Chapter 549

Chapter 549

The cold wind howled, and the withered grass rippled like waves, as if worshipping the small temple in the very center, or perhaps fleeing in fear.

The small temple was once a thriving place of worship, but ever since a dam was built upstream, floodwaters are released here every few years, and the rising riverbed submerges the temple.

The original monks in the temple had to be relocated. How can one have it all? Even the most profound and exquisite Buddhist and Taoist teachings must eventually give way to this world that wants to improve.

Over the years, the temple has fallen into disrepair and been repeatedly flooded, and it is now in a terrible state of disrepair.

Inside the temple, Yayoi was striking a wooden fish and chanting sutras.

The wooden fish had been repainted, but the color difference was noticeable. It had also been chipped at one corner and fixed with wire.

The kasaya was a theatrical costume personally selected by Tan Wenbin in the basement of Grandpa Li's house. The lining of the costume originally had the character "Sun" on it, then a line was crossed out and a character "Niu" was added. It changed hands many times before being collected by Li Sanjiang.

Mr. Li, who has spent his whole life making a living from funerals, also harbors a dream in his heart.

Unfortunately, this dream cannot be realized in Xiao Yuanhou. His own Xiao Yuanhou is someone who is meant to study hard and get a job in a government agency. How could he spend his days indulging in these superstitious and feudal beliefs?

Until Li Sanjiang met Tang Sanzang.

Yayoi could sense that Grandpa Li's affection for her had an added layer of "mentorship" compared to his affection for Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou.

Amidst the sound of the wooden fish drum, Yayoi smiled.

Even before Li Zhuiyuan entered the Xuanmen sect, he could tell that his great-grandfather, apart from being lucky, didn't seem to have any real skills. He could draw a different array diagram every night. How could Yasheng not notice this now?

But Grandpa Li was indeed teaching me real skills, how to make money, and how to live a good life.

If you set aside all the mysteries of apprenticeship, isn't the point of learning it to have a better life in the future?
Yayoi's lips were still chanting sutras, but her mind had long since wandered away.

If he hadn't been taken to Qinglong Temple as a child, but had met Grandpa Li earlier, his life would probably have been very different.

Unfortunately, the past cannot be undone, and the future is already predetermined. Now, I am nothing more than an "evil spirit" awaiting divine punishment.

The Buddha statue standing behind Yayoi has undergone repeated patina formation and peeling, making it impossible to distinguish which Buddha it is.

In this respect, it is quite similar to the monk below it.

Dark clouds gradually gathered, stealing away the midday light.

Beneath the shadows of the withered grass, figures rose up.

Some are dressed in tattered clothes, carrying sticks and broken bowls, while others are dressed in fine clothes, carrying a complete set of ritual implements. The definition of a beggar monk is not based on wealth or poverty, but on not having received orthodox recognition. And in the temple before them, there is the certificate of initiation they yearn for.

"Exorcise demons..."

"Exorcise the demon! Exorcise the demon! Exorcise the demon!"

Gone is the open-mindedness of their ascetic practices and the restraint of their contracted temples and scenic spots; now, all the monks' eyes are filled with desire.

They came from all directions, swarming towards the small temple, afraid of falling behind.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

A Buddhist chant emanated from the temple.

An invisible Buddha light spread out and flowed in all directions.

The beggar monks hesitated in their charge; for a moment, they couldn't tell which side was demon and which was Buddha.

After a slight pause, half of the group sped up again. Regardless of whether the one inside was a Buddha or a demon, whoever took its head could enter the orthodox path and pursue the "Buddha" in their eyes.

Outside, a circle of figures stood there motionless.

Although they wore different styles of monks' robes, their temperament was strikingly similar: reserved, composed, and extraordinary.

They put their hands together in prayer and chanted a Buddhist prayer in unison:
"Namo Amitabha Buddha".

The Buddhist nature that emanated from the small temple was suppressed by them.

Even those who came from Qinglong Temple acknowledged the purity of the Buddha's nature in the temple, but how could the one who slaughtered his fellow disciples who lit lamps be worthy of being called a Buddhist practitioner of Qinglong Temple?

