Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Lin Yan rode his sword into the air, the peach wood sword enveloped in layers of vast and pure water spirit energy, its spiritual light shining brightly like a hanging radiance, and landed directly in front of the high platform, facing off against Elder Hailan from afar.

As this scene unfolded, the arena fell into a deathly silence. Even the howling wind seemed to freeze, and all eyes were fixed on the figure in black.

On the high platform, the three outer sect elders, Qingxuan, Minglang, and Tiesu, suddenly changed their expressions, filled with surprise and confusion, and stood up together by pressing the railing.

At the head of the table, the sect leader of Laoshan Sect, Master Xuan Yang, had a solemn expression and slightly narrowed eyes. His aura was as solid as a mountain, showing no sign of joy or anger, yet he had already subtly brought the entire atmosphere under his control.

Beside him, the Taoist Guanhai's robes fluttered in the wind. When his gaze fell on Lin Yan, a glint of spiritual light flickered in his eyes, as if he could immediately discern the original aura originating from Guanhai Moyan. A faint yet knowing smile appeared on his lips.

On the other side, Elder Wudao, whose beard and hair were as white as snow and who had been sitting with his eyes closed for a long time, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were clear and bright, and he nodded slightly, as if he had already seen through the cause and effect of this conflict.

The elders and distinguished guests from various sects and factions in the surrounding seats were greatly shocked, and they all whispered in amazement.

"Who is that young man? How dare he, a mere disciple, confront the might of the elders of Laoshan!"

"A mere seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator dares to challenge a peak ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator head-on, and remains so calm and composed. This young man is far beyond the reach of ordinary outer sect disciples."

"That pure water-spirit true energy just now was terrifyingly pure, faintly exuding the pressure of an ancient emperor, which could not be produced by ordinary Laoshan cultivation methods."

All eyes were focused on the center of the arena, where an earth-shattering duel between a disciple and an elder was about to begin.

"You brat, do you really think you can contend with me with your mere Qi Refining Realm cultivation?"

Hai Lan laughed in fury, his spiritual energy at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining erupting forth. A sinister aura surged like waves of ink. "You escaped by chance from Qingfeng Town and the Mo Ling Mountain Pass! Today I'll show you—the difference in cultivation level is like an insurmountable chasm! Spare my life!"

Before he finished speaking, he struck out with his palm, the dark claw shadow tearing through the sky, the cold wind chilling to the bone, carrying the force of locking the soul and taking lives, directly grabbing Lin Yantian's head.

Lin Yan instantly activated his Shadow Step, his figure transforming into a wisp of smoke, drifting erratically, before letting out a low shout.

"The ability to pass through walls!"

Ignoring physical obstacles, his figure passed straight through the thick stone railing and appeared beside Hailan as eerily as a ghost.

Hai Lan's pupils shrank suddenly, filled with shock and anger. She never expected that Lin Yan would possess such a strange and supernatural power.

Before he could change his move, golden light burst forth from Lin Yan's fingertips, like the rising sun, its sharp aura piercing through the sinister atmosphere of the entire arena.

"Golden Finger Technique!"

With a single finger piercing the air, sharp as a divine weapon unsheathed, the golden light stabbed straight at Hai Lan's vital energy center, its speed so fast that only a golden ray remained.

Hai Lan was startled and hurriedly raised his arm to block, his spiritual energy frantically gathering in his forearm, transforming into a pitch-black shield.

"clang--!"

The sound of metal clashing was deafening, and the shockwave exploded outwards.

Hai Lan felt an overwhelming and sharp force crash into her body. Her arm was in excruciating pain, and her spiritual energy shield shattered. She was shaken and staggered back several steps, her face instantly turning bright red.

He was both shocked and furious, his mind in turmoil: This kid is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, how could his combat power be so terrifying!

