Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

The whole process was so fast it was dazzling, yet so brutally clear.

From the appearance of the nine incarnations to the complete annihilation of the thousand-foot-long sword aura, it was only a short breath!

"puff--!"

Ling Juexiao felt as if he had been struck by a tremendous force; his body trembled violently, and his face instantly turned ashen.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood!

The moment the blood left the body, it transformed into countless tiny sword energies in the air before dissipating.

He staggered backward and flew hundreds of feet before barely managing to regain his balance.

The ancient sword in his hand had lost its luster.

A tiny crack even appeared on the blade, emitting a mournful tremor.

He raised his head and looked at the nine terrifying incarnations behind Dao Xuan, who stood like gods and demons, their auras intertwined, suppressing all directions.

His eyes were filled with boundless horror, fear, and...

Absolutely unbelievable, a complete and utter collapse!

We lost!

It wasn't a narrow defeat, nor a crushing defeat, but a complete, utter, and utterly crushing defeat, like a strong man beating an infant!

His proudest sword strike, a full-force strike capable of splitting mountains and cleaving seas.

Under the combined attack of the opponent's nine mysterious avatars, they crumbled as easily as paper!

It could even backfire and damage the very source of one's Dao!

What kind of supernatural power is this? What level of cultivation is this?

Just how far has Dao Xuan reached?!

Not only Ling Juexiao, but also the nearly twenty Golden Immortal elders and disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect behind him.

At this moment, they were all pale, their bodies stiff, as if they had fallen into an ice cave!

Their sect's sword formation, which they were so proud of, was no match for the combined pressure of the nine Taiyi swords.

It was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment!

Further away, the thousands of cultivators from various factions were already silent and paralyzed with fear.

The clamor, greed, and anger of the moment were all replaced by boundless fear.

Some of the less mentally strong individuals even fainted on the spot, their crotches soaked with sweat.

The nine incarnations floated silently, yet their power was more intimidating than any roar.

Their very existence is the strongest declaration.

Dao Xuan then slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze calmly sweeping over Ling Juexiao, whose face was ashen.

His gaze swept over the trembling Heavenly Sword Sect members and the cultivators from all sides who were slumped on the ground.

Finally, his gaze fell once again on the few aquatic spies who were almost huddled together, wishing they could burrow into the ground.

"Go back."

Dao Xuan spoke, his voice calm and even, yet it sounded like a decree from the heavens.

With an unquestionable will, it is imprinted deep within the soul of every living being.

"Tell Ao Guang that I have recorded what happened today."

"If they dare to extend their claws into Central Continent again, whichever claw they extend, I will sever that claw."

Those aquatic spies felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they scrambled away, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

They transformed into several distorted streaks of water, fleeing desperately towards the East China Sea without looking back.

Its speed was so fast that it seemed as if an ancient ferocious beast was chasing it from behind.

Dao Xuan then looked again at Ling Juexiao, who had lost all fighting spirit and was now filled with boundless fear.

And the people who have completely lost their voices.

"Who else?"

He asked slowly, his voice not loud, yet as powerful as a thunderclap.

It exploded with a deafening roar in everyone's silent hearts, stirring up a monstrous wave.

"You want to demand so-called...an explanation from my Qingyun Sect?"

The mountain wind howled past, stirring up dust and fallen leaves.

No one answered.

A deathly silence enveloped the surrounding area.

Only from the distant mountains and forests could one occasionally hear the mournful cries of startled birds.

Ling Juexiao's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he wanted to say something, but found his throat dry and unable to make a sound.

All pride, ambition, and scheming are rendered powerless in the face of an absolute disparity in strength.

They all seem so ridiculous and pale.

He glanced at the disciples behind him, who were equally pale.

He glanced again at the nine terrifying, nightmarish avatars behind Dao Xuan.

In the end, all the struggles turned into a deep sense of powerlessness and defeat.

He raised his hand with difficulty and bowed to Dao Xuan in an extremely slow and heavy gesture.

Every movement seemed to exhaust all his strength, and his hoarse voice sounded like a broken bellows.

"Dao... Dao Xuan Zhenren... your supernatural powers... are unparalleled... I, Ling... was blind... and offended your might... Today... I... take my leave..."

After saying that, he dared not look at Dao Xuan again, and no longer cared about the dignity of a sect leader.

He turned around and hissed at the doorman, "Go!"

His voice was dry and rapid.

The members of the Heavenly Sword Sect were overjoyed and quickly helped up Ling Juexiao, who was weak and swaying precariously.

They didn't even care about the limp disciples anymore, and turned into a flurry of sword light.

Without looking back, they fled in a sorry state towards the Wanren Mountains.

His back was swaying, and he no longer had any of the arrogance he had shown when he arrived.

With the sect leader fleeing in such a sorry state, how could the other forces dare to hesitate even for a moment?

They scattered in all directions like ants in a disturbed nest.

They came in a mighty tide, and left in a panic like stray dogs, wishing their parents had given them two more legs.

In a short while, outside the gate of Qingyun Mountain.

It was already empty, with only traces of chaos and lingering dust remaining.

And the lingering, unshakeable fear that remained in the air.

Dao Xuan stood alone before the mountain gate, his white robes still clean and spotless.

He gazed at the rapidly clearing world, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well.

Behind him, the nine avatars slowly faded and disappeared, eventually returning to nothingness.

It was as if it had never existed.

A mountain breeze swept by, carrying the mournful sound of distant pine trees.

He knew that today's overwhelming force had temporarily cleared away the petty spies in front of his door.

They not only repelled a powerful enemy with ulterior motives, but also exposed a hidden spy in the East China Sea and issued a warning.

But this matter will not end here.

The Dragon Palace of the East Sea will never let this go, those forces hidden in the shadows.

They will only become more wary and more insidious.

From this day forward, the names of Qingyun Sect and Daoxuan will become even more renowned, and they will be placed at the center of even more turbulent undercurrents.

But so what?

He turned around and looked at the majestic Qingyun Seven Peaks behind him, which had become even more verdant after weathering the storms.

He looked at his disciples, who were so excited they could hardly contain themselves, their eyes burning with renewed faith.

Sunlight pierced through the remaining dark clouds and fell upon him.

The gold trim also illuminated every face inside the mountain gate, filled with excitement and reverence.

"Go back to the mountain."

As soon as the two words "calm" were uttered, Dao Xuan's figure vanished without a trace from in front of the mountain gate, like a dream or a bubble.

The gates of Qingyun Mountain slowly closed with a long, drawn-out hum.

A colorful light curtain swirled, separating the inside from the outside once again.

It also temporarily shuts out all the noise, fear, and strife.