"Sacred Spirit Technique, Wind Surge!"
As Sheng Taixu's voice fell, a powerful blood-red light, like a storm, swept out from his body.
In an instant, the entire world was filled with the roaring and shaking sound of a fierce wind.
Under Sheng Taixu's pointing finger, the blood-red light spun rapidly and charged towards Old Ancestor Cangxuan. The space it passed through twisted and then shattered, collapsing into deep black holes filled with misty light.
"Point Azure Technique, Reverse Hand!"
Seeing Sheng Taixu's move, Old Ancestor Cangxuan smiled faintly and nonchalantly struck out a palm at the void. A spiritual light instantly appeared behind him, transforming into a giant spiritual hand that charged towards the blood-red light.
Boom!
The spiritual giant hand and the torrent of blood-red light collided head-on with fierce impact. A violent shockwave erupted on the spot.
Xuan Yixian, Zu Xiaoyao, and others who were closest were all sent reeling by the immense shockwave, their blood and qi churning. They all retreated, and spiritual energy shields flickered to life around their bodies, protecting them.
However, Sheng Taixu and Old Ancestor Cangxuan, at the epicenter of the shockwave, showed no change in their expressions. Then, with a movement, they both shot straight towards each other. Their figures instantly vanished into the air.
Bang bang bang!
Although Old Ancestor Cangxuan and Sheng Taixu vanished, terrifying collision sounds began to emanate from the void. The sounds were as loud as thunder. Even disciples from distant factions felt their ears ring and go partially deaf.
Bang!
Soon!
After Old Ancestor Cangxuan and Sheng Taixu had been gone for a minute, with a loud bang, they reappeared before everyone.
Their robes were slightly disheveled, clearly a result of the recent battle. As they reappeared, they stopped once more.
Old Ancestor Cangxuan's expression remained as amiable as ever. Sheng Taixu, on the other hand, had a grim expression, his eyes filled with deep solemnity.
"How is it, Junior Brother Taixu? I feel we should stop here, how about it?" Old Ancestor Cangxuan said with a smile, completely disregarding Sheng Taixu's expression.
Sheng Taixu's face darkened further upon hearing this. "Although I cannot defeat you, you also cannot do anything to me. As long as I can keep you occupied, your Xuan Sect members will not be able to leave the Great Sacred Mountain Range today!"
Old Ancestor Cangxuan's smile faltered, and he shook his head helplessly. "Even if you can tie me down, the people of my Xuan Sect are not ones that your subordinates can suppress. Junior brother, why must you be so persistent?"
Sheng Taixu burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Senior brother, senior brother, you don't think I only have these people, do you? Indeed, it is difficult to keep them with just them. However, now that you have appeared, I have no more worries. Brother Ghost, come out."
As Sheng Taixu's voice fell, a shadowy figure slowly emerged from the void. Xuan Yixian and the others' pupils contracted sharply at the sight.
"Gu Gu Fu, you actually defected to Sheng Taixu!" Xuan Yixian exclaimed in disbelief, looking at the figure who had appeared.
Li Xuan's heart also stirred. This Gu Gu Fu was the sect master of the Ghost Prison Sect. He hadn't expected him to appear at this moment. Listening to Sheng Taixu's words, could this be a contingency plan of the Sacred Sect?
Gu Gu Fu chuckled eerily and then said sinisterly, "I am merely indebted to Sect Master Taixu and agreed to help him this once. Sect Master Xuan, which of you will accompany me to stretch your muscles and bones?"
Xuan Yixian and the others fell silent. Gu Gu Fu's appearance had now disrupted the balance between the Xuan Sect and the Sacred Sect.
Moreover, Xuan Yixian and the others knew that since Gu Gu Fu was here, the other powerhouses of the Ghost Prison Sect would likely also make a move. Glancing over, the Ghost Prison Sect members who had retreated were indeed now walking towards them.
Seeing Gu Gu Fu standing beside Sheng Taixu, Old Ancestor Cangxuan's expression remained unperturbed.
After a single glance at Gu Gu Fu, he shifted his gaze back to Sheng Taixu and shook his head with a hint of regret. "It seems, junior brother, you are determined to ruin the foundation left by our master. Since that is the case, I shall cleanse the sect today."
After speaking, Old Ancestor Cangxuan slowly closed his eyes. A faint aura of majesty instantly erupted, enveloping all the members of the Sacred Sect and the Ghost Prison Sect present in a mere instant.
Sensing Old Ancestor Cangxuan's aura, Gu Gu Fu's expression changed drastically. He then moved and retreated behind Sheng Taixu. However, Sheng Taixu's face was now filled with extreme horror.
"You... you are not in the early stage of the Realm of Creation!"
Sheng Taixu's voice rang out, and everyone present was shocked.
If not the Realm of Creation, had he already reached the middle or even late stage?
However, upon recalling Old Ancestor Cangxuan's past, the leaders of various factions fell silent.
In that era, Old Ancestor Cangxuan was the strongest on the Sacred Yuan Continent. The Xuan Sect was a behemoth on the Sacred Yuan Continent back then.
If Sheng Taixu hadn't rebelled against the Xuan Sect to establish the Sacred Sect and taken away many Xuan Sect powerhouses, the Xuan Sect would not have weakened to this extent.
Although Old Ancestor Cangxuan had never directly dealt with Sheng Taixu, who had rebelled, his name alone was enough to make various factions tremble.
Especially after Old Ancestor Cangxuan had disappeared for over twenty years, he had most likely taken that step!
