Hypocritical Senior Brother! Peak Duel

The wind howled through the empty arena.

The faint sounds carried on the wind were mixed with soft hisses and murmurs from the stands on both sides.

The atmosphere suddenly became quite agitated.

Hu Yan Shunbin was defeated by Chen Dengming in a single round, which shocked many cultivators of the Longevity Sect.

Those disciples who couldn't understand the intricacies of the matter simply believed that Chen Dengming had truly displayed combat power comparable to a cultivator in the Golden Core Early Stage.

Only those fake Core Formation cultivators and Golden Core Great Cultivator who understood the intricacies of the matter could see that Chen Dengming had not actually used his full strength.

"His Divine Sense power is too strong. Senior Brother Huyan chose the wrong tactic when he launched a Divine Sense attack on him from the beginning; otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen into a passive and defeated position so quickly."

"A great reputation is never undeserved. Even disregarding his true trump cards, his combat strength among False Core Cultivator is comparable to that of Candidate Dao Son and Sword Son from other sects. He has clearly cultivated a powerful spirit-refining Method Formula, which is an extremely rare Cultivation Method."

To cultivate to his level is a skill in itself; Senior Brother Huyan's defeat was not unjust."

Some False Core Cultivator were whispering amongst themselves.

After the initial shock subsided, Hua Zhenyu calmed down and figured out the key point.

Chen Dengming possessed powerful Divine Sense, so he simply avoided direct confrontation in that area and instead focused on leveraging his strengths in other areas.

Fortunately, he had fought Chen Dengming inside the Illusory True Cave before and had already prepared some rare treasures to defend against Divine Sense attacks, which could be used at any time.

Now.

As Chen Dengming flew away from the fighting arena, Hu Yan Shunbin was carried out.

Many Qi Refining disciples only then came to their senses and gradually began to truly feel the intense pressure of the title 'Reverse Kill Golden Core'!

Perhaps it was because Chen Dengming was usually so approachable that he rarely exerted such a strong pressure on people, an experience that many disciples of the Longevity Sect had never had.

They used to only feel that powerful, top-down pressure when they saw other disciples such as the Daoist Dao Child of the Tiandao Sect or the Sword Son of the Shu Sword Pavilion.

Now, they truly felt the same pressure from the cultivators of their own sect. At this moment, many people not only did not feel nervous, but instead felt proud.

"Junior Brother, are you alright? Why did you suddenly hit so hard?"

Upon Chen Dengming's return, He Yingyu immediately served him fragrant tea and asked with a frown.

"No problem!"

Chen Dengming took the tea, sipped it, and calmly transmitted his voice, "This Hu Yan Shunbin is impolite. He attacked me right after we finished greeting him, and he was extremely ruthless."

I suspect he has ulterior motives and malicious intentions.

Chen Dengming He Yingyu understood immediately, and frowned and nodded, "That's good. It can also deter some people with ulterior motives. We don't cause trouble, but that doesn't mean we're afraid of trouble."

"Um."

Chen Dengming took a Qi-boosting pill to recover his Core Power and pondered the methods he should use in the upcoming battle.

As he pondered, he couldn't help but think of the Third-tier High-grade Demon Weapon, the Hurricane Demon Axe.

He immediately started chatting with He Yingyu.

"Senior sister, if that giant axe Demon Weapon can't be forged into a blade, that's fine. We can at least melt down the bull horn and forge it into a blade first."

Upon hearing this, He Yingyu said apologetically, "Junior Brother, I think I can only forge that giant axe when I break through to the Golden Core stage. My current internal energy is simply not enough to forge such a Third-tier High-grade Demon Weapon."

"How about I go to the Curiosity Sect and ask Master Ge, the master craftsman, to help? With the assets we've accumulated, we can afford to ask Master Ge to help us once."

"It's alright."

Chen Dengming shook his head and said, "I can use the giant axe just as well. There's no need to go through all that trouble to ask someone for help. Senior Sister, you don't need to feel pressured. With your current weapon-refining skills, you can rank among the top three in the sect."

He Yingyu sighed, "The Longevity Sect is not a sect that excels in weapon crafting. What does it mean to be a leader within the sect? I only hope to keep up with you, Junior Brother, and be able to do more for you in the future."

