At this moment, Wan Yunting struggled to stand up, holding onto a tree. He had been injured by the psychic snake’s terrifying sonic attack, blood trickling from his ears, nose, and mouth. He looked up at the hazy night sky, at Yan Donghai standing on the treetop, who then shouted, "Thirteen Swords of Shenmen, Slaughter God and Break Heaven!"
An invisible, majestic sword qi, cleaving the heavens and earth, breaking through all obstacles, struck towards the head of the psychic snake, a colossal creature with scales shimmering with cold light and two white dragon horns atop its head…
Roar!
The next second, the psychic snake, now transformed into a flood dragon, opened its massive maw and let out a dragon-like roar towards Yan Donghai. The invisible sonic waves toppled all the surrounding trees, sending leaves scattering chaotically, causing all birds and beasts on Mount Wuliang to flee in terror…
Yan Donghai’s powerful sword qi from the Thirteen Swords of Shenmen, in the face of the snake’s terrifying dragon-like roar, was like a powerful torrent, utterly unable to resist, and instantly disintegrated.
Yan Donghai’s old face changed color as he felt a terrifying sonic wave strike him like a monstrous tidal wave. He was sent flying back more than ten meters, landing in a rather disheveled state on the small plaza in front of the Taoist temple’s gate tower…
"Cough…"
Yan Donghai felt his blood churn, nearly spitting out blood from the flood dragon’s terrifying sonic waves. His brows furrowed, but before he could even look up, he felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him, giving him no chance to react. He saw the flood dragon’s massive body push through the surrounding trees and crawl towards him, once again swinging its thick tail…
Bang…!
The gate tower of the Wuliang Taoist temple was smashed to pieces by the flood dragon’s thick tail…
Below, Yang Jingyi, Wuweizi, Chang Wude, and Duan Yingying reacted in time, dodging while shielding the injured Master Gui. They all watched in shock and horror as the gate tower collapsed, the flagstones where Yan Donghai stood cracked and flew up, and a large indentation was created by the flood dragon’s tail…
Yan Donghai narrowly dodged the flood dragon’s attack, but was hit in the chest by the dislodged floor tiles. This time, he finally spat out the blood he had been holding back…
His old face contorted, his eyes filled with fury as he looked at the colossal flood dragon before him, which instilled a sense of terrifying pressure in his heart. But Yan Donghai roared, "Beast, today I shall slay you, and use your flesh and blood to refine medicine! Take this sword…"
With all his pent-up anger, Yan Donghai ignored Wan Yunting and flew up into the air again. With a sword in his heart, he swept his blade horizontally towards the flood dragon’s head…
Clang clang…!
The sharp sword qi struck the flood dragon’s obsidian body, hitting its black scales, producing sounds like metal striking stone, and sparks flew…
It must be said that Yan Donghai’s attainments in swordsmanship were at a level unattainable by anyone in the major sects today. His self-created Thirteen Swords of Shenmen technique was already refined to perfection, reaching a state of transcendence. He engaged in a fierce battle with the psychic snake, now transformed into a flood dragon.
Although this psychic snake had not yet fully transformed into a flood dragon, with its massive size and scales as hard as forged steel, it was impervious to blades and spears. Despite its enormous body, the flood dragon’s reaction speed was astonishing. Even with Yan Donghai’s superior swordsmanship, he found it difficult to deal with such a terrifying entity.
However, Yan Donghai felt no fear, but rather more excitement. He knew that if he could truly kill this flood dragon, which was on the verge of full transformation, its flesh and blood could be used for medicine and elixirs, its bones and scales for forging weapons, and its inner core could elevate his martial arts to another level.
"Beast, tonight I must slay you, ah…"
Yan Donghai fought with increasing vigor, darting and leaping around the colossal flood dragon like a monkey, launching fierce attacks. But against the flood dragon, whose scales were like iron armor, Yan Donghai’s attacks were like a child poking an adult with a stick, causing no damage…
Wan Yunting, seizing the opportunity while Yan Donghai was locked in combat with the flood dragon, endured his injuries and went to Chang Wude, Yang Jingyi, and Wuweizi, who were hiding at the Taoist temple’s gate. Duan Yingying, her face full of worry and fear, pulled him, "Are you alright?"
Wan Yunting’s face was pale, and he shook his head to indicate he was fine. He looked at Master Gui, who was sitting cross-legged nearby, guarded by Li Zihang and Wuweizi. Master Gui’s old face was dejected, and his aura was weak, clearly having suffered a severe injury from Yan Donghai’s sword qi, beyond hope of recovery.
"Kid, you… you come here…"
Master Gui opened his old eyes and weakly called to Wan Yunting. He quickly went over and knelt before Master Gui, his emotions overwhelming him. He felt immense sorrow, thinking that it was his fault that Master Gui and everyone in the Wuliang Taoist temple were implicated.
"Ancestor Zong, I am sorry, I have implicated you and everyone…"
Wan Yunting’s eyes turned red, and he clenched his teeth, his heart heavy. If he had known this would happen, he should not have returned to the temple today, otherwise Yan Donghai would not have come looking for them…
Master Gui, holding onto his last breath, extended his trembling old hand and tightly gripped Wan Yunting’s wrist. His old eyes still gazed at him sharply, and despite his weak aura, he said with unusual firmness, "Remember, do not let the Wuliang Taoist temple be destroyed in your generation, otherwise, I… and the ancestors of past generations will not forgive you… Cough cough…"
"Uncle Zong…"
Seeing Master Gui cough up blood again, Chang Wude, Wuweizi, and Yang Jingyi were filled with grief, knowing that Master Gui’s life was drawing to a close.
