A cloud of dust fell from the roof, stirring up a thick haze. The entire Ye family hall suddenly grew gloomy. Between the Thousand-Faced Demon and Meng Qi and others, it seemed as if countless ghosts were wandering, wailing, and cursing, with chilling winds rising from all directions, making people feel frozen in fear.
The Evil Calamity in Meng Qi’s hand crackled with chaotic lightning, halting the cold winds and dispelling the haze.
Although he hadn’t changed clothes, the palm imprint on his back had already healed. Unless one fully activated the Golden Bell Cover, no one could detect anything amiss. At most, they might think Tang Erlang had well-developed, symmetrical muscles and immense strength, explaining why his swordplay leaned toward the fierce and powerful style.
Wang Zai solemnly and sternly declared, “How can heretics and evil ways claim divinity in this world!”
It seemed as if an invisible aura surged from the crown of his head, filling the space around him with righteous and immense energy. This made him appear solemn and benevolent, dignified and strong, as if he represented the righteous force between heaven and earth, upholding laws and principles, and eliminating discord!
With one sword slash, straightforward and majestic, all the myriad changes and techniques melted into unchanging principles, suppressing opponents with sheer momentum and righteousness.
Where the Sword of Upholding Righteousness struck, evil spirits dispersed, unseen ghosts vanished, and the oppressive gloom lifted. The once-shadowed Ye family hall grew brighter, and the distance between the Thousand-Faced Demon and the others seemed to shrink.
“Truly worthy of being the ultimate Confucian cultivation technique, the Qi of Righteousness…” Meng Qi sighed in admiration. If he were to face Wang Zai’s sword strike directly, he would have to go all out. Since the Solitary Sword Nine had no counter to momentum, he would have to use the “Celestial Saber Principles” and all his true Qi to perform “Severing Purity” or “Falling into the Mortal World,” countering righteous energy with the schemes of the human heart and ghostly intrigues. Fortunately, with the Deathless Seal Art, his true Qi remained at its peak, so he wasn’t afraid of such consumption.
Of course, this was only Wang Zai’s opening sword strike. It was likely not his ultimate technique. If Meng Qi were to fight him, he would have no choice but to unleash his Exotic Realm sword intent.
Meng Qi didn’t just stand idly by. Following Wang Zai’s lead, he raised the Evil Calamity, and thunderous lightning crackled. With a single slash—direct, powerful, and ferocious—he struck down without any flourish or unnecessary variation.
At the same moment, Tang Ren launched a flank assault, unleashing the Canglan technique, which appeared to morph into cascading waves, surging relentlessly toward the Thousand-Faced Demon. From the opposite side, Huang Zhiqing delivered a powerful right punch, unleashing gale-force winds and crackling thunderbolts. The table behind the Thousand-Faced Demon exploded with a resounding crash, pulverized by the sheer force of the punch’s shockwave.
This was the “Storm-Fist,” one of the Exotic Realm martial arts bestowed by the Jin imperial family as a reward!
After becoming a constable, Huang Zhiqing repeatedly accomplished remarkable feats, and his strength grew rapidly. Upon opening all nine apertures and attaining the rank of senior officer, he traveled to the capital to report to the chief constable and the reigning emperor. In recognition of his achievements, the emperor bestowed upon him the “Storm-Fist,” ensuring he would no longer lack the means to unlock the mystic pass between life and death or the pathway connecting the inner and outer realms. Deeply grateful, Huang Zhiqing pledged unwavering loyalty to the court and the emperor.
Upon opening the nine orifices, the “Storm Fist” would unleash an intensely condensed surge of true Qi, infused with thunder and lightning. Upon impact, it would detonate, leaving weaker adversaries utterly obliterated beyond recognition.
Qi Zhengyan, holding the dragon-patterned crimson-gold sword, did not fully unleash his power, lagging slightly behind to cover the others.
Although his Four Apertures strength had demonstrated astonishing combat power during the Flower Moon Mansion incident, no one had actually witnessed it firsthand. In the minds of Wang Zai and Tang Ren, it was better for him not to engage directly, lest the Thousand-Faced Demon—an evil deity—take advantage of him and cause interference.
The Thousand-Faced Demon’s forehead split open, revealing an even more sinister and eerie vertical eye, tinged with a faint crimson hue. A surge of green light erupted, coalescing into an arrow aimed directly at Wang Zai.
His mental assault was no longer just continuous waves but could also highly concentrate into an arrow, sharper and more terrifying!
