Pressing with Force, Crushing with Momentum

The lines descended to his lower abdomen, then his Heart Fire shifted, his Kidney Fire surged, and the Spiritual Qi that had flowed into his body rushed out, while the other Six Souls all coalesced!

Boom!

In an instant, ten Divine Sense flew about, Seven Souls surrounded him, the River of History, Illusory World stretched endlessly, and a fierce Heart Ape was by his side!

The Divine Sense consciousness, the Soul Shadow wind, the illusory landscape of the long river, and the ferocious Heart Ape layered upon each other to form an aura. This power shook the surrounding distorted scenery, causing cracks to appear and spread, threatening to shatter at any moment.

Of course, this is also Void-Driving Dao Lord had no intention of maintaining it. This distorted space was created by the Martial Dao Spirit in order to change the surrounding terrain and create a fighting environment that was advantageous to himself.

However, this advantage is relative. Against ordinary opponents, an extremely distorted scene will not only affect their judgment but also cause physical harm.

However, after Qiu Yan was trapped in this scene, his physical body did not try to break free from the Ethereal Mud. Instead, he released his Heart Ape to fight with people. The Heart Ape seemed to have a physical body, but it did not have a physical body. It was like a fearless warrior. Every move it made was filled with distracting thoughts, which affected the Fist Intent of the Void-Driving Dao Lord.

In this situation, the Void-Driving Dao Lord could not unleash his full power in a direct confrontation.

When two sides clash, it is a battle of wits and courage. It is not only a clash of fists and Divine Ability, but also a contest of mind and strategy. Limiting the opponent's strength is a common tactic. The release of Martial Dao Spirit by the Void-Driving Dao Lord is to weaken Qiu Yan's advantage. Conversely, the appearance of the Heart Ape also makes it difficult for the Void-Driving Dao Lord to move freely. This is a manifestation of this.

Crackling! Crackling!

In mid-air, a shattering sound was heard, followed by a cloud of smoke that appeared, swirled and condensed, then flew down and landed on the shoulder of the Void-Driving Dao Lord, where it solidified into the shape of an arm—the arm he had separated, which had broken free from the siege of the River of History, Illusory World and returned.

With a powerful flick of his wrist, his arm trembled like a spear, the force flowing from top to bottom, shattering the historical and cultural imprints that clung to it, leaving no trace or residue, making it difficult for Qiu Yan to leave any hidden tricks.

"You scholar, you have quite the courage. But don't think that this will make me back down. You have a deep-seated hatred for my Void-Driving Dao, so don't even dream of a peaceful resolution!"

The Void-Driving Dao Lord smoothed his arm, looked directly at Qiu Yan, and sneered. He could feel the surging aura emanating from Qiu Yan, which was the natural power of heaven and earth that had gathered after his advancement. With a shift in his gaze, he could see that Qiu Yan's Seven Souls Transformation, his Kidney Fire was enhanced, and he was in harmony with that Heart Ape, making it difficult for him to win.

These factors combined to create an oppressive aura. Needless to say, just seeing him would instill pressure in one's heart, and ordinary martial artists would probably not dare to look Qiu Yan in the eye again, but would have to give way.

However, as the leader of a sect, the Void-Driving Dao Lord naturally possesses many trump cards, but he needs to pay a price for them.

Previously, when he fought against the three foreign gods in the city, he held back and did not use his trump cards. Now, facing a scholar, he had to use them, which was a bit of a pity. However, the current situation was somewhat difficult to reverse.

Just now, it was because the Void-Driving Dao Lord was contemptuous that Qiu Yan succeeded in stepping into the Third Realm of Life Cultivation. If he does not make up his mind soon, he may very well become a stepping stone for the person in front of him!

However, just as he was about to unleash his trump card, Qiu Yan's eyes snapped open, gleaming with light, and he conjured up a blood-red figure!

Blood-Colored Sage!

The moment this figure appeared, the surrounding scenery changed. The Martial Dao Spirit that permeated the surroundings was suppressed by a vast spiritual force and hurriedly retreated, having already lost the power to resist.

With the disappearance of this Martial Dao Spirit, the distorted scene vanished, and the soil and rocks were exposed. Sweeped away by the spirit of the Blood-Colored Sage, they burst forth with an Agricultural School atmosphere, writhing and gathering in layers, like thousands of troops ready to move, converging from Eight Directions under the command of the Commander's Tiger Tally!

Whew! Whew! Whew!

This momentum was like a raging storm. Even the Void-Driving Dao Lord couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart. He felt surrounded by a powerful force, like a lone army trapped in a siege, and his face turned pale.

Then, he shook his head, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "You've set up this formation and deployed this much force, seemingly formidable, but the more you bluff like this, the more it shows you're already at your limit!"

Qiu Yan smiled and said, "Dao Master, please don't misunderstand. I'm not putting on this show to subdue the enemy without a fight, nor am I playing the Empty City Stratagem. Rather, I want to tell you that if we were to fight, there's no way to determine a winner in a short time. Under these circumstances, whether Life Cultivation steps into the Third Realm or not is of little significance."

After saying this, the Void-Driving Dao Lord's expression became even more unpleasant.

Qiu Yan was clearly telling him that he had advanced by taking advantage of the situation, rather than by lacking the strength and making a temporary breakthrough. On the other hand, in front of cultivators of the Fourth Realm, those who cultivate Life Cultivation and Nature Cultivation are not really variables as long as they do not reach the Fourth Grade, and have little impact on the battle. After Qiu Yan's Seven Souls Transformation, in terms of cultivation alone, he was still no match for the Void-Driving Dao Lord, but with his Heart Ape and many other methods, he could put up a fight.

This was obvious; Qiu Yan had merely revealed the truth, yet he spoke with remarkable composure.

