Xuanwu Bears Down on the Mountain, All Realms Fall Silent, Old Grievances Must Be Settled
In the following days, the entire Ling Dynasty was filled with unease and fear, but Qingfeng Mountain remained unusually quiet.
The mountain gate remained tightly closed, its ancient and imposing structure unmoved. The ever-changing protective patterns of the mountain formation floated gently, their soft light restrained, neither ostentatious nor restless, just like any other ordinary scene.
The old pine tree in the courtyard is vigorous and upright, with its branches spreading out. Several birds perch on the branches, pecking at pine cones and hopping and playing, showing no sign of panic at the approaching enemy.
The entire Qingfeng Temple peace, tranquility, and serenity.
But this ordinary tranquility appeared incredibly strange to the eyes of the world.
Throughout the entire Ling Dynasty, countless forces, reclusive experts, and royal sects of various states all kept their eyes fixed on the direction of Qingfeng Mountain, watching day and night, their minds tense to the extreme.
Everyone was waiting, anxious, and speculating about the impending deadly battle.
However, there was not a single unusual movement on Qingfeng Mountain from beginning to end.
There was no sword energy soaring into the sky, no lawful roaring, no cultivator appearing, and not even a trace of aura leaking out.
This deathly stillness and indifference suggested that the people on the mountain did not take the approaching Xuanwu Divine Hall seriously at all, as if the more than seventy Thirteenth Tier powerhouses who were capable of crushing the Ling Dynasty were nothing more than insignificant dust and mist.
A deathly silence and standoff lasted for several days.
Until a certain moment!
Boom--!
A deafening roar suddenly erupted!
The vast sky above Qingfeng Mountain was forcibly torn open by an immense force, creating a massive rift that stretched for hundreds of miles.
The void shattered, and chaotic energy surged and poured forth. From the dark and deep spatial rifts, the chilling aura of the outer void faintly emanated.
A figure shrouded in dark blue divine light slowly stepped out from the crack.
This person was enveloped in a thick, condensed azure light, his aura as deep as the ocean. Without moving an inch, he suppressed the spiritual energy of the surrounding world, making it stagnate. He was a senior elder of the Xuanwu Divine Hall, a Thirteenth Tier powerhouse far surpassing the fallen God Venerable.
Then came the second, third, and fourth...
One after another, cold and upright figures stepped out of the void rift, appearing in an endless stream, and hovering above the dome of Qingfeng Mountain.
More than seventy figures descended!
More than seventy powerful beings of the Thirteenth Tier stood in mid-air, arranged in layers, sealing off all airspace above and below Qingfeng Mountain, completely surrounding the entire mountain range, making it impenetrable and impossible to escape.
More than seventy terrifying pressures belonging to the Thirteenth Realm were released simultaneously, crashing down upon the mortal world!
The sea of clouds above Qingfeng Mountain was in complete chaos. The thick clouds were instantly crushed and blown away by an immense force, only to be forcibly gathered and piled up again by the great forces of heaven and earth, surging endlessly.
The clear stream that originally flowed gently at the foot of the mountain was reversed and swirled under this terrifying pressure. Water droplets were suspended in the air, and the stream rose against the mountain's direction, defying the natural order of things.
The mountains and rivers trembled, the earth shook slightly, and the entire Ling Dynasty Dao Resonance to it and trembled in fear.
In mid-air, several Xuanwu elders stood with their hands behind their backs in front of the formation, their eyes looking down at the tightly closed mountain gate below, their tone filled with undisguised mockery and contempt.
"A mere mountain Daoist temple dares to oppose my Xuanwu Divine Hall? They're probably scared out of their wits and cowering in fear."
"That so-called extraordinary young Daoist priest may have already sensed his inevitable death and fled from the back mountain overnight to eke out a living."
"He put on an act for days, but in the end he's nothing but a coward who cowers in fear."
The mocking voices spread far and wide, echoing across mountains and rivers.
But inside the gate of Qingfeng Temple, all remained deathly silent.
The mountain gate remained unmoved, the array patterns did not flash, and the entire Daoist temple was like an ancient relic that had been silent for thousands of years, without any response or ripples, its silence unsettling.
The Ling Dynasty, who were watching from afar, gradually plummeted, and a sense of despair quietly spread.
Countless people are frowning and filled with anxiety, their last remaining hope crumbling little by little.
Could it be that the peerless Daoist who slew God Venerable with a single sword strike was truly afraid? Did he truly dare not accept the challenge?
Just when the hearts of the people were on the verge of despair, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of a void rift high in the sky.
