Chapter 4: Make the Final Stand

very performance was impeccable. There is no need to doubt his natural talent any longer, surpassing even Wang Yiwu among those of similar standing."Qin Lian laughed softly and said, “Your vision is a...As soon as Jiang Wang's words fell, he unsheathed his sword and struck without hesitation.

“What! What!”

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A flash of cold light appeared, Fang Pengju rolled and scrambled to dodge the sword, his anger and embarrassment reaching their peak.

Besides that, no one in the room reacted. Almost everyone thought the next scene would be a reconciliation between brothers, deeply affectionate and even legendary.

No one expected that, under the watchful eyes of everyone and with the bond of brotherhood at stake, Jiang Wang would actually draw his sword!

"Soaring high," Jiang Wang said with a smile playing on his lips, but the smile was unusually cold. "You promised to wait eagerly for your death, yet you hid."

Fang Peng raised his handsome face, turning pale and red with fury. He stood up from the ground and glared at him: "Third brother, you really don't care about any brotherhood"

“You shameless bastard!” By this time, Du Yexiao was furious. “I’m blind to call you my brother!”

>

He spoke, and took a step forward to charge, but was stopped by Jiang Wang's outstretched hand.

"Second brother, let me handle this myself."

Fang Pengju glared at Du Yehu and shouted, "Du Yehu! What's this got to do with you!"

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"Fang Pengju, you have disappointed me too much!" Even the usually kind Ling He couldn't contain his anger. He took a step forward, drawing his sword from his hip, and slashed off one corner of his robe, throwing it heavily to the ground. "From now on, we sever all ties!"

>

“Big brother!” Fang Peng uttered a bitter laugh: “Second brother is impulsive, that’s understandable, but you can’t even understand me To prove my innocence, I am willing to die. But my parents only have this one son, I am their only heir, the last hope they have! My life doesn't belong to me, how can I die here Jiang Wang blindly trusts villains and refuses to listen to explanations, determined to put me to death! Does he have any brotherly affection in his heart”

“Fourth Brother, this is my last time calling you that,” Zhao Ruocheng, the youngest of the Five Heroes of Maple Forest, finally spoke. Though his face still bore a hint of youth, he was extremely handsome. At this moment, his words were like jade, each syllable echoing with weight: “You only seek riches! Your family has served mine for generations! What conditions could a band of scoundrels offer to buy him Are you insulting the wealth of your Fang family or our intelligence How did these wastrels from West Mountain manage to infiltrate Maple Forest City and set up a trap in broad daylight at Moonlight Tower And finally, since you lack the resolve to die with honor, this charade—who are you putting on for” I, Zhao Ruocheng, am ashamed to stand beside you!”

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Of the five, Ling He and Jiang Wang were from poor families. Du Ye Hu's family was not wealthy but not impoverished either. While Fang Peng Ju and Zhao Ru Cheng were both sons of noble families. The Fang family needless to say, and although the Zhao family had only moved to Fenglin City within the last decade, their wealth was immeasurable.

"Little Five, you've always been close to Third Brother, and it's fine that you favor him. But am I not your Fourth Brother You have no evidence, yet you speak these hurtful words based on speculation. Can you live with yourself knowing this"

Fang Pengju was heartbroken and deeply wounded, appearing to be in intense pain.

“Although you are still eloquent, Peng Ju, have you ever thought about why I didn't secretly contact my elder brother, second brother, or little fifth even when I was seriously injured and fled before I chose to come to you only today.”

>

He lowered his eyelids slightly: "Because I never wanted to give them a choice, didn't want them to suspect anything, didn't want to put them in a difficult position! The matter between you and me is something only you and I need to handle. If I die, then I die. Since I'm still alive, then what's owed, you have to repay me."

Fang Peng looked at him with cold eyes: "Are you having delusions of persecution I don't owe you anything, how can you repay me Why are you so stubborn"

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But Jiang Wang no longer spoke to him. Instead, he turned and bowed deeply to the towering statue of the Daoist Master in the Daoist Temple: "Disciple Jiang Wang, I was nearly killed by the treacherous Fang Pengju. This enmity is impossible to resolve, this hatred unbearable. Please allow me to fight him to the death!"

There was an uproar in the audience.

The ultimate showdown!

