"You are all insane!" Yu Yangzi burst out in anger.
As a disciple of the Elder Celestial Master, the Elder Celestial Master was dear to him as a mountain, how could he tolerate anyone insulting his master.
"Junior, you better allow him to come out and accept Ancestor Celestial Master's decree obediently!" The elder finally spoke again, his mild words, however, carrying an unquestionable intent.
Although the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage belonged to the Taoist School, it was a very domineering power even in the Sky Wasteland world, and it was the same within the Dragon Tiger Mountain itself, the decree of the Ancestor Celestial Master could not be contravened.
They returned to the ancestral land carrying the decree of the Ancestor Celestial Master, to ensure that the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage of the ancestral land obeys the commands and prepares for the future return of the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage from Sky Wasteland.
A cold light flashed in Yu Yangzi's eyes, which was caught by the young man. Wrath flared in the latter's eyes as well: "Are you not in agreement? Let me subdue you first, then bring your Elder Celestial Master for the decree."
This ancestral land had already declined, only occupied by some lucky ones who had breakthroughs due to the revival of Heaven and Earth. If the Heaven and Earth had not revived, they would eventually turn to dust after a six-decade-cycle.
Now that they have come with the Ancestor Celestial Master's decree, these people should be obsequiously obeying, instead of showing discontent. This is truly reckless and arrogant.
However, he didn't expect Yu Yangzi to be more decisive in his actions.
"So what if it's Ancestor Celestial Master's decree, if the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage of Sky Wasteland consists only of such arrogant rebellious people, then it's just as well that this Dragon Tiger Mountain doesn't entertain them!" Yu Yangzi roared angrily in his heart.
Thousands of years are enough to obliterate many things. Not only was the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage of Sky Wasteland lacking any emotional ties to the ancestral land's Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage, the folks from the Daming World felt the same.
In their perspective, their memories of the Ancestor Celestial Master and other ancestral masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain were nothing more than names on wooden tablets, clay statues. They never thought there would come a day to meet.
Even when they heard about the existence of a Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage in Sky Wasteland, the Elder Celestial Master chose to agree to the alliance of offense and defense requested by Pei Xuanjing and others. After all, both sides had lost contact for thousands of years. Besides bearing the same name, what connection is there?
Yu Yangzi and his peers more or less shared the same thoughts. If these people of Sky Wasteland could behave courteously, maybe they could revive old friendships and merge again.
But now, these people were acting domineering and disrespectful, disrespecting the Elder Celestial Master. Yu Yangzi could no longer bear it.
Clang!
The divine sword at Yu Yangzi's waist was abruptly unsheathed.
The Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying Treasure Sword, one of the Yin swords was under Yu Yangzi's control. Given the young man's insolence, there wasn't an iota of hesitation in Yu Yangzi.
The divine sword was unsheathed, revealing its edge. The sharp sword cut through the air, the resulting sword energy overflowing, flooding the whole hall.
With Yu Yangzi taking action, many Dragon Tiger Mountain masters, who had originally been standing by the side, also decisively unsheathed their swords.
They shared the same thought— they recognized only the Elder Celestial Master, and not any individuals returning from Sky Wasteland.
"Insolence!"
The young man didn't expect that a mere Spirit Realm Onefold would dare to draw his sword against him, using a Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying Treasure Sword at that. Even though the sword was clearly a replica, he was infuriated.
A disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain being threatened with a Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying Treasure Sword – once word gets out, it would be a great laughing matter.
He didn't hesitate any longer and acted fiercely.
Five Thunder Righteous Law, the martial art inherited by Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Countless bursts of thunder exploded and bombarded towards Yu Yangzi.
At this moment, the light from Yu Yangzi's sword was also blazingly brilliant in front of him. The two men's confrontation triggered a thunderous explosion, setting off a massive shockwave that, tangible in essence, swept from the center of their clash in all directions.
Yu Yangzi retreated several paces, letting out a muffled grunt. A touch of pallor appeared on his face; clearly, this clash had affected him greatly.
