One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Some people gaped open, their teacups shattering on the floor; others' facial muscles twitched violently, their fox-like eyes wide with shock; still others' legs buckled, and they collapsed into their chairs...

"One...one glance?!"

Lu Jin gave a bitter laugh and slumped back in his chair.

Originally, it was thought that Ding Shian could at least force out 50% of the Celestial Master's strength, but who would have thought that the Celestial Master didn't even properly unleash the Golden Light Mantra, and just picked up one of the two heroes like a little chick!

At the very center of the platform, Zhuge Ming stood calmly, a matter-of-fact smile playing on his lips.

The iconic scenes from the original work arrived, albeit late.

In the world of Under One Person, setting aside the devastating impact of the state apparatus, Zhang Zhiwei, the Heavenly Daoist, is the pinnacle of individual combat prowess, dominating the entire era.

However, witnessing that miraculous scene unfolding below, Zhuge Ming's inner energy surged slightly, his fingertips twitching as he subtly suppressed his fighting spirit—

"Once the grand ceremony concludes and the situation is completely straightened out, we'll need to find the Old Celestial Master for a private duel on the main stage, to make up for the time-traveler's regrets—we're already here!"

……

In the arena, the old master looked at Ding Shian, whose eyes were bloodshot and who was almost in shock, and a smile flashed in his eyes.

I've finally managed to vent all the frustration I've felt in front of Quanxing these past few days.

However, he ultimately did not take drastic measures. In front of a hall full of leaders and "thousands" of extraordinary people, the Taoist master had to maintain his dignity and demeanor.

The old master gently lowered his arm and carefully placed Ding Shian back on the ground, even considerately patting the stone chips off his shoulder.

Facing the horrified gazes of the entire audience, the Old Master, with a kind and gentle smile, sighed amiably:

"Oh dear... Ding Shian, I'm so sorry, so sorry."

I'm over a hundred years old, and my eyesight is really failing me.

You jumped down from the sky into the bright sunlight, so dazzling! My old eyes got dizzy, and I instinctively raised my hand to shield my eyes from the light… I didn't hold back, did I hurt you? Young people are strong, please don't take offense at an old man like me.”

puff--!

Lu Jin, standing on the podium, nearly spat out all her tea onto the stands, while Tian Jinzhong turned his head away, his lips twitching so badly they almost cramped.

This old master, Versailles has gone to such extremes, it's not just killing people, it's destroying their spirit!

Before the old celestial master, Ding Shian's knees buckled, and he slammed one knee heavily into the pile of rubble, panting heavily.

Cold sweat dripped down his chin and onto the soil, leaving dark marks.

He raised his head and stared blankly at the old master's harmless old face, the last trace of pride in his eyes shattering into dust.

There was no intent to kill.

In that brief moment, he could not sense even the slightest bit of hostility or murderous intent from the old master.

That is the true gaze of a god upon mortals—with a casual wave of the hand, one can control your life and death; with a casual pinch, one can reduce your life's arduous cultivation to nothing.

Ding Shian smiled sadly, his tense muscles relaxing completely. He knelt down properly on both knees and bowed deeply to the old Celestial Master.

"This junior...has lost."

Ding Shian's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with a deep-seated reverence and relief:

"Master Tiantong is truly a peerless master of our time, his reputation is well-deserved! It was I who was ignorant of my own limitations and arrogant... Thank you, Elder Master, for your mercy!"

……

The wind in the training ground carried a chilling, bone-deep coolness, a feeling that followed the deadly atmosphere.

The raging white energy that filled the sky had long since dissipated, but the scene of Ding Shian being lifted off the ground with one hand and unable to move like a chick was like an iron seal weighing ten thousand pounds, firmly imprinted in the depths of the souls of every extraordinary person in the entire Longhu Mountain.

The pinnacle faces heroes.

