From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Zhao Yu's sword was fast, accurate, and ruthless, carrying the majestic aura of the orthodox Heavenly Dao Sect. The moment the sword light shone, it seemed to dispel the surrounding gloom.

He was very confident. This move, "Cloud Piercing Thrust," was a low-grade Earth-rank sword technique. He had practiced it diligently for many years and had already reached the pinnacle of its power. Among those of the same rank, there were very few who could withstand this move head-on without being defeated.

However, facing this fierce sword strike, Yao Mengkang simply turned to the side, took a step, and slashed upwards with the simple-looking longsword formed from his own spiritual power.

There was no dazzling brilliance, only a heavy, surging force like a tidal wave!

"clang!"

The swords clashed, producing a piercing clang.

Zhao Yu's expression changed drastically as he felt an immense force flowing through the sword, one after another, relentlessly.

The force so strong that his wrist went numb and his blood surged, forcing him to stumble back three steps before he could barely dissipate the impact.

He looked at Yao Mengkang in disbelief. The other man hadn't retreated an inch!

Zhao Yu's astonishment lasted only a moment before it was replaced by even stronger anger and competitiveness.

He is the third person in the Spirit Sea Realm of the Heavenly Dao Sect!

How could I possibly show weakness in front of a wild boy of unknown origin?

"Alright! You've got some skill! Take another one of my moves!"

Zhao Yu let out a long roar, and his boundless spiritual sea was fully activated. His spiritual power was like a river bursting its banks. The long sword in his hand burst out with even more brilliant light. The sword's momentum changed, transforming into countless sword shadows that enveloped Yao Mengkang like a storm.

The sword shadows, both real and illusory, each carried a sharp intent capable of slicing through the soul; this was another unique skill of the Heavenly Dao Sect—the "Thousand Illusions Flowing Light Sword"!

Yao Mengkang's eyes narrowed slightly. This Zhao Yu was indeed much stronger than the small fry he had encountered before.

But he felt no fear; instead, he felt a surge of excitement, like the thrill of hunting.

"Well done!"

He let out a low shout, his figure advancing instead of retreating, and he brandished the spiritual energy longsword in his hand.

With flashes of light, the blade sometimes pounced like a tiger, with a ferocious, tearing-through-all ferocity; sometimes it moved like a nimble ape, its movements unpredictable and cunning; and sometimes it seemed to connect with the ground beneath its feet, its movements becoming heavy and steady...

He did not use the stronger Starry Sky True Meaning, nor did he use the newly created Silent Soul Blade Technique. He simply used the Overlapping Wave Blade Technique as a base, supplemented by the changes of the Five Animal True Meaning, to completely block Zhao Yu's seemingly incomparably fierce "Thousand Illusion Flowing Light Sword".

"Clang clang clang clang—!"

The sound of metal clashing was like a sudden rainstorm hitting banana leaves, rising in rapid succession.

Two figures darted rapidly through the hazy sky and earth, their swords flashing and slashing, carving countless deep trenches into the ground.

The dissipating energy forced the other four Heavenly Dao Sect disciples to retreat repeatedly, leaving them only able to watch nervously, unable to intervene for the time being.

Yao Mengkang became more and more relaxed as the game progressed, and even felt a little like laughing.

That's it?

Is this the strength of the third-ranked disciple in the Spirit Sea Realm of the Heavenly Dao Sect?

I feel... I'm afraid I might not be able to defeat Xuan Yuanpo, who is at the same level.

The Zhao Yu before me has exquisite moves and considerable spiritual power, but I always feel like... something is missing.

Is it because they lack the blood and ruthlessness to fight to the death?

Or is it that they lack the resilience honed in dire circumstances?

Yao Mengkang could even be distracted by the vast and unfathomable spiritual sea within his body.

The spiritual sea, spanning millions of feet, provided virtually inexhaustible spiritual energy. For him, the consumption of such intense combat was negligible.

In contrast, Zhao Yu, although still full of spiritual energy, was breathing slightly rapid and sweat was on his forehead, clearly showing the difference in their abilities.

"Seven Layers of Waves!"

Yao Mengkang seized an opening, and his sword speed suddenly increased. Layers of sword shadows overlapped, like seven towering waves, one higher than the other, crashing down on Zhao Yu!

Zhao Yu's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly parried with his sword.

"boom!"

A terrifying power, far exceeding anything seen before, erupted.

Zhao Yu felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer in the chest, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. He was sent flying backward uncontrollably, flying more than ten feet before landing in a sorry state.

