After exchanging blows for a short while, the three men suddenly broke apart.
Although Wu Mo was surrounded by danger, facing the combined assault of two of the greatest martial artists in the jianghu, he merely cast a sidelong glance at them and sneered, "You two hypocrites never stop preaching righteousness and benevolence. How laughable! In that regard, I admit I am no match for either of you!"
Both Wutian Chan Master and Tuoba Xingge were renowned heroes who commanded great influence throughout the martial world, yet they had unexpectedly joined forces to launch a surprise attack.
Wutian Chan Master snorted disdainfully.
"You gray-haired old fool! You bearded old villain! Your crimes are so grave that neither Heaven nor Earth can tolerate them. Why should we speak of benevolence and righteousness with you?"
Since ancient times, benevolence and righteousness had been inseparable virtues. Confucian teachings held that the way of humanity was founded upon these principles.
Tuoba Xingge declared,
"Evil must be eradicated by all. The Heavenly Way Alliance acts on behalf of Heaven and upholds justice. That is true righteousness."
Wu Mo laughed coldly.
"Righteousness? What nonsense! Today I shall dominate the martial world and reign supreme over all!"
The crowd was astonished. Many in the martial world secretly harbored dreams of supremacy, but true heroes rarely boasted of such ambitions. Yet Wu Mo proclaimed them openly before everyone, seeming almost delighted by the confession.
Indeed, the desire to dominate the martial world was not unique to Wu Mo. Tuoba Xingge himself had long possessed such aspirations, though he had concealed them, patiently building his strength and influence. Hearing Wu Mo's words, he could no longer contain his anger.
"Wu Mo! When the Four Sects once united to eliminate you, I opposed your execution, believing that since you had not yet committed fresh atrocities, your crimes did not warrant death. But now that you openly speak of conquering the martial world, I can no longer spare you!"
Wu Mo burst into laughter.
His voice, empowered by profound internal energy, shook the mountains and forests. Birds scattered in alarm and beasts fled into hiding.
The laughter abruptly ceased.
"The world is vast; why should I fear having no place within it? If Heaven refuses to tolerate me, then I shall carve out a new Heaven and Earth myself!"
Wutian Chan Master stepped forward and addressed the gathered heroes.
"Alliance Leader, we have exhausted every argument and shown every courtesy. Yet this man remains stubborn and unrepentant. He has clearly fallen into the demonic path. There is only one course left—to strike him down without mercy!"
His words only intensified the hostility.
Wu Mo shouted,
"Enough talk! Show me your moves!"
The martial world had always been divided into countless factions, and right and wrong were seldom absolute. Hearing Wutian Chan Master and Tuoba Xingge continually invoke righteousness, Wu Mo naturally regarded their claims with contempt. Their verbal attacks escalated until combat became inevitable.
Suddenly, Wutian Chan Master released a thunderous roar that echoed like a heavenly clap, shaking the mountains and rustling the trees. Raising both palms, he unleashed a pair of strikes imbued with unimaginable power.
At the same moment, Tuoba Xingge focused his spirit and activated his divine skill. Drawing arcs with both palms, he thrust them forward as well.
Two torrents of palm force surged toward Wu Mo.
Wu Mo drew a deep breath and struck out with both palms.
Six streams of overwhelming force collided in an instant.
A deafening explosion erupted.
Dust and sand billowed skyward.
Wutian Chan Master and Tuoba Xingge were both shaken violently, their bodies swaying as they staggered back two steps.
What shocked them even more was that Wu Mo remained completely motionless.
The spectators stood dumbfounded.
Cries of admiration rose from the crowd:
"Wu Mo truly lives up to his reputation!"
"The pinnacle of martial arts belongs to Wu Mo alone!"
"His skills surpass all others—his mastery rivals the heavens themselves!"
Facing two supreme masters alone, Wu Mo had emerged entirely unshaken.
The source of his boundless power lay in the Chaos Scripture, the martial manual he had created himself.
His cultivation method differed fundamentally from conventional internal arts. After his martial abilities had once been crippled, he secluded himself within the abyssal valleys of Purple Cloud Mountain. During thirty years of solitary meditation and enlightenment, he finally discovered the essence of supreme internal cultivation.
The method was extraordinarily unorthodox.
At first, his internal energy grew no faster than anyone else's. Yet through decades of accumulation, it eventually reached astonishing heights.
The more internal energy he expended, the more abundant it became.
By focusing his mind upon the dantian and allowing his qi to circulate endlessly through the meridians—rising and falling in perpetual cycles—he could summon immense power at any moment.
Thus his present cultivation had become so formidable that it could be described as unparalleled throughout history.
With this divine art alone, he stood above the martial world.
Wu Mo called out loudly,
"Both of you, all under Heaven are brothers. Having returned to the martial world, I have no intention of slaughtering indiscriminately. If you are willing to submit to my Justice Alliance, I shall overlook today's grievances. Then we can discuss matters calmly and work together to uphold justice throughout the martial world."
Wutian Chan Master secretly thought that this man was both cunning and ambitious. Not only did he seek to absorb the Wutian Sect, he also intended to swallow the Heavenly Way Alliance.
He glanced at Tuoba Xingge.
The two exchanged a meaningful look.
Tuoba Xingge understood immediately.
Wu Mo's ambition was now unmistakable. He intended to sweep across the world and bring all under his dominion.
If they continued fighting and lost, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Tuoba Xingge shouted:
"Where are the Dragon and Tiger Elders?"
Two figures descended into the arena.
"Dragon Elder Qin Wei is here!"
"Tiger Elder Wang Tao is here!"
Seeing reinforcements arrive, Wu Mo sneered.
"The mighty leader of the Heavenly Way Alliance calls for help when he cannot win? What a disgrace!"
Before Tuoba Xingge could respond, Wutian Chan Master also called out:
"Where are Wutian, Wudi, and Wuren?"
Three more figures floated into the arena.
"Wutian is here!"
"Wudi is here!"
"Wuren is here!"
As the saying goes:
"Two fists cannot overcome four hands; even a hero cannot defeat a crowd."
Wu Mo shook his head helplessly.
Though these assistants posed little direct threat, their presence still displeased him.
With unmistakable contempt, he said,
"You two claim to be great heroes. Joining forces against me was shameful enough. Now you intend to mob me with numbers? And you still dare call yourselves heroes?"
Wutian Chan Master joined his palms together and calmly recited:
"To know the causes of your past lives, look at what you experience in this life. To know the results of your future lives, look at what you do in this life."
His meaning was clear: Wu Mo was merely suffering the consequences of his own deeds.
He then continued with the famous Buddhist verse:
Commit no evil.Practice all that is good.Purify your own mind.This is the teaching of all Buddhas.