Chapter 286: Driven to the Brink! The Flame of Blood Ignites!

Chapter 286: Driven to the Brink! The Flame of Blood Ignites!

A blinding axe glow appeared in the sky, dimming the heavens and earth.

At this moment, everything seemed to lose its color, leaving only that intensely bright light.

In a world where time seemed to pause, the light moved slowly, yet so fast it left one dazed.

No sound was heard.

The vast Seven Stars Formation, which had blanketed the sky, vanished like smoke in an instant as the axe glow swept through.

Layer after layer of the ground, spanning thousands of feet, disappeared, leaving an abyss-like void.

The blinding light extended deep into the sect.

A towering mountain peak, so high it seemed to touch the heavens, let out a thunderous roar as it was severed in half.

Silence fell over the world.

Everyone stood dumbfounded, staring at the scene.

Before them was a massive trench, a hundred feet wide and seemingly endless in length.

The thousands of Heavenly Prides who had stood in Su Changqing's path simultaneously spat blood and fell back, looking utterly disheveled.

What was once a crowded gate now revealed a wide, clear path.

"Is this the power of Divine Output?"

The many experts of the Xuanqing Clan looked at the young man at the gate with disbelief.

They could see that Su Changqing had held back with that strike.

Otherwise, the thousand Heavenly Prides of Daoism would not have just spat blood; they would have been obliterated.

One man defeating a thousand!

Such terrifying combat strength left everyone in awe.

"Is this Daoism's so-called genius?"

Su Changqing's form returned to normal, and he shook his head, saying, "Not even worth a fight."

Su Changqing's tone was matter-of-fact, without a hint of mockery or ridicule. This only made Qing He and the others feel ashamed and furious.

"Su Changqing, this is Daoism! It's not your place to act so arrogantly!"

Qing He struggled to stand and shouted at the sect:

"Please, Elders, take this Fiend down!"

The Heavenly Prides roared in unison, calling for the elders to appear.

The angry shouts echoed through the sky.

However, no one came forward.

Xuanyan had given a strict order.

No matter what happened in the Xuanqing Clan today, no one was to interfere.

Those who disobeyed would be expelled from the sect!

...

"This..."

Seeing no one appear, Qing He and the others panicked.

At this moment, they were the only ones here.

If Su Changqing were to break into the sect, the face of Daoism and the Xuanqing Clan would be utterly ruined.

"Ha ha."

At this moment, Su Changqing's light laughter rang out.

Looking at the thousands of people before him, he said with a pitying tone:

"Your so-called confidence is nothing more than the support of your elders."

"Now that no one has come forward, how do you plan to stop this Fiend from entering the Xuanqing Clan?"

Qing He shouted angrily, "You are too overbearing!"

"Overbearing?"

Su Changqing smiled and took a step forward, saying, "I will be overbearing, and what will you do about it?"

Everyone fell silent.

They all glared at Su Changqing as he walked into the Xuanqing Clan, stepping on their pride with every step.

No one dared to stand in his way.

Su Changqing's terrifying combat strength had made it clear that any attempt to stop him would be futile.

But this scene left Su Changqing sighing inwardly and Xuan Qingzi with a grim expression.

Su Changqing, in his role as a Fiend, had intimidated everyone to this extent.

He had walked through the gates of the Xuanqing Clan openly, and no one had even dared to challenge him!

Those so-called Heavenly Prides didn't understand the humiliation of this moment!

If a real Fiend had come, and the sect's experts were not present, would the thousands of disciples have allowed him to enter without a single one daring to fight to the death?

"This generation of disciples has lost their spirit."

Xuan Qingzi sighed, his brows furrowed.

The other great powers in hiding remained silent, their expressions grave.

From this single incident, they could foresee the future of the Xuanqing Clan when it was truly attacked by a Fiend.

"Even this doesn't stop me?"

Even Su Changqing couldn't help but frown at the sight.

He looked into the angry eyes of the crowd, deep in thought.

"Is the pressure not enough yet?"

With that thought, Su Changqing strode directly toward the massive arena.

Seeing this, the faces of the Heavenly Prides changed, and even the great powers' pupils constricted.

"I hear that today is the selection for the position of Honorary Deputy Clan Head of the Xuanqing Clan."

Su Changqing turned to face the crowd and said:

"I may be unworthy, but I would like to give it a try."

"Of course, I understand the rules. An outsider must defeat all the participants, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the Heavenly Prides, whose expressions had changed, and he smiled, saying:

"Do you think they have been defeated?"

As his words fell, the crowd visibly panicked.

No one took the selection of a foreigner as Vice Clan Head seriously at first.

