Walking within a scene from the past on Cloudy Peak, Dou Mian suddenly erupted, charging forward with his blade.

It was because the wandering old man in the bamboo hat and raincoat had approached the leftmost white-robed acolyte.

Only the cloud-patterned token in that acolyte’s hand was the sole tangible object in this illusory scene! And naturally, it was their objective for this trip, a crucial artifact to be seized.

The roaring blade intent surged like a tempestuous dragon, pulverizing everything in its path.

The wandering old man seemed to have no time to react, as he was overwhelmed by the blade’s edge.

From beginning to end, Dou Mian maintained an unshakable confidence. Even if that Jiao Xiong was arrogant and overbearing, even if that Dugu Wudi annihilated Jiao Xiong with a single sword strike.

He was the proud paragon of the mighty Chu Kingdom, and he held decadent nations like Yong in utter contempt. Small kingdoms like Yun, no matter how wealthy, were nothing more than fat, delectable prey.

To kill Jiao Xiong, he wouldn’t need a second strike!

As for the mysterious wandering old man?

A skulking rat not even worth as much attention as Dugu Wudi. Even if he possessed true strength, Dou Mian wouldn’t even deign to glance at him.

Splitting all obstacles, cleaving through the residual imagery of the past, the Heavenfield Blade descended!

A single strike separating heaven and earth, life and death, that was the Heavenfield!

Where the blade mark passed…

The “severed” crowd resumed their original forms, continuing their conversations and pleasantries in another dimension.

Only the wandering old man, the sole real adversary in this scene, stood frozen.

The bamboo hat shattered, the raincoat split in two.

Revealing an aged man with a face full of wrinkles and snow-white hair!

He was truly ancient, his skin withered and loose, his eyes dim and cloudy, his face even marked with age spots.

Yet the Heavenfield Blade halted before his forehead, stopped by an aged finger, unable to advance even an inch!

The wind stirred his white hair as the wandering old man gazed at Dou Mian with those aged eyes, his gaze filled with jealousy and venom, “The magnificent scenery of the Chu Kingdom, is it not enough for you? Must you expend such effort to contend for my inheritance?”

The wandering old man before him was definitely not the appearance of a cultivator under the age of thirty-three, and it was unknown what method he used to bypass the restrictions and enter Cloudy Peak. Even Ye Lingxiao could not accomplish such a feat.

Dou Mian showed no surprise at the blocked strike. From the wandering old man’s solitary arrival at Cloudy Peak, one could discern his confidence. He had long known that the wandering old man’s strength would not be weak; if he was too weak, he wouldn’t have been worth drawing his blade against.

The palace of spiritual passage within him trembled, the inner sanctum roared, the boundless spiritual essence belonging to Dou Mian surged forth, and the Heavenfield Blade’s radiance exploded!

Regardless of who the opponent was, regardless of their nature.

He would use his strength to overwhelm, his strength to slay!

And the wandering old man merely added a second finger.

His aura soared relentlessly.

Initially, outside the Welcome Pavilion, when he used hand seals to trap Dou Mian, Jiang Wang, and Ye Qingyu, the cultivation he revealed was only at the Second Palace stage. Trapping his opponents seemed to be solely due to his exquisite Dao arts.

But now, the Third Palace, the Fourth Palace, the Fifth Palace…

Outer Mansion!

Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, three radiant stellar palaces!

He was, in fact, the cultivator with the highest cultivation on Cloudy Peak at present, having erected three stellar palaces, only one step away from perfection!

Misty clouds swirled as he flicked his two fingers, and Dou Mian was sent flying directly.

The wandering old man did not press his advantage; he reached out to seize the cloud-patterned token from the white-robed acolyte’s hand.

But Dou Mian, still airborne, suddenly shone with golden light.

He indeed only possessed the cultivation of the First Palace, his cultivation far from sufficient. But he had detached the divine ability seed, which resulted in a divine ability inner sanctum.

His foundation was not merely the Heavenfield Blade.

The golden light grew ever brighter, ever more intense, and then instantly retracted.

