Chapter 2091: False God

"Let's go!"

After dealing with the five temple warriors blocking their path, the group continued forward. The two who had rushed ahead earlier were nowhere to be seen. The long, slender Heaven-Connecting Bridge stretched across the night sky, its end out of sight.

Following the bridge surface, they soon came to a raised platform. It was a round, platform-like structure appearing on one side of the bridge, resembling a small viewing deck. The genius from the Profound Mirror Sect was sitting there. A special energy surged on the platform, and the person's pores opened wide, rapidly absorbing it. The power within his body surged, as if he were on the verge of a breakthrough.

"He's attempting to break through to the Half-God realm!" Elder Hong Wu said. According to previous generations' experience, after passing the five temple warriors, certain breakthrough spots would appear on the bridge. As long as a peak Immortal Monarch entered one, there was a high chance of success! This must be one of those spots, and this genius was attempting to break through to the Half-God realm!

"Let's go. He's occupied this spot. Let's see if there are other platforms further ahead!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Although these two weren't very friendly, achieving a breakthrough to the Half-God realm was their personal opportunity, and there was no need to stop them. Since successive sect masters of the six major sects could break through here, there should be many such spots, not just one! Otherwise, the one from the Ethereal Immortal Sect would surely have stayed here instead of disappearing without a trace.

The group nodded, following closely behind. Just as they were about to proceed, a burst of energy erupted not far away. The Profound Mirror Sect genius on the platform let out a low cry, and the immortal power within him instantly exploded.

Boom!

A powerful aura shot straight into the sky, like a clap of thunder.

"He broke through?" Everyone was startled and quickly looked over. They saw the middle-aged man, still seated, whose life essence seemed to have transformed. Streams of immortal power swirled around his body like flood dragons, and he floated quietly above the platform, as if gravity no longer affected him. With all his power absorbed into his acupoints, the middle-aged man suddenly opened his eyes. A dazzling light shot out from his eyes, illuminating the surroundings.

"You made it this far, so it seems you've overcome those temple warriors. However... your good luck ends here. Don't go any further..."

Feeling the surging power within him, the middle-aged man was filled with excitement. Seeing that Zhang Xuan and the others hadn't been killed by the temple warriors, he showed a hint of surprise, then scoffed and stood up. The next moment, he stood in front of the group, blocking their way.

Zhang Xuan frowned.

"The fact that you passed the temple warriors' trial means you have a chance to become Half-God realm experts... If you all succeed, what advantage would my Profound Mirror Sect and the Ethereal Immortal Sect have?" The middle-aged man sneered. They went so far as to cooperate with the God Passage Hall precisely to produce more Half-God realm experts and dominate the world. If their rivals also succeeded, wouldn't all their efforts be in vain?

"You want to silence us?" Zhang Xuan said. He had long known these two sects harbored ill intentions, but he never expected them to openly resort to such measures.

The middle-aged man said, "If you die, others will assume you fell to the temple warriors, and it will have nothing to do with our Profound Mirror Sect!" Many people died each time they attempted the Heaven-Connecting Bridge. Even if these few truly died, it wouldn't raise suspicion. After all, only one person typically managed to pass through each year.

"Are you so sure you can kill us?" Seeing that the other party was set on killing them, Zhang Xuan shook his head and looked at them with a sympathetic expression.

"I know you've tamed the Blackback Tortoise, a Half-God realm immortal beast, but... try it. Can you summon it on the Heaven-Connecting Bridge?" The middle-aged man smirked, "When the gods built the Heaven-Connecting Bridge, if they hadn't considered this situation, and if immortal beasts of that level could be brought here, wouldn't the temple warriors be insufficient to stop them?"

Frowning, Zhang Xuan focused his mind and tried to access his beast pet pouch. Indeed, the pouch seemed to be sealed by a special force, preventing Half-God realm beast pets from being summoned! However, those not yet at that realm could be summoned freely. But the Heaven-Connecting Bridge wasn't wide, and immortal beasts were all enormous. Summoning them would not only be unhelpful but might even hinder an attack, making it counterproductive. It seemed, as the other party said, that the gods who built the Heaven-Connecting Bridge had long anticipated this. Even the Myriad Beast Sect couldn't take shortcuts here.

