The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

"Years have passed since we last met, Junior Brother, and I deeply miss the splendor of the Zhenwu Seven Peaks, as well as the brothers-in-arms,"

the figure that flew in stopped mid-air and said to Xuan Chen with a smile.

"Xuan Guang..." Xuan Chen gritted his teeth.

The figure smiling before him was someone Xuan Chen would never forget, even after another ten years, for he had been a great aid in helping him ascend to the position of Sect Leader of the Zhenwu Sect and was also the flaw that Xuan Chen sought day and night to eliminate.

Somehow and for some reason, Xuan Guang had also joined in this attack against the Taoist. His arrival signified that the enemy's forces greatly outnumbered those of the Taoist.

"You've ascended to the Divinity Realm? Was it you who attacked the Supreme Daoist yesterday?" Xuan Chen asked in rapid succession.

He hadn't expected to encounter this former Junior Brother here and was so taken aback that he was struck by a palm blow from Bai Yan.

Fortunately, his expertise in the Yin Yang Martial Arts had excellent defensive capabilities against such impacts, and the Daoist robe that Xuan Chen wore was no ordinary garment, enabling him to escape serious injury from the attack.

"Would I be able to ascend to Divinity if not for all your contributions, Senior Brother? Why pretend to be befuddled? As for the attack on the Supreme Daoist..."

Xuan Guang spoke with a strange expression, "Although Junior Brother had such plans, someone else acted before I had the chance to strike."

Clearly, Xuan Guang, or rather the Demon Path, had its accomplices within the Taizhen Palace. After all, there were many Sects staying at the Taizhen Palace, and it wouldn't be unusual for one or two individuals from these Sects to be swayed by the Demonic People and become traitors.

Regardless of whether Xuan Chen believed what he said, after revisiting old times with a few sentences, and without even the smile fading from his face, Xuan Guang suddenly made his move.

"Buzz—"

A buzzy tremor filled the air as if space itself were quivering. A gigantic, mixed black and white Handprint surrounded by rolling Evil Qi came crashing down with force.

Bai Yan struck out with another palm, its palm force revealing its true form for the first time—a pitch-black palm imprint upon Xuan Chen's sword edge, pressuring him to the point where he couldn't dodge in time. Then, the invisible shadow vanished on the spot.

"Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm?"

Feeling the omnipresent pressure around him, Xuan Chen realized he was now under the influence of the Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm's repressive field.

However, this Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm contained strong Evil Qi, which was inconsistent with his memory of it.

Since he could not avoid it, the only option left was a direct and forceful counterattack. Xuan Chen raised his sword, and the intermingling Yin and Yang Qi formed an indescribable True Qi that seemed both tangible and intangible.

"Two forms diffusion, Qi surfing the Supreme Void."

His figure flickered suddenly, becoming somewhat blurry and unclear. Deep Taoist Intent spread from Xuan Chen's body, and the Sword Qi he swung seemed to hold the profound mysteries of all things within it.

"—"

It was as if there was no sound, and yet sound existed, as the Sword Light penetrated the Handprint, splitting it in two. The residual Sword Qi grazed Xuan Guang's shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.

"The Taixu Wuji Scripture is indeed formidable, even my Battle Body struggles to defend against such power. It is fearsome and desirable!"

An intense Evil Qi filled Xuan Guang's being, and vast Battle Marks appeared on his face. His entire stature grew by three inches out of thin air, filling his broad robe to bursting.

"The Battle Marks of the Southern Border Witch Sect, so it is,"

Xuan Chen said in a low voice, sword in hand. "The Zhenwu Jade made up for your lack of insight, the bloodline of the Southern Border Witch Clan corrected your physical deficiencies, and that's how you ascended to Divinity."

"Xuan Guang, you have indeed impressed this poor Daoist."

With the Sword Light rising again, the indescribable Sword Qi sliced directly towards Xuan Guang, who was now fully manifesting his Battle Body, triggering a fierce battle once more.

"The Heavenly Demon Sect, Blood Demon Sect, and the Southern Border Witch Sect—individuals from all three major origins of the Demon Path have made their move; this Debating Conference has already become a battlefield for those in the Divinity Realm,"

Qing Yu witnessed all this from below and quickened his stealthy pace even more.

The Demonic People came fiercely, well-prepared. The Taoist side had already lost True Master Tianyang, a Divinity Realm warrior, yesterday, and hastily lacked two combat forces today; in this battle, the Taoists were already at a significant disadvantage.

However, the Taoist side had not yet reached a dead end.

Qing Yu cast his gaze toward a courtyard to the right rear, his eyes deep and distant.

As Sects qualified to compete for the position of Taoist Sect, Shenxiao Dao and Mingxuan Temple naturally resided near Chunyang Palace.

Shenxiao Dao and Dragon Tiger Mountain were great enemies, and they were not friends with Zhenwu Sect; the Taoist Master of Shenxiao Dao would rather see Zhang Jinggen and his nephew Zhang Yuanchu meet their end than lift a finger to help.

As for Mingxuan Temple...

Qing Yu thought of a matter he had previously witnessed; if the Divinity Realm warrior from Mingxuan Temple made a move, perhaps they could resolve this looming crisis.

Qing Yu did not know who that person was, but he understood that he must be a contingency left by Zhang Yuanchu.

"Boom—"

A booming Qi Mechanism soared into the sky, causing the clouds to churn wildly; the Divinity Realm warrior from Mingxuan Temple had acted.

With a resolute figure stepping into the air, each step he took sent his aura soaring higher, as if there was no end to his strength.

Even the people battling in the sky were intimidated by his momentum, stopping their fight to watch him warily.

"With such powerful momentum, who are you?"

It was not someone from the Demon Path who spoke, but Xuan Chen, the Sect Leader of Zhenwu Sect.

Just based on his momentum, which had caused all the present Divinity Realm warriors to cease their fighting, his strength was evident. No one would believe he was an unknown figure from Mingxuan Temple.

"I am Pei Dongliu,"

The face that lifted underwent several changes, revealing a rugged visage as if carved out of marble, and a stature that emanated an ambition to rival the very firmament.

"Pei Dongliu, The World's Number One," the Blood-clothed youth from the Blood Demon Sect suddenly said in a low voice.

Though it was uttered softly, with everyone on high alert and the scene utterly silent, the murmured words might as well have been right beside their ears.

Upon hearing the title "The World's Number One," everyone present twitched their faces, and a look of annoyance appeared on the usually imperturbable face of Pei Dongliu.

Everyone knew that the Supreme Taoist was the Strongest, acknowledged as "The World's Number One," and who "The World's Number One" referred to. The Supreme Taoist's title was one of reverence, but "The World's Number One" was not a desirable moniker.

This was because the "world" in Pei Dongliu's "The World's Number One" referred to the Heavenly List—it actually meant "first under the Heavenly List."

Pei Dongliu practiced the Martial Arts of battle, and his prowess in combat was said to be rare through the ages, once earning him the title "King of Battle." He had fought alone against the world, defeating countless Divinity Realm warriors and forcefully carved out this title for himself.

However, after gaining this title, Pei Dongliu was not content to stop there. He sought to challenge even stronger opponents.

Since ordinary Divinity Realm warriors could no longer defeat him, he decided to challenge the Supreme ones.

Although Pei Dongliu did not reach the Supreme Realm of creating his own space at that time, his combat power far exceeded that of an average Divinity Realm warrior. With the intent of challenging stronger opponents, Pei Dongliu went to the Western Regions to seek out the Cangsheng Sect.

The Cangsheng Sect Master, Mu Cangsheng, ranked tenth on the Heavenly List, was the most appropriate Supreme opponent.