After all, with over a thousand Heavenly Prides present, how could one person defeat them all?

But now, faced with the harsh reality, everyone was horrified to realize that they might have already lost.

Their combined forces of over a thousand had failed to stop Su Changqing!

By the rules, Su Changqing would indeed become the Vice Clan Head of the Xuanqing Clan!

The idea of a Dark Being becoming the Vice Clan Head of a Daoist holy land made everyone’s heads spin, a profound dread welling up in their hearts.

"Su Changqing, don’t push it too far!"

Even some of the elders couldn’t sit still any longer.

They suspected that Su Changqing’s arrival might have been the Domain Lord’s doing.

But even if it was the Domain Lord’s will, they couldn’t let Su Changqing become the Vice Clan Head!

If this were to happen, the Daoist sect would face universal condemnation and enmity!

However, before Su Changqing could respond, Xuanyan’s voice, laden with suppressed anger, thundered from the heavens.

"Today, aside from the disciples, any elder who dares to intervene will be killed!"

"If you want to stop Su Changqing, only the disciples can do it!"

"The future of Daoism is in your hands. Whether everyone will turn against us and the world becomes our enemy depends on your abilities!"

Xuanyan’s words left the Daoist disciples with no choice but to face a dire situation.

Stopping Su Changqing could mean death.

But if they didn’t stop him, they would become the very people they despised, enemies of everyone.

The clash between reality and ideals left them with a difficult choice, and Xuanyan had given the young generation of Daoism the power to decide.

Xuanyan didn’t care if they could win or not.

What he wanted was their resolve, their willingness to fight to the death!

If they still chose to be meek and cowardly at this point, Xuanyan would have no choice but to ruthlessly cripple this generation!

...

"Elder, but we’re not his match!"

Qinghe and the other Heavenly Prides were under immense pressure, their faces pale as they shouted.

No one responded. Xuanyan just watched them coldly.

Even the elders were restrained, unable to say a word.

"Not being his match is your reason?"

Su Changqing shook his head and said, "The enemy won’t back down just because you’re not his match."

"Only the determination to fight to the death and the ruthlessness to trade lives can make the enemy hesitate and fear!"

He looked at the crowd below, his gaze sharp as he declared, "If you’re afraid to fight, you’re not worthy of the title of Heavenly Pride!"

These cutting words struck at the core of their vulnerabilities, making the disciples’ eyes turn red with anger.

A raging fire, unable to be vented, gradually turned their eyes wild.

Seeing this, Su Changqing nodded inwardly and added fuel to the fire, saying, "I’m not bullying you. Anyone from the Xuanqing Clan below the Divine Principle Realm can step up!"

Boom!

His words sent shockwaves through everyone present.

Anyone below the Divine Principle Realm could step up?

Did that mean Su Changqing was willing to fight across realms, battling Divine Law Realm experts?

And not just one, but all of the Xuanqing Clan’s Divine Law Realm experts!

Even Xuan Qingzi couldn’t remain calm, using telepathy to warn Su Changqing, fearing he might overplay his hand.

"It’s fine."

Su Changqing shook his head secretly, his expression still calm.

No one understood the power of his Divine Output, the terrifying strength of a complete world.

His current realm was the peak of Divine Output, or as good as half a step into the Divine Law Realm.

He had already found his path, but his spiritual energy had yet to convert into mana.

In other words, the only gap between him and the Divine Law Realm was the energy level of ‘spirit’ and ‘mana.’

But don’t forget.

His ‘spirit’ was the source of all spirits, its quality far surpassing ordinary spiritual energy.

With such spiritual energy, even if the quality of mana was a level higher, he had nothing to fear!

"Ha ha ha, excellent!"

As Su Changqing finished speaking, one powerful cultivator after another descended from the heavens.

The leader was named ‘Shouan,’ already at the peak of the Divine Law Realm.

He had found his path and converted all his energy into mana, reaching the threshold of the Law.

Shouan exuded an overwhelming aura, his cold eyes fixed on Su Changqing.

"Remember, you said it. Don’t say we’re using our numbers to bully you!"

As he spoke, pure mana began to rise from his body.

Su Changqing smiled, "Bring it on!"

"Kill!"

The battle erupted instantly. Qinghe’s eyes were bloodshot, her killing intent overwhelming.

The other Daoist Heavenly Prides also fought with all their might, their expressions manic.

If they lost this battle, they would become the Daoist sect’s sinners!

After being backed into a corner, the combat strength of the group surged dramatically!

There were over fifty Divine Law Realm disciples.

