Having been given a second chance at life, I choose to join the Demonic Sect!

Zi Mengran's attack was fierce, but Cao Meng reacted quickly, throwing a punch at the sharp blade at the end of the whip and knocking it back!

Cao Meng and Zi Mengran fought several rounds, probing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Suddenly, Zi Mengran took out a soul banner. This soul banner in her hand was different from the ordinary soul banner. Her soul banner was engraved with ferocious beast totems.

The biggest difference between the Soul Refining Sect and the Beast Soul Sect is that one refines humans and the other refines beasts.

The founding patriarch of the Beast Soul Sect was also a great talent.

In addition to pioneering many cultivation techniques based on the souls of demonic beasts, he also improved the refining method of the Myriad Soul Banner into the Myriad Beast Soul Banner that drives the souls of beasts.

"Cao Meng, I wonder if you can catch this Myriad Beast Soul Banner in my hand!"

As soon as Zi Mengran finished speaking, she immediately summoned the Myriad Beast Soul Banner!

"All beasts, appear!"

As the Myriad Beasts Soul Banner was waved, the souls of various demonic beasts were released, including many of the souls of fourth-tier demonic beasts.

These demonic beast spirits, nurtured by Zi Mengran for many years, are all quite powerful.

Especially the banner master—the Nether Dragon Poison Scorpion Soul Spirit, was a fifth-order demon beast that her aunt Zi Xixue captured and killed back then, with strength comparable to the first level of the Nascent Soul stage!
As for the two deputy banner masters, the three-headed golden lion and the mighty demon ape, their strength was also considerable, surpassing that of most half-step Nascent Soul cultivators.

"This Zi Mengran is actually able to control so many beast souls, she truly deserves to be called the daughter of the Purple East Pole!"

"Once she unleashes these beast souls, even those at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage must be careful!"

Many guests were surprised by Zi Mengran's performance, but they could also accept that Zi Mengran had high combat power.

After all, Zi Mengran's father is a Void Refinement stage ancestor, and moreover, the Beast Soul Sect is a family business of the Zi family.

Being born into the right family is a skill; sometimes, being born into a good family means being at the top from birth.

"Cao Meng is probably going to lose this time!"

"Even in defeat, there is honor. After all, Cao Meng is still young, not even twenty years old, while Zi Mengran is already over a hundred years old!"

"If Cao Meng continues to cultivate at this rate, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he could very well become a Void Refinement stage ancestor by the time he is a hundred years old."

Many guests were not optimistic about Cao Meng and thought he would lose.

However, everyone felt that Cao Meng did not lose because of his talent, but because he was too young and had not had enough time to train.

"It seems that Xue Nai and the others haven't been fed enough. I'll have to give them extra food when I have time."

Looking at the beast souls commanded by Zi Mengran, Cao Meng immediately resolved to take good care of Xue Nai and the others when he had time, and to help them improve their strength.

"Capture him!"

At Zi Mengran's command, the banner master, the Nether Dragon Poison Scorpion, led the beast souls to charge towards Cao Meng.

"Unfortunately, what I fear least is evil spirits and demons!"

Cao Meng sneered and then activated the power of the Ten-Sun Sacred Body.

As soon as the power of his physique was unleashed, three great sun phenomena appeared behind Cao Meng. The three great sun phenomena released the power of the sun, which transformed into true solar fire, mercilessly burning those beast souls.

Some of the weaker beast souls were burned to ashes, while the others were greatly weakened by the scorching heat of the sun!
"return!"

Seeing that Cao Meng's True Fire of the Sun was suppressing the Beast Soul, Zi Mengran was immediately furious.

Left with no other choice, she could only retrieve the weaker beast souls into the Myriad Beast Soul Banner.

Only the banner master, the Nether Dragon Poison Scorpion, and two deputy banner masters, the Three-Headed Golden Lion and the Mighty Demon Ape, remained to fight Cao Meng.

The three beast souls bravely withstood the true fire of the sun and attacked Cao Meng, but Cao Meng immediately countered with three powerful attacks, knocking them aside.

