"You have all indeed opened my eyes!" Pei Xuanjing looked around the five individuals and began speaking.
In the most recent exchange, none of these five held back, exposing their roots completely to his gaze.
Although he had the upper hand in that engagement, Pei Xuanjing was well aware that the foundations of these five were extraordinary. What they lacked compared to him was simply time and accumulation. Given more time to grow, their strength might become even greater.
Maybe in the future, they wouldn't match him if they each only cultivated one way, but they would still certainly be the cream of the crop within their realm.
Zhao Baiyang and the others stayed silent. They didn't find cause for pride in his praise.
The united effort of the five of them had fallen short. No matter how you looked at it, there was nothing to be proud of.
Now, they had a clearer understanding of Pei Xuanjing's terrifying strength.
"Is cultivating three ways simultaneously really so formidable?" wondered several of them in their hearts.
Pei Xuanjing didn't hide his proposition of cultivating the three ways of Refining Essence, Refining Qi, and Refining Spirit. Although it was not yet universally known, these powerful individuals were very clear about it.
Initially, they didn't care much about it, considering it just one concept among many.
But now, Pei Xuanjing's strength had convincingly shown them that cultivating three ways simultaneously was indeed more formidable than single cultivation.
At this moment, many Spirit Realm experts were considering whether they should also find a way to cultivate another way.
"You are all top-notch experts in this world. If you wish to discuss the Dao, then we should do it together. If anyone is interested, you can all join and give it a shot!"
Pei Xuanjing turned his gaze to the other Spirit Realm experts located on the mountain peak, and his resonant voice fell clearly into everyone's ears.
Those interested can at once take up the fight!
Upon hearing this sentence, everyone's faces changed.
Especially those martial artists at the front of the mountain, who were practically left speechless.
Huh?
Pei Xuanjing had just fought against five Spirit Realm experts alone, and now he wanted more people to join in. Was he trying to challenge everyone?
Was this confidence or arrogance!
Being able to become powerful Spirit Realm experts in such a short period, they all had extraordinary talent, determination, and comprehension. Even when baited by Pei Xuanjing, they did not feel humiliated.
After all, within the world of martial arts, strength is respected above all. At least for now, Pei Xuanjing had the right to speak in this way.
"Today, this king will learn from you, Grandmaster Pei!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Yousong didn't hesitate and rose into the air.
Truthfully, he had been itching to challenge Pei Xuanjing again for quite some time. However, due to the current cooperation between the Great Ming imperial court and the Taoist School, and vaguely feeling as though he was being controlled by others, he had been forcefully suppressing his combative intentions.
However, now that Pei Xuanjing had initiated it, he naturally didn't mind and seized the opportunity to do so.
"Amitabha, since Grandmaster has invited us, I, a modest monk, will also shamelessly join the fight." The two monks of the North Zen Sect, Wu Fa and Wu Xiang, looked at each other and spontaneously decided to join the fight.
"Taiyuan Wang Clan!"
"Qinghe Cui Clan!"
"Lanxi Li Clan!"
"Please teach us, Grandmaster!" *3.
The three clan elders of the World Clan Alliance also simultaneously rose into the sky and voiced their intent.
At this moment, only those considered allies of Pei Xuanjing, Bai Xiaosheng, Qingxu, and Old Heavenly Master, were left.
Wearing a smile, Bai Xiaosheng asked Qingxu and Old Heavenly Master who were next to him, "Are you two interested?"
Old Heavenly Master laughed and shook his head, "I, an old Daoist, am getting old and do not like fighting and killing. I won't join in on this excitement. It's all up to you young people."
As allies, they shouldn't have been fighting each other in the first place.
Moreover, even if they did win against one with over ten people, it could hardly be considered a glorious victory. But if they lost, it could be a great loss of face.
As someone who had fought with Pei Xuanjing before, Old Heavenly Master naturally knew how strong he was at that time. Seeing how Pei Xuanjing was handling the current fight against several people, Old Heavenly Master had a rough understanding of his own strength.
Now that Pei Xuanjing was confidently challenging them, that meant he had an extraordinary trump card. At least the two swords used in the previous fight had not been revealed, so even if he did take the challenge, the chance of winning was not great.
