Upon realizing this, he intently observed the three old men, and in passing, also glanced at the remaining four grey-robed elders.

Their skin appeared remarkably smooth, and their hair seemed as though dusted with a layer of white frost, not every strand having turned completely white.

Thus, they did not exude an aged feeling, making one perceive them as merely a little over sixty, having just passed their prime.

Yet, if they were indeed only around sixty years old, how could their refined essence qi be so pure?

He had encountered many top-tier masters before, possessing genuine experience and understanding of the purity of essence qi.

The purity of essence qi correlated with one's cultivation technique and realm, and even more so with the passage of time.

Circulating essence qi a hundred times differed from circulating it a thousand times, and naturally, it differed even more from circulating it ten thousand times.

A fifty-year-old master and a hundred-year-old master were entirely distinct; their essence qi felt different upon contact.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump..."

Lam Phi Duong's palms clashed with those of the other three grey-robed elders.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang..."

Pho Thanh Ha's sword engaged with the four grey-robed elders.

The sounds reverberated incessantly, one after another.

For a time, they managed to hold their own. Without resorting to their ultimate moves, Lam Phi Duong and Pho Thanh Ha had no means to slay all seven of them.

The seven elders, for their part, were also momentarily powerless to counter-kill Lam Phi Duong and Pho Thanh Ha. The latter two were simply too fast; any misstep would expose an opening for their opponents to exploit.

Lam Phi Duong and Pho Thanh Ha were in no hurry to unleash their ultimate techniques.

Such top-tier masters were rarely encountered, and they served perfectly to temper oneself. Continuous, effortless advancement might not lead to a solid foundation.

Without a firm foundation, taking the next step would prove even more challenging.

"Heh heh..." Tu Thanh La suddenly appeared atop the forest, treading lightly on a pine tree branch, swaying with the night wind.

Clad in a verdant robe with flowing sleeves, her beautiful face adorned with a smile, she giggled and asked, "Uncle Lam, Uncle Pho, do you need a hand?"

"No need!" Lam Phi Duong hastily called out, "Little Thanh La, don't intervene!"

Tu Thanh La shook her head, smiling, "Uncle Lam, are you worried I'll be a hindrance, or that they might harm me?"

Lam Phi Duong replied, "They are indeed tough opponents; don't get involved."

"Am I truly no match for them?" Tu Thanh La inquired.

"None of you are their match," Lam Phi Duong stated bluntly.

Throughout this exchange, his palms continuously clashed with the three grey-robed elders.

A fierce wind howled, sweeping up surrounding dirt, sand, and withered leaves, causing them to swirl and dance around the combatants, forming a whirlwind.

The four of them were situated within the eye of this whirlwind.

Tu Thanh La smiled, looking towards Chu Duong and Chu Vu who had appeared beside her, and chuckled, "Otherwise, shall we go down and try?"

Chu Duong hesitated.

He could tell that these seven grey-robed elders were formidable.

Although the three of them had consumed Thien Van Quả, significantly boosting their movement techniques and quickening their attack and reaction speeds,

they were still no match for them.

If they were to join the fray, it was unlikely they could alter the situation. Watching silently, however, inadvertently created a deterrent, offering greater aid to Lam Phi Duong and Pho Thanh Ha.

Chu Vu softly said, "Let's go down and try, to help Uncle Lam."

Tu Thanh La looked at Chu Duong, "Junior Brother Chu, did you hear that?!"

"...Alright." Chu Duong had no choice but to nod.

The trio descended from the treetops, gracefully gliding towards Lam Phi Duong. Under Lam Phi Duong's disapproving gaze, they lunged towards the three grey-robed elders.

The three grey-robed elders paid no heed to their three-pronged assault, meeting their attacks with fists and palms. Immediately, "thump, thump" sounds rang out ceaselessly.

"Whoosh!" A cold gleam flashed, and with a soft cry, Tu Thanh La suddenly drew a long sword from her sleeve.

This long sword appeared no different from an ordinary blade, yet its body shone like snow, exuding dense cold energy.

