C7 The Shocked Crowd.

Soong Yuanqiao was on the verge of exploding with fury. "Are you underestimating our Wudang Five Heroes?"

Yuu Lianzhou and the others were equally incensed. Initially, they were hesitant to use the formation against Lin Yuanjian, but now, they were itching to take him down!

Ding Minjun scoffed, "I've never seen anyone so arrogantly foolish."

Bei Jinyi frowned, "He doesn't seem to be without assurance, though."

Ding Minjun retorted, "Do you really think he can shatter the True Martial Seven Trigrams Formation with a mere tree branch? Impossible."

Zhou Zhiruo murmured, "Perhaps he can. He's just too composed."

Ding Minjun bristled, "Junior Sister Zhou, why do you keep defending him? Have you fallen for his good looks?"

"I have not. Senior Sister Ding, please don't spread rumors," Zhou Zhiruo replied, her cheeks flushing. Her irritation with Ding Minjun's mocking of her beloved master, Zhang Wuji, was the real reason for her defense.

"Surely, a young prodigy like Young Master Song is the only match for Junior Sister Zhou, right, Junior Sister Bei?" Ding Minjun said with a hint of sarcasm.

Bei Jinyi's lips parted slightly, but she remained silent.

Zhou Zhiruo shifted her focus back to the unfolding battle in the courtyard.

Lin Yuanjian stood firm, exuding the stability of a mountain. A profound aura enveloped the courtyard.

Soong Yuanqiao and his companions grew solemn, feeling an invisible pressure they had only experienced in the presence of their master, Zhang Sanfeng.

Could this young man really possess martial arts prowess on par with their master?

As various speculations crossed their minds, Soong Yuanqiao and his group readied their attack. A meticulously crafted and seamless formation ensnared Lin Yuanjian.

Lin Yuanjian remained serene, his eyes quickly scanning the formation. Soong Yuanqiao and his six companions were strategically positioned, their offense and defense seamlessly integrated, leaving no apparent weak points.

It was a flawless formation, capable of trapping any formidable opponent.

Yet Lin Yuanjian had a strategy to break free!

If you're trapped in a sealed house, there's no need to search for an exit. Demolishing the walls and bringing down the house is the most effective escape.

The True Martial Seven Trigrams Formation was the house, and Soong Yuanqiao and his companions were the walls.

The sturdiness of the house depended on the quality of its walls.

The ability to break through also depended on the skill of the one trapped.

As Lin Yuanjian's thoughts settled, the reflection of an oncoming sword gleamed in his pupils. The sound of a sharp sword slicing the air echoed from behind.

Soong Yuanqiao and Zhang Songxi launched their assault.

Soong Yuanqiao's sword surged like a tidal wave, while Zhang Songxi's was as elusive as mist.

Lin Yuanjian, swift as a shadow, leaped forward, instantly evading Zhang Songxi's strike and closing in on Soong Yuanqiao. The withered branch in his hand, reinforced by his internal energy, became as sturdy as iron. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung it at Soong Yuanqiao's sword!

The screeching noise that followed made Soong Yuanqiao's face pale—the speed was simply astonishing.

Bang! Soong Yuanqiao was hit by an overwhelming force, his longsword flying from his grasp and shattering into seven or eight pieces mid-air!

His right hand, which had gripped the blade, was fractured, blood streaming from his palm.

Zhang Songxi, Yuu Lianzhou, and the others, who hadn't yet acted, were instantly dumbstruck.

Soong Yuanqiao's sword had been shattered in a single encounter? He couldn't withstand even one move? What kind of demon was Lin Yuanjian?

"How can this be? Hero Song's martial arts are nearly a match for our master's. How could he..." Bei Jinyi gasped, her hand covering her red lips in disbelief.

"Hero Song must have been momentarily careless," Ding Minjun consoled herself.

"Mr. Wuji is truly fortunate to have received his guidance," Zhou Zhiruo mused silently.

"Getting distracted in battle is never wise."

Lin Yuanjian's remark snapped Yuu Lianzhou and the rest out of their daze.

Zhang Songxi, closest to Lin Yuanjian, felt a cold shiver down his spine and hastily parried with his sword, retreating swiftly.

But Lin Yuanjian was quicker, meeting Zhang Songxi with another unstoppable, heavy blow.

Bang! The longsword shattered into more than a dozen pieces. Thankfully, Zhang Songxi released his sword in time, sparing himself Soong Yuanqiao's fate.

