Chapter 139: One Sleeve Sweeps the Jade Universe Clean

Northern Frontier, Skull Mountain Market.

Inside a tall building at the center of the market, Zhao Xuhe pushed open the quiet room door and stepped out; the pride and recklessness of his youth had completely vanished.

Time truly is the thing best at tempering people.

Not to mention that previously at Skull Mountain, after Zhao Xuhe took over Lu Yang's position, he was also baited by Daoist Yinshan, who stripped him of thirty years' worth of merit and fortune.

For this, he had no choice but to seclude himself for thirty years, just like Lu Yang had done in the past.

After thirty years of bitter cultivation, Zhao Xuhe had long shed his former self, successfully cultivated a great divine ability, and was now a cultivator possessing status.

Yet Zhao Xuhe's face showed not a trace of joy; in fact, it looked terrible indeed. Because when he too possessed status and used his great divine ability to cleanse his Dharma body, he immediately discovered something amiss from before: his memories belonging to "True Person Panlong" clashed incongruously with his other memories!

"Was that truly a past life?"

Zhao Xuhe's expression grew grave: "Or did some True Person tamper with me back then? How much of my memory is real, and how much is false?"

Just thinking about it made Zhao Xuhe shiver from head to toe.

His primary suspect immediately fell upon Peak Master Senior Butian; after all, in his view, that inherently evil old ghost had ample motive.

"Previously, he was always trying to match me with his daughter."

"Clearly, what he valued was the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Art, not me personally. I just don't know why, but in recent decades he has rarely come to see me."

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuhe felt somewhat confused again, unable to fathom the change in Peak Master Senior Butian's attitude; it seemed as though another hand was pulling the strings behind the scenes, but his current level was too low to see clearly. However, he quickly rallied his spirits, ambition blazing in his eyes.

"No matter what, once I reach Foundation Establishment, everything will be fine!"

"And to achieve Foundation Establishment, I must seize first place in this upcoming great battle against the Shenwu Sect; only then can I gain the high regard and support of the garrisoned True Person."

Just then, a beam of escaping light suddenly arrived.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe immediately showed excitement and hurried forward: "Senior Brother Yuanchun, has news come from the Shenwu Sect in the Northern Frontier?"

The escaping light parted, revealing a heroic young man; it was Lu Yuanchun.

"It is not news about the Shenwu Sect."

His expression grave, he spoke in a low voice: "It is a message transmitted by our master from the Holy Sect. A True Person has arrived at the Holy Sect and intends to completely eradicate the Shenwu Sect!"

Hearing this, Zhao Xuhe was slightly startled in his heart: "Which True Person is it?"

"Unknown. It is said they are a newly promoted figure from recent years, possessing significant divine abilities and a powerful background. Senior Uncle Master Chongguang personally recommended them for promotion, overriding all objections."

"This campaign to eradicate the Shenwu Sect is led by that True Person, who oversees the overall situation. Additionally, three other Holy Sect True Persons will assist. It is said they have already departed; at a True Person's speed, they will likely arrive at Skull Mountain within a day or two. We can no longer allow the Shenwu Sect disciples to surround the market!"

Upon saying this, both men displayed worried expressions.

This was simply because recent days at the Skull Mountain Market had been difficult.

About three to five years ago, a true disciple of the Shenwu Sect led their sect members to surround the entire market, forcing them to rely on their formations for defense.

However, very soon, Zhao Xuhe revealed an invigorated expression: "Senior Brother, rest assured. I have now refined a great divine ability and can certainly fight that person again..."

Before Zhao Xuhe could finish speaking, a loud boom suddenly erupted from outside the market.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Instantly, the entire market shook. Zhao Xuhe and Lu Yuanchun hurriedly appeared to investigate, only to see outside the market a heroic young man standing with a spear in hand.

The young man looked down upon the market, his gaze sharp, and laughed loudly: "So these are the disciples of the Chusheng Sect? They don't seem so impressive after all, merely a few large and small turtles. Only by relying on this turtle shell can they block me. If you have the guts, come out! I'll let you use only one hand!"

"... uyang Haoze!"

