My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

Chapter 161: 161 Palms, Great Sun Tathagata Appears in the Mountains

Not only Bai Zhi, but Qiu Lun beside him also showed a look of shock.

“My God, the ferocious beast recorded in the history books, we have really seen it today. If such a beast enters the battlefield, what kind of terrifying existence would that be?”

Those hard scales were obviously not something that mundane weapons could penetrate. If deployed during a battle between armies, it would certainly be a mighty weapon of war.

As time ticked away, the pitch-black night gradually became somewhat translucent, with the break of dawn painting the sky with the light of the fish belly white.

However, within the Thunder Pool, the three people were extraordinarily focused, all staring ahead.

“Crack crack crack crack!”

At the moment when the black snake skin shed, a pair of strong claws emerged from its waist and abdomen.

“The Jiao Transformation has succeeded.”

An Jing’s heart was also filled with immense joy. He could clearly sense the changes in the Thousand-year-old Black Python, especially after it had devoured the inner core of the Thunder Beast, which transformed into violent Thunder Essence within the python’s body.

It was unexpected that such an exotic beast really existed in this world, which meant that transforming into a True Dragon might also be possible.

However, the process of transforming into a True Dragon would likely be many times harder than the Jiao Transformation.

The Thousand-year-old Black Python continued to twist its body in the water, absorbing the Essence from the Thunder Pool bit by bit, causing the water in the pool to become somewhat transparent.

Soon after, the snake skin shed towards the head, and the python’s gill slits began to bulge.

The wrinkled snake skin fell off bit by bit, and the gill slits completely retracted, forming two bulges, as if something was about to protrude from them.

“Splash splash!”

The water in the Thunder Pool had become very transparent and turbulent, surging unevenly.

An Jing, controlling the Thousand-year-old Black Python, distinctly felt that the water around the pool became very harmonious, as if moving in it were swifter than on land. Not only that, he seemed able to control the surrounding waters for several meters.

“Roar!”

The body of the Thousand-year-old Black Python shook, then a resonating sound rose, dispersing the clouds above its head.

Qiu Lun and Bai Zhi stood in the distance, feeling the intimidating might that captured one’s soul, their faces turning pale.

Without experiencing that kind of formidable oppression, one would never understand the suffocating sensation.

It seemed like their knees were trembling.

Black Jiao!

The Thousand-year-old Black Python absorbed the Thunder Essence gathered over a hundred years in the Thunder Pool, and then devoured the inner core and fresh blood of the Thunder Beast, finally transforming into a Black Jiao.

The Black Jiao no longer had the gill slits the size of wings on its cheeks. They looked smaller on both sides, but overall the body was larger, almost two zhang in size. Its body had become extremely massive, growing by thirty percent in length and becoming thicker by more than two circles compared to the pre-transformation Thousand-year-old Black Python.

With a shake of its body, the Black Jiao soared into the air.

An Jing’s figure leapt up and landed on the back of the Black Jiao.

The area around the Thunder Pool was dense with nets of lightning. If the nets were damaged, the Thunder Pool would no longer be able to retain Thunder Essence.

Although the Black Jiao had no Qi Mechanism to freely pass through the lightning nets, An Jing was a living person who could not traverse the nets at will.

“Having already received such great benefits from the Five Poison Sect, it would be a tad disgraceful to destroy their lightning nets,” he thought.

With this thought, An Jing slightly shook his head.

“Congratulations, congratulations,”

Qiu Lun, fawning like a lackey, said, “Brother, your Black Python has transformed into a Black Jiao, it must be at least at the Grandmaster Realm, right?”

In the Jianghu, the term Grandmaster represented an existence revered above all.

Bai Zhi swallowed hard, cautiously surveying the Black Jiao.

Even though there were no fluctuations of Qi Mechanism on the Black Jiao’s body, its very appearance made his heart tremble.

Looking at the Black Jiao, An Jing thought, if the sensation given by the Thousand-year-old Black Python before was between a Grandmaster and a Half-step Master, now it had undergone a complete metamorphosis, undoubtedly increasing its strength significantly.

However, having just completed the Jiao Transformation, the body was not yet accustomed to it, and it might not be able to perform at its full potential.

Lou Xiangzhen had said that if the Thousand-year-old Black Python transformed into a Black Jiao, it would likely reach the Three Qi Grandmaster level.

At this thought, An Jing’s heart flared with excitement.

When the Five Qi converge, one can reach the realm of a Great Grandmaster.

Hence, every advancement within the realm of Grandmasters signifies a revolutionary change in cultivation.

