Chapter 284 - 282: Foolish Loyalty
Before the Sun-piercing Alliance’s Central Hall, an old man with white hair and a white beard sat cross-legged before the doors, his eyes closed and a jet-black giant sword in his grasp.
Seeing Chen Yuan set foot in this place, the white-haired old man’s eyes snapped open. He bellowed, "Halt!"
Chen Yuan looked at the elder and shook his head gently. "Elder Gongsun, why must you serve a man like Guan Tianming so faithfully? He’s selfish, arrogant, and reckless. Sooner or later, he’ll drive the Sun-piercing Alliance to ruin."
While in the underground prison, Elder Qi had told Chen Yuan about the Primordial Pill Realm Grandmasters within the Sun-piercing Alliance.
The Primordial Pill Realm Elder before him, Gongsun Shao, was already over ninety years old. He was known for being fierce, upright, and utterly loyal to the Sun-piercing Alliance.
Before Elder Qi had advised Guan Tianming against his course of action, this very Elder Gongsun had already admonished the Alliance Leader to stop his foolishness.
However, Guan Tianming wasn’t as mad then as he was now. Furthermore, Elder Gongsun’s status was higher than Elder Qi’s, so he was merely reprimanded instead of being thrown into the underground prison.
Elder Qi had originally thought he could persuade Gongsun Shao to join their side this time. Who would have thought that Gongsun Shao would refuse outright, choosing instead to stand firmly with Guan Tianming alongside Pang Xing’an.
Gongsun Shao’s voice was cold. "No matter how grave Alliance Leader Guan’s mistakes are, no matter how wrong his actions, this is an internal matter of the Sun-piercing Alliance! It’s not for you fiends from the Ming Sect to meddle in!
As long as I am here today, you fiend of the Ming Sect can forget about taking even half a step into the great hall of my Sun-piercing Alliance! Forget about laying a finger on the Sun-piercing Sword!"
Chen Yuan shook his head and sighed. ’Such blind loyalty.’
Gongsun Shao was indeed blindly loyal. He wasn’t loyal to Guan Tianming, but to the Sun-piercing Alliance itself.
But unlike Elder Qi, in his heart, the Alliance Leader represented the Sun-piercing Alliance.
As long as Guan Tianming was still the Alliance Leader, he would only be loyal to Guan Tianming.
So, while Gongsun Shao was certainly loyal, it was a blind loyalty that disregarded the bigger picture.
But despite this blind loyalty, a man like Gongsun Shao was exactly the kind every faction craved.
Take Zhenwu Hall, for example. Between the Four Martial Halls of Zhenwu and the Three Guards, its seven Primordial Pill Realm Grandmasters all had seven different ideas, constantly scheming against each other, each with their own agenda.
Compared to the Sun-piercing Alliance, Zhenwu Hall’s decline seemed even more apparent.
This was also a matter of foundation.
The Sun-piercing Alliance had a foundation of over two hundred years. How many did Zhenwu Hall have?
It would take a great deal of time and trial before a blindly loyal Martial Artist like Gongsun Shao could emerge.
"Since you refuse to stand aside, Elder Gongsun, then I’m afraid I’ll have to send you on your way with Guan Tianming!"
The moment his words fell, boundless Celestial Fire converged around Chen Yuan. His Sword Intent surged, flames shot toward the heavens, and the Heaven-Burning Destruction Sword Qi once again swept majestically toward Gongsun Shao.
Although Gongsun Shao was old, his Qi and Blood were still surging and powerful.
He wasn’t exceptionally talented; he had only managed to step into the Primordial Pill Realm in middle age, and at his peak, he was only at the Early Stage of the Primordial Pill Realm.
However, he had painstakingly cultivated a Body Refining Technique to keep his Qi and Blood at their peak. As a result, his combat strength was far greater than that of Wen Cangyuan from the Thunder Shock Sect.
Gongsun Shao swung his giant sword in a horizontal slash. Golden True Qi condensed upon the blade, and a majestic power erupted from it, shining like a great sun, blindingly bright.
