Heavenly Pride

Chapter 041: The Heavenly Prodigy's Voice Like an Arrow Piercing the Forest, Startling Frightened Birds.

The Celestial Master standing before the gates of the Celestial Master Temple gazed at the figure rushing out of the woods, his expression grave.

Changchunzi, walking with large strides and holding the Chongyang Sword, fixed his sharp gaze on the Celestial Master's face and spoke with extreme anger, "Celestial Master! Doesn't your Celestial Master Temple boast of its righteousness? Why are you engaging in such lowly acts, secretly murdering Feng Qi and several disciples from my sect? Hypocrites!"

"Changchunzi, if you want to seize my mountain gate, then come at me. Why bother spewing such slander?"

How could the Celestial Master know about Xue Ding's situation? In his eyes, Changchunzi was simply spewing slander, looking for an excuse for his ungrateful actions.

Perhaps Feng Qi was killed by their own people, using a bitter stratagem to gain a righteous cause for their expedition.

"Celestial Master! Since you refuse to hand over the murderer, then my Quanzhen Sect can only find them ourselves! All disciples, receive my order, enter the Celestial Master Temple and find the murderer who killed Feng Qi and the others!"

"Find the murderer!"

"Find the murderer!"

Changchunzi knew better than anyone that he was indeed using an excuse. If he were to argue with the Celestial Master, he might reveal flaws and embarrass himself. It was better to issue commands decisively and speak less nonsense!

A strong wind lifted the corners of his clothes.

On both sides, several elders circulated their true energy and, like arrows loosed from a bow, shot out!

Behind them, Quanzhen Sect disciples followed closely, speeding along the mountain path from both sides!

At the same moment, Wang Mingshou, the patriarch of the Wang Family, also waved his hand coldly. His disciples rushed out of the woods and merged with the Quanzhen Sect disciples. Their battle cries shook the heavens, completely shattering the mountain's tranquility. Killing intent turned into wind, weaving through the mountain forest!

Wang Mingshou didn't care about the outside world's evaluation of him or the Wang Family after this battle. As long as he could successfully seize the mountain gate of the Celestial Master Temple and complete his crucial arrangements before the future arrived, strengthening the Wang clan, everything else would be a minor issue.

Reputation was just that; after this matter, he had a hundred ways to slowly whitewash it.

Looking at the numbers, which were three to four times greater than those of the Celestial Master Temple, Changchunzi and Wang Mingshou both showed joy.

The advantage was ours, victory was assured!

In contrast, the disciples of the Celestial Master Temple all changed their expressions.

Before the battle, they were indignant, and each displayed great courage. But when facing the reality, seeing the vast numbers of the two approaching armies with fierce intent, they couldn't help but feel a trace of cowardice.

"There are too many of them, how can we fight?"

"Many disciples in the Wang clan have undergone technological martial arts modifications, easily mastering martial arts that require years or even decades of cultivation. Their combat power is immense..."

"We can't hold them. Even if we sacrifice our lives, the outcome might not change. Is it worth it?"

"Perhaps today is not the time for a full-scale battle. Preserving our strength is the right path. What do you say?" The disciple who spoke had already begun to subconsciously retreat, his question merely seeking validation and alleviating guilt.

The morale of the Celestial Master Temple plummeted under the overwhelming numbers of the Quanzhen Sect and the Wang Family.

Just then, a sword light shot out against the current, streaking towards the enemy camp like a meteor. Alone, it immediately drew everyone's attention!

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

"Xue Ding!"

"He dared to draw his sword?"

"Just a junior, full of bravado charging alone, but he's seeking his own death. Foolish, hehe."

A Quanzhen Sect elder with an ancient face chuckled. He tapped his foot, causing the grass to crackle, and moved at extreme speed to meet Xue Ding, intending to slay him before the formation and deliver a greater blow to the Celestial Master Temple's morale.

The two rushing towards each other clashed instantly, sparks erupting from their sword edges in a flash.

The Quanzhen Sect elder felt a chill run through his body. On the icy sword, he saw a pair of deep eyes. Those eyes seemed to see through his entire being, and the inescapable pressure felt like a cage binding his body.

This feeling... I've been completely seen through!

