116: The First Battle of the Sanctuary

On the border of the Saint Domain, atop Wuji Peak, two peerless figures stood ten zhang apart in a standoff that had already lasted for seven full days and nights.

After a long while, the person on the right with a sword on his back spoke: "Zuo Qianyue, it has been seven days and seven nights. How have you considered it? Join the Haoyang Sect, overthrow the Empress's tyranny, and let the billions of living beings in the Saint Domain be liberated. Isn't this the original wish you had when you first stepped onto the path of cultivation? Now the opportunity is right before you. Join us, and you can achieve this goal."

Zuo Qianyue raised the Heavenly Blade in his hand and coldly snorted: "Can the Haoyang Sect really overthrow the Empress's rule? To be honest, I am skeptical of your capabilities."

"I answer you in my capacity as the Hall Master of the Qingxiang Hall of the Haoyang Sect: the end of the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty is approaching, and the Haoyang Sect will certainly be able to execute the Empress and save the living beings."

"Oh? Is that so? Then I would like to ask, Lin Qiuyang, with the Xuan Sheng Empress's peerless Foundation, what makes you so certain that the Haoyang Sect can shake her status in the Saint Domain?"

Lin Qiuyang's eyes turned cold: "You will naturally know this in the future. As long as you are willing to join us, the Haoyang Sect promises here that the position of Supreme Elder will definitely belong to you."

Zuo Qianyue adopted a thoughtful attitude, then said: "That does sound very attractive. So, after overthrowing the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty, how do you plan to govern the billions of living beings?"

Lin Qiuyang: "Naturally, it is to establish new laws, break old rules, return power to the people, and achieve Great Harmony under Heaven."

Zuo Qianyue: "That sounds pretty good, but it won't just be empty talk, will it?"

"Zuo Qianyue!"

Lin Qiuyang gradually lost his patience.

"This is not a matter for you to concern yourself with. I only ask you one thing today: do you agree to join the Haoyang Sect or not!"

"Are you intending to force me? If I do not agree, what can you do?"

"Not agree? Then you are an enemy of the Haoyang Sect. In dealing with enemies, the Haoyang Sect's tenet has always been to cut weeds and eliminate the roots!"

Zuo Qianyue immediately raised his blade and replied: "That is very unfortunate. In my life, Zuo Qianyue has never been able to tolerate threats from others. If you want to kill me, let's see if you have the ability!"

"Truly obstinate! Since that is the case, my Qiushui Sword is destined to be stained with blood today!"

Lin Qiuyang's pupils immediately turned blood-red, and the Spirit Sword on his back unsheathed completely, instantly blooming with magnificent spiritual light.

"Oh ho, showing off light, are we? I can do that too!"

Zuo Qianyue gave a playful smile, then the wild blade in his hand left his grip. As the blade rotated, it gathered the surrounding Spiritual Qi, blooming with an extremely dazzling radiance.

The spiritual radiance blooming from the blade and sword shook Wuji Peak continuously, and the surrounding hundred li were all caught in the collateral damage.

Just as the two were about to engage in a life-and-death duel atop Wuji Mountain...

Clatter, clatter—

The roar of iron hooves caused the heavens and earth to tremble.

Zuo Qianyue and Lin Qiuyang were both stunned, looking toward the source of the hoofbeats.

They saw a pitch-black warhorse with red eyes galloping through the Void Realm towards them.

Before the two could react, an excited voice came from inside the carriage:

"Just arrived in the Saint Domain and already met such experts. Let Shen Lian come and play with you!"

As the voice faded, a black and white figure suddenly flashed onto the battlefield, descending from the air.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Zuo Qianyue and Lin Qiuyang felt a violent tremor beneath their feet, forcing them to retreat more than ten steps.

"Come, let me have some fun!"

Shen Lian raised his hand and pointed at Lin Qiuyang and Zuo Qianyue, fully displaying the demeanor of a Grandmaster.

"Come at me together."

Facing such a lunatic who had suddenly appeared, Zuo Qianyue was completely bewildered.

But Lin Qiuyang was incited to killing intent by this provocative posture.

"Where did this lunatic pop out from? Do you know where this is!"

A cold wind blew. Lin Qiuyang took hold of his Qiushui sword, and as he swept it in a sword flower, it emitted a surging Sword Qi.

Shen Lian curled his lips: "It seems you are very confident in your own strength. Then let's start with you!"

As the words fell, Shen Lian stomped his foot on the ground and immediately raised his hand to strike with a palm.

