The Tianyan Sect Master Attacks, His Fear and Shock
One glimpse reveals the Great Dao, five transformations lead to the kneeling youth.
During the months of seclusion and reflection, Chen Du never completely isolated himself from the world.
He relied on the official reports delivered by the peddler down the mountain, the worldly observations of the disciples who went down the mountain to buy things, and supplemented by his own Divine Sense that he often spread over thousands of miles, to silently piece together the true cultivation pattern of the entire Ancestral God Realm.
The cultivation levels in this world are far more rigorous and clearly defined than the mortal martial arts world imagines.
The peerless powerhouses of the Thirteenth Realms have long since vanished from the world, never to be seen again for ten thousand years.
The Twelfth Realm represents the pinnacle of power among all living beings. There are very few cultivators in the world at the Twelfth Realm, most of whom live hidden deep within mountains and rivers or in ancient secret realms, rarely venturing into the mortal world.
Ordinary cultivators at the Early Stage of the Twelfth Realm, such as the leaders of various secluded Daoist temples and sects, are already pillars of their respective territories, capable of stabilizing the land.
A cultivator who can complete the Stellar First Metamorphosis at the Twelfth Realm can sit in a top-tier sect, hold the position of Supreme Elder, and be revered by thousands.
The most powerful beings who Stellar Seventh Transformation are extremely rare, numbering only a handful in the entire Ancestral God Realm.
As everyone knows, every metamorphosis of a star is a transformative and miraculous leap.
The difference between different transformations is like an insurmountable chasm.
The difference between the first and second transformations is even greater than the leap from the Eleventh Realm to the Twelfth Realm. The levels are isolated, the strength is vastly different, and they are not even beings from the same dimension.
With its strict hierarchy and orderly system of laws, this is the true grand structure of the Ancestral God Realm.
Against this backdrop, the Tianyan Sect's revenge finally arrived.
Chen Du had already anticipated this.
Previously, the opposing side had dispatched four Early Stage cultivators of the Twelfth Realm, carrying rare treasures and setting up a killing formation, to launch a surprise attack on Qingfeng Temple. In the end, they were defeated by him with a single sword strike and returned in disarray.
As the head of a sect, holding the rise and fall of the sect in his hands, it is impossible for him to tolerate such a humiliating disgrace.
Night had fallen, and the mountain air was still.
An extremely deep, steady, and restrained aura silently infiltrated the territory of Qingfeng Mountain.
This aura was heavy and powerful, as deep as the sea, its foundation overwhelming the combined strength of the previous four elders, carrying the accumulated cultivation of many years and the domineering pressure of a sect leader.
Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis!
In the bamboo courtyard, Chen Du sat quietly with his eyes closed, his body perfectly still.
Months ago, he had already laid down an extremely sophisticated Mist Illusion Array inside and outside Qingfeng Temple.
This formation does not harm, trap, or kill; its only wondrous use is to obscure heavenly secrets, disrupt Divine Sense, and confuse orientation.
Outsiders entering the formation see nothing, their Divine Thought are ineffective, and they are completely rendered blind.
The Tianyan Sect stepped into the mountain gate, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
Without warning, a thick, white fog suddenly enveloped the surrounding area, as thick as solidified fat, swallowing the moonlight and engulfing the mountains and rivers.
He immediately spread out his vast Divine Sense to investigate, but the moment his Divine Thought touched the mist, it was dispelled and blocked layer by layer. All he could see was an endless expanse of pure white, and he could not distinguish east from west, north from south, or front from back, high from low.
A sudden chill ran through him, his steps halted abruptly, and a deep sense of vigilance rose between his brows.
Having traversed countless worlds over the years, he had never seen such a silent and seamless maze.
Before he could recover from his shock and doubt, his gaze pierced through the thin mist and caught sight of a figure in the corner of the bamboo courtyard.
Beside a blue stone in the corner of the courtyard, a young man in a blue robe squatted down. His Daoist robe was washed until it was faded, simple and unadorned. He looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. He was carefully watering a pot of orchids with a leisurely posture and a calm mind.
He appeared ordinary, like a typical Daoist boy sweeping the floor in a temple.
The sect leader of the Tianyan Sect narrowed his eyes, suppressing his surprise and doubt, and stepped closer, his tone carrying the arrogance and indifference of a superior.
"Kid, how do I get to the main hall of Qingfeng Temple?"
Chen Du lowered his head and remained silent, his fingertips lightly sprinkling dew as he continued to tend to the orchids.
