Chapter 1374: Since ancient times, heroes emerge from the young; how many can be fearless in old age?

Thunder rolled across the eight directions, echoing far and wide.

In the Si Xiang Secret Realm, following the descent of the Sheng Jie on the Xuanwu Mai from the north, the Qinglong Mai was not to be outdone, as massive dark clouds slowly rose.

This sight once again left all the trial participants stunned and fearful.

"Another person is undergoing tribulation?"

"What's going on with this Sheng Gong trial? Are we even allowed to continue?"

"It's already outrageous that someone is achieving sainthood here, but now it seems there are more than one?"

"No, brother, look at those clouds. They don't seem like typical tribulation clouds; they look more like... mushroom clouds?"

"I don't care if it's tribulation clouds or not, and whether it's mushrooms or not doesn't matter. The point is, we're on the southern side of Zhuque Mai, and we can still see the battle traces from Qinglong Mai. Is this part of the trial?"

The trial participants fell into a collective silence.

After spending some time in the Si Xiang Secret Realm, ninety percent of the trial participants no longer suppressed their cultivation levels, each displaying their abilities and breaking through to the Zongshi realm.

Among the most exceptional, some even advanced directly to the Wangzuo realm on the spot.

But Wangzuo was the highest realm for most; achieving Zhandao was simply impossible.

After all, between the two lay the immense threshold of "Wudao," which required substantial time for accumulation and insight.

Not everyone was like Cen Qiaofu, sensing the Dao in the morning and achieving Zhandao by evening.

Even Cen Qiaofu, who seemed to achieve it in one go, had actually built upon a lifetime of accumulation.

Most trial participants were young and couldn't reach such heights.

As for those in the Wangzuo realm, forget about entering the area covered by the Sheng Jie to participate in the trial; if they were caught in the blast from Qinglong Mai, they might not survive.

"I wonder what the trial participants randomly teleported near Xuanwu Mai or Qinglong Mai are thinking right now."

"Maybe Xu Gusheng was right when he spoke on the Jinhuang Square."

"Is the Ranming Site about to emerge in the Si Xiang Secret Realm, with us trial participants just extras, while the struggle for the Great Dao is the main event?"

"Xuanwu Mai, Fangfang is out of position! We have to run first. He's chasing us—come help!"

"Xuanwu Mai, Wang Dachui... Someone come quick! Cen Qiaofu is like a mad dog, attacking anyone he sees. He wants to drag us into his Sheng Jie!"

As the origin of the Sheng Jie, Wang Dachui and Fangfang could no longer hold the Xuanwu Gold Tower, a critical array eye.

Cen Qiaofu, who had stepped out of the spatial rift and directly achieved sainthood with overwhelming force, started by playing his biggest card, showing no mercy.

In comparison, the Sheng Shen Hall side—whether it was Ao Sheng's avatar, Bei Bei, Fangfang, or Wang Dachui—almost everyone still held the mindset that the Si Xiang Secret Realm struggle should unfold gradually, like a game of push and pull on Void Island.

After all, before this, all the Tianzu members had gathered and, under Dao Hall Master's analysis, reviewed the Void Island battle situation together.

Precisely because of this, the Tianzu members were caught completely off guard.

This time, the Sheng Nu didn't follow their usual patterns.

"Boom!"

Wielding the Panxian Fu and with a half-saint status, Cen Qiaofu, surrounded by Sheng Jie lightning strikes from all sides, charged in like a wild man into undefended territory, wreaking havoc wildly.

After his opening move, he entered a frenzied mode. His first axe strike targeted the Xuanwu Gold Tower.

The Xuanwu Gold Tower erupted with a massive roar.

Intricate Tianji Dao patterns lit up on it.

The pre-arranged Tianji array absorbed half of the axe strike's power and dissipated the other half, converting it into stored energy for a counterattack.

However, Fangfang, standing at the tower's top, was blasted into the air by the force of the Panxian Fu, completely losing his position.

