The hall erupted in commotion.

This young Daoist who had suddenly broken in was actually a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect. And his purpose was to apprehend today's main character: the soon-to-be ennobled governor of Jiang'an Prefecture, Gan Xingba!

Slowly turning around, Gan Xingba fixed his gaze on this sect brother who claimed to be there to capture him and stepped forward, raising his hand, "I am Gan Xingba. May I know which uncle's disciple you are, and what crime have I committed to be taken back to the sect?"

"Aren't you aware of the mistake you've made?"

Moving forward unhurriedly, Qi Xiu looked directly into Gan Xingba's eyes and said, each word landing with emphasis, "As a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect, you became an official without permission, indulging in the mundane world, blinded by lust! Ignoring the cultivation your sect and Master have given you! Gan Xingba! You've lost your mind!"

With a fierce shout, like thunder from a clear sky, the boom of his thunderous voice shook everything. The guests observing the ceremony all turned pale, nearly collapsing to the ground, frightened by the reverberating thunder.

The thunderous scolding from Qi Xiu brought a moment of clarity to Gan Xingba's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

"How dare you! I am the favored direct disciple of Daoist Yunxiong, a Dao Expert of the Shenxiao Sect. What gives you the right to scold me?!"

Gan Xingba's eyes reflected flashes of Lei Mang, his aura surged around him, his long hair danced wildly, his robes fluttering intensely. Dark and heavy clouds instantly materialized above his head. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, their tumultuous sounds intertwining.

"You even dare to mention Master's name. Gan Xingba, it was Master who sent me to capture you!"

He took a fierce step forward! Qi Xiu's inner Thunder Path aura burst forth, no less intense than Gan Xingba's! Similarly heavy, dark thunderclouds accumulated overhead, Lei Mang and electric light darting around like giant dragons roaming the Sky Dome, unleashing an earth-shaking and terrifying presence.

CRACK! BOOM!

CRACK! BOOM!

Neither willing to relent, they faced off fiercely! Countless electric snakes collided and exploded in the air. The entire governor's mansion was now enveloped beneath those dark thunderclouds, with bolts of lightning palpably looming overhead, ready to strike.

The observing guests inside the mansion were all silent and pale, terrified of being struck by the thunder above.

Such is the terror of a Thunder Path cultivator!

At that moment, no one doubted the young Daoist's identity as a Shenxiao Sect disciple any longer. Because only a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect could wield Thunder Magic so profoundly and commandingly.

"You... you said Master..." Gan Xingba stammered, his face etched with disbelief. "Impossible! I am Master's youngest disciple. Who are you? Do you know the crime of impersonating a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect?!"

Facing Gan Xingba's interrogation, Qi Xiu said with a cold stare, his brows furrowed, "Blinded by lust! To think you'd utter such foolish words despite your years of Dao cultivation and practicing the Dharma. Gan Xingba, if you surrender and follow me back, everything will be subject to Master's judgment. But if you remain obstinately deluded, Master also said that if I can't bring you back alive, I am to beat you to death!"

"Arrogant!" Under the watchful eyes of everyone, and at his own ennoblement ceremony, Gan Xingba was publicly humiliated and rebuked. He was now completely infuriated. With a loud cry, he was about to strike.

"My Lord!" Just then, Nian Yiyi, who had suddenly run out from behind, timely stopped the impetuous Gan Xingba. She bowed to Qi Xiu, saying, "I am Nian Yiyi. Esteemed Junior Brother, today is a great day for my husband. Could you perhaps..."

"Shut up!" Qi Xiu interrupted Nian Yiyi's words with an icy voice, looking down at her. He saw in this woman a wisp of energy similar to that of the nefarious infant. "What do you think you are, to dare call me Junior Brother? Seductive temptress! It must have been you who devised ways to confound my Senior Brother's mind. You've come at the right time; I shall bring you both back to the Mountain Gate for Master to decide your fates."

"You dare!" As if his most sensitive spot had been touched, Gan Xingba completely lost control of his emotions. He suddenly transformed into a terrifying bolt of Lei Mang, roaring forward like an enraged dragon!

"Run!" Someone cried out, and at that instant, everyone inside the mansion scattered like startled birds and beasts, scrambling to flee the premises.

