This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Upon hearing this, the courtyard seemed to be instantly enveloped in an extremely oppressive atmosphere.

Standing beside Li Daoxuan, Mingyue felt a tightness in her heart. Her internal magical power began to flow rapidly and uncontrollably, and her fingertips even began to glow slightly.

Yang Haotian stood firmly in place, his right hand fingers unconsciously clenching, his knuckles turning slightly white, and a pure true energy quietly gathered, which was the starting posture of his Fuyang Shocking Finger.

Yan Changfeng slowly turned around, looked at Li Daoxuan, his gaze as gloomy as water.

A chilling aura swirled and surged around him, causing the small pebbles at his feet to tremble violently and bounce on the ground.

"What are you going to do?"

Yan Changfeng said in an extremely suppressed tone.

Throughout the entire courtyard, only Li Daoxuan remained calm and composed.

He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and pointed to Qingfeng, who was busy in the kitchen:

"Considering you were only talking and didn't actually do anything, go bow to my disciple and apologize, and we'll let this matter go."

What is Yan Changfeng's identity? He is a half-step Grandmaster who has been a formidable force in the martial arts world of southern Dazhao for over twenty years. How could he possibly apologize to a mere teenager?

"Ha...you want me...to apologize to him?"

Li Daoxuan nodded.

"If you say or do something wrong, you naturally need to apologize. Even a child understands this simple principle. You're old enough to know that, right?"

"boom..."

As soon as Li Daoxuan finished speaking, a powerful aura suddenly erupted.

A powerful burst of true energy erupted from Yan Changfeng's body, filling the courtyard like a storm being stuffed into a pocket.

The intense feeling of suffocation made even Mingyue, who already possessed dozens of magical powers, feel short of breath.

A martial arts master at the half-step Grandmaster level is indeed terrifying in strength.

Yan Changfeng took a step forward, and the blue bricks beneath his feet immediately cracked and scattered.

A powerful, mountain-like surge of true energy crashed down towards the kitchen, and he roared:

"Let me apologize...can he accept that?"

Li Daoxuan stood tall, his blue robe fluttering in the wind and waves. Far from looking disheveled, he exuded an air of otherworldly elegance.

He stepped forward and looked at Yan Changfeng, saying:

"You people always think that you can do whatever you want just because you have some power."

As Li Daoxuan's foot landed, the turmoil within three feet of him instantly subsided.

The raging true energy could no longer lift even a corner of his clothes.

He lifted his foot again, saying as he walked:

"To know one's mistakes but not correct them will only lead to further transgressions; such behavior deserves punishment..."

When the last two words, "should be punished," were uttered, Yan Changfeng felt as if he had heard a thunderbolt from the heavens, which suddenly exploded in his ears.

Immediately afterwards, a force that seemed to carry the might of heaven swept over him, and the true energy he had unleashed was instantly forced back.

Yan Changfeng didn't even have time to think; he could only rely on his decades of sword practice to instinctively slash forward with his palm instead of a sword.

Although it was just a hasty strike, this instinctive reaction under such circumstances brought out the essence of Yan Changfeng's Overlord Blade.

Even he himself probably couldn't find fault with that strike.

Li Daoxuan's expression changed slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes, and he couldn't help but praise:

"A fine knife..."

This decisive strike in the face of the enemy truly demonstrated the instinctive reaction and combat power of a martial arts master.

And the formidable power of a half-step Grandmaster.

The sharp blade light pierced straight through Li Daoxuan's somewhat crude magical barrier, as if tearing through the void, and suddenly exploded before his eyes with a chilling aura.

This was the first time Li Daoxuan had come into contact with a true martial artist, and the first time he had such a clear experience and understanding of the power of martial arts.

Martial arts true qi is an extraordinary power formed by the transformation of qi and blood.

In terms of destructive power alone, it is even greater than the magical power he has cultivated.

But this power has lost its spirituality and has no authority to command heaven and earth, so it can only rely on its fierce courage to charge recklessly and do nothing but destruction.

In the blink of an eye, Li Daoxuan had already gained many insights.

With his magical barrier alone, he couldn't withstand this strike, after all, he hadn't been cultivating for long and his magical power was still shallow.

But it doesn't matter, magic power is not just brute force.

In an instant, golden light enveloped him, and armor protected him.

Li Daoxuan stood motionless, taking the full force of Yan Changfeng's attack with his own body.

"when……"

With a loud bang, the blade energy scattered, and a terrifying recoil swept towards Yan Changfeng.

Li Daoxuan, who took the blow head-on, was completely unharmed, and even his clothes were not damaged in the slightest.

