Chapter 1902: 武神玄光

Before meeting Xu Yang, they were considered top-tier martial artists, among the best in the entire empire. Yet now, staying by Xu Yang's side, these two felt like frogs at the bottom of a well.

Time and again, Xu Yang's actions redefined their understanding of a martial artist's peak capabilities.

Xu Yang indeed chuckled dismissively and said, "It's not as incredible as you imagine. Any martial artist, or cultivator of other practice systems, will always leave traces when they mobilize their power. It's just that your soul strength isn't sufficient to detect and capture the residual information hidden within space. I merely unearthed the clues concealed in the darkness."

"The planner also anticipated that I would have such methods and is deliberately waiting for us to advance. If I were to stand here blindly, motionless like you two, it would truly make that hidden priest despair."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, Nangong and Lan Ling'er, the uncle and niece, exchanged a look. They knew Xu Yang was teasing them, yet they couldn't utter a single word in protest. After all, his strength was immense, and they still relied on him.

In Changyun Heavenly Sect, usually, no one dared to speak loudly to their spirited young miss, let alone tease her in such a manner. Those below the Grand Ascension Peak stage among the Elders' Council members wouldn't even dare to raise their voices.

Now, seeing Lan Ling'er's submissive demeanor in front of Xu Yang, Nangong couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He thought that this "little devil king" had finally met someone who could keep her in check.

Guided by the residual energy traces Xu Yang had detected, the trio immediately pressed deeper into the imperial capital's main thoroughfare. Before long, they entered the area guarded by the Imperial City Guards. Predictably, the usual ordinary martial artist guards had long been replaced by disciples of the dark forces.

Naturally, the guards at the outer gates were relatively weak; some were even blue-marked offering spirits. The silver-robed disciples, who were purple-marked powerhouses with millennia-level talent, were already no match for Xu Yang, let alone these blue-marked offering spirits. Although they were much stronger than ordinary imperial capital martial artists, using them to block Xu Yang and his companions at this critical juncture was quite laughable.

In the world of martial arts, the decisive factor in victory or defeat is never the number of participants, but rather the peak realm that the leader can achieve. A true Martial God-level powerhouse can effortlessly eliminate over a hundred Grand Ascension realm martial arts prodigies single-handedly. This was especially true for Nangong and Lan Ling'er, who stood beside Xu Yang. Nangong was a true Martial God-level powerhouse, and even Lan Ling'er, after Xu Yang's guidance, had now reached the peak of the Grand Ascension stage. How could a mere few hundred offering spirits in front of them hope to stop them?

Perhaps to alleviate the psychological pressure of relying on Xu Yang, Lan Ling'er and Nangong exchanged glances. They both decisively agreed to seize this rare opportunity to act as Xu Yang's enforcers. With so many "soft persimmons" before them, if they didn't crush a few heartily, Changyun Heavenly Sect's standing in Xu Yang's eyes might truly diminish.

No sooner said than done, Lan Ling'er and Nangong moved with astonishing speed, flashing out like two streaks of powerful energy.

Objectively speaking, if one were to lower Xu Yang's discerning standards by a few notches and compare this uncle-niece duo to ordinary martial artist sects within the empire, their strength and foundational martial arts cultivation were far superior to other native martial artists. At the very least, their strength was more than enough to clear out these easily defeated offering spirits. In just a few blinks, hundreds of them fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Hahaha, how was that, Boss Xu Yang? Did you witness the might of our Changyun Heavenly Sect?" Lan Ling'er returned to Xu Yang's side, her face full of excitement, seeking praise from him. Xu Yang nodded noncommittally.

"What kind of answer are you looking for? 'Good job'?"

"Hmph, not sincere at all!" Lan Ling'er pouted, crossed her arms, and looked dissatisfied. Xu Yang, however, chuckled and spoke.

"Killing these minor minions is hardly an achievement for either of you. In contrast, I'd really like to see a battle between fellow Elder-level powerhouses within your Changyun Heavenly Sect."

Lan Ling'er's eyes widened as she looked at Xu Yang. "That's easy for you to say! How am I supposed to find other Elder-level powerhouses for you? My other uncles are currently trapped by those cursed disciples!"

Xu Yang, however, gestured towards the end of the darkness ahead. "Isn't that fellow over there the perfect opponent?"

No sooner had Xu Yang spoken than an incredibly solemn Buddhist chant suddenly echoed from the end of the darkness. Nangong and Lan Ling'er's perceptive abilities were still far inferior to Xu Yang's. They both turned their heads to finally get a clear look at the newcomer: a bald, powerfully built young man over two meters tall. He held a staff and wore a string of over a dozen large, round prayer beads around his neck. This was a genuine monk. Just from the immensely profound martial essence radiating from his every movement, it was clear that his cultivation foundation was not to be underestimated. At least in Xu Yang's judgment, this person's strength should surpass Nangong's.

"Uncle Xuan Guang!!" Lan Ling'er exclaimed the name without hesitation. Clearly, this bald young man was also one of Changyun Heavenly Sect's Seven Great Elders, and the renowned Bald Martial God Xuan Guang in the imperial martial arts cultivation world! It's important to note that a martial artist who purely cultivates Buddhist martial arts techniques, once they reach the Martial God level, often possesses combat abilities even more formidable than other Martial Gods of the same rank. This is because cultivating Buddhist martial arts techniques inherently provides a similar boosting effect on their soul strength. Regardless of these martial artists' offensive capabilities, they are guaranteed to possess the strongest defensive attributes among martial artists of the same level.

When this person stood before them, though he appeared solemn and dignified, with the aura of a revered Buddhist monk, the moment he became serious, all his solemnity would instantly transform into suffocating, terrifying killing intent. This was far more dreadful than those who merely looked fierce, and in reality, were just paper tigers. Indeed, just like Nangong earlier, when Martial God Xuan Guang first appeared, two dark red lights flickered in his pupils, clearly indicating that he too was being controlled by the hidden disciple forces.

Nangong's expression immediately became grim. As one of the Seven Great Elders of Changyun Heavenly Sect, truthfully, Nangong's combat prowess was likely the weakest among them. However, this solemn-looking figure before them, in terms of direct confrontation ability, could rank at least among the top three of the Seven Great Elders.