Chapter 705

Chapter 705: Grudges from a Thousand Years Ago

As soon as Xu Lingtai entered the communication section for the exchange between the two sects, he ran into Xie Peng, who had been looking for him.

They locked eyes, neither saying a word.

Finally, Xu Lingtai broke the silence, speaking softly, “Taoist friend Xie, I went too far back then. I’m sorry.”

Xie Peng smirked, pulling out a talisman for the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace that someone had given him.

“I always thought those three words were the most useless—so here are your two options.”

“You can take a full hit from the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace.”

“Or we can fight, and I’ll use this talisman during the battle,” Xie Peng said, staring at Xu Lingtai.

Some disciples, unaware of the history between the two, started asking around.

After hearing the story, they all looked at Xie Peng with pity.

This wasn’t just about the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace; it was also about the betrayal of a friendship.

Xu Lingtai glanced at the talisman in Xie Peng’s hand. To say he wasn’t scared would be a lie.

If he had to endure that, he’d be haunted by it for centuries.

“Lingtai, you should fight Xie Peng. You were out of line back then,” Xiong Li stepped in, confident that Xu Lingtai could handle the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace.

“Yeah, Brother Lingtai, it’s better to settle grudges than let them fester. If you messed up, own it.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Lingtai. You can tough it out.”

The Hidden Spirit Sect disciples chimed in, urging him on.

Just then, his close friend Xiang Yun walked by and slipped him a defensive artifact against spiritual attacks.

“Lingtai, looks like you’ve got no choice but to fight. This Spirit-Summoning Ring will shield you from the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace. Just put on a show, and you’ll be fine.”

Xiang Yun’s voice reached Xu Lingtai’s ears.

Xie Peng glared at Xu Lingtai, his eyes red with anger.

The attention of both the Hidden Spirit Sect and Qianling Sect disciples was now fixed on Xu Lingtai.

Xu Lingtai’s dilemma wasn’t just about whether to fight anymore.

It had become a deeper question: if he pretended to suffer from the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace in front of all these disciples.

In reality, he wouldn’t be harmed.

But if thousands of disciples saw it, the lie could become the truth.

From then on, every time someone looked at him, they’d remember him enduring the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace, and the story would spread like wildfire through the sect.

“Xu Lingtai, let’s settle this with a fight. After this, we’re even,” Xie Peng declared.

“Fine,” Xu Lingtai nodded slowly, a hint of guilt in his expression.

Back in his younger days, he’d been reckless, using the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace just to win a battle.

Now, the consequences had caught up to him; there was no way out.

“Alright, the first battle of the exchange between the two sects’ disciples begins now.”

The two arrived at the virtual battleground for life-and-death battles, instantly transmitting all data into the virtual world.

A massive light curtain appeared in the square, allowing the disciples of both sects to watch.

As soon as the disciples arrived, they were treated to a juicy and exciting spectacle—a delightful surprise that instantly lifted their spirits.

In no time, they stopped chatting and focused entirely on the light curtain, eagerly awaiting the eruption of the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace.

At that moment, Li Zishi stood among the crowd, watching the battle on the light curtain with an expression of awe.

It was his first time hearing about such terrifying divine abilities. He thought to himself that if anyone dared to use such a technique against him, he would fight to the death, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

On a vast grassland, the two stared at each other.

“Taoist friend Xie, I hope you can move past your struggles after this battle,” Xu Lingtai said.

“Good, and I hope you won’t hold any grudges against me afterward,” Xie Peng replied, shaking the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace talisman in his hand.

The moment Xu Lingtai saw the talisman, he felt as if his soul were trying to escape his body.

He would rather endure a brutal beating from Xie Peng than face that talisman.

“Battle begins!”

Xie Peng formed a spell seal, and six towering mountains rose from the grassland.

Immediately, a crushing force pressed down on Xu Lingtai, making his body feel unbearably heavy.

The thousand-hand illusion appeared in the sky, and Xu Lingtai’s figure vanished from Xie Peng’s sight.

“Same old tricks,” Xie Peng chuckled.

He began setting up various divine technique formations, and soon the entire battle zone was engulfed by the powers of these formations.

The energies of the divine techniques intertwined and clashed, creating a Strange Force that rooted itself in the void, searching for Xu Lingtai’s location.

Above Xie Peng’s head, a giant knife wreathed in golden flames hovered menacingly.

“Boom!”

A deafening sound echoed as the Strange Force ensnared Xu Lingtai, forcing him to reveal himself while struggling against the unexpected power.

“For the humiliation you’ve caused me over the past one hundred years’ time, I’ve spent every moment figuring out how to defeat you!”

Xie Peng’s voice echoed across the battlefield.

“So what? You’re strong, but this will still end in a draw,” Xu Lingtai retorted, summoning the Titan Shield behind him, his body empowered by various defensive techniques.

A torrent of Dao Techniques surged toward Xie Peng.

At that moment, the flaming giant knife behind Xie Peng swung down, slicing through the incoming torrent of techniques.

The fiery blade shattered the torrent and continued its descent toward Xu Lingtai’s true form.

“Boom!”

The heavy strike landed on Xu Lingtai’s defensive techniques, shattering the flaming giant knife into a sea of raging fire that surged toward him.

However, the flames were completely blocked by his defenses.

But then, the raging fire transformed into countless tiny fire serpents, which began to gather and gnaw at his defenses.

Xu Lingtai, who had been calm moments ago, felt his right eye twitch, and his expression grew serious.

Watching from Hidden Spirit Island, Xu Fan turned to Xu Gang with a smile. “Looks like your son is about to take a fall.”

“Lingtai has been diligent in his training over the years, but his heart isn’t fully in it. He’s more interested in enjoying life.”

“A fall might be good for him—teach him a lesson,” Xu Gang replied.

“I noticed Lingtai seems terrified of that Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace talisman,” Xu Fan remarked.

“Anyone who knows about that thing would be scared. That talisman is only mid-level, though. Lingtai should be able to handle it,” Xu Gang said confidently.

Meanwhile, the tide of the battle in the virtual battleground began to shift.

Xie Peng slowly gained the upper hand.

The tiny fire serpents created by his divine flames had already begun to penetrate Xu Lingtai’s true form.

Just then, Xu Lingtai’s true form exploded, and the thousand-hand illusion in the sky entered a frenzied state.

Countless powerful divine techniques, whether effective or not, erupted toward Xie Peng.

“The death-replacement technique? Seems like you’re quite attached to your life,” Xie Peng said calmly, having spent one hundred years’ time preparing to counter Xu Lingtai.

The real battle was only just beginning.

With a wave of his hand, Xie Peng summoned the protective powers of the grand formations created by the five mountains, shielding himself from the bombardment of the thousand-hand illusion.

At that moment, an enormous sword appeared a hundred feet above Xie Peng, then came crashing down.

The defensive power of the five mountains shattered.

“Boom!”

A thunderous roar filled the entire battle world, while Xu Lingtai hid in the Shadows, patiently waiting to see if the battle had truly ended.