In shock, Yan Changfeng suddenly retreated.

Using the force of the recoil, he leaped into the air, his toes barely touching the ground as he left the courtyard. His figure then transformed into a series of afterimages, disappearing into the distance like a startled swan.

He actually ran away...

Li Daoxuan did not get up to chase after him, but simply raised his hand and sent a beam of spiritual light shooting away.

In an instant, lightning erupted, accompanied by a thunderous roar.

"ah..."

A scream rang out, and Yan Changfeng, who had already flown away, fell from mid-air, his body convulsing and still crackling with electric arcs.

Yang Haotian was horrified as he watched this scene.

Even a grandmaster might not possess such a technique.

"Since you intend to cripple my disciple, then I will do as you say and strip you of all your cultivation. I hope you will think twice before you act..."

Li Daoxuan's voice was like thunder as he coldly spoke.

He did not take Yan Feng's life, but instead crippled his cultivation as punishment. For someone who values ​​his own strength the most, this was the cruelest punishment.

After saying that, Li Daoxuan ignored Yan Changfeng and fixed his gaze on the still rampant blade light in the courtyard. He formed a hand seal and uttered the word "fixed".

Immediately afterwards, Yang Haotian felt an inexplicable and immense power pressing down from nowhere, and the rampant sword light and air currents in the courtyard instantly fell silent.

Not only his outward appearance, but even his fluctuating state of mind seemed to have calmed down considerably.

Yang Haotian looked up at Li Daoxuan, his eyes already filled with horror.

Li Daoxuan's ability to withstand Yan Changfeng's blade without sustaining any damage was already astonishing enough. Then, he unleashed a thunderous attack from afar, crippling Yan Changfeng. This feat led Yang Haotian to consider a possibility—spiritual refinement...

Everyone knows that there are six realms in martial arts. The first three realms are body refinement, which involves tempering the flesh, bones and muscles.

Those who reach the fourth realm or higher refine their Qi, condensing their Qi and blood into true Qi.

But few people know what the legendary seventh realm, the Grandmaster realm, is that after the sixth realm.

It is a realm that ordinary people can never reach in their lifetime, called the Refinement of the Spirit.

Even Yang Haotian had only heard from senior experts that experts in the Refining God Realm could kill people invisibly with their formless and intangible divine soul power.

It can influence the world and even people's hearts in a single thought.

However, only one expert of this caliber has ever appeared in the entire history of the Great Zhao Kingdom.

Yang Haotian stared at Li Daoxuan in shock, his heart churning with turmoil.

If Li Daoxuan is indeed a master of this level, then he certainly has the right to challenge imperial authority.

Grandmasters have long surpassed the realm of mortals; ordinary soldiers, even hundreds of thousands or millions, could not possibly defeat a Grandmaster.

After all, a grandmaster isn't a clay or wooden sculpture; how could he stand still and let you hit him?

However, if one is targeted by a Grandmaster, even the Imperial Palace might not be able to stop them.

Thinking of this, Yang Haotian no longer dared to underestimate him in the slightest.

"Master Yang, please go and deliver a message to that Prince Jin."

Yang Haotian's shoulders trembled, and he unconsciously bowed slightly.

Li Daoxuan smiled slightly upon seeing this and continued:

"I, Li Daoxuan, am a person outside the secular world, with no interest in fame or fortune, and I would never do anything that would damage the royal authority."

"From now on, just pretend I don't exist."

Yang Haotian nodded and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Yes."

Li Daoxuan returned the greeting with clasped hands and said:

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Yang. Today is New Year's Eve, and I'm sure you have relatives and friends waiting for you to return home for a reunion. I won't keep you any longer."

This was a gesture to see the guest off. Yang Haotian understood and respectfully took his leave.

As Yang Haotian walked out of the alley leading to the courtyard, he took the reins from his subordinate, looked back, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Sixth realm...or seventh realm?"

In just a moment, Yang Haotian made a plan.

He wouldn't report to the Prince of Jin that Li Daoxuan was very likely a Grandmaster of the Seventh Realm.

But he will not hide anything about what happened here today.

As for how the Prince of Jin will deal with it, that is his own business.

Whatever the final outcome, at least it won't affect his Fuyang Manor.

Yang Haotian mounted his horse, looked up at the still-snowy sky, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and a barely perceptible cold smile appeared on his lips.

"A caged bird...this cage...it would be better if it were broken..."

The sound of horses' hooves rose, and a soliloquy echoed through the swirling snowflakes, known only to heaven and earth...