“There they are!” A loud shout echoed from afar.
“Here?” Meng Qi and the others exchanged glances. Could this temple really be strange, the target of these monsters? Should they immediately abandon this place to avoid danger?
But Ge Huai’en’s divination indicated ominous signs everywhere, not just at the temple.
Perhaps his skills were not yet fully developed?
Before the group could exchange further glances or communicate secretly through telepathy, another monster roared, “The scent of humans! There are people inside!”
“Quickly, capture them! Don’t let them escape!”
“This time, we’ll steam them with clear water—tender and smooth!”
“Must be those old bones; we’ll have to fry them to make them smell good!”
Black wind mixed with malevolent qi enveloped the entire temple as bizarre, humanoid creatures rushed in from the front or scaled the walls. These were half-transformed monsters: some had wolf tails, others had dog heads, some wielded steel forks, others long spears. All exuded a strong, peculiar stench that made people feel unwell and disrupted their internal energy flow.
Meng Qi had already become accustomed to the malevolent qi back in the Stupa of the Buddha’s Relic. Now, seeing a monster at the level of half-step beyond the ordinary locking its gaze on them, he hesitated no longer. Dropping the “Great Thunder Temple” plaque, he strode forward, his body thunderous:
“Hong!”
Several lesser monsters were stunned by the shockwave. Meng Qi rushed forward, sword in hand, cutting off several heads—some sheep, some wolf, some tiger, some rabbit.
Zhang Yuanshan stood behind Meng Qi’s flank. His Snake Sword slashed, its cold glow flashing as it passed through steel forks and long swords, killing several minor monsters.
Luo Shengyi’s right fist shot forward, simple and unadorned, yet ancient and forceful, striking a fox demon that was already dizzy.
The fox demon trembled violently but was unharmed. However, behind and beside it, a series of popping sounds erupted. One by one, the adjacent monsters collapsed.
“Striking from afar!”
Qi Zhengyan unsheathed his Dragon Patterned Red-Gold Sword, causing nearby monsters to tremble. His Azure Snow and Ice Qi accompanied his sword strikes, freezing several monsters solid, their bodies covered in frost.
Fu Zhenzhen hurled a strange object into the air. It exploded above the monsters, releasing a dark green mist.
Any monster touched by the poison screamed in agony, their skin rotting and oozing pus. In their fury, they no longer distinguished friend from foe, slashing wildly, blood and flesh flying everywhere.
This was the “Earth Yin Poisonous Mist” recorded in the “Sutra of Salvation.” Once it adhered to the body, it caused skin to rot and flesh to decay, resulting in agonizing death. It was effective against both humans and monsters, which was why Fu Zhenzhen had specifically reserved this technique.
Normally, if a monster raised a gale or unleashed palm force, it could disperse the poison mist without harming itself. However, these monsters had been stunned by Meng Qi’s Thunder Words, leaving them defenseless.
In an instant, a swath of monsters was cleared. Meng Qi was astounded—each of them had only killed three or five monsters, yet the poison had already felled dozens. It was far too efficient!
Still, this was fortunate. Otherwise, if hundreds of minor monsters rushed them at once, it would have been difficult to face them head-on.
“Out of my way, you little ones!” A black whirlwind spiraled from above, blowing downward—a monstrous wolf-faced, human-bodied creature covered in black fur.
He wielded two golden hammers, diving down like a mountain collapsing.
The rushing wind compressed in layers, exploding outward, as if even the void had been shattered by the hammers.
This half-step beyond the ordinary wolf demon had no particularly refined techniques, yet his strikes contained innate principles, instinctively maximizing his physical strength.
In midair, black winds coalesced into blades, accompanying the hammers like rain.
Facing this terrifying monster, Meng Qi did not evade using the Illusive Demon Body Technique. As a man who faced challenges head-on, he had to create opportunities for his companions.
