Chapter 38: Public Enemy of the Daochang

These silver‑haired elders, though they did not state it outright.

But they made the Outer Peak disciples inside the Daochang unable to help but start uneasy speculations, and the murmurs of uneasy discussion among them grew louder and louder.

The silver‑haired elder, seeing the Daochang disciples so nervous, a flash of disdain and contempt in his eyes, spoke.

"Everyone be quiet!"

The words rang out like thunder on a flat plain!

It made the disciples in the Daochang shiver sharply and become utterly silent.

"The Ziyang Sect cultivates those who can go onto the battlefield to confront monsters, other races, evil cultivators, and demonic paths as heavenly champions!"

"Not a coward who fears competition, who trembles at the word 'kill', and runs away in panic!"

"If you can't even dare to kill a person!"

"You can now withdraw early from this Four Peaks Grand Competition to avoid disgrace!"

These words, the silver‑haired elder said with resonant force, as if striking the ground.

At the same time, those who had been trembling at the mere mention of 'kill' felt a flush of embarrassment and deep shame.

Indeed!

This world is a time of great strife; we cultivators must Slash other races, eradicate demonic paths, and annihilate evil cultivators.

Not only must we compete!

We must also compete with blazing fervor, shining with radiant light!

Although the silver‑haired elder's principle just now forbade killing, that is indeed quite cruel for these mostly ten‑year‑old boys and girls.

But isn't this also a blood‑soaked reality?

As cultivators, if one lacks even the courage to kill, no matter how strong one's talent or how high one's cultivation, one is merely a greenhouse flower.

Even if one luckily enters the Inner Peak, one will later die at the hands of other races, demonic paths, or evil cultivators!

Therefore, the Ziyang Sect never restricts its disciples from fighting each other.

Even in this Four Peaks Grand Competition, the principle still forbids killing.

Seeing the Outer Peak disciples below gradually calm from their initial unrest, the silver‑haired elder swept the crowd once more and announced loudly, "Now announcing the ranking rewards!"

"First place: reward to go to the third layer of Cangbaoge and choose any item."

"Second place: reward to go to the second layer of Cangbaoge and choose any item."

"Third place: reward to go to the Cangbaoge First Layer and choose any item."

"Fourth place: reward of ten thousand Second-Grade Blood Qi Pills!"

"Fifth to tenth places receive respectively nine thousand, eight thousand, seven thousand, six thousand, and five thousand Second-Grade Blood Qi Pills!"

"..."

After announcing the rewards, the silver‑haired elder whispered, "The time has come, initiate the formation!"

With those words finished, the five elders each took positions at the Ziyang Daochang—east, south, west, north, and center.

Each's massive true Qi poured like a tide toward the Ziyang Daochang, and the mysterious, profound formation behind them solidified further, exuding an extremely terrifying pressure.

In an instant.

The vast Ziyang Daochang underwent a startling transformation at that moment!

Below everyone's feet, streams of purple light shot skyward!

In the five directions, these purple lights converged and solidified into the formation avatars behind each elder!

These formations intertwined, twisting and gradually merging, ultimately forming a massive purple light array that covered the entire arena!

The teleportation array formed in an instant!

As the teleportation array continued to solidify.

The Outer Peak disciples below, flushed with excitement, instantly dispelled the tension caused by the earlier prospect of killing.

Everyone was thrilled, discussing the top‑ten rewards just announced by the silver‑haired elder!

Although these top‑ten rewards were destined to be irrelevant to ninety‑nine percent of them.

It still did not dampen their enthusiasm for discussion.

Leaving aside other matters!

What kind of place is the Ziyang Sect's Cangbaoge?

There, the Ziyang Sect has treasured for millennia the divine weapons, Heavenly Treasures, miraculous elixirs, and so on!

The Cangbaoge represents a sect's millennial legacy!

Although even the Four Peaks Grand Competition Champion only gains access to the third layer, at most it's just the tip of the iceberg of the Ziyang Sect's entire collection.

But for these Outer Peak disciples, it is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime great opportunity, a massive destiny!

As for the fourth to tenth place rewards, they are also quite generous.

Blood Qi Pills are essential for cultivators' daily practice; possessing a hundred or so already indicates a wealthy foundation.

But in this Four Peaks Grand Competition, the Blood Qi Pills number in the thousands, even tens of thousands!

Crucially, these are not the First-Grade Dan Pills they usually take!

They are Second-Grade Blood Qi Pills!

With the final rewards announced, aside from the Outer Peak disciples who have absolute confidence in their own strength.

The Four Peaks disciples also formed alliances among themselves, standing tightly together.

In that case.

Even after teleporting to the Yunshan Secret Realm, the distance between them will not be far.

Through this group‑reporting method, they will face the upcoming brutal trial!

But while everyone else has already taken action, Li Mu remains in deep shock.

Of course!

The reason that shocked Li Mu was, on one hand, that this time the Ziyang Sect presented a reward for the top ten rankings!

Especially the champion's reward made Li Mu's breathing quicken and his eyes shine!

As a grassroots who has only a cheat from the secular world and nothing else after breaking into the cultivation world!

Nothing is more attractive to him than the open Cangbaoge where anyone can pick at will.

