hearty laughter, completely unconcerned by those around him.
"What a grand 'since antiquity'!"
Abruptly, his laughter ceased, and he asked coldly, "When demonic beasts occupied the Motian Domain earlier, why didn't you argue righteousness with them then?"
"You!"
"Me?" Luo Chen's lips curled into a slight smile as he produced a black scroll. "I hold an edict from the Mingyuan Sacred Ground granting me the authority to open the Motian Domain as well. What do you intend to do about it?"
The finger Old Ghost Motian pointed at Luo Chen could not help but tremble.
As his mouth twitched, even his withered white beard quivered with rage.
At this moment, everyone understood that Dan Sect had not come merely to secure spiritual ground for the Luotian Sect; he was also here to settle past grudges.
As for the internal rebellion within the Luotian Sect back then, quite a few people were privy to some of the details.
Motian Cliff had taken part, and another sect had meddled as well!
Moreover, that very sect was present right here today, and likewise needed the land beneath their feet as a rear base for their upcoming opening war.
For a time, countless eyes turned instinctively toward the five-colored treasure vessel of the Five Elements Divine Sect.
Would Perfected Shenyuan intervene?
The answer was yes, he would!
A weathered, hoarse voice spread slowly through the air.
"Dan Sect, the demon turmoil has not yet been thoroughly quelled. Do you truly dare to risk universal condemnation by inciting civil war among human sects?"
Aboard the five-colored treasure vessel, cultivators parted to both sides, clearing a path.
A figure draped in a black robe flew out slowly. It was none other than the Supreme Elder of the Five Elements Divine Sect, the man hailed as the number-one cultivator of the Far East—Perfected Shenyuan!
After he appeared, Old Ghost Motian visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Dan Sect today was far too powerful, his renown far too formidable. The immense psychological pressure of facing him directly was something ordinary people could never comprehend.
Now that a Great Cultivator had stepped onto the field, Dan Sect would surely have to rein in his arrogance!
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes as he looked at the figure.
Toward this potential foe, all these years, he had never once laid eyes upon the man's true countenance!
Today might present an opportunity.
Pursing his lips, Luo Chen offered a free and easy smile.
"Fellow Daoist Shenyuan, that accusation is a bit too heavy a mantle to pin on me."
"Who am I to possess the stature or audacity to incite a sectarian war?"
"How about this? To prevent rivers of blood from flowing, let us restrict today's dispute to between us Nascent Soul cultivators!"
Perfected Shenyuan stared at Luo Chen and said impassively, "What do you propose?"
This was inviting Luo Chen to set the terms first.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen held up three fingers.
"Three representatives from each side. We shall determine superiority by victory and defeat, and let the outcome decide the fate of Motian."
"Three battles to decide Motian?" Perfected Shenyuan chuckled softly. "Does that include this old man as well?"
"Of course!" Luo Chen replied with full confidence.
As soon as those words left his mouth, the several Nascent Soul True Persons on Luo Chen's side all suffered slight changes in expression.
Sovereign Jiuling, in particular, turned grim and grave, his magical power fluctuating faintly beneath the surface.
In his view, if Perfected Shenyuan took part, the only one capable of facing him would be himself—there could be no second choice.
Yet he was still one crucial step away from the realm of a Great Cultivator.
Facing Perfected Shenyuan, he might put up a fight, but claiming victory would be exceedingly difficult.
Of course, he did not find Luo Chen's proposal flawed in the slightest.
Apart from himself, the rest of their cohort—be it Luo Chen, Deng Taiyue, or Fenghua Fairy—were all figures of profound cultivation and formidable battle prowess.
Winning two bouts would be as easy as reaching into one's pocket!
Conversely, Old Ghost Motian wore an anxious frown. The other side was packed with talent; if they engaged in horse-racing strategy, his own faction lacked the luxury to match them.
Thus, he secretly sent a voice transmission:
"Fellow Daoist Shenyuan, you must not agree to this!"
Perfected Shenyuan cast him a sideways glance. "Do you distrust this old man, or do you lack faith in Perfected Pengxiang of the White Deer Grotto? Or is it that you have no confidence in yourself?"
