A single declaration, “Who dares to fight me,” echoed like thunder, shaking the heavens and splitting the earth!

The vast arena fell into silence. Perhaps it was because Luo Jianqing’s defeat of two young talents earlier was too fast. Even the elders sitting in front of the Lingyun Hall were speechless, their mouths agape.

Both Luo Jianqing and Bai Qi, who had been practicing for forty and seventy years respectively, were in the early stage of Yuan Ying cultivation. Yun Rong, who had also been cultivating for more than seventy years, shared the same cultivation level. However, despite the twenty to thirty years of difference, they couldn’t gain any advantage against Luo Jianqing. Instead, they were defeated one after another. Bai Qi even tried all means but couldn’t force Luo Jianqing to draw his sword!

The disparity was just too vast.

On the viewing platform, Minghua Fairy of the Feihua Sect sighed softly, bowing her head slightly. She was the direct disciple of the Feihua Sect, second only to her sister, Miaoyin Fairy. Miaoyin had also said she would come to Mount Taihua to seek justice for Minghua, but Minghua refused her offer. Now it seemed like it was the right decision.

The Guiyuan Sect was one of the four major sects, known for its Buddhist teachings. Two of the “Four Heroes of Xuantian,” Xuanzi and Chen, were disciples of the Guiyuan Sect. Although Chen did not come this time, the young monks of the Guiyuan Sect, seeing Luo Jianqing’s imposing demeanor, couldn’t help but murmur “Amitabha Buddha” and then sighed, “Compared to Senior Brother Xuanzi, this Senior Luo may… surpass him.”

As for the last of the four sects, the Shenzhan Sect, they shared the same enmity with Mount Taihua. Although the Shenzhan Sect was the weakest in terms of strength among the four sects, it was the only orthodox Daoist sect.

As for the members of the Bai and Yun families, who had been heavily humiliated by Luo Jianqing, they were already full of shame and anger. Many older members of the clans even left in fury. However, some younger members were still indignant, waiting for someone to stand up for them.

That person, naturally, is Yan Su.

The Soul-breaking Sect is where ghost cultivators gather, it’s their holy land.

Ghost cultivation requires great opportunities. Not every ghost can become a ghost cultivator, but almost all ghost cultivators have extraordinary strength and strong will.

Among the “Four Heroes of Xuantian,” Yun Rong is a genius illusionist, Bai Ji from the Bai family has exceptional talent and receives continuous resources from a top family, while Xuanzi and Chen cultivate good karma and are said to have superb Buddhist skills. These three are all outstanding individuals, and no one can rank them, but everyone knows: the top among the “Four Heroes of Xuantian” is Yan Su.

After leaving the Flowing Flame Valley, Yan Su went into seclusion in the forbidden area of the Soul-breaking Sect for five years.

It is rumored that within that forbidden area, there are thousands of lonely souls and wild ghosts, and one must endure the pain of countless ghosts gnawing at the heart. Ordinary Daoists can’t even last for the time it takes to burn an incense stick inside, and normal ghost cultivators can only endure for a few days. However, Yan Su stayed there for a full five years. When he came out, he was in the Yuan Ying stage, and he defeated his old rival Xuanzi and Chen with an unstoppable momentum.

Luo Jianqing heard about this from Jie Zizhao. It is said that the two of them didn’t even fight. Xuanzi and Chen just stood there with their palms together, saying, “In the theater of life, there are the esteemed and the humble. Knowing our true nature is the same, so there is no joy or resentment. This humble monk cannot guide the benefactor, but I advise you to turn back from the boundless sea of suffering.” In this battle, Xuanzi actually conceded defeat before the fight began.

Now, the hopes of the Bai family and the Yun family are all pinned on Yan Su of the Soul-breaking Sect.

Yan Su’s face was dark, sitting in the seat of the Soul-breaking Sect, his eyes locked tightly on Luo Jianqing on the arena.

Just now, Bai Qi was the one who suffered the most from Luo Jianqing’s beating, and many people even called him “stupid,” which really embarrassed the Bai family. So, many younger members of the Bai family began to whisper Yan Su’s name, hoping that Yan Su would severely dampen Luo Jianqing’s spirits.