"Junior Brother Taixu, do you know why I have tolerated you time and again?" Old Ancestor Cangxuan ignored Sheng Taixu's shock and continued to walk towards him, his aura growing stronger.
Old Ancestor Cangxuan slowly looked at the void and said, "From childhood, you and I relied on each other. Even Master favored you more. But I didn't mind; I was content with your and Master's company. If you weren't so prone to killing, Master would probably have passed the sect leader position to you."
"I have always felt indebted for this. Even when you rebelled against the Xuan Sect after Master's death, I bore no resentment towards you. Even when I learned that Master was killed by you, I chose to obey Master's instructions and not pursue your wrongdoing."
"Over the years, I have never interfered in the conflict between your Sacred Sect and my Xuan Sect. Because I knew, all you wanted was to prove yourself. All you wanted was to be stronger than me. At least, I believed that you would not erase the Xuan Sect that Master built with his own hands."
"But now you have colluded with outsiders to try and destroy the Xuan Sect left by Master. This, Senior Brother absolutely cannot agree to!"
As Old Ancestor Cangxuan finished speaking, his aura surged to its peak. The terrifying majesty made it difficult for Zu Xiaoyao and the others to resist. With a mouthful of blood spewing out, Zu Xiaoyao and the others, along with the Ghost Prison Sect members, all collapsed.
Even Gu Gu Fu's face was filled with extreme terror. Before Sheng Taixu could speak, he hurriedly fled into the distance.
"The villain's heart is exposed, I cannot let you live." Old Ancestor Cangxuan glanced at Gu Gu Fu's retreating figure, then waved his hand. An invisible force shot out from the void and struck Gu Gu Fu with a resounding impact.
Boom!
With a roar, the powerful Gu Gu Fu, the sect master of the Ghost Prison Sect at the advanced stage of the Dao One Realm, was reduced to nothingness, his bones and remains annihilated by this force.
"How is this possible! No, it's impossible!" Sheng Taixu, at this moment, could no longer care about Gu Gu Fu and Zu Xiaoyao and the others. Upon learning that Old Ancestor Cangxuan had surpassed the early stage of the Realm of Creation, his mind had already shattered.
Just as Old Ancestor Cangxuan had said, Sheng Taixu, who had always wanted to surpass Old Ancestor Cangxuan, thought he would be able to defeat him after breaking through, but now this was the outcome.
Looking at Sheng Taixu's state, Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh. As the saying goes, the pitiable are often hateful, and it is indeed true. No one expected Sheng Taixu to have harmed his own master.
As for Li Xuan's feelings towards Old Ancestor Cangxuan, they were even more complex. Knowing that his master was killed by Sheng Taixu and aware of all of Sheng Taixu's schemes against the Xuan Sect, he had not intervened. Few people could act in such a manner.
The only explanation was that Old Ancestor Cangxuan truly valued his relationship with Sheng Taixu. And Sheng Taixu had never cared about any of this.
Buzz!
As Old Ancestor Cangxuan's power erupted, a buzzing sound echoed through the heavens and earth. Old Ancestor Cangxuan looked up and then smiled faintly. "I had intended to stay for a few more years, but now it seems I cannot."
"Junior Brother Taixu, I do not resent anything you have done. But I hope you will put aside your obsession for the sake of Master. Let the past be the past."
After speaking, Old Ancestor Cangxuan suddenly pointed his left hand at Sheng Taixu. A spiritual light formed a rune in mid-air and shot into Sheng Taixu's body.
"You... what did you do to me!" Sensing Old Ancestor Cangxuan's action, Sheng Taixu looked at him in horror.
Old Ancestor Cangxuan sighed and then glanced at the white light that had already condensed above. "Although killing you would solve everything, I still cannot bring myself to do it. Now that I must leave, I will leave a restriction within you."
"If you can cultivate yourself and behave, this restriction will not affect you. However, if you dare to plot against the Xuan Sect, your death will coincide with the destruction of the Xuan Sect. Junior brother, take care of yourself."
With that, Old Ancestor Cangxuan turned to face Li Xuan and said, "My time is short. Since the light of ascension has appeared, I cannot linger. I have observed that spiritual sword for over twenty years, and it seems it has been waiting for you."
"Young man, I know you are no ordinary person. I hope that when the Xuan Sect is truly in peril one day, you will remember your words today."
Li Xuan suddenly understood. It seemed Old Ancestor Cangxuan's disappearance for the past twenty years was related to the spiritual sword.
Although Li Xuan was somewhat confused by Old Ancestor Cangxuan's words, he still respectfully clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Old Ancestor, rest assured, your disciple will remember today's words."
Old Ancestor Cangxuan nodded and said, "That is good."
Old Ancestor Cangxuan smiled, then waved his hand, sending a spiritual seal towards Xuan Yixian. "Keep this seal well. If any unforeseen circumstances arise... crush this seal."
Buzz!
As Old Ancestor Cangxuan's voice fell, the buzzing sound in the sky became even clearer. Old Ancestor Cangxuan looked at everyone and then smiled faintly. "The Xuan Sect is in your hands now."
"Disciples, we shall remember Master's teachings!" Xuan Yixian and the others all knelt down. At this moment, they understood that Old Ancestor Cangxuan was likely truly leaving them this time.
Old Ancestor Cangxuan nodded with a smile, then moved and shot straight towards the white light in the sky.
Seeing this, Xuan Yixian and the others cried out in unison, "Disciples bid farewell to Master!"