Donglin Sect.
Mountain peak.
Xiao Rongyu, dressed in red, felt the pressure in her chest grow heavier with every powerful aura that arrived. When the final presence descended, her breathing slowed by half a beat.
She frowned slightly.
Carefully counting.
One by one, the leaders of the major forces of the Eastern Region arrived.
They were forcing the situation.
Forcing the Donglin Sect into battle.
In the void, Jiang Zhenshan, the head of the Jiang family, also frowned faintly. An uneasy premonition stirred in his heart. He had expected ripples, but not a storm of this scale. Ordinary cultivators and secular forces were one thing, but even the leaders of the great factions had come in person.
It was clear.
They feared Elder Chu.
"It seems everyone is very idle," the Nangong clan head said lightly, glancing around. Many familiar figures who should have appeared still hadn't. Such a scene hadn't occurred in the Eastern Region for over twenty years. The last time all major powers gathered like this was for the birth of a Saint-level secret realm rumored to contain supreme inheritance.
Seeing that no one intended to converse, he closed his eyes after landing and quietly conserved his energy. Before doing so, he cast one last look toward the Donglin Sect, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
How would they respond tomorrow?
Night fell.
Moonlight pierced the clouds, stars scattered across the sky, yet none of the waiting cultivators could sleep. The arrival of so many Human Emperor–level experts was simply too overwhelming.
Gazing at those immortal-like figures suspended in the void, awe and envy filled countless hearts. More than a few wondered, when would they ever reach such a realm?
Even those who loved boasting fell silent beneath the oppressive atmosphere, obediently waiting for time to pass, anticipation for tomorrow weighing heavily on them.
At dawn, as purple light stretched across the horizon, Zhenwu Sect Master Lu Nantian opened his sharp, dark eyes.
"It's coming," he murmured.
Not only him.
Chu Yaoyao, Master of the Goddess Palace.
Jiang Zhenshan, head of the Jiang family.
The leader of the Tianji Sect.
One after another, Human Emperor–level experts opened their eyes and looked into the distance.
There,
A figure stood in the void.
It was as if he had appeared out of thin air, standing quietly, without releasing even a trace of aura. The wind tugged at his robes, lifting his black hair and revealing a strikingly handsome face.
Handsome,
Yet unsettling.
It was the evil gleam in his eyes and the faint, curved smile at his lips that shattered the serenity, lending him a sinister edge.
"Zhao Yong of the Zhenwu Sect… has arrived."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd. Those who had been resting with closed eyes opened them at once, gazing at the cynical figure. Strangely, what they felt wasn't fear, but relief. The suffocating tension of the previous night finally loosened.
"The people from Zhenwu Holy Land are here!"
"Where is the Donglin Holy Land?"
Buzz,
Before the murmurs could fade, Zhao Yong took a single step forward.
In that instant, he crossed ten miles and appeared directly before the Donglin Sect.
Evil light surged in his eyes. Terrifying currents of power roared around him, collapsing into a pitch-black vortex behind his back, like a devouring black hole.
He raised his right hand, slender, pale, immaculate.
A palm-shaped vortex formed, its core collapsing inward, arcs of destruction flickering endlessly, while a violent storm spiraled along its edges.
Bang!
He brought his hand down.
A terrifying palm seal condensed,
And slammed toward the Donglin Sect.
Gulong!
Hearts clenched.
Even Chu Yaoyao's expression shifted, shock flashing across her beautiful face. She hadn't expected Zhao Yong to be this overbearing.
The Tianji Sect leader's eyelids twitched violently. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Someone from Donglin Sect would have responded eventually, but Zhao Yong had chosen absolute domination from the very start.
He thought grimly: Zhao Yong's killing intent toward Chu Xun runs far deeper than expected.
Jiang Zhenshan's pupils darkened. He had come hoping to mediate, to guide events toward a gentler outcome, but this strike laid bare Zhao Yong's true intent.
This would not end easily.
Without Chu Xun stepping forward,
Donglin Sect would suffer greatly.
"My heavens!"
"So fierce!"
"This trip was worth it!"
The surrounding cultivators erupted with excitement. To them, Zhao Yong's dominance was thrilling, the very spectacle they had crossed thousands of miles to witness.
Boom,
Before the palm seal could reach Donglin Sect, a golden barrier flared to life.
The devastating strike landed,
Yet the formation didn't tremble in the slightest.
"So this is Donglin Sect's grand formation…"
Young geniuses stared in awe, admiration burning in their eyes. Some who had hesitated between the Six Holy Lands now felt their hearts tilt unmistakably toward Donglin Sect.
Even experts from the other holy lands sighed inwardly. The gap between them and true holy lands wasn't just a Saint, but foundations like this.
Inside Donglin Sect, Wang He, Xiao Rongyu, and Elder Jiang all showed restrained anger.
Did Zhao Yong truly regard Donglin Holy Land as some minor sect?
Trying to suppress them alone?
Arrogant beyond measure.
"Hmph!"
Deep in the back mountain's forbidden area, Elder Wang's cloudy eyes burned with fury. Zhao Yong had gone too far, bullying Donglin Sect simply because no one had stepped out yet.
No longer hesitating, he began frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His withered skin slowly regained fullness as he forced himself back toward peak condition.
He would fight.
However,
Inside the Scripture Pavilion.
Chu Xun closed the book in his hands, a faint smile lifting his lips. Through the window, he could clearly sense the disturbance outside.
"Finally," he murmured softly.
Seven days.
He had waited, and recovered.
Buzz!
The Qingteng Sword trembled, circling him joyfully.
Chu Xun smiled, reaching out to calm it. "You're my trump card. Let's see if Zhao Yong is worthy of me using a holy weapon."
"What a commotion…"
Xiao Rongyu and the others also sensed the upheaval from the back mountain. Elder Wang's sudden surge of power had triggered strange phenomena.
Shame welled up in their hearts.
An old man already struggling to suppress the forbidden area, yet forced to step out again.
Elder Jiang turned his head away in silence.
Then,
A sound.
Footsteps.
They froze.
From the Scripture Pavilion, a figure emerged, calmly walking toward the sect gates.
For a moment,
Everyone stood stunned.
"…What was that?"
"Elder Chu?"
"Chu Xun?!"
Boom!
Xiao Rongyu's face changed instantly. Anger flashed in her eyes as she cried out,
"Wang He! Didn't I tell you to warn Elder Chu, tell him not to be provoked, not to act impulsively and accept the challenge?!"
Wang He opened his mouth, but no words came. He had warned him days ago, yet something had felt off. Now, realization struck far too late.
Elder Jiang felt his scalp go numb.
The Chu Xun he knew was calm, steady, unshakable. Even the destruction of Donglin Sect might not have angered him.
Yet now,
"This… is still Elder Chu?" he said hoarsely.
"Enough talking!"
"Catch up to him!"
In the forbidden area, Elder Wang's expression changed drastically. He no longer cared about stabilizing his cultivation. Lightning burst beneath his feet as he shot forward.
The battle had begun,
Whether Donglin Sect was ready or not.
....
Thank you so much, everyone!
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As promised, 2 of the 4 bonus chapters will be released later today
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