The green arrow flickered and shimmered, not resembling a physical object, rapidly approaching Wang Zai, seemingly about to bypass the Sword of Upholding Righteousness and strike his body.
Just at this moment, the mental arrow suddenly slowed, as if Wang Zai were truly surrounded by a vast and righteous aura, blocking its advance!
Wang Zai twisted his sword and slashed it onto the green light. The overwhelming and majestic energy pressed down, causing all impure forces to dissipate.
Flecks of green light scattered into the air.
The Righteous Qi could even fend off spiritual assaults—it was truly formidable, worthy of being a family’s core cultivation technique… Meng Qi didn’t linger on this thought for long, as the swirling black mist around the Thousand-Faced Demon suddenly surged upward, forming a massive hand that reached for the Evil Calamity.
Meng Qi immersed his mind, activated the Deathless Seal Art, and partially perceived the trajectory of the black mist’s flow and transformation.
Evil Calamity, akin to divine retribution, absorbed all surrounding air currents and life force. Crackling electricity and azure lightning surged forth, striking the black mist hand with an overwhelmingly fierce and yang-infused power.
Crackling!
The lightning shattered the black mist, and the long saber followed the weak points, cleaving the giant hand into two.
As Meng Qi and Wang Zai faced the Thousand-Faced Demon directly, his right fist, crackling with silver-white lightning, intercepted Canglan, while his left hand blazed with black flames, clashing from a distance against the Storm Fist.
Boom!
Thunder and lightning exploded, black flames spread everywhere. A beam between the two combatants snapped with a crack, immediately catching black flame and silently turning into ashes.
Their fists finally collided. Explosions rang out continuously at the point of impact. Huang Zhiqing used the Storm-Fist’s true Qi to adhere to the Thousand-Faced Demon’s inner power, making it hard for him to focus elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Canglan cut through the electric light from the left hand, gradually closing in.
With the evil god by his side, the Thousand-Faced Demon was already in mortal peril after just one exchange under the combined onslaught of the four mighty warriors!
Suddenly, the flesh beneath the Thousand-Faced Demon’s armpits writhed, and two thick, inhuman black arms shot out, covered in blood and exposed skin, striking Huang Zhiqing and Tang Ren respectively.
These arms were not only thick but also long—nearly the length of a long saber plus three more arms!
Huang Zhiqing and Tang Ren flew backward, spitting blood. Fortunately, their protective Qi prevented serious injury.
With four arms closing in, Meng Qi and Wang Zai found their techniques exhausted. Each swung their weapons and leapt aside, using the momentum.
Although the Thousand-Faced Demon was stronger than before, the two of them weren’t overly fearful, considering this merely a warm-up.
“Haha, this is the power of a god!” The Thousand-Faced Demon laughed, wielding two long and two short arms—two black and two white.
Outside, a group rushed in—Tang, Wan, and Ling clans had arrived. The swordsmen and spear-wielders who had participated in hunting Meng Qi rushed ahead. Even though they had been deceived by their clan leaders into joining the hunt, they had indeed taken part. During the Huanhua Sword Sect’s confrontation, no heretics or evil doers would cover for them. Therefore, they were eager to kill the evil demon to atone and redeem themselves.
“Since you’re all here, die together!” The Thousand-Faced Demon’s expression twisted with bloodthirsty delight.
Although he had not yet broken through, the power of the evil god had grown, manifesting in his physical form. In addition to the vertical eye, two extra long arms had appeared.
Clang, clang, clang! The mob came pouring in. The Thousand-Faced Demon seized the levitating Purple Woe (Zi Shang) before him with all four arms, wrenching it from the blood-soaked earth, and swung it savagely toward the charging crowd.
Radiant crimson, sword Qi surged. The roof sensed its sharpness and cracked open. Tiles and beams continuously fell, all cleanly sliced, smooth as a mirror!
“Not good!” Tang Ren ignored his energy depletion, brandished Canglan, and unleashed a towering black wave—massive as ten thousand jin—that surged toward the Thousand-Faced Demon like a raging tide. The ground tiles shattered in its wake, and the very void trembled.
A Wan clan elder narrowed his eyes, thrusting a crimson spear forward. Countless spear shadows filled the sky like flames spreading rapidly, burning through layers of corpses and ground tiles.
An elder from the Ling family, sword drawn and mounted, roared loudly, slashing downward. The entire roof collapsed, clouds rolling like an overturned sky, pressing down as if no one could withstand it.
