Chapter 1054: Horse Treads Penglai
The city gate tower was very tall, majestic and imposing, with many formations carved into it and dense Dao patterns covering it. Forcing one's way in would certainly trigger lethal mechanisms.
The young man on the city wall had a frivolous expression, not taking Zhang Qingyang and the others seriously at all. However, when he stared intently at Ye Fan, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"You look exactly like the statue of the Heavenly Emperor. So you are the master of the Heavenly Court?" The Little Heavenly Venerable on the city wall raised his eyebrows slightly, unconcerned.
Ye Fan did not respond. He sat calmly on the Dragon Horse, both man and mount concealing their aura, revealing nothing of their level of mastery. He completely ignored the question.
Beside him, Zhang Qingyang stepped forward. Several years ago, this man had severely wounded him, breaking dozens of his bones. As a Dao Sect Little Heavenly Master, this was extremely humiliating, but he had never seen this man again since.
"You destroyed the buildings of my Heavenly Court and burned the statue. Since we have met by chance, I ask that you compensate for the damages," Zhang Qingyang said calmly, without any anger.
"Ha ha ha..." The young man on the city tower laughed loudly, his face full of contempt, as if he had heard the most amusing thing. He shook his head and said, "You don't know when to die."
Over the years, Zhang Qingyang had been spreading the Dao in various places, smoothing his edges and developing a steady temperament. He showed no anger at all, simply repeating his request for compensation.
Since Ye Fan had come, he would certainly seek justice for him. He knew deeply that his master would not let him suffer injustice, so he remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Frogs at the bottom of a well, you don't know the height of the heavens or the breadth of the earth. People like you dare to establish a sect called the Heavenly Court? I was just about to see if you had disbanded, but here you come instead." The young man on the city tower was extremely arrogant, two bolts of cold lightning shooting from his eyes.
Then, he stared at Ye Fan again, scrutinizing him deeply, but failing to discern anything. "So you are the master of the Heavenly Court. I was speaking to you just now—why didn't you answer?"
Ye Fan still ignored him, sitting on the Dragon Horse as if the man were nothing but air. His disciples spoke on his behalf, while he remained transcendent and aloof.
The Little Heavenly Venerable of Penglai showed displeasure on his face. His status was extremely high, and no one had ever dared to ignore him. He glanced sideways and said, "Are you trying to imitate the ancient demon gods, gathering faith to nurture a demonic fetus? But you are not qualified! I suggest you smash the statue and burn down the Heavenly Court quickly. Otherwise, when our Penglai Immortal Masters make a move, you will be in big trouble."
"Who do you think you are, daring to speak so arrogantly in front of my master?" Long Xiaoque said coldly.
"There is only one Heavenly Venerable in this world. If you want to establish the Heavenly Court, you did not obtain our permission. If you don't want to die, burn it all down yourselves!" The young man on the city tower said coldly.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. There was definitely a problem here, involving a struggle over faith. It seemed that Penglai also wanted to spread its teachings; otherwise, they would not speak this way.
"What Heavenly Venerable and demonic fetus nonsense? I think you have lost your mind. The world is vast—my master establishes a sect. Do we need your Penglai's permission and approval?" Zhang Qingyang rebuked.
"You are right. To establish such a great sect, you must have Penglai's consent. Otherwise, you will only destroy your own foundation," the Little Heavenly Venerable on the city tower said coldly and darkly.
Even the always smiling Phoenix Heavenly Maiden was angered. Her expression turned cold as she said, "Penglai truly puts on airs. Does the Heavenly Court need to listen to you to establish itself? Who do you think you are?"
"Penglai has been an immortal land since ancient times, leading the world's cultivation traditions. Before the ancient sages departed, they entrusted us to oversee the Central Land. If any tradition does not conform to the heavenly rules, we have the authority to deal with it," the young man on the city wall said in a cold voice.
Wei Yu spoke up, saying, "Our Kunlun is a sacred immortal gate, yet we have never dared to act like this. How dare Penglai claim such authority? Do you truly believe you rule the world and are revered by all?"
"Kunlun?" The young man on the city wall laughed loudly, shaking his head with contempt. "If we speak of ancient times, you were indeed an immortal capital. But times have changed. Before the ancient sages departed, you had already declined. The three immortal realms of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou have become the orthodox."
"There is nothing more to say. Just trample Penglai flat—no need for further nonsense," the Dragon Horse said, its temper flaring, being very direct. Although it had been sealed for a long time, its strength had not diminished, and it was now even more formidable.
"Master, please allow me to handle this," Zhang Qingyang said.
Ye Fan nodded. If others respect me a foot, I respect them a zhang. Since things had come to this point, he might as well let the Dragon Horse trample them.
