Boom!
A dull roar reverberated between heaven and earth. The monstrous dust stirred up by this blow engulfed the entire Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect.
"It's over."
Mu Xuankong snorted coldly, about to admire the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect reduced to ruins. But when the dust settled, what appeared was still standing, the Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array!
"Who says it's over?"
A stern voice echoed from within the sect. Although the Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array was now riddled with cracks, it had not yet been breached. Everything within the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect remained as it was, not a single person injured!
"Sect Master Gu!"
Yu Wenya and Lan Zhaoyue were shocked and looked towards Gu Chen not far away.
He stood in the air, his face as pale as paper, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth. It was clear that he, as the main array controller, had suffered a severe backlash.
"Are you alright?"
Yu Wenya quickly stepped forward and asked with concern.
She knew the consequences of the sect master forcefully activating the Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array, as she had provided the formation. It was no different from suicide.
Gu Chen waved his hand and grinned, "Don't worry, I'm not dead yet!"
Yu Wenya frowned. "Sect Master Gu, you can't keep this up any longer, otherwise..."
Before she could finish, Gu Chen interrupted her.
"At worst, I'll die. What's there to be afraid of!"
Gu Chen looked down at the terrified members of the Heavenly Sect and took a deep breath.
"As long as I am alive, I will not allow anyone to harm my disciples. Even if facing an opponent with no chance of winning, I will die before them!"
These resolute words echoed throughout the sect, silencing Yu Wenya, Lan Zhaoyue, and their group.
Gu Chen smiled at them. "When you truly wield the Immortal Palace, you will understand all of this."
At this moment, Mu Xuankong from afar snorted coldly.
"What a touching scene. Unfortunately, everything you pride yourself on, this seat can destroy with a wave of my hand!"
"Ant, die!"
Mu Xuankong shouted coldly and slashed out again with his hand. The destructive attack descended once more.
The cracked Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array, under this blow, was like thin paper, easily torn apart.
Seeing this, Gu Chen looked down and shouted,
"Disciples of the Heavenly Sect, assist me with all your might!"
Perhaps it was Gu Chen's words earlier. As soon as he spoke, the cultivators of the Heavenly Sect who had been fleeing in terror stopped in their tracks.
Looking at their sect master in the air, desperately protecting them, their eyes were filled with fervor.
Then, streams of true qi rose from the ground and merged into the tattered Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array. Countless streams flowed into the formation, and it began to repair itself at a visible speed.
At this instant, Mu Xuankong's strike landed again, and a world-shattering sound ensued.
This time, everyone saw clearly. The Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array and Mu Xuankong's blade light were tearing and resisting each other. This time, it did not completely fall into a disadvantage.
At this moment, the entire sect was channeling power into the formation. Gu Chen, enduring the swelling pain that threatened to burst his body, looked at Mu Xuankong with a mocking smile.
"You call yourself the Lord of the Immortal Palace? Weren't you boasting fiercely just now? Is this all the power you have?"
These taunting words enraged Mu Xuankong, who had been playing with his prey.
"You are seeking death!"
Mu Xuankong's eyes were filled with killing intent, and he directly increased his power output.
Gu Chen's pressure suddenly increased, but he still stood firm, allowing small bloodstains to appear all over his body due to the backlash, refusing to yield even an inch.
At this moment, even Yu Wenya, Lan Zhaoyue, and the other Immortal Palace cultivators were giving their all, channeling their power into the formation for Gu Chen to use!
Gu Chen, ignoring the pain in his body, looked at Mu Xuankong with disdain.
"Even if you're angry, it's still pathetic. If you have the ability, crush me! Look at you, you don't even have the strength to bully someone? Did you not eat lunch?"
Although his strength was inferior, at least in terms of words, he had to thoroughly disgust the opponent.
Mu Xuankong was clearly disgusted. He had intended to toy with an ant, but instead, he had suffered repeated setbacks and was constantly ridiculed. He was now completely enraged.
His eyes were filled with killing intent as he glared at Gu Chen and said sternly.