With their swords destroyed, Soong Yuanqiao and Zhang Songxi's fighting capabilities were severely diminished. The Wudang Sect's esteemed True Martial Seven Section Formation was now in shambles.

Yuu Lianzhou and Yin Liting, frustrated but determined, launched an attack from either side. Lin Yuanjian showed no mercy, reducing their swords to scrap with a couple of swift strikes.

Despite their readiness, they couldn't evade Lin Yuanjian's punishing blows.

Mo Shenggu stood frozen, showing no sign of joining the fray.

Soong Yuanqiao, Yuu Lianzhou, Zhang Songxi, and Yin Liting were pale with shock. Their prized Wudang technique, the True Martial Seven Section Formation, had been dismantled by a mere youth wielding a twig?

It wasn't a failure of their formation, but the sheer might of their adversary!

Such a forceful and direct defeat of the formation was likely unparalleled across the world.

At that moment, Soong Yuanqiao and the others were consumed by a mix of emotions. Had the times truly changed? Were the youth of today so formidable?

"Wuji, do you intend to concede defeat without a fight?" Lin Yuanjian looked towards Zhang Wuji, who wore a knowing smile. The young man had likely anticipated the ease with which he would break the formation.

"Please enlighten me, Master," Zhang Wuji said, tossing his sword aside and darting towards Lin Yuanjian with the swiftness of lightning, his palms thundering with force.

Lin Yuanjian calmly met his charge, palms raised.

Boom! Their palms collided with a sound that echoed like a meteorite crashing to earth.

A terrifying shockwave spread rapidly in all directions, the ground trembling and cracking as the courtyard buildings crumbled amidst the thunderous noise.

Soong Yuanqiao and the others quickly shielded the immobilized Yuu Daiyan, while Ding Minjun, Bei Jinyi, and Zhou Zhiruo frantically dodged the debris. The courtyard was engulfed in a cloud of dust.

When the dust settled and their eyes returned to the center of the courtyard, words failed to capture the shock that gripped their hearts.

The intense Genuine Qi radiated like a wildfire, compelling everyone to instinctively retreat several steps.

Lin Yuanjian and Zhang Wuji's palms met in a clash of titanic auras, as if two mountain peaks had risen within the courtyard.

"Wuji's inner strength is incredibly deep!" Yuu Lianzhou marveled.

"Seems our Master has the upper hand, though," Mo Shenggu observed.

Yuu Lianzhou added, "Wuji is truly fortunate to have such a teacher."

"This could be a boon for the martial arts community," Zhang Songxi mused. "Should they ally with the six major sects, the downfall of the Devil Cult could be imminent."

Soong Yuanqiao gave a wry smile. "We were soundly defeated, and justly so."

Yuu Daiyan gasped for air, "He's simply too formidable. Aside from our Master, there may be no one in the world who can match him."

"I just hope he's on the side of righteousness," Yuu Lianzhou remarked. "Otherwise, this is not a blessing for the martial arts world, but a curse."

Zhang Wuji had sought to gauge the gap between his abilities and his master's, but he quickly realized they were incomparable.

How could the faint glow of rotting grass hope to outshine the moon's luminous splendor?

In the martial arts realm, practitioners cultivate true qi. Even Zhang Wuji, who had mastered the flawless Nine Yang True Scripture, was no exception. Earthly martial arts, no matter how extraordinary, could not lead one to immortality.

Lin Yuanjian, however, was an exception. He practiced the supreme Primordial Heavenly Scripture, cultivating not mere true qi, but the true essence unique to Immortals—a more advanced form of energy of the finest quality.

In essence, pitting martial artists against Immortal cultivators? Pure fantasy.

"Master, Wuji concedes," Zhang Wuji admitted with resignation. "Even with another hundred years of training, I couldn't reach one-tenth of Master's prowess." Despite this, he wasn't disheartened; his current strength already set him apart in the martial arts world.

Lin Yuanjian responded curtly, "Enough with the flattery."

In a synchronized move, both masters withdrew their power, leaving nothing but a ravaged landscape in their wake.

Lin Yuanjian offered a respectful fist salute and a smile to Soong Yuanqiao and the others, "I appreciate the leniency."

"We accept our defeat wholeheartedly," Soong Yuanqiao said, casting a glance at Ding Minjun and the other onlookers, his admission of defeat both gracious and candid.

Yet, the fact that he couldn't vindicate his son, Soong Qingshu, and instead got a taste of his own medicine from the opponent left Soong Yuanqiao feeling rather frustrated.