The sky shattered, the sea of clouds roiled, and the aftershocks of the two figures colliding caused the surrounding spectators, many of which were powerful figures, to quickly retreat again.
Even those who were strong in the Spirit Realm Eightfold did not want to be involved in the clash between these two individuals of the same realm, and chose to withdraw.
If anyone harbored other thoughts before, by this moment, the strength Pei Xuanjing displayed was enough to prove that he already stood at the pinnacle of this Heaven and Earth. Although he was not at the absolute peak yet, he had secured a place for himself. He could become the chess player, possessing his own right to speak.
Apart from the many strong spectators above the firmament, even if the clash took place thousands of miles above, the tremendous collision and fluctuations were extremely terrifying to the ordinary cultivators below.
Standing below, they gazed into the sky. Although they couldn't see the specifics of the clash above, the constant thunder, wave after wave of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, and the fist force sweeping the sky, were all terrifying to them. They felt an extremely oppressive aura that made their hearts shudder.
In particular, this collision made even the earth tremble. It wasn't enough to cause landslides or earthquakes, but it did shake the mountains and caused the residual aftermath to shatter countless stones and break vegetation.
If it weren't for the sturdiness of Heaven and Earth after the revival, the clash between these two could have shattered Heaven and Earth and cracked the earth.
Even so, countless patches of space were shattered. Innumerable forces were devoured by the broken space around the two figures, appearing as bottomless as black holes.
This was why Pei Xuanjing set the rule that powerful cultivators were not allowed to engage in combat within crowds and cities.
Imagine if the clash between these two took place in any city within Great Ming territory. Just the aftermath of their clashes would probably kill countless commoners. Even cultivators who had stepped into the Spirit Realm, most of them wouldn't be able to withstand the aftermath of their clash and would either end up dead or injured.
Although both of these individuals were powerful, they hadn't yet reached the peak in this world. If the supremely powerful ones who stepped into the Nine Realms of Spirit were to take action, they could probably obliterate cities and kill countless martial artist cultivators with one full-strength strike.
The waves subsided, and Pei Xuanjing stood facing the Third Supreme Elder. They were only about ten miles apart. Countless airwaves rolled around them, and the sound of air explosions was endless.
Killing intent filled the eyes of the Third Supreme Elder. The strength that Pei Xuanjing showed at the moment was almost beyond his imagination.
Pei Xuanjing had an indifferent expression. After the probing exchange just now, he had a good understanding of the Third Supreme Elder's strength. The latter was indeed a strong contender in the Spirit Realm Eightfold, but Pei Xuanjing had enough confidence to kill him. Even in his current avatar form, he was more than enough!
"Since you only have this much strength, then let's end everything here!" Pei Xuanjing looked at him, his gaze indifferent and emotionless, but his tone was ice-cold.
Hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, the Third Supreme Elder originally intended to chastise him for his arrogant words. However, when he looked up and saw Pei Xuanjing's emotionless eyes, he couldn't help but pause. He felt a sense of danger he hadn't experienced in a long time, as if the aura of death was lingering in his heart.
Not solely the Third Supreme Elder, but all the other spectators were also surprised by Pei Xuanjing's tone in that moment.
Pei Xuanjing held one hand behind his back and hung the other downward. Endless Primordial Qi instantly circulated in his pale palm, changing into a divine sword in an instant. The Shenxiao Origin Qi was unstable, surrounded by green, red, yellow, white, black, and purple lights. Each was distinctive, yet they shone together.
Even though it was just a divine sword condensed from Primordial Qi, the terrifying aura it radiated made countless people shocked. The sharp sword aura surrounded the divine sword, sword light flickering unstably, breaking numerous spaces.
As Pei Xuanjing condensed the divine sword, his aura changed in an instant. Compared to his calm and overbearing demeanor just earlier, he now had an upsurging sharp aura which was perfectly evident, as if it could penetrate Heaven and Earth.
"I've heard that this Pei Nation Master was an unparalleled swordman. I thought it was mere flattery. Now, seeing him today, his attainment in Sword Tao must have reached a terrifying level."
Some of the spectators had a subtle change in their expressions and sighed.
Sword Tao is the most used weapon among the cultivators in the world. Yet, few can actually achieve great success in Sword Tao.
At this moment, the Sword Tao realm that Pei Xuanjing showed shocked countless cultivators. Especially the powerful figures renowned for their Sword Tao, they couldn't help but feel a bit depressed when they felt the sword intent from Pei Xuanjing.
However, what was even more terrifying was yet to come.