"Clang..." One grey-robed elder's palm turned slightly black, as if transforming into hardened iron, meeting the sword tip and blocking it.

Instantly, "Whoosh!" A sound rang out as the sword tip pierced through the grey-robed elder's palm, then twisted and spun before being withdrawn.

"Whoosh――!" A jet of blood followed, gushing outwards.

The grey-robed elder retracted his palm and retreated, while the remaining two turned to face Tu Thanh La.

The injured grey-robed elder swiftly pressed two acupuncture points on his wrist, staunching the gushing blood.

Beneath the blood, his pale white bone was now exposed.

Gritting his teeth, he cast a glance at Tu Thanh La.

He had absolute confidence in his palm techniques; only divine weapons coupled with pure essence qi could break his defenses.

He had never expected that this seemingly ordinary young girl before him not only wielded a precious sword but also possessed a cultivation technique that allowed her to channel extremely pure essence qi to power it.

Of course, he didn't know this was the Thien Tru Divine Sword, and Tu Thanh La had cultivated it to an extremely profound level, naturally giving it astonishing power.

"Well done!" Lam Phi Duong praised, "Little Thanh La, excellent swordplay! Do it again! Do it again!"

Tu Thanh La, however, retracted her long sword, slipping it into her sleeve where it vanished without a trace, as if it had never been drawn.

Although she had sheathed it in her sleeve, the threat remained, and was perhaps even greater for the three grey-robed elders.

The less she drew her sword, the more wary they had to be, guarding cautiously against a sudden, unexpected sneak attack.

Furthermore, one grey-robed elder was injured, which had a considerable impact.

That one hand could no longer participate in the fight.

With one side reduced and the other bolstered, they were still able to endure; five palms met eight, yet they surprisingly did not fall into a disadvantaged position.

Tu Thanh La and her companions secretly clicked their tongues in awe.

Indeed, these old fellows dispatched by Dai Van at this time lived up to their reputation; their cultivation was formidable, their internal force profound, and their combat experience rich.

She turned her head to look around, then at the three grey-robed elders, who seemed to possess three heads and six arms due to their intense movements, and shook her head.

"Little Thanh La, why are you shaking your head?" Lam Phi Duong asked.

Tu Thanh La replied, "I was just thinking how far we lag behind Master. When Master dealt with them before, he settled it in a single move."

"The abbot, ah..." Lam Phi Duong mused, "With his divine abilities, Buddhist incantations, and martial arts intertwined, he is naturally unstoppable."

He glanced at Du Bach Linh, who was leaning against a tree root, and shook his head, "These fellows are indeed formidable, but to contend with the abbot, that's just overestimating themselves."

A divine light gradually brightened in Du Bach Linh's eyes, indicating a rapid recovery.

Although Lam Phi Duong's palm force was potent, it wasn't fatal to Du Bach Linh. Even with severe injuries, under his unique recovery technique, he was still recuperating swiftly.

Hearing them discuss Phap Khong, Du Bach Linh's eyes flickered, and he clamped his mouth shut, lest he curse aloud.

He felt that Phap Khong relied on sneak attacks; if it were a fair fight without such tactics, Phap Khong might not necessarily triumph over the four of them.

"Uncle Lam, use your ultimate move," Tu Thanh La urged, "They are about to unleash theirs; we should act first."

Lam Phi Duong suddenly transformed into six phantom figures. Tu Thanh La, Chu Duong, and Chu Vu also simultaneously activated their secret techniques, pushing their movement skills to the limit.

In an instant, over a dozen figures simultaneously lunged towards the three grey-robed elders.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump..." Amidst dull thuds, the four of them were once again sent flying, unable to contend with the three grey-robed elders.

Their grey robes fluttered and trembled, as if inflated, and their entire aura rapidly surged, like three towering mountains suddenly rising from the ground.

"Master!" Tu Thanh La hastily cried out.

Phap Khong was already standing by the tree roots, precisely beside Du Bach Linh. However, Du Bach Linh was only staring at the center of the fray and had not noticed Phap Khong's presence.