Lou Xiangzhen had also told him that, to their knowledge, there were practically no Grandmasters who had reached the convergence of the Five Qi in the world. Even Xiao Qianqiu, who was known, was at the strength of the Three Qi Peak, though he might have reached the convergence of Four Qi, his exact strength was not widely known.

Therefore, the strength of a Grandmaster at the Three Qi convergence could already be said to be almost unmatched in the world.

Though an exotic beast lacks the combat flexibility of humans, its flesh and scales are not something that can be easily penetrated by the swords of ordinary people.

“Now, just wait for this mechanism to open, and if I find the chance to slip away, there should be no big problem,” An Jing thought to himself.

……

Five Poison Sect, outside the Thunder Pool.

Day turned to night, and dazzling sunshine fell upon the mountains of the Five Poison Sect.

The Five Poison Young Master, Ancestor Feng Lingyue, Lord Qiu Heng, Ling Yuanjing, and others all focused on the mechanism stone door ahead.

Waiting for that stone door to open.

“Ancestor, Sect Leader, the phenomenon at the Thunder Pool seems to be weakening, and the thunder essence is becoming quite sparse,”

said a Five Poison Sect elder as he approached.

“The thunder essence must have been almost completely absorbed by the Ghost Swordsman,”

Feng Lingyue said, frowning slightly.

“Ling’er, how much longer?” Dai Danshu asked with an icy gaze.

“There’s still the time it takes an incense stick to burn,” Dai Ling replied.

Upon hearing Dai Ling’s words, everyone held their breath and grew tense.

Especially Ling Yuanjing, the battle at Xuanqing Mountain was still vivid in his mind, and he wondered how much his strength would increase after entering the Thunder Pool this time.

However, even if he got stronger, it was useless. As long as Feng Lingyue was willing to make a move, An Jing was doomed.

The time it took an incense stick to burn quickly passed.

“Father, the time is up!”

Dai Ling reminded, biting her lower lip.

“Activate the mechanism!” Dai Danshu ordered coldly.

Dai Ling stepped forward and gently pressed on the mechanism.

“Click!” “Click!”

With a deafening noise, the huge stone door before them suddenly opened.

Three figures appeared in everyone’s view.

Aside from Qiu Heng, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the person in the middle.

At the moment the stone door opened, An Jing was also stunned.

What’s going on here!? How did all these people suddenly appear?

Could it be that I’ve already been exposed?

Seeing Dai Danshu and Ling Yuanjing’s eyes, An Jing immediately realized something, but he kept a calm expression on his face.

“Ghost Swordsman, we meet again,”

said Ling Yuanjing coldly, looking at An Jing.

“Peak Master Ling, Ghost Swordsman? What Ghost Swordsman?”

An Jing feigned confusion, as if he was puzzled.

You’re really good at pretending.

Qiu Heng shrank his neck beside him, privately sneering.

“You still deny it!?”

Ling Yuanjing’s eyes turned cold. “All the thunder essence in the Thunder Pool was absorbed by you. Explain this!”

As he spoke, Ling Yuanjing leaped forward, aiming a palm at An Jing’s heavenly spirit.

The Five Poison Young Master and the others impassively watched the scene unfold.

So decisive!

An Jing cursed inwardly. If he continued to pretend, taking a palm from Ling Yuanjing would mean certain death or at least severe injury.

He immediately channeled his inner strength, meeting the attack with a palm of his own.

“Boom!”

The moment the palms collided, a fierce sound echoed, and An Jing staggered backward several steps, while Ling Yuanjing flipped back.

“As expected!”

Seeing this, everyone present no longer had a shred of doubt.

Ling Yuanjing was at the Half-step Master Realm. How could someone who could clash with him without falling behind be just a First Grade expert?

Dai Ling stared at An Jing with cold eyes, as if flames jumped within them.

If looks could kill, An Jing would have already been slain countless times by her.

“Heavenly Flower Realm? Body Refining expert?”

Feng Lingyue’s brows raised slightly as she saw through An Jing’s cultivation and strength.

An Jing steadied himself, brushed the ash from his clothes, and said indifferently, “Peak Master Ling, we haven’t seen each other for long; why start with violence and killing?”

Since he was already exposed, there was no need to continue the pretense.

“How dare you!”

Before Ling Yuanjing could speak, the Five Poison Young Master, Dai Danshu, roared with anger.

Dai Danshu had initiated this search for a son-in-law, expecting to recruit a man of great fortune and virtue. Never had he envisioned that it would turn into such an absurd spectacle.