Hai Lan gritted her teeth and roared, her hands rapidly forming hand seals. Black energy surged around her like a tide, the rocks on the ground cracked inch by inch, and countless evil wisps of energy shot out like venomous snakes, frantically coiling around Lin Yan's limbs.

"Shadow Shackles! Bind them!"

Lin Yan was instantly enveloped in layers of black energy, and the flow of his spiritual energy became slightly sluggish.

Yet his expression remained cold and unperturbed, showing no sign of panic. Within his dantian, the Guanhai Inkstone emitted a burst of spiritual light, and the Canglan Sea Emperor Technique began to operate with a roar, unleashing pure and pristine water-elemental true energy like a tsunami.

The black energy crumbled upon contact, like ice and snow melting away in an instant under the blazing sun.

Seeing this, Hailan's face became completely ferocious. Knowing that today was a fight to the death, she bit her tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and chanted obscure and strange incantations.

"Since that's the case, don't blame me for using a forbidden trump card!"

In an instant, black energy surged into the sky, his body suddenly swelled up a size, his eyes turned blood red, and his aura rose wildly. He even briefly broke through the Qi Refining Shackles and was tainted with a trace of Foundation Establishment Realm power. The evil power around him was several times stronger than that of Su Chen and Zhao Kui combined.

"Evil Yuan Explosion Technique! How could you be so insane!" Master Qingxuan roared from the high platform.

Hai Lan laughed maniacally, his voice hoarse and grating: "Those who aspire to great things need not fear death! Boy, prepare to die!"

With a single punch, evil energy condensed into a massive, pitch-black fist shadow, several feet in size, which slammed into Lin Yan with an aura that could corrode everything, causing the air to sizzle and crackle.

Lin Yan's expression was solemn. In his sea of ​​consciousness, the spiritual tortoise raised its head, and the Guanhai Inkstone floated above his head. A massive amount of pure spiritual energy flowed into his right arm.

He slowly raised his hand, pointed with his sword incantation, and the peach wood sword trembled in mid-air, emitting a clear and melodious dragon's roar.

"Sea Emperor's Legacy - First Form: Azure Waves Break Evil!"

With a single sword strike, unparalleled water light poured down from the heavens, the sword's momentum like a vast, surging ocean, boundless and radiant, capable of vanquishing all evil and wickedness in the world.

The pure water sword energy collided violently with the pitch-black evil fist.

"boom--!!"

The deafening roar reverberated throughout the arena, the shockwaves swept in all directions, and the stone base of the high platform shattered inch by inch.

The evil power melted away rapidly under the vast expanse of water, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, and the pitch-black giant fist was instantly torn apart and exploded.

"No--!!"

Hai Lan let out a desperate roar as the sword energy pierced straight through his dantian. The forbidden technique's evil power backfired on the spot, severing all his meridians. Black energy surged wildly from his seven orifices, and he crashed to the ground like a broken sack, completely losing his fighting ability.

Lin Yan stood with his sword on his back, his clothes fluttering slightly. Although his aura fluctuated, he remained as upright as a pine tree, like a war god.

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers.

The aftershocks of the loud noise had not yet dissipated, and the stadium remained deathly silent.

The next instant, thunderous cheers and exclamations erupted, almost lifting the sky above the arena.

On the high platform, the three outer sect elders, Qingxuan, Minglang, and Tiesu, breathed a long sigh of relief, their surprise turning into shock and joy.

"To fight a peak ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator while only at the seventh level, and even directly shatter a forbidden technique... this kid is simply defying the heavens!"

"Hai Lan colluded with evil cultivators and committed numerous atrocities. Today, her defeat at the hands of Lin Yan is well-deserved!"

On the main seat, Master Xuan Yang of Laoshan Sect slowly nodded, and a hint of approval finally appeared on his usually solemn face: "He remained calm in the face of danger, his skills were pure, and his actions were measured. This boy's temperament and talent are both top-notch."