Old Heavenly Master did not wish to join the excitement and lose face for nothing.
"I also do not wish to join this excitement." Upon hearing Old Heavenly Master's response, Qingxu also declined.
He laughed and asked Bai Xiaosheng, "Aren't you joining in?"
Leisurely playing with the folding fan in his hand, Bai Xiaosheng smiled, "I don't like fighting others."
For Bai Xiaosheng, unless necessary, he didn't want to do battle with others. For him, all killing moves were for the purpose of protecting the Dao, not for competing with others. Why should he unnecessarily reveal his trump cards?
None of the three had any intention of stepping in. They had decided to stand there and observe.
The other people were not surprised by their decision not to fight, since Pei Xuanjing was their ally. It was only right for them not to challenge him.
But, with just eleven of us, it will be enough!
That was what each of these eleven individuals who had chosen to fight was thinking.
With eleven Spirit Realm experts fighting together, even if Pei Xuanjing was considered the number one person in the world, he wouldn't be able to win.
"Attempting to fight against eleven experts by himself, Grandmaster Pei is truly formidable!"
"It's shocking that eleven Spirit Realm experts would unite to fight one person."
"Each strong individual in this world has their own pride and will not easily join hands with others. Those who can break through to the Spirit Realm are even more so. But Grandmaster Pei has made these eleven forego their pride and challenge him together. It demonstrates his overwhelming strength, forcing these powerful individuals to seriously consider a joint challenge."
"This fight, as long as Grandmaster Pei doesn't lose too badly, nobody else could possibly shake his status as the number one person in this world."
"As far as I can see, no matter whether he wins or loses this battle, it won't affect the Grandmaster's prestige. If we didn't witness it with our own eyes, who could dare to believe that there is anyone strong enough to fight eleven strong individuals alone?"
"He might not necessarily lose. After all, Grandmaster Pei who dares to challenge, certainly must be confident and must have a surefire plan. It's important to know, his Killing Sword and Sword of Heaven's Will have not yet been revealed."
Setting aside the varying perceptions and debates among the ordinary martial artists about this battle, even the Spirit Realm experts who had chosen to fight were speaking up at this moment.
Eleven Spirit Realm experts stood in the air, each occupying a position, surrounding Pei Xuanjing at the center, and subtly blocking all of his escape routes.
Zhao Baiyang looked at Pei Xuanjing, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: "Brother Pei, I admit your strength, but now, you wish to use your single strength to challenge the eleven of us. Isn't it a bit overconfident?"
Indeed, Pei Xuanjing had easily defeated the five of them who had joined hands with his own power just now, and they were willingly defeated.
But now, he was actually going to single-handedly fight against eleven people, which seemed like a joke.
Eleven Spirit Realm powerhouses joining forces, what unimaginable power that is, even Pei Xuanjing couldn't hope to win.
"Grandmaster Pei, don't delude yourself. How about conceding? We can let bygones be bygones!" Blood Slaughter Sovereign jeered from the side.
Among those present, if one wanted to discuss who harbored the greatest grudge against Pei Xuanjing, it was certainly him, a former Elder of the Blood Demon Sect.
Now, although he couldn't get his revenge, he didn't mind embarrassing the so-called number one person under heaven, since he's being so brazen.
Pei Xuanjing stood in the air, his clothes flapping in the wind. Upon hearing their words, he merely smiled faintly.
"Ladies, gentlemen," he addressed them coolly, "let's not waste more words. Let our strength do the talking!"
"If any one of you can withstand a single sword strike from me, I admit my loss!"
"May Buddha bless us, watch your words, Sir."
"Are you looking down on us?"
"Isn't the Grand Tutor being overly self-confident?"
"Pei, you're crossing the line."
Hearing Pei Xuanjing's declamation, the others' faces turned slightly pale.
In their view, the victory of eleven joint powerhouses was certain. They had hoped to spare Pei Xuanjing some dignity by allowing him to admit defeat.
But his audacity, it was bordering on insanity. He was completely disregarding them.
"Gentlemen, here it comes!"
Pei Xuanjing didn't say anything more. His lithe, whitened right hand stretched out, and with a flash of Shenxiao Origin Qi, a Qi Sword adorned with brilliant colors appeared anew in his hand.
