Huh!
With a single palm strike, his robes billowed, and in an instant, a storm of wind and sand arose, darkening the skies and changing the colors of the heavens, as the stars flickered intermittently.
The will of martial arts powerhouses battles against the heavens and the earth. Perhaps lacking in flashy and dazzling divine abilities, their willpower, however, shakes hearts, turning the intangible tangible, triggering celestial phenomena. True Qi interweaves and circulates as if dark clouds loomed oppressively over a city.
This is the prowess of a top-notch warrior of the Twelve-Floor Tower. They have already opened the heavenly gate, just a step away from becoming immortal, and even though they have not yet entered the Immortal Dao Realm, the terrifying power of martial arts is equally earth-shattering.
"Hahaha, well done coming at me!"
Facing the almost tangible martial will, Pei Xuanjing appeared calm and collected, showing no signs of fear. His hearty voice rang out. As he took a step forward, layers of air waves swept in all directions, his voice echoing like thunder through the eight directions, and his own formidable martial will burst forth like unstoppable giant waves.
...
Let's not forget, Pei Xuanjing's accomplishments in martial arts are likewise exceptional. As the founder who created a system integrating mortal, spirit, and immortal martial arts, Pei Xuanjing's martial will was even more solid and unwavering than that of this temple master.
"Hahaha, it's been a long time since I've gone hand in hand with a martial artist of the temple master's caliber. It indeed makes me nostalgic!" A hint of remembrance flashed in Pei Xuanjing's eyes.
Who knows how many years have passed? Ever since the revival of the Great Ming World, when Pei Xuanjing stepped into the Spirit Realm, although his power kept increasing, he faced many strong opponents and adversaries. Yet, few of them were masters of refining foundation as this one was.
It was rare for Pei Xuanjing to encounter an opponent with as strong a martial will as the one before him now, and this long-lost feeling filled him with nostalgia.
There were no special moves, just an ordinary punch thrown!
At Pei Xuanjing's level, he had mastered many skills and techniques, and for him, the simplest and plainest of moves represented the most powerful attacks. Some complex and seemingly strong techniques could not really bring out his full power.
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With the punch thrown, the piercing punch's wind, like substantial martial will, continued with explosive sounds that seemed to shake space itself, as if it might shatter under the terrifying force.
This punch was overwhelmingly tyrannical, with the power to destroy heaven and earth.
Hiss!
Facing this tyrannical punch, the temple master, who had previously been composed, showed a stunned expression, with an unimaginable look flickering in his eyes.
Body cultivation taken horizontally, strength reaching ten thousand jun. This was a sign of Great Completed Horizontal Cultivation.
Just how did this man cultivate? It was already unthinkable for him to have reached the Twelve-Floor Tower at his age, let alone refine his body to such an extent.
Although part of the same martial path cultivation system, this method of horizontal body cultivation nonetheless requires vast amounts of time and effort in this world. Most top-tier martial artists from the Twelve-Floor Tower, even with strong physiques, rarely achieve the pinnacle in horizontal body cultivation. At least the temple master himself hadn't achieved it; he only practiced it alongside other methods, and while it made his body stronger than many martial artists', he was still far from complete mastery.
This terrifying power undoubtedly left the temple master utterly shocked; he hurriedly shifted his form, opting to evade this attack.
Boom!
The Temple Master dodged the fist, but the mountain peak beneath his feet could not. The terrifying force struck the mountain, and instantly rocks exploded, the earth shuddered, sand and stones flew, and grass and trees crumbled into dust.
After the dust had settled, the spot on the mountain where he had stood was sheared away by dozens of feet, leaving behind a massive deep pit.
"What fearsome power, indeed opponents who have cultivated their bodies to such an extent are the most troublesome to deal with!" a trace of annoyance flickered through the Temple Master's eyes.
He hated facing opponents who had undergone such intensive body cultivation the most; apart from their incredibly strong defenses, they also possessed terrifying strength, which was particularly restraining for martial artists like himself.
He had assumed that in all of Heaven and Earth, only the monster ranked in the top five could cultivate their body to the Great Completion Realm. Unexpectedly, here he encountered the Seventh Prince, who had also accomplished this feat.
"Moreover, compared to that monster, this Seventh Prince seems even more terrifying. At such a young age, not only has he achieved Great Completed Horizontal Cultivation, but he has also cultivated his True Qi to the Twelfth-Floor Tower Realm of Martial Arts," the Temple Master looked at Pei Xuanjing with deep wariness in his eyes. "What heritage did he receive? According to my knowledge, even the mightiest Taoist Schools of the Ancient Immortal era could not have passed down such a legacy or method."
