As Wu Tao was about to speak, his momentum from a victorious battle carrying him through the air,
a clamor erupted from outside. In just a moment, thousands of Heavenly Demon Cult followers, all clad in black, arrived.
It turned out that You Lingkuang, the cult leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, along with his ten Grandmaster-level elders, had surrounded the foot of Shaolin Temple's mountain.
The overwhelming presence and terrifying aura forced over ten thousand people to retreat several steps.
Seeing the timidity of these martial artists, You Mingkuang sneered dismissively, then burst into laughter, shaking the entire Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.
You Mingkuang's laughter truly showcased his Grandmaster-level inner energy and robust vitality.
Upon seeing You Mingkuang, numerous memories flooded Wu Tao's mind.
He then managed to utter four words with some difficulty: "Tian Mo Shen Jiao."
Yet, these four words seemed to possess a magical quality, and after Wu Tao spoke them, the scene instantly fell silent.
The major sects, led by Qingyun Temple and Shaolin Temple, did not erupt in fury, nor did they immediately draw their swords and blades. There was only silence.
The other disciples, seeing their sect leaders so silent, dared not make a sound and could only look at them with confusion.
The attitude of the sect leaders was, in fact, not surprising.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a name that all major sects had been deliberately downplaying. Although decades ago, the top experts of the major sects, led by Qingyunzi, had jointly repelled You Mingkuang and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult,
decades had passed, and coupled with their deliberate efforts to obscure the name, many in the martial world were unaware of it.
Scanning these disorganized masses, You Mingkuang spoke, "Those who are not important can leave. People from Shaolin Temple and Qingyun Temple cannot."
You Mingkuang deliberately amplified his voice with inner energy as he spoke. Coupled with him being the center of attention, every move he made drew everyone's notice.
Therefore, when You Mingkuang spoke, everyone heard him clearly.
The ten Grandmaster-level elders behind You Mingkuang bowed and said, "As per the master's orders, clear a path!"
Seeing this, Wu Tao's brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed. He pointed at You Mingkuang and burst into laughter.
"You Mingkuang, you are much smarter than you were decades ago. This is all your scheme, isn't it...
Using a copy of the Mo Ke Divine Art to make our Qingyun Temple and Shaolin Temple fight each other, and then your Heavenly Demon Divine Cult reaps the benefits!"
"I truly regret my actions, my momentary lapse in judgment led to letting a tiger return to its mountain, resulting in this encirclement today!!!"
At this moment, the foot of the mountain was exceptionally quiet. Wu Tao's laughter was especially striking and eye-catching.
Meanwhile, Du Kong chanted the Buddhist phrase "Amitabha Buddha" for a long time.
You Mingkuang's plan, though it had many flaws, was brilliant in its nature as an open ploy.
It exploited the long-standing conflict between Shaolin Temple and Qingyun Temple, the existing animosity between them, and then fanned the flames, successfully causing them to fight.
Before long, these thousands of Heavenly Demon Cult followers cleared a path.
These over ten thousand martial artists, including those from the Tianshan Sect, Emei Sect, and other major sects, seeing that the situation was dire, abandoned all pretense of friendship and loyalty, and fled.
Du Kong clasped his hands together and sighed, without resentment. As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together, but when calamity strikes, they fly in separate directions." Even couples are like this, let alone superficial companions.
Knowing he had fallen into the trap, Wu Tao felt an unusual calm. He paid no mind to the departure of others.
He glanced back at his disciples and grand-disciples, all wounded and exhausted, then spoke loudly to You Mingkuang, "It's been many years. Boy, do you dare to fight me one-on-one..."
You Mingkuang threw his head back and laughed, only speaking after a long pause, "Qingyunzi, you old man, do you overestimate my integrity too much?
I have thousands of men here and ten Grandmaster-level elders. Why should I risk my life against an old man like you who could enter a coffin at any moment...
However, if you are willing to kneel and beg me, I might consider sparing your disciples and grand-disciples...
After all, the ocean does not disdain streams, and Mount Tai does not reject fine soil. Your disciples and grand-disciples, though they may not achieve much...
They can still serve tea, run errands, wave banners, and boost morale after joining our cult. That's passable, wouldn't you say?
Ah, ha ha ha... Ah, ha ha ha..."
In his speech, You Mingkuang acted with condescending grace, as if bestowing a favor upon beggars. The ten elders beside him also burst into laughter.
As the leading lights of the Daoist and Buddhist sects, the younger generation of Shaolin Temple and Qingyun Temple were all arrogant individuals.
Upon hearing these insulting words, their faces flushed with anger, wishing they could immediately draw their swords and slice the speaker into pieces to quell their hatred.