His sword intention skyrocketed, as if it would rip the very heavens apart.
Seeing this, Zhao Baiyang no longer hesitated, and got ready to make his move.
The ability to condense Qi into weapons was not something every just-breaking-through Heavenly Rank cultivator could grasp immediately in the World of Myriad Manifestations. After all, it requires thorough control over one's Primordial Qi. Most were too desperate to make a breakthrough in their Third-stage Martial Arts, thus lacking the necessary basic accumulation, except for a few exceptions.
The people in front of them were different. Being constrained by the shackles of Heaven and Earth, they had no choice but to enhance their skills while being unable to break through the Spirit Realm. Every single one of them had been immersed in the first-grade state for decades. Some even lingered at this stage for a hundred years. Their accumulation far outstripped cultivators of the same level in the World of Myriad Manifestations.
Consequently, having finally made a breakthrough, even at the first level of the Spirit Realm, their techniques were far superior. The use of Primordial Qi within their bodies was perfectly at their command.
Boom, boom, boom…
At this moment, the eleven Spirit Realm cultivators each conjured their own Qi weapons, with their imposing auras one after another surging towards the sky.
Pei Xuanjing, however, remained unaffected by these eleven's overwhelming aura. With a swing, his sword lashed out.
Eight slashes later, the sword energy still lingered and spread everywhere.
The eight streams of sword energy that rushed towards the eight directions formed the image of the Eight Trigrams.
A Bagua sword diagram swiftly formed in the sky, constituted by sword energy, with the eight—it was a fusion of heaven and earth, lightning and wind, water and fire, mountain and lake, all sorts of Bagua images. The Bagua diagram was constituted by sword energy, with the eight streams assisting and inhibiting each other, forming a circle of incessant life, continuous and unending.
Second Sword·Eight Extremes!
The Bagua sword diagram descended from the heavens to suppress them.
The heavenly and earthly essence Qi converged, pouring into the Bagua sword diagram and illuminating the divination positions.
In the same way, the Bagua sword diagram enveloped Zhao Baiyang and the other ten. Each of them, differing in number, fell into different positions within the diagram, and were unable to step out because they were blocked by the invisible sword energy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you can escape this sword formation, or even just endure within it for an incense stick's burning time, then I admit defeat!" Pei Xuanjing said with a light laugh.
This was Pei Xuanjing's reiteration on this sword move. This Bagua sword diagram was perfect to trap and block enemies.
Once this sword diagram was fully activated, its effects would not be limited to this. Considering Pei Xuanjing's fourth level Spirit Realm strength in the Path of Qi Refinement, it was equivalent to the Celestial Human Realm in the World of Myriad Manifestations.
Empress Wu's Celestial Dharma Domain, so powerful that even Pei Xuanjing couldn't break it easily, was thus formidable.
Although this sword diagram was not Pei Xuanjing's genuine Domain, its function was in no way inferior to it.
Of course, the eleven present were all at the first level of the Spirit Realm, Pei Xuanjing would not take advantage of them. He only exerted the power of the first level of the Spirit Realm, and even his Taoist Foundation projection was not displayed. Clearly, the power of this sword diagram was less than a tenth of its original strength.
"Pei, you're really looking down on us." Zhao Baiyang sneered back at Pei Xuanjing.
However, despite his bravado, Zhao Baiyang, trapped within the sword formation, showed no hint of negligence. His eyes were filled with caution, and Primordial Qi circulated around his body, resisting the sword energy that emerged continuously.
Xue Wuheng was surrounded by Sky Demon Qi, quickly engulfing all the space within his part of the sword formation. He was going to use it to corrode the sword energy when suddenly a piercing sword energy slashed out, and a layer of his Sky Demon Qi disappeared.
"Such formidable sword energy!" He frowned slightly, inwardly astonished.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Tie Qianshan repeatedly lashed out with both palms. The terrifying force caused the space to vibrate. But it felt like he was hitting cotton. The sword energy was scattered in an instant, but it recovered just as quickly and was extremely persistent.