He had lost just by the initial testing of their strengths. Even with the Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying divine sword in his hand, he wasn't equipped to handle the strength of a Spirit Realm Third-Level practitioner.
"Hmph!"
The young man fighting back had a hint of anger in his eyes, looking at his sleeves cut by the sword energy, he immediately thought of killing Yu Yangzi.
Absolute humiliation—a Spirit Realm Onefold individual had wounded him—but only because he had use of a divine weapon. This was a path to death.
In this moment, he didn't consider whether his opponent was the successor of the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage of his ancestral land—he attacked again with murderous intent.
Booming rumble—continuous muffled sounds of thunder echoed, and explosive roars were endless.
Yu Yangzi, of course, would not submit readily. With a sweep of the divine sword in his hand, the booming sword howl echoed forth, conquering sword energy like a furious thunderstorm.
Exterminate Evil Sword Skill!
With this technique executed by Yu Yangzi, leveraging the power of the divine sword, the strength demonstrated was indeed extraordinary.
But the young man had a stronger power. With a palm strike from him, dragons roared and tigers howled. The palm wind landed on Yu Yangzi's shoulder, making him fly backwards by several distances, crashing into the chairs behind him in a sorry state.
"Master!"
Many powerful practitioners of Dragon Tiger Mountain shouted in surprise.
"It is nothing!" Yu Yangzi stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at the young man with wariness.
"Seems the lesson I gave you wasn't enough." The young man's eyes flashed with a icy ray, and he attacked again, apparently intending to kill Yu Yangzi.
Yu Yangzi quickly prepared to defend, signaling with his sword.
However, before he could react, he was held back by a firm hand on his shoulder, and a gentle primordial qi entered his dantian, repairing the injury he had just sustained.
"Master!"
Yu Yangzi knew his master had come to his aid.
"Leave the rest to me, rest and recuperate to prevent any development of a latent injury." said the Elder Celestial Master, appearing before Yu Yangzi. As he channeled primordial qi to heal Yu Yangzi, he turned to look at the aggressive young man, a hint of killing intent flitting through his eyes.
Boom!
The Elder Celestial Master flicked his sleeve, and a terrifying force surged forth and struck directly at the young man.
The pleased expression on the young man's face instantly vanished, transforming into a look of astonishment. With a disbelieving look, he flew backwards, crashed into the ground, and started coughing up large amounts of blood. He even regurgitated parts of his shattered organs and couldn't get up for quite a while.
"Zhuoran!" Another young man's face changed dramatically, and he quickly ran to him.
The previously composed old man also looked serious, and harshly addressed Elder Celestial Master, "Your attack was excessively severe!"
The appearance of the Elder Celestial Master happened too abruptly. Although he saw the Elder Celestial Master stop Zhang Zhuoran, he thought it was only as a deterrent. He didn't expect the Elder Celestial Master to act decisively and severely.
It was just one move. Even though it didn't endanger Zhang Zhuoran's life, he undoubtedly needed a long time to recover, and it might even damage his foundation.
"Severe?" The Elder Celestial Master's eyes grew cold and he disdainfully replied: "I've been very merciful, at least I spared his life. If it were in the past, a youngster with such a cruel nature would have been long killed by me."
How could the Ancestor Celestial Master not be angry? Yu Yangzi was his close disciple, his appointed successor, and the current Heavenly Master. The audacity of the offender who had tried to kill him was an insult to the elder's dignity.
The Ancestor Celestial Master, who had once made formidable individuals like Zhao Baiyang and the Qingxu Taoist wary, was not one with a gentle temperament. A lenient character would not have attained the position that he had.
In the face of such ruthless cruelty towards his disciple, the fact that the Ancestor Celestial Master had not retaliated was him showing respect towards the powers behind these people – the Celestial Masters originating from the Sky Wasteland.
"In returning with the decree of our ancestor, I find you disregarding it and even daring to act in rebellion. Are you plotting betrayal against Dragon Tiger Mountain?" said Zhang Chengzhou, the eldest of the trio, his voice cold.