If this incident were to spread, how would the world view Dai Danshu, or think of Dai Ling?

“I had no choice.”

An Jing clasped his fists and earnestly said, “I have offended many today. If there is anything that Sect Leader Dai needs me to do, I will not refuse.”

After all, he had come to the Five Poison Sect under a false identity and had used up a century’s worth of Thunder Pool’s lightning essence, as well as killed the Thunder Beast—these were undeniable facts.

An Jing always believed in not harming others for personal gain. Now that he had crossed that line, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt.

“Serve us?!”

Upon hearing this, Dai Danshu sneered coldly, “Your actions today are unforgivable.”

“What about giving me a chance?” asked An Jing with a faint smile.

Qiu Lun and Bai Zhi watched the tense atmosphere, barely daring to breathe. They were acutely aware that behind this Ghost Swordsman was an extremely ferocious and relentless exotic beast.

Dai Danshu was about to speak when Feng Lingyue interrupted, “It’s not impossible to give you a chance, as long as you are willing to marry Ling’er and wish to stay within the Five Poison Sect in the future. Any grievances between you and the Five Poison Sect will naturally be forgiven.”

As the words of Feng Lingyue fell, everyone present changed their expressions.

“Ancestor…”

Dai Ling looked at Feng Lingyue in shock.

Was her ancestor really suggesting she marry the Ghost Swordsman? Was she dreaming?

Ling Yuanjing also frowned deeply, but having presided over the Zhenyi Sect for many years, he naturally understood the pros and cons involved.

It was true that the Ghost Swordsman had killed Tian Cansou, but that was a conflict over the Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence. The grievance could be deemed as both significant and minor depending on the perspective.

Now that the Ghost Swordsman had assumed a false identity to participate in the Five Poison Sect’s groom selection, and absorbed the lightning essence from the Thunder Pool, if he were to actually marry Dai Ling, then everything would make sense, and one might even say it was reasonable.

Moreover, if the Ghost Swordsman became the Five Poison Sect’s son-in-law, he would be considered half a member of the sect, and using the sect’s resources on him would be no waste.

Not only did the Ghost Swordsman possess undiscernibly powerful skills, but he was also young and carried a great destiny, which promised future achievements.

It would seem Feng Lingyue had calculated her moves quite excellently.

Five Poison Young Master, Dai Danshu, remained silent for a long time beside them. This arrangement could work, but…

“This must be the esteemed Elder Feng of the Five Poison Sect,” An Jing said with a smile, looking at the purple-robed elder.

“I, for one, have killed two great sages of the Zhenyi Sect, and I fear such enmity is not easily resolved,” An Jing said.

Feng Lingyue replied indifferently, “If you are willing, I am able to discuss the matter with Sect Leader Xiao and resolve this grudge.”

Feng Lingyue was of the same generation as Xiao Qianqiu’s master, Ye Ding, and even ranked above Xiao Qianqiu. Xiao Qianqiu would give him some face. With some compensation, the Zhenyi Sect might not pursue the matter further.

An Jing shook his head and said, “Elder Feng might not be able to resolve this grudge. My dispute with the Zhenyi Sect is a conflict of sect heritage and traditions.”

Conflict of sect heritage and traditions!?

Hearing An Jing’s words, Feng Lingyue’s expression tightened as something dawned on him. “Are you a disciple of Yan Shaoshan?” he asked sharply.

“I suppose you could say that,” An Jing nodded slightly. Yan Shaoshan was the old man who had taught him the Daluo Heart Method.

Having learned the Daluo Heart Method, claiming that he was not Yan Shaoshan’s disciple would likely convince few.

The Five Poison Young Master, Dai Danshu, looked towards Ling Yuanjing. He had not heard from Ling Yuanjing that the Zhenyi Sect and the Ghost Swordsman had become enemies for such a reason.

The division of the Mystical Sect into three was common knowledge throughout the world.

Taking a deep breath, Ling Yuanjing said, “Indeed, this matter pertains to the battle for doctrinal succession within our Mystical Sect. Unless the Ghost Swordsman is willing to relinquish the Daluo Heart Method and prostrate himself before the Zhenyi Sect’s Great Hall for three days, there’s a chance for reconciliation.”

Even if the Daluo Heart Method were surrendered, the enmity wouldn’t be easily resolved, as the Ghost Swordsman had killed two of their great sages.

“It seems, then, that our grudge is irreconcilable,” concluded An Jing with a smile.

Handing over the Daluo Heart Method was an impossibility, and kneeling at the Zhenyi Sect for three days was out of the question.

