Chapter 992
, Crushing, Kneel!
"boom--"
A thunderclap boomed, the weather changed drastically, and lightning surged like a stampede of ten thousand horses, as if divine punishment had descended.
The thick fog in the mountains was suddenly disturbed and began to tremble violently. The Gu worms hidden in it were frightened and began to bump around wildly like headless flies.
"Is this... a heavenly tribulation?"
Mao Dongxing's face was full of shock. He actually sensed a trace of tribulation aura from the dark cloud in the sky. Everyone present was a Golden Core cultivator who had undergone the Lesser Heavenly Tribulation, so they were all too familiar with this aura.
Song Changsheng stood before Peng Siying, his robes fluttering in the wind. Behind him, the power of thunder surged faintly. The surrounding weeds scorched at a visible speed, eventually turning into ashes. The ground also began to crack, as if an invisible barrier of thunder had been erected.
The fog that spread out would evaporate upon contact, and the Gu worms inside would naturally perish as well. Although Peng Siying and Quan Chong could not detect the movement of the Gu worms in the thick fog, they could hear a constant crackling sound of burning.
"What a sophisticated Gu formation! You must be from the Gu Immortal Sect. I originally thought you were just a small remnant, but I didn't expect you to have such strength. Since you've delivered yourself to our doorstep today, it's the perfect opportunity to wipe you all out."
After saying that, Song Changsheng waved his sleeve, and hundreds of bolts of lightning crashed down from the dark clouds, tearing apart the thick fog that shrouded the Spirit Peak. A large number of the Gu worms that Zhang Chuqiu had painstakingly cultivated were annihilated, the Spirit Peak was turned into scorched earth, and several layers of the mountaintop were sheared off.
"puff"
With his prized Gu formation destroyed, Zhang Chuqiu's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Looking at the constantly crashing lightning, his eyes were filled with shock and confusion, as if his worldview was being reshaped.
This Gu formation used his best Gu worms and was designed to counter opponents like Song Changsheng. Even three or four Golden Core cultivators at the Great Perfection stage would find it difficult to break through. However, the opponent's seemingly casual attack easily broke through his Gu formation.
How is this possible? Could he be a Nascent Soul True Monarch? Does the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce have a Nascent Soul True Monarch overseeing it?
Not only him, but Mao Dongxing and the others were also deeply shocked by this attack. When the lightning struck, the sense of powerlessness that rose in their hearts was so clear.
At this moment, they realized how wrong they had been. Peng Siying dared to attend the meeting even though she knew they had set a trap, which clearly showed that she was fearless.
Although they had anticipated this and made numerous arrangements to ensure everything went smoothly, they could never have imagined that Peng Siying had such a formidable force behind her.
The Gu array he had painstakingly crafted over a month was destroyed before it could unleash its full power. Apart from Nascent Soul True Monarchs, he did not believe that any Golden Core cultivator could wield such power, not even Song Changsheng, who had won the Five Academies Grand Competition!
In the entire border region, apart from the Wanxiang Palace, there are no other Nascent Soul True Monarchs to be found. The Wanlong Chamber of Commerce has been dreaming of taking a step further all these years, but has never been able to achieve its goal.
Otherwise, Peng Zhengxiong would not have chosen to go into seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage under such circumstances.
Peng Siying, a pampered young lady, what makes her so special?
"It's not suitable to stay here for long."
Zhang Chuqiu's expression changed drastically. With a flick of his long robe, he transformed into tiny black particles that dissipated like wisps of smoke into the still-lingering thick fog.
"Disappeared?" Quan Chong frowned, his deep gaze searching the surroundings, but he couldn't find any trace or aura, as if it had vanished into thin air.
Mao Dongxing and his so-called "allies" were no better off; while they were still hesitating between fighting and fleeing, Zhang Chuqiu had already vanished.
"A clever trick, but unfortunately, a trick is just a trick and not a real art of transformation."
Song Changsheng remained calm and extended his hand. A shadow immediately enveloped everyone. A phantom hand covered the entire spiritual peak, with countless chains of pure law power hanging down from its palm, covering the sky and directly locking onto a certain point in the air.
Countless black particles were gathered in the air, eventually forming a figure that was firmly bound in the air. Looking at that figure, who else could it be but Zhang Chuqiu, who had escaped earlier?
"escape!"
Seeing this, Mao Dongxing and his men lost all will to fight and began to flee.