He planted his legs in a horse stance, fully activating the Indestructible Seal Method, the Golden Bell Armor, and the Eight-Ninth Arcane Art. His black outfit bulged outward as if his muscles had swelled. His sword “Whisper” slashed fiercely, absorbing surrounding air currents and life energy, transforming into a thunderous, fierce strike against the golden-hammered wolf demon.
Knowing Meng Qi alone couldn’t block a half-step beyond the ordinary monster, Zhang Yuanshan slowly drew his sword, as if with great difficulty, forming a Taiji circle. Nearby air currents surged inward, blocking one of the hammers.
Luo Shengyi drew in his chest and abdomen, then struck again with his right fist—supreme and mighty, returning to simplicity.
Qi Zhengyan stepped back, guarding Ruan Yushu, Fu Zhenzhen, and Ge Huai’en from wind blades.
“Bang!”
Two simultaneous explosions shook the lesser monsters backward.
Meng Qi felt immense force surge through his arms, as if he were about to be crushed into pulp. His legs trembled under the strain, the already broken floor tiles cracking further with popping sounds.
His true energy surged forth without restraint. The Indestructible Seal Method redirected the borrowed force either back or downward through his feet, barely withstanding one golden hammer. “Whisper” bent as if about to snap.
Black winds slashed against Meng Qi like blades, tearing his clothes to shreds. His bronze skin bulged, blood lines appearing across his body—many, but shallow, with only a small amount of blood flowing.
Apart from Luo Shengyi’s Nine-Aperture Qi protection, only Meng Qi could directly endure the wind blades and hammer strikes.
With Meng Qi blocking the wind blades, Zhang Yuanshan’s Snake Sword deflected the other golden hammer, though his feet sank into the floor, cracks spreading like a net.
Luo Shengyi’s fist struck the wolf demon’s left arm but was swallowed by a mass of malevolent qi. He merely dispersed it, revealing black armor beneath the black fur.
Nevertheless, the three successfully blocked the half-step beyond the ordinary wolf demon’s aerial strike.
At that moment, Ruan Yushu, who had remained still, suddenly held her ancient zither horizontally with her left hand and plucked a string with her right.
“Zheng!”
The sound coalesced, piercing directly into the soul. The wolf demon’s body involuntarily shuddered, while Ruan Yushu stepped back, one zither string snapping.
As the wolf demon’s attack faltered and its body momentarily stiffened, the already pitch-black night darkened further. An indescribable sword light ignited, and for that moment, there was nothing else in heaven and earth—blinding and chilling.
“Blade of No Self”!
Jiang Zhiwei had not participated in the fight from the beginning. She had been waiting—for Meng Qi and the others to create the opportunity.
This wasn’t laziness. She understood that against a terrifying monster capable of riding the wind, only a swift victory could bring success. Otherwise, once it flew high, what could they do?
They would be helpless, forced to passively await its attacks.
It was like a rabbit facing a hawk—extremely difficult.
Her thoughts had already been conveyed to Meng Qi and the others via secret telepathy as the half-step beyond the ordinary monster approached. Thus, the three had united to block its attack, Ruan Yushu’s “Eightfold Heavenly Sound” binding the opponent, while she built her momentum, sharpening her sword intent to its peak, waiting for the moment to deliver a fatal blow.
The sword light seemed to transcend time and space. As soon as it appeared, it reached the wolf demon, aiming directly at its forehead.
The wolf demon sensed danger and roared, spitting out a highly condensed ball of malevolent qi, forming a pearl to block the strike.
“Pu!”
The black pearl shattered. The wolf demon spat blood, yet a deep gash still appeared on its forehead, like a third eye—a blood-red eye.
Strike while it’s weak—seize its life!
As Jiang Zhiwei retreated, Luo Shengyi roared and threw his right fist.
Though seemingly slow, the punch moved faster than thunder. His entire body swelled, his fist seemingly doubling in size, filling the surrounding space like a falling mountain, compressing the air.
With his Nine-Aperture Force, he could unleash the “Nine Mountain Crushing Fist” twice while maintaining basic combat strength.
This was the “Mountain Crushing Descent”!
“Peng!”
