Chapter 34

Lu Tian's Flame of Life blazed fiercely!

Creation-Destruction Bamboo's innate divine ability—

Annihilation!

The burning of his vitality increased Lu Tian's strength tenfold!

The Twelve-Grade Void Clarity Spiritual Lotus poured forth Three Lights Divine Water, while the Creation-Destruction Bamboo released its life-giving aura, jointly repairing his rapidly depleted life essence!

The power of his Vajra Body surged tenfold.

The power of Annihilation likewise rose tenfold.

With a hundredfold enhancement, Lu Tian unleashed the strongest strike of his life—

Moon Like a Hook!

A brilliant crescent blade tore through the sky, reducing all things in its path to ruin.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The heavens cracked apart!

The earth collapsed!

Space shattered!

The spiritual energy vortex was completely ground to pieces!

The Mountain Protecting Formation crumbled in response!

Though the remaining blade force retained only a tenth of its power, it carried the backlash of the formation as it bore down on Zhao Gongming. Zhao Gongming's aura was in disarray, and he had no strength left to resist!

Clang—

The valley abruptly bloomed with boundless rosy light.

Misty spiritual fog enveloped the battlefield, erasing every trace of the fierce battle.

Time and space froze.

Lu Tian could still think, but he could not move.

The suspended Sea-Calming Divine Beads, the frigid blade light, the backlash-stricken Zhao Gongming... all were frozen within the shattered fabric of time and space.

This was the formation Tongtian Jiaozhu had prepared to protect his disciple!

Without this formation—

Zhao Gongming would undoubtedly have died, body and soul extinguished!

In this battle, Lu Tian of the Western Teachings had won.

This ends here.

Tongtian Jiaozhu announced coldly, sweeping the heavily injured ** away with his sleeve.

Pfft—

The instant time and space resumed, Zhao Gongming spat out several mouthfuls of essence blood.

Dao De Tianzun flicked out a Nine-Revolutions Golden Elixir.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle, for the medicine."

Zhao Gongming hurriedly swallowed the elixir and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

Jieyin simultaneously removed the time-and-space restriction.

Lu Tian sheathed his blade and stood tall, his aura as steady as before.

That earth-shattering strike had consumed half his vitality, but nourished by the Power of Creation, he recovered in an instant.

After dismissing his Vajra Dharma Form, Lu Tian once again bowed toward the Cloud Platform.

Victory and defeat had been decided.

It was time to fulfill the promise.

Tongtian Jiaozhu stared at this former registered **.

Zhao Gongming's strength had been within his expectations.

But Lu Tian—

This True Immortal who had been utterly insignificant ten thousand years ago now shone like the rising sun, cutting down his foremost disciple from the clouds!

Zhao Gongming had already given his all, yet he had still been defeated head-on!

"You already know where the outer sect is. Go there yourself."

Tongtian Jiaozhu waved his sleeve, signaling Lu Tian to leave.

He was proud by nature. Since he had made the promise, he would not go back on it.

Lu Tian said nothing and transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the outer sect.

At this moment, all eyes were upon him. His formidable combat strength made the great powers secretly wonder—if they themselves were in the Taiyi Realm, would they stand a chance?

No one cared anymore about the gains and losses of the wager.

What everyone anticipated more was this black-robed Daoist's next move:

Could he truly dare to slaughter people within a Sage's sacred grounds?

Lu Tian walked slowly through the air.

Memories of the past surged forth like a tide—

He had crossed the primordial world to seek a master in the east,

Only to be met with the cold eyes of the Human Teachings and the contempt of the Chan Teachings,

And after enduring countless hardships to enter the Jie Teachings...

Those unforgettable years:

The spiritual herbs he painstakingly gathered were seized under the fine-sounding pretext of "tribute";

The magical treasures he had forged with all his heart were destroyed, leaving him grievously wounded by the backlash;

He was shoved to the very last seats when listening to the Dao,

And repeatedly disturbed during cultivation.

Mockery, insults...

Though those dozens of evildoers were not the entirety of the outer sect,

They had clung to him like gangrene, cutting off his path of cultivation.

Back then, his foundation had been shallow, and he could only endure through the strength of his Dao heart.

Now, at last, he saw the dawn.

