Chapter 45

Ko Bingyi was utterly enraged.

Although the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall on Biqiong Mountain was not a major sect on a national scale, in Nanhu Province, who wouldn’t give it some face? After all, the sect leader, though ninety-eight years old, was still very much alive!

With a Fifth Stage peak cultivator as the guardian, the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall was undoubtedly one of the top sects in the entire Nanhu Province’s mystic community!

Ko Bingyi was destined to be the future leader of the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall. Even the current leader of the Upper Immortal Palace would treat him with respect. How much more so for the small Five Peaks Temple, which had been suppressed by the Upper Immortal Palace for decades and couldn’t even hold its head up?

There was one thing he didn’t say wrong: in the past, the leader of the Five Peaks Temple, Chen Shidong, would indeed be terrified upon seeing him.

That was precisely why, after being hit back with a contemptuous tone by Yang Chen, he felt furious, feeling that his authority had been unprecedentedly challenged! And the one who dared to speak arrogantly in front of him was just a young man in his early twenties!

Cold, bone-chilling light flickered in Ko Bingyi’s eyes. He stared at Yang Chen and said in a chilling voice, "I think you’re tired of living!"

"Calmdown, young people can be a bit impulsive, it’s understandable..." Pang Feng stood up, seemingly trying to mediate, but his words had a hint of fueling the fire: "Besides, this Five Peaks Temple is just a dilapidated little temple. Why should Real Person Ko bother with him? It’s not worth it..."

"Pang, what you’re saying is not right," Zhu Hongyi, who had been worried about the situation escalating, said with a displeased expression after hearing Pang Feng’s words: "Real Person Yang is a genuine Fourth Stage cultivator..."

"Fourth Stage cultivator?!" Hearing Zhu Hongyi’s words, Ko Bingyi burst into laughter, pointing at Yang Chen and said with a smile: "Him? A Fourth Stage cultivator? I think the Five Peaks Temple has been eating bitter food for so long that it’s gone to the dogs! How could a once-renowned Five Peaks Temple on the southeast shore of Poyang Lake now rely on fraud to survive? I think the Five Peaks Real Person might have been a con artist too!"

Yang Chen frowned slightly, slowly stood up, and said to Ko Bingyi, word by word, "You’d better take back every word you just said!"

"Or what?" Ko Bingyi laughed loudly, "You, of all people, dare to threaten me? You..."

"Bang~!"

Before Ko Bingyi could finish his sentence, Yang Chen raised his hand, and two streaks of fire shot out from his fingertips.

The scorching fire snakes hit Ko Bingyi squarely, catching him off guard. His chest turned black, and he was thrown several meters away, landing in a very undignified manner!

"You... How could you attack so suddenly..." Pang Feng looked at Yang Chen in shock.

But Yang Chen gave him a cold glance and said, "If you dare to stir up trouble and say another word, do you think I won’t tear your mouth apart right here?!"

"I..." Pang Feng didn’t have the courage to oppose a Daoist cultivator, no matter how young and unbelievable he seemed. Reluctantly, he retreated with a forced smile.

Ko Bingyi, who had fallen to the ground in a dog-like manner, was now furious and stood up, saying in a deep voice, "No wonder you dare to swindle, you do have some real skills... I..."

"Bang~!"

Two more fire snakes shot out from his fingertips.

Ko Bingyi, who had just stood up, instinctively raised his hand to form an oval energy shield in front of him.

But to everyone’s shock, Yang Chen’s fire snakes penetrated the shield as if it were nothing. The shield crumbled instantly, and Ko Bingyi was once again thrown several meters away, knocking over several tables in the process!

Yang Chen said firmly, "Apologize!"

These two simple words were powerful and carried an unyielding, domineering tone.

If the first time Yang Chen had caught Ko Bingyi off guard, the second time clearly showed that Ko Bingyi was simply outmatched, even with his shield up!

Zhu Hongyi, who had never seen Yang Chen use Daoist techniques so closely before, couldn’t help but be impressed.

Ko Bingyi, whose chest was now blackened, felt a burning pain.

But he was even more enraged... a Fourth Stage cultivator, and he had been thrown twice by a young man?!

