With a single sword strike at the back mountain, the world fell silent.
Standing Xuanwei before the mountain gate, Master Xuanwei was deeply shaken. His gaze was fixed on the fallen corpse of the Red Flame King. His eyes, which had witnessed a thousand years of vicissitudes, narrowed slightly, and he instantly saw through the key to the matter.
Having lived for hundreds of years, he had seen all sorts of unorthodox methods and heaven-defying secret techniques in the world, and was all too familiar with this kind of method of forcibly raising one's cultivation level.
"So that's how it is... It's Pseudo-Twelfth Realm."
Xuanwei spoke softly, with a hint of realization and relief.
No wonder the Red Flame King appeared out of nowhere, suddenly ascended to the Twelfth Realm, swept through the various garrison armies of the Ling Dynasty, and possessed extraordinary domineering combat power, but his foundation was weak and his Dao Resonance was chaotic.
He wasn't a true master cultivator who had reached the Twelfth Realm, but rather he relied on forbidden secret techniques and the power of rare treasures and medicines to forcibly squeeze out his own essence, thus raising his cultivation level to the threshold of the Twelfth Realm.
This Pseudo-Twelfth Realm, seemingly possessing overwhelming power, could completely crush all Eleventh Realm cultivators and was virtually invincible in front of lower-level cultivators. Relying on the suppression of his realm, he was unstoppable. This was the fundamental reason why he was able to sweep across a region in a short period of time and cause the Ling Dynasty's officials and soldiers to suffer repeated defeats.
However, a pseudo-realm is ultimately a pseudo-realm; its foundation is not solid, and its Dao heart is incomplete. It is vastly different from a true, steady, Dao Resonance perfectly accomplished Twelfth Realm cultivator.
He could slaughter ordinary Eleventh Realm or even Tenth Realm cultivators at will, but once he encountered a true Twelfth Realm cultivator of the same realm with a perfect foundation, all his superficial domineering power would be easily defeated and full of flaws.
Chen Du's sword strike just now, seemingly casual, was actually the fourth strike of the Heavenly Tribulation Nine Swords. It perfectly shattered the false realm cultivation that the Red Flame King had forcibly built up, breaking through its foundation and directly ending its life.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanshan, the senior brother beside him, suddenly snapped back to his senses. He carefully sensed the remaining, dissipated power of the Red Flame King and immediately understood. His shock not only did not diminish but surged even more intensely.
Even if it's just Pseudo-Twelfth Realm, it's still a terrifying fighting force that leaves the entire Ling Dynasty helpless!
But their usually quiet, unassuming junior brother, who was devoted to his cultivation and never competitive, was able to kill such a powerful expert with a single sword strike, which is enough to prove that Chen Du is a genuine, perfected Twelfth Realm Dao Resonance!
A gentle breeze blew across the back mountain, stirring up the scattered embers of the flames on the ground.
Tens of thousands of rebel troops were charging fearlessly down the mountain, but the moment the Red Flame King's aura completely dissipated, everyone froze.
They couldn't see the battle unfolding on the back mountain, but they could clearly sense that their king's awe-inspiring crimson aura had completely vanished without a trace.
The head coach is dead!
The Crimson Red Flame King, who swept across all sides and led them to victory in every battle, is dead!
An overwhelming sense of fear swept through the entire army in an instant, and the morale of tens of thousands of rebel soldiers completely collapsed.
It's unclear who was the first to throw down their weapon, let out a roar, and turn to flee. The next second, the entire army crumbled instantly.
Everyone was terrified and fled in panic, all traces of their former ferocity in attacking cities and conquering fortresses had vanished.
The rebel soldiers scattered across the mountains, abandoning their armor and weapons, pushing and trampling each other as they frantically fled Qingfeng Mountain. Their defeat was swift and complete; in a short time, the once formidable rebel offensive vanished into nothingness.
Before the mountain gate, all the Qingfeng Temple disciples who had been fighting stopped and looked at the enemy troops who were scattering in all directions, but none of them had the intention to pursue them.
At this moment, everyone's attention was completely focused on the figure in green robes on the back mountain.
Zhao Yuanshan stared blankly towards the back mountain, his body trembling slightly, his voice filled with disbelief. "Junior brother... he actually stepped into the Twelfth Realm?"
The fellow disciples looked at each other, their eyes filled with overwhelming shock and astonishment.
Who would have thought that after displaying his astonishing cultivation level once before, this seemingly most ordinary and reserved junior brother would actually possess such a terrifying hidden strength!
