The outer gate of the Tianfeng Holy Sect was located within the Xunfeng Holy City, yet its true entrance was actually outside the city, beyond its walls.
Amidst the vast white snowscape stood a snowy mountain, before which Wu Ming stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Beside him stood Yulinglong and Yan Cangxuan, both showing utmost respect.
“The entrance to the Tianfeng Holy Sect lies deep within the Great Snowy Mountain…”
Wu Ming seemed to be appreciating the snowy scenery as he spoke, “Now that we’ve arrived, you should finally tell me the truth about the Tianfeng Holy Sect, shouldn’t you?”
“How dare I deceive the young master?”
Yan Cangxuan smiled bitterly, “Within our Tianfeng Holy Sect, there is one Sect Leader and four major branches, each guarded by a Tianxiang cultivator. I am the head elder of one of these branches… The other three are controlled respectively by my master, the second elder, and the third elder… Now that my master is incapacitated, my branch stands alone, unable to make a difference. Therefore, I can only hope that the gentleman can perform miraculous healing, at least restoring my master’s ability to speak. Then the members of the Holy Sect will have a pillar to rely on…”
“So according to you, the Tianfeng Holy Sect has already been partially taken over?”
A sudden doubt arose in Wu Ming’s mind, “Even though the Tian Alliance has been plotting for centuries, how did they manage to mobilize so many elders and experts?”
Of course, he did not elaborate further at this moment.
Following Yan Cangxuan, he journeyed deeper into the snowy mountains, entering a valley, and finally arriving before a giant crystalline gate.
“Who approaches?”
The massive gate appeared to be forged entirely of crystal, shimmering with colorful lights under the sun. The disciples guarding it immediately shouted upon seeing their approach.
“Do you not even recognize me now?”
Yan Cangxuan grew furious, “Quickly open the gates to welcome our guest. I have brought a divine physician to treat my master…”
“Ah, it’s Elder Yan…”
A disciple’s voice came from atop the ice wall, but the gates remained closed, causing Yan Cangxuan to frown with suspicion.
“It seems your sect’s mountain gate has just encountered some trouble!”
Wu Ming, scanning with his Yuan Shen power, naturally saw more than Yan and thus remarked with a sigh.
“What?”
Yan Cangxuan’s expression changed instantly. He then spotted a figure atop the pass, and his face turned pale, “Second Elder, what are you doing?”
“What else?”
The white-robed Second Elder, Ge Baipao, sneered coldly before loudly proclaiming, “By the order of the Sect Leader, Yan Cangxuan has colluded with outsiders, betrayed his master and his ancestors, and is unforgivably guilty. Any disciple of our Tianfeng Holy Sect who sees him must kill him on sight!”
“Dare you!”
Yan Cangxuan was furious, “Ge Baipao, what do you intend? I am one of the four elders. To deal with me, even the Sect Leader himself must convene the Ancestor Hall, publicly reprimand my misconduct before the ancestral tablets of generations past, and gain the agreement of most disciples before taking action. Are you disregarding our ancestors’ laws?”
“Can’t you see? This person is obviously rebelling. It’s likely that even your master is under his control…”
Wu Ming reminded them with a helpless tone.
“That’s impossible! Within the Tianfeng Holy Sect, there are still five hundred disciples in the eldest branch. Although our fourth branch is smaller, we still have two hundred members. How could the second and third branches manage to act against us?”
Yulinglong gasped.
“How else? With the eldest branch leaderless and the fourth branch weak, it’s natural to take them down one by one…”
Wu Ming gestured upward, “Don’t believe me? Go ask him yourself!”
“Exactly, Yan Cangxuan!”
Above the crystalline gate, Ge Baipao seemed confident that he had already seized control, with no chance for the enemy to recover. He laughed loudly, “Now the entire Holy Sect is under the control of our second and third branches. What more can you do?”
“Traitor!”
Yan Cangxuan gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with sharpness, “What have you done to my fourth branch disciples?”
