Sure enough, upon seeing the Ancestral Master being sliced in two, the Ox-headed Demon Saint showed a look of ecstatic joy in his eyes, "Hahaha! Hahaha! That old fool is dead!"
"Why don't you see his True Spirit flying out? Prevent his True Spirit from escaping," said a Great Saint with a rhinoceros head beside him.
Just as the two were on high alert, the Ancestral Master of Longevity suddenly appeared behind the Ox Head Great Saint using some unknown Technique. The Immortal Slaying Sword in his hand emanated a chilly killing intent, making the Ox Head Demon Saint's hair stand on end, his eyes wide in terror. He hurriedly raised the jade ring in his hand to block, but unfortunately, it was too late. The Treasure Sword pierced through his chest, stabbing through his heart, and emerged from his chest.
"That Great Saint is doomed!" Zhang Chen muttered.
With those words just fallen, the Ox Head Great Saint's True Spirit flew out of his body and disappeared into the distant sky in an instant, leaving no trace.
The Ancestral Master of Longevity didn't have time to chase after it and turned to look at the Rhino Head Great Saint nearby, his eyes full of murderous intent. Terrified, the Rhino Head Great Saint said nothing and turned to flee into the distance.
He knew that he was the only one left. He wouldn't stand a chance against the Longevity Thief Dao in the Qingcheng Mountain Range where the Ancestral Master's roots were. His power, bolstered by the Power of the Earth, was ridiculously strong and completely unreasonable.
The Rhino Great Saint fled, and the Ancestral Master didn't pursue him. He was at one with the Earth Veins of Qingcheng Mountain, empowered by the Earth Veins, holding the upper hand in any battle. However, if he left the Earth Veins of Qingcheng Mountain, his strength would drop. Even with the Immortal Slaying Sword in hand, once the gaps in power shifted, he might not be a match for the Rhino Great Saint.
Besides, despite using the Substitute Death Secret Technique to avoid an attack from the jade ring earlier, the jade ring contained mysterious Creation forces. Even his Death Avoidance Technique could not entirely evade the powerful strength, ultimately causing him harm.
Now that the Demon Race army has been driven back, sparing the life of that Demon Race Great Saint for the moment is no problem since the true life-and-death foes have yet to appear. For example, the disappeared Peacock True Spirit. Or those few old guys who have disappeared without a trace.
"It's my turn to strike!" The Innate Peacock, looking at the Ancestral Master, said from the side.
"What do you plan to do? Assassinate? Or..." Zhang Chen inquired.
"Against a despicable scoundrel, why should I hold back? Just strike and kill directly," the Innate Peacock's voice was full of pride, then took a step surrounded by colorful light, with the Five Elements Law circulating around his body, and appeared directly above the Five Villages Temple.
Seeing the Innate Peacock rushing out directly, Zhang Chen marveled in his heart, "So reckless! Is this the confidence of ancient powers?"
The Ancestral Master of Longevity, having achieved victory, was planning to take advantage of the situation and massacre all the Demon Race elites when suddenly a familiar five-colored light flickered in the void. It made the Ancestral Master pause, looking dazedly at Zhang Chen, full of vigilance, even holding his Immortal Slaying Sword at his back.
"Vile disciple, do you still recognize me?" The Innate Peacock's voice was dignified and angrily stared at the Ancestral Master, unable to suppress the burning rage in his words.
Steadying his heart, the Ancestral Master of Longevity coldly smiled, "I wondered who it was, turns out it's you, this matted-feathered chicken. Couldn't believe the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror didn't keep you confined, and you actually managed to escape. Those short-sighted mouse curs, to set me up, actually released you. Truly preposterous."
The cultivation realm of the Innate Peacock was not terrifying; what was terrifying were the Authority of the Five Elements and the Five-Colored Divine Light that specialized in dealing with Five Elements Items.
Hearing the Ancestral Master's 'matted-feathered chicken' accusation, the Innate Peacock was so angry that feathers all over bristled, "Wretch! I thought I treated you generously. Why did you betray me?"
"Choosing the best branch to perch is only rational. That Immortal can give me a better future. What about you? What can you give me?" The Ancestral Master's voice was full of arrogance, "Things are as they are; no need for idle chatter! Today, we must determine victory and defeat, life and death. Why bother with useless words?"
At this point, the Ancestral Master cast his eyes around, "Call out those short-sighted mouse curs as well. I'll take on all grudges with the Ancestral Master together."
Though his mouth boasted, his heart was full of fear. He couldn't handle even one Innate Peacock, much less if joined by a few other old guys; he would surely die today. Even if he blew up the Earth Veins of Qingcheng Mountain, he wouldn't escape alive.
Having harmonized with the Qingcheng Mountain Range, he couldn't even think of fleeing. Leaving the Qingcheng Mountain Range meant losing his foundation; not only would his cultivation never advance, but when calamities arrived, he would surely die without a place to be buried.
Moreover, if he stayed outside the harmonized area of Qingcheng Mountain for too long, the response of Heaven and Earth would weaken, and his cultivation would gradually decline. So Qingcheng Mountain is his lair; he can't go anywhere! Even if he dies, he would die here!