Feuding among members of the same sect is a crime, but if there is truly a deep-seated hatred or blood feud that cannot be resolved, the Daoist school does not shy away from duels.

And among many kinds of duels, the one that you have witnessed is also the most irreversible.

The Daoist tradition generally believes that the Taoist venerated resides in the nine heavens, comprehending the universe. Reciting their name is to know them. Paying homage to their form is to feel their presence. Once an oath involves the Taoist venerated, it becomes irrevocable.

A duel to the death, until one is dead.

As soon as Jiang Wang finished speaking, a middle-aged Taoist priest in black robes appeared before the statue of the Daoist Sovereign.

He had a resolute face and a short beard. On his black Taoist robe, a small green dragon was embroidered on the right chest, so lifelike that it seemed to come alive. This was a Tenglong Taoist robe, which only those with the strength of a mid-third rank could wear.

The realm of mortal cultivators is roughly divided into nine ranks. Different schools or sects may have different names and manifestations of transcendence, but they generally correspond to the nine-rank system. Ranks nine to seven constitute the initial stage, ranks six to four the middle stage, and ranks three to one the advanced stage. Interestingly, this also corresponds to the official ranks in various countries.

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Of course, a small country like the state of Zhuang, even its prime minister might not truly possess the strength of a first-rank official.

The moment this black-robed, short-bearded Daoist appeared, all the disciples present bowed deeply, "Master!"

In the entire Fenglin City, there were few Taoists who wore the Tenglong Black Robe. Among them was Dong A, the head of Fenglin Dao Institute. It was said that he had practiced in Xinan City, the capital of Zhuang Country, and because of his upright and impartial character, he offended the dignitaries and was exiled to Fenglin City in Qinghe County.

Ling He wore a somber expression, but remained silent. He knew Jiang Wang's swordsmanship well; before he had formally begun his cultivation of Dao arts, no one in the outer court was his match, Fang Pengju included.

But since Jiang Wang proposed a Dao Proof Duel, it indicated that the grievance was irreconcilable. At this moment, the Dean arrived in person. Fang Pengju either had to fight to the death or surrender and wait for the Fenglin Dao Institute to intervene and investigate the matter of Jiang Wang being ambushed.

However, where could Fang Pengju stand up to the investigation by the Dao Institute

Therefore, in fact, he did not choose.

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In the face of countless suspicious, mocking, or angry gazes, Fang Pengju remained calm. “Third Brother, are we truly going to draw our swords against each other”

Jiang Wang said calmly, "It's you who led us to this situation, not me."

"How can I convince you"

"I have already given my life for this trust once. Now, words are useless. The Fang Pengju I remember is not a coward who shies away from a challenge."

"Are you so confident that you can kill me" Fang Pengju remained unmoved.

Jiang Wangping looked at him calmly: "Why not give it a try."

Fang Pengju stared at him for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "It's a pity that you can't kill me, our duel cannot take place. Because just the day before yesterday, my meridian was initially manifested, and I can be said to be an inner courtyard disciple! You and I are of different levels, how can we duel"

He stood tall, focusing his energy, unleashing his power through his meridians. Everyone present could feel it – a surge of energy rising from his spine like a great dragon, filling him with vigor and vitality. This indicated that he had manifested his Dao Meridian, allowing his physical body to resonate with the nascent Dao Yuan, granting him extraordinary abilities.

The Daoist academy has regulations regarding duels, one of the most important being that any invitation to duel between different levels can be unconditionally refused. This is to protect lower-level cultivators and prevent higher-level cultivators from taking advantage of them. However, at this time, it became Fang Pengju's reason for avoiding a duel.

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Although he displayed the signs of a Daoist, he had only recently emerged and hadn't started practicing Dao arts. Therefore, his power hadn't fundamentally increased, so he still lacked the confidence to fight against Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang fell silent.

He looked at Fang Pengju silently, his emotions complex.

"After a pause, he slowly said: 'For this Dan of Opening the Meridians, I, Jian, single-handedly broke into Xishan and fought fiercely, finally defeating the bandit lair. In this battle, I sustained thirteen wounds, two of them fatal.'"

