Chapter 495

Chapter 495: Everyone Is a Deadly Enemy

The strong wind howled.

Centered around Qiao Mu, an overwhelming red True strength continuously flowed out, forming a huge vortex that enveloped his entire body.

The roaring True strength vortex blew away all the debris on the ground of the grand hall, and even the seemingly endless sea of clouds appeared to be stirred by this massive vortex.

Qiao Mu’s True strength, accumulated over eighteen thousand years, surged to five times its normal level, and now his True strength roared like wild waves in a sea of clouds, comparable to an accumulation of eighty thousand years of True strength.

Outside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the hidden Ancestor of the Sword Sect watched this scene from a distance, his eyes twitching slightly.

If a Taoist cultivator breaks through from the Tao Achieving Stage to the Mahayana Stage, their magical power is several times stronger than before.

Then in front of us, this Qiao family member, in an obviously extraordinary explosive state, burst forth True strength that was five times more violent than before in an instant.

In this form, let alone the Ancestor of the Sword Sect at the Tao Achieving Stage.

Even Patriarch Lingxu of the Great Dao Sect frowned slightly and cast a cold glance at the young ancestor.

"The consequences you’ve created, shouldn’t you handle them yourself?"

The young ancestor of Long Life Gate can be considered the source of Jiu Province Spiritual Refining Martial Art. For thousands of years, it has subtly influenced martial arts in the human world, impacting not just the Qiao family and the Xue family.

If we say that the human realm of Jiu Province is a sacred grounds for the Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates.

Then the martial world of Jiu Province is the pasture for Long Life Gate, occasionally intervening, quietly guiding, just to see what fruits will come from this human martial arts in the future and to gather them personally.

But at this moment, the young ancestor shook his head.

"At this point, you still want to test me?" He coldly looked at Qiao Mu, who was stepping out of a blood-red storm, his expression becoming slightly serious.

"I created Long Life Fist only over a thousand years ago, yet this person has practiced Long Life Fist for eighteen thousand years. How can this be the fruit of my efforts?"

Xue Changhe, the current head of the Xue family, is the most outstanding figure to emerge from the family in over a thousand years, with hopes of advancing the Xue family’s techniques to a new stage.

A person like Xue Changhe, who is one of a kind, is the martial arts fruit that the young ancestors hoped for.

And what about Qiao Mu?

This extraordinary creature is not something he could create.

Eighteen thousand years?

Patriarch Lingxu squinted his eyes.

The decline of spiritual energy in the Great World of Jiu Province and the great changes of the earth began about ten thousand years ago and was a long-lasting process.

If this member of the Qiao family is already eighteen thousand years old, then isn’t he like them, someone who lived until now from before the great changes of the earth?

And why is the Long Life Fist from a thousand years ago far surpassed by the latter, which has more than eighteen thousand years of mastery, leaving even the first ancestor far behind?

"Don’t rush, you don’t have to compete."

The corners of Qiao Mu’s mouth lifted up, but his face had tiny droplets of blood seeping out, creating a storm of True strength that surrounded him.

"You all must die!"

At this moment, an unending flow of True strength was being released from every part of his body, creating waves of pressure spreading out around him.

"Buddha’s Palm: The Divine Buddha Descends!"

With a sudden deep breath, Qiao Mu gathered his strength.

The storm of True strength that was surrounding him like rivers flowing back to the sea suddenly pulled back toward Qiao Mu’s body.

However, this immense amount of True strength did not return to his body but quickly gathered at his upper body, forming six arms.

These newly formed six arms were not flesh and blood organs grown from Shape Changing Skill, but were True strength arms made of extremely refined and gathered True strength, glowing with a crimson light.

"All Buddhas Unite!"

Qiao Mu stomped heavily with his foot, and in an instant, he swept across like a rock parting the waves, making the clouds before him split to the sides.

At that moment, eight arms seemed to wave like a wild storm, sending wave after wave of crimson giant hands crashing forward.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Shadows of hands rushed in like a roaring mountain tide, enveloping the young ancestor of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and Patriarch Lingxu.

In just a moment, it was almost impossible to see the figures of the two immortal ancestors inside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

"Such a profound accumulation of true strength is simply…hard to comprehend," the young ancestor furrowed his brow deeply.

As the source of the Jiu Province Spiritual Refining Martial Art, his understanding of mortal martial arts naturally stood at the peak of the world’s martial artists.

So when Qiao Mu unleashed his abilities, the shock in his heart was much stronger than that of Patriarch Lingxu.

He deeply breathed in, pushed his palms forward, and suddenly transformed them into two enormous crimson hands pressing forward.

After a brief moment of standoff, the bloodied hand was completely extinguished in the fierce shadow of True strength.