The remaining half of the beggar monks no longer hesitated and joined the sprint, forming a dense mass of figures that converged on the small temple.

The monks of the former Qinglong Temple on the outskirts kept a close watch on the group of people around the Qinglong Temple traitor. Although it was not explicitly stated, they knew that the group around the traitor was the real target that needed to be eliminated, and the initiator of the future Qinglong Calamity.

Yayoi put down the wooden fish mallet and took off his theatrical robe. He had never cherished his white monk's robe as much as he had ever worn before.

Picking up his staff from the ground, Yayoi walked out of the Buddhist hall.

At the collapsed outer wall of the temple, figures climbed over and entered.

Some people came down and attacked him, afraid that someone else would beat them to it; some people would at least shout "Demon, die!"

Yayoi's staff emitted golden light, and anyone who came near was swept away by his staff.

The beggar monks had many different methods and skills, but no one could withstand a single blow from Yayoi's staff. There was no bloodshed or carnage; everyone's life force was instantly cut off, and they collapsed, seemingly asleep, sitting or lying down, just like the Arhats in a normal temple.

The peaceful scene diminished the terror of life and death. Even when the later climbers came in and saw so many paralyzed bodies, it did not arouse fear or apprehension, but rather a stronger desire to rush into the fire like moths to a flame.

This is not killing, this is salvation.

For every person who comes, Yayoi will be saved.

The monks of the outermost Qinglong Temple noticed the strangeness in the temple. They sent the beggar monks to be cannon fodder, but they did not expect that the ashes would be so quiet.

A monk spoke up, "Step back."

No one responded to the beggar monks ahead, nor did anyone obey their orders; yet they continued to advance one after another.

Before long, there was no longer a single beggar monk outside the temple, but inside the temple, it was packed with people lying down.

Yayoi carefully lifted her feet, afraid of disturbing them who were "sleeping" with smiles on their lips.

After stepping out of the temple gate, Yayoi stood there.

The real battle is about to begin.

Although the sunlight was blocked, he could still recognize several of his fellow disciples from their figures.

However, back then, I could only bow respectfully by the roadside, and they would never even look at me directly.

The monks chanted the Heart Sutra in unison, and a gap opened in the dark clouds, revealing a majestic Buddha figure.

Some monks began to set up formations, some monks activated Buddhist light, and some monks pressed forward with weapons in hand.

From within the Buddha's shadow, a resounding voice echoed:

"May Buddha vanquish the demon!"

Yayoi took the initiative to walk forward. As she walked, the peaceful Buddhist nature on her body dissipated, her eyes became ferocious, and a terrifying demonic nature overflowed, making her awe-inspiring.

The monks all froze, their faces showing astonishment.

They came to exorcise the demon, but they never expected that this person would actually fall into demonic possession!

Yayoi observed their reactions, which, though absurd, were a stark reality. When they called you a demon, the stupidest thing to do was to explain, and the best thing to do was to say that you really were.

In the distance, a monk held a mysterious mirror and shone it on Yayoi. Flames immediately burst forth from Yayoi's body, as if a demon was enduring the tortures of purgatory. Yet, the person in the mirror still had clear features.

The next moment, the mirror shattered, and a black hand reached out from it, grabbing the monk's neck. Black demonic flames rose, and the monk was burned to ashes amidst painful screams.

Yayoi raised his staff and with a "bang," first deflected his uncle's demon-subduing staff, then swept it horizontally, causing his uncle's body to explode, blood and flesh flying everywhere, staining Yayoi, which made him let out a sigh of relief.

"what……"

The terrifying efficiency of the slaughter terrified the monks. At this moment, they no longer had time to wonder why there was only Yayoi in the temple, because it seemed that Yayoi, a single demon, could devour them all.

Yayoi slammed his staff into the ground beneath his feet, and in an instant, all the withered grass around him turned black, like a dam upstream suddenly opening its gates and releasing a black torrent.

“Disciple Yasheng, please, all my former senior brothers and uncles, die for Buddha here.”

……

At the Green Stream near Qinglong Temple, the group of beggar monks carrying tea and snacks suddenly exhibited strange behavior.