"Senior sister, you've already helped me so much."

Chen Dengming opened his eyes, a smile in them, and said, "There's no need to belittle yourself. Calculate how much you saved by crafting these Law Artifacts and Law Treasure for me."

I see that there aren't any particularly good weapon-refining shops in the Marketplace near our sect. Why don't we set one up? With your reputation, I think we can get it up and running very quickly.

You'll be able to make money that way, and you won't lack Law Artifact Law Treasure to practice crafting."

"Really? That's great! I've been wanting to open a shop for a long time."

While the two were chatting, a new round of magical combat had already begun in the arena.

It Tan Siyan and Hua Zhenyu were fighting each other.

The moment these two clashed, it seemed like they were really fighting.

However, Hua Zhenyu ultimately proved to be more skilled, defeating Tan Siyan with the advantage of his three Law Treasure.

In the audience seating area, some deacons and fake Dan were whispering to each other.

"There's even a third Law Treasure! Senior Brother Hua is too extravagant!"

"After all, my uncle is a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator, and Senior Brother Hua has a powerful background and is not short of money."

"The key is that he can mobilize three Law Treasure, and his Core Power is abundant. I think he has already cultivated the Longevity Merit of the Foundation Establishment stage to the twelfth level, and he is not far from breaking through to the Golden Core stage."

He Yingyu looked towards the dueling arena, frowned, and said, "Junior Brother, this Hua Zhenyu is quite skilled."

Chen Dengming chuckled, "After all, he's the most senior Senior Brother of the Longevity Sect, so naturally he won't be bad."

His eyes flickered, and he had already discerned Hua Zhenyu's cultivation level, which was probably even slightly higher than Tan Siyan's, far surpassing his own.

The opponent has likely cultivated the Foundation Establishment Chapter of the Longevity Merit to the twelfth level, and his Core Power is more than twice that of his.

Putting aside actual combat strength, in terms of pure Core Power cultivation, Hua Zhenyu is no less than Qiao Zhaoxian two years ago, which is truly astonishing.

"This person's cultivation is indeed formidable. In battle, we cannot afford to linger; we must finish this quickly."

As soon as this thought crossed Chen Dengming's mind, a new summons came from the front.

A deacon immediately approached and politely inquired whether the person had rested well.

In theory, everyone should have about half an hour of rest after a battle.

Chen Dengming hasn't rested for even fifteen minutes yet; he can request to continue resting and recovering.

Chen Dengming stood up and said with a faint smile, "It's alright, we can fight!"

This battle, however, was against Rao Ling, the only female cultivator among the five candidates who had achieved the rank of Pseudo-Core Formation.

Apart from Chen Dengming, almost all the False Core Cultivator who were selected as candidates had cultivated the Longevity Merit to the eleventh or even twelfth level or above, and their Core Power was extremely abundant. In terms of cultivation, they were stronger than Chen Dengming.

Hu Yan Shunbin, who challenged Chen Dengming to a battle of Divine Sense right from the start, was indeed making a tactical mistake, abandoning his own strengths and using his weaknesses to attack his strengths.

Therefore, Chen Dengming did not dare to underestimate Rao Ling and still went all out.

Unexpectedly, this senior sister was either surprised by his previous display of combat prowess or deliberately wanted to do him a favor, as she spoke very politely and her attacks were always brief and to the point.

Chen Dengming won the contest of magic with little effort.

Finally, Rao Ling bowed lightly, her bright eyes sparkling as she transmitted a smile.

"Junior Brother Chen, I know I'm no match for you, so I won't humiliate myself by getting entangled with you. It's better for both of us to save face than to argue until we're red in the face and resort to underhanded tactics, ruining our brotherhood."

Chen Dengming was surprised and looked at Rao Ling, who had delicate and upright eyebrows and bright eyes.

The other person's plain-colored robe seemed to highlight their free and detached temperament, which made him feel good about them.

He immediately bowed and sent a telepathic message of gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister Rao, for forgiving Junior Brother this time."

