Chapter 288: Chapter 145: The Turmoil of Martial Artists, Ceasing Hostilities and Fostering Benevolence

The middle-aged man’s voice was cold.

"You might be able to stop a few of us, but can you stop everyone?"

The man leaped far away, shouting with a bravado he didn’t feel.

The middle-aged Sword Holder was, of course, Daoist Yun Hao.

Hearing this, Yun Hao narrowed his eyes. In a flash, he appeared at the man’s side. With a SWISH, he jabbed two fingers out, immobilizing him.

"I can’t control what happens to the others, but your opportunity is gone, at least!"

With that said, Yun Hao instantly returned to his original spot, his cold gaze still fixed on the mountain path.

The man stood like a statue on a rocky outcrop, a conspicuous sight.

The others exchanged glances, unsure whether to move or stay put.

They didn’t believe the people of Qingcheng would dare to kill anyone; that would surely provoke public outrage.

But they were afraid of having their pressure points sealed.

If their points were sealed, never mind the question of whether they could be unsealed—even if they could, who would do it for them?

At a time like this, no one would bother with them.

The opportunity would just go to someone else!

While they hesitated, more and more people surged up the mountain. Seeing the few men standing stock-still, the newcomers warily slowed their pace.

"Cross this line, and you’ll end up like him!"

Yun Hao flicked his finger, instantly piercing a small hole in the immobilized man’s clothes.

The man remained silent, his eyes filled with terror and despair.

"Dammit, there are so many of us! What’s there to be afraid of?!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Someone shouted indignantly and led a charge forward.

Instantly, seven or eight of the bolder ones used their Lightweight Skill to dash toward the mountain gate.

They were fast, but Daoist Yun Hao was faster.

In the blink of an eye, just like the man before them, they were all frozen in place.

The rest of the people heading up the mountain were aghast at the sight.

"So fast! He’s a Grandmaster Realm expert!"

Seeing the crowd halt, a cold glint flashed in Yun Hao’s eyes. His figure blurred, and in a few quick steps, he dragged the immobilized men directly onto the mountain path.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed them into a line like chess pieces, perfectly blocking the path.

The people on the path exchanged glances again, their faces twitching.

’This Daoist looks quite handsome, but I didn’t expect him to be so insidious.’

Now, no one dared to move.

Everyone was afraid of being the one to stick their neck out.

They might have stopped, but the people further down the mountain did not.

In just a short while, more than three hundred people had gathered before the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s mountain gate.

"Stop shoving! If you’re so capable, go on up yourself."

"Who are you yelling at? I’ll kill you with a single palm strike!"

"You think I’m afraid of you?!"

The already narrow mountain path became even more congested as the two started to fight.

It was as chaotic as a marketplace.

Just then, a figure leaped onto the mountain path. He was pale-faced and beardless, dressed in a light-colored long shirt, looking like an old master from a Martial Arts Hall.

His figure blurred, and with a wave of his hand, he subdued the two troublemakers.

At the same time, he announced in a loud voice, "Everyone, since we are all here for the opportunity, what can we possibly gain by waiting here?"

"Since it’s an opportunity, why don’t we all charge up together? Even if he has three heads and six arms, how many can he possibly stop?"

"Are you all willing to let this opportunity slip through your fingers?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several more figures shot out from the crowd.

All of them had restrained auras and exceptional Lightweight Skill. They were clearly experts of at least the Yunzhen Realm.

"Yeah, let’s go, everyone!" someone shouted.

Hearing this, the crowd grew eager and restless.

Yun Hao swept a cold gaze over them, and the person who had just shouted quickly shrank back into the crowd, not daring to stand out.

The crowd’s agitation immediately died down again.

SWISH! SWISH!

Just as the crowd was hesitating, dozens of figures suddenly shot toward the Qingcheng Mountain Gate.

"Holy shit, who was that?!"

"Which bastard ambushed me?!"

The figures were flailing and cursing in mid-air. It was obvious they had been seized from behind and thrown.

"Charge!"

Seeing this, the rest of the crowd no longer cared about anything else. Seeing people rush out, they desperately used their Lightweight Skill and scrambled toward the mountain gate.

’There’s safety in numbers,’ they thought. ’Once everyone is inside, we don’t believe the Qingcheng Sword Sect would risk becoming a public enemy and provoking universal anger.’

Yun Hao’s brow furrowed. He quickly used his Lightweight Skill to immobilize the first few, but too many people were charging up. Even if he took them down one by one, he couldn’t stop the frenzied Martial Artists.

And that was despite the defensive line of Qingcheng Disciples behind him.

But the enemy was too numerous; the disciples couldn’t stop many of them.

Meanwhile, a continuous stream of Martial Artists was still flooding toward the mountain gate from below.

OOMMM, WOOOO...

Just then, the mournful sound of a flute arose, its beautiful melody instantly echoing through the clamorous Qingcheng Mountain Gate.

"Ah!"

"What is that sound?!"

The charging Martial Artists clutched their heads and staggered as if drunk.

Within moments, they were rolling on the ground, kicking their legs and thrashing about.

"Guard your heart, circulate your strength, and meditate. Remain unshaken should the heavens fall, serene as a passing cloud!"

Along with the flute, a deep voice, akin to a Secret Transmission, slowly resonated.

Those with profound Inner Strength heard the words and immediately sat cross-legged, silently circulating their Heart Methods.

Once they did, the headaches and dizziness vanished. Instead, they felt a unique energy nourishing their Inner Strength.

With some setting an example, the others who were still struggling immediately followed suit and began to meditate.

And so, fewer and fewer people were rolling on the ground, while more and more were sitting in meditation.

The flute’s melody grew ever more graceful.

When everyone in the area was sitting cross-legged in meditation, with not a single person left resisting, a figure in a blue Daoist Robe floated out from the Daoist Temple, seeming to walk on air.

He held a long flute in his hand, his face handsome and his posture erect. Who else could it be but Zhao Rui!

With Zhao Rui’s appearance, the flute’s music was no longer imbued with the Spirit Charm Skill, leaving only a beautiful melody to drift gracefully before the mountain gate.