Some stood still and began to cry, while others knelt down and wailed.

In the clear stream, the once lush aquatic plants suddenly withered and died in large patches, floating up like weeds and then being mercilessly swept away by the stream.

The guests in the pavilion and by the stream all noticed this.

This means that the group of beggar monks is disappearing at an unbelievable speed.

So fast, it's like mowing the lawn.

The young beggar monks who remain here represent and are the hope of their respective small groups. It's like entrusting their orphans to others. Even if their entire sect dies in the great cause of eliminating demons, at the very least, they can be accepted as outer disciples by Qinglong Temple.

At this moment, influenced by the Buddha Lotus, the deaths of all members of their sect have drawn some karma onto them, causing a backlash against their minds.

This is just a minor karmic consequence, not difficult to resolve. For Master Kongyi, who was sitting cross-legged in the stream, it was just a matter of waving his hand.

But Master Kongyi did not do that. He watched as the innocent children were corrupted by the backlash of karma, and the best outcome for them was to become mentally impaired.

There were many guests around who could have intervened, but no one offered to help. Firstly, it was an internal matter for Qinglong Temple, and outsiders shouldn't interfere. Secondly, this was the true nature of the martial world: those who kill will be killed in return.

Because Jiang Xiuzhi was also there, there were two young beggar monks in Liu Yumei's pavilion.

One was pale and thin, with chilblains on the back of his hands; the other wore expensive monk robes and had been scented with sandalwood.

Right now, one is crying, and the other is wailing.

Looking at them, Liu Yumei thought of her own granddaughter. When A-Li was even younger, she had suffered a backlash that was many times stronger.

"Ugh……"

Liu Yumei sighed, raised her hand, pointed forward, and the two young beggar monks were "pushed" out of the pavilion.

Miss Liu was ultimately too soft-hearted and couldn't bear to hear the child cry, so she could only let them go outside to cry.

Normally, she would have easily resolved the situation in this situation, but right now, with her own child risking his life outside, how could she possibly pity another child? Besides, these children's sects were after her child; should they be pitied just because they were less skilled and couldn't kill him? That doesn't make sense.

The guests' attention was quickly drawn back to the thick water plants, which were also rapidly withering and floating away.

Master Kongyi spoke up: "Benefactor Liu, Lord Qin has a worthy successor."

The monk spoke the minds of all the guests present. Everyone knew what those thick water plants represented; they were people sent out by Qinglong Temple.

Liu Yumei smiled but remained silent.

Everyone thought it was fast, and she thought so too.

But she didn't think it was Xiao Yuan and his group who were behind it. She didn't know Xiao Yuan's specific plans for this wave, but she had met with so many children before she left home.

These broken, thick water plants look like someone cutting crops one bundle at a steady pace.

Otherwise, it can only be understood as a game between two sides, with each side sending out one person to fight one-on-one. My Xiao Yuan isn't Ali, so he wouldn't do something so foolish.

Just then, the guests' expressions suddenly changed.

While the water plants continued to break over there, on the other side, a phantom of a golden lotus suddenly crashed into three other lotuses, and the two sides intertwined.

The golden lotus phantom that initiated the attack, with its Buddhist light behind it, was connected to Jiang Xiuzhi.

This is the lamplighter of the Chen family in Qiongya!
Thanks to Liu Yumei for pulling away all the fog, scrutinizing gazes were able to easily fall on Jiang Xiuzhi.

Acting out a show of sisterly affection in public is one thing, but what many people didn't expect was that the Chen family of Qiongya would actually choose to take sides.

The elders of the family had the most stern gaze.

Jiang Xiuzhi got up from her seat, went to the pavilion, looked closely at the clear stream in front of her, and said anxiously:

"This won't do, this is unacceptable!"

This reaction made the guests wonder again whether it was the Chen family of Qiongya who sided with Qin Liu, or the younger generation of the lamplighter, Du Zou.

Liu Yumei also got up and stood over.

Jiang Xiuzhi said worriedly, "Sister, look, this girl has really gone mad, she actually took on three by herself!"

The voices were clear and distinct, tearing away the last layer of pretense and clearly indicating which side they were on.