At such a young age, he had already cultivated to the Twelfth Realm true cultivation, far surpassing all his fellow disciples present, and even overwhelming the Crimson Red Flame King who had wreaked havoc on the region.
The crowd was filled with mixed emotions: shock, awe, and profound disbelief.
The fellow disciple with whom they spent every day turned out to be a top-tier cultivator living in seclusion in the mortal world. This contrast was enough to overturn everyone's perception.
Master Xuanwei stood there, watching his beloved disciple calmly sheath his sword and look serene on the back mountain, his eyes filled with both satisfaction and surprise.
He knew that Li Xuan Xuandu was exceptionally talented and had a steadfast Dao heart, far surpassing ordinary disciples, and would reach the pinnacle sooner or later. However, he never expected that when this disciple revealed his cultivation level earlier, it was already at his full strength. Little did he know that he was actually hiding his true strength.
He had endured so much, quietly stepping into the Twelfth Realm without anyone knowing, and possessing the terrifying strength to suppress a rebellious warlord.
Qingfeng Temple has always upheld its principles with humility, never seeking worldly fame or fortune. Unexpectedly, this generation has produced such a hidden and extraordinary genius.
The news of the Battle of Qingfeng Temple ending, the collapse of the rebel army, and the death of the Red Flame King spread like wildfire throughout the entire Ling Dynasty in just a few days, shaking the court and the people.
Inside the Ling Dynasty court, the entire court was in an uproar.
Previously, the Red Flame King, Pseudo-Twelfth Realm, emerged and swept across several states. The government troops suffered repeated defeats, the imperial court was helpless, and countless ministers were worried. They had even prepared to mobilize the nation's elite forces.
In their eyes, this Twelfth Realm expert, who could crush all the guards, posed a great threat.
But no one expected that the mighty Crimson Red Flame King, after besieging a secluded Daoist temple, would suddenly die, and his entire army would be routed!
After extensive investigation, the court officials pieced together the truth: the Red Flame King launched a fierce attack on Qingfeng Temple, but before he could breach the mountain gate, he was single-handedly killed by a master within the temple!
"A top-tier expert at the Twelfth Realm was instantly killed by a cultivator from a remote Daoist temple?"
"I had previously heard that Qingfeng Temple had been in seclusion for ten thousand years, and assumed it was just an ordinary cultivation sect. Now it seems that it is actually hiding something extraordinary!"
"To be able to kill Pseudo-Twelfth Realm, the one who made the move must be a true Twelfth Realm master! The foundation of Qingfeng Temple is truly terrifying!"
The entire court was filled with emotion, and no one dared to underestimate this ancient Daoist temple nestled in Qingfeng Mountain anymore.
Everyone knows that the Ling Dynasty has survived for ten thousand years despite the chaos, and the hidden sects have made an indispensable contribution to this. But no one could have imagined that a mere Qingfeng Temple would possess such world-shaking fighting power.
He remains silent until Stunning Everyone with a Single Cry; once he strikes, he quells a great upheaval and slays an invincible tyrant.
When the emperor of the Ling Dynasty learned the whole story, he was deeply shocked and immediately issued an edict.
After the war was quelled, Qingfeng Temple stepped forward in the time of crisis, beheaded the rebel leader, quelled the chaos, and protected the peace of the region. Their meritorious service to the country deserves a great reward.
A few days later, the imperial envoy arrived at Qingfeng Mountain in a grand procession, carrying generous gifts and a plaque bestowed by the emperor.
The imperial edict was read aloud, bestowing great honors upon Qingfeng Temple, granting it the name "World-Quelling Pure Sect Guards the World"), and rewarding it with countless elixirs, precious materials, and fertile land, praising its merits in living in seclusion, upholding the Dao, and protecting the country and its people.
In no time, Qingfeng Temple's reputation resounded throughout the entire Ling Dynasty.
Once, it was just an ordinary ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains, unknown to anyone, and only the local people knew its name.
After this battle, the reputation of Qingfeng Temple as unfathomable and containing unparalleled masters spread throughout the world, becoming known to all.
Cultivators from all over the world, those who admired its reputation and sought the Dao, and devout common people flocked to Qingfeng Mountain.
The ancient temple, which had been silent for thousands of years, finally became famous throughout the world and awe-inspiring in the Ling Dynasty during this chaotic era!
Inside the courtyard, Chen Du sheathed his sword.
Only Master Xuanwei, looking at his own disciple, knew in his heart that the silent years of Qingfeng Temple had come to a complete end from this moment on.
The era belonging to his young apprentice has quietly begun.