Just three simple words fell, silencing the entire world.
Everyone looked up at Daoist Baishan, feeling an indescribable domineering aura radiating from his aged face.
He smiled warmly, yet his eyes held a look of condescension.
As if saying, you are unworthy to walk this path with me.
Baoshu Buddha's expression gradually calmed, showing no fluctuation, but everyone could feel it.
He was angry.
Daoist Baishan had shattered his defenses with just three words. He had considered all the reasons why Daoist Baishan might refuse, but never such a simple and brutal one. To him, no matter the matter or conflict, none compared to future opportunities.
For people of their level, just standing here was a kind of promise; everything else was petty squabbling. Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately sent a Heavenly Crane Tree as a provocation, even though he was supposed to be allying with Daoist Baishan. Because those things didn't matter.
He felt that the only reason Daoist Baishan rejected him was because he believed he wasn't strong enough.
After a long pause, he sighed deeply:
"Looks like after all these years, my old friend has made a great breakthrough in strength?"
Daoist Baishan's eyes gradually turned cold:
"What? Want to start a fight?"
Baoshu Buddha's body began to emit Buddhist chants, golden light spreading around him. Faint images of arhats and bodhisattvas softly chanting appeared, their voices merging into a grand sound. Some cultivators with lower cultivation levels suddenly had their faces turn kind and gentle, as if being assimilated. Only when their companions forcefully roused them did they look at Baoshu Buddha in shock.
Baoshu Buddha held the Glazed Buddhist Tree in his hands, appearing increasingly divine:
"Please teach me."
The Buddhist tree radiated light, streams of power never before seen by the crowd flowing out. Sometimes these took the form of golden lotuses, other times bodhisattvas, pressing down on Daoist Baishan with tremendous authority.
Everyone held their breath, eyes wide with shock.
Some elders already had their suspicions.
Martial Sage power!
While terrified, they were also extremely excited. They never expected such a dramatic event at today's Heaven-Man Ascension Ceremony. Two rumored Martial Sage masters from history had emerged. That shock was already incomparable; now they were about to fight!
Daoist Baishan smiled faintly:
"Baoshu, after all these years, you still haven't improved much. Your Glazed Buddhist Tree is not impressive enough."
Faced with the boundless Buddhist light, his robe fluttered without wind. He reached out and grabbed an ancient seal carved with profound Daoist patterns. The moment it appeared, all eyes were drawn to it. It was simple and unadorned, yet exuded immeasurable Daoist majesty.
The ancient seal swelled like a mountain, faintly accompanied by the long cry of celestial cranes and a shower of petals. Streams of mysterious power ruthlessly suppressed Baoshu Buddha.
In an instant,
Daoist power surged while Buddhist power waned. Golden lotuses were crushed. Buddhist chants were infinitely compressed. Some assimilated cultivators awoke in shock.
Daoist Baixiang, the True Lord, cried with excitement:
"It's the True Immortal's Zhenxuan Seal!"
Seeing this legendary artifact manifest before them stirred a wave of spiritual fervor.
The battle between the two ancient saints was not earth-shattering.
But every Heaven-Man Realm expert present was terrified. Daoist Longshan thought this was the most terrifying existence he had ever seen. The battle between his disciple and the Blade Demon had been magnificent, but compared to these two, it was far from enough.
At this moment, waves of mysterious power collided, and at the edges of the impact, thin black cracks appeared rapidly before healing just as fast.
Every Heaven-Man Realm cultivator was horrified.
This was power so great it tore space itself!
"Is this the power of the Martial Sage Realm?" Everyone's hearts trembled with awe and longing.
But one person was an exception.
Ning Qi's eyes showed slight surprise.
He admitted Baoshu Buddha and True Immortal Zhenxuan were strong, and the streams of mysterious power were undoubtedly Martial Sage power, but not as overwhelmingly strong as he had imagined. He even felt he could contend with the two.
Ning Qi's gaze fixed on the horizon.
The Glazed Buddhist Tree and Zhenxuan Seal floated separately in the void, streams of mysterious power pouring out from both treasures, intertwining and tearing space apart.
But Ning Qi was more focused on the two treasures themselves. As for tearing space, he could do that now too.
After reaching Perfect Heaven-Man, his strength had surpassed before.
"These two treasures, the Glazed Buddhist Tree and Zhenxuan Seal, should also be Martial Sage secret treasures. If I'm not mistaken, the Martial Sage power Baoshu Buddha and Daoist Baishan use is also derived and transformed through these two treasures!"
Golden light spread in Ning Qi's eyes as he studied the operation of their powers.
