My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

The moment the Black Flood Dragon Warship crashed onto the reef-strewn shallows, Liang Cheng was the first to leap from the bow.

With a mid-air slash of his Zhenxian Saber, he shattered three incoming crossbow arrows.

His feet landed in the turbid surf of the shallows as he roared, "Form a Sharp Arrow Formation! Martial Arts Academy at the fore, Black Flood Dragon Guard on the flanks! Advance!"

Three hundred Martial Arts Academy disciples moved like unsheathed blades, instantly forming a triangular battle array. They condensed their Qi Blood into shields, breaking through the sparse arrow fire on the beachhead.

Two hundred members of the Black Flood Dragon Guard followed closely on both flanks, raising their crossbows to clear a path for the battle array ahead.

The beachhead defense was weaker than expected.

Liang Cheng took the lead, unleashing his True Qi. His saber crackled with wind and thunder as the Fire Worship Sect disciples hastily met his charge, fighting a retreating battle.

Liang Cheng broke through the first line of defense, leaving behind a swath of Fire Worship Sect corpses. His gaze swept past the beachhead toward Dragon-Breaking Cliff, from which a pillar of bloody light surged into the sky.

’Get over there.’

As Liang Cheng led the charge, dozens of black streaks shot out from the woods. Almost simultaneously, dozens of fist-sized, dark iron balls landed on the ground and instantly detonated.

Great clouds of ghastly green toxic fog erupted, and the surrounding vegetation instantly withered, blackened, and rotted away.

"Bone-Rotting Poisonous Miasma!"

Lü Bingchen flicked his sleeve, and a wave of True Qi blasted away the toxic fog rushing toward them. He roared to the others, "Take your Antitoxic Pills! Cover your mouths and noses, and charge through!"

The battle array instantly shifted into a long snake formation, forcing its way through the woods against the toxic fog.

Liang Cheng charged at the very front, his Golden Armor Realm Perfection cultivation running at its peak. His skin glowed with a faint golden luster, and the toxic fog dissipated the moment it touched him.

When they burst out of the toxic forest, the view before them suddenly opened up, revealing a horrifying sight: a flesh-and-blood altar at the base of Dragon-Breaking Cliff.

On the altar, Situ Lang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his dark purple brocade robe immaculate.

The Red-robed Right Envoy stood at his side, and farther back was a dense mass of Fire Worship Sect elites, from whom arrows rained down like a forest.

And below the altar, Shen Jun and Bai Hong stood back-to-back. A small barrier of their True Essence held off a viscous net of blood that was slowly pressing down on them from above.

"Halt."

Liang Cheng raised his hand, and the battle array halted a few hundred yards from the altar.

Situ Lang’s gaze fell upon Liang Cheng, and he smiled faintly. "Liang Cheng!"

Liang Cheng took a few steps forward, his voice echoing across the area. "Wu Zhenshan has been slain! Situ Lang, you colluded with the Fire Worship Sect, poisoned Commander Yue, and orchestrated a rebellion in the city. You deserve to die a thousand deaths."

"Deserve to die a thousand deaths?"

Situ Lang chuckled. "It’s simply a case of might makes right. What crime is there in that?"

"I just didn’t expect that, with such a thorough plan, you all would still manage to get here. I’d like to ask... that useless trash Wu Zhenshan broke through to the True Essence Realm and had the Left Envoy helping him. How did you possibly win?"

Before Liang Cheng could speak, Lü Bingchen cut in, "You just called Wu Zhenshan useless trash yourself. Given that, isn’t this outcome only natural?"

Liang Cheng, knowing Lü Bingchen didn’t want to reveal Elder Huang’s involvement, also chuckled. "Why don’t you take a guess?"

Situ Lang didn’t take the bait. He glanced at the forces behind Liang Cheng. "You came here with just these few people? Where do you get such audacity?"

Before Lü Bingchen could answer, Shen Jun suddenly roared from beneath the altar, "Liang Cheng! Situ Lang isn’t colluding with the Fire Worship Sect—he *is* the Sect Leader of the Fire Worship Sect!"

The words struck like a clap of thunder.

Liang Cheng’s pupils constricted.

’Situ Lang is the Sect Leader of the Fire Worship Sect?!’

The smile on Situ Lang’s face slowly faded.

"I was hoping to play with you all for a while longer, but since City Lord Shen is in such a hurry to show my hand..."

He abruptly raised his right hand and swung it down viciously.

"In that case, you can all stay here."

"KILL—!!!"

From all around the altar, from behind the dense woods and reefs, hundreds of Fire Worship Sect ambushers suddenly poured out!

Crossbow bolts poured down like a torrential rain, instantly blanketing the ranks of the Martial Arts Academy and the Black Flood Dragon Guard!

"Round Array! Shields up!"

Lü Bingchen roared the command, directing the battle array. At the same time, Liang Cheng shot toward the altar like a cannonball.

’The altar is the target.’

’Only by rescuing the Headmaster and the City Lord first will we have a fighting chance.’

"Stop him!"

The Red-robed Right Envoy barked a cold order. Three Grey Robe Guardians lunged from either side of the altar, their True Qi linking as they formed a Three Talents Battle Formation, their blades flashing to block Liang Cheng’s path.

Liang Cheng’s charge didn’t slow in the slightest as he brought the Zhenxian Saber crashing down!

CLANG CLANG CLANG—!

The three explosive reports almost merged into a single sound!

The three Guardians staggered back as if struck by lightning, notches shattered into the blades of their weapons.

Using the force of the recoil, Liang Cheng twisted in mid-air, shot past them, and charged straight for the altar!

"Insolent!"

The Red-robed Right Envoy roared, blocking Liang Cheng’s path. He thrust out a palm, and the True Essence at its center condensed into a vortex. The suction was so strong that it actually caused Liang Cheng’s charge to falter for an instant.

’True Essence Realm!’

’He’s on par with the Left Envoy.’

’But my own cultivation has taken another step forward. Anyone else with my current level of accumulated power would be able to break through to the True Essence Realm.’

A fierce glint lit up Liang Cheng’s eyes. Pushing his internal Broken Wave Technique to its limits, he sent a tide of pale blue True Qi surging along his blade. Without dodging or evading, he slashed directly into the center of the vortex.

"Break!"

As the blade sliced into the Right Envoy’s True Essence vortex, a clap of wind and thunder erupted, and his Saber Momentum actually quickened. The Red-robed Right Envoy grunted in surprise, withdrawing his palm and sidestepping as he flicked the flat of the blade with his fingertips.

VMMMM—!

The Zhenxian Saber trembled violently. Though a jarring force shot through him, Liang Cheng didn’t retreat a single step. Unleashing the full power of his Golden Armor Realm, he weathered the Right Envoy’s attack and swung his saber upward in an imposing slash.

The Right Envoy was startled but reacted instantly. They exchanged seven blows in the blink of an eye, and to his shock, Liang Cheng actually managed to hold him in place!

Meanwhile, Lü Bingchen and the others had also attacked. Showing no mercy, Lü Bingchen and the other Martial Arts Academy Masters cut down the three Grey Robe Guardians and began to rush the altar.

Situ Lang began to walk slowly down the steps of the altar.

With every step he took, the aura around him grew stronger.

His dark purple brocade robe billowed as if in a strong wind. The oppressive might of the True Essence Realm spread out like a physical force, causing the movements of the embattled Martial Arts Academy disciples to slow noticeably.