Rao Ling smiled and carefully examined Chen Dengming, admiring him in her heart. The more humble this Junior Brother Chen was, the more he showed the demeanor of a master, unlike some people who seemed humble but were actually just pretending.

"I didn't realize you were so smooth-talking, Junior Brother. No wonder you managed to win over such a shrewd and capable beauty Junior Sister He."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left gracefully.

Chen Dengming also turned around gracefully and left without a care in the world.

That's enough.

This is also what sect competitions emphasize; the camaraderie among fellow disciples is fully demonstrated at this moment.

Chen Dengming thus understood the implication in Rao Ling's words.

The other party won't resort to underhanded tactics or damage the bond between fellow disciples.

The person who slandered and smeared them is someone else entirely.

Now it's completely clear who framed him.

Prior to this, despite the doubts and numerous rumors, suspicions were always placed among the other four candidates, and without substantial evidence, a direct determination could not be made.

It is now basically confirmed that the person who used such despicable methods is either Hu Yan Shunbin or Hua Zhenyu.

Considering that Hu Yan Shunbin's competitiveness posed little threat, the outcome was essentially confirmed.

"Hua Zhenyu, Senior Brother Hua."

Chen Dengming returned to his seat and looked at Hua Zhenyu from a distance.

The other person still had a warm smile on their face, turned their head to look at him politely, and nodded slightly in greeting.

This person's seemingly harmless and righteous appearance, combined with their unscrupulous methods in private, is enough to deceive many people and make them fall for their tricks.

He's quite a character!

Chen Dengming inwardly scoffed.

At this moment, True Man Yu Ding Ye Yong had already announced the next round of the duel, which would be between Hu Yan Shunbin and Hua Zhenyu.

This round passed quickly; after regaining consciousness, Hu Yan Shunbin chose to forfeit due to his serious injuries.

True Man Yu Ding then announced the next round, "Tan Siyan and Chen Dengming, the two of you."

"Uncle-Master Ye, no need. I am no match for Junior Brother Chen. I concede defeat willingly."

Tan Siyan stood up and conceded defeat.

Then she looked at Chen Dengming and said with a smile in her voice.

"Junior Brother Chen, I want to see you teach Hua Zhenyu, that hypocrite, a lesson he won't forget. Don't disappoint me."

Chen Dengming turned around in surprise and raised his hand in a gesture of gratitude from afar.

"That bastard! He fought me to the death, but now he's offering to surrender."

Hua Zhenyu's face was grim.

The fact that they had two consecutive byes caused some commotion among the Qi Refining disciples in the stands. Many disciples complained inwardly but dared not show it directly.

In the Cultivation World, strength is paramount and hierarchy is strict. Naturally, the atmosphere in the Longevity Sect is relatively friendly.

However, ordinary Qi cultivation disciples dare not express their dissatisfaction with the candidates for Longevity Seed; even if they feel frustrated, they would keep it to themselves and dare not utter a chorus of boos.

True Man Yu Ding immediately continued his announcement.

The next round will be between Rao Ling and Hua Zhenyu.

This duel, too, was largely a foregone conclusion.

Neither of them used their full strength, and Hua Zhenyu won without much effort.

Not only did many disciples find it boring, but many stewards and those who had just reached the final stage of cultivation also found it uninteresting, preferring more intense battles that were not only thrilling but also offered opportunities to learn combat techniques.

However, everyone knew that the final showdown between Chen Dengming and Hua Zhenyu would bring this uneventful period to an end.

No matter how circuitous the process, this final showdown will be the true test to determine who is the strongest within the Longevity Sect.

These two are, one is the Senior Brother has been in the sect the longest, and the other is the junior Junior Brother who has been in the sect the shortest.

Although Chen Dengming's strength was already well-known, Hua Zhenyu was not about to give up easily and relinquish the Longevity Seed spot.

Amidst the anticipation of everyone, half an hour later.

Chen Dengming and Hua Zhenyu entered the arena together.

"Junior Brother Chen."

Hua Zhenyu gently raised his hand in a bow, smiling elegantly, "I have long heard of your achievements and have been deeply impressed. I know I am no match for you, so please show mercy later, Junior Brother. Let's stop here after we've exchanged blows."