Unlike others, the Temple Master seemed to have a deep understanding of the Taoist Schools from ancient times, which is why he originally speculated that Pei Xuanjing could have entered the Twelfth-Floor Tower due to an Ancient Immortal Path heritage.
However, the horrifying power displayed by his opponent now far exceeded his expectations, and most importantly, none of the heritages from the Taoist Schools he remembered matched up.
Heh, this was simply a limitation of his knowledge. Even though the Temple Master was a peak powerhouse in this world, with the Ancient Immortal era's information at his fingertips, he could never have imagined that Pei Xuanjing was not from this world; he was a True Immortal, a being that had never appeared in this world before, beyond even the greatest cultivators that those Ancient Immortal Taoist Schools had ever produced.
Pei Xuanjing's might was the culmination of cultivation experiences from multiple worlds, an existence beyond the Temple Master's wildest imagination.
All this transpired in the blink of an eye. Their battle continued, the Temple Master's thoughts flashed in an instant, not allowing him to continue speculating. Pei Xuanjing launched another attack.
Shenxiao Thunder Palm!
He had simplified this palm technique to the point where only a single palm strike was left—it could hardly be called a technique, merely a simple application of force. But for the Temple Master, it was not so straightforward.
With a single palm strike from Pei Xuanjing, thunder howled, and the sky was swept with billowing winds and clouds, with muffled thunder exploding and the heavens transformed. He only saw a Thunder Dragon roaring towards him—a purple-green Thunder Dragon emitting a sky-shaking Dragon Roar Sound, stirring Wind and Thunder alongside, with an imposing momentum.
The Temple Master's expression grew solemn. This move was extremely fearsome, carrying the Heavenly Earthly Force, drawing upon the Thunderbolt between Heaven and Earth, making the Thunder Dragon exceedingly terrifying.
This was where Pei Xuanjing's skill differed from that of the Daming World. Here, even the Martial Path practice skills aimed to integrate with the Dao of Heaven and Earth.
Although he found this skill somewhat peculiar, the Temple Master was not intimidated. He clenched his fists and pounded forward with tremendous force. The terrifying punch surged towards the Thunder Dragon, resulting in a fierce collision that shook Heaven and Earth.
The continual fierce battle between the two, each unleashing their techniques, displayed their terrifying power and caused the color of the sky and the earth to change.
A month ago, the Moon Temple Master returned from The Manor of the Vassal King in defeat, not only leading to the destruction of one of the Star Moon Temple's branches but also losing the inherited Divine Weapon of the Moon God Palace, the Moon God Blade.
After that, the Moon Temple Master returned to the Star Moon Temple. The Star God Palace Master emerged to re-enter The Manor of the Vassal King for a confrontation with the Seventh Prince. The outcome of their engagement remains unknown, but the Temple Master returned to the Star Moon Temple to seclude himself and rest, seemingly with no light injuries.
It was rumored that the Seventh Prince, whose Martial Arts talent was once thought to be mediocre, had actually stepped into the Twelve-Floor Tower Realm of Martial Arts, demonstrating extraordinary power. Was it that the Seventh Prince had concealed his Martial Arts talent all along, or did he receive some sort of legacy?
It must be said, these events immediately stirred surging waves across the world, starting with the Moon Temple Master being injured, and the suspicion of the Temple Master's injury.
You must understand that over the years, the Star Moon Temple had been expanding continuously, suppressing the opposition and monopolizing the martial arts world, with an attitude that those who follow me will prosper while those who oppose me will die. Under their rapid expansion, naturally, many forces resisted and were discontented.
This setback for the Star Moon Temple naturally made these forces gloat with schadenfreude, and even those Alliances that were openly in opposition to the Star Moon Temple, such as Qingyun Path, Wuji Sect, and Tianwu Pavilion, immediately struck back, seizing the opportunity to attack the branches of the Star Moon Temple one after another, causing them considerable losses.
...
Under such circumstances, the Star Moon Temple naturally dispatched experts to suppress them, but during this process, the Ji Fang Alliances launched a surprise attack on the Star God Palace Master, not expecting to be ambushed in return by the covert Lord of Gods. A Powerhouse of the Twelve-Floor Tower was quelled, resulting in heavy losses.