He was only at Taixu.

While Cen Qiaofu was in the midst of achieving sainthood.

Under the Sheng Jie, anyone daring to release even a hint of aura or spiritual energy would be locked onto by the tribulation.

Fangfang might be burly, but that didn't mean he was foolishly brave.

He had no confidence in crossing his own Sheng Jie while unprepared and newly entered Taixu, especially if caught in someone else's tribulation.

On the other hand, Cen Qiaofu, who appeared bloodthirsty but was actually calm, seized the opportunity to take the Xuanwu Gold Tower.

He said nothing, just laughed heartily as he looked up at the sky, raising the Panxian Fu high in his hand.

"Boom—"

Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the dim world.

There, atop the gold tower, the old woodcutter stood composed, his back against the wilderness and mountains, his axe pointing at the nine heavens' tribulation clouds.

He was just a humble human, his waist slightly hunched.

In that moment, his presence was as mighty as a heavenly god, standing tall between heaven and earth, as if he could split the sky with a single axe.

"Tribulation, come!"

Cen Qiaofu swung the Panxian Fu downward with one strike.

Across tens of thousands of li, the wilderness and mountains were utterly shattered by this blow; ancient trees split apart, and the earth cracked open.

The nine heavens' tribulation clouds, as if provoked, suddenly expanded!

Fangfang had already distanced himself from the Sheng Jie's center, his wide eyes trembling incessantly.

The streaks of lightning descending from the sky engulfed the figure of the old woodcutter on the gold tower, axe pointed heavenward.

This scene rippled through Fangfang's soul, expanding wave after wave.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom..."

The nearby thunder and distant roars echoed in harmony.

Fangfang hadn't released even a trace of his spiritual energy aura.

Yet, at that moment, it was as if he were affected by the Sheng Jie; the thick, dark hairs on his arms stood on end.

A tingling, electric sensation arose in his heart, culminating in a slight numbness on his scalp.

"A great man should be like this..."

Fangfang barely managed to murmur these words softly.

The Tianji array on the Xuanwu Gold Tower could no longer withstand the bombardment of the Sheng Jie lightning, its accumulated power overflowing and finally shattering.

Brilliant Tianji starlight scattered in the air, revealing Cen Qiaofu as he sheathed his axe and turned, his face stern and focused.

Lightning adorned this old man.

His ruggedness came from his worldly experiences.

The heroic spirit of wielding an axe to clear the path, standing alone against all, was the lifelong pursuit of countless cultivators!

"Thump thump, thump thump..."

Fangfang's heartbeat accelerated; he felt death closing in and instinctively dodged to the side.

"Panxian Fu, Chaos Primordial Opening!"

The old woodcutter shouted fiercely, fending off the Sheng Jie while swinging his axe horizontally.

Axe light invaded.

The world shone with radiant light.

Space split in two.

"Pfft!"

Fangfang, who had already evaded the vital neck area, blacked out as his chest armor was torn apart, and he spat out blood.

The Cangshen Armor activated on its own, absorbing most of the Panxian Fu's strike force.

Yet, Fangfang was sent hurtling through the spatial waves like a skipped stone, bouncing away.

"Bang bang bang..."

Only after he crashed into a distant mountain, shattering half of it, did his momentum slow.

"Help... save me..."

Fangfang struggled to call for help in the Tianzu combat channel.

He instinctively wanted to release spiritual energy to ease his pain, even if just to form a spiritual shield, but he forcibly suppressed the impulse.

The Panxian Fu's strike might not kill him.

But releasing spiritual energy and being locked by the Sheng Jie would mean certain death!

"Not dead?"

On the Xuanwu Gold Tower, Cen Qiaofu sensed life force from afar and flashed a look of surprise.

This new War Department leader has quite the sturdy body...

Or is it that the Cangshen Armor is just too powerful?