The Taoist Guanhai stroked his beard and chuckled, his eyes shining brightly: "The Guanhai Inkstone has recognized its master, the Sea Emperor's legacy has found its home, and the hope of Laoshan is here."

The Grand Elder Wudao closed his eyes and sighed softly, then said calmly, "Evil spirits will naturally perish, and the Way of Heaven will be orderly. This child still possesses great potential."

Guests from all sides could no longer remain seated and rose to watch, their voices rising and falling in unison.

"This generation of Laoshan has produced such a monstrous disciple!"

"That sword strike was radiant and powerful, specifically designed to subdue evil and wickedness; it was clearly a top-tier ancient water-based technique!"

……

Many elders had already secretly decided that after the ceremony, they would try to befriend Laoshan and win over Lin Yan.

On the other side of the arena, several masked men in black witnessed Hailan's crushing defeat, and their minds instantly crumbled.

"Quickly! Take Su Chen and break through!"

The leader of the men in black gave a low shout, and with the heavily injured Su Chen as his hostage, he was about to break through the arena and leave.

But as soon as they moved, shouts rang out from all directions.

"Want to leave? Did you ask us first?"

Several new inner disciples surged out like a tide, instantly forming an encirclement. Swords flashed and spiritual energy surged.

Among the crowd, a man and a woman stood out, leading the way.

Male disciple Shen Yue, wielding a long spear, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, displayed fierce and powerful spear techniques. With a single sweep of his spear, he forced back two men in black, shouting sharply, "Since Senior Brother Lin Yan has spoken, these evil disciples will be our testing ground!"

The female disciple, Su Lingyue, moved with the agility of a swallow, her longsword swift and nimble, her swordplay precise and ruthless, targeting the weaknesses of the men in black. Her sharp eyes declared, "Dare to trespass on my Laoshan Mountain? Today, I'll make sure you don't leave alive!"

The two, one firm and the other gentle, worked together seamlessly and quickly regained their footing.

The new disciples were filled with fervor, their shouts shaking the heavens. They unleashed their supernatural powers, trapping the black-clad men in the center. Although the black-clad men were not weak in cultivation, they were no match for the sheer number of people and their overwhelming fighting spirit. In a short while, they were overwhelmed and in a sorry state.

Just then, several figures rushed over from the direction of the spirit spring.

Yunxi was dressed in white, her sword intent clear and pure. Her aura had not only fully recovered, but was also more refined than before. Clearly, after being cleansed by the spiritual spring, her swordsmanship had advanced further.

Behind her, Yi Azhu quickly followed, holding a spirit staff, while Chen Dagang stood guard on both sides like an iron tower. Ye Qing made hand seals, and wood-type spiritual energy flowed faintly.

"Sister Yunxi, they're right there!" Yi Azhu called out in a clear voice.

Yun Xi's cold gaze swept over the trapped man in black, and her longsword slowly drew from its sheath, its sword intent soaring to the heavens:

"Those evil heretics who dare to disturb Laoshan, none of them will leave here today."

Before she finished speaking, she had already darted out, her sword light cascading like moonlight, heading straight for the black-clad leader.

Chen Dagang roared, his physical strength combined with his spiritual energy, charging forward and forcefully blocking any escape route.

Ye Qing's hands flew, creating layers of wooden energy barriers that sealed off any escape routes.

With the addition of the four, the already close battle instantly turned into a one-sided affair.

The leader in black was both shocked and terrified. Looking back at Hailan, who had already collapsed on the ground in the direction of the high platform, he felt only despair.

On the field, Lin Yan walked down slowly with his sword on his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the black-clad man being hunted by the disciples.

As the sunlight streamed down, the young man stood tall and straight, his sword aura restrained, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all the elders, guests from various sects, and thousands of disciples present.

An internal strife within the sect, triggered by forbidden techniques, evil cultivators, and a prison break, adds a dramatic chapter to Laoshan's once-in-a-century disciple recruitment ceremony.