Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 113 Establishing Authority! The Stone Statue Bet

Two magnificent ships, several times larger than the surrounding boats, like two giant beasts in the water, arrogantly pushed aside countless small boats and rushed straight to the isolated island.

At the bow of the ship, two groups of people stood clearly separated, their auras chilling.

On the boat to the left, the leader was an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in the robes of a Qinglan Sect elder. Although his face had an air of otherworldly elegance, his eyes were full of arrogance as he surveyed the people below as if they were ants.

On the boat to the right was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a sinister face, holding a whisk. Behind him were his disciples, all dressed in Taoist robes embroidered with mysterious runes; they were members of the Xuanfu Sect.

"A mere third-rate, wild sect dares to presume to establish its own sect?" The white-haired elder of the Qinglan Sect was the first to speak out. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. He glanced at Meng Xihong with disdain, "Creating your own cultivation techniques? A mortal defying the heavens? That's utterly ridiculous!"

The middle-aged Taoist priest from the Xuanfu Sect immediately echoed, laughing in a sarcastic tone: "Elder Li is absolutely right. In my opinion, this is nothing more than a group of attention-seeking swindlers using some low-level illusions to deceive these ignorant mortals."

Before Meng Xihong could react, a young disciple of the Qinglan Sect with an arrogant expression stepped forward.

He bowed deeply to Elder Li and said loudly, "Uncle-Master, why should you be angry? I alone am enough to deal with this clown who is just pretending to be a god."

This person was in his early twenties and had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. He was usually a prodigy in the sect, and this was the perfect opportunity for him to show off and win the favor of his senior uncle.

Before he finished speaking, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and a flying sword with a gleaming blue light burst from its sheath, piercing straight towards Meng Xihong with a sharp whistling sound.

Ji Beichuan snorted coldly, took a step forward, and his blood and qi surged instantly. A faint blood-red halo covered his right fist. He punched the flying sword directly at its blade!
"clang!"

A deep, bell-like bang exploded!

To everyone's astonishment, the low-grade yellow-rank flying sword was actually punched by Ji Beichuan and bent into an exaggerated arc to the side. With a mournful cry, it flew backward with dim light and plunged obliquely into the lake water in the distance!
The Qinglan Sect disciple, whose mind was connected to the flying sword, felt an incomparably violent force rushing back through the connection. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back several steps, his face as pale as paper, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Useless!" Upon seeing this, another disciple from the Xuanfu Sect immediately sneered, eager to show off as well. "The flying swords of the Qinglan Sect are nothing special. Watch the methods of my Xuanfu Sect!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already pulled out a yellow talisman from his sleeve and was chanting incantations.

"Edict!"

The talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, instantly transforming into a fiery rope several meters long, like a fire serpent, carrying a scorching aura, and flying towards Ji Beichuan like lightning.

"A low-grade Xuan-level spell, the Fire Serpent Curse!" A knowledgeable rogue cultivator below exclaimed in shock.

"Old Ji, let me do this."

Looking at the menacing fire snake, Zhang Xianghua's honest face broke into a somewhat ferocious smile. He then suddenly spread his legs apart, firmly planted his feet in a horse stance, crossed his muscular arms in front of him, and assumed an ancient defensive posture.

The fire snake arrived in an instant, lashing fiercely at his arms as he tried to block!
"Zi la——!"

The flames made a sizzling sound as they touched the flesh, and a burnt smell filled the air.

However, the expected scene of skin being torn open did not occur. Zhang Xianghua's arms were burned red, but they were exceptionally tough, firmly blocking the fire snakes in front of him.

He felt the burning pain in his arms, but instead of backing away, he grinned and pushed his arms outwards with all his might!
"open!"

With a loud shout, the terrifying power in his arms suddenly erupted, forcing the fire serpent made of spiritual energy to break apart piece by piece, turning into sparks that scattered in all directions!
The whole place was in deathly silence.

If Ji Beichuan's punch that destroyed the flying sword was a display of sheer power, then this was a testament to the sheer force of his power.

So, Zhang Xianghua's ability to withstand the magic with his bare body and tear it apart completely overturned everyone's understanding!
Is this...is this still a mortal?
These are two humanoid monsters!
The people from Qinglan Sect and Xuanfu Sect were completely dumbfounded.

The two elders, who had initially been confident of victory, now displayed a fascinating array of expressions, shifting from contempt to astonishment, and then from astonishment to lividity.

The disciples rushed to attack, only to be utterly defeated. This wasn't a slap in the face for the disciples, but for the two old men.

Yun Songzi, who had been standing behind Meng Xihong with an air of indifference, paused slightly as he stroked his beard, a hint of a smile flashing in his cloudy eyes.

Just then, Meng Xihong, who had been silent all along, finally spoke slowly.

His gaze bypassed Ji Beichuan and the other man, landing directly on Elder Li, whose expression was constantly shifting.

"Elder, are you saying that my Heavenly Evolution Sect is a fraud?"

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"I..." Elder Li's heart skipped a beat under his gaze, and he was momentarily speechless. "You're saying that my 'Path of Inquiry' is a low-level illusion?"

A cold smile curled at the corners of Meng Xihong's lips.

"In that case, why don't you come in person, Elder?"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

Let Elder Li of the Qinglan Sect personally walk the "Path of Inquiry into One's Heart"?
This is no longer a provocation; it's a blatant slap in the face.

Elder Li's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

As a late-stage Foundation Establishment elder of the Qinglan Sect, with such a noble status, how could he possibly undergo a test set up by an insignificant sect for mortals?

If word gets out, won't he have any shame?
"You brat! How dare you insult me!" Elder Li trembled with rage, pointing at Meng Xihong and shouting sternly.

"Insult you?" Meng Xihong laughed, but there was no warmth in that laugh. "It was you who insulted my Tianyan Sect first."

"you……"

"What? You don't dare?" Meng Xihong's tone remained calm.

But it was this calm tone that made Elder Li almost breathless.

He could sense that the young sect leader before him, though his cultivation was inferior to his own, had eyes as deep as an abyss, as if he could see through all the cowardice and weakness in his heart.

It was an absolute confidence that stemmed from his state of mind and his foundation in the Dao, pure and profound, which made this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator feel inexplicably guilty, as if he had been seen through.

"Why wouldn't I dare!" Elder Li was cornered and had no choice but to agree, "This mere illusion array is easily broken with a flick of my finger."

As he spoke, he prepared to leap onto the island.

"Wait a minute." Meng Xihong raised his hand to stop him.

"Since it's a bet, there should be some kind of prize, right?"

"A prize?" Elder Li was taken aback.

“It’s very simple.” Meng Xihong’s gaze swept over everyone from Qinglan Sect and Xuanfu Sect. “If you can walk through these ninety-nine steps unharmed, my Tianyan Sect will dismantle its gates today, admit that we are frauds, and let you do as you please.”

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar!

Is this a huge gamble?

Elder Li's heart skipped a beat, then he was overwhelmed with immense joy.

Self-dismantling of the mountain gate?

Is this kid crazy?

He had absolute confidence in his cultivation level. How could a mere illusion array designed for mortals possibly trap him?

This is like a windfall!

"Okay! It's a deal!" He hurriedly agreed loudly, afraid that Meng Xihong would go back on his word.

“But…” Meng Xihong’s voice rang out again, “What if Elder, you can’t finish the journey?”

"So what?" Elder Li asked instinctively.

“If you don’t finish your journey,” Meng Xihong said, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes, each word distinct and deliberate.

"Then you, and all the Qinglan Sect disciples behind you, will stay here today and serve as stone statues guarding the gates of my Tianyan Sect!"

(End of this chapter)