Pei Xuanjing slowly raised his sword. The divine sword in his hand moved with his wrist, slicing across the sky, leaving countless cracks. Innumerable Heaven and Earth Essence Qi were dancing around him.
The six-colored sword light instantly pervaded the sky, as if it completely covered Heaven and Earth. Everything in sight was filled with the six-colored sword light. Then, this six-colored sword light intertwined and transformed constantly.
"This is the eighthsword move I created: the two elements (Taiji). Please appreciate it." With the following moment of Pei Xuanjing's voice,
the countless lights converged and rotated into black and white, intertwining and forming a huge black-and-white sword. This sword seemed to symbolize Yin and Yang, representing destruction and vitality, slashing towards the Third Supreme Elder.
Faced with this sword, the Third Supreme Elder's complexion changed dramatically. After their initial clash, he assumed that this was the limit of Pei Xuanjing's strength. For someone as young as him to break through to the Spirit Realm Eightfold and possess such strength was already unthinkable. He absolutely could not be any stronger.
However, at this moment, Pei Xuanjing shattered his thoughts and told the Third Supreme Elder that he was wrong.
Seeing the horrifying dominance of the sword intent now, the Third Supreme Elder was instantly terrified, as if he could smell the breath of death.
He immediately dropped all reservations and stirred the Primordial Qi within his body, unleashing a terrifying momentum. Countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi transformed into a sea of water, forming a protective divine ability around him, and then gushed towards Pei Xuanjing's sword.
However, everything was in vain. When the black-and-white sword light crossed the sky, everything came to an end.
It's over!
Everything's over!
When Pei Xuanjing struck with his Taiji Sword, the pervasive sword intent seemed to cut off all human perception. In that instant, everything between Heaven and Earth disappeared, and only the black and white colors of sword intent remained.
After the lingering sword intent faded, the bodies of the Third Supreme Elder remained in their original positions, but their life force was completely gone. Everyone understood that they were now dead.
The next moment, the body of the Third Supreme Elder exploded.
With thunderous reverberations, innumerable micro-drizzles descended from the sky. This was no ordinary rain; it contained traces of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.
The fall of a cultivator replenished Heaven and Earth.
Everyone understood the moment they saw the Spiritual Rain, that the Third Supreme Elder of the Canglang Palace, more importantly, the Eighth-Level Spiritual Realm cultivator admired by all, had utterly fallen, vanishing between Heaven and Earth.
Seeing this, all the surrounding cultivators felt a sense of sorrow. The fall of such a powerful cultivator inevitably evoked a sense of shared grief.
However, the fall of one powerful cultivator only marked the rise of another. Today's battle signified Pei Xuanjing, a strong cultivator from the ancestral land, truly ascending to a rare position among the strong in the world, becoming one of the few who could comprehend this Great World.
"Master!"
"Third Supreme Elder!"
"…"
Many of the Canglang Palace's cultivators, seeing their own Third Supreme Elder fall, were filled with grief and rage.
They had never imagined that a conflict started by a mere Fifth-Level Spiritual Realm disciple would exact such a heavy price. First, a Seventh Level Spiritual Realm cultivator was killed by Pei Xuanjing, and now one of the five strongest of the Canglang Palace, the Third Supreme Elder, had also fallen here.
The fall of the Third Supreme Elder was an irreplaceable loss for the Canglang Palace. To be blunt, the Canglang Palace's status as a dominant force relied heavily on several Eighth Level Spiritual Realm cultivators.
Even if all the ordinary disciples were wiped out and the Seventh Level Spiritual Realm cultivators fell, as long as these five existed, the Canglang Palace would continue to stand firmly in the world, still commanding everything as a dominant force.
At this moment, the death of the Third Supreme Elder sent a chill through Wei Ping. He fully realized that he had messed up his return this time and had provoked a terribly dangerous enemy for the Canglang Palace.
Eighth Level cultivators of the Spiritual Realm were indeed formidable in this world, having long lives and great power. Scarcely anything could threaten their existence.
In thousands of years in the Sky Wasteland, even during constant battles between the human race and the Demon Race, the most powerful cultivators to have died were only at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm. Eighth Level cultivators, with their significant lifespans, even when injured, would not perish easily.
And yet, only a few decades into the resurgence of this Ancestral Land, with the various powers of the Sky Wasteland yet to return, such a significant event had occurred, resulting in the death of an Eighth-Level Spiritual Realm cultivator—a truly unimaginable occurrence.
This moment made everyone understand the brutality of this Great World. It was a world where all creatures had to struggle for survival, and anyone could lose their life at any moment.
And the death of the Third Supreme Elder of the Canglang Palace officially marked the beginning of this brutal era.