He used his sword to brace himself against the ground to avoid falling.

His blood and qi were churning violently, his arm holding the sword was trembling uncontrollably, and the tiger's mouth had cracked open, oozing blood.

He raised his head and looked at Yao Mengkang, who remained calm and composed, his clothes barely disheveled. His eyes were filled with shock, resentment, and a complex mix of emotions.

He finally realized that the opponent was no ordinary peak Spirit Sea Realm cultivator!

The vastness of his spiritual sea is probably even greater than that of himself!

Zhao Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi, trying to save face, and spoke in a tone that carried an air of approval and recruitment:

"I never imagined there were such exceptional talents as you in the outside world. If you were willing to join my Heavenly Dao Sect, I might be able to introduce you. With your abilities, you might very well gain the sect's attention and the opportunity to enter the inner sect..."

He felt he had humbled himself and shown sufficient sincerity.

After all, being recognized by the inner disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect, especially by Zhao Yu, is something that many independent cultivators outside the sect dream of.

However, before he could finish speaking, Yao Mengkang scoffed and interrupted him.

Yao Mengkang looked at Zhao Yu with the same expression he had for an idiot, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm:

"You?"

"Do I need your approval?"

"Have you been in this godforsaken place too long? Has your brain been clouded by the aura of the dead? Can't you figure out your place?"

Yao Mengkang's words were like cold knives, stabbing Zhao Yu's heart and tearing his pitiful self-esteem and sense of superiority to shreds.

Zhao Yu's face instantly turned red, then blue, and then white.

As the pride of the Heavenly Dao Sect, how could he have ever suffered such humiliation?

"You...you're asking for it!"

Zhao Yu was trembling with rage. All reason and the desire to recruit him vanished, leaving only boundless fury and murderous intent.

"Form ranks! Take him down! Dead or alive!"

Upon hearing this, the other four Heavenly Dao Sect disciples, who had been waiting in ambush, immediately responded and moved.

"The Big Dipper Evil-Slaying Formation, activate!"

The five figures flashed and instantly occupied five mysterious positions, with Zhao Yu at the core, and their auras instantly connected!

A pressure several times stronger than when they fought alone suddenly descended, like an invisible cage, locking Yao Mengkang firmly in the center.

Five beams of spiritual energy shot into the sky, outlining the blurry Big Dipper pattern against the gray sky. A chilling aura spread, even pushing away some of the surrounding silent souls.

Yao Mengkang's sarcastic expression faded slightly, and his eyes became serious.

He felt a bit of pressure.

This combined attack formation is quite sophisticated.

"kill!"

Zhao Yu roared and launched the first attack.

With the combined strength of the five people, the sword light he unleashed was more than twice as powerful as before!

The sword light was like a dragon, carrying a resolute determination to tear everything apart, aiming straight for Yao Mengkang's head!

The other four also attacked simultaneously, using swords, palms, or talismans, their attacks coming from all directions, echoing each other and sealing off all of Yao Mengkang's space to dodge.

Yao Mengkang took a deep breath, and for the first time, his million-foot spiritual sea surged with all its might, emitting a roar like a tsunami!

He no longer held back, and the Silent Soul Blade Technique was quietly activated, with an invisible cutting force targeting the soul attached to the blade.

At the same time, he pushed the Five Animal True Meanings to their limit, his figure moving like a ghost in the narrow space, his long sword slashing, parrying, and blocking, defusing each attack with difficulty.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Violent explosions rang out continuously, and the shockwaves generated by the collision of spiritual energy ripped up the ground layer by layer.

Under the siege of the five men, Yao Mengkang's figure was like a small boat in a storm, seemingly in great danger, yet he remained standing firm.

His blade grew faster and faster, the Silent Soul Blade Intent silently eroding the souls of the five opponents, causing them to feel waves of stinging pain in their sea of ​​consciousness and making them uneasy.

As for Yao Mengkang himself, supported by the million-foot-wide spiritual sea, his spiritual power seemed inexhaustible, and he became stronger with each battle!

Zhao Yu became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

The five of them formed a powerful formation, strong enough to rival a mid-stage Yuan Dan realm cultivator without being defeated, yet they were still unable to defeat a mere youth of the same realm.

What kind of monster is this?

The battle reached a stalemate.

The two sides fought back and forth, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle!

Beneath the limestone, swords gleamed and shadows flashed, and the air was thick with murderous intent.

Higher up in the Silent Abyss, unnoticed by anyone, deep within the viscous gray energy, a pair of pure black eyes were watching the sudden "battle" below with great interest.