“If you’re thinking of leaving today, I’m afraid it won’t be so easy,” said Feng Lingyue in an emotionless tone.

This man had assumed a false identity to participate in the Five Poison Sect’s martial contest for marriage and had absorbed a century’s worth of lightning essence from the Thunder Pool. If the Five Poison Sect let this slide without any consequence, it would be the laughingstock of the world.

Moreover, capturing him and offering him to the Zhenyi Sect would be a considerable favor on their part.

In an instant, the situation, which had been somewhat eased, became tense once again.

Ling Yuanjing’s eyes flashed with a cold sharpness upon seeing this.

“Alas.”

An Jing let out a long sigh, “This is not what I had in mind.”

“Boom!”

The next moment, the stone door behind him was violently struck and burst into pieces with a loud crash.

“Run!”

Qiu Lun and Bai Zhi hurriedly retreated into the distance; no one knew better than they what was emerging from behind the door.

“Roar!”

A wild and turbulent roar echoed in all directions, shaking the hearts of all who heard it.

Then, out of the ruins of the mechanical stone door, an enormous creature coiled behind An Jing, its cold and domineering eyes looking down at the people below.

Even though there was no flow of Qi mechanism, that appearance alone sent chills shooting through everyone’s hearts.

“A Black Flood Dragon?! Is that a Flood Dragon?!”

Ling Yuanjing exclaimed.

Flood Dragons, notorious for their ferocity in ancient historical records, often brought great disasters upon their appearance. Consequently, whenever such exotic beasts appeared throughout history, they were hunted down. There were also many records about Flood Dragons in history.

Among them, the Azure Flood Dragon and the Red Flood Dragon were mentioned, with the Red Flood Dragon being famous for being slain by the founder of Great Yan, the Human Emperor, who took its inner core and the most precious scales, along with countless rare materials, to forge the Emperor’s Sword.

Now, that very Emperor’s Sword was in the hands of one of the Five Great Sword Immortals, the Sword Custodian Zhong Binru.

“What?! A Flood Dragon?!”

“An exotic beast so vicious?”

…..

The members of the Five Poison Sect all changed their expressions drastically, exclaiming in shock.

Clearly, the sudden appearance of the Black Flood Dragon filled them with a chilling awe.

“It’s the transformation of the Black Python; no wonder it needed the Thunder Pool of my Five Poison Sect,”

Five Poison Young Master Dai Danshu said, as a look of realization dawned upon him.

Qiu Heng’s brows furrowed in concern as he couldn’t help thinking, “I never expected this Ghost Swordsman to have such an exotic beast protecting him…”

Flood Dragons are inherently brutal, and the Black Flood Dragon is one of the most outstanding among them. History records no instance of a Flood Dragon being subdued, which speaks volumes about the capabilities of the one who managed to do so.

“Hmm!?”

Feng Lingyue sensed something peculiar within the Black Flood Dragon, and anger rose in his heart, “You Black Flood Dragon dared to devour the Thunder Beast?!”

From the body of the Black Flood Dragon, Feng Lingyue could sense traces of the Thunder Beast’s essence that had not yet completely dissipated.

It went without saying that the Black Flood Dragon had devoured the Thunder Beast and had yet to fully digest its inner core.

“You’re very bold!”

Hearing this, Five Poison Young Master Dai Danshu was even more enraged.

Everyone from the Five Poison Sect looked furious, staring daggers at An Jing, wishing they could carve him up a thousand times over.

The Thunder Beast was the guardian beast of the Five Poison Sect, a symbol of auspiciousness. Now, it had been devoured by the Ghost Swordsman’s Black Flood Dragon, how could the members of the Five Poison Sect not be infuriated?

An Jing said nothing. It was true that the Thunder Beast had coveted the essence of the Black Python, but equally true was his own act of slaying the Thunder Beast, aiding the thousand-year-old Black Python in its transformation into a Flood Dragon.

No matter how it was presented, the fact he had entered the Thunder Pool under a false identity meant that any explanation would leave him at fault.

“Ancestor, no need to waste words with him. Let’s capture this man first,”

Five Poison Young Master Dai Danshu took a deep breath and said.

Feng Lingyue, looking at the Black Flood Dragon and feeling a sudden surge of cold inside, then loudly declared, “Today we shall see me slay a Flood Dragon!”

After speaking, True Qi roared within him.

In a flicker, the heavens and earth seemed unable to withstand the rolling and mighty force, trembling unceasingly.

Feng Lingyue was a Second Qi Grandmaster, one of the topmost experts in the world.