"Today, Canglang Palace has lost. Your wish to kill or carve us up is entirely up to you." Wei Ping, suppressing the sorrow on his face, took a step forward and looked at Pei Xuanjing.
At this point, he had no other options. Even the Third Supreme Elder was killed by his adversary, and everyone left in the Canglang Palace, including him, posed no threat to Pei Xuanjing.
Therefore, he stared ahead and initiated the conversation, hoping that Pei Xuanjing would exhibit the pride of a powerful cultivator and refrain from harming his people, thereby protecting the numerous disciples behind him and securing a ray of hope for them.
"So what do you think I should do?" Pei Xuanjing looked at the tough-acting Wei Ping and calmly began.
He saw right through his adversary's plans, though he didn't expose them.
He hadn't yet figured out how to deal with these people. After all, the conflict this time was likely started by one person, so the disciples of Canglang Palace shouldn't be blamed. Even though they had clashed with him, these disciples did not deserve to die.
However, letting them off easily did not align with Pei Xuanjing's intention to establish his dominance.
As far as Pei Xuanjing was concerned, these people were not threats to him, but that didn't mean they were weak. Strength and weakness were relative terms. To the many disciples of the Taoist School and Shenxiao Sect, these people were indeed a massive threat.
Wei Ping remained silent, uttering not a word. He understood that he was at the mercy of others and had no right to decide his own fate. The only thing he could do was accept his disposition.
He discreetly communicated with the many disciples behind him, urging them to calm down and not to draw Pei Xuanjing's attention or incite his intent to kill.
Of course, he had also prepared for the worst. If Pei Xuanjing genuinely intended to execute the disciples of the Canglang Palace, he and the remaining Seventh Level cultivators would fight back, seeking an escape route for the many disciples.
Such righteousness came not only from Wei Ping's loyalty and sense of belonging to the Canglang Palace, but also from his understanding that, compared to ordinary disciples, they were more of a threat to the Shenxiao Sect. Therefore, Pei Xuanjing would definitely not let them off easily.
They would surely die, escaping was impossible, so rather than waiting to be slaughtered, it would be better to secure an opportunity for these disciples.
"How about this? All of you who are above the Sixth Level of the Spiritual Realm, commit suicide here. In return, I will spare the ordinary disciples," said Pei Xuanjing, setting a condition.
However, as soon as he proposed this condition, the faces of Wei Ping and the other Canglang Palace cultivators changed. They had never anticipated such a proposal from him.
The surrounding cultivators, too, were taken aback upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, seemingly gaining a deeper understanding of him.
Pei Xuanjing had indeed struck mercilessly and decisively. But that was just a demonstration of his power. What they knew about his character was largely hearsay. They had little first-hand knowledge of him.
But at this moment, hearing him set such a condition, they couldn't help but shiver inwardly.
Pei Xuanjing was indeed not one to show mercy. If there was a conflict between the two sides, especially after killing the Third Supreme Elder of the Canglang Palace, with their relationship beyond reconciliation, he wouldn't feign magnanimity or pretend to act like a big man. Instead, he chose to strangle all enemies in the cradle.
For Pei Xuanjing, only those cultivators above the Sixth Level of the Spiritual Realm could cause trouble and perhaps pose a threat in the future. Killing them and sparing the ordinary disciples would eliminate potential dangers without appearing overly cruel.
This was also an open scheme, a transparent psychological attack, challenging whether these strong figures from the Canglang Palace would trade their own lives for the survival of ordinary disciples.
No matter what these people chose, it would be a huge blow to Canglang Palace.
If these cultivators chose to refuse, they would not only fail to survive, but would also cause their own disciples to deviate from their principles.
Even if these cultivators agreed, willingly trading their own lives for the lives of ordinary disciples, what would that matter? When the strong figures of Canglang Palace in the Sky Wasteland returned again, those ordinary disciples would find it hard to return to Canglang Palace.
"Must you insist on this?" Wei Ping naturally saw through Pei Xuanjing's ruthlessness, sucking in a cold breath, his heart trembling in apprehension.
"Either take your own lives, or be executed by me. The choice is yours." Pei Xuanjing remained unmoved, his voice cold.
"I will not tolerate any insult. Pei Xuanjing, prepare to die!" A cultivator from Canglang Palace at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm immediately exploded in anger, launching an attack on Pei Xuanjing.
Those who could cultivate to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm were all capable figures. They held powerful positions in this Heaven and Earth and couldn't accept being insulted by Pei Xuanjing.
The horrific aura exploded, arriving instantly, shaking the heaven and earth.
