Chapter 165: Sect Master Zhang Should Be on Her Way

Chapter 165: Sect Master Zhang Should Be on Her Way

The sensation of Zhang Mo's golden core being attacked and crushed was like being pressed under a millstone, grinding her down.

Zhang Mo let out a miserable scream.

The sound pierced through the sky full of flames, reaching the ears of the surrounding cultivators.

"That scream doesn't sound like a man's voice. Could it be that Zhang Mo has been severely injured?"

"It doesn't seem possible. Zhang Mo burned her lotus platform to enhance the power of her golden core. How could she fail?"

"This is strange. Let's keep watching..."

The cultivators exchanged puzzled glances.

Zhang Mo had burned her lotus platform and severed her own foundation in a desperate fight. There was no way she could still lose.

At least in this attack, Zhang Mo should have the upper hand.

"Ah!"

Another scream echoed.

The cultivators felt their ears tremble. The scream was agonizing, as if someone had been thrown into a millstone.

Within the flames.

Zhang Mo spat out blood repeatedly.

She couldn't believe that even after burning her lotus platform, doubling the power of her golden core, she was still utterly suppressed by Shen Mo!

"Sect Master Zhang, it's time for you to depart," Shen Mo said calmly as he gazed at her.

He extended his hand and then clenched it forcefully!

The forty-five pieces of the shattered core gathered their strength and compressed.

With a cracking sound.

Zhang Mo's golden core shattered like an eggshell!

"Ugh!"

Blood spurted out of Zhang Mo's mouth. Her essence, energy, and spirit seemed to drain away in an instant.

The golden core and a cultivator are intimately connected. The moment the core shatters, the cultivator's life burns out like an extinguished lamp.

Boom!

The flames in the sky retracted.

Zhang Mo's body plummeted from mid-air like a ragdoll.

She hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Next to her, fragments of the golden core fell like hailstones, embedding themselves into the earth.

Shen Mo descended slowly, his expression indifferent.

The entire scene was dead silent.

Moments later, an eruption of shouting filled the air.

"Zhang Mo lost?"

"Her golden core shattered?"

"Shen Mo is unharmed and won?!"

"Zhang Mo is one of the five sect masters of Xuanyang River! A peak Golden Core cultivator! How could she lose to a junior like Shen Mo?!"

"No way, am I seeing things? Is this a dream? Pinch me!"

"Why pinch me? Pinch yourself!"

The voices of the cultivators around Tiger Head Mountain rumbled like thunder.

Nangong Yun widened her beautiful eyes, staring at the scene, her expression overwhelmed.

Since birth, she had never witnessed such a heart-stirring event. Even on the day she took over as the Verdant Vine Sect Master, she hadn't felt this excited.

"Master, did you see that? I have a good disciple, and you have an excellent grand-disciple!"

She looked up at the sky, weeping with joy.

Behind her, the Verdant Vine Sect cultivators cheered in unison.

Zhao Ting, Zhao Rou, Luo Shengnan, and others wished they could leap into the air.

Liu Yuanfeng and Liu Yunxuan's faces, however, were ashen.

Xiao Fan's expression was now complicated and unreadable.

In the past, he hated Shen Mo, envied Shen Mo, and was jealous of him.

But now, aside from those feelings, there was only fear.

Intense fear!

With Shen Mo's current power, if he wished to kill him, he would surely die!

"I must... I must join the Divine Sword Sect as soon as possible. I can no longer stay in the Verdant Vine Sect."

"Shen Mo... he's terrifying..."

Unlike the jubilant Verdant Vine Sect, the cultivators of Heavenly Water Sect cried out in sorrow.

Bai Ziyue was seething with hatred, wishing he could rush forward and kill Shen Mo.

"Zhang Mo is not dead. Neither Heavenly Water Sect nor Verdant Vine Sect shall interfere in the battle," declared the Verdant Vine Sect Master Mo Hanshan in a loud voice.

"Master Mo is right!"

"We agree!"

*Liu Menghu and the other sect masters suddenly spoke up in agreement.*

Bai Ziyue's heart was filled with immense anger and fear.

But he could only stand in place, not daring to step forward.

Shen Mo walked leisurely, almost casually, to Zhang Mo's side.

By this time, Zhang Mo was already on her last breath.

With her golden core shattered, her essence, energy, and spirit had long been drained.

Now, Zhang Mo had, at most, the cultivation level of the Qi Condensation stage.

Any slightly stronger Qi Condensation cultivator could easily kill her.

But even so, Zhang Mo's eyes were still filled with hatred.

Her gaze, as venomous as a viper's, was fixed on Shen Mo.

If looks could kill, she would have murdered Shen Mo ten thousand times over.

Shen Mo flicked his fingers, releasing a strand of spiritual power.

Pfft.

The spiritual power pierced through her body, directly penetrating Zhang Mo's forehead.

Zhang Mo finally fell backward.

Blood trickled from the back of her head, gradually staining the earth beneath her.