Old Ghost Motian opened his mouth, his face alternating between green and pale.
While he hesitated, Perfected Shenyuan had already spoken. "Very well. We shall do as Dan Sect proposes!"
Luo Chen clapped his hands in admiration. "As expected of a Great Cultivator—direct and decisive. To avoid any grumbling or idle gossip later, I believe we must carefully discuss the combatants for each round!"
Perfected Shenyuan's interest was piqued. In his raspy voice, he asked, "How do you wish to discuss it?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Very simple. When all is said and done, this conflict is between Luotian and Motian. Therefore, our two houses must face each other in a direct showdown."
Perfected Shenyuan swept his gaze over the crowd aboard the Tianhe Lingxu Ship, pausing briefly on Lingfengzi beside Luo Chen, and asked with amusement, "Will you step forward, or will Lingfengzi?"
Luo Chen waved a dismissive hand. "Lingfengzi joined my Luotian Sect only recently; sending him into battle would hardly be appropriate."
"Then it will be you?"
Before Luo Chen could answer, Old Ghost Motian blurted out:
"No! Dan Sect stepping forward would be the strong bullying the weak—that is completely unfair!"
As soon as those words fell, snickers inevitably rippled through the crowd.
Dan Sect had cultivated for less than three hundred years in total; how could there be any talk of the senior bullying the junior or the strong bullying the weak?
Since when had the Supreme Elder of Motian Cliff become so self-deprecating?
Even Luo Chen could not hold back a quiet laugh.
Yet he soon nodded in agreement.
"The Old Ghost is not wrong. With my mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, it truly would be bullying the weak."
"How about this!"
"I will send forth someone whom I am certain you will accept!"
Amid everyone's bewilderment, the tall, imposing figure of Wang Yuan stepped forward from the rear, arriving beside Luo Chen.
"Brother Luo, this..." Fenghua Fairy froze, instinctively wanting to dissuade him.
On the opposite side, however, Old Ghost Motian was already beside himself with glee as he readily agreed: "You speak truly! This battle is a dispute between Luotian and Motian. This old man is willing to battle the renowned War Fiend Wang Yuan!"
Bah!
Shameless!
That thought crossed the minds of countless onlookers.
Even the disciples of Motian Cliff felt their cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Perfected Shenyuan was rather taken aback, not expecting Luo Chen to be so overconfident as to dispatch Wang Yuan.
The moniker of War Fiend was indeed renowned, but when all was said and done, he was not a Nascent Soul cultivator!
He looked deeply at Luo Chen, his brows furrowing. What was this man plotting?
Still, since both sides had agreed, he naturally could not refuse.
Composing himself, Perfected Shenyuan spoke slowly: "For the second battle, let our side nominate the contender. Fellow Daoist Pengxiang of White Deer Grotto, are you willing to step forward on our behalf and test their brilliant arts?"
A solemn-browed Daoist clad in black robes made a bow with hands clasped.
"This poor Daoist offers greetings!"
Daoist Pengxiang's appearance drew gasps from the onlookers.
Though he maintained a low profile, his prowess was formidable, possessing a profound cultivation at the sixth layer of Nascent Soul.
In terms of background, he was the senior brother of Daoist Tieguan, who had fought alongside Luo Chen and the others when they assaulted the Blade Dominance Domain years ago.
Among those present, the only person who could guarantee victory over him was the Great Cultivator Perfected Shenyuan.
As for the Luotian Sect's side?
The Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged glances, a select few harboring faint discontent.
If Wang Yuan had not been sent out for the first match, but rather Fenghua Fairy, Perfected Taiyue, or even Lin Qingxuan—who was comparable in cultivation realm to Old Ghost Motian—the matchups would not have been so difficult to arrange.
Luo Chen acted as if oblivious to their dissatisfaction, his gaze settling on Sovereign Jiuling.
"Fellow Daoist Jiuling, are you confident in taking him down?"
Sovereign Jiuling was brimming with confidence. "Thanks to your elixir pills, ever since I mastered the Great Nine Heavens Firmament River, I have never lost to anyone of my generation. I know Daoist Pengxiang. In the past, he and I might have been evenly matched, but today he is definitely no match for me. However..."