The newcomer appeared to be in his early forties, dressed in a long black robe with patterns subtly incorporating the Daoist principles of Martial Dao Xuanwu Hall Master, who held sway over the Xuanwu Divine Xuanwu Divine Hall and commanded immense power across the realms beyond.
He moved with light, unhurried steps, as if walking on air, each step landing silently without disturbing the wind or clouds or the air currents.
What's incredibly strange is that with each step he takes forward, the light in the entire sky dims a little more, and all the light and life in the world are suppressed and absorbed by an invisible aura.
In an instant, the sky darkened, and the wind and clouds fell silent.
He finally stopped in the very center of the seventy-odd elders, standing alone, towering above them all, looking down at the silent Qingfeng Mountain below. His indifferent voice pierced through the wind and clouds, clearly resounding throughout the surrounding hundred miles of mountains and rivers:
"Qingfeng Temple. I know you are hiding in the mountains."
"You killed my temple elder; this crime deserves to be punished with blood for blood. However, I can let this matter drop and not pursue it further."
"But your mistake was blocking the path of my Xuanwu Divine Hall."
"To reach the Thirteenth Realm at such a young age is truly astonishing, unparalleled in this world."
"But the Thirteenth Realm is worlds apart from the Thirteenth Realm."
"Your talent is unparalleled, your future is limitless, and you should be able to roam freely on the path of immortality and reach the Peak Stage."
"But today, you must die."
As soon as the words were spoken, the world changed dramatically!
The Xuanwu Hall Master no longer suppressed his aura, and his supreme Dao power was completely unleashed!
An extremely dense dark cyan divine light surged forth from his body, like a raging torrent that overturned the heavens, sweeping across the eight wastelands and enveloping the four directions!
This aura was completely different from the power of the more than seventy elders around.
The oppressive aura of the more than seventy Thirteenth Tier elders was like more than seventy mighty, roaring rivers, each powerful, independent, and unsubordinate, domineering and fierce, shaking the mountains and rivers.
But the aura of the Xuanwu Hall Master is like an endless ocean that can encompass all rivers!
Magnificent, profound, weighty, and boundless!
In an instant, all the overwhelming pressure emanating from the elders was swallowed up, merged, and dominated, integrating into an ultimate power that crushed heaven and earth.
The difference in rank immediately reveals who is superior!
The more than seventy veteran Thirteenth Tier elders present were forced to involuntarily take several steps back by the overwhelming power emanating from their own hall master, their minds trembling with genuine awe.
The overwhelming pressure of heaven and earth reached an unprecedented level of terror!
All the powerful figures from the Ling Dynasty who were watching from afar turned deathly pale instantly, their expressions completely changing.
Those ancient monsters who had lived in seclusion for years and were used to storms all had ashen faces, stiff bodies, and trembling lips, unable to utter a single complete sentence.
Many of the sect's supreme elders, who had reigned for countless ages, suffered mental breakdowns, their legs buckling as they collapsed to the ground, their eyes vacant, muttering in despair, "This... this is not even in the same league... how can we fight... there's no way we can win..."
The Southern Border Prince's Residence.
Upon receiving the latest intelligence and descriptions of celestial phenomena from the front lines, King of Nanli leaned back quietly on his throne, his eyes gently closed, remaining silent for a long time.
The hall was eerily silent, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating.
The chief clerk beside him held his breath, hesitated for a long time, and then cautiously whispered, "Your Highness..."
King of Nanli slowly opened his eyes, his former composure and confidence gone, replaced by a deep bitterness and helplessness.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his voice hoarse and low. "More than seventy powerful beings at the Thirteenth Realm have surrounded us, and now we have added a Divine Hall Master who surpasses all the elders at the Thirteenth Realm."
"No matter how extraordinary or powerful that person at Qingfeng Temple is, in the end, he is just one person with one sword."
"How can one person possibly contend with the immense power of the entire Xuanwu Divine Hall?"
He shook his head slightly, his tone extremely heavy.
"I still believe that the Xuanwu Divine Hall's provocation of him was the greatest folly."
But now, when I say those words again, there is no longer any certainty, only endless bewilderment.
The Taiji Hall of the Imperial City.
After listening to the eunuch's report word by word, the old emperor leaned his withered body against the dragon throne, remaining motionless for a long time.
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere was deathly still and desolate.
Seeing the emperor's aged and weary appearance, the personal eunuch beside him felt a sense of unease and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, should we issue an edict ordering all garrisons to remain in place and prepare for the worst?"
The old emperor slightly raised his hand and waved it gently, the movement slow and weak.
His gaze drifted towards the clear sky outside the hall, towards the direction of Qingfeng Mountain in the south.
"No need, let's wait a little longer."
"My son... has never truly made a move."