Zi Tianxiong's Primordial Qi swirled around his body…
The two holy monks, Wu Fa and Wu Xiang, chanted sutras. Their auras connected together and golden light filled the whole space, giving off a sacred and majestic aura…
The three elders of the Clan Alliance each demonstrated what they had learned…
The Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yousong, taking the Imperial Pole Worldly Skill to the extreme, thrust his Emperor Dragon Fist forward…
Each of the eleven utilized their own techniques.
Without a doubt, they understood that their individual power was no match for Pei Xuanjing.
However, Pei Xuanjing was merely using a sword formation to confine them, claiming that they would not be able to escape nor survive for the duration of an incense stick.
That irritated them. So, each of them exerted their full force, hoping to make Pei Xuanjing lose face.
"This sword formation is very profound…" The elderly Grandmaster murmured, looking up at the Bagua sword diagram in the sky.
"The Bagua sword diagram is derived from the Bagua principles and connected by sword energy. It has a cyclical nature of birth and death. In order to break the formation, it's not simple because they are not just dealing with the power of a single sword formation, but the power of the entire formation." Qingxu Daoist spoke up with a smile.
As a master of formations, he easily understood the subtleties of this sword formation.
However, even though he understood it, he knew that breaking it was not simple even by knowing its structure.
"Moreover, this sword formation can continuously absorb the essence of Heaven and Earth, growing stronger and stronger." Bai Xiaosheng added.
Qingxu Daoist spoke in a grave voice, "In my opinion, there are two ways to break this sword formation."
"Do tell." Bai Xiaosheng purposely prompted.
The conversation between the two was not concealed at all. The voice of Qingxu Daoist also fell clearly into the ears of the eleven trapped in the formation.
Hearing that there were two ways to crack the array, these individuals' eyes flickered slightly, and they diverted a portion of their attention to the words of Taoist Qingxu.
Pei Xuanjing made no attempt to stop this, just smiling as the Taoist Qingxu spoke.
"First, break the formation by force!"
In reality, everyone understood this point without mention. As long as an amount of force could be produced that outstripped that of the sword array, it would naturally be easy to break the formation.
However, for these individuals, this issue held no weight, as among the eleven of them, none had such strength to decipher it.
They had already used all the techniques they could, but they were unable to break through. All their energy was divided and scattered by the magical array.
Taoist Qingxu naturally understood this point too. He did not dwell on this method further but continued with the second method.
"One is weak, many are strong. The power of one man is unable to break the formation, but if all of you were to make a move together, such unified strength could crack it."
Hmm?
Yes indeed!
Zhao Baiyang and the others' eyes lit up. They had previously relied solely on their own strength, ignoring the fact that even if they were secluded, they could still collaborate.
"Gentlemen, let us make a move together and break this formation!" Zhao Baiyang announced loud and clear.
"Alright!"
The remaining people were all decisive individuals, so naturally, they did not hesitate or procrastinate.
The next moment, all eleven of them made their move together.
Boom!
A terrifying force erupted. The power of the eleven Spirit Realm experts combined was shocking enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
An Eight Trigrams Sword Array shone brightly, filled with the massive fluctuation of the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.
Pei Xuanjing stood with his hands behind him, showing no intention of intervening in their combined effort.
The power of a magical domain, is almost overwhelming to those who have not truly condensed a magical domain themselves.
Pei Xuanjing had once displayed a terrifying amount of power to break the Red Sun Martial Venerate's magical domain. But even that magical domain of the Red Sun Martial Venerate was incomplete.
Although Pei Xuanjing had only used a portion of the strength of the Spirit Realm Onefold for his attack, this magical domain was a true Celestial Dharma Domain; it was not something these people could break easily, even if they all attacked simultaneously.
The constant bombardment caused the light of the Eight Trigrams Sword Array to dim momentarily, but then, with the momentum of the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the array shone brightly as before, unaffected.
"Hmm!"
Zhao Baiyang knitted his brows. He realized that after each attack, the sword array's power did not diminish but seemed to increase.
Puchi!
Sharp sword Qi constantly emerged and vanished around him, forcing him to divert some of his energy to defend.
"What…"
The Taoist Qingxu frowned deeply. He had not expected the second method, he suggested to be worthless; rather than breaking the sword array, it appeared to have made it even stronger.