Zhao Xuhe ground his teeth tightly. This true disciple of the Shenwu Sect hadn't been particularly formidable in previous years, but a few years ago, he seemed to have successfully cultivated the Shenwu Sect's great divine ability.

Because of this, he had immediately widened the gap between them.

If not for this, the market wouldn't have been surrounded by him for three or five years. If the Holy Sect's True Persons saw this, would they not blame them for incompetent handling of affairs?

Speaking of it, one might think the Shenwu Sect was beating the Holy Sect into a retreat!

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuhe immediately stood up: "Please, Senior Brother, provide formation support for me. I will go and meet this Ouyang Haoze; I must resolve the siege on the market."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xuhe froze. For some reason, Lu Yuanchun before him suddenly wore a terrified expression as if he had seen a ghost; his teeth chattered, and his eyes stared straight past Zhao Xuhe at something behind him. Centered on the two of them, only three breathing sounds remained in the surroundings.

Hmm? Three?

"You have ambition."

Laughter came from behind. In an instant, Zhao Xuhe's body hair stood on end. Finally realizing belatedly, he stiffly turned his head and at last saw the newcomer.

It was a handsome and spirited young man.

He wore a Daoist robe, with a spot of round light between his eyebrows. At first glance, he seemed ordinary, yet when spiritual sense swept over him, there was nothing there, as if he did not exist at all!

"Disciple pays respects to the True Person!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Xuhe directly dropped to both knees and kowtowed heavily, while Lu Yuanchun beside him had already prostrated himself long ago.

"Rise."

Lu Yang smiled slightly, then glanced at Ouyang Haoze, who was still clamoring outside the market, and said: "It is noisy here. Let me first quiet things down outside."

Having spoken, he raised his palm and pressed it into the void, as if wiping something away.

Meanwhile, outside the market, Ouyang Haoze was full of pride and satisfaction, feeling that the Chusheng Sect's fame was greater than its reality and held nothing remarkable.

"The True Persons in our sect are still too conservative, too timid, always afraid of this and that. I don't know why; how can one run the Shenwu Sect like this? Once I achieve Foundation Establishment in the future, I will surely sweep away the corrupt air of the sect, advance southward, and have a proper duel with the True Persons of the Chusheng Sect!"

Suddenly, a clear breeze blew past.

Until that moment, a smile still lingered on Ouyang Haoze's face as the clear breeze blew through his body and soul, reducing him to scattered dust.

Besides him, all the Shenwu Sect disciples behind him suffered the same fate.

Without any warning and without raising the slightest ripple, they all turned to powder in the wind, vanishing in the blink of an eye as if they had never existed.

Heaven and earth became clear.

However, the next second, a voice filled with extreme fury exploded in the sky above: "Beast! A Foundation Establishment True Person actually makes a move against juniors?"

The sound rolled like thunder, rumbling endlessly.

Meanwhile, inside the market, Lu Yang laughed aloud: "Fellow Daoist, your words are mistaken."

"I am still young, not yet eighty years old. Strictly speaking, I am much younger than these disciples of yours. How can this be considered making a move against juniors?"

As his voice fell, he mobilized his magic power, transforming into a beam of escaping light that shot straight into the sky.

In an instant, a blazing sun rose from the clouds; rolling blood qi burned half the sky crimson, revealing a burly, muscular man.

His beard and hair were wild and bristling, his face fierce. Rather than a cultivator or a Daoist, he looked more like a mortal general. He even held a golden hammer in his hand and glared furiously at Lu Yang: "Fellow Daoist, you have already reached Foundation Establishment and should have severed ties with the mortal world. Yet now you act against those at Qi Condensation; do you not feel this compromises your status?"

Lu Yang sneered: "In the Holy Sect, we generally call this efficiency."

Seeing Lu Yang's attitude, fire instantly rose in the newcomer's heart: "This action by the Chusheng Sect shows you truly intend to fight the Shenwu Sect to the death?"

"Fellow Daoist misunderstands. How could there be a fight to the death?"

Lu Yang shook his head, a smile still on his face, yet his eyes held no warmth, only coldness and indifference: "It is the Shenwu Sect that wishes to crack an egg against a rock."

(End of Chapter)