"Ha ha..." The Little Heavenly Venerable laughed heartily, a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth. "A defeated general dares to speak arrogantly? Back then, I could crush you with one hand. What progress have you made now?"
With that, he leaped down from the city tower, walked through the void, and reached out to press down on the Little Heavenly Master, as casually as an elder disciplining a junior.
"Today, I will break dozens more of your bones and make you understand that Penglai's will cannot be defied!"
His palm flickered with clear radiance, transforming into a range of mountain peaks. This was a Dharma seal, condensing the divine will of ancient sacred peaks, combining it with his Dao cultivation to suppress his opponent.
Zhang Qingyang let out a soft cry. His body emitted immeasurable light, forming a divine disk that supported him in the void like a deity.
Then, with a wave of his hand, streams of sacred radiance like waterfalls flowed from all directions, lifting all the divine peaks and blocking the attack.
This was the power of faith. Ye Fan did not advocate for its cultivation, believing that everything ultimately depended on oneself. If the Heavenly Court's inheritance were lost, this power would become completely empty.
However, the Little Heavenly Master was earnest in his teachings, devoting his entire being to it, and inevitably walked this path. He had specifically sought Ye Fan's advice. After careful consideration and deduction, Ye Fan also deemed it feasible. Unless Ye Fan, the master of the Heavenly Court, died or the tradition was destroyed, there was no need to worry.
For this reason, Ye Fan had made a special trip to the Vatican, using the Divine Knight to access many scriptures, finding the secret art of the faith chapter, and bestowed it upon Zhang Qingyang.
Over the past few years, the Little Heavenly Master's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had undergone several lightning tribulations, receiving purification. With pure thought power added to him, he had become a true Heavenly Master, able to borrow the Heavenly Court's thought power!
"Boom!"
Zhang Qingyang moved with ease. Pure thought power arrived from the void. He evolved the True Dragon Seal, and eighty-one heavenly dragons charged forward, each raising its head and neighing, a magnificent sight.
"You have made some progress, but it is still not enough. Get down and break your bones and tendons again!" The Penglai Little Heavenly Venerable shouted.
He spat out a divine radiance, extremely dazzling. It was a precious seal called the Void Seal, formed by refining an ancient sacred mountain and combining it with a segment of void law. It had been famous in ancient times and was a king-rank treasure artifact.
Four years ago, Zhang Qingyang had been broken dozens of bones by this divine seal. If Ye Fan had not taught him a life-saving technique, he would have died back then.
Now, he was not afraid. The Primordial Qi Cauldron appeared above his head, hanging down ten thousand layers of light curtains, vast and endless, blocking the Void Seal.
This was Ye Fan's cauldron, now a king-rank divine weapon. Inside, it contained endless faith power, heavier than mountains, eternally indestructible, a truly invincible treasure artifact.
"Crack!"
The Void Seal transformed into a divine peak over a hundred zhang tall, covering Zhang Qingyang, Ye Fan, and everyone else beneath it, intending to suppress them all. But at this moment, a cracking sound rang out, causing the Little Heavenly Venerable's expression to change on the spot.
"Hum!"
The void trembled. The Primordial Qi Cauldron, like a whale swallowing water, absorbed the radiance filling the sky, trying to draw the Void Treasure Seal into the cauldron.
"Rise!"
The Penglai Little Heavenly Venerable shouted. The Void Treasure Seal had intercepted a segment of divine Dao law, containing the mysteries of the void within. At this moment, with a flash of light, it was about to disappear into nothingness.
Zhang Qingyang was calm and natural. He formed hand seals, his eyes deep, and urged the Primordial Qi Cauldron. Ten thousand strands of silk descended, immediately fixing the Void Treasure Seal in place, and it was absorbed into the cauldron without any suspense.
"What?" Only then did the Penglai Little Heavenly Venerable panic, feeling that things had gone terribly wrong. A few years ago, he had nearly beaten the man before him to death, trampling him underfoot, but now he was no match.
"Bang!"
The Primordial Qi Cauldron descended, carrying endless faith power like a vast ocean, striking the Little Heavenly Venerable on the spot, breaking his bones and tendons, sending him flying horizontally to fall beneath the city wall.
His injuries were similar to those from four years ago, but their positions were reversed. The Little Heavenly Venerable was nearly crushed to death, writhing like a dead fish, only to have Zhang Qingyang step on his chest.
"My master is beyond your comparison. The Heavenly Court is not something your Penglai can insult. Whether we establish a tradition or not, we do not need your permission or approval."
"You..." The Penglai Little Heavenly Venerable had dozens of bones broken. Looking at the large foot on his chest, he was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?
