"However..." Zhan Zhiming's tone shifted as he sneered, "a Mountain-River Branch Master like you, such a majestic Chixiao Banner Master, possessing both the Bloodsha Aura for protection and the Dragon-Elephant Spirit for guardianship—how is it that three years ago, you were almost beaten to death by a few young Heavenly Geniuses from our Mingyu Branch who had only cultivated for a little over a decade?"
Three years ago.
A group of great fortune Heavenly Geniuses from the Chixiao Sect publicly humiliated the Chixiao Monarch. Old Master Fengxu and several other old Chixiao People couldn't stand by and reprimanded them, only to be severely beaten and nearly killed by many of the Chixiao Sect's great fortune Heavenly Geniuses joining forces.
This incident caused a huge uproar at the time, leaving many feeling regretful and sighing with sorrow.
To be precise, Old Master Fengxu and the others were surrounded and severely injured by dozens of great fortune Heavenly Geniuses working together. Among them were many Destiny-Bearing Heavenly Geniuses, Minor Fate Heavenly Geniuses, and countless Hundred-Layer Great Nature Colored Spirit Heavenly Geniuses. Faced with such a situation, forget ordinary Earth Immortals—even Earth Immortals who had fused eighty-one harmonies, Great Accomplishment Earth Immortals, Great Perfection Earth Immortals, or even Return-to-Origin Earth Immortals would likely have met certain death.
One must understand that most of those great fortune Heavenly Geniuses possessed the strength to battle ordinary Earth Immortals, with several among them even capable of annihilating ordinary Earth Immortals. If they joined forces to surround and attack, one could imagine with their toes just how terrifying it must have been.
If any other Earth Immortal had been surrounded and severely injured by so many Heavenly Geniuses, no one would have felt regret; instead, they would have been admired.
But the person in question happened to be Old Master Fengxu.
The Master of the Mountain-River Branch.
That wasn't the important part.
The important part was that he was also the Banner Master of the Golden Radiance Banner under the Black Buddha Lord of the former Chixiao Sect.
Even more importantly, he possessed both the Bloodsha Aura and the Dragon-Elephant Spirit.
In the minds of many, Chixiao People who possessed the Bloodsha Aura and Dragon-Elephant Spirit were invincible, undefeatable myths. Back in the day, they had even overthrown the Immortal Dynasty, and Nine Heavens Immortals had died by their hands.
Yet now, he had been severely injured by some young people who had only cultivated for a decade or two.
This left many with a feeling of disbelief.
At the same time, they all realized that the Chixiao myth created by the Bloodsha Aura and Dragon-Elephant Spirit under the leadership of the Chixiao Monarch seemed to have ended with the conclusion of the Ancient Era...
The Modern Era belonged to the young, and it was an era of great fortune.
No matter how high your cultivation, no matter how profound your immortal arts, no matter how marvelous your divine abilities—even possessing entities like the Bloodsha Aura and Dragon-Elephant Spirit that were invincible in the Ancient Era—you were still no match for the great fortune Heavenly Geniuses of the Modern Era.
The Bloodsha Aura hadn't changed, nor had the Dragon-Elephant Spirit. The Chixiao People hadn't changed either. What had changed was this world, this realm, and this era.
However, people are inherently unwilling to admit defeat.
Especially Chixiao People.
After news of the incident spread back then, a group of old Chixiao People prepared to avenge Old Master Fengxu and slaughter that bunch of great fortune Heavenly Geniuses. In the end, however, they were stopped by the Black Buddha Lord.
That bitter resentment had been suppressed, and it remained suppressed even now.
Fortunately.
Old Master Fengxu enjoyed great fame within the Yanluo Kingdom; everyone knew he was a virtuous and respected senior. The events of three years ago were rarely mentioned, even in private.
But now, someone had deliberately brought up the matter of three years ago right in front of Old Master Fengxu, clearly using it to mock him.
What was even more hateful was that this person was Zhan Zhiming, the traitor despised by everyone in the Mountain-River Branch!
His words instantly ignited everyone's fury.
Especially the dozen or so Chixiao People in the grand hall, who had long wanted to slaughter Zhan Zhiming. The rage in their hearts could no longer be contained, their eyes instantly turning blood-red.
