Mountain Gate Blood Battle and Martial Venerable's Might

Outside the Seven Stars Sect's mountain gate, the night was dyed a dark red by the flames. Disciples of the Xianyun Sect, holding torches, formed neat square formations. Dense figures surged like a tide, surrounding the mountain gate so tightly that not even water could leak through. Three Nascent Soul Elders hovered in mid-air, their spiritual energy churning, forming visible whirlwinds. Their pressure descended like dark clouds over the entire Seven Stars Sect.

"Chu Xinghe, hand over Chen Fan immediately and surrender the Seven Stars Sect's alchemical formulas. Then, I can spare the lives of your entire sect!" The leading Nascent Soul Elder, Zhao Hongtao, said coldly. His voice boomed like thunder, causing the pebbles on the ground to tremble.

Chu Xinghe stood atop the mountain gate, the disciples of the Seven Stars Sect behind him. He held his long sword, his expression grave. "Zhao Hongtao, your Xianyun Sect is making a massive mobilization without reason and attempting to seize our sect's alchemical formulas. Isn't that too overbearing?"

"Overbearing?" Zhao Hongtao sneered. "In this world of immortal cultivation, strength is the only reason! A martial artist without Spiritual Roots dares to kill my Xianyun Sect's disciples? This is an irreconcilable hatred! Today, I will not only kill Chen Fan but also annihilate your Seven Stars Sect!"

Before his words could even fall, Zhao Hongtao raised his hand and waved. A massive palm of spiritual energy descended from the sky, slamming towards the mountain gate. Where the palm of spiritual energy passed, the air was compressed, emitting a piercing whistle.

"Form the array!" Chu Xinghe shouted. The disciples of the Seven Stars Sect quickly formed a defensive formation. Countless streams of spiritual energy converged into a colossal shield of light, blocking the path before the mountain gate.

"Bang!"

The palm of spiritual energy collided with the shield, emitting a deafening roar. The shield instantly cracked, and the disciples of the Seven Stars Sect spat out blood. The formation wavered precariously.

"Chu Xinghe, your strength is still as fragile as ever," Zhao Hongtao said dismissively. He raised his hand again, preparing to launch a second attack.

Just then, a figure leaped out from among the Seven Stars Sect disciples, charging towards Zhao Hongtao like an arrow loosed from a bow. It was Chen Fan! His body was enveloped in a faint golden True Qi, and he lightly tapped the void with his feet, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air as he instantly reached Zhao Hongtao.

"A Martial Venerable can fly in the air?" A flicker of surprise flashed in Zhao Hongtao's eyes, followed by a cold laugh. "However, even if you can fly, before a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, you are nothing more than an ant!" He raised his hand and sent a stream of spiritual energy slashing towards Chen Fan.

Chen Fan neither dodged nor evaded. He clenched his fists, True Qi condensing on his knuckles, forming a pair of faint golden gauntlets. He unleashed a fierce punch, colliding with the stream of spiritual energy.

"Crack!"

The stream of spiritual energy was instantly shattered. Chen Fan's fist, with undiminished momentum, continued towards Zhao Hongtao's chest. Zhao Hongtao's face changed drastically, and he hastily channeled spiritual energy to form a shield before him.

"Bang!"

The fist collided with the shield, producing a thunderous impact. The shield instantly covered with cracks, and Zhao Hongtao was forced back several steps by the immense force, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"How is this possible? Your fist could break my spiritual energy shield?" Zhao Hongtao's eyes were filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected a Martial Venerable stage martial artist to possess such formidable power.

Chen Fan remained silent. His figure flickered, and he charged towards Zhao Hongtao again. He knew that Nascent Soul stage immortal cultivators had abundant spiritual energy, and giving them a chance to breathe would have dire consequences. He threw punches alternately, each carrying the might to shatter mountains and crack stones. True Qi left golden trails in the air, blocking all of Zhao Hongtao's escape routes.