Time quickly passed but Zhao Baiyang and the others were unable to break the formation. This caused them to be somewhat taken aback; could it be that they were really unable to break out of the formation?
At that point, Pei Xuanjing suddenly furrowed his eyebrows and gave a slight wave of his sleeves. The Eight Trigrams Sword Array spanning across the sky disappeared instantly.
"Brother Pei?"
Zhao Baiyang and the others were filled with doubts. Why had Pei Xuanjing suddenly withdrawn?
Despite their combined efforts, the eleven of them had been unable to break the formation, but instead seemed to have made the sword array even more formidable. This suggested that, as Pei Xuanjing had said, they really would not have been able to withstand the assault for the amount of time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Although the odds of victory were clearly in his favor, Pei Xuanjing had suddenly given up, something none of them could comprehend.
Martial artists in the distance were also abuzz with discussion, unaware of the reasons behind it.
Some even speculated that Pei Xuanjing was externally strong but weak within. The formidable force of the sword array had most likely used up a great deal of his energy, which was why he had withdrawn.
Pei Xuanjing did not bother explaining to anyone. His eyes turned towards a certain direction, and he said solemnly, "Since you've come, why bother lurking in the shadows?"
Looking into the empty sky in the distance, everyone was filled with confusion.
"Hmmm? Refusing to come out?" A hint of a cold smile flitted across Pei Xuanjing's lips.
He kept his left arm behind his back, clenched his right fist, and activated his Primordial Qi. Hot waves of energy surged within him. He threw a punch, and the breaking of sound echoed through the air, as if threatening to shatter even the atmosphere.
Everyone was stunned, looking at Pei Xuanjing, whose robes were fluttering and hair dancing in the wind. Their eyes were full of shock.
Countless explosive sounds rang like thunder, stirring up endless gales. It seemed as if all the forces between Heaven and Earth had gathered into his fist, causing the world to shake.
Boom!
The sound of the explosion was as loud as thunder that reverberated throughout Heaven and Earth.
"Is that all you've got!"
A cold snort emerged out of thin air, followed by an eruption of massive strength to counter the approaching punch.
Boom!
The collision of two terrifying forces caused the world to tremble. The resulting waves of energy rolled across the sky, causing a sea of clouds to churn in all directions.
When the clouds dissipated, the figures of a man and a woman appeared out of nowhere.
The one who had spoken was the man, who was dressed in white and had a handsome face. However, his gloomy eyes greatly marred his demeanor.
The woman standing beside him was dressed in a warrior's gear. She had a pretty face and a curvaceous figure, but her eyes were filled with arrogance when she looked at the others.
Who are they?
Zhao Baiyang and the others watching the sudden appearance of this pair were taken aback, their hearts filled with confusion.
Even they were unaware of the arrival of these two, and there was no memory of these experts in their minds.
But the fact that they could step through the air, and handle Pei Xuanjing's punch with such ease, was enough to prove that they were Spirit Realm experts at least of their own caliber.
When did such Spirit Realm experts emerge in this world? Could they be from overseas?
"Do you know who these two are?" When the Taoist Qingxu recognized that he did not know the pair, he turned to Bai Xiaosheng and asked.
Given the information in Bai Xiaosheng's possession, he was aware of almost all the powerful martial experts in the world. If these two were indeed from offshore, then only Bai Xiaosheng would know of their identities.
"I don't know them!" Bai Xiaosheng shook his head. Even with all the leads, he had, he couldn't spot these two strangers.
Looking at these sudden arrivals, Bai Xiaosheng remembered his previous conversation with Pei Xuanjing and a dreadful speculation emerged in his mind.
"Who are you and why have you come here?" Pei Xuanjing addressed the two unknown people.
Unlike the others' speculations, Pei Xuanjing had almost figured out who these two were.
He had already anticipated their identities. These two had not made a move yet, but the probing by Pei Xuanjing just now had given him a feeling that their prowess was undoubtedly beyond that of the Spirit Realm Onefold.
Given the current situation, anyone whose strength exceeded Spirit Realm Onefold was likely to be a foreigner, that is, a member of the group that had left earlier.
"This young master is from the ancient country of Da Xue, Xue Hanyi!" The man, who was Xue Hanyi, replied indifferently.