196: Ancestor, you can still fight!

"Quick, activate the formation! Everyone who doesn't want to die, sacrifice your defensive Magic Treasures!!"

Gu Qiuyue screamed, her abacus suddenly thrown into the air, transforming into a golden light screen that covered the hall.

Mu Qingxue, Luo Ximei, Chu Weiwei, and Su Hongling took action simultaneously.

Ice walls, Devilish Qi, poisonous mist, and blood energy—four completely different powers converged to construct a wall of brass and iron directly beneath where Su Lin and Wu Tian were clashing.

The terrifying energy storm finally descended.

In that instant, the world seemed to go deaf.

Immediately following was a world-destroying roar.

The newly repaired square ground of the Daochu Sect instantly shattered, turning into countless specks of dust.

Under this shockwave, the surrounding mountain peaks collapsed and were leveled like fragile crackers.

Had it not been for the four disciple protecting them with their lives, combined with Wu Tian deliberately guiding the direction of the energy release at the last moment, probably less than ten percent of the thousands of guests present would have survived.

A long time passed.

The smoke and dust dissipated.

High in the sky, two figures still faced each other from a distance.

Wu Tian stood atop the clouds; the cuff of his originally meticulous Daoist robe had actually split open, and several scorched marks were particularly eye-catching.

His right hand, held behind his back, was currently trembling slightly. In the center of his palm was a deep-to-the-bone fist print, emitting a grayish-white aura of deathly silence that prevented the wound from healing.

As for Su Lin.

He stood in the Void Realm, his starlight robe still brilliant, though his face was slightly pale.

But the Battle Intent in his eyes was even more blazing than before.

Evenly matched?

No.

To forcefully withstand fifty percent of the power of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage as a Body Integration Stage, and even wound the opponent.

This was already a victory!

"Haha... Hahahaha!"

Wu Tian suddenly looked up at the sky and laughed loudly, his laughter scattering the residual clouds across the sky.

"Delightful! Truly delightful!"

He looked at the wound on his palm; far from being angry, he looked at Su Lin as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

"Deathly silence, decay, destruction..."

"Three negative Laws sufficient to give even a True Immortal a headache have actually been perfectly fused by you into this one punch."

"Fellow Daoist Su, you are not at the Body Integration Stage at all."

"You have forcefully forged a path that no one has ever walked before!"

Wu Tian flicked his sleeve, and the wound on his palm forcibly healed in a burst of golden light.

He cupped his hands in a salute to Su Lin once more.

This time, it was no longer a mere formality, but a true salute between peers, even carrying a hint of awe toward the strong.

"In this round, this Old Man has lost."

"Fellow Daoist Su's talent is unsurpassed in all of history. With you here, the Daochu Sect shall flourish!"

These words were even more impactful than the energy storm just now.

It was like a bolt of heavenly thunder striking hard upon the crown of everyone present.

Lost?

Old Ancestor Wu Tian personally admitted... he lost?!

"Old Ancestor! You... what are you saying?!"

The Chaotian Sect disciple hiding in the distant war chariots broke down, crying out with mournful faces, "Only a bit of skin on your sleeve was torn! That Su Lin's face turned pale! How can that be considered a loss?!"

"That's right! Old Ancestor, you can still fight! Use your [Haotian Divine Lightning] to strike him dead!!"

"Shut up!!"

Wu Tian suddenly turned his head and shouted sternly, scaring those disciple and descendants into instant silence.

He turned back to look at Su Lin, his gaze open and sincere.

"A loss is a loss."

"This Old Man, with a Middle Stage Tribulation Transcendence cultivation, used fifty percent of my spiritual Qi and invoked the Laws of heaven and earth. If I couldn't even break the defense of someone in the Body Integration Stage and instead had my arm injured by the counter-shock..."

"Then has my three thousand years of cultivation all gone to the dogs?"

He pointed to his right hand, which was still trembling slightly.

"If we were in the same Realm..."

"No."

Wu Tian shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Even if Fellow Daoist were only at the Early Stage Mahayana, with that punch just now, this Old Man's hand... would probably have been crippled."

"Perhaps even this Physical Body might not have been preserved."

This was the truth.

Su Lin's punch was not just an explosion of power, but a dimensional strike at the level of Laws.

If it weren't for the Realm suppression, the power of the [world core] contained in that punch would have been enough to completely shatter Wu Tian's Law Domain.

Su Lin looked at the open and honest Old Man before him, and the coldness in his eyes dissipated somewhat.

He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, and the starlight around him gradually withdrew into his body.

"Fellow Daoist is too modest."

Su Lin cupped his hands, his tone calm and neither humble nor arrogant.

"If Fellow Daoist had used your full strength, the one lying here today would be Su."