For Jiang Xiuzhi, without Xiaoyuan, there would be no present-day Chen family in Qiongya. Standing on Xiaoyuan's side was not only her granddaughter's choice, but also the strict selection of her ancestors.

Liu Yumei comforted her, saying, "The girl is eating for six people, but she only chose three. She's already very sensible and conservative."

"boom!"

Among the three illusory golden lotuses that were being enveloped, one of them split open and turned into crystalline fragments that drifted away.

Jiang Xiuzhi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Alright, alright, there are only two left."

Liu Yumei pointed to the spot where the golden lotus had disappeared and asked:
"Whose is this? Come out and claim it!"

The elder said, "Elder Liu, why be so aggressive?"

Liu Yumei shook her head: "It's not that I'm being aggressive, it's just that I'm afraid that if I recognize too many people later, it will be crowded and I won't have time to distinguish them."

By the stream, an old woman clenched her hands, her face filled with sorrow.

She couldn't understand why her grandson, who possessed the family's most precious protective artifact, was the first to lose, even though losing was acceptable.

"Hehehe..."

Hearing Liu Yumei's laughter, the old woman felt a surge of anger, but she forced herself to lower her head.

Having already lost, and with the person most likely dead, she dared not contradict Liu Yumei any further, lest the other party harbor a deep grudge against her entire family.

Liu Yumei pointed to the old woman and urged Jiang Xiuzhi:

"What are you waiting for? Laugh!"

Jiang Xiuzhi: "Sister, let me gather my emotions."

"We'd better hurry, it'll be the next one's turn soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, with a "bang," another illusory golden lotus vanished.

Beside the stream, a middle-aged man trembled.

The old woman felt relieved and much more comfortable.

Liu Yumei: "The girl didn't eat all that food for nothing; she's got a lot of strength when she's working."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "It's because my sister trained me well."

Liu Yumei: "Your granddaughter wasn't trained by me."

In the pavilion next door, Tao Yunhe stared at the golden lotus that represented his grandson. He wanted to join the conversation and also thought of getting up to go to the stream to give a monologue and reiterate the position of the Tao family of the Dragon King.

but,

What are you standing there for? Go get him, you bastard!
……

"Phew, this tortoise shell is really hard to crack!"

Chen Xiyuan squatted on the ground, used her flute to make a hole, picked up the scattered fragments of tortoise shell, wiped away the remaining flesh and blood, and threw them into the hole.

The little girl has excellent craftsmanship. Perhaps she can put the tortoise shell back together with her skillful hands after taking it home. Even if she can't put it back together, she can still use it as firewood in the furnace.

Of course, the pieces of corpse on the ground can also be used as puzzle pieces, and after they are put together, four corpses can be found.

When Chen Xiyuan arrived at the coordinates, she met a group of people who had arrived earlier than her.

I recognized him by his eyes; he was the one who lit the lanterns on the river. He came here to stop the little brother.

There's not much to say then. Sister Chen, holding her flute and activating her domain, went up and started attacking.

Her aggressive style of play is always unpredictable, and the opposing team could only struggle to hold on from the very beginning.

After Chen Xiyuan smashed the tortoise shell, the group below met their end.

At this moment, another group of people appeared on the outer perimeter.

Chen Xiyuan shouted, "Wait a minute before you fight, I'm busy right now!"

This ambush point had more than one team of lighters. The original plan was to fight and retreat, but one team was too eager and arrived too early, allowing Chen Xiyuan to capture four of them alone.

Seeing that Chen Xiyuan was alone and covered in blood, the second team naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass and immediately rushed up.

"Oh dear, I said wait a minute! If I forget any part, will you pay for it?"

An angry Chen Xiyuan picked up the flute and went to meet them.

The second team was slightly better than the first team because they were essentially fighting against themselves, and thus died even faster.

The blood on Chen Xiyuan's body was from cleaning the turtle shell; it wasn't from any injury she had sustained.

Those who possess the Chen family domain actively sought close combat, which sealed their fate.

Chen Xiyuan looked at the several pieces of debris that had appeared on the spot and stomped her feet in frustration. She had been careless; she had smashed the flute too hard, and any valuable items that might have been on these people were also destroyed.