"Zhang Mo is dead!"

"In the life-and-death duel, Qingxuan Sect has won two rounds!"

"According to the customary ancient laws of Xuanjing Prefecture, Heavenly Water Sect should merge into Qingxuan Sect!"

Shen Mo glanced around the crowd, his spiritual power resonating as he spoke loudly.

Murong Yue took a deep breath and followed up with a shout, "Qingxuan Sect, we've won!"

"Victory! Victory!"

The cultivators of Qingxuan Sect shouted loudly, ecstatic beyond words.

Many other cultivators also cheered for the Qingxuan Sect.

They had witnessed the underdog triumphing over the strong, an unexpected drama, and naturally, they supported the Qingxuan Sect.

The cheers and applause erupted like rolling thunder, echoing unceasingly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several figures swiftly descended on the mountaintop.

Mo Hanshan beamed with a smile, "Young Master Shen's strength is astounding; he is truly a model for the younger generation. I admire you greatly!"

"Sect Master Murong, to have taught such a disciple, you truly are my role model!"

Murong Yue grinned from ear to ear, "Master Mo, you flatter me."

"Zhang Mo has fallen, and Heavenly Water Sect has been defeated by Qingxuan Sect. In fact, they have lost their place among the Five Sects of Xuanjing River. I believe that Qingxuan Sect should rejoin the Five Sects. What do you all think?"

Another deep voice rang out as a burly man with a tiger-like build walked over, laughing heartily.

Murong Yue smiled and cupped her hands toward him, "I didn't expect Sect Master Wang to come as well. It has been a long time."

The man laughed heartily, "I should be the one saying that! Sect Master Murong, it has been a long time. You are as radiant as ever!"

This man was Wang Tianzhan, the Sect Master of Rising Sun Sect. He had not appeared earlier and had likely been watching from afar.

Now that the battle had concluded, he immediately showed himself.

"Young Master Shen, your strength is unparalleled," Wang Tianzhan said as he walked over, dragging along Hong Chilong. "Chilong, you must learn from Shen Mo in the future!"

Hong Chilong chuckled, "Don't worry, Master. Shen Mo and I have long been friends."

Shen Mo also smiled, "Long time no see."

"Indeed, Qingxuan Sect has defeated Heavenly Water Sect. By the rules, they should reclaim their place among the Five Sects of Xuanjing River. However, the matter of Heavenly Water Sect merging into Qingxuan Sect must be carefully discussed."

"After all, many cultivators from Heavenly Water Sect probably harbor resentment toward Qingxuan Sect. If Sect Master Murong doesn't handle this properly, it might lead to chaos, which is not what we hope for. Nor, I believe, is it something Sect Master Murong wishes to see."

Another voice spoke.

A tall, thin figure approached swiftly, bowing from a distance toward Murong Yue.

Shen Mo glanced at the man. The person beside him was Wan Renjie, which made his identity obvious—Zhao Liepeng, the Sect Master of Thunderfire Sect.

Zhao Liepeng's words were subtle. On the surface, he spoke of the difficulties Qingxuan Sect would face in absorbing Heavenly Water Sect.

In reality, he was implying that Qingxuan Sect couldn't devour the entire Heavenly Water Sect.

Moreover, if Qingxuan Sect insisted on monopolizing, it would certainly provoke the dissatisfaction of other sects.

Blending into the dust, sharing the cake—that was the best way.

Shen Mo smiled faintly, "Sect Master Zhao is correct. Heavenly Water Sect's properties are too vast for my Qingxuan Sect to absorb entirely. How to proceed should be decided upon by the Five Sects of Xuanjing River."

Upon hearing this, Mo Hanshan, Wang Tianzhan, and Zhao Liepeng all revealed satisfied smiles.

Shen Mo remained expressionless.

He knew that Qingxuan Sect alone could not swallow up all of Heavenly Water Sect's territory.

His temporary concession was merely to throw a piece of meat out for them to fight over, consuming their strength.

Who the territory temporarily belonged to did not matter.

Shen Mo believed he would have the last laugh.

"For Qingxuan Sect to become part of the Five Sects of Xuanjing River, thorough assessment is required. In the meantime, I suggest reducing the Five Sects to Four for now."

"Moreover, our Divine Sword Sect has always had close ties with Heavenly Water Sect, so we should offer them some protection. Therefore, the territories of Heavenly Water City, Tang'an City, and Huangyu City, along with the surrounding regions, should be handed over to us for safeguarding."

At this moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

🌟 Unlock Exclusive Early Access on Patreon! 🌟

Hello, beloved readers!

Join my Patreon community to enjoy:

📚 Daily Updates: Never wait for new chapters—get your story fix every day!

📖 20 Chapters Ahead: Access new chapters far in advance of Scribblehub/RoyalRoad/Webnovel releases.

Support the creation of the stories you love and dive deeper into my world!

Patreon.com/Alex_Cruise