Another man was not particularly striking in appearance, and among the many ethereal handsome men, his temperament was exceptionally gentle and compassionate. He was as refined and scholarly as a scholar who valued harmony.
These two individuals, with vastly different temperaments and appearances, each took out an artifact exuding ethereal sanctity. One shook a holy bell in his left hand, while the other held a chime in his right.
"You, you see what that is?!"
"Good heavens!"
As the bell rang, accompanied by the faint sound of the chime, wisps of energy connected heaven and earth. The sound of the chime transformed into golden streams of light, painting "Heavenly Voice, Heavenly Voice, Vibrating Thunder" and "A Bolt of Lightning, Descending by Command" in the sky.
These were clearly the most sacred artifacts for summoning divine spirits.
Amidst the divine light, a pair of indescribably vast eyes appeared in the heavens.
They slowly opened, unseen and unseeable, and the entire space seemed to freeze.
Immediately, within the swirling "faint light" of the celestial sword, a white figure finally revealed its full form within those majestic, divine eyes.
He floated amidst the eerie clouds, dark as the night, yet he was pure white, unstained by the slightest dust. The stark contrast highlighted the scene: delicate clouds rolled, the sky held no river, a gentle breeze swept through the emptiness, and the moon's ripples flowed.
Pausing before the core of the formation, he rapidly formed hand seals. One hand grasped an ancient, deeply inscribed immortal sword. Streams of formless, ethereal, and immense energy surged and engulfed him, with immortal power seeping through his fingertips.
Fu Wanyan trembled, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. She shouted, "Liu Jiang Fusheng—"
Ru Lan was stunned. She had no idea Liu Jiang Fusheng was in Fengdu. Seeing him, her eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets.
Yan Tianjiao, Lu Ziyin, and others also stared blankly at the white figure enveloped by immortal and chaotic energy above.
"...Is he still the Liu Jiang Fusheng we know?"
Yan Tianjiao: "..."
Dan Ya's pupils constricted sharply. "Liu Jiang Fusheng?!"
Daoist Zhiyang's eyes gleamed, and he burst into near-mad laughter. "Hahaha, it's my disciple Fusheng... It truly is him. I knew it. How can a dragon be confined to a pond? My generation of Daoist Zhiyang has reached its end, but my disciple is uniquely powerful in heaven and earth. I am overjoyed, hahaha..."
"No—"
The smug expression on the face of Yu Yi Ghost King froze. He hadn't initially believed anyone could break his formation core. However, as the invisible pressure around him intensified, he sensed impending doom. He then extracted himself from the formation core, intending to stop it.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
A phantom of a great sword appeared in mid-air. It seemed capable of obscuring heaven and earth, instantly engulfing the entire realm. Liu Jiang Fusheng's eyes were clear and silver, his divine countenance sharp and imposing. He held the invisible sword in a loose grip: "Break!"
The colossal, sky-shattering sword energy, vast and overwhelming, collided with the surging ghost energy. A violent explosion occurred in the sky, with shockwaves rippling outward. The brilliant light almost blinded everyone—
At the same time, the ghost cultivators' faces changed drastically. The sharp aura dispersed by the sword energy caused them intense pain, as if their bodies were about to be sliced into pieces by invisible, sharp threads. They let out tragic screams, but ultimately, they were swallowed by the blinding light—
In the sky, the indestructible fierce ghost formation, amidst a series of twisting groans, shattered with a rumble…
As the blinding light gradually faded, the dark clouds of ghost energy that had condensed in the sky dispersed. Before the city gates, apart from the aftermath of battles and bloodshed, not a single enemy remained.
They stared blankly, a fleeting thought of "Am I dreaming?" crossing their minds.
"The formation core, broken?"
"I, I think so."
The question was bewildered, and the answer even more so.
"That person... is he an immortal?"
"I, I think so."
At this point, even such absurd questions and answers began to surface.
Ru Lan finally came back to her senses, a mix of shock and joy on her face. "Lu Ziyin, look, it's Liu Jiang Fusheng—it really is Junior Brother Fusheng—he broke the formation core. For seven years, I felt even taking a breath was delaying my cultivation. I thought I had improved and could overwhelm everyone. Good heavens, his appearance has simply crushed me into dust. Tell me, how much further does he have to go before he's satisfied?"
Liu Jiang Fusheng?
The crowd started.
Indeed, this name was not widely spread across the twenty-eight heavens, as it had only been popular for a short time, shining as brightly and fleetingly as a shooting star.
But undeniably, he had once been a legend in the hearts of many new disciples.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, Heaven Spirit Root, Immortal Sword, No. 1 on the Newcomer Ranking, unparalleled beauty surpassing immortals…
And now, this "legend" was impacting their vision in such a grand and shocking manner.
They would likely never forget this in their lives!
They also looked up, gazing at the figure in the wind, their hearts suddenly filled with excitement. "Is this Senior Uncle Liu Jiang? Truly worthy of being our No. 1—"
"I heard before that Senior Uncle Liu Jiang had gone missing. I never expected to witness such peerless valor in my lifetime!"
"That sword just now, my heavens, what sword technique was that? It's even more powerful than what my master uses."
"I wonder what Liu Jiang Senior Uncle's current cultivation level is. I heard before that the cultivation speed of Heaven Spirit Roots cannot be judged by ordinary standards. Now, it seems like an immortal-like advancement speed!"
"I honestly thought an immortal had come to rescue us just now!"
With the crisis averted, these disciples' central nervous systems were unable to stop buzzing with excitement. They praised him in a torrent of words.
Lu Ziyin also recovered his senses. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, a look of joy at surviving the ordeal in his eyes.
He shook his head and chuckled, "Yes, this time... he truly stole the show."
The color had returned to the face of the City Lord of Hua City. He couldn't help but beam, his excitement causing him to gasp for breath as he coughed. "Youth indeed shows great promise, haha. This junior named Liu Jiang Fusheng is truly remarkable!"
"He's injured quite badly, take it easy. I never thought we'd be saved by a junior... But look, aren't those... the Hundred or Holy Bell and the But if Chime?" Yu Chengshi said, pressing his aching chest.
Abbess Huiming had also noticed them earlier. She even recognized Liu Jiang Fusheng as the man in the white cloak, accompanied by a child, who had arrived at Fengdu Ghost City while looking frail.
At that time in Compassion City, she had repeatedly suspected his identity. If not for the Buddha Child and others vouching for him, she would never have easily given up investigating his background.
Now, it seemed the Buddha Child and the others likely knew he was Liu Jiang Fusheng, the No. 1 on the "Newcomer Ranking."
"Those are indeed the Hundred or Holy Bell and the But if Chime."
She stated with certainty.
These two sacred artifacts had a close connection with the Buddhist side, which was why Abbess Huiming could not be mistaken.
The few of them exchanged glances, a startling thought surfacing simultaneously: "Could he be..."