Two Thunder Path cultivators in combat! Even a dimwit would know to run fast. Otherwise, if the Heavenly Thunder struck indiscriminately, being killed would just be terrible luck.

In the blink of an eye, not a single soul remained in the entire governor's mansion.

Nian Yiyi, her eyes filled with a conflicted expression as she watched Gan Xingba charge out, clenched her fists, then quickly turned and ran towards the back courtyard.

HUM—

The Body-Protecting True Gang manifested, like a reef in the midst of the ocean, unmoved even as torrential Lei Mang swept over.

"Three-layered Thunder Decree: Gengjin Heavenly Thunder!" With eyes filled with dazzling, active Lei Mang, Gan Xingba raised his hands high. Clouds churned above his head, and thick bolts of Golden Thunder roared down, ruthlessly charging towards Qi Xiu.

"Five Thunder Orthodox Skill?" Qi Xiu remarked calmly, looking up at the descending lightning. "Judging by this stance—upright, commanding, grand, and dignified—it must be Gengjin Heavenly Thunder?"

"So what if it is!" With his long hair flying and a commanding presence, Gan Xingba stood enwrapped in lightning, resembling a divine Thunder God descended to suppress all directions.

"Then you're in trouble." Qi Xiu's eyes, too, sparked with Lei Mang as the dark clouds above him suddenly erupted in a deafening boom. He pointed a finger towards the sky. "Because I practice the Bing Fire Divine Thunder!"

BOOM—

The inky and heavy clouds above turned a visible, surging crimson from the center, interwoven with thunder and fire, illuminating the entire world! An endless sea of thunder-fire clouds instantly overwhelmed Gan Xingba's golden thunderclouds.

With a raise of his hand, a vermilion bolt of Lei Mang ripped through the void and soared skyward. It fiercely entwined itself around the falling Gengjin Heavenly Thunder. Bolts of lightning scattered, and crimson flames billowed tremendously, melting and eradicating the golden thunder light.

The Five Elements counter each other! Fire overcomes Metal!

The lightning was shattered, and its remaining force slammed into Gan Xingba without diminishing.

BANG!

Endless lightning hammered upon the Body-Protecting True Gang, but failed to shatter the azure, glass-like defense.

"Nine Heavens Shenxiao Imperial Lightning True Qigang?" Qi Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that the vermilion bolt of Lei Mang could not break through Gan Xingba's Body-Protecting True Gang.

Gan Xingba was one of only two direct disciples under Daoist Yunxiong. He cultivated the Shenxiao Sect's direct lineage core scripture, the "Nine Heavens Shenxiao Thunder Commanding Scripture." The True Gang formed by this scripture not only provided a unique advantage in wielding Thunder Magic but also boasted exceptional resistance to thunder itself.

Qi Xiu's Bing Fire Divine Thunder might naturally counter Gan Xingba's Gengjin Heavenly Thunder, but it could not cause much harm to Gan Xingba, who was protected by the Imperial Lightning True Qigang.

"Hahaha, you are not a direct disciple!" With a wave of his hand, quenching the surrounding thunder and fire, Gan Xingba looked fierce and unrestrained as he burst into laughter. "Fire can melt metal, but metal can also seal fire! Watch as I extinguish your little flame!"

Pushing his True Gang to its limit, Lei Mang danced at the corners of Gan Xingba's eyes, and his face abruptly filled with a raging, tyrannical intent. "Ninefold Thunder Decree: Gengjin Heavenly Thunder!"

CRACK! BOOM!

The thunderclouds overhead suddenly trembled violently as nine Heavenly Thunders burst forth like a raging torrent. Electric light danced in the air with CRACKLES and POPS! Most of Jiang'an Prefecture witnessed this world-shaking, terrifying Lei Mang.

Qi Xiu's gaze shifted slightly, and a snapping sound, like a breaking chain, suddenly came from within him. In the void, a golden chain formed of countless Talisman Scripts appeared; in an instant, it broke into several pieces, dissipating into specks of golden light.