"Since you insist on seeking death, this palace will grant your wish. I will end you and your ant-like Heavenly Sect with a single blow!"
At this moment, only rage remained in his mind, and he held nothing back.
An oppressive aura erupted from him, and boundless dark mist surged out of nowhere, all converging towards the blade in his hand.
Even on this blade, one could sense the supreme intent of the blade, a strike that had condensed a super-tier blade intent.
"Xuan Ming Slash!"
Mu Xuankong roared. The sharp super-tier blade intent and the boundless dark mist merged into a blade light that cleaved the sky, sweeping towards the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect.
"Break for me!"
Mu Xuankong unleashed his full power with a single slash. The pressure contained within the blade was such that even cultivators in the Dao Cultivation Realm would have to avoid it.
But Gu Chen, facing this attack, could only clash head-on. Yet, he maintained an arrogant and unrestrained expression.
At this moment, he disregarded everything and devoured the power of all the Heavenly Sect disciples. Even though countless bloodstains on his body were bleeding profusely due to the intense backlash, he continued to devour power as if nothing had happened.
Even his own body began to ignite with crimson-gold flames.
"Sect Master Gu, no!"
Yu Wenya's face changed drastically. Even with her composure, she couldn't help but cry out.
This golden flame signified the burning of life force. If he sustained this output, even if he didn't die, he would be close.
However, Gu Chen could no longer hear her cries. He was truly giving his all. The true qi fluctuations soared from the first level of the Life and Death Realm to the sixth level, at the cost of his life force burning frantically.
Within the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect, all the cultivators channeling true qi were also under immense pressure.
The Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array glowed with an extreme golden light. At this very moment, the Xuan Ming Slash, containing a terrifying might, descended.
Boom!!!
With this strike, the entire earth trembled violently.
Mu Xuankong looked at the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect submerged in the savage power, a cruel smile on his face.
"I don't believe I can't destroy you!"
He had used his true strength in this blow. Few in the world could withstand this slash, let alone the mere Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect!
The violent explosions continued incessantly as the Xuan Ming Slash furiously unleashed its supreme power onto the formation.
As the main controller of the formation, Gu Chen endured unimaginable backlash under this blow, his entire body nearly reduced to a bloody mess.
At this moment, he felt as if his flesh and blood were about to be torn apart. But Gu Chen still stood in mid-air. He looked at Mu Xuankong in the distance, his eyes bloodshot, and roared with a grin.
"Who said it was destroyed? My Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect still stands here!"
When the power of the Xuan Ming Slash was fully expended, the Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array was still holding its ground. Although it was covered in cracks, reaching the point of shattering at a touch, it had indeed remained above the Heavenly Sect!
This scene deeply shocked the cultivators of the Feather Falling Immortal Palace and the Linglong Immortal Palace within the sect. They never expected them to fight to this extent.
Even the cultivators of the Xuan Ming Immortal Palace, who were guarding from afar, were awestruck by Gu Chen's voice.
Although they were enemies, they had to admit that Gu Chen was a respectable adversary. With such a leader, how could a force not develop?
Unfortunately, it was truly a pity. His opponent was the most powerful force on the continent, and there would be no future for him.
Mu Xuankong's mouth twitched. He felt utterly humiliated. He immediately shouted coldly.
"It's just the desperate struggle of an ant. Do you really think you've blocked a few of my blows and it's over?"
He had lost all patience with the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect. His expression twisted as he roared.
"All of you, go to hell!"
As his words fell, he charged forward, unleashing three more slashes.
"I don't believe you can still block it!"
The first slash shattered the Hunyuan Mountain Protection Array without any suspense!
The formation was forcibly shattered. Gu Chen, who was already at his limit, suffered an even more violent backlash, and his body plummeted without suspense.
"Sect Master!"
The other cultivators maintaining the formation turned pale with shock and cried out in alarm. But they had already exhausted their true qi and collapsed on the ground.
In fact, they had no time to worry about Gu Chen. In the sky, the remaining two slashes from Mu Xuankong were already upon them.
Each slash contained enough power to ensure no living creature remained above the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect.