As the scene at the center of the altar unfolded before everyone's eyes, all felt as if they were about to suffocate.
Wu Tian had not sustained any injuries. In contrast, Master Yuan Deng lay several meters away from Wu Tian.
His kasaya was tattered, and he barely showed any signs of life, appearing almost like a dead man.
The outcome of this confrontation was already evident.
Even though Master Yuan Deng had employed a technique like the Tathagata Divine Palm, he was still no match for Wu Tian!
"Abbot!"
The Shaolin disciples were the first to regain their senses and rushed towards Master Yuan Deng.
After examining him, they were so terrified that they collapsed onto the ground.
"You actually killed our Abbot!"
The Shaolin disciples roared at Wu Tian in anger, "Shaolin and you are irreconcilable enemies!"
Following the Shaolin disciples' shouts, everyone felt a buzzing in their heads.
What? Wu Tian had killed the Abbot of Shaolin?!
This was no small matter. If word got out, it would surely shake the martial world!
Facing the Shaolin disciples' fury, Wu Tian calmly stated, "There's no need to be so agitated. I never kill people. Your Abbot is not dead yet."
"I am a doctor, and I can save him."
With that, Wu Tian walked towards Master Yuan Deng.
The Shaolin disciples quickly blocked his path, their eyes bloodshot as they roared, "What else do you want to do!"
"I'm telling you, don't come any closer!"
"From today onwards, you are the mortal enemy of our Shaolin!"
"No matter the cost, Shaolin will eliminate you, this demon!"
Wu Tian looked at him coldly, his tone devoid of warmth, "I said, move aside."
Instantly, an icy chill pierced the hearts of the Shaolin disciples.
Although they were furious, under Wu Tian's intimidating presence, they faltered and involuntarily parted, creating a path.
Wu Tian walked over, crouched down, and placed his palm on Master Yuan Deng's chest.
Silently, spiritual energy flowed into Master Yuan Deng's body.
A moment later, Master Yuan Deng opened his eyes.
Wu Tian said to him,
"Master Yuan Deng, you truly are a venerable monk. An ordinary person would need days to recover, but you are completely fine now."
To everyone's astonishment, Master Yuan Deng stood up.
Initially, he seemed confused, but he quickly understood what had happened and clasped his hands together towards Wu Tian, saying,
"The skills of the benefactor have surpassed what this humble monk can comprehend. Our Shaolin willingly admits defeat."
The Shaolin disciples, who had been utterly enraged moments before, were now completely dumbfounded.
What was going on? Master Yuan Deng had clearly shown no signs of life earlier!
But now he was as good as new?
Upon hearing Master Yuan Deng's words, Wu Tian smiled and replied, "It is my honor to have sparred with Master Yuan Deng today."
"Master Yuan Deng's martial arts are peerless. In this martial world, Shaolin remains the foremost sect."
Wu Tian's words were not mere politeness. If confined to the realm of martial artists, Master Yuan Deng's skills had indeed reached the pinnacle.
Master Yuan Deng shook his head in shame and said, "It is the benefactor who has taught me the lesson that there is always someone better, and there are always greater heights to reach."
"From this day forward, Shaolin will not set foot on Bright Peak again."
"We withdraw from this demon-slaying operation. We bid you farewell."
With that, Master Yuan Deng did not linger any longer and led his disciples away from Bright Peak.
Watching their retreating figures, the remaining five major sects were stunned.
With Shaolin, the leader of the alliance, having departed, what meaning did their temporary alliance hold?
Then, Wu Tian turned to Daoist Chongxu and said, "Daoist Chongxu, now of the six major sects, only your Wudang remains."
"If Daoist Chongxu still wishes to spar with me, I welcome it at any time."
Daoist Chongxu was slightly taken aback, then he shook his head with a wry smile and said, "What are you saying?"
"Even Master Yuan Deng was defeated by you, so what moves could I possibly have against you?"
"You are like Zhang Jiaozhu from a hundred years ago, defeating our six major sects single-handedly. I willingly admire you."
"From this day forward, Wudang will have no further grievances with the Demon... Bright Cult. This century-old entanglement should finally come to an end."
"As things stand, we will not linger any longer. Farewell for now."
With that, Daoist Chongxu also led the Wudang disciples away from Bright Peak.
The remaining sects were Emei, Kunlun, Huashan, and Kongtong.
Although these sects were part of the six major sects, they were still far inferior to Shaolin and Wudang in terms of influence.
Therefore, once Shaolin and Wudang left, they were left without a leader.
Furthermore, their respective sect leaders had all been defeated by Wu Tian. Thus, under duress, they could only choose to depart.
This demon-slaying operation had been decided a year ago and meticulously planned for three months, proceeding with great fanfare and momentum.
However, due to Wu Tian's appearance, everything concluded abruptly.
Henceforth, the enmity between the six major sects and the Bright Cult finally came to a close.
After seeing off the six major sects, Wu Tian turned to the people of the Bright Cult and noticed their strange gazes.
It was a look filled with fervent adoration, the same look the Bright Cult had shown towards Zhang Wuji a hundred years ago.
This made Wu Tian feel somewhat awkward.
He scratched his head and said, "Why are you all looking at me like that? It's making me feel a bit... uncomfortable."
Wang Sheng led the way, cupping his fists towards Wu Tian and respectfully saying, "For the great calamity that befell the Bright Cult, we are fortunate to have Cult Master Wu's intervention!"
"Cult Master Wang Sheng, along with all disciples, expresses his most sincere gratitude to Cult Master Wu!"
Soon, other disciples of the Bright Cult also thanked Wu Tian one after another.
Such a grand scene made Wu Tian even more awkward.
He quickly said, "You are too kind, too kind. I was also here for a test, so we all got what we needed."
"Now that the crisis has been resolved, Cult Master Wang, as agreed, you should give me the pass token, right?"
Wang Sheng replied, "Cult Master Wu, rest assured. You have shown us such great kindness. Let alone a pass token, even if you asked for my life, I would never utter a single word of refusal!"
Wu Tian quickly waved his hand, saying, "No need, no need. Since that's the case, let's not sit around here any longer. It's best to go back and recuperate."
Wang Sheng nodded and led his followers back into the sect.
As Wu Tian followed, he found Wang Yan waiting for him, so he walked up and smiled, saying,
"How was it? Did my performance today meet your expectations?"