When he led the Five Poison Sect away from the Demon Sect, even the Demon Sect Hierarch had no means against him, and Jiang Shang, upon seeing him, would address him as senior brother.

Had it not been for Jiang Shang’s diabolical talent and supreme innate ability, which had him earmarked as the next Hierarch of the Demon Sect, Feng Lingyue might have had the chance to contend for the position of the Sect Hierarch himself.

What a terrifying existence he was!

It could be said that the prominence of the Five Poison Sect as one of the seven major factions today relied on Feng Lingyue alone.

“So powerful, is this a Grandmaster?”

Bai Zhi, watching the trembling heavens and earth, felt fear gripping his heart to the extreme.

Although the Black Jiao was extremely powerful, its body bore no sign of Qi mechanism, unable to strike directly at the innermost depths of the heart.

Dai Ling and Ling Yuanjing both saw this and a glimmer of sharpness flashed across their eyes.

The Black Jiao’s colossal body shuddered and lunged toward the sky, soon after, the trembling sound echoed in all directions.

The sky darkened abruptly, completely obscured by a stream of black Qi.

The inner core within the Black Jiao began to operate, unleashing a tremendous oppressive force like ancient mountains, rampaging and sweeping across the entire Five Poison Mountain.

It was as if everyone’s heart was being hammered, all of them shaking uncontrollably while tilting their heads back to look up at the Black Jiao above.

As the Black Jiao’s inner core operated, it seemed to come alive in an instant.

The domineering presence rolled in, carrying a dark and eerie gleam, its formidable aura reaching sky-high as though it could tear the heavens apart.

A chill ran through Feng Lingyue’s heart, and behind him emerged the giant phantom of an ancient clam.

No sooner had it been said than done.

The air rippled, and the force of the hand strike collided with the massive claw of the Black Jiao.

Boom!

The instant they collided, the air of heaven and earth trembled, and the ground around the Thunder Pool could no longer withstand such devastation, showing deep fractures.

Feng Lingyue felt a significant resistance in front of him, followed by a terrible, savage, and rampant aura rushing into his body, causing him to step back repeatedly.

Such an intense Black Jiao!

Everyone saw that after the Black Jiao and Feng Lingyue clashed, Feng Lingyue took several steps back, his facial expression becoming extremely grave.

The Black Jiao circled in the high sky, its enormous head looking down upon the people of the Five Poison Sect from above, its pair of eyes as large as lanterns, conveying an extreme sense of oppression.

Apart from Feng Lingyue, everyone else felt a chill rising in their spines, shooting straight up to the crown of their heads.

“It’s better to leave quickly.”

An Jing did not wish to engage with a grandmaster like Feng Lingyue, so he prepared to jump onto the back of the Black Jiao to leave.

“Want to leave!?”

Feng Lingyue, seeing this, pointed his finger towards the air.

“Hiss!”

A beam of Qi whizzed through the air, incredibly fast.

“Not good!”

The moment An Jing saw Feng Lingyue raise his hand, he knew something bad was about to happen, but it was too late to dodge, and that beam pierced through his chest.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

An Jing landed on the ground, retreating step by step as a hole the size of a thumb appeared on his chest, with blood ‘gurgling’ forth.

“So powerful!”

The Golden Bone that even a half-step master couldn’t break, was now gravely injured by a single finger strike from Feng Lingyue.

This was the strength of a Grandmaster.

“Roar!”

The Black Jiao roared lowly and then its body shuddered as it charged over.

“I will hold off this Exotic Beast. The rest of you quickly make a move and capture this person,” Feng Lingyue slowly said.

He too was uncertain in his heart whether he could completely defeat the Black Jiao, especially after clashing with it just once, he could feel the strength of its powerful body and how its claws carried tens of millions of pounds of force.

It was truly too terrifying; even the force exerted by the several Grandmasters from the Great Snow Mountain might be three parts weaker than that of the Black Jiao.

Having said that, Feng Lingyue swiftly leaped up to meet with the Black Jiao.

Feng Lingyue’s clashes with the Black Jiao were mighty and forceful, even causing the small hill to tremble and sway.

The sky turned dusky, and the sun and moon lost their light!

Only a Grandmaster at the Master Realm could withstand such a ferocious Exotic Beast with their mortal flesh and blood.

At this moment, this intense battle also drew the attention of many experts who hadn’t yet left the vicinity of Five Poison Mountain.

“Look quickly, that person seems to be the Five Poison Elder!”

“Has such a legendary figure of Jianghu appeared today?”

