Chapter 32

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Upon seeing the attire of the Dari Shengzong disciple and hearing his words, the faces of the Guangcheng Mountain disciples instantly turned angry.

The bearded man in white approached, his gaze directed elsewhere: "People should live in the present."

In that direction was another stage.

"The Great Sun Sage ascended in broad daylight, his radiance illuminating the heavens and earth..." A voice from behind the stage narrated with a rhythmic cadence.

Linyuan City was not solely dominated by Guangcheng Mountain; Dari Shengzong also had a presence here, exerting considerable influence.

Naturally, there were storytellers and performers who spread the legends of Dari Shengzong.

Most of these people were just making a living, without any particular bias or thoughts. They performed whatever stories the common people enjoyed.

The most widely circulated legend about Dari Shengzong was that of their former patriarch, a legendary figure.

According to folklore, he ascended in broad daylight, while in the world of martial artists, there were many more versions of the story.

Some said he reached a higher realm and ascended into the heavens.

Others claimed he was still in a secret, forbidden area within Dari Shengzong, cultivating in seclusion.

There were also rumors that he had long since perished in a closed retreat.

In any case, since he had not been seen for a long time, various theories abounded.

Under his leadership, Dari Shengzong rose after the fall of Zhane Dongge, eventually becoming the top sacred ground of the new generation.

The bearded man in white looked at the stage, his meaning clear.

The Guangcheng Mountain disciples felt a surge of frustration.

"Xiao Sheng, why do you have a full beard now?" Yan Zhaoge looked at him with a mix of surprise and amusement.

Xiao Sheng did not respond, but his ears twitched as if he was listening to something, while he stared intently at Yan Zhaoge.

"Your heartbeat and pulse are almost inaudible, yet steady and smooth... Your blood is like lead and mercury. Have you advanced to the Outer Gang Master realm? And completed the second bone washing and marrow cleansing so quickly?"

"But it doesn't matter." Xiao Sheng was noncommittal, sizing up Yan Zhaoge. "Yan Zhaoge, you beat up my Dari Shengzong brothers in Zhenlong Yuan. You don't think you can get away with it, do you?"

Yan Zhaoge smiled. "Are you going to stand up for Chao Yuanlong and the others?"

Xiao Sheng stepped forward, coming to stand before Yan Zhaoge. "What else did you think?"

Initially, the Guangcheng Mountain disciples did not recognize him, but upon hearing Xiao Sheng's name, they immediately realized who he was.

The grandson of Dari Shengzong's Grand Elder, one of the Chuyang Four Heroes alongside Chao Yuanlong, but with longer cultivation time and higher cultivation realm.

"Late-stage Outer Gang Master..." Sikong Qing frowned slightly, looking at Yan Zhaoge and Xiao Sheng.

Like Chao Yuanlong, who was virtually unmatched at the late-stage Inner Gang Master realm, Xiao Sheng was also a standout at his cultivation level, with even more impressive battle records.

Compared to Chao Yuanlong, who specialized in obscure martial arts, Xiao Sheng followed a more orthodox path, practicing various mainstream martial arts of Dari Shengzong.

Yet, he still stood out among the many young talents of Dari Shengzong.

In the past, he had defeated a mid-stage Outer Gang Master, earning him a reputation that spread far and wide.

Although the Guangcheng Mountain disciples had confidence in Yan Zhaoge, Xiao Sheng's cultivation realm and combat experience were far superior, making them uneasy.

Xiao Sheng's voice was rough, but his tone was calm. "I will return what you did to Chao Yuanlong and the others, in full."

"Besides Chao Yuanlong, you also beat up my other junior brothers. Today, I will pick someone from behind you to accompany you."

Hearing this, the Guangcheng Mountain disciples felt a sense of dissatisfaction. "Do you think we don't have late-stage Outer Gang Masters?"

Yan Zhaoge, however, remained unperturbed. "For martial artists under forty, there is a customary age gap of three to five years, dividing them into different age groups."

"Our age difference is a bit large, but I don't mind. Let's consider ourselves the same age."

"Ahu, you don't need to intervene."

Ahu glared at Xiao Sheng, nodded at Yan Zhaoge's command, and stepped back.

Xiao Sheng stared at Yan Zhaoge. "I won't mention your skills, but you do have some courage."

"I won't bully you with my cultivation realm. You broke Chao Yuanlong's Sun Golden Needle Qi and Zhongtian Divine Palm with your sword techniques, which must have some unique aspects. Let's compare our techniques."

As he spoke, Xiao Sheng extended his hands remotely.

The puppeteers performing "Mr. Dong's Sword Cutting the Flame Demon King" and "The Great Sun Sage Ascending in Broad Daylight" felt a sudden lightness in their hands.

Then they discovered that the puppets representing Mr. Dong and the Great Sun Sage had vanished.

The audience was in an uproar, looking around, but no one knew where the puppets had gone or how they had disappeared.

Both puppets were now in Xiao Sheng's hands, held by the cross-shaped boards used to manipulate them, with strings attached to the puppets.

"I heard you can use bamboo as a sword and control it skillfully. You must have some finesse in controlling gangqi, making you qualified to play this game with me."

Xiao Sheng smiled. "These little things, though sturdier than bamboo, are still fragile. If too much gangqi is infused, they will burst. So you don't have to worry about me bullying you with my cultivation realm. This will limit the maximum amount of gangqi we can use."

"Both of us will use the same amount of gangqi. To win, we will compare the subtlety of our martial arts and the precision of our gangqi control."

Saying this, Xiao Sheng threw the Mr. Dong puppet to Yan Zhaoge.

Yan Zhaoge caught the puppet and suddenly laughed. "If I remember correctly, your ancestor was chased into a volcano by our sect's Hantian Venerable and didn't dare come out for half a century."

"Only when the Flame Demon invaded and Hantian Venerable gave special permission did he crawl out of the volcano?"

Xiao Sheng looked at Yan Zhaoge coldly. "People from Guangcheng Mountain only talk about the past. Those who live in the past will become dust like history."

As he spoke, his palm trembled, and gangqi burst forth from his body.

The strings of the puppet snapped, but the puppet remained suspended in mid-air, its surface suddenly gleaming with a faint metallic luster.

Under the influence of the emitted gangqi, the crude puppet suddenly came to life, radiating brilliance.

The puppet's limbs moved, and it struck a palm at the Mr. Dong puppet in Yan Zhaoge's hand!

The delicate, small puppet's palm strike was fierce, creating a gust of wind!

A loud crack echoed through the air, as if something had been struck and exploded!

Seeing this, the Guangcheng Mountain disciples were taken aback. "No wonder he dared to challenge Yan Zhaoge in this way after knowing how he defeated Chao Yuanlong!"

Yan Zhaoge smiled, turned his palm, and the strings of the puppet in his hand also snapped.

Under the influence of gangqi, the eyes of the Mr. Dong puppet seemed to glow.

At this moment, Mr. Dong transformed into Hantian Venerable, radiating a formidable aura.

The wooden long sword in the puppet's hand vibrated, leaving a visible trail in the air.

"Perform well, Yan Zhaoge. At least give me some fun." Xiao Sheng's eyes were dark and snake-like.

Under his control, the Great Sun Sage puppet's hands moved swiftly, attacking the puppet in Yan Zhaoge's hand!

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