Turning around, Chen Xiyuan squatted back down to pick up the turtle shells. After confirming that she had finished, she filled the hole and marked it.

She'll come back to dig it up after this wave ends and take it back to her little brother.

"Wait, something's not right..."

Chen Xiyuan pulled out the black paper. Oh no, she forgot to send them to hell in time.

Miss Chen tapped her forehead several times with her flute.

Chen Xiyuan tried scattering black paper down. The black paper caught fire after falling among the body parts, making a crackling sound, and then there was no more movement. It had been dead for too long, and it was indeed too late.

Just then, a falcon soared in the distant sky.

Chen Xiyuan: "Do I have three teams here?"

If these three teams are well-rested and have excellent offense and defense, Chen Xiyuan will have a real problem. But if they come one team at a time, it's like sending them to their deaths.

That's the advantage of being able to wait in comfort and prepare for the enemy's attack. The enemy won't expect that they, who came to secure a position and block the enemy, will be the one who gets there first.

Chen Xiyuan wiped more blood off her clothes, slumped to the ground, clutching her chest, mouth agape, gasping for breath, and muttering to herself:

"My injuries are so severe, I feel like I'm about to die."

The scene was a bit overdone, like gilding the lily. Fortunately, Miss Chen was lucky; the hawk could only report what it saw about the enemy and couldn't understand human speech.

……

A glint of cold light appeared first, followed by more glints of cold light.

There is no such thing as a gun striking like a dragon, because every shot Xu Mofan fired was aimed at saving lives.

The opponent before them wielded a serpent spear, and his family had a long-standing relationship with the Xu family.

This is an evenly matched opponent; at least, that's what people in the martial arts world would think before the fight.

But in the actual confrontation, although Xu Mofan appeared to be constantly wounded while his opponent was unharmed, experienced people could tell that Xu Mofan had the upper hand and his spear was unstoppable.

Because Xu Mofan is not afraid of death.

The other party, however, came for profit, and he was unwilling to die.

Nearby, Xu Mofan's maid, Xia He, was battling with the opponent's two pageboys in a formation battle.

At first, Xia He was flustered because she was known for being slow, but once both sides were in position, Xia He gained the upper hand because the young master was very generous in sharing the merits from the journey with her, while the young master opposite her was obviously stingy in sharing merits with his followers.

The spear pierced Xu Mofan's shoulder, leaving it a bloody mess. However, Xu Mofan showed no joy, as he was completely suppressed. If no reinforcements intervened in time, his fate would be sealed.

Xu Mofan's spear stance was complete; he transformed it into a single move, piercing the opponent's chest and lifting him up.

"Brother Xu, what exactly did he offer you that made you go to such lengths..."

"He gave me the Dragon King's Token!"

With a jolt of the spear tip, the life force within the opponent's body was extinguished.

Xu Mofan flicked out a piece of black paper and stuck it on the other person's forehead. Below, spider lilies bloomed, swallowing and taking away the invisible and the tangible.

"Snapped!"

Upon seeing their young master's defeat, the two pageboys immediately tried to flee. Xia He seized the opportunity, crushing one of them with her array. Before the other could run more than a few steps, a spear swept across him, striking his chest and severing his bones and tendons, causing him to fall to the ground dead.

Xu Mofan wiped the tip of his spear on the pageboy.

Xia He ran over: "Young Master, Young Master, you're injured!"

Xu Mofan: "It's alright, let's go to the next place."

Xia He: "Wait a minute, young master, there's something else important!"

The maid first picked up the spear that the young master of the opposing family had left behind, and then touched the things in the bamboo baskets of the two pageboys.

Xu Mofan suppressed his impatience, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

He felt that murder and looting corpses were low-class things, but he also felt guilty for having such feelings, because that was how the man had gradually uncovered his family's wealth.

"Young master, can you help me dig a hole?"

Xu Mofan thrust the tip of his spear, creating a crater in the ground.

"It's buried, young master, let's go."

Xia He jumped onto Xu Mofan's back, wrapped one arm around him, and applied medicine to him with the other.