“In order for the Qi Opening Pill to be most effective, I'm going to wait until my body is at its peak before using it. I understand the principle of 'to possess something precious is to invite danger', so I haven't told anyone about it. Everyone thinks I'll swallow the pill right away, except for you, except for our five brothers who have been through life and death together. Because I don't have anything to hide from you guys.”

>“From the age of five when I entered the world of cultivation, I have been chasing this Qi-Opening Pill. I don't have a naturally visible meridian, and if I want to transcend the ordinary, I can only rely on pills. It is my path of cultivation, my hope, my only light. You know my family situation, you know how hard I've worked. I get up before dawn every day to practice swordsmanship, and go to rest when the moon rises. I never go to brothels or indulge myself in any way. In the entire Fenglin Daoist Academy, I dare say that no outer disciple has worked harder than me. For this Qi-Opening Pill, I have worked hard for eleven years!”

"Jiang Wang said, staring hard at Fang Pengju, "It's made with my sweat, my blood, my tears, this kind of Kaimudan of mine. Is it useful"

The venue was momentarily silent.

Ling He's lips were pressed tightly together, Zhao Ru Cheng gritted his teeth and said nothing. Even Du Ye Hu, a man of such stature, had red eyes.

Yes, who among them doesn't know about Jiang Wang's obsession, Jiang Wang's weariness, and Jiang Wang's suffering

And Fang Pengju, he was actually cruel enough to do this!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Fang Peng’s face flashed with a hint of unnaturalness, but he quickly suppressed it. “My uncle led a caravan through Xingyun Kingdom earlier this month and happened to buy back an opening meridian pill from a struggling cultivator. I was able to manifest my Dao pulse because of this, what does it have to do with you Don’t think everyone is like you, born into poverty and willing to do anything to get ahead! My Fang family has millions of wealth, can't we afford a single opening meridian pill”

Zhao Rucheng was already extremely angry, and his words became even more sharp: "Indeed, the Fang family is incredibly wealthy. It's a pity that your parents passed away early, and you are not the only direct descendant of the Fang family. The resources allocated to you are even more limited. Otherwise, how could it be that for so long, you haven't been able to obtain the Kaimai Pill, yet coincidentally, you have it right after my third brother was attacked"

"That's quite a coincidence. I have to say, it's too coincidental!" Fang Peng raised his eyes, revealing a cold light: "Don't talk about things without evidence. For the sake of our brotherhood, I won't hold it against you. If there's a next time, as an inner courtyard disciple, I'll let you know what it means to be in your place!"

"You!" Zhao Ruchen was furious.

Du Yeliang was even more furious, gritting his teeth so hard it almost shattered. If the director hadn't been present, he would have loved to punch Fang Pengju's handsome face into pulp.

Only Jiang Wang remained calm. "Fang Pengju, I told you this before. You are too arrogant, too self-righteous, and often because of this, you ignore the truth. Why can't you learn what I taught you"

Why don't you consider, if the Daozheng duel can't be established, then why would Dean Dong appear here

He took a step forward, similarly igniting his meridians. The dragon within his spine writhed violently, making him as sharp and rigid as a sword!

"That's because I've also manifested my Dao Pulse, officially gaining the possibility of transcendence!"

>

"We're at the same level, and you can't have the dean investigate. Therefore, a duel is decided!"

>

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At the same time Fang Peng was greatly astonished, Dean Dong A had already waved his sleeves wide.

Right at the gate of the Daoist Temple, as Jiang Wang and Fang Peng were about to step forward, suddenly a sapling broke through the ground and grew wildly in a few breaths, transforming into a massive wooden pillar that lifted them up, while isolating all the other outer courtyard disciples outside.

The top of the wooden post was smoothed as if cut by a sharp tool, perfectly flat. Seen from ten paces away, it looked like a circular platform made of wood. However, branches swayed around the "platform".

Fang Pengju had no doubt that once he turned to run, these seemingly harmless branches would transform into monstrous beasts.

And Jiang Wang's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, poised to strike.

Dong A with a casual flick of his hand, a branch twisted and picked up the sword Fang Peng had dropped earlier, tossing it onto the high platform.

Fang Pengju reached out to catch it.

Before the statue of the Dao Sovereign, whose face could never be seen, the fifth-rank Inner Palace realm expert Dong A, uttered in a flat tone: "The Dao Proof Mortal Combat begins!"

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