"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Streams of five-colored light tore through the air as a group of cultivators rode them toward East Mountain.
"Ah? Master, look! Why have Senior Brother and the others started fighting?"
Within the flying light, a young girl suddenly pointed at the spiritual radiance whistling through the air above East Mountain and spoke to an old man beside her in surprise.
"Of course they would fight."
The old man smiled dismissively. "Some rogue cultivator who crawled out of who-knows-where dares to compete with our Yanhsia Grotto-heaven for resources? Isn't that courting death?"
As he spoke, the old man turned to the young girl beside him. "Lin Jia, remember this. In the world of cultivators, strength is supreme. The biggest fist is the only hard truth. So when it is time to act, act. There is no reason to argue about it."
"Yes!"
Lin Jia bowed in acknowledgment.
"Dong..."
At that moment, a resonant bell toll suddenly rang out from East Mountain.
As the bell rang, heaven and earth shook.
Invisible ripples swept outward, instantly shattering the cultivators who had attacked earlier into pieces under the sound waves.
"Ah! Damn it!"
"You thief, you've got some nerve!"
"You still dare to fight back? You even dare to kill members of Yanhsia Grotto-heaven? Thief, I'll grind your bones to ash!"
Seeing the disciples who had gone ahead die before their eyes, the cultivators in the flying light flew into a rage.
They urged their flying lights onward faster, spiritual weapons appearing in their hands one after another. Brimming with killing intent, they charged toward East Mountain.
"Do you see? Strength is a cultivator's capital for traveling the world, but a sect is a cultivator's foundation."
Even now, the old man had not forgotten to teach Lin Jia.
"That cultivator killed five members of our Yanhsia Grotto-heaven with a single strike. His strength is indeed remarkable. But he is alone and unsupported. How could he possibly contend against the power of an entire sect? In the end, death is still his only path."
"Lin Jia, remember this. A sect is a cultivator's foundation. Only with a sect supporting you can you go farther."
"Yes."
The young girl Lin Jia bowed again to receive his instruction.
In moments, the cultivators reached East Mountain.
Seeing the white-robed figure standing atop the mountain peak, they did not waste a word before raising their weapons and attacking.
"Thief, you secretly mined the Source Ore of Yanhsia Grotto-heaven, and you even dared to kill our people. You truly have some nerve. Die!"
A dark-faced old man at the front roared as he threw out a great seal swirling with misty radiance. The seal flashed brightly, transforming into the shape of a massive mountain that crashed down with overwhelming force.
At the same time, the other cultivators also unleashed the weapons in their hands.
In an instant, winds and clouds churned atop East Mountain, spiritual radiance shooting into the sky. Glittering weapons tore through the air and came crashing down.
"Do you see? This is the power of a sect."
The old man nodded with a smile. "Before a powerful sect, an individual's strength is simply insignificant."
As he spoke, the old man turned to look at Lin Jia.
To his surprise, what he saw on Lin Jia's face was neither admiration for the sect's strength nor pride in the sect, but... terror! The terror of someone who seemed to have brought about a catastrophic disaster!
Lin Jia's face was deathly pale. She pointed at the mountain peak, trembling all over. Her lips quivered as though she wanted to say something, yet she stammered too badly to get the words out.
"What is wrong?"
The old man froze, asking Lin Jia in surprise.
"Ah..."
Lin Jia suddenly screamed, "It's him! It's him! It's him! Don't attack! Don't attack! It's over, we're dead! We're dead!"
"Lin Jia!"
Seeing Lin Jia frightened out of her wits, the old man could not help but feel a flare of anger, and he shouted at her.
The old man had originally thought highly of Lin Jia, but her behavior now greatly disappointed him. Such a minor battle, without even the slightest danger, had scared her into this state? She was truly beyond saving.
Among the Immortal Seedlings brought back from the edge of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Ground, this young girl named Lin Jia had been especially outstanding. As an elder of Yanhsia Grotto-heaven, the old man had even personally accepted her as his disciple.
He had carefully taught her all along the way, hoping she would rise to prominence and bring honor to his lineage. Yet she was so timid. What a disappointment.
"Lin Jia! What is wrong with you!"
Furious, the old man sternly berated Lin Jia.
"Ah? Master?"
Lin Jia shuddered, seeming to snap awake. She hurriedly grabbed the old man's sleeve and cried anxiously, "Master, we're not dead yet? That's wonderful. Wonderful. Master, let's run! Run!"
"Bastard!"
The old man trembled with rage and roared at Lin Jia, "This little fight scared you so badly? You have truly disappointed me."
"Fight? What fight is there? Master, turn around and look!"
Lin Jia trembled all over and pointed toward the peak of East Mountain. "Master, it's him! It's him! Turn around and look!"
"Hm?"
The old man suddenly felt that something was wrong and hurriedly turned toward the peak of East Mountain.
"Ah..."
Seeing the sight before him, the old man shuddered and could not help crying out.
He now understood what Lin Jia meant by, "What fight is there?"
There truly was no fight.
The white-robed figure atop the mountain had not moved a single inch.
The great seal, like a mountain, came crashing down. With a soft "puff," it turned to ash and vanished into thin air.
A shining sword cleaved down toward him. Again, with a soft "puff," it became a wisp of green smoke and disappeared without a trace.
The cultivators of Yanhsia Grotto-heaven strained with all their might, continuously attacking the figure atop the mountain. All kinds of weapons, secret treasures, and spells rained down like raindrops.
Yet...
Before they could even reach the white-robed figure, an invisible ripple shattered them into powder.
What kind of battle was this? They could not even scratch an itch for him!
"What level of cultivation is this? Who exactly is this person?"
The old man shuddered and suddenly turned to Lin Jia. "You know that person? Who is he? Who exactly is he?"
"It's him! Master, have you forgotten? That is Supreme... no, that is the Dao Ancestor!"
Lin Jia said to the old man, trembling.
"Cel... Celestial Venerable?"
The old man's face turned pale as he hurriedly looked toward the white-robed figure atop the mountain.
At one glance, the old man could not help letting out a mournful wail. "It really is the Celestial Venerable!"
"Spare us, Celestial Venerable! Celestial Venerable, spare us! Stop fighting! Stop at once!"
The old man screamed in terror, but... it was already too late.
"Dong..."
A resonant bell toll rang out.
A ripple that shattered all things swept across the land.
"Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!"
As the sound waves swept past, every cultivator who had attacked Li Yu shuddered and instantly turned into piles of dust, scattering in the wind.
"Celestial Venerable... spare us!"
Only the old man's shrill cries echoed through the air.