The time lost was made up by the young master carrying him on his back and making quick progress.

"Young Master, for you, has your generation's Jiang come to an end?"

"No, my generation's journey in the martial world has only just begun."

……

"Nice hair, hehe; nice hair too, haha."

While his men were looting the corpse, Feng Xionglin focused on touching the hair.

His clothes were torn and he had many wounds, especially on his head, where his head had been split open by a sharp axe.

Fortunately, after a fierce battle, the Feng family members proved to be more resilient and managed to wear down their opponents by sheer numbers.

Even the horrific wound split open from the middle on his head was perfectly placed; he tore off pieces of scalp that he found acceptable and stuck them to the wound on his head.

Then, he took out a mirror and admired himself.

Although it's unclear whether the transplant will be successful, at least for now, he has a strand of hair of different lengths and colors on his head, and to be honest, the hairstyle is quite stylish.

"Boss, it's all buried."

"Boss, we can go to the next place now."

Feng Xionglin glanced at his two followers who were seriously injured in the previous battle and tossed them two pills.

"have eaten."

The two obediently swallowed the pills, but soon their internal energy was severely suppressed. They could walk normally, but they couldn't exert much strength.

"Boss, what's going on...?"

"Boss, quickly give us the antidote..."

Feng Xionglin put away the mirror and rubbed his new hair back and forth with his palms:
"You two can rest here. I'll go to the next place by myself. Oh, and don't forget to shout the slogan when I leave."

Feng Xionglin turned and left. His two followers exchanged glances, then shouted in unison at his retreating figure:

"Boss, your new hairstyle looks great..."

"Hahahaha!"

……

"Cough...cough..."

While coughing up blood, Zhu Yiwen used a small knife to cut flesh from the enemy's corpse on the ground.

There's no time to marinate or mature, or even cook, so you can only make some wasabi, slice it thinly, and eat sashimi on the spot.

Because of the black paper scattered on it, the soul was trapped in the underworld of Fengdu. Zhu Yiwen was worried that the ingredients would become unpalatable because they lost their souls.

The result was alright. The ingredients had just been through a battle, so the meat was smooth and tender. We had to eat it quickly, otherwise it would shrivel and become stale.

"I need to eat more. I've lost so much blood, I need to replenish myself. Um, make sure the bandage is done properly, and remember to apply plenty of salt before burying me!"

While other teams were burying treasures, Zhu Yiwen had to add an extra task: burying corpses as well. To prevent them from rotting, he not only vacuum-packed them but also salted them.

Then, with great relish, he ate another slice of raw meat.

Zhu Yiwen tilted his head back in enjoyment, letting out a satisfied sound:
"Faced with such respectable opponents, I really couldn't bear to see them left to rot in the wilderness and be eaten by wild dogs. Alas, in the end, I, Wen Ye, am still kind-hearted."

……

Wang Lin's first coordinate was very far away, and he was also overweight and carrying a lot of pots and pans on his back, so his speed was naturally not fast.

When he arrived at the place, the people there were already waiting for him, and they had set up a long-lost mystical formation.

This kind of mysterious formation may not be particularly difficult, but because I haven't encountered it before, it's even harder to break. I have to figure it out from scratch. It's likely that the other party obtained the fragment of the formation through a fortuitous encounter in some obscure corner.

Wang Lin stopped and looked at the mysterious array in front of him. The image of that person, who had transformed into a Bodhisattva, making deductions came to mind.

"It turns out that he not only deduced the coordinates, but also made a choice about which coordinates were most suitable for whom."

Wang Lin reached into the basket with both hands, pulled out a shovel with his left hand, and grabbed a pot with his right.

"How did he do that? He clearly didn't have the support and resources of the Dragon King's faction, so how come he seems to know so much more than me?"

Last time in Qiongya, that person reminded me to memorize more of the "table of contents," because if I only look at the "table of contents" and don't read the contents, I will consume very little merit.

After the banquet at the kiln on the first night, Tan Wenbin took a copy sheet of the catalog from his own. He copied a total of ten items from the catalog. After the banquet on the second night, Tan Wenbin returned the sheet, and all ten items were checked off.

