Li Yuanba saw from afar that the sky above Qianren Mountain was filled with various types of flying boats, as this conflict between two superpowers drew many cultivators to come and observe.
For Luanyang Palace and Da Leiyin Temple, this was a matter of face, but for the numerous onlooking cultivators, this was a grand event where they could witness battles among powerful cultivators, which was of great benefit to them.
"Itās Senior Li Yuanba from Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!"
"Why is he here?"
"Which side is he here to help?"
"Is there even a need for a fight? Whichever side he stands on, wouldnāt that side be certain to win?"
When Li Yuanbaās flying boat arrived, a cultivator recognized his identity from the marks on the boat, leading to various discussions.
Over the years, Li Yuanba had become the idol of almost all young cultivators, now known as the number one below the Great Power.
Due to Li Shimingās deeds of slaying Great Power Leng Luo and the avatar of Great Power Luo Yuan, which hadnāt been spread, Li Yuanba, with his achievement of slaying a half-step Great Power, was still ranked ahead of Li Shiming.
"Mr. Li, long time no see, how come it feels like you are showing signs of a breakthrough?" The Phoenix Palace Master personally came to greet Li Yuanba, and asked in surprise upon seeing him.
She was indeed surprised. If it could be said that Li Yuanbaās swift advancement to the Peak Great Cultivator Realm could be explained by consuming Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, reducing cultivation time,
Then, when signs of a breakthrough appear after reaching the Peak Great Cultivator Realm, it cannot be achieved through consuming Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures; it requires certain insights into oneās cultivation rules.
Thereās simply no shortcut, entirely relying on oneās long-term accumulation.
"Feng Xianzi, arenāt you also showing signs of a breakthrough?" Li Yuanba replied with a smile.
He also sensed a breakthrough aura from the Phoenix Palace Master. It was this mutual nearing breakthrough stage that allowed both to notice each otherās condition.
"Iāve been at the Peak Great Cultivator Realm for eight hundred years!" The Phoenix Palace Master said with a bitter shake of her head.
Li Yuanba was briefly speechless, unsure of what to say. Should he state that he spent less than a hundred years to reach what she took eight hundred years of hard cultivation to achieve?
"Iām here to welcome you, letās not talk outside!" The Phoenix Palace Master lightly laughed, shaking her head as she gestured for Li Yuanba to accompany her.
On the eastern side of Qianren Mountainās summit, a tent set up to resemble a palace in Luanyang Palaceās style was erected.
To the west was a Buddha Hall, without needing to be said, it was Da Leiyin Templeās gathering place.
Following the Phoenix Palace Master into the palace-like tent, Li Yuanba saw Master Ren Mu and other familiar Peak Great Cultivators, including two female cultivators, apparently the representatives for Luanyang Palace in this battle.
With himself and the Phoenix Palace Master, they made up a total of five cultivators.
"Mr. Li, seeing you here relieves my worries, you can go up first, saving me the trouble!" Master Ren Mu stood up smiling upon seeing Li Yuanba.
Having witnessed Li Yuanbaās strength, he understood the gap between Li Yuanba and other Peak Great Cultivators.
"Mr. Ren, youāre just joking; Iāll only do my best!" Li Yuanba said, waving his hand.
The two female cultivators came forward to salute, and Li Yuanba returned the courtesy.
"Normally, once Da Leiyin Temple sees Mr. Li, they would concede voluntarily!" The Phoenix Palace Master remarked with a smile.
She had invited Li Yuanba without being completely sure he would come.
Throughout these decades, Li Yuanba had been in seclusion, nowhere to be seen in the Cultivation World.
Li Yuanba accepting the invitation made her very happy indeed.
In truth, the conflict between Luanyang Palace and Da Leiyin Temple had long transcended any personal grievances, morphing into a struggle for face between two superpowers.
Previously, Da Leiyin Temple had been part of an encirclement against Li Yuanba, resulting in the slaying of Peak Great Venerable Ming Hai, and the loss of the treasured āThunder Sound Bellā, severely affecting Da Leiyin Templeās reputation.