Chen Dengming calmly looked at the hypocritical face opposite him, and smiled politely, but said something that was meant to kill, "Senior Brother is too modest. If you know you are no match for him, it would be better to admit defeat now, so as not to hurt our relationship."

"Junior Brother's skills are not yet proficient, and he cannot stop himself. If he goes too far in the fight later, Senior Brother may also get injured like senior Senior Brother Huyan."

A glint flashed in Hua Zhenyu's eyes, his smile faded, and he nodded slightly, saying, "Since Junior Brother is so impolite, then so be it. Neither of us needs to hold back."

He originally intended to lull Chen Dengming into a false sense of security with words. If this junior Junior Brother was truly foolish enough to hold back, then he would have achieved his goal.

If the battle drags on, it will fall into his rhythm. If his opponent's Core Power is insufficient, he might have a chance, or at least lose in a more respectable way.

However, it seems that this junior Junior Brother is not stupid. He seems to have confirmed some things and harbors deep hostility towards him, so there's nothing more to say.

After their brief exchange, both of them summoned their magical Law Treasure.

Chen Dengming condensed countless Soul Shocking Silk into a large, gleaming white blade, its momentum gradually building and increasing, its power gathering like a storm gathering.

Hua Zhenyu then summoned a crystal-clear Law Treasure flying sword, which circled around his body. A faint Golden Light began to fill beneath his skin, and his abundant Core Power was rapidly brewing, his fighting spirit soaring.

The elder's shouts echoed from outside the magic array.

Hua Zhenyu's entire body, under the Golden Light emanating from his forehead, chest, and abdomen, resembled a burning golden flame.

He let out a long roar, like a Golden Light sword that could not be drawn.

Suddenly, the person and the sword were lifted from the ground and leaped into the air.

Suddenly, he unleashed a full-force sword strike at Chen Dengming.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!--

Tens of thousands of golden sword lights instantly poured out like a golden river.

However, these tens of thousands of sword lights were not scattered and overwhelming, but rather gathered into an enormous golden sword light!

Like a giant golden ribbon, it struck straight at the heart of the enemy, destroying everything in its path!

"What kind of sword technique is this?"

"The sword is like a golden river hanging upside down. Could it be the Golden River Sword Technique of the Golden Sword True Person of the Golden Sword Sect, which was wiped out a hundred years ago?"

This incredibly powerful attack immediately caused a stir among the onlookers, who were seeing Hua Zhenyu unleash such a magnificent sword Technique Method for the first time.

This is clearly the method of Sword Cultivator!

Hua Zhenyu had already mastered the techniques of Sword Cultivator, but had never used them. He only revealed his trump card during this competition for the Longevity Seed.

This is both surprising and yet somehow reasonable.

Even though the cultivators of the Longevity Sect are said to be invincible, how could the most Senior Brother really be without any real skills?

Unlike the uproar and commotion throughout the room, Chen Dengming remained calm and composed.

How many times have we triumphed over the stronger with the weak!

The Blazing Flame Blood Devil, a cultivator at the Golden Core Early Stage, died at his hands!

The mighty Golden Great Demon Mighty General died at his hands!

Han Yongxu, Golden Core Late Stage cultivator, died at his hands!

What does he have to fear?

Chen Dengming's eyes shone brightly. Instead of retreating, he advanced. The moment he took a step, the condensed sword energy seemed to solidify into a steel-like wind and cloud sword aura.

Suddenly, the broadsword in his hand was filled with Core Power, and he slashed down violently.

Boom!--

It's just a simple, straightforward slashing sword move, nothing fancy or complicated!

The fierce blade strike, which had been gathering momentum for a long time, suddenly erupted.

A dazzling, astonishing blade of light shot out, forming a crescent shape like a giant curtain separating heaven and earth.

Wherever the blade passed, the stone bricks on the ground cracked and dust filled the air.

Hua Zhenyu was shocked, feeling an inexplicable and intense sense of threat emanating from the opponent's blade.

This is clearly an impossible feeling.

He clearly infused his Sword Qi Core Power.

Why is he still inferior to the opponent, whose Core Power is more than half as weak as his?

Could this be the trump card he had been unable to uncover throughout the Illusory True Cave...?