The outer sect's grounds lay right before him.

Some fled in panic, while others lowered their heads and trembled,

And still others forced themselves to remain calm, gambling that he would fear the Sage's Might.

Amid countless gazes,

That figure stood in the air, radiant as the blazing sun.

Lu Tian's Divine Sense enveloped the outer sect,

Focusing on several dozen True Immortals—

From the early stage to the peak,

These enemies who had once blocked his path,

Had long since been left far behind by him in cultivation.

His years of bitter cultivation in the west

Had finally borne the fruit of a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Those who had bullied him in the past had long since been left far behind.

In truth, among those who had abused him, very few possessed exceptional talent or profound cultivation. Most were mediocre people who had merely been slightly stronger than him and banded together to bully the weak.

Those who truly possessed talent and ambition were all immersed in bitter cultivation, pursuing higher realms.

Lu Tian formed a hand seal and cast a technique, undoing the seal Jieyin and Zhunti had placed upon his eyes.

In an instant, divine light burst from his eyes!

That light was brilliant and pure, piercing straight into people's hearts!

The great powers on the high platform turned inquisitive gazes toward him, several streams of Divine Sense intertwining around Lu Tian.

"Interesting..."

"Jieyin and Zhunti truly have remarkable methods. This pupil technique can reflect the heart—who knows what other mysteries it possesses."

Styx studied Lu Tian with great interest.

He was in quite a good mood at the moment—he had just won several spiritual treasures and spiritual roots, and the more he looked at Lu Tian, the more pleasing Lu Tian seemed.

Because he had a karmic connection with Lu Tian, he looked forward to Lu Tian's growth more than any of the other great powers present.

That placenta was no ordinary object. Though useless to himself, it was still a rare treasure!

The Jie Teachings outer sect ** below the platform, swept by Lu Tian's gaze, all stood frozen in place like clay statues.

With the support of the Enlightenment Tea Leaves, Lu Tian had ostensibly comprehended for three hundred years, but in reality, he had cultivated bitterly in the dream world for three thousand years!

After three thousand years of understanding his heart and seeing his nature, he had finally created this pupil technique.

This technique was mainly auxiliary. It could reveal one's true heart, perceive falsehood, observe Karma, distinguish Karmic Debt, inspect merit... all manner of mysteries could be seen through at a glance.

Of course, three thousand years had been too short. The pupil technique still had flaws and would need to be perfected in the future.

But for now, it was enough.

Everyone Lu Tian looked at erupted with karmic flames around their bodies!

Lu Tian nodded faintly, unsurprised.

The other great powers, however, revealed amused expressions—there were actually so many people in the Jie Teachings outer sect burdened by Karmic Debt?

They must have often relied on the Jie Teachings' name to commit evil!

And that was indeed the truth.

The Jie Teachings outer sect was a mixed bag: there were ascetics who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to seeking the Dao; righteous cultivators who delighted in doing good and aiding those in need; but there was no lack of scum who bullied the weak and incurred the resentment of **!

After all, the Jie Teachings' threshold for accepting disciples was simply too low.

Killing intent flashed in Lu Tian's eyes, terrifying the outer sect ** below the platform until their courage shattered.

"Master, save me!"

"Master, hurry and save **!"

"Lu Tian! You dare commit murder in public?!"

"If I'd known this would happen... I should have finished off you trash back then!"

He was nothing but an ant I could trample at will. How had he grown so quickly?!

Lu Tian's blazing gaze instantly pierced through the filth in everyone's hearts. The great powers present were extraordinarily perceptive, and in an instant, they heard every one of those dark thoughts.

Though no one spoke, the looks they cast toward Tongtian Jiaozhu had quietly changed—no wonder Lu Tian claimed he would not rest until he was dead with the Jie Teachings outer sect. So he had once been an abandoned disciple, cruelly bullied in the outer sect!

What a spectacle! The ** who had betrayed his master and joined the west had now returned in overwhelming force, settling old grudges before the Six Sages!

Tongtian Jiaozhu sat high upon the Cloud Platform, his face as calm as an ancient pool. Even though the Jie Teachings had lost all face, this Sage remained seated with his head held high, only a fleeting trace of anger passing through his eyes.

It was merely a dispute among juniors.