"If I can tame the Blackback Tortoise, it naturally means I have means to surpass it. You, a Half-God who just broke through, thinking you can kill me... aren't you overestimating yourself?" Zhang Xuan shook his head and said. Although he couldn't use the four Half-God realm immortal beasts, with his current strength, he was certainly not someone a newly breakthrough Half-God could contend with.

"What if you add me?" Before his words faded, another voice rang out, and the genius from the Ethereal Immortal Sect also appeared before them. Like the one from the Profound Mirror Sect, he had also reached the Half-God realm.

The two Half-Gods simultaneously released their auras, blocking their path and instantly exerting immense pressure. Elder Hong Wu and the others' expressions all turned grim. One Half-God, they believed the Sect Master could overcome, but two... That was a different story! Furthermore, these two were considered geniuses across the entire continent. Even if they had just broken through, their strength was not to be underestimated.

"As fellow members of the Six Major Sects, aren't you afraid of causing continental turmoil by attacking us?" Zhang Xuan said.

"Don't worry," the middle-aged man from the Profound Mirror Sect scoffed, waving his hand. "After you die, our Profound Mirror Sect and the Ethereal Immortal Sect will take control of your four sects. From now on, the so-called Star-Chasing Palace, Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion, Myriad Beast Sect, and Seven Stars Tower... will cease to exist!"

As he finished speaking, he took a step forward, appearing before Zhang Xuan, and with an open palm, struck downwards. The middle-aged man's power was like a mountain. As his newly acquired Half-God realm cultivation erupted, Elder Hong Wu and the others, wanting to help, felt their bodies as if bound, unable to move even an inch.

"This is a Half-God?" Their hearts sank simultaneously. Although they had encountered Half-Gods before, they had never fought one, so they didn't know their true strength. Only now, as the opponent unleashed his power, did they realize the immeasurable gap. If the opponent truly intended to kill, even all three of them combined might not last three moves!

"Sect Master..." They quickly looked towards their Sect Master, wondering how they could save him, and then witnessed a scene that would forever be etched in their memories. The Sect Master, caught in the opponent's palm wind not far away, now held a long sword in his hand. With a slight flick, without any hesitation, he pierced straight through the opponent's palm.

Pfft! Pfft!

In two consecutive moves, the newly breakthrough Half-God's head fell to the ground. Even in death, he couldn't believe what had happened.

"Wouldn't it be better to live well? Why insist on seeking death..." Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Although he was only at the peak of the Immortal Monarch realm, his true combat power meant that even ordinary Half-Gods were no match for him. Against a Half-God from the Temple, he might need to put in some effort, but for a mere Half-God who had just broken through to think of killing him... that was dreaming!

"You..." Seeing his companion's head severed in a single move, the genius from the Ethereal Immortal Sect was startled. He spun around and immediately fled. His strength wasn't much greater than the deceased's. If the other party could kill his companion with one sword, he could certainly kill him too! He had received orders to kill Zhang Xuan if he managed to pass the temple warrior trial, believing it would be an easy task. He never imagined Zhang Xuan would be this powerful! An Immortal Monarch casually slaying a Half-God... without the slightest hesitation... He was stronger, or at least no weaker, than their own Sect Master! If not now, when should he flee?

"I asked all those questions just to confirm if you truly intended to kill me. Since it's confirmed, how can you still escape now?" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist. The long sword sliced through the air, reaching the opponent's back in the blink of an eye.

Pfft!

It pierced through his back. In an instant, this newly ascended middle-aged man also stopped breathing, falling to the ground, his body landing heavily on the bridge. From breakthrough to death, neither of them lasted even three minutes... They were probably the shortest-lived Half-Gods on this continent.