As the leader had said, on Void Island, if Teng Shanhai hadn't been tricked by Xu Xiaoshou and forced into a corner by Jiang Buyi, releasing his uncontrolled ancestral source power...

Even the half-saint Jiang Buyi might not have broken through the Cangshen Armor's defense and torn Teng Shanhai apart so easily.

Cen Qiaofu temporarily set aside this new War Department leader and turned his gaze to the terrified, retreating Wang Dachui in the distance.

Without a word, he directly raised his small axe.

"Panxian Fu, Yin-Yang Severing Dawn!"

In an instant, golden light shot forth.

The sky darkened under this axe, plunging into an abyss of blackness.

"Damn! Why are you coming after me? Go get him!"

Wang Dachui was furious but didn't dare delay.

"Eight Gates!"

His eyes turned abruptly red, his short stature swelling dramatically as eight bright points lit up on his body's acupoints, as if seizing a ray of life in the endless darkness.

"Block it for me!"

Wang Dachui knew evasion was futile, so he mustered all his strength and slammed his hammer toward his chest.

He could barely make out where the axe light was aiming; he relied on instinct to defend his vital points.

"Boom!"

The axe light struck the Thorn Hammer.

Wang Dachui's body halted for a moment, his arms exploding with blood as he was blasted back dozens of zhang.

If Cen Qiaofu were still at Taixu, he could have blocked this strike.

But Cen Qiaofu was achieving sainthood!

The faint saintly power in this axe, combined with the Sheng Jie's lightning effect, made it overwhelming for Wang Dachui, who couldn't use any spiritual energy and had to rely on his physical strength.

"I'm going to die!"

"Definitely going to die!"

"I can't take another hit, or I'm done for today..."

After withdrawing and dissipating the force, Wang Dachui turned and fled.

He was more experienced than the young Fangfang; when it came to survival, tasks like guarding the Xuanwu Gold Tower were meaningless.

He could apologize later; Dao Hall Master wouldn't blame him too much for fleeing from a sealing Cen Qiaofu as a Taixu.

Any Taixu would run from a mad dog like Cen Qiaofu!

But as soon as he turned, the Sheng Jie thunder exploded beside his ear—Cen Qiaofu had somehow appeared at his side, axe swinging down again.

"Son of a bitch!"

Wang Dachui cursed in terror, his red eyes bursting with ferocity. He raised his hammer to block lightly, gritted his teeth, gathered all his strength, and kicked upward with his knee.

"Swoosh!"

The Panxian Fu smashed down, and with the Eight Gates open, Wang Dachui blocked with his hammer, which cracked under the impact.

His left and right shoulder bones snapped with a crack.

Without the Eight Gates, he probably would have lost both arms, or even half his body to Cen Qiaofu's axe!

In countering the strike, Wang Dachui attacked in defense, fiercely kicking toward Cen Qiaofu's chin.

"Upper Jaw Kick!"

Defense was useless.

The enemy was stronger; defending meant death.

Only this kick could give him a chance at life.

"Thud!"

Infused with the power of the Eight Gates ancient martial arts, the upper jaw kick struck from below, landing just as Cen Qiaofu's old force waned and new force hadn't risen, hitting his chin heavily.

With a thud, Wang Dachui clearly saw Cen Qiaofu's head fly off.

"Good!"

His heart leaped with joy.

A flesh-and-blood body, how could it withstand the Eight Gates strike?

Cen Qiaofu had been overconfident!

Did he really think he was invincible while sealing sainthood?

"I'm the invincible one!"

After kicking Cen Qiaofu's head away, Wang Dachui flipped in the air, shrugged his shoulders, and popped his dislocated shoulder blades back into place.

He still didn't dare use spiritual energy.

But with his profound knowledge of the human body, he channeled the potential energy briefly extracted from his acupoints to quickly heal his arms.

The headless Cen Qiaofu froze in place for a moment.

Suddenly, from his gushing neck, a tender green bud sprouted.

