Chapter 1267 - 1267: The Day of Challenge

Daoist Venerable Lin Jing was full of confidence, but unfortunately, he could not convince others in the sect.

They thought the Sect Leader had truly lost his mind.

Otherwise, how could he place his hope on a Celestial Venerable, and be so unwavering in his determination?

In the following days, even more troubling events unfolded.

The departure of Daoist Venerable Ao Xiao and Daoist Venerable Silver Quan left the other visiting Supremes with no confidence.

They felt that the Mowu Sect was doomed to lose this time.

Perhaps they'd even end up being splattered with blood themselves.

Thus, many people bid farewell and left even before the day of the challenge arrived.

The two other Daoist Venerables who had originally agreed to help also found random excuses to refuse to join.

This secretly delighted Daoist Venerable Lin Jing.

The fewer people who came, the better, lest he had to pay them; now all expenses were saved.

However, the Elders and disciples of the Mowu Sect could not share his good mood.

They were nearly in despair at the moment.

On this very day, a piece of bad news arrived.

"Due to dissatisfaction with Daoist Venerable Lin Jing's reckless actions and having no confidence in the upcoming challenges, Guardian Li Ye demands to leave the Mowu Sect!"

This news sent shockwaves throughout the entire Mowu Sect.

Leaving a sect in the Cultivation Realm is an extremely severe matter, akin to betraying one's own clan.

Some sects with strict rules might even hunt down defectors to abolish their cultivation, or outright exterminate them.

However, the other Elders had no intention of blaming, nor did Daoist Venerable Lin Jing feel any anger; he only held Li Ye Daoist Venerable's hand with deep sadness.

"Don't leave, we can really win!"

"We've known each other for billions of years, don't you understand me?"

"Can you not give me a little trust, have a little confidence in Sect Leader Jiang, he really is powerful..."

Li Ye thought to himself, do you take me for a fool?

An esteemed Daoist Venerable relying on a Celestial Venerable, what a joke!

When the challenge day comes and you lose, I'd rather not accompany you all to the grave!

He forcibly broke free from Daoist Venerable Lin Jing's hands and stormed out of the Mowu Sect without looking back.

His departure was like the trigger of an avalanche.

In the next two days, seven Inner Sect Elders, eighty-six Outer Sect Elders, and over a thousand disciples successively defected and left.

The challenge seemed to be just a matter for a few experts, not requiring their efforts.

But once the experts all fell, whether dead or wounded, there would be no means for them to defend themselves against Wuding Palace.

At that time, they could only await Wuding Palace's settlement.

Unwilling to get caught up in this mess, they chose to withdraw from the vortex and seek other paths early.

This left the entire sect dispirited and filled with a sense of doom.

This change quickly reached the opposite side, Wuding Palace.

Upon learning that the Mowu Sect had collapsed early, Daoist Venerable Zhiyan of Wuding Palace laughed out loud.

"The challenge hasn't even started, yet the Mowu Sect has already fallen?"

"A pity I invited so many experts to help."

"How embarrassing it is for us now?"

Compared to the betrayal and desertion happening over at the Mowu Sect, his side was teeming with guests, lively and bustling.

Originally, Wuding Palace had three Daoist Venerables, and later invited six more. Now, even Daoist Venerables Ao Xiao and Silver Quan joined them.

Thus, on their side, the number of Daoist Venerables reached a formidable eleven!

"What's even worth fighting for? I reckon a single breath from one of us, and the Mowu Sect would crumble."

"What a waste of anticipation, I thought it would be a well-matched battle, but I didn't expect the other side to be so useless."

"For the Mowu Sect to fall to such a state, everyone here is responsible, hahaha..."

"Our lineup is too overwhelming; we scared them before even the fight started, it's truly a sin."

"We have so many of us, there won't even be enough to share when the time comes."

Daoist Venerable Ao Xiao's eyes glittered with a cruel light: "I don't care how you divide it, but as for that old Lin Jing, I will deal with him personally!"

Given this Daoist Venerable's backing by a Daoist Saint, no one inside the hall dared to disrespect him.

They all expressed that the final feast was surely for him to savor.

Daoist Venerable Silver Quan stroked the white beard on his chin, his brows furrowed with heavy doubt.

"Where does Daoist Venerable Lin Jing's confidence come from?"

"I have a feeling he has some support."

"If he had no trump card, he wouldn't have been so arrogant that day."

That day, Daoist Venerable Ao Xiao and I were driven out, they didn't even want us.

To have such confidence is bound to cause suspicion.

Wuding Palace's Sect Leader Daoist Venerable Zhiyan chuckled softly.

"Daoist friend Silver Quan is over-thinking."

"In the past few days, some defectors have directly come over and joined us from the Mowu Sect."

"According to them, there's a Daoist Venerable from the Celestial Palace named Fan Lei in the Mowu Sect."

"Daoist Venerable Fan Lei?"

Someone in the hall was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't he the Chief of the Divine Thunder Bureau? His power is formidable; in a one-on-one fight, none of us might claim victory."

"So what?"

Daoist Venerable Ao Xiao sneered, "Does he think he can overturn the sky just by himself?"

"People of the Celestial Palace dare to come to our Land of Dao Extinction and act wild?"

"He better stay tucked away, if he dares to make a move, he'll never be able to return!"

Time passed amidst this lack of tension from both sides' preparations.

Finally, the day of the challenge arrived.

Brother Cheng, who had been idling in the palace, made a special effort to get up early to show some enthusiasm.

Outside, Daoist Venerable Lin Jing had been waiting for a long time.

"How is Sect Leader Jiang's condition?"

"Don't worry, his Primordial Qi is full!"

"That's good, that's good..."

At this time, Fan Lei Daoist Venerable also flew out nearby.

Upon seeing him, Daoist Venerable Lin Jing frowned.

"Why are you out here, there's nothing for you today!"

Fan Lei deliberately said, "I'm here to see how you guys perish, can't I just watch the spectacle?"

After a short while, Three-Eyed Tiger and Yan Yi also arrived outside.

The group quickly flew to the plaza in front of the hall.

Brother Cheng, who hadn't paid attention to the outside world lately, finally sensed that something wasn't quite right.

In his imagination, on the day of the fight, if not brimming with murderous intent, everyone should at least be full of fighting spirit, as if they had drunk a dose of stimulant.

But now...

"Why do I feel like they are going to a funeral, each with a dejected face."

"Uh, well..."

Daoist Venerable Lin Jing hadn't expected such a huge upheaval in the Mowu Sect, and this guy seemed utterly oblivious.

For a moment, he didn't know where to start explaining.

Fan Lei maliciously laughed as he approached.

"Didn't you know their sect fell apart early with a mass exodus of defectors, hahaha..."

After a moment, Brother Cheng finally understood what had happened.

"With me here, and still so many people defected?"

He touched his chin, suspecting if his charm had somehow diminished.

Meanwhile, Lu Wen Guardian and the remaining dozen Inner Sect Elders who stayed in the sect now fully pinned their hopes on Fan Lei Daoist Venerable.

"Predecessor Fan Lei, please help us."

"We hear you're the Chief of the Divine Thunder Bureau, powerful indeed, now you're the only one we can rely on."