Divine Smoke Battle, He's Here!

Divine Smoke Battle, He's Here! Pop, pop, pop...

In the land of incense ash, the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao blossomed into existence like flowers, wisp after wisp drifting through this wondrous place. An indescribable, marvelous feeling spread through the air.

Everyone went completely mad. The conflict before their eyes between the Celestial Master Temple, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Wang family suddenly seemed utterly uninteresting.

The Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao!

It was the mysterious substance that had recently spread like wildfire among the public, a medium for breaking through the Dragon Opening Realm and awakening oneself!

Everyone said it was about to appear. Tens of thousands of people were waiting in every region, yet it still hadn't shown up. The situation was the same everywhere, and many people suspected the reports were dubious or simply wrong.

But even those who doubted it patiently waited—it was far too important.

Besides, no one knew exactly how much of this smoke existed.

If there were a limit, wouldn't that mean there were only so many places available on the path to advancement?

Even the college entrance exams drew millions of students scrambling for a place, fighting tooth and nail. How much more so would they for a heaven-defying treasure like this?

The mountains erupted with excitement, and tens of thousands cried out.

Many felt as though they were dreaming. They had only come to watch the excitement, never expecting to witness the birth of the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao with their own eyes!

Thump, thump!

Whoosh, whoosh!

The hurried pounding of feet filled their ears as people from across the mountains charged toward that strange land of incense ash.

Along the way, pushing and shoving broke out in many places, eventually erupting into outright fights.

"Seize the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao!" Changchunzi made a snap decision and changed his plan.

Wang Mingshou did the same. At his command, everyone in the Wang family abandoned the Celestial Master Temple disciples before them and surged toward the mountaintop.

"Celestial Master Temple disciples!"

"Here!"

Xue Ding was badly injured, but forced himself to rally his strength and temporarily suppress his wounds with a special technique. He leaped forward, skimming above the trees like a swift swallow. Moving so fast he easily outpaced the main group, he charged into the leading ranks!

"Quanzhen Sect, heed my command!"

"Wang clan, heed my command!"

"Stop the others!"

"Yes!"

In an instant, the two strongest forces on Wangwu Mountain joined hands and sealed off the path to the Divine Smoke.

Ordinary factions and individuals—even extraordinary beings—were no match for the two forces. The few who broke through the blockade immediately drew the attention of the powerful groups led by Changchunzi and Wang Mingshou.

Splat!

Sword energy crisscrossed as the Celestial Master Temple disciples once again clashed with the two forces halfway up the mountain.

Some quick-witted individuals tossed out a lure to the crowds around them, shouting, "Come join us and fight our way through!"

The people they had stopped were already seething with resentment. Hearing the Celestial Master Temple disciples' call, they immediately charged in. It was a perfect match.

Now the Quanzhen Sect and the Wang family were struggling to hold on.

A gap was torn in the blockade, and a large number of people surged through, drawing close to the strange land of incense ash where the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao had appeared.

A sudden, ferocious roar drew everyone's attention.

A vicious wolf with blazing-red fur leaped down from a mountain peak and plunged into the crowd. It charged ahead with savage fury, biting many people to death along the way as it raced toward the land of incense ash, wrapped in a murderous aura.

Strange birds of prey swooped down from the sky.

The mountain forest erupted with activity. Hundreds, then thousands, of Molting Beasts appeared from nowhere. Led by powerful Molting Beasts, they joined the fight for the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao.

Changchunzi and Wang Mingshou were caught completely off guard.

They hadn't expected so many Molting Beasts to suddenly appear.

No one had ever heard of the powerful beasts leading them. Each had hidden its strength and bided its time, waiting for this very moment.

"There's no time to worry about anything else. Hurry in and seize the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao!" Changchunzi urged the elders who had come with him. The situation was already out of control; the only thing he could rely on was the powerful people beside him.

He wasn't the only one thinking this way.

At that moment, those closest to the land of incense ash were the powerful fighters in the leading ranks.

They tacitly formed the strongest barrier, blocking everyone in their way.

There wasn't a great deal of Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao in the land of incense ash, but there was a fair amount. A quick glance revealed more than ten wisps. At the very least, they had to seize one, break through the Dragon Opening Realm, awaken their minds, and gain the advantage!

Changchunzi and the others instinctively steered clear of the area where the Molting Beasts were attacking.