If it weren't for the fact that they were two allies, Cao Meng would have slapped them three times across the face, leaving them utterly destroyed.

After being subjected to a fierce battle, the three creatures—Dark Dragon, Poison Scorpion, and Venomous Dragon—no longer dared to bar their fangs and claws, and their eyes immediately became clear.

"Roar!"

The three of them growled at Zi Mengran, as if to say:

Master, the enemy is too brutal; the three of us are no match for them!

If the fighting continues, we'll be killed!

"Useless trash!"

Zi Mengran cursed angrily, and with no other choice, she put the Nether Dragon and Poison Scorpion back into the Soul Banner.

After all, she had put a lot of effort into acquiring the Nether Dragon and Poison Scorpion, and she couldn't just throw them all away for a friendly match.

"You've been the one attacking the whole time, now it's my turn!"

Cao Meng didn't want Zi Mengran to waste any more time, since he still had to challenge the Nascent Soul stage cultivator of the Xuantian Sect later!
"Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand!"

On a whim, Cao Meng used the Hehuan Sect technique he had learned some time ago.

As the bright moon hung in the sky and strange phenomena appeared in the celestial sphere, a hundred-foot-long hand emerged and attacked Zi Mengran directly.

Zi Mengran knew she had to go all out, so she used her trump card.

"Silent Purple Lightning!"

Dark purple lightning surged from her left hand, and several bolts of lightning struck out simultaneously as she raised her hand, meeting Cao Meng's killing move.

……

"How did this bastard know this move?"

Nangong Yan was startled when she saw Cao Meng display the Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand technique.

He then turned his gaze to Consort Duanmu and questioned her:
"You unfilial disciple, did you teach this scoundrel the Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand technique?"

Just as Consort Duanmu was about to explain, Nangong Yan realized what was happening and became puzzled:

"No, you yourself don't even know the 'Plucking Stars and Playing with the Moon' technique, how are you going to teach this bastard?"

Faced with Nangong Yan's disdain, Duanmu Fei really wanted to loudly agree, but the key was that she really didn't know the "Star-Picking and Moon-Making Hand" technique!

"Half a month ago, I felt that it was a bit inappropriate for this traitorous disciple to always use the techniques of the Longevity Sword Sect, despite being a disciple of the Joyful Union Sect. So I gave him the techniques of 'Star Picking Hand' and 'Moon Playing Hand'!"

As for how this rebellious disciple managed to integrate the "Star-Picking Hand" and "Moon-Playing Hand" techniques, thus mastering the "Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand," I have no idea!

Consort Duanmu told Nangong Yan everything she knew.

She actually guessed that Cao Meng had figured it out on his own, but she felt that this rebellious disciple was going too far. He had clearly mastered the "Star-Picking Hand" and "Moon-Playing Hand" techniques, yet he didn't pass on the cultivation method to his master!
He ended up being looked down upon by Nangong Yan and had no way to refute her.

As expected, this traitor is rebellious and deserves to be punished!

"Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Technique" is an extremely difficult-to-cultivate mid-grade Heaven-rank technique of the Hehuan Sect. According to the sect's rules, only the Refinement Void Ancestor of the Hehuan Sect can cultivate it.

In the early years, an old ancestor of the Hehuan Sect who was at the Refinement stage exploited a loophole in the sect's rules and broke down the "Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand" technique into two low-grade Heaven-rank techniques, "Star-Picking Hand" and "Moon-Playing Hand," and passed them on to his disciples.

As things stand, many high-ranking members of the Hehuan Sect at the Nascent Soul stage possess both the "Star-Picking Hand" and the "Moon-Playing Hand," but no one at the Nascent Soul stage can truly master and integrate these two techniques.

Only upon advancing to the Void Refinement stage can one obtain the complete cultivation method and integrate these two techniques.

"How on earth did this bastard manage to combine the Star-Picking Hand and the Moon-Playing Hand?"