“They followed the rebellion and have naturally been imprisoned. Once you, the chief culprit, admit your guilt, we will pierce their dantians and expel them from the sect!”
Ge Baipao smiled arrogantly. Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind howled toward him.
Whoosh!
Yan Cangxuan transformed into a whirlwind, stirring up winds and clouds, and in an instant, flew dozens of zhang to stand before Ge Baipao, “You deserve to die! Thirty-six Wind Slashes!”
Hiss!
With his hands shaped like blades, he seemed to transform into a whirlwind, unleashing thirty-six slashes at Ge Baipao. The astonishing blade qi crisscrossed the air, the azure blade force spilling outward. Any outer disciples caught even slightly by it were immediately sliced to death, their demise gruesome to behold.
“Hehe… Yan Cangxuan, how mighty you are! How domineering! You and your disciple have colluded to seize control of the original four branches. It’s time we settle the score from years past!”
Ge Baipao’s body was surrounded by azure force winds, which suddenly expanded to several zhang, like a wall, blocking all the astonishing blade force.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Amidst the howling winds, the two Tianxiang experts collided fiercely, and in an instant, countless blows were exchanged.
Both Yan Cangxuan and Ge Baipao were Tianxiang cultivators, each intimately familiar with the other’s strengths and weaknesses, knowing most of their opponent’s ultimate techniques and hidden cards. Thus, their battle became a stalemate, and it would be difficult to determine a victor for several hours.
“Master!”
Yulinglong’s face was filled with anxiety as she immediately turned to Wu Ming, who was still leisurely watching, and begged for help, “Please act quickly! Otherwise, once the Third Elder arrives, the situation will become even worse…”
“Fine!”
Wu Ming raised his hand, and astonishing moisture appeared, darkening the sky.
Swoosh!
With a flick of his foot, he was instantly in the midst of the battlefield between the two Tianxiang experts, slipping in like a piece of paper.
“Huh? Another Tianxiang?!”
Ge Baipao was greatly alarmed, but seeing Wu Ming approach so brazenly, he secretly rejoiced, “Today, I’ll let you experience the might of the Tianfeng Divine Art!”
The Eight Holy Sects, having received true cultivation techniques from the Martial Emperor, had an advantage in martial arts, especially in one-on-one duels, where they generally surpassed cultivators of the same level.
Seeing Wu Ming charging straight at him, he secretly rejoiced, feigned weakness to lure his opponent, and quietly gathered his power, preparing to severely wound his opponent in one strike.
“Drop down!”
Wu Ming, however, paid no heed and simply lunged at Ge Baipao’s crown with a single claw.
“Dare you die!”
So contemptuous was the tone that even though he was pretending to be weak to lure his opponent, Ge Baipao couldn’t help but fly into a rage, his temper flaring, “Tianfeng Divine Body, Storm Demon Blade!”
Whoo!
In an instant, countless azure slashes burst from his pores, transforming into a beast with a human face and beast body, rushing toward him.
Its body resembled a hawk, with a red beak and black claws, its head adorned with white feathers, and it had three pairs of wings. Its feathered wings were like blades; with a slight flap, fierce winds howled and blade lights swept across.
“You’ve managed to activate the beast bloodline to this extent. You’re quite impressive!”
Wu Ming’s lips curled into a sneer as he uttered a true word, “Scatter!”
Buzz! Buzz!
In the next moment, the extremely dense wind essence dissipated, turning into specks of azure light that vanished.
The ancient beast’s illusion cried out in agony and directly dispersed, revealing Ge Baipao behind it, stunned.
Swish!
Wu Ming didn’t stop his movement. With a flick of his fingers, five streams of clear water emerged, transforming into fine white threads that broke through the defense and entered Ge Baipao’s seven orifices.
Boom!
With a stunned expression, he fell straight to the ground like a log, actually collapsing just as Wu Ming had said.
“This…”
Yan Cangxuan’s eyes widened, his hands still in the fighting posture, remaining silent for a long time.