BOOM—

The instant the golden chain shattered, a terrifyingly profound and abyss-like aura suddenly erupted from within Qi Xiu! Rising from the ground, it shot up into the sky. The earth around him instantly spiderwebbed with horrifying cracks. Violent shockwaves, like a category-ten gale, almost uprooted the entire governor's mansion.

Looking up at Gan Xingba with a smile, Qi Xiu rolled up his sleeves, his expression indifferent. "I was just playing with you, and you took it seriously."

"Eighteen-layered Thunder Decree: Bing Fire Divine Thunder!"

If I can't match you in quality, I'll overwhelm you in quantity!

BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Dark clouds billowed, and thunder-fire surged—a full eighteen dazzlingly brilliant thunder-fire electric serpents!

"What!" Gan Xingba exclaimed.

The cascading layers of thunderous fire, like a ten-thousand-foot-high tidal wave, instantly melted Gan Xingba's Ninefold Gengjin Heavenly Thunder, engulfing him with unstoppable force. The intertwined power of thunder and fire frantically wore down Gan Xingba's Body-Protecting True Gang.

Eighteen-layered Thunder Decree! Where did he get so much True Gang?! With a look of seething resentment, Gan Xingba felt a bitter sting. He had been hailed as a genius by his Master, Daoist Yunxiong, since youth, and his cultivation had always advanced triumphantly. He had never imagined that someone in the Dao-Entering Realm could possess Thunder Magic stronger than his own.

CRACK!

Clasping his hands together violently, Gan Xingba's eyes filled with extreme fury. A streak of golden light emerged from the center of his chest, extending and expanding along his skin, seemingly transforming his entire being into a Golden Man.

"Hm?" Sensing a change in Gan Xingba's aura, Qi Xiu's eyes flashed with purple light.

In his unique vision where black and white intertwined, Gan Xingba's appearance gradually transformed into a majestic, imposing Vajra, wielding Golden Thunder!

"Furious Thunder Diamond Skill?!" Qi Xiu instantly recognized the technique Gan Xingba was using. It was none other than Daoist Yunxiong's self-created Dharma Gate—the Divine Authority Furious Thunder Vajra Dharma Gate!

However, this Dharma Gate was a Divine Marvel Dharma Gate that could only be cultivated in the Blood-Stained Realm. Yet Gan Xingba, still in the Initiate Realm, was forcibly activating it.

"No wonder even Master said this Sixth Senior Brother was exceptionally talented. To be able to use a Blood-Stained Realm Dharma Gate while still in the Initiate Realm... Although it's a forced activation, incapable of unleashing its full power and certain to incur a severe backlash, it's still enough to prove his potential and insight! It's just a pity that such talent has gone astray."

Shaking his head lightly, Qi Xiu stomped his foot down hard. The ground within a hundred-meter radius suddenly sank. Shattering the void, he burst through layers of visible white shockwaves. Qi Xiu instantly appeared before Gan Xingba, looking at the Vajra-transformed opponent.

"Since you believe this Vajra Dharma Gate is your trump card to turn defeat into victory, then I shall take you down using the same kind of power, ensuring you admit defeat wholeheartedly!"

Before his words faded, Qi Xiu reached out his large hand. His body suddenly radiated endless colorful light, exuding an indestructible, imperishable, primordial charm of Primordial Unity. The ceaseless refinement of his body by the thirty-six Mixed Primordial Beads, day and night, had brought Qi Xiu's physique to an indescribable state. It even forced him to use the Suppression Talisman to seal a portion of his strength, lest he unintentionally cause damage to his surroundings.

His five fingers clasped onto Gan Xingba's Body-Protecting True Gang. Qi Xiu exerted slight force, and the protective True Gang suddenly emitted a strained, creaking sound as if overwhelmed. He was actually about to crush Gan Xingba's Body-Protecting True Gang with sheer physical strength!

"I'll ask you one last time: will you return with me or not!"

"Never!" Gan Xingba roared in fury, throwing a punch. Endless lightning accompanied it, as if to shatter the clear sky with a single blow.

"Obstinate Spirit!" Qi Xiu's expression turned completely stern as he, too, met the punch head-on!

CLANG—

One colorful and one golden fist collided heavily!

In an instant, the heavens shook and the earth trembled! An extremely concentrated and terrifying shockwave instantly enveloped both men!

...

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