The Boundless Sword Qi slammed into the giant sword, only to be continuously devoured by the light of the great sun.
But in the next instant, Chen Yuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, gathering a power in his hands sufficient to pierce the Ninefold Hell.
With a thunderous CRACK, the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow shot forth in an instant!
In the passage leading to the central area, everyone—be they from the Sun-piercing Alliance or the captured Independent Martial Artists—was already dead.
Only Gongsun Shao was present, so Chen Yuan no longer needed to hide his identity and could go all out.
Moreover, Gongsun Shao’s combat power was not weak; Chen Yuan wouldn’t be able to defeat him without going all out.
Gongsun Shao let out a thunderous roar. He swung the jet-black giant sword in his hands, golden Gang Qi condensing upon it before erupting in a sudden burst—Fiery Sun Piercing the Day!
Under this one strike, both the Heaven-Burning Destruction Sword Qi and the power of the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow were completely shattered.
Then, with a move, Gongsun Shao’s body erupted with the radiance of the fiery sun as he charged straight at Chen Yuan.
Although Chen Yuan had used the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow, Gongsun Shao didn’t actually recognize his identity.
For a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster like Gongsun Shao who was on the verge of retirement, he had long since stopped caring about the affairs of the younger generation in the Jianghu.
Let alone Chen Yuan not being in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings yet, even if he were number one, Gongsun Shao wouldn’t have recognized him right away.
A solemn look appeared in Chen Yuan’s eyes. He retreated again and again while the Celestial Fire in his Dantian and Reincarnation Sea blazed intensely. The Li Yan Blood Fiend began to boil, condensing around his body.
Among the Primordial Pill Realm Grandmasters Chen Yuan had slain head-on before, Wen Cangyuan’s Qi and Blood were in decay, and his lifespan was nearly at its end.
In Wu Daoquan’s case, it was a three-on-one assault. Ouyang Xun was simply too pathetic, not even ranking among those in the Primordial Pill Realm.
But this Gongsun Shao before him, despite his age, had not suffered much decay in his Qi and Blood thanks to his Body Refining Technique.
Furthermore, he hailed from the Sun-piercing Alliance, and his wealth of foundational Secret Techniques was something Ouyang Xun could never compare to. He could be said to be the strongest Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster Chen Yuan had ever faced.
At this moment, a ferocious and scorching Sword Momentum rushed toward him. Its explosive power was immense, and the Power of the Sun was so fierce and brutal that it forced Chen Yuan back step by step.
After retreating more than a hundred feet, Chen Yuan stopped. He formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and a boundless Blood Flame soared into the sky. The Gouli Blood Flame Divine Seal came crashing down—Shattering Void God-Burning! The scorching blood flame instantly extinguished the Power of the Sun on Gongsun Shao’s giant sword.
Gongsun Shao’s expression turned grave.
He was old, but his combat strength had not waned.
Yet this Condensing Truth Realm Martial Artist before him was able to clash with him head-on in terms of power, only falling slightly behind.
’Is the Great Brightness Sect truly so terrifying? Can any random Condensing Truth Realm Martial Artist possess such strength?’
Seeing his strike fail, Gongsun Shao immediately formed a Seal Technique. The brilliant radiance of the fiery sun erupted from his body as his immense Blood Qi began to boil.
This was a Secret Technique from the Sun-Piercing Heart Scripture, which condensed the Power of Haoyang into the body in exchange for extreme explosive power.
A blinding golden light shone around Gongsun Shao. The giant sword in his hand had practically transformed into a colossal golden Light Saber. Each downward strike was like a falling meteor, its power immense.
Chen Yuan unsheathed Blood Sea Listening Tide. A Karma Fire Red Lotus bloomed upon it, and as he slashed down, it too erupted with a vicious Blood Fiend, its power immeasurable.
𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
However, Gongsun Shao was a Primordial Pill Realm Martial Artist, after all. His explosive power was formidable, and Chen Yuan was sent flying over a hundred feet by a single strike of his sword.
