Martial Saint with Passives

However, her face twitched when she saw Xiao Qingge, who had found a jug of wine from who-knows-where, begin drinking with a complete disregard for her image.

’Never mind...’ she sighed.

As for Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi of the Cangyun Sect, a sharp glint suddenly shot from his eyes, which had been as placid as an old well!

"Haha... Hahahaha! Good! Excellent!" he suddenly roared with laughter.

His laughter, like rolling spring thunder, spread across the entire plaza, startling everyone out of their daze!

Xu Qingshan was so excited he was trembling all over. He looked at the disciple on the platform, his eyes growing hot. An immense sense of pride and honor filled his chest, making him want to let out a triumphant roar!

Suddenly, General Qin Fuhu turned to Xu Zhouzi beside him and said, "Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi, congratulations. This boy from your Cangyun Sect... is quite impressive!"

The moment he spoke, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar once again!

To receive a personal compliment of "quite impressive" from the Lord General himself—what an incredible honor!

Countless gazes filled with envy and jealousy instantly focused on Jiang Che!

In the disciple viewing area.

Xiao Qingge and Chen Jiayu exchanged a look, each seeing the shock and a hint of a bitter smile in the other’s eyes.

"This guy..." Xiao Qingge shook her head, tilted it back, and took a huge gulp of wine before wiping her mouth. "He... hid his strength so damn well!"

Elsewhere, an incredibly fiery light burst forth from Gu Qingxuan’s eyes, which were usually as cold as winter stars!

At that moment, her Sword Heart seemed to faintly grasp a completely new level of understanding!

And in a corner of the crowd was Fang Muye, who had been crestfallen and moving like a walking corpse ever since his defeat at Jiang Che’s hands.

After seeing the earth-shattering blow exchanged between Jiang Che and Qin Wuya, his entire body trembled as if struck by lightning!

He stared at the figure who had pushed even Qin Wuya to such an extent, and the dead ashes in his eyes slowly... began to rekindle with a faint glimmer of light!

"So... so that’s how it is..."

He muttered to himself, then began to laugh lowly, almost hysterically.

"Heh... Haha... Hahahaha!"

"It’s not that I’m too weak... It’s not that I’m too weak... It’s him... He’s just too strong!!!"

As he laughed, tears streamed down his face.

In that moment, all his indignation, jealousy, and resentment seemed to vanish like smoke, washed away by his laughter and tears.

...

Atop the fighting platform.

Wisps of green smoke still rose from the deep crater left by the devastating collision.

Jiang Che and Qin Wuya stood facing each other, both panting for breath.

Yet, a blazing battle intent, so intense it was almost tangible, still burned in both their eyes!

The battle was not yet decided!

Although both of them had nearly depleted their Strength, their powerful physiques—tempered through countless trials and far surpassing those of ordinary people—meant they still had the power to fight on!

In the plaza.

Everyone watched the platform with rapt attention, not even daring to breathe.

Their hearts were in their throats.

Everyone was waiting to see who would be the ultimate victor of this peak duel, a battle that would decide the strongest of the younger generation!

However, just at this tense moment, when the situation was on a knife’s edge!

Something unexpected happened!

"Report!!!"

A shrill, panicked cry tore through the frozen atmosphere of the plaza like a sharp sword!

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a disciple in the attire of the Taiyuan Sect, covered in blood and dressed in tattered clothes, stumbling and crawling as he rushed in from outside the plaza!

His expression was one of absolute panic. He rushed toward the high platform without a care for anything else, finally falling with a THUD to his knees before Taiyuan Sect’s Sect Leader, Zhao Qingtian.

"Sect... Sect Leader! It’s bad!" the disciple gasped, his voice hoarse. "The... the Demon Sect! The people from the Demon Sect... they’re attacking the mountain!!"

What?!

The people nearby were instantly stunned by his words.

Zhao Qingtian’s burly frame shuddered. He grabbed the disciple by the collar, lifting him like a small chick, his tiger-like eyes wide as he roared, "What did you say?! Say it again!"

The disciple, trembling with fear, shouted incoherently, "It’s the Demon Sect! Many masters from the Demon Sect! They... they took advantage of you and the Elders being away and launched a sneak attack on our mountain gate!!"

’The Demon Sect... dared to directly attack the Taiyuan Sect, the leader of the Three Great Sects?!’

’How is this possible?! Have they gone mad?!’

Atop the high platform, Xu Zhouzi, Liu Ruyan, and all the other Sect Leaders and Elders looked at each other in shock and disbelief.

Just then!

"Report!!!"

Another, equally shrill cry came from a different direction!

A female disciple from the Profound Sound Sect appeared, her hair in disarray and her robes stained with blood. She stumbled forward, crying out, "Sect Leader! The mountain gate... our mountain gate is also under siege by the Demon Sect!"

At the same time!

"Sect Leader! Vice Sect Leader!" A Steward from the Cangyun Sect also rushed onto the high platform, his face pale. "The Sect... multiple strongholds within the Sect have been simultaneously ambushed by the Demon Sect!"

BOOM!!!

In that instant, the entire plaza exploded into chaos!

It wasn’t just the Three Great Sects!

The Heaven-Sundering Sect, the Feiyun Sect, the Chen Family, the Fang Family...

One piece of bad news after another arrived from all directions, like snowflakes in a blizzard!

On this day, at this very moment! Nearly every prominent righteous Sect and Noble Family in Cangzhou Prefecture was simultaneously hit by a long-planned, frenzied attack from the Demon Sect!

"How can this be?!"

"Didn’t the Demon Extermination Alliance say they’d increased their investigative efforts and eliminated all hidden threats?!"

"That’s right! All our major Sects have strengthened their defenses as well. How could they all be attacked at the same time?!"