With this thunderous strike, the Star Moon Temple deterred many forces itching to act, stabilizing the situation.
The aftermath of these events continued to ferment, at the very least, the battle between the Seventh Prince and the Temple Master, although unclear, indicated from the Star Moon Temple's withdrawal of their forces that the Seventh Prince was not to be trifled with; otherwise, why would the always imperious and overbearing Star Moon Temple back off on their own initiative?
"Lord of Gods, how is your injury?" the Moon Temple Master looked at the Temple Master and asked softly.
Though the Temple Master had managed to kill a Powerhouse from the Twelve-Floor Tower Realm this time, he himself was not without injury; to say it differently, even though he gained a lot from this engagement, it had also worsened the already injured Temple Master's condition.
Just like the rumors, the Temple Master was indeed suffering from injuries, and they were far from light. During the battle with Pei Xuanjing, he managed to leave and survive, but the terrifying power displayed by Pei Xuanjing had been alarming.
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"Thinking back now, my escape that day was sheer luck," the Temple Master recalled their encounter. "I even suspect that he deliberately let me go, otherwise there would have been no chance for me to leave."
In their encounter that day, he had employed every tactic and technique at his disposal, using a variety of moves and skills, but the Seventh Prince still dealt with them with poise and ease. The techniques used by the Seventh Prince, on the other hand, were intricate and varied, and there seemed to be no end to their diversity.
How could a Martial Artist in his twenties, while rapidly increasing his power through Cultivation, possibly have mastered so many martial arts skills? Each skill seemed to be at its peak, perfectly executed and frighteningly effective.
This completely overturned the Temple Master's understanding. This was the most formidable enemy he had ever encountered, even more threatening than any opponent he had faced before in this world.
The Moon Temple Master remained silent. Only those who had truly faced this person could comprehend his terror. She had originally thought the Seventh Prince and the Lord of Gods to be evenly matched; now she could hardly believe that not even the Lord of Gods was his match.
"But why would he hold back?" the Star God Palace Master wondered, speculating. "Does he have some sort of scheme up his sleeve?"
He could not comprehend why such a formidable opponent, capable of suppressing their entire Star Moon Temple, would show restraint time and again.
The Temple Master too fell into silence, his mind wavering uncertainly about these matters, for he could definitely feel that the opponent was more powerful than himself, but the fact that the Seventh Prince had held back when he was about to leave really baffled him.
Indeed, with his strength, he ranked among the top ten powerhouses in this world, and even those ranked above him hadn't put as much pressure on him as this opponent.
"The situation is stable, which is not only what you seek but also the outcome I need to see," Pei Xuanjing thought to himself as he stood on the upper floors of the tower, gazing into the distance.
Indeed, whether it was the prior Moon Temple Master or the later Temple Master, Pei Xuanjing could have easily subdued them, but in the end, he chose to show mercy and let them go.
To others, such an act might seem like releasing a tiger back into the wild, a source of endless trouble, but for Pei Xuanjing, unless these two could have an epiphany on the Immortal Path and break free from their shackles to transform into a True Immortal, they were in no position to be his rivals.
Moreover, Pei Xuanjing believed that in this world's Cultivation system, if they were to advance, they would most likely take the Human Immortal Path. Thus, should anyone indeed glimpse the Immortal Dao and ascend to the True Immortal Realm, it would be good news for Pei Xuanjing, for he could take the opportunity to learn from a battle with a Human Immortal and take his own power to the Human Immortal Realm.
Regrettably, this was impossible. Since its creation, this world had never seen the birth of a True Immortal, and Pei Xuanjing didn't believe these people could make such a breakthrough in such a short time.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing was not worried that these people could cause him any trouble. If he wished, no matter where they were, Pei Xuanjing could crush them with the palm of his hand.
The reason he spared them was because of the current situation. Although the Star Moon Temple had a domineering and imperious way of acting in the rivers and lakes, it was undeniable that they had unified the once chaotic and disorderly martial arts world.
Pei Xuanjing was allowing them to go free, just as Zhuge once allowed Guan Yun Chang to let Cao Ameng go at Huarong Path; a united north was much preferred over a divided one, where warlords reigned.
Both the Star Moon Temple and these martial forces might not be made of saints, but it was undeniable that the Star Moon Temple, having eliminated and suppressed other powers, brought order and stability with a set of rules that had been passed down. This decreased the strife in the rivers and lakes, which was undoubtedly beneficial.