This "Exhibition and Demonstration Competition on the Compliance of Taoist Cultural Thought and Intangible Cultural Heritage Martial Arts," which opened amidst great anticipation, began with a thunderous storm but ended with the Old Master's casual gesture, as light as brushing a fallen leaf off his shoulder.

There wasn't even a single instance of moves being countered.

Before the Heavenly Daoist who had truly entered the realm of the unspeakable, the two heroes who were renowned throughout the martial world were nothing more than moths trying to shake the vast sky with their mortal bodies.

This battle not only shattered the invincible monument of the Old Celestial Master, which had dominated the world of supernatural beings for sixty years, but also, through encrypted radio waves rapidly transmitted in all directions, shocked the nerves of supernatural beings in every hidden corner of the world with an absurd sense of mythical destruction.

However, this epic duel, destined to be recorded in the annals of extraordinary individuals, was ultimately only characterized as a "friendly academic exchange within the traditional Taoist school" in official documents.

……

The mountain wind howled, and the grand ceremony of the Luotian Grand Ritual had now come to a substantial close.

Looking back on the turbulent events that unfolded on Longhu Mountain over the past month, their significance has already surpassed that of any previous sect gathering.

Initially, various forces moved at the first sign of trouble, some vying for the power of the Celestial Master's successor, others trying to cover up the bloodshed of the Jia Shen Rebellion seventy years ago, and still others with countless ambitious individuals lurking in the shadows, their eyes fixed on the Thirty-Six Thieves and the Eight Extraordinary Skills—a poisonous thorn that was stirring up the world of supernatural beings.

In the original historical trajectory, this was a Pandora's box that tore open hatred and stirred up countless bloody storms. The subsequent chapters should have been filled with severed limbs and endless infighting among sects.

But national interests come first, and social stability overrides everything.

When the selfish struggles of outlaws begin to threaten the overall public safety, the intervention of the state apparatus becomes an inevitable and ironclad rule.

This time, the entity that has entered the game is not the NaDuTong corporate platform, which has always been adept at navigating the gaps between the business world and the system and has a habit of smoothing things over, but a real national task force carrying the highest will and wielding endless administrative and military resources!

Zhuge Ming has arrived.

With a strategic perspective that overlooks all living beings, and with a policy of both swift action and deterrents, he nipped potential abscesses in the bud in just one month with almost surgical precision.

In the eyes of many elders of the supernatural, those treacherous and ambitious individuals who lurk in the shadows and employ unpredictable methods, such as Qu Tong and the mastermind behind the Dark Fortress who may cause trouble in the future, are perhaps the most troublesome hidden dangers.

But from Zhuge Ming's perspective at the highest levels of the national government, the opposite is true.

Even if people like Qu Tong possess the Soul Modification Technique of the Dual-Handed Master and the Creation Secrets of the Divine Machine Refinement, in the face of the macro-level national will, they are at most a small group of shady counter-terrorism targets.

It lacks moral and legal traditions, has no popular support, and has no historical achievements to speak of.

When dealing with these outlaws, the task force doesn't need to preach any grand principles. As long as they lock down the list through big data and Skynet surveillance, all that awaits them is a systematic deployment of supersonic destructive warheads and complete evaporation in physical dimensions.

What's truly difficult to deal with, what keeps those in power up at night, is precisely this group of prestigious and reclusive families with a history spanning thousands of years.

They possess profound cultural heritage, with generations of descendants deeply versed in the profound mysteries of Taoism; they shed their blood in the flames of the War of Resistance against Japan during the national crisis, their entire family displaying unwavering loyalty; they represent the intellectual currents and cultural legacies of China's ancient civilization.

China is a large family. Faced with this group of clan elders who are not inherently evil but have long been indulging in "江湖规则" (Jianghu rules) and "私力救治" (private relief), the country must not simply rely on strong ships and cannons to bloodily sweep them away.

That's not governance, that's tyranny.

To win over this group of unruly outcasts, we must persuade them with virtue and reason, and use open and aboveboard strategies to build a new order that balances respect and dignity.