Dou Mian stood suspended high in the sky, Heavenfield in hand, his body like molten gold. He was majestic and awe-inspiring, radiant and dazzling.

This divine ability was the Battle-Golden Body, an ability that only one Dou Clan member could produce every five hundred years!

It was lauded as “Indestructible like diamond, limitless in battle.”

The divine ability of the Battle-Golden Body was different from the Golden Flesh Jade Essence of the Divine Proximity realm. The Golden Flesh Jade Essence of the Divine Proximity realm manifested as the locking of cultivation, never regressing until death.

But the golden body of the Battle-Golden Body represented absolute defense, terrifying combat potential.

The instant Dou Mian activated his Battle-Golden Body, the wandering old man didn’t hesitate in the slightest, immediately halting his attempt to seize the token and turning back to save himself.

The golden Dou Mian swung his blade, but the wandering old man’s fist arrived on his abdomen first.

The wandering old man’s fist was withered and frail, but when it struck, it arrived before the blade, carrying a terrifying sonic boom.

The Battle-Golden Body lived up to its reputation for powerful defense, not being shattered, yet Dou Mian was still blasted away.

Still flying backward, Dou Mian twisted his body to a stop, not even furrowing his brow. “Old man, is that all the strength you have?”

The Heavenfield Blade came straight on, crushing forward with overwhelming force.

The gigantic and exaggerated blade, arrived with extreme coldness.

This strike was direct and uncompromising.

It was like splitting open the heart, facing the darkness. Like severing distracting thoughts, facing life and death.

The Dou Clan’s secret battle technique, the Battle Seven Styles: Severing Nature, Seeing Self!

“You nobles, born with golden spoons in your mouths… you should mock my lack of strength, my lack of talent!”

The wandering old man’s voice was deep, filled with resentment from who knew where, as he pressed forward with his palm, releasing the “Wind” hand seal. In an instant, wind and clouds surged.

The Heavenfield Blade severed gusts, then met flowing clouds, shattered flowing clouds, then stirred up more gusts… Wind and clouds layered upon each other, undulating like waves, each wave surging and submerging.

The Heavenfield Blade, which should have been unstoppable, was unable to “sever nature” for a time, let alone “see self”. It seemed to be trapped in a bottomless mire, with no way out.

Dou Mian was about to shift his stance.

The wandering old man punched him in the abdomen again, scattering his blade’s momentum and sending him flying far away.

“Ah!”

Dou Mian was enraged, desperately raising his blade again.

Another punch landed!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Punches fell like rain.

For a time, the sound of giant hammers striking iron resounded incessantly across the mountain path. The wandering old man’s withered fist repeatedly pounded Dou Mian, preventing him from even raising his blade’s momentum.

The divine ability inner sanctum was indeed powerful, to some extent, almost another layer above the ordinary inner sanctum. But in general, a First Palace divine ability was weaker than a First Outer Mansion realm. Prodigies like Lei Zhangan, with powerful divine abilities, could only match those without divine abilities in the perfected Outer Mansion realm when they reached the Fifth Palace. Jiang Wang’s reversal of Hai Zongming relied on a comprehensive understanding and targeting, from the environment to the magical artifact to the Dao arts, all meticulously prepared.

And at this moment, Dou Mian and the wandering old man had met on a narrow path.

Dou Mian was a First Palace divine ability user, while the wandering old man was at the Third Outer Mansion realm, with an ancient lineage and profound secret techniques, thus completely overwhelming Dou Mian for a time.

“A mere First Palace, how long can your Battle-Golden Body last? Huh?”

The wandering old man seemed to be burning with anger, unleashing the hatred hidden deep within his heart as he threw punches and roared.

“Did you think I didn’t understand you? Having talent is amazing? Having a family background is amazing?”

“The Spirit Void Palace that I schemed for so long, you just casually took it!”

“That slut Zhong Qin, you discarded her like worn-out shoes!”

“I sacrificed eighty years of my lifespan to be able to suppress you. What did you give up!”

“I wanted to obtain the inheritance and deal with you later. You actually insisted on seeking death now.”

“Then I’ll grant your wish!”

“Let’s see if you die this time!”

“Die! Just die!”