"Old wood still births new life; chopping wood is chopping me."

"For a century, wood is felled, yet how can it hinder my life and death?"

An ethereal voice echoed through the heavens and earth.

With a boom, where Cen Qiaofu's head should be, a towering ancient tree shot up from his neck.

Roots burst from his feet, some burrowing into the Void Dao, others into the earth, frantically absorbing nutrients.

From the cracked ground around them, more ancient trees sprang up one after another.

In just a few breaths, the surrounding wilderness turned into a lush primeval forest.

Wang Dachui was terrified.

He had forgotten that while he couldn't use spiritual energy, Cen Qiaofu was the one undergoing tribulation—he had no such restriction!

At his core, this man might look like a crazed butcher with an axe, but he was actually a pure spirit refiner.

His overnight Zhandao further proved his profound comprehension of the Dao principles.

"Boom..."

The Sheng Jie lightning poured down, striking the primeval forest.

Cen Qiaofu's figure vanished.

The next second, countless avatars of Cen Qiaofu appeared on the horizon, each perched on different ancient trees, swinging their axes downward.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Axe after axe, the primeval forest was instantly cleared by Cen Qiaofu.

This scene was baffling.

At least, that's how Wang Dachui felt; he even found it ridiculous.

There was even a illusory Cen Qiaofu above his head, swinging an axe as if chopping him like a tree.

But the power of these avatars was too weak; Wang Dachui simply raised his hand and shattered it.

"What is Cen Qiaofu doing?"

"The intelligence reports didn't mention this move?"

Wang Dachui didn't laugh, quickly sensing something was wrong.

This old woodcutter was too formidable!

Previously, he always hid his abilities, even suppressing his cultivation to achieve Zhandao, so no one had seen his full strength.

Perhaps this absurd act held deeper meaning?

Before he could think more, the thousands of Cen Qiaofu avatars finished chopping the ancient trees and merged back into one.

On the blade of his Panxian Fu, a fierce light ignited.

"Chop to the extreme, Dao returns to one!"

Cen Qiaofu raised his axe upward; the descending Sheng Jie was split by the blade's edge, scattering in all directions.

As he swung downward, the heavenly Dao principles shattered with a clang, and the axe locked firmly onto the nearby Wang Dachui.

Only then did Wang Dachui realize:

The old woodcutter's earlier act of thousands of avatars chopping trees wasn't meaningless.

He had gathered the true essence of all those "chops" into this single strike.

The Dao he comprehended in the southern mountains wasn't just the mortal world's Dao; it was also the "chop" Dao that breaks all laws with one force!

"Death!"

As the Panxian Fu chopped down, Wang Dachui sighed inwardly.

It had come...

That yellowing leaf he had seen at the Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain gathering was now falling upon him.

"Then bring it on! Who's afraid?"

Cornered like a rabid dog, Wang Dachui's spiritual energy was about to erupt, no longer caring about the subsequent Sheng Jie lockdown; he focused only on the present.

But at that very moment, a distant shout rang out:

"Dahui Senior, withdraw first!"

A burly figure broke through the air from afar, charging into the battlefield and kicking Wang Dachui away without hesitation.

It was the War Department leader, Fangfang!

Fangfang's Cangshen Armor glowed with black and red intricate patterns, enveloped in intense spiritual energy fluctuations.

He had cast aside life and death!

Gripping dual axes, after kicking Wang Dachui away, he crossed them and roared, swinging upward.

"Bawang Opens the Mountain!"

In mid-air, three axes clashed; space exploded in a spin, and air waves surged like tides.

The Panxian Fu, carrying the true intent of "chop," struck down, and Fangfang's Cangshen Armor cracked with a series of sounds.

His dual axes held for half a breath before shattering with a snap.

The Panxian Fu viciously chopped into Fangfang's left shoulder, and the black and red light of the Cangshen Armor dimmed instantly.