With precious weapons clashing, Meng Qi moved swiftly, dodging out of the Ye family hall just in time to witness this sky-splitting slash.
“Different from the ‘Momentum’ essence of the River-Sundering Sword Technique…” Meng Qi observed intently.
Boom!
The entire house collapsed, surrounding walls crumbling. Flames soared, water surged, all bricks, tiles, and beams either burned to ash or crushed into dust. The crimson sword Qi struggled fiercely, piercing through layer after layer, finally vanishing.
Tang Ren staggered backward, while members of the Wan and Ling clans scattered to prevent the demon from escaping.
“Fools! A god never dies!” Suddenly, the Thousand-Faced Demon leapt high, his body rapidly disintegrating, even his white bones turning to dust. A faint, illusory shadow gradually faded.
This sight chilled the hearts of all combatants. Could he revive even like this?
“Search for nearby furnace vessels!” Huang Zhiqing shouted loudly, inwardly adding, and also look for Zi Shang buried in the ruins.
…
In a common courtyard within the city, the Joyful Demoness An walked back and forth with a swaying gait, while beside her sat the quiet Shenxiang.
Suddenly, Shenxiang’s belly swelled, as if she were nearing the end of a ten-month pregnancy.
“Thank goodness there’s a secret passage out of the city…” An sighed in relief.
In the surrounding void, a finger as white and jade-like as ivory suddenly appeared, slowly yet swiftly pressing against Shenxiang’s forehead. A chorus of celestial chants echoed: “Mother of Non-Birth, the Pure Land of the Void!”
Shenxiang smiled peacefully, as if liberated. Her body, along with her swollen abdomen, withered, and threads of blood light flowed into the white finger.
This completely exceeded An’s expectations, leaving her unable to believe her eyes.
“It wasn’t in vain waiting for a few days; I finally managed to kill him.” A voice with a hint of childish allure sounded. A girl in a white dress walked from behind An to face her. Her features were exquisite, indescribable, her aura ethereal yet slightly mischievous.
“Gu Xiaosang…” An’s voice seemed to seep from between her teeth. Her body trembled slightly, wanting to strike or flee, yet she remained motionless as if mesmerized.
“It’s me.” Gu Xiaosang replied cheerfully. “Originally, I was just following a member of the Su Nu Sect into Huan Prefecture, not expecting anything else. But when I passed through Yicheng, I sensed turbulent undercurrents, so I delayed half a day to observe. I discovered this fellow brimming with yin and evil qi. Truly, after searching high and low without success, it came effortlessly.”
She gracefully squatted down, touching Shenxiang’s body.
“What, what are you doing?” An, suppressing her fear, asked gravely.
Gu Xiaosang didn’t even lift her head, unconcerned about An possibly attacking from behind. “Doing what my child’s father loves most—searching for loot.”
“Child… you have a child?” As a woman, An’s focus seemed oddly misplaced.
Gu Xiaosang lifted her delicate face, her expression saintly and serious. “Not yet, but I will eventually. Calling him the child’s father early will help him get used to it.”
She suddenly smiled. “I knew he had a Reincarnation Talisman. It wasn’t in vain that I kept searching for him.”
She slowly stood, smiling at An. “Have you heard of the Reincarnation Talisman?”
“No.” An shook her head warily.
Gu Xiaosang’s smile was faint, her eyes like a deep pool—seemingly clear, yet unfathomable. “Then you may leave. Go tell the Phantom Extinguishing Demon Lord that my sect’s Lamp-Bearer Divine Envoy wishes to cooperate with him. If he agrees, he can go to the Anjin Pavilion in Ye Capital and buy a jin of Eight-Petaled Bitter Orchid.”
An steadied herself and asked, “Is the Thousand-Faced truly dead?”
“Of course. Interrupting the Evil God’s revival while it is reanimating Yin Spirits will cause the Evil God to lose control, devouring the Yin Spirits. I tested this with four failed Evil God envoys from my sect, and every one was accurate.” Gu Xiaosang chuckled lightly, then suddenly paused, placing her finger on her lips, whispering, “Oops, they might have a lost-control Evil God over there…”
She quickly regained her composure, smiling brightly once more: “Anyway, there are so many treasured weapons over there…”
…
Flames engulfed everything as many elders and guests scattered in different directions, while others persisted in their search for Zi Shang.
Meng Qi was among them when suddenly, he noticed the crimson flames tinged with a sinister shade of green!
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