"Zhan Zhiming, you ungrateful beast! I'll slaughter you!"
A furious roar erupted, resembling both a dragon's cry and an angry elephant's trumpet, shaking the entire hall with a buzzing hum.
A Chixiao Person, his entire body burning as if engulfed in flames—flames of blood, the Bloodsha Aura—stood up, swung a fist, and charged straight forward.
Everyone knew him.
His name was Heng San.
A simple name, and also an old Chixiao Person. Back in the day, he had been a Hall Master under the Golden Radiance Banner of the Chixiao Sect.
His speed was extreme, arriving almost in the blink of an eye.
Zhan Zhiming's expression changed drastically. Not daring to be negligent, he immediately activated his Primordial Spirit Dharma Form, swinging both arms to block. His cultivation was also that of an Earth Immortal, specifically one who had fused fourteen harmonies. But that was all. Despite Heng San only being at the Dharma Manifestation Grandmaster level, his punch was ferociously powerful—so powerful that Zhan Zhiming, a fourteen-harmony fused Earth Immortal, couldn't withstand it at all. The punch sent him staggering back with a muffled grunt.
Combat erupted instantly.
No one had expected such a sudden turn of events. The twenty-plus Earth Immortals who had come with Zhan Zhiming were stunned for a moment, but then, without hesitation, they all activated their Primordial Spirit Dharma Forms, preparing to make a move.
Right at that moment—roar!—the sounds of dragon cries and angry elephant trumpets exploded continuously!
The dozen or so Chixiao People in the grand hall instantly flashed forward, roaring, "Anyone who dares move a muscle, I'll slaughter you all!"
The dozen or so Chixiao People stood there, each summoning their Bloodsha Aura. They resembled majestic flame war gods, their fiendish aura oppressive and their killing intent palpable. They immediately intimidated the twenty-plus Earth Immortals. Although most of the dozen Chixiao People were only Dharma Manifestation Grandmasters, with only five or six Earth Immortals among them, the Bloodsha Aura on their bodies was simply too ferocious. Moreover, they were all veterans of a hundred battles, masters who had waded through seas of blood. Whether in terms of aura or killing intent, they far surpassed these twenty-plus Earth Immortals who had grown reliant on the Great Nature's Colored Spirits.
And here, Heng San, with only Dharma Manifestation Grandmaster cultivation, completely overpowered Zhan Zhiming, a fourteen-harmony fused Earth Immortal.
Whoosh!
Zhan Zhiming's Primordial Spirit Dharma Form condensed and manifested, thick spiritual power erupting in rolling waves. At the same time—roar!—another dragon-elephant cry exploded. A colossal nine-meter-tall entity spiraled upward—the Dragon-Elephant Spirit.
"Beast! Today, I'll slaughter you, this heartless dog, for the Old Banner Master!"
As the Dragon-Elephant Spirit was summoned, a large blade appeared in Heng San's hand—a black crescent-moon great blade. When he raised the crescent-moon blade with both hands, the Bloodsha Aura blazed wildly upon it, and the Dragon-Elephant Spirit coiled around the blade, roaring.
This strike was called the Heaven-Cleaving Slash!
It was one of the famously ruthless Nine Unforgiving Slashes created by the Chixiao Monarch himself. During the late Ancient Era, when the Chixiao Sect campaigned across the realm, countless demons, ghosts, monsters, and even Immortals had died under this Heaven-Cleaving Slash.
Just as Heng San's Heaven-Cleaving Slash was about to descend, a deep shout rang out: "Heng San, stop!"
In response, a figure appeared—none other than Old Master Fengxu.
Seeing it was Old Master Fengxu, Heng San immediately withdrew his blade, roaring, "Old Banner Master! Are you still protecting this heartless beast even now?"
Protecting him?
No!
Old Master Fengxu had long given up any hope for Zhan Zhiming. If possible, he too would like to personally slaughter Zhan Zhiming, even if it pained his heart.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't.
Because he knew that the other Chixiao People from the Mingyu Branch had already ascended the mountain and were currently watching this very hall. They would not, and would not easily allow, Zhan Zhiming to die here.