"Splurt!"

A line of blood sprayed through the air.

The Cangshen Armor shattered, and Fangfang was split in two.

"Ah—"

His agonized scream echoed through the nine heavens. Barely clinging to half his body and his head, Fangfang's face twisted in pain.

He was the one who feared pain the most, yet during War Department training, he never made a sound.

He was the one who feared death the most, yet for some reason, seeing Wang Dachui about to die, his blood boiled and he charged in.

Fangfang regretted it deeply.

He swore that if time could rewind, he would never rush forward again!

Wang Dachui was so annoying, always spouting cold words and mocking him. How could Fangfang not see that Wang Dachui judged by appearances and despised even his sideburns?

"Why am I so stupid..."

With half his body spurting blood, his spiritual energy quickly staunched the wound, but Fangfang felt utterly exhausted and despairing.

He knew.

There was no chance left.

He had used spiritual energy.

No matter what trump cards he had, they couldn't withstand Cen Qiaofu's Sheng Jie.

Looking up, as expected, the nine heavens' tribulation clouds sensed a spirit refiner assisting in the tribulation and began to expand.

The Sheng Jie had locked onto this new War Department leader, the sixteen-year-old super genius Taixu, Fangfang!

"So be it. At least Wang Dachui can escape. My sacrifice... sob sob..." He burst into tears, snot mixing with his sideburns. "Is useful."

The kicked-away Wang Dachui's mind was blank.

Having lived this long, he had lost his youthful passion and, deep down, no longer had any self-sacrificial resolve.

Do what you can.

Live as long as you can.

He never imagined that one day, a young man would trade his life to save him!

"It seems today, this old man is destined to be the villain." Cen Qiaofu held his axe in the air, looking down at the scene, his voice laced with emotion.

He held some admiration for Fangfang.

After all, the young man was famous early and had a promising future.

So, even as enemies, Cen Qiaofu didn't really want to kill him.

Bullying the weak with strength was just one required strike given their positions.

And Fangfang had blocked that fatal blow with the Cangshen Armor; continuing would make even Cen Qiaofu feel ashamed.

Thus, he targeted the hopeless Wang Dachui instead.

But unexpectedly, Fangfang sacrificed himself, making a choice that was both surprising and lamentable...

It didn't matter!

In the struggle for the Great Dao, blood was inevitable.

Pity for the enemy only put oneself in danger.

Cen Qiaofu no longer paid attention to Fangfang, who was locked by the Sheng Jie and left with half his body.

That young man was basically done for.

He turned to the flying Wang Dachui.

Wang Dachui, stunned that he had escaped with his life, had already retracted his spiritual energy aura.

Upon realizing, he fell into a dilemma:

Turn back to help?

Going back, he couldn't beat Cen Qiaofu and would just add another life lost!

Flee outright?

A young man had given his life for this old bag of bones—how could he face people if he just ran?

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Wang Dachui hugged his Thorn Hammer and let out a tormented roar.

He slapped the combat channel:

"Fangfang has fallen in battle; requesting support!"

After that, Wang Dachui didn't look back and bolted outward.

In fact, outside the Sheng Jie's range, a large group of red and white robes had already gathered.

But Cen Qiaofu was fighting desperately, on the brink of death.

Anyone entering the battlefield, without transcending the Sheng Jie, would just be cannon fodder.

Fangfang had seen and known this.

He could understand Wang Dachui abandoning him to flee.

At his age, he already knew right from wrong.

But at his age, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy who hadn't come of age.

Not every young War Department leader had a resolve as unyielding as Yu Lingdi, vowing to strive upward despite pain and hardship.

"Boom!"

As the Sheng Jie descended, this new War Department leader, Fangfang, cried with snot and tears streaming down, his sideburns soaked.

He closed his eyes, his half-body trembling uncontrollably, yet he managed to stammer:

"Wang Dachui, your choice... is, is the right one..."