Zhao Hongtao was forced to retreat repeatedly, filled with both shock and anger. He had initially thought subduing Chen Fan would be effortless, but he never expected the opponent's close-combat abilities to be so fierce. His spiritual energy attacks seemed like paper in front of Chen Fan.

"My two junior brothers, what are you waiting for? Attack together and kill him!" Zhao Hongtao shouted to the other two Nascent Soul Elders.

The other two Nascent Soul Elders, as if waking from a dream, channeled their spiritual energy and launched attacks at Chen Fan. A massive fireball and a freezing cold mist simultaneously assailed Chen Fan, blocking all his escape routes.

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Fan's eyes. He took a deep breath, and the True Energy within his body circulated wildly, forming a thick armor of True Qi around him. He spun fiercely, unleashing punches with both fists simultaneously. His left hand struck towards the fireball, and his right hand towards the freezing mist.

"Sky Shattering Fist - Burning River!"

"Sky Shattering Fist - Shattering Ice!"

With two loud shouts, Chen Fan's fists collided with the fireball and the freezing mist respectively. The fireball was instantly scattered, turning into a sky full of sparks. The freezing mist was also shattered by the force of his punches, turning into specks of ice crystals.

"This... How is this possible?" The two Nascent Soul Elders were dumbfounded. They hadn't expected Chen Fan to simultaneously withstand the attacks of two Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and emerge unharmed.

Chen Fan didn't give them a chance to react. His figure flickered, and he appeared before one of the Nascent Soul Elders. Before the elder could react, Chen Fan punched him in the chest. The True Qi instantly pierced through his spiritual energy shield, shattering his internal organs.

"Ah—!"

The elder let out a piercing scream, his body flying out like a kite with a broken string. He crashed heavily onto the ground, never to move again.

"Third Brother!" Zhao Hongtao and the other elder roared, their eyes filled with murderous intent. They hadn't expected Chen Fan to actually kill a Nascent Soul Elder!

The two of them charged at Chen Fan simultaneously, spiritual energy condensing into massive weapons in their hands – a spiritual energy saber and a spiritual energy staff – which they swung at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan dared not be careless. The True Energy within his body circulated to its limit, and True Qi formed a golden shield around him. He clenched his fists, preparing to meet the attacks of the two Nascent Soul Elders.

Just then, the disciples of the Seven Stars Sect suddenly counterattacked. Chu Xinghe, wielding his long sword, led the disciples in charging towards the Xianyun Sect's formations. Although the disciples of the Seven Stars Sect were not as strong as those of the Xianyun Sect, inspired by Chen Fan's killing of a Nascent Soul Elder, their morale soared, and they fought bravely.

Seeing this, the disciples of the Xianyun Sect fell into disarray. They had initially believed that with three Nascent Soul Elders present, victory was assured, but they never imagined Chen Fan would be so formidable, let alone kill an elder. Faced with the counterattack from the Seven Stars Sect disciples, they were struggling to cope.

Zhao Hongtao and the other elder, seeing the chaos below, became extremely anxious. They wanted to kill Chen Fan first before supporting their disciples, but Chen Fan held them firmly. Chen Fan's close-combat abilities were too strong; they couldn't break free.

"This can't go on. We need to break free quickly!" the other elder said to Zhao Hongtao.

Zhao Hongtao nodded, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "Alright, we'll use a secret technique and kill this brat first!"

Both of them bit their tongues simultaneously, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. The vital blood transformed into two blood-red runes in the air and merged into their bodies. Their auras instantly surged, and the spiritual energy around them became violent, even carrying a hint of eerie blackness.

"This is bad, they're using a forbidden technique!" Chu Xinghe's expression changed drastically upon seeing this. He quickly shouted to Chen Fan, "Chen Fan, be careful!"

Chen Fan's heart tightened. He could feel that the auras of the two Nascent Soul Elders had become several times stronger than before, and they carried a malevolent aura. He dared not be careless. The True Energy within his body circulated wildly again, and True Qi condensed on his fists, forming a pair of even thicker golden gauntlets.

"Brat, die!" Zhao Hongtao and the other elder shouted in unison. The spiritual energy weapons in their hands, glowing with blood-red light, slashed towards Chen Fan.