His eyes filled with a fierce light, and he stood up again, forming seals with his hands, looking solemn.

But Yang Chen didn’t give him a chance to act. He raised his hand, and two more fire snakes identical to the previous ones shot toward him!

Ko Bingyi’s body trembled, and he shouted, "Ten Thousand Immortals bow, the true Dao endures! Sixfold Golden Wheel, open!"

A golden wheel appeared behind him. With a wave of his hands, about a dozen five-inch-long, faintly visible golden knives flew out from the wheel, slashing toward Yang Chen!

But Yang Chen curled his lips in a mocking smile, "A grain of sand dares to compete with the sun and the moon!"

He raised his right hand, and his fingers spread wide.

"Boom~!"

The two fire snakes instantly transformed into a seven-foot-tall wall of fire, not only blocking the golden knives but also growing rapidly, turning into a ten-foot-tall wall of fire that slammed down on the terrified Ko Bingyi!

"Rumble..."

A loud noise echoed, accompanied by Ko Bingyi’s screams...

When the scattered flames disappeared, the once proud Ko Bingyi was now completely blackened, his hair disheveled, lying on the ground, groaning in pain...

Yang Chen took another small step forward and said firmly, "Apologize!"

"Little brat... I’ll apologize to your mother... f*ck you..." Ko Bingyi’s eyes were bloodshot, and he cursed loudly.

But the next second, he stopped cursing, his face filled with fear...

A dark, oppressive cloud had formed about two zhang (about 6.6 meters) above his head. Blue lightning arcs flickered within the cloud, as if waiting for Yang Chen’s nod to unleash a thousand bolts of lightning to strike Ko Bingyi!

The surging energy quickly caught the attention of other cultivators in Kan'er Village.

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes and repeated, "I’ll say this one last time... apologize!"

"Amitabha..." Just as Yang Chen was exuding a terrifying aura, a Buddhist chant came from nearby...

"Killing is not the way, young brother, why push him so hard?"

A white lotus with a golden glow flew over, and the dark cloud above Ko Bingyi’s head dissipated rapidly like snow in the sun...

An old monk, wearing a kasaya and holding a nine-ringed staff, walked over with a compassionate smile.

Seeing this old monk, Zhu Hongyi, Pang Feng, and everyone else who had gathered to watch the commotion, all clasped their hands together and respectfully called out, "Greetings, Master Miaoyun!"

Master Miaoyun?

Yang Chen was taken aback for a moment, then he remembered who Master Miaoyun was...

The president of the Beijing Buddhist Association and the abbot of Beijing Qingyun Temple!

Seeing a Sixth Stage middle-rank Buddhist monk, Yang Chen knew the fight couldn’t continue... Master Miaoyun was known for being a mediator and for his tendency to meddle in other people’s affairs!

Yang Chen stopped, but his expression remained serious, "I can spare his life, but he must apologize!"

This was Yang Chen’s stance!

Master Miaoyun smiled and nodded, then, holding his golden nine-ringed staff, turned to the half-dead Ko Bingyi and asked, "What conflict do you have with this young brother? Perhaps you could tell me."

The crowd grew larger, and Ko Bingyi was almost ashamed to the point of wanting to find a hole to hide in!

He said, both ashamed and angry, "I just said a few harsh words, and this... this kid almost killed me! Such a ruthless person, I have nothing to say!"

"Both sides are at fault. Why not let it go for the sake of this old monk?" Master Miaoyun looked at Yang Chen with a kind expression, but the light tap of his nine-ringed staff on the ground showed his stance.

Yang Chen had no choice but to say, "For the sake of the master, I will let him off... but if I hear him insult my sect again, I will not be lenient!"

"Such a young age, yet so full of killing intent... well, I will only deal with today, not the future!" Master Miaoyun chuckled, then, holding his nine-ringed staff, walked toward a group of monks nearby, clearly part of a group.

The matter seemed to be coming to an end.

But who would have thought that while Yang Chen was turning away, Ko Bingyi, from his pocket, pulled out a small silver sword, his eyes filled with malice, and threw it at Yang Chen’s waist!