Nangong Yan was very puzzled. You see, after she obtained the complete cultivation method, it took her nearly ten years to combine the two techniques into one and cultivate it into the "Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand"!
According to the traitor Duanmu Fei, that scoundrel spent half a month practicing the "Star-Picking Hand" and "Moon-Playing Hand," and without a complete training method, he merged the two techniques into one, thus achieving mastery. This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Nangong Yan found it hard to accept this fact. After all, if it were true, wouldn't that mean that her grandmaster was an idiot?

Xi Feng and the other seven Void Refinement stage elders were immediately shocked when they saw Cao Meng use the "Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand".

The seven of them were just about to ask Nangong Yan why Cao Meng knew this move, and whether she had violated the sect's rules by teaching Cao Meng without permission.

But when Xi Feng and the other six saw the strange expression on Nangong Yan's face, they immediately understood that Nangong Yan was also unaware of the situation, and that Cao Meng's ability to use the "Star-Picking and Moon-Playing Hand" had nothing to do with Nangong Yan.

……

On the training ground, Cao Meng's Star-Picking Moon Hand shattered Zi Mengran's Annihilation Purple Lightning. Just as it was about to strike Zi Mengran, it vanished into thin air.

That's right, Cao Meng withdrew his attack.

Zi Mengran is the eldest daughter of Zi Dongji Laodeng. If I were to kill her with one hand, what would become of me?

If that old man from Zi Dongji were to fight him to the death, the alliance between the Hehuan Sect and the Beast Soul Sect would also fall through.

"Thank you!"

After bowing to Cao Meng, Zi Mengran conceded defeat, left the training ground, and returned to her seat.

"Sister, did you hold back? Did you not go all out?"

Zi Rou'er couldn't believe that her invincible older sister from the same grade would lose to someone else, especially to that despicable Cao traitor.

It must be Zi Mengran who betrayed her younger sister, who didn't want to help her sister get revenge and beat up that traitor Cao.

"no!"

Zi Mengran shook her head in denial. Although her aunt Zi Xixue had initially asked her to go easy on them, she had agreed for the sake of the friendship between the two families.

But once she got to the training ground, she wanted to hold back, but the situation didn't allow it. She had only lasted this long by giving it her all; if she had held back, she would have lost long ago.

The Underworld Palace over there...

"Sis, should we still send a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator to challenge this villain?"

Seeing that Cao Meng had defeated Zi Mengran, Lü Wang whispered to Lü Qiling, "What do you mean?"

"Lu Wang, are you stupid?"

"That kid has already shown the combat power to challenge a Nascent Soul cultivator. Sending a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator to challenge him is just sending someone to their death."

"To defeat this brat, we need at least a Nascent Soul stage cultivator at the first level!"

Lü Qiling berated Lü Wang mercilessly. Her anger stemmed from her original plan to challenge Cao Meng with a half-step Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

However, Cao Meng's current combat prowess has forced her plan to fail before it even began.

"Qi Ling, there's something you're wrong about."

To defeat this young man, one would need at least the cultivation level of the third stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and also possess an extremely powerful fifth-tier spiritual weapon!

Lu Xiaobu, the Demon Lord, rejected his daughter's assessment of Cao Meng's combat strength. As a half-step Integration Stage cultivator, he could tell at a glance that Cao Meng had never used his full strength from beginning to end.

They also realized that Cao Meng's greatest strength lay in his powerful physique.

"This young man has quite the bearing of I in my prime; he is truly a remarkable young man!"

Lu Xiaobu felt that among those present, only he himself could defeat Cao Meng at the same level.

Unfortunately, he and Cao Meng were not from the same era, and their levels of understanding were too different, so he had no way to fight Cao Meng.

It's so rare to encounter someone invincible at the same level, but the difference in their levels is too great to fight against. That's the loneliness of being invincible!

……

Cao Meng waited in the training ground for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but when no one came to challenge him, he felt bored.

The various sects aren't fools. Given Cao Meng's demonstrated combat prowess, sending a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator to challenge him would be tantamount to offering their heads as bait and handing their faces to others for a beating.