It would appear that the warnings that he had received about betrayers during his departure were right. It had been thousands of years, and those who remained behind had forgotten their respect for their ancestral master, proving themselves to be ungrateful descendants.
No wonder important individuals had warned him; he needed to remove any potential threats and act resolutely if need arise. The priority should be to ensure a smooth return to Dragon Tiger Mountain.
"You abandoned all contact for thousands of years, only to return and harm the present-day Celestial Master. Is this how our ancestors treat their loyal followers?" The Ancestor Celestial Master retorted sharply, challenging their actions.
Although he did not know the reasons behind their abandonment, he understood that his lineage had been left behind to struggle with survival. His lineage had maintained the dignity of the Dragon Tiger Mountain for thousands of years without any acknowledgement from their superiors. Now, they were expected to submit just because a minor official was sent? This was utterly ludicrous.
Even after hundreds of years following the rejuvenation of Heaven and Earth, the Ancestor Celestial Master still held a significant position in society, despite his low-profile nature. Nobody dared belittle him.
What were these people up to? How did they view him? If he continued to yield, wouldn't he be reduced to a helpless beggar?
Unfortunately, the Ancestor Celestial Master was not one to bend easily. He had remained standing all these years, refusing to kneel.
So what if the people from the Sky Wasteland were stronger? They merely had the advantage of a better environment. If they were in the same situation as him, they would be no different from ordinary folks.
Having been a revered figure for years, the Ancestor Celestial Master wasn't going to submit just because they were the origin of the Sky Wasteland's Celestial Masters. He was open to reconciliation had they approached him with humility and respect. However, their provocation was something he could not tolerate.
This was something Pei Xuanjing had anticipated, no one wants to play second fiddle after being accustomed to being a leader.
The ancient powers of the Sky Wasteland had left a legacy here, but thousands of years had passed. Time had gradually eroded their status and significance.
Had they been able to return immediately and suppress all lingering influences with a thundering dominance, there would have been no room for conflict. Their subjects would have had no choice but to silently yield.
Regrettably, the rejuvenation of Heaven and Earth was a gradual process that provided the opportunity and time for these powers to develop. Once they gained power, they would be unwilling to submit easily.
Conflict was thus inevitable.
"So, you're refusing to abide by the orders of our ancestors?" A sense of glee flashed in Zhang Chengzhou's eyes as he continued pressing the issue without answering their questions directly.
The Ancestor Celestial Master might have been dissatisfied with the ancestral lineage from the Sky Wasteland, but it wasn't like they looked highly upon the plebeians from the ancestral land themselves.
If they didn't want to cooperate and planned on opposing the ancestral decree, he would suppress them directly. After all, it was time for them to witness the true might of the Dragon Tiger Mountain's ancestral lineage.
"It seems our negotiations are at a standstill," the Ancestor Celestial Master sighed, shaking his head slightly.
They clearly had no intention of having an equal conversation and considered their submission their right.
Zhang Chengzhou smirked in cold amusement. "Since that's the case, let me show you the true power of our Celestial Masters!" he proclaimed, his voice turning icy.
Boom!
His aura exploded as he took a step forward, his hands outstretched towards the Ancestor Celestial Master.
The display of power from the Fifth Order of the Spiritual Realm left everyone present in shock. Although the powerhouses of the Dragon Tiger Mountain were formidable, witnessing such a terrifying display of power instilled a sense of fear in their hearts, threatening their lives at any moment.
In the Sky Wasteland's Dragon Tiger Mountain, a cultivator of the Spiritual Realm Fifth Order might not be considered powerful, but in the recently revived Daming World, they were highly regarded. Only Pei Xuanjing and Zhu Houji, the highest-ranking individuals in the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, could easily surmount them.
Feeling the terrifying onslaught of his power, the already pale faced Yu Yangzi further lost color. He wondered if his master stood a chance against such a formidable enemy.
Although Dragon Tiger Mountain had many spiritually powerful beings, it singularly relied on the Ancestor Celestial Master as its pillar. If he were to fall, they would likely forfeit any hopes of resistance and become mere puppets.