Their attacks didn't create a grand spectacle, but the destructive power of their every move far exceeded that of the Divine Aspect Realm disciples.

Their highly condensed mana and the profound abilities they had comprehended made them incredibly powerful.

"Good, just what I needed!"

Seeing the frenzied crowd, Su Changqing laughed loudly, his aura swelling.

Enveloped in towering flames, his body expanded in the wind, reaching its current limit in the world.

A colossal figure, three thousand feet tall, coalesced, his voice thundering and his sleeves flapping like the wind.

"Bring me the axe!"

Su Changqing's mighty voice shook the heavens and earth. The Heaven-Cleaving Axe descended from the sky, causing the ground to tremble violently.

At that moment, Su Changqing resembled an ancient giant, wielding a massive axe and sweeping through the enemy.

Scores of disciples were forced to retreat, spitting blood. The overwhelming power made it impossible for them to even approach him.

But this time was different.

Even the grievously injured among them roared in fury and charged forward.

"Kill!"

A surging wave of murderous intent rose from the thousand Heavenly Prides.

They were filled with boundless rage, forgetting life and death, and a long-lost sense of fearlessness welled up in their hearts.

"Eight Trigrams Seal the Heavens! Rotate!"

Someone shouted, spitting out a mouthful of blood to form a vast sealing array.

"Purple Dawn Control the Lightning!"

Another pointed to the heavens, weaving seals, and thunder roared!

Some even sacrificed themselves, using their cultivation as a cost, to charge at Su Changqing!

The heavens thundered, and the wind howled!

These thousand Heavenly Prides still stood, but their combat strength now far exceeded what they had shown earlier, by tenfold!

This scene left all the elders and strong figures of Daoism in shock.

They stared in amazement at the roaring, charging disciples of Daoism.

Their cultivation was vastly inferior to Su Changqing's, yet a burning 'blood spirit' made them fearless, unleashing combat strength far beyond their own!

"See that."

Xuanyan stood atop the mountain, sighing. "This is their true combat strength."

Xuan Yi stood in a daze, watching.

He saw the Heavenly Prides, roaring and charging, breaking free from their cowardice!

...

"Ha ha ha, that's more like it!"

Su Changqing's laughter thundered, his foot stomping, causing the earth to tremble, and a group of people scattered.

But soon, those who had flown away roared and charged back.

He understood that he and Xuanyan's goal had been achieved.

These Daoism Heavenly Prides, cornered and pushed to their limits, had rebounded, reigniting their blood spirit!

Though this was just the beginning, the seeds of fearlessness had been sown.

With guidance from Xuanyan and Daoism, these people still had a chance.

"Very well, let's end this."

Su Changqing looked up at the sky, and the purple-golden Chaos Pearl emerged from Tianling.

He had been controlling his own strength, not killing a single person.

But this way, the Divine Law Realm disciples posed a significant threat to him.

Their transformed mana could now penetrate his defenses.

He could hold out for a while, but if it continued, he would be injured.

"Seal!"

Su Changqing's voice rang out, as if carrying the mandate of heaven. The heavens and earth trembled.

Within a thousand feet, the world seemed to pause.

The Heavenly Prides, roaring and charging, froze in place, their eyes wide with terror.

The numerous spells and techniques that had been cast disintegrated quietly, like wisps of smoke.

In an instant, everything within a thousand feet of Su Changqing was frozen, not even a speck of dust moved.

"Fall."

Su Changqing extended his right hand and gently clenched it.

Crack!

The space within a thousand feet shattered like glass.

The Heavenly Prides, whether from the Divine Aspect Realm or the Divine Law Realm, all spewed mouthfuls of blood and fell backward.

This scene left the hidden strong figures in shock.

"Shattering space with one hand?"

"Isn't that something only a Sage can do?"

A Divine Output tearing through a thousand feet of space was a fantastical sight that left everyone stunned.

Even Xuan Yi's face was filled with awe.

But a moment later, his expression changed, and he exclaimed in horror,

"That's not right, that's the power of space!"

Daoism had a long tradition, and many of its techniques involved the manipulation of space.

But even so, none could achieve what Su Changqing had!

More importantly, he could clearly sense that Su Changqing wasn't just manipulating space; he was controlling it!

Su Changqing himself possessed terrifying spatial power!

"How is that possible? He can actually control the power of space?"

Xuan Yi muttered in shock, his face filled with disbelief.

Xuanyan, standing beside him, gazed at the young figure in the center and spoke softly,

"Do you know who bestowed him with the power of space?"

Xuan Yi turned to look, his face puzzled.

Xuanyan fell silent for a moment before sighing,

"It was Dao Venerable!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end