However, Yan Su remained seated, silent all the while. Luo Jianqing knew that today’s matter couldn’t end so easily. He smiled faintly, raised his head, and looked towards Yan Su in the center of the crowd, speaking out, “Friend Yan, do you want to participate in our Mount Taihua’s sect competition?”

Yan Su, with a chilling expression, raised his head, his gaze locked onto Luo Jianqing. Their eyes met in the air, sparking like lightning. Yan Su said, “No need. I was fortunate to have just broken through to the middle stage of Yuan Ying a few days ago. Master Guangling said beforehand that one should not challenge those of lower cultivation realms. If I were to bully you today, not only would my Soul-breaking Sect not gain victory, but we would also be ridiculed.”

With these words, Luo Jianqing’s eyes narrowed. There was a commotion in the arena: “No way! Yan Su has actually reached the middle stage of Yuan Ying? It’s only been four years since he broke through to Yuan Ying, while Yun Rong has been at it for eight years and is still a distance away from the middle stage.”

“So terrifying! A Yuan Ying middle stage at sixty-seven years old, only four years later than the current number one, Master Xuanling!”

“No wonder Xuanzi didn’t dare to fight Yan Su. He already knew that Yan Su’s strength far surpassed his!”

The difference between the early stage and middle stage of Yuan Ying is not that significant. Except for people like Luo Jianqing, who are naturally sensitive to spiritual matters, only elders above the Nascent Soul stage can detect any differences. At first, Luo Jianqing didn’t pay attention to Yan Su’s cultivation, but after his words, he suddenly realized.

Luo Jianqing’s fingers tightened around the  Floating Frost Sword, his gaze clear. Suddenly, he said, “Then do you dare to challenge me?”

This provocation made Yan Su abruptly stand up, angrily saying, “I’m not bullying you, yet you dare to provoke me?”

Luo Jianqing smirked, his tone casual. “Friend Yan, then let me, Luo Jianqing, challenge you today. Do you dare to accept?”

“Of course!” Yan Su’s eyes flashed with a hint of darkness, and with a leap, he was on arena.

In front of the Lingyun Hall, Master Yuqing frowned. “What’s wrong with Jianqing? He’s not usually one for conflict. Why is he actively challenging today? He’s already won face for our Mount Taihua earlier. Even if he doesn’t fight Yan Su, our sect’s reputation will still spread far and wide.”

Beside him, Master Guangling pondered and said, “Perhaps Jianqing is fully confident?”

Master Yuqing shook his head. “Still not appropriate. Yan Su could make the disciples of the Guiyuan Sect concede in the early stage of Yuan Ying. Now, in the middle stage, he’s even more formidable. Jianqing’s move is too reckless.”

On the arena, Luo Jianqing didn’t hear Master Yuqing’s dissatisfaction. He raised the Frost Floating Sword, pointing it at Yan Su, whose expression changed, retrieving his own ghost ax.

As soon as the ghost ax appeared, the sky darkened, and ghosts wailed.

“The battle begins!”

Boom!

Suddenly, a vast ghostly aura was released from the ghost axe. Thousands of ghosts flew out from the axe, wailing and crying incessantly. Their piercing screams shook the disciples below, causing many to block their ears in pain. Some even had blood flowing from their ears due to the pressure.

Seeing this, the elders of Mount Taihua strengthened the barrier.

The sky was filled with these ghosts, creating a terrifying sight. Yan Su, dressed in black, stared coldly at Luo Jianqing. His eyes flickered with eerie green ghostly fire, making him appear like a true terrifying ghost in Luo Jianqing’s eyes.

“I don’t bully people, Luo Jianqing, you make the first move!” Yan Su said angrily.

Luo Jianqing didn’t exaggerate either. He held the Frost Floating Sword in his right hand and sent a sword energy attack. However, it was intercepted by a dozen ghosts, gleefully feasting on them. Yan Su laughed, “Is this your ability, Luo Jianqing? After the battle in the Flowing Flame Valley, you truly disappoint me. Take this move!”

With that, Yan Su suddenly swung his ax.

Instantly, a chilling wind howled, the temperature in the arena dropped, and countless wandering souls roared towards Luo Jianqing with ferocity. But Luo Jianqing remained calm. He lightly touched the Frost Floating Sword with his fingers, and suddenly, a green talisman appeared on the sword, emitting a gentle glow amidst the overwhelming ghosts.