The Molting Beasts were ferocious, and now they had gone completely berserk, as if they would kill anything in their way, be it god or Buddha. There was no need to fight them to the death.

Even at a time like this, the two forces hadn't forgotten the Celestial Master Temple. As they fought for the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao, they also intended to suppress them, making sure the Celestial Master, Xue Ding, and the other powerful fighters couldn't get their hands on any.

They weren't about to forget their grudge against the Celestial Master Temple just because the Divine Smoke had appeared.

"Celestial Master, Xue Ding, don't even think about taking the Divine Smoke from us!"

Outnumbered by the enemy's powerful fighters, the Celestial Master Temple disciples felt immense pressure.

The Sect Leader Celestial Master shouted, "We'll settle this with our strength!"

The whole sequence seemed slow, but in reality only a few dozen breaths had passed.

The Sect Leader Celestial Master said, "Hold them back. The Divine Smoke is our foundation!"

Xue Ding didn't reply. He charged forward with his sword in hand. Even though he was wounded, his presence only grew stronger, like an injured beast growing all the more dangerous.

"We'll give it everything we've got!" the elders shouted in unison.

"Kill!"

Just then, an overwhelming aura barged into the battlefield.

In the distant woods, fierce winds howled, shaking countless leaves loose and sending them whirling through the air.

The aura made many people's hearts tighten. They turned to look.

"An Refiner!"

That's right. It was Yuan Tianzong, who had followed the aura here.

From afar, he had spotted the land of incense ash on the mountain peak. It was the source of the strange aura—the Spiritual Land that had given birth to the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao!

The words "An Refiner" made many people's hearts race. They instinctively backed away.

Hum, hum!

The swords and blades in the hands of those around him began to vibrate, then shook violently in an instant.

Then the swords and blades shot through the air, all drawn into Yuan Tianzong's grasp.

"My sword flew off again!" one person said with a bitter laugh, staring at the "divine weapon" he'd only just bought on credit. He cursed under his breath. "Damn it, not again! This guy took my beloved sword last time, too. I haven't even had time to get used to my new one, and now it's gone again. Fuck!"

Countless swords and blades floated around Yuan Tianzong like a school of fish, a truly terrifying sight.

Some of those who had seen this happen before realized that in just a few days, his strength had surged yet again. The number of swords and blades he could control had jumped to a whole new level!

Thud, thud, thud!

Yuan Tianzong charged straight into the territory of the Molting Beasts, where no one else dared to go. He cut them down relentlessly, carving a path ahead. Blood gathered into streams. It was a terrifying sight!

"An Refiner is so vicious!"

"I'm seeing it with my own eyes. Terrifying!"

Yuan Tianzong reached the mountain peak at incredible speed and roared, "All of you, get lost!"

The Celestial Master Temple disciples' expressions changed. They immediately retreated, putting distance between themselves and the land of incense ash.

They had experienced things that the outside world still didn't know about. No one understood Yuan Tianzong's strength better than they did. Faced with that insurmountable pressure, they decisively gave up on the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao and chose to save their lives.

They still had a chance if they fought other people or the Molting Beasts.

But him...

Seeing the Celestial Master Temple disciples retreat, the Quanzhen Sect and the Wang family grew suspicious.

Under other circumstances, they might have stopped to think it through.

But with the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao right before them, how could they stay calm?

They couldn't accurately judge Yuan Tianzong's true strength. They only knew that he was powerful and had once killed several top experts from the Nine Great Mountain Gates all by himself. But there was so much Divine Smoke right before them. Was it really too much to try and seize just one wisp?

Three breaths!

They only needed three breaths to take the Divine Smoke, then retreat at once.

There were still several powerful Molting Beasts here. Surely they wouldn't be the only unlucky ones!

Molting Beasts were naturally ferocious, and with a treasure like the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao right before them, they weren't about to be frightened by Yuan Tianzong. They roared and snarled without pause.

Stubborn, are you?

Yuan Tianzong snorted, his killing intent unmistakable.

He held out one hand. The swords and blades flying around him immediately gathered together, forming a massive sword. He channeled his strength and swept it sideways.

"Get lost or die!"

Hiss—

The powerful fighters from the Quanzhen Sect and the Wang family drew a sharp, shuddering breath.

Their trembling pupils stayed fixed on the fused giant sword, which was large enough to cover the entire land of incense ash. With overwhelming force, it drove a wave of pressure through the air and swept across the battlefield!

Holy crap, he cleared the whole place with one move?!