The malevolent qi, already weakened by the “Blade of No Self,” scattered as the punch struck. The wolf demon’s left abdominal armor shattered, black fur fell out, and a fist-sized wound appeared in its flesh, a mess inside.
The wolf demon howled in pain, black winds wrapping around its body as it attempted to ascend and heal using its powerful regeneration.
It wasn’t dead yet!
At that moment, Meng Qi suddenly leaped, higher than the wolf demon.
Looking like a descending deity, he slashed nine times rapidly with “Whisper,” roaring, “Kill!”
Each slash was accompanied by a bolt of purple lightning, each faster and fiercer than the last.
“Honglong!”
As if thunder had exploded, purple lightning trembled, twisted, connected, and scattered, layer by layer striking downward, like dragons and mountains, causing lesser monsters to tremble or retreat, even shaking the sky, swallowing air currents and vitality.
“Thunderclap Shaking the Ninth Heaven”!
“Pa!”
The lightning struck first, followed by the sword, like a giant purple lightning bolt, splitting the wolf demon from midair straight to the ground!
“Pa-pa-pa!” Purple electricity surged across the wolf demon’s body as it rolled, shattering floor tiles, then twitched and stilled.
“Finally killed it…” As Meng Qi landed, he sighed inwardly. Starting with powerful techniques immediately, this death mission truly lived up to its name.
“Third Brother?” Suddenly, a sorrowful and furious voice came from beyond the wall.
A lion-headed monster came riding on the wind. Upon witnessing the wolf demon’s miserable state, its eyes turned bloodshot. Its gaping maw expanded wider and wider until it matched the size of the temple gates, generating a tremendous suction force that began dragging Meng Qi inward.
“Damn, a descendant of Jiuling Yuansheng?”
Darkness and a stench enveloped Meng Qi as he quickly activated the Eight-Ninth Arcane Art and the Golden Bell Armor. A golden glow emerged, resisting the terrifying corrosion.
This corrosion could melt gold and rot iron. Combined with the terrifying writhing around him, the golden glow on Meng Qi’s body quickly faded, and the Golden Bell Armor was about to break.
Seeing Meng Qi swallowed by the lion-headed monster, the group’s expressions changed. Without hesitation, Fu Zhenzhen pulled out an ancient bronze mirror—dark green and unremarkable in appearance.
She aimed the “Monster-Revealing Mirror” at the lion demon.
As the lion demon’s image appeared in the mirror, it froze midair but did not revert to its true form.
Wasn’t it supposed to lose its powers and revert below the level of beyond the ordinary? Everyone was shocked. The lion demon, aside from its swallowing ability, was at the half-step beyond the ordinary level. How could it resist the fake Monster-Revealing Mirror?
Perhaps its bloodline was special?
Inside the lion demon’s belly, Meng Qi was trapped by the writhing, unable to employ other techniques. He could only watch helplessly as the Golden Bell Armor neared collapse, the Eight-Ninth Arcane Art barely holding.
Suddenly, the writhing froze, except for the continuing corrosion, like normal darkness!
The Monster-Revealing Mirror? Meng Qi immediately thought of the trump card they had prepared. Without hesitation, he drew out the Purple Sorrow sword coiled around his waist. With a “Zheng,” it became hard and sharp again.
Suppressing his worries, Meng Qi calmed himself, poured all remaining focus into the sword, and swung the purple Flowing Cup Sword forward with all his might.
A sharp, indescribable crimson-purple sword qi erupted, accompanied by continuous tearing sounds.
Jiang Zhiwei and the others were about to attack the immobilized lion demon to rescue Meng Qi when they suddenly saw a sword mark appear on the ground, slicing through floor tiles and splitting a dead tree vertically—this was due to their perception of the sword’s energy.
A crimson-purple glow emerged from the lion demon’s chest and abdomen, creating a deep wound from top to bottom.
The sword qi had weakened by the time it exited, quickly dissipating. Meng Qi saw a faint light ahead and lunged out through the wound!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage