If there was one event that unequivocally dominated the world of martial arts, it was the return of the long-absent Slayer Taoist, and his challenge to the two Masters of Justice Hall.
Nobody could have guessed that after two years in seclusion, the Slayer Taoist would re-emerge with such momentum, as though intending to reclaim the top spot in the world of martial arts.
Because scant few knew of Pei Xuanjing's slaying of the Lord of Shenxiao Gate, many did not fully comprehend the extent of Pei Xuanjing's prowess.
As for the matter of slaying the Yama King, while many people were aware of it, only a select few understood that the power of this Yama King was on par with the most formidable martial artists in the world – the majority dismissed him as a slightly more formidable first-grade martial artist.
For various reasons, only a select few truly grasinded the full extent of Pei Xuanjing's strength.
Hence, there were generally two major opinions regarding the Slayer Taoist's actions.
One group believed that the Slayer Taoist Pei Xuanjing was merely vying for attention – after defeating a few ordinary first-grade martial artists, he dared to challenge the Masters of the century-old Justice Hall. They saw him as being overconfident and predicted that he would inevitably be defeated and ended in obscurity.
Others, however, thought that heroes emerged in every generation. Although Pei Xuanjing was relatively young, his abilities were on par with those who had been renowned for years.
Moreover, considering that the Slayer Taoist had never suffered a defeat since his advent, he must have had some level of confidence when challenging the masters of Justice Hall. Therefore, the outcome of this challenge was unpredictable – who would win was anyone's guess.
For a while, countless people debated the possible outcomes.
Pei Xuanjing issued a challenge and, faced with an adversary renowned for his martial prowess, even the successive generations of heroes dared not underestimate him.
Therefore, the Masters of Justice Hall, who had made numerous alliances, invited many powerful martial artists to visit Justice Hall and enhance its prestige.
As the agreed date drew closer and closer, numerous people in the martial arts world began to head towards Justice Hall's location, not wanting to miss this rare spectacle.
Such a duel between top experts was rare, especially when the event was publicized in advance, giving everyone prior knowledge.
"Why would he choose to challenge the Master of Justice Hall now?" Zhao Baiyang, the Maitreya Sect Leader, frowned slightly, puzzled.
Ever since the news started spreading in the martial arts world a month ago, he had heard of it. However, when he first heard about it, he dismissed it as nonsense.
Zhao Baiyang, who had personally crossed swords with Pei Xuanjing, knew very well how powerful Pei Xuanjing was. Even for himself, it would not necessarily be an easy victory without using his trump card.
But what is Justice Hall's Master in comparison? Even though he had some reputation in martial arts circles, to Zhao Baiyang, he was just a dried bone in a grave.
In his view, Pei Xuanjing was evenly matched and it was difficult to predict a winner. How could, how could he challenge such a character?
However, as the news spread more widely, countless people gathered at Justice Hall, and especially according to the message from his subordinates, Pei Xuanjing had indeed descended from Shenxiao Mountain and headed towards Justice Hall.
This forced Zhao Baiyang to believe that this matter was real, prompting him to question why Pei Xuanjing would act this way. "What could it be?"
Zhao Baiyang was puzzled.
He knew that Pei Xuanjing's actions had inadvertently helped him, attracting everyone's attention and making the implementation of his own plan smoother.
Despite his curiosity about Pei Xuanjing's actions, for Zhao Baiyang, the most important current matter was his plan for entering Tiandu and slaying the dragon.
As long as this plan wasn't affected, all other matters could be set aside temporarily.
After a moment of thought, he ordered Yu Yiyao, "Have our people keep an eye on Justice Hall. If anything unexpected happens, they should immediately inform us. Other than that, they needn't worry."
"Yes, master." Yu Yiyao nodded her head.
Zhao Baiyang then asked, "Has there been any response from the Netherworld? Are they participating in this plan?"
Yu Yiyao solemnly replied, "The message from the Netherworld is that the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu will personally participate."
"What?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Baiyang looked up abruptly, a surprised expression crossing his face. He asked in confusion, "Why would that old ghost show up in person? Could the previous rumor be true?"
Zhao Baiyang had crossed paths with the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu several times. When he and Tie Qianshan first made their names, the old ghost was already the master of the Netherworld.
Back then, the people of Netherworld were instructed to target him and his cohorts, leading to significant strife between Zhao Baiyang and the Netherworld. If not absolutely necessary, Zhao Baiyang would never want to cooperate with anyone from the Netherworld.
But at his level, despite his deep aversion towards the Netherworld, he could only grit his teeth and accept them.
After all, Tiandu was too dangerous. He needed to rally any and all proficient Martial Artist who could potentially assist him in his endeavor..
What he didn't expect was that this time, the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu would personally come out of seclusion.
This reminded him of the recent rumor: Yama King had been slain by Pei Xuanjing.
"For the past two years, the people of the underworld have been low-key, not causing too much uproar," Yu Yiyao, who was standing by his side, commented.
She couldn't help but think about how Pei Xuanjing's rise caused significant losses for the Mire Sect. Yet their losses, compared to that of the underworld, seemed insignificant.
Zhao Baiyang silently nodded. It seemed it might be true.
"I heard this old ghost was cultivating a powerful skill in seclusion. Now that he'S willing to come out, he must have mastered it," he thought to himself.
He knew well that Fengdu's Ghost Emperor was selfish. Even if everyone from the underworld perished, he would not easily come out unless he was certain of his power.
Now that the Ghost Emperor was willing to intervene, it was highly probable that he had successfully mastered the skill.
After bidding farewell to Bai Xiaosheng, Pei Xuanjing remained on the mountain without showing any signs of urgency.
He spent each day in martial studies, refining Taoyun, transforming blood energy, and tempering his body.
His life might vary from day to day, but it was tranquil and relaxing.
During this period, Pei Xuanjing meticulously organized his cultivation path, hoping to logically sort out the route he had taken.
According to his speculation, the three paths of refining essence, cultivating Qi, and refining spirit should correspond to body and blood cultivation, True Qi cultivation, and martial arts enlightenment, respectively.
Moreover, these three paths can be cultivated independently or simultaneously for mutual support and advancement.
By Pei Xuanjing's estimation, these three paths combined would closely resemble a superior cultivation method in the Taoist School: Golden Core Dao.
The Golden Core Dao is not so much about refining an actual physical core, as it is about a cultivator refining their essence and spirit to perfection, hence the immortality and perfect characteristics depicted by the terms 'gold' and 'core'.
The Golden Core referred to the immortal state where a cultivator's essence and spirit reach perfection.
"Looking at it this way, following the three paths of essence, Qi, and spirit might be the most orthodox way of cultivation, " Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
Perhaps those who independently cultivate one path can quickly grow strong and gain overwhelming power, but from a cultivation perspective, rapid growth may not be balanced and could lead to imperfections in the ultimate state of perfection.
Consequently, even if he achieves full spiritualization of the body and refines every acupoint, there will always be flaws preventing true perfection.
For Pei Xuanjing, such an outcome was unacceptable. It would be a futile effort if his path led to immortality but he was unable to achieve it in the end.
"It seems like I'll need to acquire the information passed down by ancient powers," he mulled over it.
He was confident that the messages he needed could be found among these ancient powers, some of which have been around for thousands of years.
Take Dragon Tiger Mountain, for instance. This ancient power has been around since the Divine Han period, and it hasn't experienced any clear breaks in its succession. It is impossible for it to have lost such important materials.
What troubled him most was how to get access to that information.
This is because, compared to martial arts, this knowledge constitutes the essence and foundation of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Even if there is unparalleled martial arts, it can be created by an exceptional genius. However, even a prodigy comparable to Master Sanfeng would find it difficult to access the heritage and foundation of Dragon Tiger Mountain without the right opportunity.
This is the real source of confidence for these major powers; they have a better understanding and more impressive schemes than ordinary people, which can't be pursued by a single individual.
"Huh.. "
Pei Xuanjing slowly opened his eyes. The True Qi swirling within his body, the abundant blood Qi, and the pervasive martial arts comprehension all quieted down.
"It's time to go down the mountain," a flicker of divinity sparkled in his eyes.
Justice Hall, a well-known place in the martial arts community, had attracted everyone's attention over the past month, with countless martial artists flocking there.
Ma Wuji, the head of Justice Hall, welcomed all those looking for excitement, ordering his men to open their gates to everyone without any restriction.
Justice Hall's reputation relied heavily on Ma Wuji'S honor and integrity. Blocking the martial artists would naturally damage his reputation.
That's why even though they were annoyed, the members of Justice Hall still had to put on a smile and warmly welcome everyone.
Instead of choosing a blessed land on a famous mountain as many sects do, Justice Hall established a large manor not far from a mansion city.
Actually, judging by its scale, the place could already be deemed a small town.
The merchants and farmers here have intimate relationships with Justice Hall, gaining protection from them while also providing supplies for them.
The first rays of sunlight in the morning brightened the earth, and the originally quiet town gradually became lively.
Many martial artists, in groups of three to five, gathered together, discussing and pointing out their aspirations, waiting for the arrival of Pei Xuanjing.
Among these people were those stepping into the martial arts community for the first time, and there were also seasoned veterans used to Jianghu's ups and downs..