Only when he sensed Tu Thanh La's gaze was amiss did Du Bach Linh hurriedly turn his head, discovering Phap Khong standing right beside him.

He gasped in surprise, leaping back to appear behind three trees, his eyes blazing with cold light as he chillingly uttered, "Phap! Khong!"

Phap Khong calmly glanced at him and spoke in a warm tone, "Sirs, will you cease your struggle now and return with me, or will you do so after suffering grievous injuries?"

His voice was calm and not loud, yet it clearly entered everyone's ears, making it impossible to disregard.

"Arrogant!" Chu Thien Phong coldly sneered, "Do you truly believe you can stop us with just you and these puny bugs?"

Phap Khong ignored him, his gaze sweeping over the six grey-robed elders who were still fighting, finally resting on Du Bach Linh, "You have all lived to this age, which is no easy feat. Why bury your lives here?... This time, I will kill without hesitation, not as leniently as before."

He chuckled, "Your feigned death was indeed excellent, but it has a fatal flaw: if after killing you, your heads are displayed, your feigned death would become true death."

Chu Thien Phong scoffed, "Phap Khong, no matter how great your abilities, you cannot detain us. If you don't want them to die, then step aside."

"Alas――!" Phap Khong shook his head, "Very well, if it has come to this, I can only kill you all."

He formed hand seals, activating the Body Restraining Incantation.

The next moment, all seven grey-robed elders almost entirely froze.

The power invoked by the Body Restraining Incantation was divided into seven streams by him, each pouring into one of the seven individuals, causing them to stiffen.

This momentary stiffness was enough.

The next instant, all seven were struck by palms, or swords, and fell to the ground.

Even with Chu Thien Phong and his companions' profound palm techniques, under the influence of the restraining spell, they were still unable to resist the palm forces of Lam Phi Duong and Tu Thanh La, and Pho Thanh Ha's sword.

Phap Khong calmly stated, "Seal their acupuncture points and bring them back."

"Understood," Tu Thanh La crisply replied.

Du Bach Linh stood beside a pine tree, his expression shifting erratically. He knew the wisest course of action was to surrender, yet emotion compelled him to seek an opportunity to escape.

Phap Khong turned and looked towards him.

Du Bach Linh's face darkened; he knew there was no escaping. No matter how fast he was, he could not possibly outrun Phap Khong's Divine Speed ability.

His figure remained fixed in place; he did not attempt to flee.

Phap Khong calmly and gently said, "Senior Du, let us return to the Kim Cuong Tu Ngoai Vien together, and chat along the way."

"What is there for us to discuss?" Du Bach Linh said coldly.

Nevertheless, he lightly walked over to Phap Khong's side.

Phap Khong extended a hand, "Please."

He floated forward, with Du Bach Linh following. At a glance, Du Bach Linh showed no sign of being coerced.

Yet, he felt an unusual sense of vexation.

Phap Khong calmly stated, "Senior Du, you are a master from Don Thien Cac, aren't you?"

"...That is correct," Du Bach Linh replied in a deep voice.

The two glided over the treetops, bathed in moonlight, floating southward. Yet, to return to the Imperial Capital, they should have headed east.

Du Bach Linh sensed something was amiss but did not question it further.

Phap Khong said, "The iron plaques of your Don Thien Cac are quite enigmatic. I wonder which master crafted them?"

Du Bach Linh immediately looked at him with wariness.

Phap Khong smiled, "Senior Du, do you believe I cannot discern who crafted them?"

"Hmph," Du Bach Linh lightly snorted, remaining silent.

Even if Phap Khong could discover it, he certainly wouldn't learn it from him. This was a secret among secrets, absolutely not to be revealed.

Phap Khong raised his eyes to look into the distance, letting out a sigh, "Don Thien Cac, by its very name, implies seclusion from the world; it should not meddle in such affairs."

Du Bach Linh retorted coldly, "Phap Khong, you are but an outsider, yet are you not also meddling in the affairs of the Dai Can Imperial Family?!"

May this tale of cultivation find favor with all who journey through truyen.free's exclusive insights.