Luo Jianqing narrowed his eyes. “Go!”

The green sword light rose up like waves, undulating layer by layer. When the ghosts touched the sword light, they stopped in their tracks, howling as they tried to move forward, but the sword light refused to budge. The two engaged in a tug-of-war in the middle of the arena.

After a moment, the sword light shattered, and the ghosts flew back into the ghost ax.

Yan Su’s eyes narrowed as he chanted and pointed his ax towards the ghost ax.

“Nine Yin Bitter Weeping, all souls unseen, the King of Hell does not forgive ten thousand wronged souls!”

A huge ax pointed directly at Luo Jianqing, forming a terrifying black skull in the air. Upon closer inspection, the skull was composed of thousands of fierce ghosts, each crying out for justice, fueling the skull with boundless resentment and ghostly aura, making it more condensed and terrifying.

The elder of the Soul-breaking Sect laughed, “Haha, well done! Since Yan Su came out of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Ghosts, he has subdued ten thousand wronged souls. For him to refine the Nine Yin Bitter Weeping Axe at the middle stage of Yuan Ying is truly remarkable. Luo Jianqing of Mount Taihua’s loss is not unjust. Fellow Daoists, please concede!”

Upon hearing this, Master Guangling slammed the table. “Who said that gloomy kid would definitely win?”

The elder of the Soul-breaking Sect sneered, “Guangling, it’s been fifty years, and your bad temper hasn’t changed at all? Once the Nine Yin Bitter Weeping Axe strikes, it will harm one’s soul. You better be careful with your disciples from Mount Taihua, and be ready to save them in time.”

Guangling cursed, “Open your eyes and see clearly, it’s just a small ax. Can it compare to Mount Taihua’s ‘Nine Lotus Heart Sutra’?”

The elder of the Soul-breaking Sect was stunned and quickly looked towards the arena. In the middle of the arena, the boundless ghostly aura had filled the space, seemingly forcing Luo Jianqing into a corner. But the giant skull didn’t give him a chance to hide or escape.

Luo Jianqing sighed lightly. “Friend Yan, is this your ultimate move?”

Yan Su coldly replied, “If you surrender now, there’s still time.”

Luo Jianqing said, “I finally understand why that monk said to you ‘knowing our true nature is the same, so there is no joy or resentment’. Ghost cultivators are also souls. This overwhelming resentment is a killer move for you. But have you ever thought about how the master of these ten thousand resentful souls will repay you in the cycle of cause and effect?”

Yan Su said, “What do they have to do with me? Once the souls enter the Abyss of Ten Thousand Ghosts, they become resentful ghosts. I have endured the pain of ten thousand ghosts gnawing at my heart, and they become my slaves to command. This is the cycle of cause and effect!”

Luo Jianqing said, “Friend Yan, in the boundless sea of suffering, is there a shore to turn to?”

Yan Su：“My suffering is the path to cultivation!”

Luo Jianqing narrowed his eyes, then suddenly patted the  Floating Frost Sword in front of him, which floated in front of his eyes. A green sword light flowed over the Floating Frost Sword, and Luo Jianqing looked at it carefully, saying nothing. After a moment, he began to manipulate his hand seals. A pair of long and slender hands gradually formed a phantom, and a terrifying force gathered on the Floating Frost Sword.

Boom!

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and countless lightning snakes rolled and crawled in the thunderclouds.

Luo Jianqing focused his gaze. “Gather!”

In an instant, a thick thunderbolt struck down, hitting the  Floating Frost Sword. The sword body was baptized by the silver lightning, emanating a dazzling light. Luo Jianqing formed hand seals with his left hand, pointed towards the sky, and pushed off the ground with his feet. The Floating Frost Sword immediately hovered and slowly leveled off, aligning with the ground.

This seemingly ordinary sword pointed towards Yan Su.

Luo Jianqing seemed to sigh softly, saying a quiet word that no one could hear clearly, but suddenly, the Frost Floating Sword burst with sword energy, and the power of thunder acted on it. A sword, resembling a towering mountain, pointed forward without hesitation.

“Nine Yin Bitter Weeping Axe!”

“Lotus Opening Sword!”

Bang!

At the moment when the giant axe collided with the giant sword, time seemed to stand still, and a white light covered the sky.