Since Song Changsheng intended to eliminate the hidden dangers for Peng Siying, how could he possibly let them have their way? In the blink of an eye, hundreds of triangular array flags lined up in a long dragon and appeared in various corners of Lingfeng in a few flashes. Their energy was connected to each other, eventually forming a large net that seemed to have countless holes but was actually airtight.
Mao Dongxing and the others were so shocked they saw stars.
In an instant, fear spread. The Golden Core cultivators who were high and mighty in the eyes of ordinary people were now powerless to resist Song Changsheng.
When fighting Yi Tianzheng, although he knew that his strength had improved significantly, he lacked a point of comparison. Only now did Song Changsheng truly understand what Yi Tianzheng meant by "crushing".
What is crushing? It means that no matter how many enemies there are, or how many schemes and tricks they have prepared, they are all like bubbles that burst at the slightest touch in front of him.
"Thinking about escaping now? Too late. This place will be your burial ground today!" Song Changsheng's eyes were piercing, and dazzling lightning surged behind him. Every word he spoke was like a heavy drumbeat, striking the hearts of everyone present.
"Boom!"
Song Changsheng flashed and appeared behind Mao Dongxing before anyone could react. With a flick of his finger, a fierce bolt of lightning burst forth from his fingertip, piercing Mao's heart like an arrow shot from a bow.
"puff"
Mao Dongxing's face turned red, then quickly lost all color, becoming as pale as snow. His breath became weak, and his face was filled with disbelief.
He had cultivated diligently for hundreds of years and could be considered a prominent figure in the entire border region. Otherwise, he would not have dared to covet the position of guild leader. But now, his heart had been pierced by a casual blow. Hundreds of years of hard work seemed like a joke at this moment. Could the gap between Golden Core and Nascent Soul have reached such a level?
If Song Changsheng knew what he was thinking, he would definitely tell him that the Nascent Soul True Monarch was far more terrifying than he imagined.
He could easily crush a Golden Core cultivator, but he was just as easily crushed when facing a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
The path to the Great Dao is a series of new heights, and the experience at the Nascent Soul stage is undoubtedly the most direct.
During the Qi Refining stage, reading about Nascent Soul True Monarchs in ancient books is like a frog at the bottom of a well looking at the moon. But when you work hard to cultivate and get closer and closer to this realm, it's like a mayfly seeing the blue sky.
The closer we get, the more we realize the gap between us.
Qi Refining cultivators may be able to kill Foundation Establishment cultivators, but cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage can only be crushed by Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and even those in the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage cannot.
At this moment, Song Changsheng could actually understand how Mao Dongxing and the others felt, just like he had felt when he faced Yi Tianzheng.
However, while Yi Tianzheng might show him mercy, he wouldn't be lenient with these people! "Fellow Daoists!"
Are you just going to watch this scoundrel run rampant? Don't forget, we're in this together when it comes to losing our heads. If I die, you won't escape with your lives either. This vicious woman won't let anyone go.
"If you want to live, come with me and fight for your life!"
The powerful vitality of a Golden Core cultivator was on full display at this moment. Even though he had lost his heart, the injury was not fatal to Mao Dongxing. Instead, he used words to unite others to attack together.
Everyone present understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," but Song Changsheng's strength was simply too great. Could they really defeat him by joining forces?
"Whether we stick our necks out or not, we'll get stabbed anyway. If we want to live, we have no choice but to fight them," Peng Huaming said emotionally.
Of everyone present, anyone could potentially survive, but he had absolutely no chance.
Peng Siying was absolutely right. What he was doing now was betraying his ancestors and committing an unforgivable crime. The most taboo thing for a family is to betray its own bloodline.
If he takes one step back, he will be plunged into an abyss where he will be reduced to nothingness. So he has no choice but to fight to the end!
After him, several other people stepped forward one after another. They all felt that there was no hope of survival and were prepared to fight to the death.
At this point, Shen Xingyi and Li Qinghe, the core members of their small alliance, began to hesitate.
Shen Xingyi was clearly aware of the difference in power. As a guest elder, he did not actually have a deep subordinate relationship with the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce.
Compared to the others, his culpability was relatively minor. Most of the time, he was only carrying out tasks such as monitoring Peng Siying, and he did not participate in many operations. In essence, he was just a hired thug.
In this situation, he could talk to Peng Siying and compromise in exchange for survival.