"Su merely borrowed the advantage of external items; it was just a stroke of Luck."

"Winning is winning, losing is losing. There's no such thing as Luck."

Wu Tian waved his hand, clearly an extremely stubborn person.

He took a deep look at Su Lin, then looked down at the four disciple who, though injured, were still staring at him like wolf cubs protecting their food, a hint of envy appearing in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Su, you have great talent and great Luck."

"The sky of this cultivation world... I fear it is about to change because of you."

Saying that, he took out a purple-gold token from his robes.

Carved on the token was a majestic immortal mountain, surrounded by mist and clouds, radiating a noble righteousness.

"This is my Chaotian Sect's [Supreme Token]."

With a flick of Wu Tian's wrist, the token turned into a golden light and landed steadily in Su Lin's hand.

"Seeing this token is like seeing this Old Man in person."

"If Fellow Daoist Su has leisure in the future, you are welcome to visit my Chaotian Sect at any time. This Old Man still has several jars of [Dao Comprehension Tea] that have been stored for a thousand years; I am willing to brew tea and discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoist, to jointly seek longevity."

"Since that is the case, Su shall accept it then."

Su Lin put away the token and smiled slightly.

"I will certainly pay a visit in the future."

"Hahaha! Good! Delightful!"

Wu Tian laughed loudly, appearing to be in a very good mood.

He said no more and turned to step onto that golden auspicious cloud.

"Return to the Sect!"

"From today's battle, this Old Man has gained some insights and needs to enter seclusion for a hundred years!"

"Within a hundred years, no one is allowed to disturb me!"

With a long roar from the nine golden Dragons, the golden war chariot rolled through the Void Realm, carrying billowing auspicious clouds, and disappeared into the horizon.

Only a ground full of dumbfounded guests remained, and the black-robed man standing high in the sky with his robes fluttering.

The wind blew gently.

Su Lin's figure slowly descended.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, four figures pounced toward him like swallows returning to their forest.

"Old Man! Are you okay?!"

Su Hongling was the first to arrive. Ignoring her injured arms, she directly pressed her head against Su Lin's chest, making him stagger.

"You scared me to death! That punch just now... I thought you were going to blow yourself up!"

"Revered Master..."

Luo Ximei followed closely behind. She grabbed Su Lin's hand and placed it against her face, tears shimmering in her heterochromatic eyes.

"Your hand is so cold... Are you injured? Did that old thing plot against you?"

"Let me see!"

Chu Weiwei squeezed in, her fingers resting on Su Lin's pulse, her face instantly turning pale.

"Spiritual Qi overexhausted... Meridians damaged... Qi and blood depleted..."

"Waaa... Revered Master, why are you so foolish! Why did you have to take that move head-on!"

"Quick! Quick, eat this! This is a Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King! This is a Dragon Pith Pill! This is..."

While crying, she frantically stuffed various pills into Su Lin's mouth, nearly choking him to death.

"Everyone, move aside."

Mu Qingxue's cold voice rang out.

She pushed everyone aside, walked behind Su Lin, and pressed both palms against his back.

A stream of extremely pure yet incredibly gentle ice spiritual Qi slowly flowed into Su Lin's body, calming his restless Qi and blood.

"Revered Master needs rest now."

She looked at the other three with a stern gaze.

"If you don't want Revered Master's injuries to worsen, then shut up."

Su Lin swallowed the mess of Medicinal Pills in his mouth, feeling the coolness from behind and the anxious, concerned gazes around him.

That moment of dizziness finally surged up.

He was indeed tired.

Fusing three extreme Laws and enduring a strike from the Tribulation Transcendence Stage was still too much of a strain for his current self.

His body swayed.

"Revered Master!"

Four cries of alarm rang out simultaneously.

The next second.

He felt himself being lifted up.

On the left was Su Hongling's solid shoulder, and on the right was Luo Ximei's soft embrace.

And below, Chu Weiwei was supporting his feet in an almost reverent posture, fearing he might touch even a speck of dust.

Behind him, Mu Qingxue's ice spiritual Qi followed like a shadow, maintaining the most comfortable temperature for him at all times.

"Back to the room."

Su Hongling barked softly. This time she didn't dare use the sack-carrying posture; instead, she bent down extremely carefully, letting Su Lin lean on her back, which wasn't broad but provided enough security.

"Old Man, hold on tight. I won't jolt you this time."

Like stars surrounding the moon, the group escorted Su Lin back to the temporary palace that had just been built, still smelling of fresh wood (as well as cold air, Devilish Qi, and the scent of medicine)... Su Lin slept very deeply this time.