In recent decades, Da Leiyin Temple had been striving to regain its reputation.
In the shortest time, Da Leiyin Temple nurtured a new Peak Great Venerable, with Great Master Ming Feng leading this struggle.
At that moment, Great Master Ming Feng was inside the Buddha Hall on the western peak.
The Buddha Hall was a portable spatial treasure capable of being contracted and carried.
Great Master Ming Fengās gaze fell upon the other four in the Buddha Hall, including two assisting cultivators at the Peak Great Cultivator level, and the others were Da Leiyin Temple Great Venerables, just slightly below Peak Great Venerable in strength.
This distribution followed the rules, with mostly faction cultivators and a few assistant cultivators.
Yet Great Master Ming Feng never expected Luanyang Palace could invite Li Yuanba, a figure of such great influence.
When it came to Li Yuanba, he felt unsure whether to harbor hatred or gratitude.
Without Li Yuanba, Great Master Ming Feng might not have received such priority attention from Da Leiyin Temple, with valuable resources aiding his cultivation to the Peak Great Venerable level.
However, Li Yuanba managed to trample Da Leiyin Temple underfoot, tarnishing the reputation built over countless years.
"Bodhisattva, how should Ming Feng proceed since Luanyang Palace has invited Li Yuanba?" Great Master Ming Feng entered a room within the Buddha Hall and used an Identity Jade Disc to contact a Bodhisattva from Da Leiyin Temple.
He contemplated abandoning the fight, but doing so would ruin Da Leiyin Templeās reputation.
He hesitated greatly, though before setting out, a Bodhisattva from Da Leiyin Temple had specially instructed him, so he reached out for guidance when faced with difficulty.
"Thereās no room for retreat; activate the āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā, and seize this opportunity to restore Da Leiyin Templeās prestige using Li Yuanba!" The Bodhisattva soon responded.
Great Master Ming Feng was overjoyed, due to the unexpected fall of Great Venerable Ming Hai, and for safety reasons, they brought along the āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā this time.
But engaging the āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā required approval from a Bodhisattva of Da Leiyin Temple, as it was a profound, undisclosed secret.
Evidently, to reclaim the templeās honor, the Bodhisattva was willing to publicly reveal the āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā.
Instantly, Great Master Ming Feng was filled with hope for the battle, disbelieving that Li Yuanba could defeat the āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā.
The āGolden Bodhisattva Protectorā was forged using the golden body of a fallen Half-step Bodhisattva, and refined through the secret techniques of the Buddhist sect.
It was essentially another application of Corpse Refining, but the Yin Cold Energy was neutralized by the secret Buddhist techniques, leaving no trace of its aura.
Within the hall, the expressions on the faces of the two Peak Great Cultivators and two Great Venerables became extremely serious upon hearing of Li Yuanbaās involvement with Luanyang Palace.
Especially those Peak Great Cultivators invited to assist, originally having nothing to do with the matter, being invited guests by Da Leiyin Temple.
Yet, to fight Li Yuanba for Da Leiyin Temple, they were truly unwilling.
Who was Li Yuanba? In a single battle, he had slain thirty-one Great Cultivators, including four Peak Great Cultivators, with the Cultivation World verifying his achievements of slaying a half-step Great Power.
No cultivator desired to become such an enemy.
According to some analysis by enthusiasts in the Cultivation World, defeating Li Yuanba would require at least ten Peak Great Cultivators working together, and to kill him, the number needed to increase tenfold.
Yet across the Cultivation World, or at least this continentās Cultivation World, even the combined total of Peak Great Cultivators didnāt reach one hundred.
Thus, the possibility of killing Li Yuanba was extremely low, and even defeating him was no easy feat.
Within the hall, among the five cultivators, there were also two Great Venerables nearing the Peak Realm, whose battle strength amounted to almost nothing against Li Yuanba.