“What a terrifying Exotic Beast!?”

“Is that the Black Jiao transformed from the thousand-year-old Black Python?”

“Even the Five Poison Elder is helpless against it, truly terrifying.”

……..

Everyone who saw the Black Flood Dragon was shockingly astounded.

Such an exotic beast had only been seen in ancient texts; who had truly witnessed one before?

An Jing, while distracted controlling the Black Flood Dragon, watched the Five Poison Young Master and Ling Yuanjing below, ready to leave at any moment riding the Black Flood Dragon.

“Brother Ling, this man is unarmed and has sustained heavy injuries. What are our chances of victory if the two of us join forces?”

Dai Danshu asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing Dai Danshu’s words, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts—his intentions were clear; he wanted to team up with Ling Yuanjing to take on the Ghost Swordsman.

“Eighty percent.”

Ling Yuanjing’s eyes slightly narrowed.

A Sword Immortal without a sword was like a tiger without its teeth.

Moreover, he was already heavily injured.

Feng Lingyue had cultivated the Five Poison Technique; a Grandmaster’s Qi mechanism invading the body would significantly weaken even the Ghost Swordsman’s formidable Inner Strength.

Many eyes turned towards them, intrigued by the prospect of Ling Yuanjing and the Five Poison Young Master teaming up against An Jing.

Noticing this, the Five Poison Young Master did not hesitate to spur his Inner Strength; black Qi surged skyward as he coldly stared at An Jing.

Ling Yuanjing’s sleeves fluttered as his vast Inner Strength roiled behind him, creating the faint illusion of a mountain manifesting.

As the two Half-step Masters made their move, their Inner Strength’s oppression swooped down, causing numerous experts to tremble with fear and astonishment under its pressure.

“Such a terrifying oppression!” Qiu Lun said with a heavy expression.

And he was just on the outskirts; it was hard to imagine the tremendous pressure An Jing faced directly against the two Half-step Masters.

Countless gazes fixed on An Jing, only to see the young man standing still, with his clothes iron-cast and unflinched, regardless of how fierce the Inner Strength assaulted him.

An Jing looked up, staring ahead at the two figures that blazed like the scorching sun, feeling a hint of pressure himself.

Last time on Xuanqing Mountain, he had the Thousand-year-old Black Boa by his side and the Evil Suppressing Sword in hand.

Now, not only was the Evil Suppressing Sword gone, but he also had the residual Qi of Feng Lingyue within him.

“Huff…”

An Jing took a deep breath.

Three figures confronted each other, their aura so thick that even the air seemed to freeze.

Bang!

The frozen atmosphere shattered in an instant as the Five Poison Young Master made the first move, locking onto An Jing with his rolling Inner Strength, seeking to engulf him.

Ling Yuanjing, meanwhile, waited for an opening to exploit.

An Jing leaped into the fray, engaging in fierce battle with the Five Poison Young Master.

In the air above, waves of Inner Strength force clashed wildly.

An Jing’s punching and kicking skills were average, not exceptionally skilled, but he still possessed a Heavenly Martial Level Finger Technique and a Heavenly Martial Level Body Refining Finger Technique.

Two figures on the peak of Five Poison Mountain fought fiercely, with the ripples of their Qi mechanisms spreading like waves.

Whoosh!

A shadow flashed across the sky, swift as a streak of black light.

An Jing, after repelling the onslaught of the Five Poison Young Master, leaped straight toward Ling Yuanjing, attacking him.

Sensing the domineering Finger Force and the robust Inner Strength, Ling Yuanjing too was startled and began retreating rapidly.

Seeing Ling Yuanjing retreat, An Jing sped up even more and vanished from his original spot in an instant.

Nine Heavens Soaring Body Technique!

“So fast!”

Ling Yuanjing’s eyebrows raised as a surge of Inner Strength erupted, gathering in his arms.

A cold killing intent appeared in his eyes as he brutally pressed down towards An Jing.

Thousand Mountains Palm Technique! Sea Stabilizing Form!

As Ling Yuanjing’s palm came down, it seemed as if a black mountain appeared overhead. Beneath it, An Jing seemed to have nowhere to hide, no place to seek refuge.

Whir.

This sudden turn of events elicited gasps from many experts around, and exclamations followed without restraint: “It’s the Thousand Mountains Palm Technique! This is Ling Yuanjing’s ultimate skill.”

Qiu Heng silently remarked, “Ling Yuanjing has cultivated this True Martial Level palm technique to the Ninth Layer; it’s his ace in the hole. Is he really using it right off the bat?”