Sovereign Jiuling changed the subject: "If I fight the second battle, who will deal with Perfected Shenyuan?"
"Simple. Isn't there still me?" Luo Chen laughed nonchalantly.
Everyone froze.
They could not help but appraise Luo Chen from head to toe.
The world knew Luo Chen held the Daoist title of Perfected Demon Slayer, won through fierce martial prowess.
He even boasted the magnificent feat of turning back Great Demon Sovereign Qixi with a single finger!
Yet when all was said and done, Luo Chen was merely at the fourth layer of Nascent Soul, separated from the realm of a Great Cultivator by an insurmountable chasm.
How dared he be so confident?
Sovereign Jiuling grew anxious. "Why not let Fellow Daoist Deng take on Pengxiang, and let me deal with Perfected Shenyuan instead!"
Deng Taiyue chimed in, "Deng is also willing to contribute his strength today."
Luo Chen shook his head. "Jiuling, can you defeat Shenyuan?"
Sovereign Jiuling paused, at a loss for words. He dared to fight a Great Cultivator, but claiming a guaranteed victory would be far too arrogant.
"You cannot, right?" Luo Chen smiled gently. "In that case, why not secure a certain victory for me in one match? And if Wang Yuan wins his bout as well, it might not even come down to my turn."
The logic held, but...
There were no 'buts.' Luo Chen had already announced the contender for the third battle before the entire assembly:
"For the third battle, I shall step forward in person!"
Perfected Shenyuan smiled.
So that was it—arranging things this way was merely Luo Chen's pretext to clash with him in a justifiable duel!
True enough. With the full backing of the Mingyuan Sacred Ground, where could the Luotian Sect not go?
A mere Motian Domain, won or lost, was of little consequence.
Coincidentally, he also wished to probe Luo Chen's true depth.
If so, he would indulge Luo Chen's wish!
"For the third battle, this seat is willing to exchange pointers with you!"
With the fighters settled, regardless of what anyone privately thought, the outcome was cast in stone.
Before long, the battlefield was selected as well.
It would be in the neighboring Taihu Domain!
...
Treasure vessels turned around, flying ships altered their courses.
Amid the rising and descending streaks of light, countless cultivators spread across the border between the two domains.
Curtains of the Water Mirror Art were conjured throughout the crowds, specially accommodating low-tier cultivators lacking sharp spiritual senses and far-reaching vision.
As for the Nascent Soul experts, such aids were hardly necessary.
Luo Chen stood at the prow of the treasure vessel, facing the wind, looking down at the earth below.
Bare yellow soil, spiderwebs of deep fissures, not a trace of human habitation for a thousand li, devoid of living creatures across ten thousand li.
Beside him, Lingfengzi remarked with confusion, "Reason dictates that the Taihu Domain is fairly distant from the Azure Sky Domain where the Soul Formation clash took place, so it shouldn't have suffered such extreme devastation. Yet its damage is not in the least inferior to the adjacent Jiuling Domain. It is truly strange."
Old Fu chimed in as well: "Indeed. Originally, this old man considered choosing this place as a cultivation ground for the Divine Talisman Sect, but who knew that its only Tier 4 spiritual vein had been completely shattered. Such a land is no longer fit for cultivators. Even if reformed by cultivators, at best it could only serve as a habitat for mortals in the future."
Listening beside them, Luo Chen smiled without a word.
The Taihu Domain truly should not have been devastated so terribly.
The primary culprit was undeniably the Soul Formation battle, but his own duel against Great Demon Sovereign Baizu was the chief cause of the destruction of the Tier 4 spiritual vein beneath Taihu Palace.
Yet there was no need to speak of that to outsiders.
Naturally, such a vast expanse of territory could not be wasted.
In the future, cultivators could reshape it slightly, diverting water veins and allowing large numbers of mortals to multiply and thrive here, serving as a breeding ground to replenish vital blood for the immortal sects.
As for the present?
Two figures broke through the sky and touched down atop two surviving mountain peaks.
