The Return of the Ancestor

The moment Ji Yanqiu finished speaking, the crowd, who had long since been unable to contain themselves, erupted into an even more enthusiastic response.

“Fairness! Let’s do it!”

“Who’s going first in the first group? Count me in!”

Before the words had even faded, ten of the most hot-blooded figures in the crowd, each radiating an imposing aura, immediately stepped forward.

Among them were even two Peak Masters whose cultivation had already reached the late Saint realm.

Li Mo’s entire body trembled violently. Looking at that lineup, then at the dozens of pairs of excited eyes around him, eyes that seemed to be waiting for the next great show, his heart sank completely into an abyss without end.

Mu Sen, meanwhile, slowly rose to his feet. His face was as dark as water as he swept his gaze over the ten people surrounding him. The pride and ferocity belonging to a Saint King were once again stirred within him.

The Life Restoration Pill he had taken earlier had an astonishing effect. At this moment, Saint power surged through his body, his injuries were already seventy to eighty percent healed, and most of his combat strength had been restored.

His confidence grew as well.

Earlier, you managed to inflict serious injuries on me only by relying on your superior numbers. And now you’re actually arrogant enough to send just ten Saints against me?

With my mid-level Saint King cultivation and comprehension of the laws, defeating you should be effortless!

This Qingxuan Sect really thinks my Saint King cultivation is made of paper. What a joke!

He knew very well that begging for mercy would be useless. His only choice was to fight. Perhaps he could still carve out a sliver of life for himself!

“Boom!”

The Peak Master of Mountain Suppression struck first. A plain, straightforward punch tore through the air and slammed toward Mu Sen’s face!

The astral energy condensed around the fist was solid, heavy, and pure. It actually made him feel a trace of threat!

Mu Sen’s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly raised his palm to meet it.

Bang!

Fist and palm collided, and a wave of force exploded outward!

Mu Sen’s figure swayed, yet he had failed to shake his opponent in the slightest!

The Peak Master merely staggered three steps backward before steadying himself. His eyes burned with battle intent as he charged forward once more!

At the same time, two fierce sword auras from his left and right sealed off every avenue of retreat. Above him, palm shadows descended like a mountain, while below, a blade-like kick swept toward his legs!

All ten attacked at once—fast, accurate, and ruthless!

For a time, figures flashed throughout the battlefield as booming explosions rang out without pause.

Astral energy, sword auras, palm shadows, kicks, and brilliant runic light interwove and collided, resulting in an evenly matched battle.

The more Mu Sen fought, the more alarmed he became!

He had originally assumed that, with his advantage in cultivation, he could quickly seize control of the situation.

Yet these ten people were, at most, late-stage Saints, while the weakest among them were only early-stage Saints. Even so, their coordination was astonishingly seamless.

What was even more frightening was that every one of them possessed an incredibly solid foundation. Their Saint power was exceptionally refined, and their combat experience was extraordinarily rich. They could often predict his intentions and neutralize his attacks at the smallest possible cost.

Several times, he had attempted to use thunderous methods to heavily injure one or two of them and break out of the encirclement, but the others always arrived in time to defuse or share the impact of his attacks.

“How is this possible?! They’re only Saint-realm cultivators! How can they possess such combat strength? Just what kind of place is this Qingxuan Sect?!”

The battle surrounding Li Mo, on the other hand, was far more straightforward and brutal.

The elders surrounding him were somewhat weaker in cultivation, but their fists and feet came down like a torrential storm, striking specifically where it hurt most. Li Mo screamed again and again as his protective Saint power proved as fragile as paper. Before long, his face was swollen and bruised, and his aura had grown feeble.

Compared to Mu Sen’s battle, this was more like a simple, cathartic beating.

“Hahaha! This feels great!”

“This punching bag can really take a beating!”

“It’s my turn, it’s my turn!”

The people outside the battlefield, unable to join in, watched with radiant smiles and cheered loudly. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Time flew by amid the intense exchange.

“Alright, alright. First group, take a break. It’s our turn now.”

Someone noticed that Mu Sen was already being forced back step by step and could not help speaking up.

The ten people who were still locked in fierce combat with Mu Sen had yet to lose their battle intent, but they nevertheless retreated as instructed and withdrew from the fight.

Each of them was breathing slightly harder, and quite a few had suffered injuries. Yet their spirits were exceptionally high, and their eyes gleamed with the gains and insights they had obtained.

The benefits of exchanging blows so freely with a Saint King powerhouse were simply too great.

Mu Sen finally had a chance to stop as well. His chest heaved violently, and his expression was even gloomier than before.

Although he had not suffered any particularly serious injuries, his Saint power had been depleted considerably, and he felt a wave of exhaustion in his spirit.

More importantly, the lofty superiority he had possessed as a Saint King had been thoroughly shaken by that battle.

He had actually failed to defeat ten Saints! In the end, he could only struggle to hold on by relying on his Saint King cultivation!

Before he could catch his breath or digest the shock and humiliation—

“Fellow Daoist, you’ve worked hard.”

Li Muran’s gentle voice rang out once more. With a flick of his finger, he sent another emerald-green pill flying through the air. It landed precisely in Mu Sen’s mouth, which had opened slightly as he panted.

The pill transformed into a cool, pure medicinal energy that rapidly replenished his depleted Saint power.

“Fellow Daoist, quickly circulate your cultivation and refine it. You must recover as soon as possible. Don’t keep everyone waiting.”

Mu Sen’s body stiffened.

As he felt his strength rapidly recovering, he felt not the slightest joy. Instead, an even more piercing chill filled his heart.

The better the pill’s effects, the longer this exchange would continue, and the more rounds there would be!

Not only did they intend to beat him, they were even thoughtfully ensuring that he could maintain his best condition and continue fighting without end!

How could this be called a pill?

It was clearly a shackle locking him in place, preventing him from escaping this endless hell!

“Second group, move out!”

As if to confirm his fears, Ji Yanqiu’s voice rang out again, carrying a smile that sounded like a death sentence.

Another ten figures who had long since been unable to wait, all of them eagerly rubbing their fists and flexing their palms, immediately charged forward with excited shouts!

Mu Sen looked at those faces brimming with battle intent, as though they regarded him as a priceless treasure. His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, slowly sinking downward.

Confidence?

At this moment, almost none remained.

All that was left was a profound terror of this endless cycle of successive battles.

At Violet Bamboo Peak, Gu Changge and Xuanyangzi could sense the energy fluctuations rising and falling from the rear mountain, as well as the lively battles taking place inside.

Xuanyangzi watched with an ecstatic expression, rubbing his hands together as he turned to Gu Changge.

“Changge, I have to admit, your method really works! Just look at those old fellows. They’re usually cooped up in the secret realm, practically howling with frustration. Now they’ve finally found somewhere to let loose!”

“Looks like, in the future, whenever some ignorant guest comes knocking, we can invite them to stay at the sect for a few days and let them serve as sparring partners for the disciples.”

Just as the various Peak Masters and elders of the Qingxuan Sect were immersed in this exhilarating relay battle, with cheers and explosive clashes echoing endlessly through the rear mountain, three dusty figures whose auras had been restrained to the point of near concealment quietly passed through the sect-protecting array and landed soundlessly within the gates of the Qingxuan Sect.

They were none other than the Second Patriarch, the Third Patriarch, and the Fourth Patriarch.

They had spent several days circling around outside, repeatedly confirming that no one had followed them. They had also found no traps or tracking marks connected to the object they had picked up that appeared to be an imperial weapon.

Only then did the three of them truly relax and return to the sect.