Chen Fan took a deep breath, fully merging the power of the Burning Heaven Art and the Sky Shattering Fist. He unleashed a fierce punch. This punch gathered all his strength as a Martial Venerable, even surpassing his limits. The faint golden fist energy formed a colossal phantom fist in the air, meeting the attacks of the two elders.

"Boom!"

A world-shattering roar erupted as the fist energy collided with the spiritual energy weapons. Golden light and blood-red light intertwined in the air, forming a massive energy storm. The surrounding air was torn apart, and the ground vibrated violently, as if it were about to collapse.

Chen Fan was forced back repeatedly by the immense recoil, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His True Qi armor showed cracks, and his meridians within his body throbbed with intense pain.

Zhao Hongtao and the other elder were not faring any better. They were sent flying backward by the fist energy, spitting out large amounts of blood. The power they had gained from using the forbidden technique was shattered by Chen Fan's punch, and they were heavily injured.

"This brat... How can he be so strong?" Zhao Hongtao's eyes were filled with terror. He finally understood that he had underestimated Chen Fan before. This Martial Venerable stage martial artist possessed strength comparable to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Chen Fan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze still firm. He knew this was the best opportunity. Just one more blow, and he could eliminate these two threats completely. He took a deep breath and charged towards the two elders again.

Seeing this, Zhao Hongtao and the other elder were terrified. They knew they were no longer a match for Chen Fan and that further fighting would mean certain death. They exchanged glances and, without hesitation, turned and fled into the distance.

"Trying to leave? Not so easy!" Chen Fan snorted coldly. His figure flickered, and he pursued them. His speed was even faster than before, and he quickly caught up to the two elders.

"Sky Shattering Fist? Soul Annihilation!"

Chen Fan shouted, unleashing a punch. The pale golden fist energy, like a meteor, instantly caught up to Zhao Hongtao and the other elder, striking them heavily on the back.

"Ah—!"

With two screams, Zhao Hongtao and the other elder's bodies were instantly shattered by the fist energy, turning into a mist of blood.

Having dealt with the three Nascent Soul Elders, Chen Fan slowly landed. He looked at the chaotic battlefield below. The disciples of the Seven Stars Sect were fighting bravely, while the disciples of the Xianyun Sect had lost their will to fight and were fleeing in all directions.

"We won! We won!" The disciples of the Seven Stars Sect cheered, their voices echoing through the night sky.

Chu Xinghe walked to Chen Fan's side, looking at his pale face and the wounds on his body, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Chen Fan, thank you. Without you, the Seven Stars Sect would likely have been annihilated today."

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head. "Sect Leader, you are too kind. I am also a member of the Seven Stars Sect, and protecting the sect is my duty."

Just then, Ji Rushuang arrived in a hurry with Lin Xiaohu. Upon seeing Chen Fan, Lin Xiaohu rushed forward, asking with concern, "Brother Fan, are you okay? You've lost so much blood."

Chen Fan patted Lin Xiaohu's head and said gently, "I'm fine, Xiaohu. Don't worry."

Ji Rushuang looked at Chen Fan, her eyes full of admiration. "Brother Chen, you are truly incredible for being able to kill three Nascent Soul Elders. Now, the entire cultivation world will probably know your name."

Chen Fan nodded slightly. He knew that killing three Nascent Soul Elders, while making him famous, would also bring more trouble. The Xianyun Sect would not let this go, and other cultivation forces might also covet him. But he was not afraid. His Martial Path was one of defying heaven; the more difficult it was, the more he had to persevere.

As the night deepened, the battle outside the Seven Stars Sect's mountain gate gradually subsided. Disciples were clearing the battlefield, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder. But on everyone's faces, there was the joy of victory.

Chen Fan stood on the mountain gate, gazing at the distant starry sky. He knew this was just a small interlude on his Martial Path, and more challenges awaited him in the future. But he was confident that with his own fists, he would break the shackles of "Spiritual Roots and Destiny" and forge his own legendary Martial Path.