Wang Lin understood the implication and almost blurted out on the spot: "Do you also have a piece of paper? Are we actually from the same sect?"

They shouldn't be from the same sect... Wang Lin felt that even if the other party had that piece of paper, the things recorded on it seemed to be more numerous and richer than the piece of paper inside his body.

Forget about that, let's get back to work.

Wang Lin used his merit points to light a torch within his body, searching for the corresponding mystic array before him. Soon, he found it.

Once found, things became much simpler. The reason why the Xuan Array is called Xuan is because it is unfamiliar. Therefore, when people obtain the fragments, they will not go to the trouble of modifying them, for fear of losing their original quality.

Holding the answer key, Wang Lin ran into the mysterious formation.

The person who set up the formation was first puzzled when he saw only a chubby little boy rush in, then he sneered, then he was reserved, then he was shocked, and finally he was desperate.

For a team led by array masters to be approached and rushed to their side by one person at a jog, it was a nightmare!
After a series of clanging sounds, Wang Lin ran out, carrying little in his hands and the bamboo basket on his back hadn't grown any taller.

Since he only passed through the formation rather than broke it, the profound formation remained intact. Is there any place more suitable for storing things than this?

"Great, saves me from digging a hole."

……

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

If Wang Lin's coordinates are the farthest, then Luo Xiaoyu's are the closest.

Because everyone's coordinates were not shared, Luo Xiaoyu initially did not realize her distance advantage.

Upon arriving at the location, he discovered that his opponent had not yet arrived. He immediately used all his skills to set up a formation as quickly as possible.

After completing the formation, he breathed a long sigh of relief. For a formation master, the sense of security within his own formation is indescribable.

Without resting, since the opponent hasn't arrived yet, I'll set up another one.

After the second formation was set up, Luo Xiaoyu realized something was wrong. Why hadn't the opponent arrived yet?
Even after the third formation was set up, they still hadn't arrived!
Luo Xiaoyu felt that if he were to set up a fourth one, it would be really going too far!

But when I turned around, I saw that there were still several sacks of flags on Sister Hua's cart that hadn't been used yet.

These battle flags were all from Li Zhuiyuan's stockpile, ranging from the earliest wooden ones to iron and steel ones, as well as battle flags made of mechanical materials.

Li Zhuiyuan only allowed his partner to take one set of the latest array materials; the rest were loaded onto a cart and taken away by Sister Hua.

"No wonder he made me pack so much..."

Luo Xiaoyu looked up and sighed. The strategy was in the diagram, in his heart, and even more so in this meticulously unraveling life plan.

I am far inferior to him.

In the realm of small formations, the difference was still visible, but in the realm of large formations, he was completely overwhelmed.

"Xiaoyu, should we continue with the arrangements?"

Sister Hua wiped the sweat from her forehead. While helping Xiaoyu set up the formation, she experienced the exhaustion of transplanting rice seedlings in the dead of winter.

"Cloth, Sister Hua, since you've already brought it."

"okay."

Sister Hua continued to help set up the formation.

As one formation after another was set up, Luo Xiaoyu began to worry about what would happen if the other side broke their promise.
For the first time, I was so eager for my opponent to arrive on time.

Distance is relative; the closer something is to you, the farther away it is from the other party.

With so much time to spare, Luo Xiaoyu set up a concealment array to hide the layers of equipment underneath in such a luxurious way.

Finally, the opponents arrived. There were quite a few of them, probably four or five teams of lamplighters. The leader, a woman wearing a veil, walked in the very center.

They demonstrated a high degree of professionalism, not rushing in but instead conducting an outer reconnaissance under the woman's orders.

Their vigilance is truly admirable, considering they were the ones who set the ambush.

Unfortunately, this vigilance is of little use in the face of ample preparation.

After confirming that it was "safe," they came in.

Under the woman's command, a group of lamplighters began to set up their formation.

When they had set up half of the formation, the formation master of that team realized the problem, looked up, and stared blankly at the sky.

Luo Xiaoyu understood him well; it was a formation within a formation, impossible to manage.