Behind him, the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden laughed, mercilessly mocking him. "Lord Heavenly Venerable, you command the four seas and are revered by all. Don't lie down and issue orders—it really demeans your status. You claim to lead the world, but this is not a good look."
The Little Heavenly Venerable nearly fainted from anger, grinding his teeth. He stared at the people before him, his liver fire blazing.
"It seems the Little Heavenly Venerable of Penglai is far inferior to our Little Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Court. Do we really need your nod to establish our sect?" Even Zhan Yifan, a man of mild temperament, chimed in to strike him down.
"Pfft!"
The Little Heavenly Venerable's anger surged, and he coughed up large mouthfuls of blood. Once high and mighty, now trampled underfoot, he was filled with fury and frustration to the extreme.
"How dare you! Who are you to come to Penglai and act wild?" A shout came from the city gate, where an old man appeared. Another old woman also rode auspicious clouds from the distant sky.
The old man on the city wall had profound magical power. Relative to the Central Land Dao Sect, he was clearly a great cultivator. In Penglai, where spiritual energy had not dried up, it was not surprising to find someone with profound magical abilities.
He reached out a large hand, grabbing toward the Primordial Qi Cauldron, trying to forcibly seize it. He was knowledgeable and naturally recognized it as an extremely rare treasure. His eyes flickered with light, showing surprise, along with a hint of worry.
"Qingyang, come back," Ye Fan called.
Over the past ten years, his disciples' strength had advanced rapidly. In this age of declining Dharma, they could already stand on their own. However, compared to figures like this, they were still lacking.
At this moment, he dismounted, letting the divine steed run wild, facing Penglai's super experts.
The Dragon Horse let out a long neigh. It had long disliked these people. It turned into a streak of fire and charged forward, one hoof directly stomping on the Little Heavenly Venerable, creating a bloody hole on the spot, nearly cutting his body in two.
If it had not restrained its magical power, that hoof would have left nothing but bone fragments, turning him to ashes.
"How dare you!"
The old man who had leaped out of the city was furious. He abandoned the Primordial Qi Cauldron and charged at the Dragon Horse, immediately unleashing a killing move.
At the same time, the old woman riding the colorful clouds arrived, raising her dragon-head staff to strike, weighing over ten thousand jun, intending to crush it into meat paste.
"Two seniors, this is not our fault. It is this young man of Penglai who is too overbearing," Zhang Qingyang said, withdrawing the cauldron and stepping back calmly.
"Regardless of anything else, since you dare to act wild here, we will take you down first!" the old woman shouted.
"Fine, regardless of anything else. You are truly used to being high and mighty, putting on such airs. Dragon Horse, handle it as you see fit," Ye Fan finally spoke.
"Kill them all. I will take responsibility for any consequences," the Little Heavenly Venerable on the ground said.
The Dragon Horse let out a long roar, rearing up on its hind legs. With two hoof strikes, it smashed their weapons into scrap metal. Its speed was too fast, and it gave each of them a hoof.
Two hoof-shaped holes appeared on their bodies, and they crashed directly into the city wall. With a rumble, the wall turned to powder. The Dragon Horse's eyes were full of disdain. "People like you dare to claim supremacy? I could crush thousands of you with one hoof!"
The two on the ground were horrified. They were considered super experts, half-step great powers with the strength to dominate the Central Land. Yet they had encountered such a formidable group.
A single horse had knocked them down with one hoof each, and it seemed it had not even used divine power. It was unimaginable.
"This is... a Dragon Horse!" Finally, the two were terrified, recognizing it. This was an auspicious beast that only ancient sacred emperors could ride. How had it appeared again?
Beside them, the Little Heavenly Venerable was completely stunned. The people of the Heavenly Court were this powerful? It far exceeded his expectations, and panic filled his heart.
"You... you..." His voice trembled as he hurriedly tried to plug his intestines. There was a bloody hole there, where the Dragon Horse had trampled him, nearly separating his upper and lower body.
"You what? When this dragon roamed Kunlun, who dared to defy me? A mere Penglai Immortal Island dares to command the world? I could flip you over with one hoof!"
The Dragon Horse was like a bandit, looking down on them, pacing back and forth in front of them, searching for loot. Eventually, it grew annoyed and nearly trampled them all to death.
"Go report to the Sect Leader, go summon the Heavenly Venerable..." The old woman was terrified, sending a telepathic message into the city. She knew they had encountered a formidable opponent, definitely not someone they could provoke.
The Little Heavenly Venerable was even more dazed, speechless.
"No need. We will visit Penglai Immortal Mountain ourselves. I want to ask personally whether opening a sect in the Central Land requires your Penglai's permission!" Ye Fan said.
Since things had come to this point, there was nothing more to say. If it came to a complete falling out, trampling Penglai flat would be no problem.