Chapter 116: The Wind Rises, Riding the Clouds to the Ninth Heaven

Just as the Grand Elder of Kongtong was lost in confusion, the Ghost Valley cavalry charged out of the mushroom cloud like dragons entering the sea. In a single clash, they directly suppressed the Kongtong disciples.

"What?"

The Grand Elder’s pupils constricted, his face a mask of disbelief.

Kongtong was one of the top nine martial arts sects, possessing formidable strength. The cultivation level of its disciples far exceeded that of other sects. To put it simply, among these two hundred thousand men, at least one hundred thousand had reached the realm of Martial Master, and the rest were all at the eighth or ninth level of the Martial Artist realm. Such strength was enough to easily sweep through and crush several smaller sects.

Yet, here at Ghost Valley, they were the ones being crushed? And that, too, despite the vast disparity in numbers!

At this moment, the Grand Elder felt a touch of panic. Several elders flew up from below, their expressions filled with fear.

"Grand Elder, the situation is dire."
"What on earth is happening?"
"The Ghost Valley disciples are generally at the tenth level of the Martial Master realm, and there are a massive number of Martial Sages among them—at least ten to twenty thousand!"

The Grand Elder shuddered, the arrogance on his face gradually fading, replaced by a grave expression.

"Damn it! Where did these little brats from Ghost Valley get so many experts? This number is dangerously close to the top-tier sects!"
"Grand Elder, what should we do? If this keeps up, our Kongtong sect will suffer heavy losses!"
"What are you panicking about?"

The Grand Elder glared at them indignantly. "I am still here! Follow me down and kill them. I want to see exactly how capable this Ghost Valley is! Attack!"

At his command, the Grand Elder charged straight into the fray. With the addition of a Martial Venerable expert like him, the tide of battle shifted significantly. A Martial Venerable’s power is heaven-defying, let alone the Grand Elder, who was a fourth-level Martial Venerable! Each strike he landed was lethal, and in the blink of an eye, he had crushed over a hundred Ghost Valley disciples.

Seeing this, Xing Zhentian and his three companions felt their eyes light up. Experts have always been most interested in encountering a worthy opponent.

"Young Master!"

Ling Xiao looked down at the arrogant Grand Elder with indifference, saying calmly, "All four of you, go together."

"As you command!"

Their eyes gleamed with intense light. Stamping their feet, they transformed into four streaks of white radiance, shooting straight toward the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder fought with high spirits, charging left and right. As a Martial Venerable, he moved through the battlefield like a tiger among sheep, completely overwhelming his foes; they had no power to resist. Even the Martial Sages could not stop his advance. This filled him with immense excitement and smug triumph.

"You little brats from Ghost Valley, come! Weren't you arrogant just a moment ago? Killing my disciples—you are courting death!"

His arrogance boosted the morale of the Kongtong disciples. But just then, four formidable auras descended, causing the Grand Elder’s pupils to shrink instantly.

"Grand Elder of Kongtong, don't be so arrogant. Let us play with you!"
"Martial Venerables? I never expected Ghost Valley to have four of them! Damn it!"

Xing Zhentian and his companions arrived, giving the Grand Elder no room to maneuver. They unleashed four solid, powerful attacks that struck straight at his face. The Grand Elder snorted and threw a punch in response.

*Boom!*

In one clash, the Grand Elder was blasted back ten thousand meters!

"So strong! And they aren't just first-level Martial Venerables—their strength is at least the second level! Damn it!"

The Grand Elder’s expression turned grim. At this rate, Kongtong was going to lose this battle miserably. The four men surrounded him, taking turns with their attacks, leaving him overwhelmed and suffering several heavy blows.

*Thud, thud, thud...*

The dull sound of fists hitting bone made the Grand Elder want to cough up blood. He was the Grand Elder of Kongtong, a dignified fourth-level Martial Venerable! When had he ever suffered such humiliation? He could not let this continue, or Kongtong would surely be defeated.

His gaze inadvertently drifted to Ling Xiao, who stood proudly in the clouds, and his eyes lit up.

"Capture the leader first to win the war! If I take you down, I don't believe Ghost Valley can remain so arrogant!"

With that thought, he endured a strike from the four deputy hall masters, gathered his strength, and let out a sharp roar. His internal energy exploded, blasting the four men back a thousand meters. Then, with a sonic boom, he transformed into a piercing arrow and shot rapidly toward Ling Xiao.

"Oh no! His target is the Young Master!"
"We cannot let him desecrate the Young Master's divine majesty! Kill him!"

The four deputy hall masters chased after him, but the Grand Elder was a fourth-level Martial Venerable, one level higher than them. Furthermore, it was a calculated move; by the time the others reacted, he had already gained significant altitude, and the four could not catch up.

"Damn it!"

The four men were furious. Ling Xiao was the god of the War God Hall; how could trash like the Grand Elder desecrate him? The Grand Elder attacking Ling Xiao was a slap in their faces!

The Grand Elder curled his lips, a look of triumph in his eyes.

"I didn't expect Ghost Valley to have such strength! But the final victory will still be ours! No one can defeat Kongtong! Ling Xiao, die!"

His eyes glowed with extreme excitement. Yet, Ling Xiao remained unmoved, watching him with calm eyes. It seemed as if he didn't find the Grand Elder threatening at all.

The Grand Elder drew closer. He was only a second away from easily seizing Ling Xiao, and he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud. At this moment, Ling Xiao slowly extended his right hand.

The corner of the Grand Elder’s eye twitched with a mocking smirk. To think of resisting at this late hour—how utterly ridiculous!

"You brat Ling Xiao, you have no chance—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ling Xiao reached out and grabbed him by the throat with one hand!

"Huh?"

The Grand Elder was stunned. He never expected Ling Xiao to dare grab his throat. But a deep sense of fear followed immediately, for he discovered that he could not break free from Ling Xiao's grip.

He, a dignified fourth-level Martial Venerable and the Grand Elder of Kongtong, was being held like a toy by the Young Master of Ghost Valley? What kind of joke was this?

"This is impossible! I don't believe it!"

The Grand Elder roared, repeatedly pounding his fists against Ling Xiao's chest and face. However, he could not even break through Ling Xiao's protective aura by the slightest bit!