"Haha, to slaughter you, this ant, what need for any helper? If this Old Master wants to kill you, it's merely a snap of the fingers. Let me weigh today: what progress have you made over tens of thousands of years?"
The Innate Peacock said this, reaching out his palm towards the void and grasping it, gathering the Qi of Geng Metal to form a sharp long sword. The sword sliced through the void, slashing towards the Ancestral Master of Longevity.
Seeing this, the Ancestral Master of Longevity looked apprehensive, a trace of caution in his eyes. He summoned the Ox Head Great Saint's long staff into his hand, then leveraged the Power of the Earth Veins of Qingcheng Mountain to strike at the Innate Peacock.
The Innate Peacock, upon seeing the methods of the Ancestral Master of Longevity, sneered: "You insignificant ant, half of your abilities were inherited from me, and the other half from that Immortal. Even that Immortal had no escape from my hands. You think you can defeat me with his techniques, especially when they're only half-baked?"
"Restrain your arrogant words! I am no longer who I was tens of thousands of years ago. Who will win or lose between us remains to be seen." The voice of the Ancestral Master of Longevity resonated like thunder, his staff creating interlocking shadows as it crashed towards Zhang Chen.
In an instant, energy surged chaotically in the heavens, with mysterious power trembling in the void, sweeping up thousands of waves. The sky was covered with dark clouds and lightning, resembling an apocalyptic scene, instilling fear into the hearts of onlookers.
Occasionally, the chaotic energy leaked out, brushing past the mountains and rivers of Qingcheng. Though Qingcheng Mountain was enveloped by Dragon Qi and various Divine Techniques could not shake its peaks, the chaotic energy could still destroy its vegetation.
"Who knows who will win or lose? That Old Peacock should have no issue dealing with the Ancestral Master of Longevity, right?" Zhang Chen pondered to himself.
He felt a bit worried. If the Old Peacock were to fail, the situation would turn dire. What would become of Xu Erniu and himself then?
"Don't worry. Although I look down on that ragged chicken verbally, there's no denying its strength. At its peak, that ragged chicken was an unparalleled powerhouse, even Immortals could only flee before it. Let alone the little ant it taught with its own hands?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon, sensing Zhang Chen's concern, emerged to comfort him, its voice filled with seriousness.
Hearing the words of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, Zhang Chen felt a bit relieved and stood anxiously on Qingcheng Mountain waiting.
"Senior Brother, who is winning? Can the Ancestral Master handle the formidable enemy and ensure the safety of Qingcheng Mountain?" At this moment, Xu Erniu ran out from the backyard and asked.
Xu Erniu's eyes were full of anxiety: "These people are just too detestable. We have no enmity with them, so why do they make things difficult for our Qingcheng Mountain?"
Zhang Chen turned to glance at Xu Erniu, feeling a strange sensation: 'What a good fellow, if the Ancestral Master of Longevity wins, the two of us would be like fish on the chopping block, to be slaughtered at will! Yet you still hope for the Ancestral Master's victory, isn't this like a little lamb hoping the wolf grandma wins?'
As Zhang Chen's mind was filled with flickering thoughts, Xu Erniu, unaware of the situation, clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, her eyes revealing a mix of apprehension and hope.
Zhang Chen looked at the clouds, observing the duel between both sides but was unable to comprehend it.
In the exchange between the two, there was only the clash of staffs and swords, akin to the battles between mundane martial artists, devoid of any Divine Techniques, completely beyond his expectations.
Curious, Zhang Chen directly asked the Great Freedom Celestial Demon: "Let me ask you, why aren't they using Divine Techniques in their fight?"
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon shook its head: "Divine Techniques are merely auxiliaries in battle and cannot serve as the main skill in combat. More importantly, they have surpassed the Fruit Position realm, their every action containing the power of Fruit, which represents the Law of Heaven and Earth, superior to Divine Techniques."
"I see, so the skill of combat technique is also important in a duel? It seems I need to learn some martial arts when I return to the Material Realm." Zhang Chen decided inwardly that he would train his combat skills and refine his martial arts upon returning to the Material Realm.
Once a cultivator reaches the stage of Law, every action is imbued with Divine Power, containing the essence of Divine Techniques. At such a level, combat techniques significantly display the strength of both parties and can determine the outcome of the battle.
As Zhang Chen muttered to himself, preparing to fill his knowledge gaps, the distant battle suddenly reached a peak intensity. The Ancestral Master of Longevity was sent flying, with one arm and its sleeve severed by a single strike from the Innate Peacock.
Blood sprayed in the void as the Ancestral Master of Longevity fell from the clouds, crashing into a small mountain and stirring up clouds of dust.
The voice of the Innate Peacock was filled with mockery: "Boy, your strength is sorely lacking! Even after tens of thousands of years, you haven't improved a bit! What should I say to you?"
The Innate Peacock's voice was filled with scorn, with an intense sense of long-held vengeance: "Ant, have you thought about how you want to die?"
"Ancestor, must it come to this? I am willing to submit to you, serve loyally, and never dare oppose in the future," said the Ancestral Master of Longevity with a voice full of terror.