Yet, despite everyone's concern, the Ancestor Celestial Master faced the terrifying power surge without any fear. Displaying an unperturbed demeanor, he allowed his equally terrifying energy to burst forth.
A strong flow of Primordial Qi surrounded him, causing his Daoist robe to billow. He might have had white hair, but his face was youthful. He exuded strength from his stout physique, emulating terrifying power.
He was at the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm!
No one might have expected that the Ancestor Celestial Master had progressed to the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm discreetly.
Zhang Yunhong, who had been helping the injured Zhang Zhuoran, was slightly taken aback by the revelation, his eyes flashing with shock.
Though the difference between the Fourth and Third level of the Spiritual Realm appeared marginal, in reality, it was immense. The Third Level was of the Fourth Order, while the Fourth Level belonged to the Fifth Order, qualifying them as a Great Cultivator.
No wonder his casual strike earlier had severely wounded Zhang Zhuoran.
What shocked Zhang Yunhong was the Ancestor Celestial Master's talent. In just over a decade following the rejuvenation of Heaven and Earth, he had advanced from a common martial artist to the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm. This rate of cultivation was astounding.
Even in the Qi-rich Sky Wasteland, young talents nurtured by large forces would struggle to progress at such a rapid pace. The jump from the Third to Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm was a significant hurdle and not easily overcome.
"So, you're at the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm. Still, that's not enough," scoffed Zhang Chengzhou, shaking his head.
Zhang Chengzhou was not surprised by the fact that the old Heavenly Master had revealed his strength at the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, as he had speculated it from his opponent's move earlier.
Moreover, even if his opponent had luckily broken into the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, with his own strength, he could easily suppress him.
"Is that so?" Old Heavenly Master chuckled lightly, and made his move decisively.
In an instant, it seemed like the roars of dragons and tigers resonated around him, breaking free like shackles being smashed, and his whole person was like a towering mountain, standing proudly and immovable.
With a simultaneous clap of his palms, the fingerprints transformed into a dragon and a tiger, roaring and howling as they rushed towards Zhang Chengzhou.
Boom!
The principle of the old Heavenly Master was, if you want to make a move, don't hesitate at all.
Everyone could feel the terror radiating from these embodied dragons and tigers.
Zhang Chengzhou watched as these tigers and dragons, transformed into tangible forms, exerted an overwhelming power. Opening their wide bloody mouths, they seemed to want to swallow him whole.
He stood still, allowing the relentless gusts of wind to sweep over him, but they didn't cause him to budge an inch.
"Merely parlor tricks!"
Zhang Chengzhou sneered, lifted his hand, and a talisman light flickered on his body, as he delivered a powerful palm strike.
A talisman formed in his hand, gathering countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and howled out, carrying a great momentum.
Boom!
The collision of the two released a terrifying power that caused the entire hall to shake and the stone slabs under their feet to continuously crack.
However, the outcome of this clash was unexpectedly even. Zhang Chengzhou, with his fifth level of the Spirit Realm, was battling the old Heavenly Master's fourth level, and he did not gain an overwhelming advantage.
A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, seemingly unsure how the old Heavenly Master could match him tit-for-tat.
But the old Heavenly Master did not give him any extra time to think. He suddenly threw a punch, with his splendid Blood Qi bubbling, the powerful momentum of his fist tore through everything in its path. The constant sound of the air exploding was deafening, all accompanied by his terrifying punch, carrying the power to destroy everything, and surging towards Zhang Chengzhou.
In the eyes of others, it looked as if the Heavenly River was pouring down, and it was unstoppable. The massive and agitated water of the Heavenly River surged in an instant, seeming to want to engulf Zhang Chengzhou.
"Body Refiner!"
Zhang Chengzhou felt the horrific physical power the old Heavenly Master exuded at this moment, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
At this moment, he finally understood why he had been on par with the opponent earlier.
This man had actually cultivated the way of body refining, and had also stepped into the Spirit Realm. Although he was only at the first level of the Spirit Realm, such a formidable physical power was extremely terrifying.
"Why are you cultivating the way of body refining!" Zhang Chengzhou asked him while operating his Primordial Qi and forming a talisman to confront him.