One was Old Ghost Motian, the other was War Fiend Wang Yuan!
"Junior, surrender early to spare yourself physical agony," Old Ghost Motian said with complete confidence written across his face.
Wang Yuan slowly drew a pair of silvery-white gauntlets onto his hands, his eyelids lowered, his tone chillingly cold:
"Years ago on the Battle Arena, you lent your Lifebound True Artifact to Yin Sixiang to suppress me. Today, that grudge will be repaid tenfold, a hundredfold!"
Old Ghost Motian was taken aback; he had nearly forgotten that incident.
Yet Wang Yuan had never forgotten.
Following that brief exchange, Wang Yuan made his move.
He stepped into empty air, and a sound like thunder exploded.
Boom!
Flickering across the distance, he crossed several hundred paces in an instant, smashing down toward Old Ghost Motian with explosive force.
Such blinding speed left many onlookers stunned.
Only Luo Chen maintained a look of expectation.
This was none other than the Airburst Step he had created in his early years, inspired by Demon Sovereign Qingshuang's spatial teleportation techniques.
Now executed by Wang Yuan, its momentum was not in the least inferior to his own back then; bolstered by Divine Gang Battle Qi, its display was even more violent.
Against this strike, although caught off guard, Old Ghost Motian managed to react as his spiritual sense expanded.
He first deployed an earthy-yellow shield to protect his surroundings.
Then, opening his mouth, he spat out a flying sword that shot forward in a flash, aiming straight for Wang Yuan's skull.
Yet in the next breath—
Dong!
Visible to the naked eye, the earthy-yellow shield was caved in with a deep depression under the fist smashing through the air.
This sight made Old Ghost Motian's expression change drastically, and he blurted out:
"A True Artifact!"
Those silvery-white gauntlets were actually weapons at the True Artifact grade!
Now, he no longer dared stand in place to take the blows head-on, retreating backward through the air.
Wang Yuan deflected the flying sword with a single punch and followed in hot pursuit.
At this moment, his gang qi erupted as he executed the Airburst Step in rapid succession, moving at an escape speed fully comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
Dismayed, Old Ghost Motian abruptly released his Nascent Soul Domain.
Yet the domain's power failed entirely to suppress Wang Yuan.
At this moment, Old Ghost Motian inwardly cursed that he had been duped.
With the spiritual veins collapsed and spiritual energy dispersed in the Taihu Domain, how could a Nascent Soul cultivator easily condense an effective Nascent Soul Domain?
Furthermore, this enemy specialized in body refinement and possessed negligible magical power in his body; how could he be suppressed by world spiritual energy?
"What a shrewd Dan Sect!"
Old Ghost Motian cursed Luo Chen under his breath for choosing this battlefield. Suspended mid-air, he launched an offensive.
The flying sword split from one into ten, ten into a hundred, forming myriad sword lights that rained down upon Wang Yuan.
Not only that, two magic treasures flew from his hands in rapid succession.
A ring spun swiftly; bells chimed crisp and clear.
One sought to bind the physical body, the other to disrupt the spirit.
Wang Yuan's movements visibly slowed. When the flying swords struck his body, they produced a chorus of clinking and clattering metallic rings.
Suddenly—
A fierce shout tore through the air:
"Open!"
The ring was sent flying backward. Wang Yuan's body began to swell continuously, revealing a thirty-foot-tall mini-giant to the world.
Opening his mouth, he unleashed a rolling thunderclap that drowned out the sound of the chiming bells.
His ten fingers flicked rapidly, spraying blood-colored force like a torrential downpour.
Having shattered the myriad sword lights, the giant tread upon the Moon Step, his form taking on an eerie, elusive drift.
This time, Old Ghost Motian's spiritual sense could barely keep pace.
"This won't do! He's too fast, and his will is ironclad—he is completely impervious to my spirit illusions. I must immobilize him first!"
Old Ghost Motian gritted his teeth and held his right hand aloft.
A grand seal flew out with a whir, expanding until it grew several hundred paces across, pressing down toward Wang Yuan.
A terrifying suppressive force sealed the space instantly.