The other experts were also astonished that Ling Yuanjing had resorted to his ace skill so soon, apparently giving the Ghost Swordsman no chance to catch his breath.

With one palm strike, ripples quivered in the air, and from those ripples emerged a palm print as massive as a mountain.

An Jing’s gaze turned icy as the inner strength within his body circulated, and a golden light surged behind him, indicating the Heavenly Martial Level Body Refining Martial Arts technique “Brahma Heart Sees Me.”

Nine Yang Divine Finger! Pointing Qiankun!

A single point shot out like an aurora piercing the daylight.

In the knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, it was clear that fists break fingers, fingers break palms, and palms break fists.

The moment that overwhelming Finger Force collided with the Handprint, the aurora shattered the Thousand Mountains Palm Technique and surged mightily towards Ling Yuanjing.

“Bang Bang Bang Bang!”

Ling Yuanjing’s inner strength shook and formed a protective Light Shield around him, blocking all the Force Qi from reaching him.

“What a formidable Ghost Swordsman, could all of his martial arts be at the Heavenly Martial Level?”

Seeing this, Ling Yuanjing was deeply shaken.

Martial arts at the Heavenly Martial Level were not only precious but also required time for cultivation and deep study as they became more profound and inscrutable.

Even if a golden mountain was placed before someone, not everyone would be able to obtain it.

During this gap, the Five Poison Young Master once again soared into action.

Boom!

An Jing and the Five Poison Young Master clashed fiercely, their inner strength rolling like waves. An Jing shot backward but immediately steadied himself. However, this time he didn’t gain the upper hand.

This was partly because he had just exchanged blows with Ling Yuanjing and his breath was unstable, and partly because the Qi Mechanism of Feng Lingyue within his body stirred uncomfortably.

Five Poison True Energy!

That wildly rampant Five Poison True Energy wreaked havoc in his body, disturbing his Dantian so much that it started to feel abnormal.

“Today you won’t be able to escape, even if you had wings!”

An Jing’s eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head and saw Ling Yuanjing appearing not far behind him, cutting off all of his escape routes.

At this moment atop the mountain range, Feng Lingyue was fiercely battling the Black Flood Dragon, causing the ground to shake and boulders to tumble down; their fight was even more intense than An Jing’s.

The Black Flood Dragon had j ust transformed and couldn’t unleash its full strength; moreover, Feng Lingyue was a very powerful Grandmaster. It was extremely difficult to defeat the cunning Feng Lingyue at this time.

“This Five Poison True Energy is really troublesome.”

An Jing struggled to suppress the Five Poison True Energy within him, but how could he, with his strength, contain the Qi Mechanism of a Grandmaster.

His complexion became paler and even appeared slightly distorted.

In the distance, many Jianghu experts who saw this scene shook their heads secretly. It seemed the outcome of today’s battle was already determined; the Ghost Swordsman who had dominated the Jianghu now seemed doomed.

However, to be able to fight fiercely against two great Half-step Masters while severely injured was enough to show the Ghost Swordsman’s terror.

The Five Poison Young Master’s handsome eyes carried a hint of regret. Such a talented person, if fallen into the hands of the Zhenyi Sect, would likely only have one end.

But if you were to blame, blame him for trying to be strong and insisting on delivering himself to his death at the Five Poison Sect.

Thinking this, the Five Poison Young Master’s figure flashed.

Gecko Wall-Crawling Technique!

An Jing inwardly cursed at the bad turn of events, not expecting the Five Poison Young Master’s speed to be so astonishingly quick, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

The Handprint struck, aiming directly at the crown of his head.

“Bang!”

An Jing had no choice but to meet it with a palm of his own. As the palms collided, an exploding force spread from his arm and shook his viscera painfully.

“It’s poisoned…”

An Jing quickly looked at his palm where a dark green radiance had silently entered his body.

The Five Poison Technique contained the venom of centipedes, snakes, scorpions, geckos, and toads, each one being deadly toxic, and the Five Poison Technique had combined them into a peculiar poison.

“What an opportunity!”

Ling Yuanjing’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he launched an attack towards An Jing.

“Bang!”

A punch was hurled out, hitting directly on An Jing’s wound, which had already been pierced through by Feng Lingyue. A dull sound followed, and blood sprayed from An Jing’s back.

“Ah!”

An Jing spat out a mouthful of black blood as “Brahma Heart Sees Me” was instantly broken and his body shook unsteadily, like a leaf in the wind.

“Ghost Swordsman, it seems you are done for.”