Why indeed?
Dragon Tiger Mountain belongs to the Taoist School, primarily cultivating the Path of Qi Refinement. There are indeed some skills of the Way of Essence Refinement that hone and refine the physical body, but they are only practiced by those without talent within the school, crude enforcers and such.
As a direct descendant of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and a former Heavenly Master, why would he spend so much time cultivating such a skill?
"You don't understand!" sighed the Old Heavenly Master.
Opponents like Zhang Chengzhou are in the Sky Wasteland, a world filled with abundant Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. The Heaven and Earth posed no constraints on cultivators, as long as they persevered in their cultivation and had enough talent, they could continue to make steady progress.
He did not understand the hardships of martial artists living in the Daming World. The constraints of Heaven and Earth were like shackles tightly binding every First-grade martial artist. When they reached the peak of the First-grade, they would find that it wasn't their lack of talent preventing them from breaking through, but the constraints of Heaven and Earth. How painful that realization was.
Take the old Heavenly Master himself, for instance, he stepped into the First-grade realm before reaching the age of fifty, but he couldn't possibly break into the Spirit Realm in the next nearly two hundred years due to the constraints of Heaven and Earth.
And in order not to fall behind others and to enhance his own strength, he thought of countless methods, and decided resolutely to cultivate the way of body refining after reading the classics. He also cultivated it to the point of reaching the First-grade realm.
That's why he was able to match Pei Xuanjing with his formidable physical strength when they previously clashed on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Although he didn't have an analogy device like Pei Xuanjing, the old Heavenly Master had ample time and spent a full one hundred and fifty years to cultivate his physical realm to this point.
Therefore, Zhang Chengzhou and others simply did not understand the hardships and tempering the high-level practitioners in the Daming World had undergone. The competition they experienced was countless times more intense than that of their counterparts in the Sky Wasteland. After all, there are limited top resources and positions. They had no recourse, if they lost, they could no longer move forward.
These people were not lacking in talent or experience, they were merely limited by the constraints of Heaven and Earth, which prevented them from advancing too far on the path of cultivation. They would be unparalleled if placed in the Sky Wasteland.
And now, with the constraints of Heaven and Earth broken and the world starting to rejuvenate, these strong practitioners can make a breakthrough smoothly. And in the Spirit Realm, they can make rapid progress and raise their realm within a few years.
Originally, with the strength and talent of the old Heavenly Master, he could have broken through quickly, but the reason why he was delayed for so long was that he sought not only to make a breakthrough in the way of Qi Refinement but also to step into the Spirit Realm in the way of Essence Refinement.
Afterward, through several discussions with Pei Xuanjing, he learned that Pei Xuanjing was cultivating the three ways of Essence, Qi, and Spirit simultaneously. Given the pride of such a strong practitioner like the old Heavenly Master, even if he was temporarily surpassed by Pei Xuanjing, he was not willing to lag behind and naturally researched the way of Spirit Refinement.
While speaking, his punch had already landed. This punch combined the old Heavenly Master's terrifying physical strength and the power of Primordial Qi. Although his cultivation in the Way of Spirit Refinement was not very high, he unexpectedly condensed a Divine Soul.
When the three powers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit exploded together, the strength displayed was far less than Pei Xuanjing's original power, but it was more than enough to suppress a Zhang Chengzhou who had underestimated him.
Bang!
The terrifying power shattered the talisman in front of his eyes like puncturing paper, and landed heavily on his body.
Of course, such a terrifying power also triggered the protective treasure on Zhang Chengzhou's body. A golden light erupted from his body. This power was aimed at the old Heavenly Master, and it seemed to want to shred him.
Even the old Heavenly Master was shocked by this power. He knew that with his current strength, trying to resist this power was undoubtedly like blocking a cart with a mantis's arm.
Just as he was preparing to fight to the death, he suddenly noticed that the golden light seemed to have a soul, and instantly calmed down when it touched him. The golden light enveloped the old Heavenly Master, and his entire body emitted a faint golden glow.
This sudden change stunned many people.