Others would find it difficult to detect, but the two great Palms Shen Mo launched were not released simultaneously. Instead, they were sent out one after another, the interval between them minuscule. With twenty 'thoughts' making a 'flicker', and twenty 'flickers' making a 'snap', the interval was a mere few 'thoughts'.

"OM!"

"HUM!"

The phantoms of the Horned Flood Dragon and the Ghost Golden Sheep, two great Palms, shot instantly towards Tian Qisheng. The Horned Flood Dragon phantom flickered with lightning from the horns on its head. CRACK! A thick thunderbolt struck the sand dust swirling around Tian Qisheng.

This sand dust was also a magic artifact meticulously refined by the Spirit Sea Realm expert. Naturally, it wouldn't be damaged so easily. But under the ferocious might of the Horn Palm, it was still violently shaken.

A few 'thoughts' later, the Ghost Golden Sheep phantom arrived, smashing into the violently churning sand dust.

As an Elder of Bright Moon Peak, Tian Qisheng naturally recognized this as the signature magic of Zhou Shili, the Stars Peak Master: the Constellations Palm.

He had no time for astonishment! The moment he saw the two phantoms, he instinctively activated his Soul Defense Magic. The Horn Palm would be blocked by the sand dust magic artifact. The Soul Defense Magic was primarily to guard against the Ghost Palm. Although this Palm was not a Soul Curse, it carried a trace of power capable of paralyzing and imprisoning the soul. Countless demonic beasts, evil cultivators, Heavenly Demons, and others had been struck by Zhou Shili's Palm in the past, becoming paralyzed and subsequently perishing at his hands!

BUZZ!

The Ghost Golden Sheep passed through the relentlessly shaking sand dust, its remaining power bombarding Tian Qisheng. Had he been unprepared, he would have certainly fallen into a brief state of paralysis, allowing Shen Mo to seize the opportunity to heavily injure him. However, his extensive knowledge and rich combat experience had allowed him to prepare in advance. The peculiar power contained within the Ghost Palm was completely neutralized by his magic, and his soul was not paralyzed.

Yet, before he could even feel a moment's relief, a dazzling and terrifying Sword Light slashed out in the very next instant.

"Universal Starfall!"

From its name, one could tell this sword style was created by a senior who practiced the Universe Sword Guildbook, inspired by the phenomenon of falling stars. Besides the Sword Light being dazzling and immense, this style was also incredibly swift. Like a meteor streaking across the sky—by the time you see its light, the falling star is long gone, leaving only a fleeting afterimage. The Starfall Sword Qi was no different.

Tian Qisheng saw only a flash of Sword Light before the Sword Qi tore through the sand dust, arriving within three feet of his face.

A thought flashed through his mind: use a martial arts technique to deflect the Sword Qi. But just an instant before, he had cast the magic to defend his soul against the Ghost Palm's paralyzing effect. As his Mana surged, it reached the Chakra below his right abdomen, where he felt a slight, familiar sense of stagnation.

Normally, Tian Qisheng wouldn't have worried. A slight hitch while executing a cultivation method was usually inconsequential. But under Shen Mo's relentless assault, this minor snag immediately became a fatal weakness.

He had just raised the iron spear, infusing it with Mana, and was on the verge of unleashing its momentum. Just then, the Starfall Sword Qi struck.

CLANG!

The top-grade profound level long spear was instantly severed. The unabated Starfall Sword Qi slammed into Tian Qisheng with a sickening THWACK! The magic robe he wore flared with spirit light, absorbing sixty percent of the Sword Qi's power.

However, not everyone cultivated two exceedingly powerful external magics like Shen Mo. Nor could they, like Li Zhong of Stars Peak, endure the immense pain of cultivating the Heavenly Fire Body Refining Mantra to refine their bodies until they were comparable to top-grade profound level magic artifacts. Even though Tian Qisheng was a cultivator at the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, his vitality was far greater than that of Qi Gathering Realm cultivators, and he had also cultivated a decent external cultivation method to the Perfection Stage. His physical strength was fully comparable to that of a peak Class II demonic beast's body.