Why would he, Tongtian, concern himself with such matters? Since Lu Tian wanted to **, he would let him.

What the Sage truly cared about was the Jie Teachings' reputation!

This was the Dao lineage he had established with his own hands, bearing the Sage's dignity. If Lu Tian knew when to stop, they could have remained at peace.

However—

Cold light flashed! The Moon Washing Blade cut across the sky!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Dozens of blade energies swept through the air, executing every person who had bullied Lu Tian back then. To these ants, Lu Tian had long become an unreachable existence.

Boom!

The sky suddenly darkened!

Before the blade light had faded, Kunlun Mountain was already filled with raging wind and thunder. Black clouds pressed down as though the heavens were collapsing, lightning danced wildly like dragons and serpents, and fierce winds sent the outer sect ** reeling—

The Sage was enraged, and heaven and earth shared his fury!

Though Tongtian had not moved an inch, the entire world responded instinctively to the Sage's heart. Their auras resonated, and his words became law!

Lu Tian felt as though he had fallen into the deepest abyss, yet he still forced himself to bow deeply toward the Cloud Platform. "My blood feud has been avenged. Thank you, Sect Leader, for your magnanimity!"

As he bent, his spine was nearly crushed by the invisible pressure. This was merely the result of a fluctuation in the Sage's emotions; not a shred of mana had been used.

Lu Tian understood perfectly well—

** was not a problem.

But what he never should have done was slaughter Jie Teachings disciples before a Sage!

To act openly before all the great powers was undoubtedly to slap the Jie Teachings in the face.

Had he waited until the Mystic Gate Grand Ceremony was over and acted in secret, he could have ** his vengeance while preserving both sides' dignity. Then the matter could have been laid to rest.

Wave after wave of bitterness welled up in Lu Tian's heart.

Tongtian Jiaozhu's rage was entirely understandable. Any other powerhouse would have reacted the same way; no one would think there was anything wrong with it.

Yes...

Compared with the Sage's dignity, his hatred was naturally far less important.

Who would care about someone as insignificant as him?

Even at the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, was he not still an ant in a Sage's eyes?

But who knew how many times, when **, he had wanted to tear his enemies into ten thousand pieces?!

Who could understand the heart-rending agony he endured while healing his wounds?

Who could comprehend the misery worse than death when inner demons corroded him?

Perhaps he was insignificant, worth less than nothing compared to a Sage's majesty.

But he did not regret it, nor would he retreat.

He would not yield a single step!

Suddenly!

The heavens seemed to be cleaved apart by a sharp blade.

Storm clouds stretching for ten thousand miles were torn apart along Lu Tian's boundary, ripped open into an abyss-like chasm!

Boom—

Thunderstorms roared!

The heavens collapsed!

The rolling sea of clouds was split in two by an invisible force. Heavenly River waters poured down, devouring everything upon the earth!

This was clearly an apocalyptic scene found only in the legend of Nuwa repairing the heavens!

Yet Lu Tian felt an unprecedented sense of release.

A wisp of a Sage's aura enveloped his body, and his spine, on the verge of breaking, straightened once more.

Tongtian's pressure finally dissipated. His lightning-sharp gaze pierced through the clouds as he faced Jieyin in the west from afar.

Sages clashed!

As heaven and earth shattered, the Milky Way hung upside down!

When Sages fought, heaven and earth changed color!

Since the Six Sages had taken their places, when had such a sight ever appeared?

The auras of merely two Sages clashing had actually triggered phenomena unseen since the creation of heaven and earth!

Even a supreme expert like Ancestor Minghe wore a grave expression.

It was not as though he could not unleash such power, but Tongtian and Jieyin had yet to truly make a move!

They said Sages possessed boundless might, but power this terrifying still made one's scalp tingle!

Yuanshi Tianzun spoke coldly.

Though he had always harbored grievances against Tongtian, he did not hesitate in the slightest at this moment, releasing his Sage's Might and linking his aura with that of his junior brother.

Zhunti responded with a smile, and four currents of Sage's Might collided fiercely in the void.

At the heart of the storm, every inch of Lu Tian's flesh endured the pressure of the falling heavens.

Had Jieyin and Zhunti not secretly aided him, he would have long since been crushed to dust beneath the Sages' pressure!