There were no nightmares, no annoying eye of the Heavenly Dao, only a comfort like being soaked in warm water.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Su Lin slowly opened his eyes.

What met his sight was an unfamiliar bed curtain.

Pale golden tassels hung down, each with a Soul-Soothing Pearl the size of a pinky finger attached, emitting a soft glow.

Beneath him was an incredibly soft Cloud-Fleece Quilt, and the air was filled with a pleasant incense—not too sweet nor too heavy, just enough to soothe tense nerves.

"Awake?"

A clear, cold voice came from the side.

Su Lin turned his head.

He saw Mu Qingxue sitting on an ice stool by the bed, holding a scroll in one hand, while her other hand rested lightly on Su Lin's wrist, monitoring his pulse at all times.

Seeing Su Lin wake up, she put down the book. In those pale blue eyes, there was less of the usual coldness and more of a relieved, soft light.

"You slept for three days."

she said softly, pouring a cup of warm water and handing it to Su Lin's lips.

"The water temperature is just right. Moisten your throat."

Su Lin took a sip from her hand, feeling his dry throat instantly much more comfortable.

He looked around, somewhat surprised.

"Where are the others?"

Given the nature of those three rebellious disciple, it would be a wonder if they didn't tear the roof off during the three days he was unconscious. How could it be so quiet?

"They are being punished."

Mu Qingxue said indifferently, her lips curling into a very faint arc of schadenfreude.

"Punished?" Su Lin was stunned.

"Second Senior Sister had her mouth frozen by me because she wanted to feed you meat she had chewed up; she is now standing outside the hall holding a giant sword as punishment."

"Fifth Senior Sister was given Soft-Tendon Powder by Third Senior Sister because she wanted to... do something improper while you were unconscious; she is now hanging from a beam reflecting on her life."

"As for Third Senior Sister..."

Mu Qingxue paused, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.

"She wanted to draw your blood to make a specimen, but I caught her.

"Now she is being dragged away by Sixth Senior Sister to settle accounts. I heard she previously misappropriated thirty percent of the Sect's public funds to buy poisonous herbs."

Su Lin: "..."

This was indeed very much in line with their style.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Su Lin looked at his slightly more normal Seventh Disciple before him, and a warm current welled up in his heart.

"It's not hard."

Mu Qingxue shook her head. She reached out and gently tucked in the corners of Su Lin's quilt, her movements so soft she didn't seem like a Mahayana Stage Cultivator who had just frozen thousands of people.

"As long as I can look at Revered Master, I don't feel tired."

She lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice becoming very low and soft.

"Revered Master... is truly amazing."

"That Heavenly Dao... was very strong. At that time... I was really scared."

"Scared I would die?" Su Lin smiled.

"No."

Mu Qingxue looked up, staring directly into Su Lin's eyes, an alarming stubbornness hidden deep within them.

"I was afraid if you died... I would no longer find a reason to live."

"If you died, I would freeze this world and stay by your side forever."

"Just like... a specimen."

The smile on Su Lin's face froze.

Just when he thought this girl was being a bit more normal, why did she start saying such terrifying things again?

"Cough, cough."

Su Lin gave a tactical cough, trying to change the subject.

"Um... I'm hungry."

Just as he finished speaking.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed open extremely violently.

"The Old Man is awake?!"

Su Hongling's signature loud voice came drifting in.

Although a thin layer of white frost still hung from her mouth, she was carrying a huge tray piled high with various meats, rushing in like a whirlwind.

"You're hungry, right! I knew you'd be hungry! Eat quickly! This is a tiger I just hunted in the back mountain; I even saved the tiger whip for you!"

Su Lin: "..."

Immediately after.

A black shadow swung down from the roof beam, landing soundlessly with an elegant posture.

Luo Ximei straightened her slightly messy collar, glared fiercely at Mu Qingxue with her heterochromatic eye, and then immediately put on a pitiful expression as she pounced toward Su Lin.

"Revered Master~ You must stand up for this Disciple!

Old Seven is bullying me! She took advantage of your sleep to monopolize you for three days! She wouldn't even let me touch you!"

She grabbed Su Lin's hand and rubbed it against her face.

"Feel it, your Disciple's face has even grown thin."

"Revered Master!!!"

The last one to rush in was Chu Weiwei.

Her hair was a mess, she was holding a bunch of bills in her hand, and her eyes were red, clearly tortured to the point of madness by Gu Qiuyue's terrifying accounting skills.

"Sixth Junior Sister is not human! She's a devil!"

"She said I misused public funds! She made me settle the accounts! How would I know how to do that?! She forced me to learn arithmetic for a whole day!"

"Making you learn that is for your own good! To keep you from being simple-minded."

"So what!! As long as I can fight, it's fine!!"