Chapter 7596
Black Dragon Taoist
Suddenly, a figure appeared outside the crowd.
He was an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard, dressed in a faded but still neat gray Taoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand, with a thin face and slightly high cheekbones.
But those eyes were as bright as stars and as deep as the sea, as if they could see through everything in the world, and they possessed an extraordinary and refined quality.
He stood there casually, his posture upright, yet he seemed to be one with the entire world, surrounded by a faint Daoist aura that inspired awe in anyone who looked at him, making them afraid to even breathe.
Upon seeing the person's face clearly, Lin Zhantang's expression instantly turned deathly pale. He trembled violently, as if he had seen a ghost. His lips quivered, his voice shook, and he blurted out incredulously:
"Black... Black Dragon Taoist?!"
The moment the name was uttered, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence; even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves vanished without a trace.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with horror, frozen in place as if struck by lightning, unable to move.
Black Dragon Taoist!
That was the master of the Black Dragon Temple, a legendary powerhouse who once ranked among the top ten on the Dragon Kingdom's Celestial Ranking!
It is said that he had already gone into seclusion thirty years ago, detached from worldly affairs, and devoted himself to cultivation, becoming a legend in the martial arts world of the Central Region. How could he suddenly appear here and stop them?
The previously arrogant and domineering bald man suddenly went weak in the knees and almost collapsed to his knees.
He trembled like a leaf, his arrogance and ferocity replaced by deep fear, and he didn't even have the courage to look up at the Black Dragon Taoist.
Zhou Yunhe, the white-haired elder of the New Martial Arts Association, also had his pupils shrink sharply, his heart pounding wildly, and he subconsciously took a step back, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with disbelief and fear...
He never expected that he would alarm this legendary master!
Those powerful figures from the Central Region who were just moments ago so aggressive, eager to rush up and kill Xiao Chen and seize the treasure.
At this moment, they were all silent and trembling, heads bowed, not daring to breathe, their bodies were ice cold, and even their fingers were trembling slightly. They had lost all their previous arrogance.
The Black Dragon Taoist paid no attention to the shock and fear of the crowd.
His gaze slowly fell on Xiao Chen, who was surrounded in the center. A subtle, strange light flashed in his eyes, as if he were examining a rare treasure or sensing something.
Then, he slowly walked towards Xiao Chen, his steps steady, each step seeming to pound on everyone's hearts, making them tremble with fear.
The people present instinctively made way for each other, scrambling to clear a wide passage.
No one dared to stop them, or even approach them, for fear of offending this legendary master and suffering a terrible death.
The Black Dragon Taoist walked step by step to Xiao Chen, carefully looked him up and down, and his gaze fell on Xiao Chen's injuries, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
He then spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet carrying a reassuring power: "Little one, come with me."
Xiao Chen raised his head, looking calmly at the Black Dragon Taoist, without saying a word, his eyes filled with a hint of wariness and doubt...
He didn't recognize the old Taoist priest, nor did he know why the priest had saved him, let alone what the priest's purpose was. The Black Dragon Taoist priest seemed to see through his thoughts, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he said in a soothing tone, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you. No one will dare to harm you in the slightest."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in uproar, gasps of surprise rising and falling. Everyone stared at the Black Dragon Taoist with disbelief... Protect him?
Why would this legendary master want to protect this stranger of unknown origin who also possesses a rare treasure?
Greed ultimately overcame fear in Lin Zhantang's heart. He gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and took a step forward. His voice trembled, yet still carried a sliver of hope as he cautiously spoke:
"Senior Black Dragon, you are unaware of this, but this person is from out of town. He possesses a rare treasure, a gift from heaven, which rightfully belongs to the martial arts world of our Central Region. He..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Black Dragon Taoist slowly turned his head and gave him a faint look.
With just one glance, without any extra expression or sharp aura, Lin Zhantang was struck as if by a thunderbolt, instantly freezing on the spot, his whole body turning ice cold.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead like beads from a broken string.
The tears slid down her cheeks, making it difficult to breathe. The words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, and she dared not utter another word.
The Black Dragon Taoist withdrew his gaze, his tone calm as if he were discussing a trivial matter, and slowly said, "A rare treasure? What rare treasure? I haven't seen it."
The people present looked at each other, each one daring to be angry but not daring to speak out...
Everyone knows this is blatant lying. Xiao Chen clearly possesses a rare treasure bestowed from heaven, but faced with the Black Dragon Taoist's oppressive aura, who dares to refute him? Who dares to expose him?
The white-haired old man Zhou Yunhe of the New Martial Arts Association felt more resentment and anger than fear.
He gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and stepped forward, bowing slightly to the Black Dragon Taoist. His tone was respectful, yet still carried a hint of stubbornness.
"Senior Black Dragon, this is Zhou Yunhe, elder of the New Martial Arts Association."
Today's matter concerns the rules of the martial arts world in our Central Region. This person stole the treasure first, and we are pursuing him afterward; this is only right and proper. If you, senior, insist on interfering, I'm afraid it would be against the rules of the martial arts world.”
The Black Dragon Taoist glanced down at him, a playful smile flashing in his eyes, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Rules? You, a junior, dare to talk to me about rules?"
Zhou Yunhe felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, a strong sense of crisis instantly washing over him. But the words were already out, so he could only grit his teeth and continue, quickly saying:
"Senior, please calm down. I just... I just felt that this matter should be handled according to the rules and should not disrupt the order of the martial arts world."
Before he could finish speaking, the Black Dragon Taoist suddenly flicked his whisk lightly, the movement casual, as if he were merely brushing off the dust from his body.
But the next moment, an invisible force shot out like lightning, so fast that Zhou Yunhe had no time to react and it arrived in front of him in an instant.
Zhou Yunhe was shocked and alarmed. He instinctively raised his long sword to block the sudden burst of energy.
"clang!"
A crisp, piercing sound of metal shattering instantly echoed throughout the entire venue.
The longsword in Zhou Yunhe's hand, sharp enough to cut a hair in two, snapped in two under the impact of this invisible force, the break clean as if it had been cut by a sharp blade.
Immediately afterward, the invisible force, without the slightest pause, slammed solidly into Zhou Yunhe's chest. (End of Chapter)