The palm force, combining hardness and softness, rotated and wove through the air, charging straight at Lin Qiuyang's Physical Body.

"Damn it!"

Lin Qiuyang shouted sharply, and the Qiushui sword swept out a circle of surrounding Sword Qi.

Boom—

With a loud noise, the palm force and Sword Qi exploded seven feet in front of Lin Qiuyang.

"Ugh..."

Lin Qiuyang felt a stifling tightness in his chest, groaned softly, and retreated ten steps.

After steadying his figure, a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. He already understood that this person's cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the Hunyuan Realm third level or higher.

"To be able to take a palm strike from me head-on while only being injured and not dying at the Primordial Chaos Realm first level, you have the qualifications to make Shen Lian look at you with some regard."

This palm strike was merely something Shen Lian unleashed casually, intended to test rather than kill the enemy.

Seeing that the opponent could actually catch it and not die, a trace of appreciation flashed in his eyes.

However, these words were extremely humiliating in Lin Qiuyang's ears.

He was a Hall Master of the Haoyang Sect, and only after a thousand years of cultivation did he have today's achievements. When was it your turn, a lunatic, to make comments about him?

"Brat, do you dare to take a strike from my sword!"

"I couldn't ask for more!"

Seeing the opponent still dared to fight, the excitement in Shen Lian's eyes grew more intense.

Since coming to this world, he had spent almost every day for the past few months running around for revenge. Now that he had a rare moment of leisure, he naturally wanted to do something he liked.

That was combat.

The more intense the opponent's Battle Intent, the more it could arouse Shen Lian's strong interest.

"Watch out. This one sword strike will let you understand how formidable the swords of the Saint Domain are!"

"I'll wait and see. Do not disappoint me!"

The Qiushui sword in Lin Qiuyang's hand instantly shot straight into the sky.

For a time, wind and clouds surged, and endless Spiritual Qi poured into the sword body from all directions.

In an instant, Sword Light surged, and continuous, endless Sword Intent gathered into the sword body.

Zuo Qianyue saw this scene and was also greatly shocked: "Lin Qiuyang's Sun-Dawn Sword Intent has actually been Cultivated to this level?!"

Seeing that the Sword Intent had reached perfection, Lin Qiuyang leapt into mid-air.

The moment he grasped the sword hilt, the vast Sword Light illuminated the heavens and earth, as if a second scorching sun were shining upon the land.

"Sun-Dawn Sword Intent Eighth Level: Sun-Glory Brilliance."

As the sword fell, Qiushui transformed into a hundred-zhang giant sword, carrying peerless might as it dove towards Shen Lian.

Shen Lian, however, had a calm expression, never interrupting the opponent's process of condensing Sword Intent from start to finish.

Only until the Sword Intent was complete and the opponent's attack descended did he make a move.

"This move, it's worth a try!"

As the words fell, Shen Lian flipped his palms.

Instantly, the Yin and Yang flowed around his body, inducing the Spiritual Qi of Wuji Peak to swirl, gradually forming an inverted vortex of airflow.

"Void Concealment: Vast Sea Returning Flow."

The instant the Sword Qi made contact with the vortex, the reversed vortex directly swallowed the massive Sword Intent completely.

"What?"

"How can this be!"

Witnessing such an astonishing scene, Zuo Qianyue and Lin Qiuyang were both dumbfounded.

"Go!"

The next moment, Shen Lian raised his hand and pushed.

The Sun-Dawn Sword Intent that had been swallowed by the airflow vortex instantly formed a huge sphere of water, shooting straight into the sky.

Bang—

Lin Qiuyang did not expect such a turn of events and was immediately knocked flying more than a hundred zhang by the water sphere.

Boom—

Accompanied by a roar, Lin Qiuyang landed heavily on a rock, immediately spitting out bright red blood; he had already sustained heavy internal injuries.

"Not bad."

After defeating Lin Qiuyang, Shen Lian turned to look at Zuo Qianyue.

"Next, it's your turn."

Zuo Qianyue knew that he was absolutely no match for the madman before him. Just as he was about to open his mouth to concede, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he shouted at Shen Lian.

"Watch out!"

Shen Lian frowned, feeling the approaching killing intent from behind, but his face darkened. Without turning his head, he raised his hand and extended two fingers.

Ding—

A crisp sound rang out.

It was the blade of the Qiushui sword being clamped by Shen Lian's fingers, unable to move even an inch.

And behind Shen Lian, Lin Qiuyang's face, filled with rage and distortion, was revealed.