Wan Yunting’s eyes, burning red, stared intently at Master Gui. Emotionally charged, he gritted his teeth and said with great determination, "Ancestor Zong, please rest assured, even if I die, I, Wan Yunting, will not let the Wuliang Taoist temple be ruined in our generation."
Master Gui, holding his last breath, raised his head and commanded, "Turn around…"
Wan Yunting was startled, unsure of what Master Gui intended to do, but he still knelt and turned around, his back to him. Master Gui then suddenly placed his right hand on Wan Yunting’s back, channeling his remaining internal energy into Wan Yunting’s body.
He said, "Kid, don't let me down. Guard the Taoist temple well…"
Wan Yunting’s eyes widened, now a furious red. He felt a powerful internal energy surge from Master Gui’s right hand on his back, flowing through all his acupoints and meridians, instantly causing his body to tremble. The vital energy in his dantian was also stimulated and merged with the pure yang internal energy injected by Master Gui, instantly unleashing a powerful aura, making him involuntarily tilt his head and let out a long roar: "Ah…"
Immediately afterward, Master Gui’s old hand slipped, his sharp old eyes lost their focus, and his emaciated body collapsed…
"Ancestor Zong…"
"Uncle Zong…"
Li Zihang, Qi Wu, Xu Lingwei, Chang Wude, Yang Jingyi, and Wuweizi immediately rushed forward. It was evident that Master Gui had breathed his last. They all knelt on the ground in sorrow. Wuweizi, Chang Wude, and Yang Jingyi wept sadly…
The departure of Uncle Zong meant that their Wuliang Taoist temple had lost its greatest support.
"Ancestor Zong…"
Wan Yunting, now fully invigorated, turned around. He looked at Master Gui, who had already passed away. He knelt on the ground, his red eyes welling up with tears. With a determined gaze fixed on Master Gui lying on the ground, he gritted his teeth and said firmly, "Ancestor Zong, please rest assured, I will not fail your expectations…"
Saying this, Wan Yunting solemnly kowtowed three times to Master Gui. Immediately afterward, a furious roar came from behind him: "Beast, accept your death!"
Yan Donghai’s roar echoed. With his sword in hand, which was like having no sword at all, he unleashed his strongest strike, thrusting towards the flood dragon’s fatal seven-inch mark. The hard scales were cracked and torn by his sharp sword qi…
"Roar…"
The flood dragon let out a scream of pain, its pair of eerie green lantern-like eyes filled with fury as it opened its maw to bite at Yan Donghai…
But Yan Donghai reacted swiftly, stepping back in mid-air, and then slowly landing on a treetop. He panted heavily, having been locked in a fierce battle with this flood dragon for a full eight minutes.
Although he had been a bit disheveled at first, Yan Donghai had managed to find the flood dragon’s fatal spot. Thus, he had pierced its seven-inch scales with a single strike, a look of wild joy appearing on his old face. Seeing the flood dragon beginning to retreat, Yan Donghai chuckled triumphantly, "Beast, your seven inches have been struck by my sword. Let’s see how much longer you can last."
The flood dragon, with its white dragon horns on its head, also panted with its mouth slightly open, its forked tongue flicking continuously. The black scale at its seven-inch mark, where its heart was located, was broken and was bleeding profusely.
This enraged it immensely. It had not expected this human to be so formidable; it had been too careless.
"Roar…"
The enraged flood dragon roared at Yan Donghai, who was standing on a treetop in the distance. Its eerie green eyes glanced downwards, spotting Wan Yunting, who had emerged alone from the Taoist temple’s gate, holding the Gentleman Sword and looking at the colossal flood dragon…
Perhaps sensing something, Wan Yunting could see the flood dragon’s current fury in its eerie green eyes.
Therefore, Wan Yunting turned his head to look at Yan Donghai, who was standing on the treetop. The old man’s face was full of smugness, his hot eyes fixed on the flood dragon. He was likely already thinking of digging out the flood dragon’s inner core for consumption and using its flesh and blood for medicinal refinement.
Sensing something, Yan Donghai turned his head and looked at Wan Yunting below, holding the Gentleman Sword. His old face broke into a smile as he said, "Kid, are you going to help this beast?"
Wan Yunting’s blood-red eyes burned like torches as he stared intently at Yan Donghai, standing on the treetop. Master Gui’s death had ignited a fire of rage in his heart, and he said coldly, "You old bastard, I will make you pay with your life for my Ancestor Zong!"
"Hahahaha…"
Yan Donghai roared with laughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world. His arrogant and disdainful old eyes looked down at Wan Yunting below as if he were an ant, and he chuckled, "Kid, just because that old fellow passed on some internal energy to you, you think you can kill me?"
Wan Yunting’s blood surged. Holding the Gentleman Sword, his eyes fixed furiously on Yan Donghai, he said coldly, "Who said I am alone!"
"Roar…"
The colossal flood dragon beside him seemed to sense Wan Yunting’s thoughts and roared with its massive maw. This made Yan Donghai’s old face change slightly, and he became cautious.
Although he had pierced the flood dragon’s seven-inch spot with a single strike, he had not managed to stab deep enough for a fatal blow, so the flood dragon’s combat power was still terrifying, and he could not afford to be careless.