He was surprised to find these two treasures were not much different from the Yu King Bead, the only difference being they were somewhat stronger.
"Why is that? Do these two not possess Martial Sage power themselves? Has their power not yet awakened or is there some reason they cannot use it?"
He was shaken inside.
But this somewhat explained why the two were not as strong as Ning Qi had imagined.
Otherwise, two Martial Sage Realm experts preserved from ancient times would never have such limited strength.
Ning Qi watched intently. No amount of speculation was useful now.
The best approach was to ask those who had experienced it firsthand. Perhaps Daoist Baishan was a breakthrough point. Before he knew Daoist Baishan was True Immortal Zhenxuan, their relationship was decent. Now knowing the truth, Ning Qi was uncertain of Daoist Baishan's intentions.
As he pondered,
The two Martial Sage secret treasures in the void began to change.
Baoshu Buddha chanted Buddha's name; the Glazed Buddhist Tree's light burned brighter. His expression was serious, but Daoist Baishan remained calm.
"Is this your limit?" Daoist Baishan smiled peacefully and waved his sleeve, causing the ancient seal to swell again.
Mountains crushed, the sky seemed to collapse, thunderous sounds filled everyone with terror.
The ancient seal pressed step by step toward the Glazed Buddhist Tree. Cracks appeared in the boundless Buddhist light. The tree emitted breaking sounds, as if it would shatter at any moment. The Buddha platform toppled, and bodhisattvas were terrified.
Strands of Daoist patterns possessed magical power, sealing the Glazed Buddhist Tree in the void, preventing its recall.
Baoshu Buddha's expression finally changed.
His eyes trembled with frustration—after so many years, he still wasn't a match for True Immortal Zhenxuan.
"Zhenxuan, will you really not show mercy? Since you refuse to ally, then so be it!"
Suddenly, Daoist Baishan's voice echoed across Zhenxuan Mountain:
"In the past, when you fought me over the Heavenly Crane Tree, I spared you out of old friendship, only to lightly punish you. But now you come to insult my Daoist lineage, truly reckless! If I don't teach you a lesson today, do you really think I, Daoist Baishan, am a pushover?"
His voice was icy cold.
The Zhenxuan Seal's light intensified. The power of heaven and earth surged, fierce winds roared, but everything was confined within that space.
Crackling sounds rang out.
Thin cracks appeared on the Glazed Buddhist Tree. Baoshu Buddha grew agitated.
"Zhenxuan, stop! Do you really think you've got me? If not for my spiritual insight not yet recovered, the outcome is still uncertain!"
He exerted all his strength to activate the Glazed Buddhist Tree, but the situation worsened.
He even suffered some backlash, his face pale, losing the solemn Buddha's dignity. He glared fiercely at Daoist Baishan, looking grim.
"Already broken defense? Such narrow-mindedness. Even if your spiritual insight recovers, what then? I, the Daoist, will cut off one of your hands!"
Daoist Baishan laughed cheerfully, infuriating everyone.
A golden light flashed in Ning Qi's eyes.
"Spiritual insight?"
He vaguely understood something.
Baoshu Buddha's face darkened further.
But he dared not retort; pressure grew heavier. If his secret treasure truly suffered some damage, causing him to lose momentum in future opportunities, he would regret it forever.
With that thought, Baoshu Buddha finally dropped his pride and shouted:
"Barbarian Emperor, hurry and join the fight. Let's take down this mad old Daoist together!"
Everyone was shocked.
Someone treated so seriously by Baoshu Buddha must be an expert of the same level.
Daoist Baishan's pupils contracted. He said gravely:
"The Barbarian Emperor is here too?"
Ning Qi's gaze searched continuously, sensing a disturbance. Looking toward the horizon, he finally detected a faint aura approaching. Now he knew this faint aura was a unique trait of such people.
A boisterous laugh echoed through the sky:
"Never expected True Immortal Zhenxuan still remembers me. Truly an honor."
All eyes followed as a towering, muscular man stepped through the air. Around his waist was an unknown black beast skin, radiating an intimidating aura. His exposed half-chest was well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing.
His wild hair flew, hands clasped behind his back, like a king inspecting his domain, exuding absolute dominance. No one dared meet his gaze.
Daoist Baishan relaxed the pressure from the Zhenxuan Seal, wary of the newcomer. Baoshu Buddha breathed a sigh of relief.
Daoist Baishan stared at the towering man and said:
"The Barbarian Emperor—such a remarkable figure—I naturally remember. But to mingle with a bald old monk like Baoshu, it's somewhat beneath your dignity."