Just then, Wang Yuan sneered, charging fearlessly straight toward the great seal.
"Break!"
One punch!
The main body of the grand seal shuddered violently.
Wang Yuan pulled back his fist, gang qi surging, and unleashed three more punches in succession.
"Break!"
"Break!"
"Break!"
This time, the result was entirely different.
Three strikes of the Mountain Breaker Stance learned from Luo Chen pushed his overbearing gang qi to the absolute limit, focusing its power onto a single point, bolstered by the Thunderbolt Gauntlets.
A deafening detonation rang out.
Boom!
To the shock of everyone present, the grand seal was shattered to pieces.
Wang Yuan surged upward, soaring straight into the high heavens.
With his magic treasure destroyed, Old Ghost Motian suffered a backlash, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Bitterness welled in his heart.
If his Lifebound True Artifact, Motian Cliff, were still in his hands, how could a boy like Wang Yuan dare act so insolent?
No matter!
To defeat this man, he would simply have to rely on his profound magical power to outlast him.
Reaching out, he summoned his flying sword back into his grasp, then flew toward the high heavens.
Yet in the next instant, Old Ghost Motian's expression warped in horror.
Above the high heavens, a towering, majestic mountain crashed downward like a falling meteorite, rumbling with devastating momentum.
"That's my Motian Cliff!"
Though its mass had changed, the familiar aura caused him to shout aloud.
Yet when he tried to seize control with his spiritual sense, there was no response whatsoever.
Terrified, he pushed his shield treasure to its limit, holding it over his head.
Moreover, his hands rapidly wove seals as his robes billowed without wind, a halo of yellow light enveloping his entire body.
Bang!
The shield magic treasure shattered on first contact.
The great mountain bore down from above. Even with the yellow halo protecting him, Old Ghost Motian was driven relentlessly downward, finally halting upon the ground amidst his furious roars.
Wang Yuan stood atop the mountain peak and stomped heavily.
Boom!
Immense pressure flared anew, shocking the yellow halo into dimming further, turning Old Ghost Motian's face flushed crimson.
Sensing this, Wang Yuan felt an indescribable rush of satisfaction in his heart.
Back then, you used Motian Cliff to suppress me. Today, I use the Motian Baizao Mountain to crush you. Truly, what goes around comes around!
He stomped once more, channeling Divine Gang Battle Qi through his body and pouring it straight into the Motian Baizao Mountain.
Boom!
Old Ghost Motian's pupils dilated as his protective robe shredded abruptly, exposing his withered, frail, shriveled body.
The yellow halo flickered ever more faintly.
It seemed as though a single further stomp would shatter it completely.
Without a second thought, he screamed at the top of his lungs: "I yield!"
Wang Yuan acted as though deaf, bringing his foot down once more.
Boom!
Whoosh...
Violent gales erupted, and the yellow halo collapsed into shards.
A great cloud of blood mist sprayed across the arid yellow earth.
A streak of light shot out abruptly, traversing a hundred li to escape the suppressive range of Motian Baizao Mountain.
A fair, tender infant's face contorted with venomous hatred. Pinching a hand seal, it glared viciously at Wang Yuan.
"I'll see you dead!"
Wang Yuan drifted upward and waved his hand. The Motian Baizao Mountain shrank rapidly, settling into his grasp.
"If I can destroy your physical body once, I can kill your Nascent Soul just the same!"
He reached out with his right hand from afar, fingers clawed, preparing to clench his fist.
The tiny Nascent Soul's expression shifted drastically as veins of blood began to surface across its tender flesh, sheer terror filling its eyes.
Right at that moment, a stream of magical power enveloped the Nascent Soul.
Wang Yuan clenched his fist, detonating his force, but triggered no reaction whatsoever.
A fierce glint flashed across his face as he looked into the distance.
Perfected Shenyuan beckoned with his hand, drawing Old Ghost Motian's Nascent Soul back to his side.
Seeing this, Luo Chen could not help but smile faintly.
"This first battle counts as a win for my Luotian Sect, does it not?"
As his words fell, silence fell over the gathered tens of thousands; not a single sound could be heard.
Chapter 870