"No ordinary person’s skills can compete with a member of the Qiao family in this world, not even I can."

"It would be a regret in life not to personally pick such ripe fruits of martial arts."

The robe of the path radiated a bright light, enveloping the body and trembling in the pouring shadow of the palm.

A delicate treasure tower flew out from the hands of the young ancestor, hovering above his head and emitting a soft golden light.

Under the golden glow, he continued to move through the tempestuous shadow of the palm, hands forming a secret spell, unleashing endless thunder light that pierced through the sea of clouds.

"Meteorite Fire Mark, go!"

A red fire seal flew out from Patriarch Lingxu’s hand, instantly transforming into a massive meteor, falling down like a falling star, setting the sky ablaze and leaving a long trail of bright red flames in the air.

This Meteorite Fire Mark is the treasure of attack for Patriarch Lingxu and the most treasured artifact of the Great Dao Sect.

Long ago, when the five leaders of the Immortal Sects attacked Peach Blossom Villa, the leader of the Great Dao Sect also used this Meteorite Fire Mark.

However, his cultivation was only at the Soul Changing Stage, and this treasure did not truly belong to him, so he could not unleash its full power.

Later, this Meteorite Fire Mark was knocked away by Qiao Mu at that time but was not damaged; it simply escaped on its own, vanishing without a trace.

But in the hands of its original owner, Patriarch Lingxu, this Meteorite Fire Mark revealed its full might.

"Mountain Seal." Patriarch Lingxu formed a hand gesture and pointed; a ring of yellow waves spread from the Meteorite Fire Mark, enveloping most of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

In an instant, Qiao Mu felt an immense weight pressing down on him, as if he was carrying an invisible mountain on his shoulders.

The enormous meteor was clearly approaching, and even before it landed, he felt a suffocating pressure.

The Meteorite Fire Mark descended from the sky, and endless bolts of lightning rained down on Qiao Mu.

His skin quickly turned black, and at a visible speed, fresh pink flesh began to grow back, while the charred outer layer peeled away on its own.

His blood-colored true strength was like a raging storm, powerful and overwhelming.

Outside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the Ancestor of the Sword Sect observed the fierce battle while slowly retreating.

"He may be strong, but like a gentle breeze on the mountains; he may be reckless, but like the bright moon shining over the great river. I’m leaving, it’s not my concern."

This was not something he should be involved in at the Dao Achieving Stage. At this moment, he was searching for the ruins of a palace in the boundless sea of clouds, planning to set up an array as a temporary dwelling for his cultivation.

Yet, even so, his attention was repeatedly drawn to the fierce battle at the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The member of the Qiao family, bathed in lightning, was surrounded by falling meteors, yet his true strength surged like a wild wolf, with attacks coming like a dense tide.

"In this world, where spiritual energy is sparse, it seems that unsettling martial arts fruits have truly emerged. Is this the second path outside of the immortal way?"

The Ancestor of the Sword Sect had a serious expression.

Patriarch Lingxu of the Great Dao Sect had reached the peak of the Mahayana Stage, just one step away from becoming an immortal.

The young ancestor of Long Life Gate was simply not as skilled, but his magical techniques and martial arts were both strong, so his power was not lacking.

However, that member of the Qiao family was fighting against these two powerful beings from the ancient cultivation world, facing them one against two.

Qiao Mu fought fiercely, almost only attacking without defending, his assault like a wild storm that never stopped.

Unlike the protective treasures of the celestial cultivators, he relied almost entirely on his physical body to withstand the lightning strikes.

His body kept turning black and then healing, showing an incredible vitality that was hard to understand.

Even so, his body was quickly deteriorating, and the time it took for his wounds to heal was getting longer.

Each time his body turned black did not stop his steps; he continued to move forward under great pressure, even unconsciously smiling at the corners of his mouth, which made the ancestor of the Sword Sect uneasy.

The heavier his injuries became, the closer he was to death, the more excited he seemed, and his spiritual refining instincts became sharper than ever.

Even though he was under immense pressure and found it hard to move, he could still evade the lightning strikes in the blink of an eye.

"Even if he uses unusual explosive secret methods to fight one against two, and struggles against two top experts in the mortal realm for a short time… even if he is about to be defeated and perish, he is still one of the rare heroes in the world."

Although the Ancestor of the Sword Sect did not want to get involved in the battle, he still paid attention; he could see that Qiao Mu’s condition was inevitably worsening, and his injuries were getting worse.

Eighty thousand years of True strength is a shockingly huge number.

Since he practiced the "Blood Origin Skill," the blood within Qiao Mu is no longer ordinary; it now carries a function similar to a small dan tian, blending with True strength.

To maintain the release of eighty thousand years of True strength naturally consumes a tremendous amount.