After a while, the light gradually dimmed, and the scene in the arena reappeared in everyone’s eyes. The arena, made of mysterious stones, had been shattered by these two, and on one side, Yan Su lay in a pile of rubble, covered in blood; on the other side, the elegant and graceful youth in Qing clothes used his sword to support his body, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

In the spectator stands, there was a moment of silence, followed by cheers that echoed throughout the sky and earth!

“Elder Luo won! Elder Luo won!”

“Yan Su lost! The ‘Four Geniuses of Xuantian’ will have to change their name!”

“Elder Luo is truly amazing!”

Even the red-robed demonic cultivator breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling softly, “Well, that’s more like it. If you had lost, you wouldn’t have the qualifications to be my life and death friend.”

At this moment, Luo Jianqing had long exhausted his spiritual power and couldn’t move, just barely standing.

Both he and Yan Su knew that their strengths were not much different, so after the initial probing, they both used their ultimate moves. The “Lotus Opening Sword” was a Yuan Ying stage sword move from the “Nine Lotus Heart Sutra” that Luo Jianqing had never used before. This time, he realized that the consumption of spiritual power was too great, causing his spiritual power to dry up instantly.

But everything was worth it. At least he won this battle, fulfilling the promise he made to Xuan Lingzi.

The referee elder watched this scene for a long time before suddenly waking up and saying, “In this battle, Mount Taihua’s Luo Jianqing…”

“I can still fight!” Yan Su roared hoarsely.

He struggled to stand up, but once again fell to the ground weakly. Seeing this, Luo Jianqing silently lowered his eyes. Every time the referee wanted to announce the result, Yan Su stubbornly demanded another round, but he still couldn’t stand up.

This scene was somewhat tragic, and many disciples who originally disliked Yan Su’s gloomy demeanor began to sympathize with him. Perhaps this was the loneliness of a genius, encountering another even more dazzling genius, destined to be overshadowed.

Even Luo Jianqing couldn’t help feeling a bit emotional this time, changing his view of Yan Su.

But just as Yan Su failed to stand up for the ninth time, his face suddenly contorted with a fierce tremor, and then he suddenly slapped his palm on the pile of rubble. Everyone thought he was venting his grief, and even the elders in front of the Lingyun Hall didn’t notice anything unusual for a while. However, amidst the rubble, strands of black energy surged like small snakes, swiftly rushing towards Luo Jianqing.

On the spectator stands, Mo Qiu suddenly stood up and shouted, “Stop it!” Then, a red light suddenly rushed towards the arena.

At the same time, Xinghui and Guangling, the elders in front of the Lingyun Hall, also changed their expressions and shouted sternly, “Junior, how dare you!”

Luo Jianqing’s hair stood on end. His alertness allowed him to forcefully support his weak body and retreat continuously. Just where he had been standing, boom! A black ghost snake suddenly emerged from the ground, pouncing towards Luo Jianqing.

The highest-cultivated Xinghui immediately made a move, but the ghost snake was too fast. In the blink of an eye, a bloody red whip suddenly flew out, entangling the ghost snake and instantly tearing it into pieces!

Wearing a red robe, Mo Qiu stepped on the rubble and wrapped Luo Jianqing’s waist with the whip, pulling him back. Then, he glared angrily at Yan Su, shouting, “You’ve actually fallen into evil ways! You want to seize someone’s body! In front of so many Nascent Soul stage cultivators, you can’t possibly succeed, but just having such thoughts is unforgivable!”

At this moment, Luò Jiànqīng had regained some strength. He broke free from Mò Qiū’s embrace and looked coldly at Yán Sù: “Yán, when did you turn to the dark side?”

Before Yán Sù could respond, the thunderous voice of Master Háoxīng boomed: “A single thought can lead to enlightenment or darkness! The Disciplinary Sect, this time you must give Taihua Mountain an explanation. Your top disciple has fallen into darkness and even attempted possession! Once that ghost snake enters the body of a Taihua Mountain disciple, it will surely harm their soul. Can your Disciplinary Sect bear this responsibility?”

The elder of the Disciplinary Sect was dumbfounded.

Among the three grandmasters present, aside from Master Háoxīng and Master Guǎnglíng, was this elder from the Disciplinary Sect. This elder never expected Yán Sù to suddenly fall into darkness and even contemplate possession.

