Chapter 85: The Buddhist-Daoist Alliance

Countless onlookers watched as the drunken madman was beaten mercilessly by Lian Jiufeng. His situation was pitiful, and many of them couldn't help but feel uneasy.

In the sky, Lian Jiufeng continued to strike the drunken madman. One slap followed another.

The drunken madman's body was battered, his bones shattered, and he was too weak to defend himself.

The scene caused many to frown, murmuring amongst themselves.

"The drunken madman has lost, but why does Lian Jiufeng have to humiliate him like this?"

"Yeah, these repeated slaps—are we supposed to watch as if he's hitting a child?"

"Such a ruthless so-called 'Human God,' with no mercy."

"Drunken Madman came to respectfully ask for guidance. As an elder, you should have just given him a few hits to teach him a lesson. Why go this far?"

The murmurs grew louder as the crowd voiced their concerns. Some righteous bystanders couldn't bear to watch any longer and shouted, "Are you really going to kill him?"

Boom!

Before the words could even fully leave their mouths, Lian Jiufeng pointed a finger at the drunken madman's forehead. His body convulsed violently, and then, like a drifting leaf, he collapsed helplessly to the ground.

The crowd stared in disbelief. Had Lian Jiufeng truly killed the drunken madman?

In the sky, Lian Jiufeng, dressed in a dark robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, saying nothing. The world grew quiet.

It wasn't until the drunken madman hit the ground in front of the Feather Gate that the crowd erupted in an uproar, their eyes filled with anger toward Lian Jiufeng.

The strike had been too much.

However, just as the crowd began to voice their anger, the battered drunken madman slowly rose.

Covered in blood, his limbs shattered, yet he stubbornly stood up, forcing everyone to feel pity.

But to everyone's surprise, the resilient drunken madman bowed deeply to Lian Jiufeng, trembling as he said, "Thank you, Senior, for your guidance. I now realize that my path in martial arts was wrong from the beginning. I strayed from the great way and wandered down a narrow path. If you hadn't broken my bones and wasted my previous path, I would have been lost forever."

Upon hearing this, the crowd was left speechless.

He had been beaten to such an extent, his martial arts path ruined, yet he still apologized?

Lian Jiufeng gazed at the drunken madman, a faint smile forming on his lips. "You're a fine prospect. Though you took the wrong path, it can be corrected."

During their battle, Lian Jiufeng had realized that although the drunken madman followed a path of physical martial arts, the style he practiced was one altered by later generations. It was completely different from the ancient martial arts of the gods and demons.

After the fall of the ancient era and the disappearance of gods and demons, the martial world was left to develop on its own. People adapted, creating a practical form of martial arts, but without the divine influence that had once been the foundation of their training.

The drunken madman had somehow gotten his hands on a martial arts manual from a predecessor, and with his exceptional talent, he managed to carve a path for himself in the new era. But that path was doomed to fail.

Only when he met Lian Jiufeng did he realize the error of his ways.

Lian Jiufeng's martial arts followed the ancient method of imitating the gods and demons, with a powerful force of dragons and elephants stored within his dantian, giving him access to an ancient divine projection.

Upon realizing the drunken madman's problem, Lian Jiufeng, motivated by his appreciation for the man's potential, decided to help him. He destroyed the wrong path the drunken madman had walked, and with each slap, he passed on the divine body refinement technique of the gods and demons.

Because this technique required the practitioner to form a divine projection within their body, the drunken madman couldn't achieve it on his own. So, Lian Jiufeng intervened, shattering the wrong path and gathering the energy needed to create an ancient divine figure that now resided within the drunken madman's brow.

The drunken madman, understanding the necessity of this transformation, accepted it with gratitude. He bowed again and said, "From now on, I will train diligently. I hope to one day follow in your footsteps."

Lian Jiufeng nodded gently. "Go and rest. You'll fully recover in three months, and in that time, you'll make even greater progress."

The drunken madman bowed three times and left without saying another word, dragging his broken body away.

As the setting sun cast long shadows, the drunken madman's figure limped away. Though his body was broken, the crowd could feel his excitement, his happiness, as if he had been reborn.

Meanwhile, standing on a peculiar stone at the Feather Gate, Lian Jiufeng, clad in a dark robe, caught the gazes of countless onlookers. His demeanor was calm, drawing everyone's attention.

In the Holy Land of the Demon Sect, a man dressed in black, with a cold expression, smiled as he said, "I knew it. This person was no match for my master. After ten years, my master's skill has truly reached perfection."

Far in the North Sea, on a solitary island, Yue Dashan gazed toward the Feather Gate and chuckled, "I envy the drunken madman. To receive such personal guidance from my master, his future is limitless."

In the distant Central Plains, in a quiet academy in Jiangnan, an elderly man with a head full of white hair and a frail face stared toward the Feather Gate, murmuring, "If the drunken madman survives, he will surely become a great martial artist. And now, with the guidance of a master, he will overcome this trial."

As for what trial?

Everyone knew exactly what he meant.

They saw the drunken madman leave in haste after expressing his gratitude, afraid that lingering might bring unforeseen dangers. He had many enemies.

When he was strong, these enemies hid in the shadows, too fearful to make a move. But when he was down, they would come out, blades in hand, ready to end his life.

Not to mention the demon tribes in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, who hated the drunken madman with a passion, eager to tear him apart.

Could he afford to stay?

The Feather Gate wouldn't shelter him.

In the southwestern mountains, a qilin with clouds beneath its feet gazed intently, its mane fluttering in the wind, its eyes gleaming with excitement. "This man is powerful. He would make an excellent candidate."

In the South Sea, an injured old dragon furrowed his brow, surprised. "Why is this 'Human God' pursuing both the Soul and Body Refinement paths at the same time?"

"What's most impressive is how well he balances them. The synergy between them is far more powerful than simply adding them together."

"Both Soul and Body Refinement require immense energy. To reach the tenth realm in either is already a tremendous feat, and yet, this man manages both paths with equal success. I know of only one other person who has done so."

"Do you think this person compares to him?"

The old dragon closed his eyes and shook his head. He felt the man was not quite as formidable.

In a peach orchard, a Daoist and a monk had been watching the entire battle. They marveled at Lian Jiufeng's strength but showed no fear. Instead, they were eager to act.

"Brother Dao, our recent exchanges have been fruitful. I've accumulated many insights. These insights now need an opportunity for verification. I must take my leave," said the monk, Wufachan. He was heading for the Feather Gate.

The Peach Blossom Mountain Daoist smiled gently and blocked his path. "You may be powerful on your own, but can you rival the drunken madman?"

Wufachan thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "If I truly fought him to the death, we'd both perish."

"Exactly. You're no match for him on your own," the Daoist replied.

Wufachan looked at the Daoist, confused.

The Daoist smiled softly and said, "If you can't do it alone, what about with my help? We've been exchanging ideas between Buddhism and Daoism for so long. This 'Human God' is a perfect test subject."

Wufachan's eyes brightened. "Then it's settled. The Buddhist-Daoist Alliance will meet this 'Human God'!"