Cao Meng thought that since no one was challenging him, he would challenge others instead!

"You rats of the Xuantian Sect, I want to challenge the Nascent Soul stage! Do any of you old dogs at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage dare to come down and fight me to the death?"

As usual, Cao Meng will continue to challenge the Xuantian Sect, after all, killing the Xuantian Sect dogs is really satisfying!

The other sects breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Cao Meng fighting so hard against Xuan Tian Sect. After all, if Cao Meng challenged them, they wouldn't be able to refuse.

Now that Cao Meng is fighting the Xuantian Sect to the death, what does it matter to them if the Xuantian Sect loses face? They can just watch the show and enjoy the spectacle.

However, they also felt that Cao Meng was a bit too brave. After fighting so many battles, he still dared to directly challenge the first level of the Nascent Soul stage of the Xuantian Sect.

To prevent the Xuantian Sect from daring to fight, Cao Meng gave Qin Lin'er, Hong Qi, and Shi Shi a wink, and the three of them immediately left their seats to get to work.

"That little devil is here again. Does he really think he can bully my Xuantian Sect?"

When Tiancong Daoist saw Cao Meng pointing the finger at Xuantian Sect for bullying, he was immediately enraged. What angered him even more was that the other righteous sects did not help Xuantian Sect share the burden.

Daoist Tiancong felt that Cao Meng, having fought so many battles, was simply courting death by attempting to defeat a cultivator at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage.

He felt that now was a good opportunity, the perfect time to get rid of Cao Meng.

"Senior Brother Tiancong, you must stay calm and not fall into this little devil's trap!"

Just as Daoist Tiancong was about to muster his troops, the six Nascent Soul Stage 1 hall masters from the Xuantian Sect preemptively spoke up to offer their advice.

They didn't want to fight Cao Meng in the arena. Although it seemed like a good opportunity to deal with Cao Meng, if Cao Meng still had the power to overthrow the Nascent Soul stage, they would be throwing their lives away!
They had finally cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, and they had no intention of going up there to their deaths.

"That little devil was right, you really are a bunch of cowards!"

"This little devil has fought so many battles, his spiritual power must be depleted. Under these circumstances, you all dare not fight this little devil. What are you if not cowards?"

Seeing that these six Nascent Soul stage cultivators were all afraid to fight, Tiancong Daoist immediately started cursing.

For the first time, Daoist Tiancong acknowledged that Cao Meng's criticism was correct; indeed, the Xuantian Sect was full of cowards.

If I can escape this danger and retain my position as sect leader, I will definitely find time to destroy the sects of these cowardly rats and let them know the consequences of being afraid to fight.

The six Nascent Soul stage level one hall masters, who had been thoroughly berated, hated Tian Cong to the core.

They were the ones being challenged by Cao Meng, not Tiancong Daoren. He was just talking without any real understanding of the situation.

The six hall masters, all at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage, turned their gazes to Wu Hui and Su Qingyue, hoping that the two could speak on their behalf.

This time, Wu Hui didn't contradict Daoist Tian Cong. Wu Hui thought it would be good if he died at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage, so that the charges against Tian Cong would be even greater.

It should be noted that among the six Nascent Soul stage cultivators at the first level, three have Void Refinement stage elders backing them up. It would be best to make a big fuss about this.

"Senior Brother Tiancong, are you going to make the same mistake again and again?"

Su Qingyue spoke up to advise Daoist Tiancong, expressing her wish that the disciples of Xuantian Sect would not suffer any more casualties with Cao Meng.

The six hall masters, all at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage, were overjoyed to see that Su Qingyue was willing to support them.

After all, Su Qingyue's cultivation was above that of Daoist Tiancong, a fact known to the higher-ups of the Xuantian Sect, which meant their lives were half-secured.

When Tiancong Daoist saw that Su Qingyue was willing to stand up for those six rats, he couldn't help but frown:
"Junior Sister Su, what wrong have I done? The ones who are clearly wrong are these cowardly, spineless cowards!" (End of Chapter)