“This was a genuine Tianxiang cultivator, defeated in a single move?”
Ge Baipao was a true disciple of the Holy Sect, directly cultivating the original martial arts of the Wind Division, whose martial prowess and techniques generally surpassed those of ordinary Tianxiang cultivators.
Yet now he had been defeated so easily. The gap was so great that Yan Cangxuan found himself at a loss for words.
“Why are you still standing there? Why don’t you quickly capture this person and use him as a hostage to exchange for your branch’s disciples?”
Wu Ming shouted again, finally snapping Yan Cangxuan out of his daze, “Exactly!”
He grabbed Ge Baipao by the neck and shouted loudly, “You… if you want this man to live, surrender immediately! I, Yan Cangxuan, swear on my name that I will not hold any grudges afterward!”
Needless to say, Yan Cangxuan had a good reputation within the Tianfeng Holy Sect and seemed to have great authority. Several disciples looked at each other hesitantly before finally opening the gates.
“There’s chaos within the Holy Sect, and there’s even warfare!”
Yulinglong hurried to catch up, her expression serious, “It seems these rebels have only just started their rebellion and haven’t fully taken control of the sect yet! This is a golden opportunity!”
“Brother Wu Ming…”
Yan Cangxuan looked at Wu Ming, hesitating as if to say something.
“I came here as a physician. A physician’s heart is full of benevolence; I should first go see the patient…”
Wu Ming smiled.
“Thank you, young master, for your great kindness!”
Yan Cangxuan was deeply grateful. This was an internal conflict within the Tianfeng Holy Sect, and inviting outsiders to assist would immediately make the cause seem unjust and the words unconvincing.
He had not expected Wu Ming to be so understanding and felt even more grateful.
What he didn’t know was that Wu Ming cared the least about empty reputation.
As for the martial artists of the Tianfeng Holy Sect encountering him, it was just their terrible luck. Like the Divine Water Elder, their martial arts were inherently suppressed by his, leaving them no chance of recovery.
“Actually, this Holy Sect seems to have more than just a couple of Tianxiang cultivators…”
Wu Ming looked toward the crystal palace in the distance, his eyes filled with contemplation.
…
Deep within the Tianfeng Holy Sect, a group of martial artists surrounded a tall building, looking at each other in confusion but dared not cross the threshold.
“What’s going on?”
The Third Elder arrived and immediately received a report from a disciple: “The remnants of the eldest and fourth branches have taken over the sect… Tianfeng Venerable has retreated into the Ancestor Hall to make a last stand, and we dare not disturb…”
The Third Elder had a ruddy complexion and silver hair trailing down to his waist. Upon hearing this, even the corner of his eye twitched.
For the disciples of the Tianfeng Holy Sect, the sanctity of the Ancestor Hall was self-evident. If blood were to be spilled here, it would be a grave disrespect, and even he was reluctant to bear such responsibility.
“Where is Ge Baipao?”
At this critical moment, he immediately thought of another person.
“Yan Cangxuan has returned, and the Second Elder went personally to intercept him…”
A disciple said while a terrifying storm appeared in the distance.
“Hmm… With Baipao there, we should…”
The Third Elder had only spoken halfway when he suddenly felt the storm representing Ge Baipao quickly dissipating. Yan Cangxuan’s voice then echoed throughout half of the Holy Sect, causing his face to darken instantly.
“Yin Canglong, you truly are a useless wretch!”
A bold and careless voice rang out as a peculiar old man suddenly appeared on the scene.
He had a strange appearance, with only one eye and one ear, and half of his face seemed to have been hacked off by a single blow, as if it had been completely erased.
“Dare you!”
The surrounding disciples were furious, but Yin Canglong respectfully lowered his head, “It’s an honor to have the presence of Elder Tiancan!”
He dared not show disrespect!
For this elder not only hailed from the Tianyuan Holy Sect but was also ranked eighth among the Tianxiang experts. His power was formidable, and he represented the will of the Tian Alliance!
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