"Rumble!"
The sound was like thunder, shaking the nine heavens.
Those with lower cultivation could not even think; with just the pressure, the sound alone, to achieve such a feat, what kind of terrifying divine soul, true qi, and strength were needed...
After a brief silence, a deafening clamor erupted.
"Qianyang!"
Immortal light burst forth from the vast palace complex of the Wuming Palace, soaring into the sky. Purple energy swept across a hundred-mile radius. Xia Daosheng, his body crystalline, clad in the ancient and solemn robes of the Wuming Palace, appeared like an immortal king, a divine being, filled with majesty and power!
Outside the Wuming Palace, Chen Jiuyang's reputation was even greater!
However, within the confines of the Wuming Palace, Xia Daosheng's name made everyone tremble, resounding like thunder, like a divine being from the ninth heaven!
The moment Xia Daosheng appeared, countless people immediately knelt and prostrated themselves.
Even many exceptionally powerful experts, Martial Saints, knelt on one knee.
"Palace Master!"
Amidst the thunderous storms and blizzards, within the city outside the Wuming Palace, many surviving powerhouses looked outwards.
Ten miles away, it was like the horizon, the wind and snow concealing everything.
A figure approached from afar, and they faced each other from a great distance.
The sky and earth, the wind and snow all seemed to be separated. The golden, indescribable martial intent and the noble purple energy parted the heavens and earth like a curtain.
"Escaping into the Crippled Old Village indeed did not waste time..."
Before the ancient and magnificent palace, Xia Daosheng looked up, glancing at the powerful martial intent on Chen Jiuyang's body, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
Ten thousand years ago, the moment Chen Jiuyang unified the Nine Sects of the Demonic Path and ascended to the position of Holy Lord of the Chongming Sea, everyone in the Five Great Holy Lands knew that their destruction was inevitable. Except for top prodigies like himself, who were entrusted to the Jixia Academy and had their Holy Land's destiny stripped away, everyone else had to die.
Of the vast Five Great Holy Lands, only a few dozen people survived!
All of them sought refuge in the forbidden areas!
"This..."
Ten kilometers away, the legion stationed by the Envoys of the Guard watched Chen Jiuyang walk alone into the blizzard, as if intending to single-handedly destroy the entire great city, and even the forbidden Wuming Palace behind it. Their expressions were filled with astonishment.
Chen Jiuyang's gaze was slightly cold as he surveyed the Wuming Palace and the enormous ancient city before him.
He glanced around at the people within the many cities.
"Great Sage..."
The people within the cities felt Chen Jiuyang's gaze as a Martial Dao Great Sage descend. Even from five miles away, it felt as if he were right in front of them, causing the hearts of many powerhouses to tremble.
"I do wonder why there are no demons or monsters wreaking havoc in this world. So, they were all hiding here."
Chen Jiuyang sneered, "It seems this forbidden Wuming Palace is filled with nothing but vermin."
Humiliated by Chen Jiuyang's words, the powerhouses with their families dared not speak out of anger.
However, someone had to make a move.
Behind Xia Daosheng, a burly Martial Dao Great Sage with a great sword on his back bowed and said,
"Palace Master! Rumor has it that this Qianyang claims to be the number one in the world today. I am not convinced and am willing to go and intercept him, offering my corpse to the Palace Master!"
Xia Daosheng did not object, merely saying indifferently, "If you want to go, then go."
Chen Jiuyang had proclaimed his return to the world, but ultimately, no one knew the actual combat strength of this Qianyang from ten thousand years ago.
Since a Great Sage of the Wuming Palace was willing to test him, it was also an opportunity to watch for amusement.
"Clang!!!"
The Martial Dao Great Sage immediately drew his sword. Man and sword became one, and a vast martial intent surged forth, cleaving through the wind and snow, tearing apart the clouds, and allowing sunlight to descend.
In a thousandth of a breath, this Martial Dao Great Sage moved like a mountain, like a meteor.
"Qianyang, die!"
The sword energy rubbed against space, tearing it apart, and struck Chen Jiuyang with immense force. This sword strike!
It was earth-shattering!
The ability of a Martial Saint was to return to simplicity, to possess their own Dao. Their attacks were Dao attacks!
The clash of Great Sages was decided by a single move, determining superiority and life or death!
He activated his Martial Dao Furnace, the Divine Being of the Celestial Platform, the essence of the Great Dao, the unity of man and sword, his ultimate, most powerful sword strike!
However, his pupils suddenly contracted. Even though he had repeatedly overestimated this Qianyang Demon Lord, whose reputation had soared ten thousand years ago, he had still vastly underestimated him.
His sword strike, capable of blasting apart a small star, was casually dispersed with a mere grasp of the opponent's hand.
Then, he, who was as burly as a small mountain, in his man-and-sword-united state, was caught.
"Crack!!!"
It sounded like the friction of the Great Dao, emitting a grating sound like steel clashing, and then, an unimaginably immense force struck!
"Snap—"
There was no aftermath. He was crushed into a pulp, his blood and flesh remnants left in place.
In an instant, the Martial Dao Great Sage was dead!
The thousands upon thousands of people present fell into a deathly silence.
That was a Martial Dao Great Sage, just like him, yet he was crushed to death like an insect by Chen Jiuyang's casual grasp.
How could this not inspire terror?
"Whoosh~"
With his robes fluttering, Chen Jiuyang withdrew his hand, his expression indifferent.
"To use such a lowly Saint King, who relied on resources to accumulate power, to test me, Xia Daosheng, you are still the same as ten thousand years ago, unable to achieve great things."
Since stepping into the Emperor Realm, the level of combat power was closely related to the Martial Dao Furnace, one's own Dao essence, divine abilities, celestial platform, and Dao lineage. Differences in each aspect would reveal the hierarchy of combat power.
Xia Daosheng paid no mind to Chen Jiuyang's words, his expression equally indifferent, and he said,
"What are you being arrogant about? Ten thousand years ago, you only rose to prominence by relying on the Chongming Sea. If not for that, why would you have lived in seclusion in the Crippled Old Village?"
"The great events of the past and present are all different..."
"You, Qianyang, are plotting the path of the Martial Dao Red Dust Immortal, and I too have been waiting for my Dao fruit to mature, deliberately suppressing my cultivation.
"Otherwise, I would have achieved an alternative enlightenment long ago."
Suddenly, the martial intent on Xia Daosheng's body began to surge, his aura becoming vast, sacred, and terrifying.
"You have come today to settle the karma and grudges from ten thousand years ago, and I shall send you on your way."
Chen Jiuyang smiled lightly, "A stray dog, seeking help elsewhere, dares to be presumptuous before me."
"Fine, let me show you why I say you are incapable of great things."
As his voice fell.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Chen Jiuyang slowly placed one hand at his waist and gently drew his saber. Instantly, space began to crackle inch by inch.
After eight thousand nine hundred years of secluded cultivation, observing various alternative enlightenment-level Emperor scriptures from the Crippled Old Village, there was probably no one in the world whose martial foundation could surpass Chen Jiuyang.
Coupled with Chen Jiuyang's innate talent, which was already unparalleled in his generation!
The moment the saber appeared!
"Clang!!!"
A clear, resonant saber hum echoed between heaven and earth. With a gentle swing, an indescribable sense of mortal danger surged into the hearts of countless people.
"This saber strike! So terrifying!"
This ordinary saber strike swept directly towards Xia Daosheng.
It was an indescribable immense force, as if heaven and earth were compressing, no, it was a force that surpassed heaven and earth!