A glint of cunning flashed in the elder’s eyes. He suddenly reached out and pulled Yán Sù to his side, saying, “I will definitely provide an explanation to Taihua Mountain for this matter. Yán Sù simply had a moment of confusion and accidentally fell into darkness. He’s just newly fallen, and can still be saved.”

Guǎnglíng cursed from the side: “Nonsense! If just now that ghost snake hadn’t been entangled by this red-clothed friend’s whip and had truly harmed the soul of our Taihua Mountain disciple, what compensation could you offer!”

The elder of the Disciplinary Sect knew he was in the wrong and gritted his teeth, saying, “I’ll have to discuss this matter with the Sect Master when I return…”

On the side, Master Yuqīng snorted: “I just want you to know that Taihua Mountain has always been protective, and besides, do you not know who Jiànzǐ’s master is?”

The elder’s face suddenly changed drastically, and he had cursed Yán Sù a thousand times in his heart. But he also knew that Yán Sù was truly a rare genius among ghost cultivators. Just newly fallen into darkness, it wasn’t too serious. With a little effort, he could be pulled back.

After some thought, the elder suddenly looked towards the arena and said, “I wonder when Taihua Mountain gained such a sharp-minded youngster who can rival grandmaster-level cultivators! This youngster’s bone age shouldn’t exceed seventy, yet he has reached the late stage of the Yuan Ying realm, and is so sensitive to darkness…”

Master Yuqīng glared: “Old man, what are you trying to say!”

The elder slammed the table: “Old woman, say it again!”

“You!”

“You!”

The two sides argued incessantly, and Luò Jiànqīng slowly regained thirty percent of his spiritual power. He first looked gratefully at Mò Qiū, then said, “Senior Uncle, this is my good friend Mò Qiū, also a descendant of the Mò family. We met in the Fiery Flame Valley. He once fought against Fairy Míng Huā of the Flying Flower Sect and Bái Qī of the Bái family, which is known to everyone.”

Hearing this, Fairy Míng Huā stood up and bowed, smiling gently: “Yes, I do know this friend Mò.”

The elder of the Mò family also stood up and said, “Although Mò Qiū has not yet returned to our Mò family genealogy, he is indeed a descendant of the branch of our Mò family that was exiled to the Frozen Ice Wasteland.”

The elder of the Disciplinary Sect said, “So what? Even if he is a descendant with excellent or mediocre talent, for him to reach the late stage of the Yuan Ying realm before seventy years old, and be so sensitive to darkness… I’m very suspicious. This Mò Qiū should…”

“That’s enough!” Master Háoxīng’s cold voice interrupted, silencing the elder, “If you want to say that this Mò friend is a dark cultivator, there’s no need. As you know, cultivators above the Yuan Ying realm cannot conceal their darkness. When Mò Qiū was at the Golden Core stage, it could be explained. But now that he has reached the late Yuan Ying stage, what more is there to say? Disciplinary Sect, don’t overestimate yourselves. Don’t forget, who left his name on that piece of paper a hundred years ago!”

The elder was suddenly speechless.

These grandmasters all knew that back then, Grandmaster Yuán Líng and the Demon Sovereign Mó Qiānqiū made a pact together. Grandmaster Yuán Líng couldn’t leave Taihua Mountain, and Mó Qiānqiū guarded the border between the two races. Not to mention the Demon Sovereign, just Grandmaster Yuán Líng’s contributions to the human race were enough to make them bow their heads in the face of the other party.

This farce finally ended with Master Háoxīng’s reprimand.

The Disciplinary Sect elder took Yán Sù away and left Taihua Mountain that day, promising to provide Taihua Mountain with an explanation.

In this generation’s Taihua Mountain sect competition, Luò Jiànqīng defeated two of the “Heavenly Four Heroes” and easily defeated Bái Qī from the Bái family, gaining widespread fame. At the same time, a red-clothed Mò Qiū, with only a medium-low aptitude, reached the late stage of the Yuan Ying realm before seventy, surpassed thousands, and was the first to detect darkness, also earning a great reputation.

When these two stood together, they were undoubtedly the world’s distinguished individuals, to the point where some directly gave them a title.

“They surpass the ‘Heavenly Four Heroes,’ they are the Eternal Flow!