However, aside from this extravagant reward the Ziyang Sect gave the champion,

What shocked Li Mu even more was that ever since that Inner Peak Elder of Heaven Peak Ridge announced, in principle, that harming a fellow sect member's life was forbidden, this ambiguous and highly flexible condition...

In Li Mu's mind, the Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll seemed to have a wind blown through it, "Bzz, bzz, bzz…" vibrating nonstop!

But then.

The Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll, which was originally an empty blank heavenly book, now had one name after another appearing on it.

A rough estimate showed that there were actually no fewer than a hundred people who wanted to kill him!

Besides a handful of familiar names, the rest Li Mu didn't even recognize.

He hadn't even met them face to face!

This instantly made Li Mu feel extremely embarrassed!

Damn…

Since I arrived at Longtan Peak, I usually just go down the mountain to fight monsters and go up to level up; when did I become the cause of such heavenly wrath and human resentment?

So that so many people want to kill me?

Just as Li Mu was still puzzled by this,

Suddenly, a fierce, pressing killing aura locked onto Li Mu.

This sudden change immediately drew everyone's gaze in the venue toward this side.

Even the five Inner Peak Elders in midair who were activating the Teleportation Array also turned their eyes here.

Li Mu's complexion changed slightly, and he immediately looked along the killing aura.

The one who emitted this killing aura was none other than Qin Zhixiang!

Qin Zhixiang paid no heed to the gazes of the crowd or the eyes of the five elders in the air.

"Li Mu!"

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this chance today?"

"I still remember the humiliation you inflicted on me!"

"From the moment you stepped on me in the main hall of Heaven Peak Ridge, in front of the sect leader and everyone!"

"I've been wanting to take revenge on you every single moment!"

"Now!"

"This opportunity has finally arrived for me!"

"Hahaha…"

Qin Zhixiang threw his head back and laughed wildly three times, then abruptly stopped, looking at Li Mu with a mocking grin.

"After we reach the Yunshan Secret Realm, I will make you unable to seek life and unable to seek death!"

His words revealed the killing intent fully, with no concealment left!

The disciples in the hall, after hearing that, all snapped back to their senses, each showing a look of understanding.

The conflict between Li Mu and Qin Zhixiang was already no secret among the Ziyang Four Peaks disciples.

The two had taken a mortal grudge since their first encounter in the main hall of Heaven Peak Ridge!

Now, the moment the Teleportation Array was activated, Qin Zhixiang tore his face open with Li Mu on the spot.

"Qin Zhixiang!"

"Don't think that we people of Longtan Peak are soft persimmons!"

"If you want to move against Li Mu, first ask whether we of Longtan Peak agree!"

Hearing that,

Yao Mengzhen hurriedly reached out, grabbing Li Mu for fear he might act impulsively and do something irrational.

At the same time,

Yao Mengzhen exuded a terrifying pressure of the Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm, overwhelming and pressing toward Qin Zhixiang's direction!

A demonstration on the spot!

However, Yao Mengzhen's demonstration only earned contempt and ridicule from Qin Zhixiang and the others.

They paid no heed to Yao Mengzhen's threat.

Consider Xuan Yue Feng: there are two strong ones at the Guang Wu Qi Chao Yuan Concentration Realm, and those at the same level as Yao Mengzhen number at least a handful!

Their Longtan Peak trying to contend with Xuan Yue Feng is nothing but an egg striking a stone!

It's simply a joke!

This point.

Even though many Longtan Peak disciples felt a sense of sorrow.

But under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Mu faced Qin Zhixiang's threat without changing expression, calmly saying, "Is that so?"

Li Mu's calm reaction instantly made Qin Zhixiang's expression stiff!

It felt like a punch landing on cotton—utterly powerless!

Li Mu, on the brink of death, still so arrogant?

He even dares not consider himself!

Could it be that Li Mu truly naively believes.

In the Yunshan Secret Realm, even if we count the Longtan Peak he belongs to, can we truly contend with their Xuan Yue Feng?

It's literally a joke!

Recalling this place.

Qin Zhixiang's mouth curved upward, drawing a cold, fierce arc, and he shouted loudly toward the surroundings.

"All of you present!"

"I might as well tell you, Li Mu is not only my enemy, Qin Zhixiang's foe, but also the public enemy of our Xuan Yue Feng!"

"Anyone who dares to stand on his side becomes an enemy of our Xuan Yue Feng!"

As soon as those words were spoken.

In an instant, the atmosphere inside and outside the Ziyang Daochang changed!

On the Longtan Peak side, Yao Mengzhen and Qiu Ning Shui both felt a sudden "gasp!" in their hearts, sensing something ominous, and even the Longtan Peak disciples began to cause a disturbance.

As for Qian Wenyi, who stood beside Li Mu, he broke into a cold sweat, completely at a loss for what to do!

As for Xiao Tian and Zi Gai, the Xuan Yue Feng disciples' gazes toward Li Mu were filled with both sympathy and mockery.

When Qin Zhixiang said that, it was as if he laid his cards on the table in public!

Now the entire Xuan Yue Feng, from top to bottom, is united outwardly, making it clear they intend to kill Li Mu!

Anyone who dares to stand with Li Mu becomes an enemy of Xuan Yue Feng!