Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

"Gentlemen...don't you feel anything is wrong?" He lowered his voice, his palms slightly damp.

The purple-robed cultivator, Fellow Daoist Liu, nodded slightly, his gaze calm: "What you say is true, young fellow Daoist. Such a sudden and unexpected teleportation is indeed extraordinary."

The handsome young man beside him scoffed, "What's the panic? The divine city's defenses are as solid as an iron barrel. Monsters can't even touch the city gates. What ghost could possibly jump out?"

Fellow Daoist Liu merely smiled calmly, offering no reply. The old man in the green robe, however, glanced sideways and snorted, "Your courage is smaller than a pinhead! Is the protective array of the Divine City made of paper?"

Before the words were finished, the crowd parted to both sides like ripples on water—an old man in a green robe slowly strolled over.

His eyes were clear and still, like an ancient well, devoid of sorrow or joy, undisturbed by any ripples, as if all the noise of the world could not penetrate his ears. He walked straight past the teleportation array without glancing to the side, his back as straight as a pine tree, yet it inexplicably made people feel heavy-hearted.

Liu Daoyou's lips curled slightly. He recognized the man—who among those who could cultivate to such a level wasn't a prominent figure in their own right? He had already begun to quietly assess the man's worth.

"Just an old fox." The handsome young man sneered, his eyes clearly showing impatience.

The young Taoist priest stepped forward half a step and bowed respectfully: "Senior, may I ask if you are a cultivator from the Divine City?"

The old man paused slightly, then calmly nodded: "Indeed. And who is this young friend?"

The young Taoist priest cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I am Li Wuhen, a disciple of the Incense Offering Academy. These two are my fellow disciples—Liu Yunya and Zhao Qingfeng."

The old man's gaze was calm, and he merely nodded slightly: "Li Wuhen, Liu Yunya, Zhao Qingfeng... Elder Changqing of Divine City. What brings you here from afar?"

Li Wuhen turned to look at his two senior brothers, and Liu Yunya nodded imperceptibly. He then recounted the whole story of the strange occurrence of the teleportation array in the Misty Sea Ancient City.

Elder Changqing frowned slightly after hearing this: "The teleportation array in the Ancient City of Misty Sea? Are you sure someone secretly tampered with its pathway?"

"Absolutely true." Li Wuhen's tone was certain. "There are many suspicious points, which is why we rushed to the Divine City to find out the truth."

Elder Changqing did not answer hastily, but lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment.

That expression wasn't perfunctory; it showed he truly cared about the matter. Liu Yunya and Zhao Qingfeng also stood silently, their eyes following closely—if this was true, the foundation of the Divine City's protective array had probably already begun to crumble.

Suddenly, a glint flashed in his eyes, as if a decision had been made, and he sighed softly, "Since suspicion has arisen, I will go myself."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and strode towards the teleportation array. The others followed silently. They saw him raise his hand and press it against the center of the array, and spiritual light spread out like a thin mist. His figure faded away and disappeared in an instant amidst the flowing array patterns.

Liu Yunya and Zhao Qingfeng exchanged a glance, both showing surprise. Elder Changqing hadn't sent anyone to investigate, but instead had personally gone to the danger—it seemed that things hadn't just gone wrong, but that someone had secretly planted spies on them long ago.

At this moment, beside the teleportation array in the divine city, the Liu family cultivator and the Long family cultivator were exchanging hushed words, discussing the old and new agreements regarding the joint governance of the territory by the three major families. Though no sharp edge was revealed in their conversation, both were on edge, unwilling to divulge even the slightest information.

Suddenly, the teleportation array lit up with a blinding light! A person slowly emerged from the light—it was Lin Daochen.

The moment his toes touched the ground, the divine sense imprinted on the white jade token by the Liu family patriarch trembled violently. The familiar aura on Lin Daochen's body had been repeatedly imbued with the divine city's array patterns for many years, and now, upon entering the realm, it was like a key knocking on a lock.

The Liu family patriarch immediately sensed the jade token humming, his eyes turned cold, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing straight towards the teleportation array.