At this moment, with each punch he throws, fine droplets of blood emerge from the pores of his body, transforming into surging True strength that gathers in his fist.

He is consuming not only invisible energy but also his own blood; it can be expected that his condition will not end well, and he may wither like a dried tree.

"Wanfo Chaozong!"

Hundreds of blood-colored True strength giant hands filled the sky, densely striking down on the pressing Meteorite Fire Mark, actually bearing the bolts of lightning, pushing the enormous meteor backward until it returned to the shape of a fire seal.

Patriarch Lingxu raised his hand to examine the Meteorite Fire Mark, pulling it back to himself. He noticed a crack forming on the Meteorite Fire Mark, and his expression changed slightly, feeling a deep pain in his heart.

He glanced sideways at the young ancestor and let out a cold snort.

"The troubles of the martial arts in Jiu Province are ultimately caused by you; it is right that you should face the consequences!"

"Now that the martial arts in the mortal world are out of control and backfiring, do you have no way to deal with it?"

The creation of this Meteorite Fire Mark was not simple; it took nearly a thousand years just to craft it. Moreover, now that spiritual energy is declining and celestial gold is hard to find, it is difficult to reforge and repair it.

So he was genuinely angry.

Even seeing that Qiao Mu, who was barely able to withstand the two of them, was about to perish, could not quell his rage.

The young ancestor, however, was slightly taken aback.

"You are right." He glanced at Qiao Mu, who was covered in blood and wounds, and at Patriarch Lingxu, who was holding the cracked Meteorite Fire Mark. Suddenly, he smiled and said:

"I must thank you for your reminder, friend."

He pushed his palms forward, and with a force like a mountain, a blood-red hand reappeared, striking at…Patriarch Lingxu.

"You?!" Patriarch Lingxu’s eyes widened in shock.

Although the young master’s sudden attack was unexpected, both were travelers on the same path and were prepared for anything.

His robes shone with light, and he was only knocked back several meters by the blow, without being injured.

When he looked back, he saw the young master smiling gently and transforming into a beam of light, quickly escaping.

"This…" Patriarch Lingxu was momentarily stunned, as he watched Qiao Mu’s injuries worsening and nearing his end.

But at that moment, the young master decisively left?

"I can’t stay for long," the young master explained calmly.

As the source of the Spiritual Refining Martial Art, even though he had never practiced this forbidden technique, he could see Qiao Mu’s condition at a glance: his life was like a firewood burning brightly, close to being consumed.

For the young ancestor, both the troublemaker Qiao Mu and the closest to becoming an immortal, Patriarch Lingxu, were deadly enemies who could not coexist.

For him, the best outcome was not for Qiao Mu to die under their combined attack.

Instead, he hoped for a battle between Patriarch Lingxu and Qiao Mu where they both suffered greatly, ideally leading to their mutual destruction.

Or it didn’t matter if Qiao Mu won… because his life was like a flickering candle, even if he won, he would likely be at the end of his strength and unable to survive.

"The flames cannot last long…" Patriarch Lingxu also slightly changed his expression.

He was not a fool; with this reminder, he clearly understood what the other party intended by leaving at this moment…

"If the flames cannot last long, then why should I fight to the death with a Qiao family member?"

"His injuries have worsened. If we just wait a little longer, he will surely run out of strength and we will win without a fight."

As Patriarch Lingxu thought about this, a golden light suddenly flashed from his body, and a pair of golden wings grew on his back, shimmering with a soft golden glow.

This was a treasure made from the wings of the Golden-winged Demon King, whom he killed ten thousand years ago when he ruled the world.

It is said that the Golden-winged Demon King had a trace of blood from the Golden-winged Roc, and after his wings were refined, they could move incredibly fast.

However, at this moment, with a flap of the golden wings on his back, he could not rise into the air; an invisible shackle held him down, causing his speed to drop sharply… In just a moment, he barely managed to rush out of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and arrived outside in the boundless sea of clouds.

"I cannot fly in the heavenly realm…" Patriarch Lingxu’s hair stood slightly on end.

Having lost the chance to escape, he not only faced Qiao Mu’s pursuit, but perhaps also had to deal with the hidden young ancestor’s ambush…

In this heavenly realm, everyone else was his sworn enemy!

He heard the sound of Qiao Mu’s footsteps getting closer from behind him in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

"Thinking of escaping? None of you will escape from this heavenly palace!"

Qiao Mu took a deep breath, lifted one foot, and the powerful strength gathered around him like rivers flowing into the sea, then he stomped down forcefully!

Boom!

The endless sea of clouds suddenly shook, and the light white mist surged like a tsunami, forming a giant wall of clouds that rushed in from behind.