A person of the status and position of the Void-Driving Dao Lord could exert an aura that would affect people's emotions wherever he went, demonstrating his power and authority. Over time, he would become imposing without even being angry. In this way, Qiu Yan's "composure" would seem conspicuous.

The phrase "tell the Dao Lord" subtly reveals that Qiu Yan has always kept the war in his grasp and has a plan in mind.

"The younger generation is truly formidable! Truly formidable!" The Void-Driving Dao Lord suppressed his anger, feeling a deep threat. He didn't want such an enemy to remain in this world. "However, even though it will take some effort, the final victor..."

He suppressed his aura, then prepared to suddenly unleash it, his power building up in his heart, ready to use his trump card.

Just then...

"There's something else I need to say," Qiu Yan suddenly interrupted. "I've already made a name for myself in the Eastern Capital. If word gets out that you fought me, it will be detrimental to the spread of the Void-Driving Dao in Great Rui. After all, I do have the title of Juren! You've injured me, which immediately complicates things!"

"A scholar who passed the imperial examination?" The Void-Driving Dao Lord was taken aback, his accumulated momentum faltering for a moment, then he laughed in extreme anger, "Even if you are a scholar who passed the imperial examination and are Qi Manifestation, killing you would only offset some of my Fortune and merit, so what does it matter?"

Qiu Yan shook his head and pointed in a direction. "Lord Dao, do you sense someone has arrived?"

"Hmm?" The Void-Driving Dao Lord initially thought Qiu Yan was bluffing, but he still managed to sense some of it. His expression changed drastically. "Such a rich aura of Literary Fortune! Who is this person? Could he be Grand Confucian from the city? No, although this Literary Fortune is abundant, it's superficial and not emanating from the person himself! Hmm? There's also Dragon Qi mixed in?"

This perception filled the Void-Driving Dao Lord with suspicion, and he looked at Qiu Yan with a hint of wariness. "What a little thief, you even have accomplices? Do you intend to drag me here and attack me from all sides?"

Qiu Yan frowned. "Daoist Master, I have always treated you with courtesy, but don't think I'm afraid of you. You should take back the title of 'little thief.' Those people who came were not my reinforcements, but I roughly know their identities; they are all related to the imperial court."

At this point, he kept a close eye on the Void-Driving Dao Lord, remaining on guard to prevent the other party from suddenly launching an attack. At the same time, he mobilized Changhe, Heart Ape, and the Blood-Colored Sage to surround the opponent, forming a pincer movement.

The Void-Driving Dao Lord felt threatened, and his expression became increasingly tense.

Qiu Yan continued, "Judging from the Dao Master's heart, his actions are also for the purpose of promoting the Daoist tradition. If you continue to make moves and are seen by the newcomers, the Void-Driving Dao will immediately spread and be exploited by those with ulterior motives. The Void-Driving Dao will inevitably be accused of plotting something sinister. At that time, will the Daoist Sect lineage oppose the government because of this? And people like the Chen Residence will definitely take advantage of the situation."

He actually made a threatening statement.

The Void-Driving Dao Lord, however, calmed down. Qiu Yan's words had affected his emotions, and his accumulated aura had weakened instead of increased. He said calmly, "My Void-Driving Dao has been passed down for generations. What storms haven't we weathered? How could we be intimidated by a mere scholar like you?"

Qiu Yan did not argue, but simply said, "If the Dao Master does not believe it, he may make a move!" As soon as he finished speaking, the Heart Ape, the Blood-Colored Sage, and the Seven Souls all showed signs of being ready to move, their auras linked together, faintly forming a vortex.

The Void-Driving Dao Lord's expression changed several times, finally letting out a long sigh, "Using power to oppress others, are you perhaps following the Legalist School's methods? Even if you pass the imperial examinations in the future, you'll be a cruel official! However, you may have escaped this time by using power, but don't think you can do it again! I underestimated you this time, but next time..."

Because he was confident of victory, the Void-Driving Dao Lord underestimated his opponent. As soon as the fierce battle within the city's barrier ceased, he immediately rushed to the city's gate. However, Qiu Yan forced him with his combat prowess and threatened him with his Literary Fortune and Dragon Qi, extinguishing his arrogance through a combination of offense and defense.

He couldn't fathom Qiu Yan's true strength, and he sensed the rapidly approaching Literary Fortune and Dragon Qi. He wondered what connection the person before him had with Confucianism and the royal family. After a moment's thought, he made a decisive decision to compromise for the time being.

After all, there was a large sect behind him, so he couldn't act as he pleased and had to be cautious and mindful of his actions.

Before he could finish speaking, the Void-Driving Dao Lord raised his hand and waved his hand. His Martial Dao Will, imbued with the illusory realm, surged upwards, intending to take Wang Yifu and the others from the Lin Zhong on the ground.

But this artistic conception was only halfway through when it was stopped by the fiery Heart Ape, who grabbed it and crushed it to pieces!

This enraged the Void-Driving Dao Lord. If he hadn't been so cautious, fearing that the fight would drag on and he would be surrounded, he probably would have exploded on the spot. Even so, his aura continued to fluctuate, as if he were about to erupt at any moment.

"What does this mean? You've crippled their cultivation, disrupted their foundation for enlightenment, and now you've imprisoned them here and humiliated them. Do you really think my Void-Driving Dao is without anyone?"

"Losing your power doesn't mean you can't achieve enlightenment," Qiu Yan shook his head. "I took one thing from them, but I also gave them another. If you want to take them away, you can't be in such a hurry or rush. You should follow ancient rites and treat it with solemnity!"

"What did you say?" The Void-Driving Dao Lord's eyes widened. "You want me to welcome them back according to ancient rites?"

ps:

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