Almost simultaneously, the jade pendant on the waist of the Liu family cultivator suddenly blazed brightly, and a kill order appeared: Kill Lin Daochen!

He smirked, a hint of savage joy flashing in his eyes, as if Lin Daochen were already meat on a chopping block.

The cultivators surnamed Long and Wang both frowned. A seventh-level Transcendent Realm cultivator? Facing a veteran ninth-level Transcendent Realm ancestor of the Divine City, wasn't that like throwing an egg against a rock? They exchanged glances, their minds filled with doubt—the ancestor's actions were probably not just to eliminate an enemy, but also to lure someone out.

Without further hesitation, the Liu family cultivators unleashed their flying swords, their cold light tearing through the air as they aimed straight for Lin Daochen's throat, determined to personally sever his head before their ancestor arrived.

But before the sword light arrived, Lin Daochen had already raised his palm to meet it—

With a crisp "crack," the flying sword shattered inch by inch, its fragments scattering like snowflakes.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

The Liu family cultivator's pupils constricted sharply, and he staggered back three steps, his throat tightening. His prized natal flying sword was as fragile as rotten wood under the opponent's grasp.

Lin Daochen's expression remained unchanged as he steadily moved forward, his palm gleaming with a cold, jade-like light as he pressed his palm against Liu Xiushi's chest.

"I was merely passing through and had no intention of harming anyone." His voice wasn't loud, but every word pressed down on one's chest, making it feel heavy. "Just who exactly is your ancestor, this powerful figure?"

Liu Xiushi's lips moved, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he finally gritted his teeth and uttered: "Liu family patriarch, Blood Jade Liu Tian, ​​reborn from the ninth level of heaven."

Lin Daochen's lips curled slightly, neither surprised nor angry. Liu Tian's name was renowned throughout the Divine City; with his ninth-level cultivation, he firmly held the top position among the three great families. But his gaze remained fixed on the person before him.

"Please convey a message for me: My relationship with Shencheng is one of mutual non-interference. I came here only to seek evidence and have no grudge against the Liu family. I hope your esteemed family will not misjudge the situation and ruin our harmony."

His tone was calm, yet it was as imposing as a mountain, leaving no room for argument.

The arrogance of Liu Xiushi had vanished. His Adam's apple bobbed as he nodded deeply to Lin Daochen. That exchange had left an indelible mark on his mind—this man was not one he could afford to provoke. To fight him head-on? That would be like throwing an egg against an anvil; it was better to back down and leave himself a way out.

"If you are returning, please convey my regards to your esteemed patriarch." Lin Daochen's tone was as indifferent as the wind brushing past the eaves. Before he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

He had no intention of breaking ties with the Liu family; what he really needed to keep a close eye on right now was that ancestor who had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Transformation Realm.

Liu Xiushi and the others stood frozen in place, their chests feeling as if they were being crushed by huge rocks, making even breathing difficult. No one had expected that a cultivator at the seventh level of the Transcendent Realm could crush the breastbone of their kin so quickly that they couldn't even catch a glimpse of his afterimage.

The cultivators of the Divine City have always judged each other by their cultivation level, but this battle has completely overturned their understanding.

Lin Daochen struck the Liu family cultivator in the chest with a palm strike, and with a crisp crack, the ribs shattered inch by inch.

The man staggered backward, his heels barely leaving the ground before a hand, like an iron clamp, gripped his neck tightly. Lin Daochen's voice was as cold as a frozen blade: "Why kill me?"

The cultivator's face was as white as paper, and he made a hoarse sound in his throat. His veins bulged, but he couldn't break free even a little.

"Why?" Lin Daochen asked again, his gaze like a quenched dagger, piercing straight into the other's eyes.

The Liu family cultivator gritted his teeth until they bled, swallowing his words back. Lin Daochen's fingers didn't loosen, but he didn't immediately snap his neck—he didn't want a corpse, he wanted answers. The name Liu Tian surfaced in his mind, carrying too much weight. If they weren't deeply involved, why would they send people to intercept and kill him time and time again?