“Pity, the world loses a great Sword Immortal.”

“Who would have thought, truly unexpected, that this Ghost Swordsman would just be a meteor across the Jianghu.”

…….

Murmurs of discussion arose around, everyone bearing a sense of lament and pity.

Clearly, everyone thought that the Ghost Swordsman had no chance of survival today, including Pingyang Marquis Qiu Heng.

Ling Yuanjing’s expression was icy, silently watching An Jing.

“Uncle Zhang, today your great vendetta will finally be avenged,” said Dai Ling, his expression slightly complex as he watched the Ghost Swordsman.

This period of time, he was almost his own nightmare, but now this nightmare was finally about to dissipate.

The Ghost Swordsman was about to die, and the only regret was not killing him with his own hands.

“What a pity.”

Qiu Lun looked towards the distant Black Flood Dragon and thought to himself, “If only I could obtain the method to control the Black Flood Dragon from the Ghost Swordsman. Maybe later I can try to search the body, perhaps I can find some methods to control the Black Flood Dragon.”

Thinking of controlling the Black Flood Dragon in the future, Qiu Lun’s heart was pounding wildly.

Dai Danshu took a deep breath and said, “Alright, capture him. Uncle Feng is still struggling against the Black Flood Dragon.”

Feng Lingyue was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Black Flood Dragon, and it seemed that he might not have the upper hand.

“Okay.”

Ling Yuanjing nodded slightly and then walked towards the staggering An Jing, “When the time comes, as long as you hand over the Daluo Heart Method, my Zhenyi Sect will grant you a quick end.”

An Jing was gasping for breath, watching as Ling Yuanjing approached slowly, the Inner Strength within his body somewhat chaotic.

The Black Flood Dragon was an external factor that could abandon Feng Lingyue and attack at any moment.

Just as he was about to control the Black Flood Dragon to launch a surprise attack on Ling Yuanjing, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

A glimmer of golden light, like glazed glass, was born from within An Jing’s body.

“Great Sun Tathagata Mantra!?”

In that moment, An Jing’s consciousness became somewhat blurred, but in the next moment, it was as if a surge of Essence rushed out from within him, suddenly making him somewhat sober.

The severe poison from the Five Poison Young Master, and the Qi Mechanism from Feng Lingyue, were instantly absorbed by that golden light.

“Hm!?”

A sudden reflection of golden light burst forth behind An Jing as if at that moment, it were even more dazzling than the sun hanging in the sky.

“This is bad, act now!”

The Five Poison Young Master and Ling Yuanjing exchanged glances and charged toward An Jing once again.

“Humming! Humming!”

A wave of Zen chanting vibrated, echoing through the heavens and the earth.

Suddenly, behind An Jing emerged a golden Buddha. He pointed one hand to the heavens and the other touched the earth, his dignity revealing limitless Zen spirit.

An Jing took nine steps around, then he, too, pointed one hand to the heavens and the other touched the earth, his visage dignified. Afterward, he put his palms together.

At that moment, the golden Buddha behind him struck out with a palm.

“Boom! Boom!”

The palm strike from the Buddha was like a mountain falling. The air was compressed and spewed forth, exploding into cracking sounds.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Both the Five Poison Young Master and Ling Yuanjing, two Half-step Master experts, were shaken back by the palm strike, their bodies tumbling to the ground like kites with broken strings.

Whoosh!

The whole place was in an uproar, everyone stunned, with Dai Ling feeling as though he had been struck by lightning.

Looking at that elusive Zen chanting, the imposing golden Buddha alone in its majesty.

Beneath that golden Buddha, An Jing had his palms together, his demeanor gaining a touch of grandness and extraordinary magnificence.

“Is… is this the Buddha Master’s method?”

“Could the Ghost Swordsman be a man of the Buddhist sect?”

……

Inexplicably, a strange thought appeared in the minds of everyone present.

The Ghost Swordsman had always been mysterious, no one knew his true appearance or age, and now under such dire circumstances, he displayed such immense Divine Skills and Martial Arts of the Buddhist sect.

How could the hearts of the crowd not be filled with suspicion?

Meanwhile, the Five Poison Young Master and Ling Yuanjing trembled as they stood up.

An Jing did not look at the two men, but instead set his eyes on the Black Flood Dragon that was battling Feng Lingyue in the distance, preparing to escape by stepping onto the Black Flood Dragon.

“Where do you think you’re going!?”

Just then, a thunderous voice, like rolling thunder, sounded.

An Jing followed the voice and saw two overwhelmingly strong auras coming violently.