Realizing that negotiation was impossible, Wu Tao sighed and, rather than retreat, lunged forward. His Zhenwu Sword moved with lightning speed towards You Mingkuang.
Wu Tao's swordsmanship was as fast as lightning. If it had landed, it would have pierced You Mingkuang's heart with a single strike.
You Mingkuang swiftly dodged, lightly leaped backward over ten feet with the agility of a swallow, and said with a smile, "Old man, after all these years, you haven't learned anything else, except how to ambush.
You are supposed to be the foremost figure of Daoism, a pillar of the martial world, yet you resort to such shameful tactics."
"Enough nonsense, demon, die!"
Wu Tao took a deep breath. With inner energy flowing through him, a dense green mist reappeared on his Zhenwu Sword, its hum incessant.
Seeing that Wu Tao still possessed such inner energy after a fierce battle, You Mingkuang let out an "Oh," visibly surprised. He countered with a punch, sending Wu Tao flying back.
Wu Tao unleashed a series of exquisite sword techniques, his footwork incredibly swift. However, his depleted inner energy and advanced age meant he failed to harm You Mingkuang. Instead, he was repeatedly put in peril by You Mingkuang's iron fists.
You Mingkuang let out a sinister laugh and said, "What's wrong, old fellow, are you done? Getting old, you should admit it?
" Having said that, he unleashed another punch. Wu Tao felt his breath constrict, involuntarily took a step back, and a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
After suffering a significant blow, Wu Tao dared not confront him directly. He dodged and weaved, engaging You Mingkuang for several dozen moves without sustaining further injury.
You Mingkuang, frustrated by his inability to land a decisive blow, took a deep breath and launched his iron fists again. This strike appeared ordinary, far less formidable than his previous dozens of moves.
However, Wu Tao's expression became increasingly grave.
A powerful surge of inner energy permeated the surroundings, pinning Wu Tao down, filling him with dread.
As a Grandmaster, he knew You Mingkuang was using his profound inner energy to create an invisible wall of qi in the air, enclosing him.
The inner energy of a Grandmaster, combined with an un-aged body, unleashed at full power, would be utterly destructive.
Wu Tao steeled his resolve, channeling his inner energy to its peak. Sword qi erupted from his Zhenwu Sword. Knowing he was outmatched, he prepared for a desperate attack.
You Mingkuang suddenly unleashed his punch, a wave of energy that swept towards Wu Tao, vast and overwhelming.
The power of the punch was as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was cracking, as if seas were churning. Numerous stone slabs shattered into pieces and scattered in the chaotic surge of inner energy.
Suddenly, Wu Tao felt a continuous stream of pure Yang inner energy surge within him.
It was Du Kong, intervening at the critical moment, transferring his own inner energy to Wu Tao.
With his body moving, his sword moving, and empowered by the ultimate inner energy, Wu Tao was like a sword immortal, astonishing to behold!
The Zhenwu Sword moved, and all swords bowed.
The sword qi coiled like a dragon, its head emerging, claws bared, its scales clearly visible, its entire body flashing with sword light, as if a true dragon had emerged.
"Clang!"
A piercing sound, sharp and resonant, erupted.
What kind of collision could produce such a sound?
Everyone fixed their gaze. The tip of the Zhenwu Sword was pressed firmly against You Mingkuang's iron fists, unyielding. The sound was emanating from the Zhenwu Sword itself.
Unbelievable. Fist and sword colliding, producing the sound of clashing metal.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Then, several more deafening sounds echoed.
Under the horrified gaze of the onlookers, the Zhenwu Sword began to shatter inch by inch. Subsequently, You Mingkuang spat out a mouthful of blood and retreated dozens of steps.
"Who won? Who lost?" the thought arose in everyone's mind.
Logically, with Wu Tao's Zhenwu Sword broken, he should have lost.
However, You Mingkuang also spat blood and sustained severe internal injuries. It was truly hard to say who had won this earth-shattering battle.
At this moment, the thoughts arising in everyone's minds were known only to themselves; even heaven did not know.
Of course, Wu Tao disdained to notice what these people were thinking.
Wu Tao stood there, not with the dejection everyone expected. He simply lowered his head, silently gazing at the hilt of his sword, with a hint of helplessness and reluctance.
"What are you waiting for? Kill these two old geezers!"
You Mingkuang's voice boomed like thunder, a roar from the clear sky that made the ten Grandmaster-level demonic elders behind him tremble.
Seeing this, Wu Tao took another sword from a disciple beside him and strode towards the ten Grandmaster-level demonic elders, shouting, "Come at me if you don't want to die! I still think I have too few souls under my sword."