Seeing no response from the other party, the sect leader frowned, his impatience growing, and asked again in a deep voice, "I'm asking you the location of the main hall!"
Still no sound.
The repeated disregard for his wishes finally ignited the anger of this sect leader.
Having held a high position for decades, when did he ever come to be so looked down upon by a mere mountain hermit?
A murderous intent surged within him instantly, his aura chilling.
Without hesitation, he quietly raised his hand, gathering a dark and domineering sect power in his palm. It was as solid as a substance, carrying the terrifying pressure of Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis, and struck directly at the boy's crown!
His attack was ruthless, aimed straight for a fatal blow, intending to cripple this arrogant young Daoist boy first.
But just as the palm strike was about to land, the crouching boy suddenly raised his head.
A pair of eyes, serene, indifferent, and calm, yet seemingly containing the emptiness of eternity, encompassing the universe.
There was no anger, no sharpness, only a calm that saw through everything.
The next instant, Chen Du pointed his fingers like a sword, and with a light tap of his fingertip, he aimed directly at the sect leader's brow!
The Eighth Sword of the Heavenly Tribulation Nine Swords!
In an instant, the entire courtyard of mist was dyed a brilliant dark gold!
Rolling clouds of calamity suddenly appeared and covered the entire Qingfeng Mountain. Within the clouds, lightning surged and raged, and the force of destruction suppressed the four directions and eight wastelands.
Nine small, dark gold swords flew from his fingertips and merged into the sky full of tribulation clouds, transforming into nine towering lightning pillars that stretched across the sky, hanging steadily above the sect leader's head, locking in all the life force in his body, holding back without releasing it.
The killing formation is complete, the life-locking formation is complete.
With a single thought, it can vanish into thin air.
The sect leader of the Tianyan Sect instantly froze on the spot, his limbs stiff and unable to move an inch.
An extreme chill of death shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, permeating every part of my body.
He clearly sensed the terrifying power of the nine tribulation lightning bolts above his head; it was a destructive force that surpassed his understanding, crushed his realm, and transcended the conventional level of the Twelfth Realm.
His proud Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis cultivation level was like a small boat in a raging storm before the overwhelming thunderous power—insignificant, fragile, and utterly vulnerable.
A chill that originated from the depths of his soul completely devoured all his pride and confidence.
The sect leader's authority over decades, his domineering presence that traversed mountains and rivers, and his sense of superiority Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis being shattered completely at this moment.
He suddenly realized, in a ridiculously absurd way:
The nameless youth he had just questioned from his superior position and raised his hand to kill was a peerless master whom he could never reach in his lifetime.
He is a frog in a well, an ant in a cage, a clown who overestimates his abilities.
His back was already soaked with cold sweat, and his legs went weak uncontrollably.
The overwhelming fear crushed all support, and he could no longer maintain any semblance of dignity.
Thump--
The Tianyan Sect knelt heavily on the bluestone ground, his head bowed deeply, his voice trembling with extreme fear.
"Senior, spare my life! I was blind and offended Your Majesty! I beg you, senior, to have mercy and spare my life!"
Chen Du quietly looked down at the sect leader who was kneeling and begging for mercy, his sword intent still lingering at his fingertips, and the thunderous aura still hanging overhead.
His voice was calm, yet every word was sharp and piercing, like a thunderclap:
"When you sent four elders to provoke us and set up an ambush, did you ever think of sparing their lives? Did you ever think of leaving Qingfeng Temple any chance of survival?"
The sect leader trembled violently, frantically banging his head against the cold stone ground with a loud thud, his heart filled with endless regret and fear.
"This junior knows his mistake! This junior deserves to die! From this day forward, the Tianyan Sect will never dare to offend Qingfeng Temple again! We beg the senior to have mercy and forgive him!"
Chen Du remained silent for a long time.
A moment later, he gently tucked his fingertips together.
The sky full of tribulation clouds slowly dissipated, the nine towering tribulation lightning bolts faded away one after another, the dark golden light that filled the courtyard all returned to silence, the mist slowly dispersed, and the mountains returned to the peaceful night.
The oppressive aura dissipated, and the shackles vanished.
However, the sect master of the Tianyan Sect remained limp on the ground, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, his mind shaking, his Dao heart nearly shattered, and he didn't even have the strength to get up.
Those brief moments of life and death shackles had become the most unforgettable nightmare on his path of cultivation.
Chen Du then asked coldly:
"Now, it's my turn to ask you questions."