The elder was horrified, unwilling to believe it. Such a feeling should only appear when there was a vast difference in combat power, how could it appear between him and Xue Ding!

Pfft!

Blood splattered. The first kill of the battle ended.

The one who fell was the Quanzhen Sect elder, much to the surprise of many.

The smile on Changchunzi's lips froze. The rhythm of the battlefield was disrupted. His side's initially soaring morale was suppressed by Xue Ding's rapid solo kill.

Conversely, the morale of the Celestial Master Temple surged rapidly, everyone excited.

"Dragon Opening Realm, he broke through."

Changchunzi's eyes narrowed. In all of Huaxia, there were not many young cultivators who could reach the Dragon Opening Realm.

Xue Ding was highly regarded, but his progress had been halted for years due to demonic thoughts. Now that he had broken through, it was clear he had overcome his inner demons and ascended to a higher level.

Demonic thoughts were a fierce tiger blocking Xue Ding's path to cultivation.

This tribulation had both disadvantages and advantages.

It was like having an extra difficult problem on his exam paper; if he couldn't solve it, he'd be stuck, but if he solved it, he'd gain more points.

Even within the same realm, there were levels of strength.

His Dragon Opening Realm had more substance from the start, as evidenced by the elder who underestimated him.

"Kill him."

A cold command was quickly issued. Wang Mingshou decisively ordered the execution of the disciple who had boosted the Celestial Master Temple's morale, aiming to halt their resurgence.

In an instant, the two elders of the Quanzhen Sect nearby, one elder from the Wang Family, and a young prodigy from the Wang Family all attacked simultaneously, surrounding Xue Ding!

This wasn't a gentleman's duel on a stage; efficiency and results mattered, not virtue. There was no talk of one-on-one duels here.

"Using such a formation against a junior, aren't you ashamed? I'll handle this!" The Sect Leader Celestial Master charged out with the wind.

Two figures blocked their path almost simultaneously, two against one.

It was Changchunzi and Wang Mingshou.

"Celestial Master, we'll take care of you."

The elders from the Celestial Master Temple who had come to reinforce were also intercepted. The advantage of numbers was fully displayed here, ensuring no reinforcements could get through.

"First, kill Xue Ding and crush their morale!"

"Understood!"

The four surrounding Xue Ding nodded and immediately attacked.

The forceful pressure of the true energy wind swept in. Five people hunting one young generation member – this scene shocked the onlookers, who felt tense for Xue Ding's predicament.

They were fortune seekers within Wangwu Mountain, including mutants, cultivators, and those from small cultivation forces.

"The key to this battle has surprisingly fallen into Xue Ding's hands."

"It seems this senior disciple of the Celestial Master Temple has immense prestige among the disciples, the focus of all their gazes!"

As the four closed in, the prodigy from the Wang Family struck first. After undergoing some unknown modification, he swung his arms, and extreme cold true energy erupted, forming two curved blades attached to his arms, like a mantis's scythe-like limbs.

Upon closer inspection, the crowd marveled, noticing a row of small holes on the man's arms from which the extreme cold true energy surged.

"Xue Ding! Remember my name, Wang Longshan!"

The biting cold wind pierced the bone, and streaks of white ice spread through the air, forming a deadly prison of ice blades that twisted and turned like a hunter ensnaring its prey, beautiful yet dangerous.

The extreme cold crept onto Xue Ding's eyebrows.

A sword cry suddenly rang out. The Celestial Master Sword was unsheathed as Xue Ding flipped, his right foot enveloped in a surge of righteous true energy. He shot forward, precisely piercing a gap in the crisscrossing ice blades, appearing before Wang Longshan's forehead!

Wang Longshan's pupils contracted sharply. It felt surreal; how could the opponent's sword speed be so fast?

Puchi!

The sword's shadow pierced his skull and landed in Xue Ding's hand, who had already sidestepped behind him.

The blood-stained sword tip pointed diagonally at the ground. Xue Ding, his Taoist robes fluttering, slowed his pace. His Celestial Master demeanor was already taking shape, drawing everyone's attention.

He didn't even glance at the prodigy behind him, his gaze cold, his heart burning with rage.

"Come!"