Chen Yuan landed in a sorry state, his Qi and Blood roiling. But his physical body was tough, and he could withstand an impact of this level.
Seeing that Chen Yuan was outmatched, Gongsun Shao moved, the Fiery Sun Power erupting from his body as he attacked once more.
In just a few moments, the two had clashed more than ten times. With every move, Gongsun Shao was attacking with nearly all his strength.
Chen Yuan’s body was sent flying by the giant sword more than ten times. The ground before the Central Hall looked as if it had been bombed, utterly shattered and in complete disarray.
After more than ten consecutive clashes like this, the Fiery Sun Power around Gongsun Shao had weakened slightly.
But looking at Chen Yuan, although he was panting and in a disheveled state, he didn’t seem to be seriously injured. The strength of his physical body was terrifying.
Seeing that he still couldn’t take down Chen Yuan, Gongsun Shao was about to attack again when he suddenly paused. His gaze turned fierce as he stared at Chen Yuan. "You’re doing this on purpose!?"
In the dozen or so strikes just now, Chen Yuan had been sent flying on the very first one, looking utterly wretched.
So, for the second strike, Gongsun Shao had subconsciously used a bit more force, not expecting Chen Yuan to withstand it again—though he still looked just as wretched.
The next dozen-plus strikes were all the same. Each time, Chen Yuan was deliberately provoking Gongsun Shao, goading him into using more power with each attack.
For a normal Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster, this wouldn’t be a big problem.
But for an old Martial Arts Grandmaster like Gongsun Shao, even if his Qi and Blood had not yet decayed, that was only because he hadn’t experienced intense battle.
Now, after a series of fierce clashes, his body had endured one impact after another. Goaded by Chen Yuan into constantly increasing his power, his aged body was beginning to buckle under the strain.
Thus, after reaching a peak, the Fiery Sun Power around Gongsun Shao began to recede.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to increase his power further; his body was simply reaching its limit!
This tactic wasn’t exactly glorious; it could only be called a strategy of wearing down the old man.
However, it was exceptionally effective against an extremely old Martial Artist like Gongsun Shao.
"Of course it was on purpose. For someone of your age to maintain such immense power, Elder Gongsun, how could I possibly defeat you without resorting to a few tricks?"
Chen Yuan gave Gongsun Shao a brilliant smile, but that smile carried a chilling, bone-deep killing intent.
The next moment, Chen Yuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Starfire blazed in his Dantian, and the Li Yan Blood Fiend converged around him as his power suddenly climbed to its peak.
The Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow shot out, but this time, the arrow was wreathed in Celestial Fire Separating Flame, making it incomparably scorching and tyrannical.
Three successive thunderous CRACKS echoed as three arrows shot out in unison, heading straight for Gongsun Shao!
Gongsun Shao held his giant sword before him like a massive shield, but the immense force blasted him backward step by step.
After the three arrows, Gongsun Shao was just about to counterattack when he was met with a monstrous Blood Fiend and two astonishingly powerful Seal Techniques!
Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand!
Gouli Blood Flame Divine Seal!
The two Blood Fiend Secret Techniques crashed down with world-shaking power. In an instant, Gongsun Shao felt as if he were submerged in a boundless Sea of Blood, the Fiery Sun Power around him instantly drowned by the endless Blood Fiend.
The next moment, a giant force struck. The giant sword was blasted from his hands, and Gongsun Shao’s inner viscera trembled as he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
The tables had turned in an instant!
Before Gongsun Shao could even catch his breath, a dense barrage of Celestial Fire Sword Qi was already falling from the sky.
Under the Heaven-Burning Destruction Sword Qi, Gongsun Shao’s figure seemed to be caught in a boundless rain of swords. He was constantly battered, and his Protective True Qi was almost completely worn away.
But Chen Yuan didn’t relax in the slightest. ’A Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster’s true, life-saving trump card has yet to be played!’
Sure enough, the next moment, an extremely dazzling and brilliant golden light erupted from Gongsun Shao’s body, instantly breaking through the Boundless Sword Qi!