"Whoosh!"

The small silver sword, thrown by Ko Bingyi, was enveloped in a silver glow.

Master Miaoyun, who had returned to his original position to check into the hotel, suddenly changed his expression and shouted, "Rascal, how dare you!!"

"Be careful!!"

Someone in the crowd shouted loudly.

Yang Chen, who had just turned away and hadn’t even had a chance to speak to Zhu Hongyi, felt his hair stand on end, a sense of mortal danger instantly filling his mind!

Without thinking, he kicked his leg to the side to dodge.

But the small silver sword was as fast as lightning, and in an instant, it pierced into his body...

Even the protective spiritual light couldn’t stop the sharpness of the silver sword.

Yang Chen felt a sharp pain in his waist and groaned in pain...

Half of the small sword had deeply penetrated his abdomen, and Yang Chen, who had stumbled but managed to stand, looked pale as paper.

Seeing his attack succeed, the completely blackened Ko Bingyi laughed, "No matter how talented you are, achieving Fourth Stage at such a young age, you’re still a cripple now, with your dantian destroyed!"

"Sir, are you alright..." Zhu Hongyi’s face changed, and he hurriedly supported the nearly collapsing Yang Chen.

But Ko Bingyi’s laughter didn’t last long. He watched in shock as Yang Chen, frowning, reached back and pulled the silver sword out of his body!

Strangely, no blood seeped from the wound...

"How is this possible?!" Ko Bingyi was shocked. This silver sword was a precious heirloom of the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall, imbued with divine power, specifically targeting a cultivator’s dantian. Any cultivator hit by this silver sword in the dantian would not survive unscathed!

But Yang Chen, apart from looking a bit pale, showed no signs of the spasms that would follow a shattered dantian...

If it had been a disciple of the Chongyang Palace or another sect, Ko Bingyi would never have dared to make such a move in public! But he saw Yang Chen as just a disciple of the Five Peaks Temple, with no significant backing.

Offending Yang Chen today could mean being killed by a grown-up Yang Chen in the future!

Better to strike first, destroy his dantian, and end his cultivation path, saving future trouble.

Calculating that no one would avenge Yang Chen, Ko Bingyi, gritting his teeth, used the sect’s precious heirloom, only to find that the silver sword didn’t have the expected effect...

Feeling the sharp pain in his waist, Yang Chen’s face turned from white to green...

If it weren’t for his body, which was as strong as a Fourth Stage martial cultivator, any Fourth Stage or even Fifth Stage cultivator hit by this silver sword would have ended up with a shattered dantian!

Even with his physical strength, it was a close call... just a millimeter more, and his dantian would have shattered instantly!

Fortunately, it was just a millimeter short...

"You’re asking for death!"

Yang Chen’s eyes filled with killing intent. Without another word, a green light appeared in the air with a wave of his hand.

The green light transformed into a thick vine, which instantly wrapped around the fleeing Ko Bingyi.

With a sudden acceleration, Yang Chen thrust the silver sword, which he had just pulled from his waist, into Ko Bingyi’s abdomen!

"No... don’t!!"

Ko Bingyi screamed in terror.

But it did nothing to stop Yang Chen...

With a soft "puff," the silver sword was completely embedded in Ko Bingyi’s abdomen.

Everyone could feel a surge of energy pour out of Ko Bingyi’s body, though it disappeared instantly, it still sent a chill down their spines!

"Ah!!!"

The green vine binding Ko Bingyi turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.

Ko Bingyi, now free, collapsed on the ground, gripping the exposed sword handle with both hands, his veins bulging, convulsing, and screaming in agony!

Some in the crowd looked on with pity, while others coldly snorted, clearly disapproving of Ko Bingyi’s despicable actions.

Even Master Miaoyun was stunned, but he eventually clasped his hands together and chanted, "Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

Ko Bingyi was thus crippled.

Pang Feng, who had been unable to say much throughout the entire incident, now looked as pale as paper...

The trading fair was about to open, and the Pang family had finally managed to invite Ko Bingyi to support them, only for him to be crippled by Yang Chen... what could they do now?!

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