Yet, facing this person's attack, Pei Xuanjing did not budge, a cold sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, he snapped his fingers and executed the Shenxiao Thunder Palm again. The countless thunder trembled, and the Thunder Dragon roared out, pouncing towards the cultivator.
Against Pei Xuanjing's move, the other party's attack seemed insignificant. The howling thunder and the roaring Thunder Dragon opened its enormous mouth and swallowed the opponent, leaving him no chance of striking back.
A cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm was repressed by Pei Xuanjing in return, this act made many people shudder with fear.
Those cultivators of Canglang Palace who were originally eager to fight Pei Xuanjing to the death had to hold back and dared not move at all.
Wei Ping was also shocked. He found his previous thoughts laughable. There was no point in fighting stubbornly, the few of them, even if they worked together, would be easily crushed by the opponent.
"Do you want to try again?" Pei Xuanjing didn't care about killing a cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm just now. His gaze fell on the people in front of him, and his bland voice rang out again.
However, his seemingly plain voice sounded like the death knell of a soul reaper in everyone's ears.
Just as everyone was indecisive and helpless, a voice rang out, seeming to be their last straw to cling to life.
"There is a saying: 'Spare people in positions to show mercy'. Although Canglang Palace may be at fault this time, it has been at a disadvantage from the beginning. Not only have their core disciples died, several of their cultivators have been continuously killed. Even the Third Supreme Elder at the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm died in your hands. They have paid a huge price, why not let go?" An old man in a green robe with white hair suddenly appeared on the scene, smiling at Pei Xuanjing with a persuasive tone.
Surprisingly, in a place crowded with strong figures, seemingly no one noticed how this green-robed white-haired old man appeared. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air, leaving no trace of his arrival.
Even Pei Xuanjing frowned when the man appeared, because he felt a sense of danger from the man, a feeling that many people present had not given him.
The members of Canglang Palace were also surprised at who this old man was, seeming to stand up for them.
Only Wei Ping, upon seeing the appearance of the green robe elder, had a glint of joy in his eyes, and he slowly relaxed, feeling that he might still survive.
Similarly, the No Phase True Monarch, who had been watching from a distance, was taken aback at the appearance of the green robe elder, and seemed familiar with the newcomer, and couldn't help but murmur, "Why has this old fellow come?"
The No Phase True Monarch seemed somewhat apprehensive about the green-robed old man. He subtly hid his aura, not wanting to attract his attention.
"I've met the Venerable before, please right the wrongs for us." Wei Ping immediately pleaded to the green-robed old man who had just appeared, apparently very familiar with him.
Pei Xuanjing's gaze fell on the green-robed old man, asking, "Are you the reinforcement invited by Canglang Palace?"
Indeed, the appearance of the man in front of him made him feel a sense of danger, but so what? It was not as if someone could just show up out of the blue, forcing him to back down. If that were the case, not only would his ambition of establishing his authority today fail, but these people would also think that he is weak and easily bullied.
"I am friends with the Great Supreme of Canglang Palace. I am only intervening today because of our old friendship. I have come to ask for a favor from you. As the saying goes, one should spare people when possible. Please let this be the end." The green-robed old man chuckled, his tone gentle, but his words carried a hint of unmistakable firmness.
"Is this Taixu Venerable from the Taixu Sect, a strongest cultivator at the Ninth Realm of Spirit? Though he is only present in a manifestation, he is still incredibly dangerous. You mustn't underestimate him, National Teacher." A voice entered Pei Xuanjing's ears, revealing the identity of the man before him.
Pei Xuanjing was very familiar with this voice, it was the No Phase True Monarch who had clashed with him. Though he didn't know why the man was taking the initiative to help him, it answered his question and clarified the man's identity.
Taixu Sect was a top-notch force in the Sky Wasteland, possessing a leading figure at the Nine Realms of Spirit, truly ruling over the Sky Wasteland, and each of their movements caused a sensation in the Sky Wasteland.
In light of the revival of the Ancestral Land, forces comparable to Taixu Sect would naturally send people to prepare for the return of Taixu Sect. Based on the information that Pei Xuanjing had obtained, the person in charge of Taixu Sect this time was a cultivator at the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm, but he didn't expect the Taixu Venerable to appear before him.
Taixu Venerable was indeed at the Nine Realms of Spirit, the real ruler of the Taixu Sect. The ascension of Taixu Sect to a top-notch force was not too long ago and couldn't compare to the Witch Deity Teaching that was a heritage from the ancient times, but having a strongest amongst the Nine Realms of Spirit set them apart from all the other first-rate forces.