His knuckles slowly tightened, a suffocating sensation washing over the cultivator's mouth and nose like a tidal wave. His eyes bulged, and finally, through gritted teeth, he spat out a few words: "The Ancestor... ordered... you to be executed!"

Lin Daochen frowned slightly. The name Liu Tian was like a thorn, piercing deep into his memory. This person's appearance was no coincidence, but the fog surrounding him remained thick and impossible to dispel.

Suddenly, the token at the Liu family cultivator's waist blazed brightly, and a chillingly powerful intent slammed into his consciousness. He abruptly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, a ferocious grin spreading across his face: "It's you! The Ancestor personally named you; this fiend must be slain!"

Lin Daochen's expression remained unchanged, but a newfound interest stirred within him. He said in a low voice, "The Liu family has no connection with me whatsoever, why is it like this?"

The cultivator coughed up blood and sneered, "A piece of trash at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage dares to act arrogantly in the Divine City? He's clearly trampling on the face of my Liu family! Our ancestor personally decreed—if this humiliation isn't washed away, we'll lose all face!"

Lin Daochen chuckled lightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He harbored no hatred for the Liu family, only a persistent and unbearable annoyance at the relentless pursuit. With a flick of his wrist, the cultivator collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving rapidly, his breath barely a whisper.

The teleportation array flashed slightly, and Wang Brother, a cultivator from the Wang family, stepped out.

Seeing the Liu family cultivators slumped like mud, his eyes gleamed, and a purple light flashed from his sleeve, conjuring a long halberd out of thin air—its shape closely resembling Wang Lin's Purple Lightning Divine Halberd, yet possessing the dull luster characteristic of imitations. "Our ancestor commands!" he shouted, "Whoever takes Lin Daochen's head will be rewarded with a top-grade spiritual treasure!"

The purple halberd tore through the air, piercing straight into Lin Daochen's back with the force of thunder. Lin Daochen stood to the side, a calm smile appearing on his lips. His body was as immovable as an ancient mountain, not even the hem of his clothes swayed in the slightest.

Two cultivators from the Long and Wang families, both at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm, pressed forward, determined to crush this arrogant youth with their superior cultivation. Lin Daochen, however, didn't even raise an eyelid, his gaze fixed on the panting Liu family cultivator on the ground, his voice as cold as frost: "Explain yourself clearly, why did you kill me?"

The Liu family cultivator trembled like a leaf, finally revealing that it was at the behest of the Wang family patriarch. Lin Daochen's eyes turned cold—those who hesitated did not deserve to live. Before the palm wind even rose, it arrived first, severing the throat with a single blow, swift and clean, even silencing the wailing in its throat.

The two Transcendent cultivators didn't even blink, their magical artifacts already brimming with killing intent once more. They refused to believe that a seventh-level cultivator could truly withstand the combined attack of two ninth-level cultivators.

Lin Daochen moved with lightning speed, weaving through the flashing blades and halberds, so fast that only afterimages remained. The two of them, even when attacking together, couldn't even touch his clothes.

……

"The Liu family?" Lin Daochen scoffed, his fingertips brushing against the scabbard, his tone lazy yet every word barbed, "Nothing special."

He has always looked down on the pretentious and arrogant manner of these scions of wealthy families.

Seeing Lin Daochen's slightly upturned lips and indifferent expression, the Long family cultivator was enraged. He activated the dormant true dragon essence within him, and golden scales surged around his body, ready to unleash his trump card, the "Reverse Scale Strike."

Just as the dragon's breath was about to be released, a sudden explosion occurred between its brows—as if a red-hot steel needle had been driven into it. Its entire body convulsed and twitched, and even its spine creaked.

What the hell? His pupils shrank, and all the color drained from his face. That surging, dragon-like power was actually knotted in his meridians, like being entangled in an invisible spider web, becoming more and more sluggish and rigid the more he struggled.

Lin Daochen's eyes sharpened, and he immediately stopped his stance, silently staring at the bulging veins on his opponent's forehead. Wang Brother, a cultivator from the Wang family who was watching the battle from the side, also tensed his jaw and furrowed his brows tightly—this turn of events was too strange, not like a battle of magic, but more like being cursed without warning.