If we really follow Mao Dongxing and the others down this dark path, then we will be cutting off our own escape route.
Li Qinghe's hesitation was more realistic. He was just a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and his main practice was alchemy. In this situation, one more person wouldn't make a difference, and one less person wouldn't make a difference either.
He had poisoned more than a third of the elders in the Bandung Chamber of Commerce, which was his bargaining chip for survival and negotiation. Rather than fighting a hopeless war with these people, he might as well use his chips to gamble.
Xuan Chen and Yuan Fang from the Ancient God Pavilion and the Xuanling Sect also hesitated. They originally planned to take advantage of the internal strife in the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce to get involved and share the spoils, but now the situation has reversed and the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce has welcomed a powerful newcomer.
They may die, but the Xuanling Sect and the Ancient God Pavilion behind them will inevitably suffer devastating blows because of their choices.
Nascent Soul True Lord, who, apart from the borderlands of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, can withstand you?
To put it more realistically, would the Myriad Manifestations Palace really go to war with a Nascent Soul True Monarch for their sake?
Not only could Mao Dongxing and Peng Huaming see the hesitation of these people, but Song Changsheng and others also noticed it, which was similar to the result he had initially predicted.
This group was originally a disorganized mess, only temporarily united by various interests. It would immediately crumble under external pressure.
"A rabble like you, do you really think you can get your hands on the position of president?" Quan Chong spat out a mouthful of phlegm in disdain.
Mao Dongxing extended an olive branch to him more than once, but he did not accept it for two reasons: first, he was grateful for Peng Zhengxiong's kindness, and second, he looked down on these people from the bottom of his heart.
In his view, the likes of Peng Huaming and Mao Dongxing are not even worthy of carrying Peng Zhengxiong's shoes.
Peng Siying said coldly, "Mao Dongxing, Peng Huaming, and Li Qinghe, as elders of the Chamber of Commerce, are not ambitious. In order to fight for power, they kill each other. They not only collude with outsiders to interfere in the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce, but also try to murder the president. Their crimes are heinous and they deserve to be killed."
Shen Xingyi and his associates aided and abetted the wicked, but fortunately, no major disaster occurred. It's not too late to surrender now; those who stubbornly resist will be punished the same as the former!
Upon hearing this, the will of several chamber of commerce elders who had originally planned to go down the same path as Mao Dongxing and the others began to waver. If there was a way out, who wouldn't want to take it?
Whether it's joining the Bandung Chamber of Commerce or aligning with Maodongxing, it's all for profit, not to risk one's life.
Peng Huaming's fingers trembled with rage as he roared, "You wretched creature!"
What right do you have to judge me? Even if Peng Zhengxiong were standing in front of me, he would still respectfully call me uncle. You say I collude with outsiders, but aren't you doing the same?
You must have paid a high price to persuade him to come. You misappropriated the Chamber of Commerce's collective assets; according to the Chamber's laws, you deserve to die!
Quan Chong was furious: "Are you blind? This is the chief elder personally hired by the president. He is here today to purge you internal parasites. The things you have done are things that Miss would never do."
"Enough, Elder Quan. Don't waste your breath on them. When dealing with these people, use your fists."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Changsheng suddenly slapped out his right hand, and the power of the laws of heaven and earth instantly gathered in his palm, directly hitting Peng Huaming's face, sending him flying like a spinning top.
He then flashed above Peng Huaming's head and stomped down on his chest. The force of the stomp penetrated through his flesh, shattering the golden core within Peng Huaming's dantian, which was the source of his life.
"puff"
Before Peng Huaming could even react, his cultivation, which he had painstakingly acquired over hundreds of years, was destroyed. He was left to rest with his consciousness sealed, like a dead dog.
Mao Dongxing's pupils widened in shock. In just two moves, a Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage was completely crippled.
"You're next."
Song Changsheng's voice rang in his ears like a ghost, and only then did he suddenly realize that there was someone next to him at some point.
"you!"
Before he could react, Song Changsheng's iron hand slammed down on his head, and an invisible sword aura shattered his golden core. His eyes rolled back, and he fell limply downwards.
In just a short while, two Golden Core cultivators at the peak of their cultivation were crippled, a shock that made everyone tremble.
At this moment, apart from Peng Siying who knew the truth, everyone else thought that this was a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Song Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Shen Xingyi and the others who were almost in a daze, and said with a thunderous voice, "If you want to live, then kneel down!"
...(End of this chapter)