The Barbarian Emperor laughed and waved his hand:
"True Immortal Zhenxuan, you are mistaken. Baoshu Buddha and True Immortal have some misunderstandings. The Buddhist sect now belongs to my barbarian tribe, naturally one family. Today, Baoshu Buddha and I did not come to offend, but sincerely invite True Immortal to discuss great matters together."
Everyone's spirits stirred, understanding this Barbarian Emperor's identity.
Emperor of the Northern Barbarians!
This was a sensitive title, making everyone incredulous. The Northern Barbarians had always been oppressed by the Great Yan Dynasty. How could such a powerful Barbarian Emperor suddenly appear?
They had never heard of him before.
Judging by Daoist Baishan's attitude, this Barbarian Emperor was no ordinary figure.
After the Barbarian Emperor finished speaking, he waved his hand slightly.
Mysterious powers gathered into a shadowy black celestial wolf. The wolf radiated fierce energy, causing everyone to tremble slightly, as if facing a beast emperor.
The black celestial wolf howled toward the sky and lunged at the Zhenxuan Seal.
In an instant,
The battle became two against one.
Daoist Baishan's expression changed slightly. The Zhenxuan Seal withdrew all its suppression, only protecting everyone. The ancient seal floated and flickered, seemingly sensing danger.
The heavily pressured Glazed Buddhist Tree suddenly relaxed completely. Golden light surged, and all fine cracks disappeared.
The black celestial wolf did not pursue but stood facing the Glazed Buddhist Tree and Zhenxuan Seal.
Daoist Baishan's gaze grew colder:
"So you had backup all along. No wonder this bald old monk dared to be so reckless today."
The Barbarian Emperor spoke seriously:
"True Immortal, please calm down. Baoshu Buddha's prior behavior was only to test whether you had recovered. Please forgive any impropriety. We come today to invite True Immortal to lead all Daoist sects to join our barbarian tribe, to become our national religion. Together, we can seek opportunities."
Waves stirred in everyone's hearts.
This Barbarian Emperor had grand ambitions!
He wanted to bring both Daoist and Buddhist sects under his control.
With just a little reasoning, they knew why. The Northern Barbarians and Great Yan Dynasty had always been at odds. If both Daoist and Buddhist sects were united under one banner, the balance of power would shift dramatically. Considering the recent sudden southern advance by the Northern Barbarians, everyone felt a chill.
Daoist Longshan felt the same. He wanted to speak to Ning Qi but suddenly realized his disciple was no longer in place. Searching instinctively, he could not find him, causing his heart to tighten. But now was not the time to act rashly.
The Barbarian Emperor's tone was extremely sincere:
"True Immortal can consider seriously. Any conditions can be stated."
Daoist Baishan simply pointed east, toward Yan Prefecture:
"Barbarian Emperor, aren't you afraid of that one?"
Everyone held their breath, knowing exactly who he meant.
The Great Yan Martial Sage!
The Barbarian Emperor's expression turned slightly serious, then confidently smiled:
"Since we have returned, some things must change. I must consider not only myself but also future generations."
"As for him, he chose a different path from us. Whether he can maintain his peak is uncertain. Even if he can, I'm not afraid. Soon, I will make him answer to me!"
His eyes brimmed with overwhelming dominance.
Everyone's blood boiled, feeling a great era was about to dawn.
The return of the saints?
Was it a sign of something?
Daoist Longshan was excited.
Daoist Baishan seemed affected by the Barbarian Emperor's domineering aura, falling silent. The Barbarian Emperor stood calmly, not hurried. Baoshu Buddha lowered his head, saying nothing, though displeased. This was not the time to argue.
After a moment, Daoist Baishan shook his head:
"I have no intention of meddling in your affairs. The Daoist sect is not mine alone to decide. Please return, Barbarian Emperor."
Silence fell.
Everyone felt the atmosphere grow heavy.
The Barbarian Emperor's expression was calm as he stared at Daoist Baishan. The shadowy black celestial wolf growled softly in the void. Baoshu Buddha suddenly lifted his head, eyes flashing with faint delight.
"Are you really not considering it?" the Barbarian Emperor asked.
Daoist Baishan answered calmly:
"Please leave."
The Barbarian Emperor laughed, his voice shaking heaven and earth.
"Very well. I have long heard your great name but never met you. Today I will see for myself. Baoshu Buddha is our barbarian tribe's great Buddha. You insulted him today, which is an insult to me."
He stared intently at Daoist Baishan.
A fierce murderous aura gradually gathered in his gaze.