Yet now, he still couldn't withstand the remaining Starfall Sword Qi!

BOOM!

Tian Qisheng's body was instantly sent flying. He carved a long trench into the bluestone pavement. The buildings in his path collapsed one after another, as if a demonic beast had recklessly charged through them. The sand dust that had been swirling around him, now without its master's control, instantly coalesced into a small, round, earth-yellow ball. It clattered to the ground along with the severed halves of the iron spear.

"Universal River Opening!"

Shen Mo, fearing Elder Tian might still have some fight left in him, didn't hesitate in the slightest to unleash another piercing Sword Qi attack! Then, with a flick of his wide sleeves, The Big Dipper Array enveloped Tian Qisheng, who was coughing up blood.

If Tian Qisheng could still resist after all this, Shen Mo figured he might as well pack up and return to the Riverside Sect!

"Third Uncle!"

When The Big Dipper Array receded, Tian Hong and the others who had appeared at the mansion's entrance cried out in shock and concern. They had originally wanted to watch Tian Qisheng teach Shen Mo a harsh lesson. Who would have thought? Tian Qisheng, an expert at the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, had actually been defeated by Shen Mo, a mere Layer VI Qi Gathering Realm cultivator.

This sense of unreality... was even more potent than when Shen Mo had first taken the initiative to attack Tian Qisheng!

The other cultivators witnessing the battle—including Chen Mengze, who had appeared nearby a short while ago, and Xu Tong, Cultivator Zhang, and Qingfeng Master, who were drinking and conversing in a tall building—were all utterly dumbfounded. Disbelief! Shock! Astoundment! A torrent of emotions overwhelmed them.

A moment later, an uproar erupted.

"Master Shen... won?"

"How is this possible? How? How did he manage to strike Tian Qisheng? Senior Tian clearly could have used his spear techniques to deflect the Sword Qi earlier!"

"I have no idea, fellow daoist! But judging by Senior Tian's condition, it seems he was a fraction of a second too slow when casting his magic."

"Incredible! Regardless of how it happened, Master Shen defeating a Spirit Sea Realm expert while in the Qi Gathering Realm... if news of this feat spreads, I'm afraid the entire Red Flame Country will be shaken to its core!"

"Not necessarily... While rare, such spectacles of Qi Gathering Realm cultivators defeating Spirit Sea Realm experts do occur every few years!"

"You're likely referring to instances where a peak Qi Gathering Realm cultivator from a major immortal sect defeats a newly advanced Spirit Sea Realm rogue cultivator, or perhaps a cultivator from a minor sect. Can those instances truly compare to today's events?"

"Exactly! Precisely! Tian Qisheng is no rogue cultivator; like Master Shen, he hails from the Riverside Sect. Moreover, Master Shen is currently only at Layer VI of the Qi Gathering Realm."

"No wonder he dominated the Tianshan Mountain Grand Ceremony and broke the record set by Fairy Pei Yu for ascending the steps!"

"A prodigious talent seen only once in decades! Truly worthy of his reputation!"

Elder Xu Tong of the Gold Toad Tower, along with his fellow daoists, couldn't help but marvel. Although Tian Qisheng's defeat seemed peculiar, Shen Mo's strength was undeniably comparable to that of a cultivator at Layer I of the Spirit Sea Realm. If I were to face him, I probably couldn't withstand even a single one of his Sword Qi attacks!

It must be him! This Master Shen is the one the Sect Master intends to invite. His swordplay is godlike, and he defeated a Spirit Sea Realm expert. What an absolute monster of a talent!

Just as everyone was expressing their admiration, several Qi Gathering Realm cultivators from the Tian Family, including Tian Hong, rushed over to Tian Qisheng.

Seeing this, Shen Mo didn't hold back. He unleashed a River Opening Sword Qi, suppressing them all.

"Clan Leader Tian, what is your decision?"

"These 72,000 Spirit Stones... will you hand them over, or not?"

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