The woman's gaze sharpened, and with a flick of her finger, the array master who had discovered the problem became dizzy and didn't have time to warn her. The woman then used this opportunity to lead her people away from the crowd and retreat.

This is an attempt to leave the "allies" here to cover their retreat while they themselves escape first.

If Luo Xiaoyu only has time to set up one or two formations, this is indeed feasible. Even three or four would be possible, since he needs to focus on dealing with the side with more people first. He can gain an advantage when breaking the formations with the women.

However, there are just too many formations here.

Luo Xiaoyu made his move, activating layer upon layer of formations. Those within the formations were caught off guard, unable to defend against the first round, but unable to escape the second and third...

Soon, some parts were charred, some broke, and some evaporated.

This was the easiest fight Luo Xiaoyu had ever had since he left the Jiangnan region.

Just as Luo Xiaoyu was relaxing, the woman struggling in the formation released a strange and alluring light from her eyes, which pierced through the layers of barriers and struck Luo Xiaoyu, who was sitting behind the formation.

Sister Hua: "Xiaoyu, watch out!"

It was too late; Luo Xiaoyu had been infected.

It wasn't that he wasn't cautious enough, but rather that the other party's seductive methods were too subtle and mysterious.

The world is never short of extraordinary people, and the man on the river lighting a lamp is seeking such an opportunity.

Many times, you can't avoid something just by being careful. For example, you can't escape someone's gaze.

The woman seized this glimmer of hope. Her followers were dying one after another to cover her and buy her time. She was also doing her best to maneuver, but soon she would be able to find a weakness in the formation master's defenses and successfully charm him. Then she could escape.

The effect was excellent; she successfully infiltrated the area. Soon, the image of a beautiful young girl with a jade flute hanging from her waist appeared in the woman's eyes. Just as the woman was about to use this image to seduce the array master into activating the array, she was astonished to discover that it wasn't over yet...

The second girl appears; she is tall and slender, with a bony figure. The third girl appears; she is a bit short, but has a full bust. The fourth girl appears; she is thirty years old, with a mole on the corner of her mouth, and exudes charm. The fifth, the sixth, the seventh…

Every girl who makes you toss and turn at night, who makes you dream of her day and night, is the perfect outlet for your inner defenses, but Luo Xiaoyu couldn't hold back for too long.

In some respects, the sect's patriarch's education of Luo Xiaoyu through setbacks was successful.

When your defenses are full of gaps, it's as if there are no gaps at all.

The woman looked desperate. Her plan had been progressing smoothly, but it had failed because of the extremely long loading time.

Finally, with the death of her last follower, she could no longer hide and was suppressed by the effect of one array, followed by the effect of a second array.

"boom!"

Everything has settled down.

There was no one left alive inside the formation.

"Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu, are you alright?"

Sister Hua stepped forward worriedly to ask.

Luo Xiaoyu licked his lips, as if he was still savoring the moment.

"Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu?"

"I'm fine, Sister Hua. Go and remove the battle flags. Recycle the ones that are still usable and undamaged."

We have to recycle them. If we use up that person's stock, they'll definitely make us go to the peach grove to cut wood and make battle flags when we need them again.

Having just finished planting rice seedlings for half a day, Sister Hua had no choice but to go and harvest them.

Luo Xiaoyu was tasked with scattering black paper and simultaneously touching the corpse.

When he imitated Chen Xiyuan by moving all his family's wealth to Nantong, he thought it was a kind of performance art to show loyalty. He didn't expect that the other woman was really poor, and he didn't expect that Miss Chen was really supporting her brother.

Now things are much better; I'm now bound to that person, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

This isn't for that person; it's for myself.

Upon reaching the woman, they discovered that she had been killed by a mental array, but her body was remarkably well-preserved.

Luo Xiaoyu unveiled the woman's face; she was beautiful.

Especially her eyes, even wide open after death, were still so captivating.

Luo Xiaoyu poked at the eyes with his fingertip and looked at them again. He confirmed that the eyes were not the original ones, and they did not even come from the same person.

This is a secret technique where two people are hired to cultivate one's eyes, which are then extracted and implanted into the person. Behind each successful person, there must be a large number of failed cases to build up the probability.

Luo Xiaoyu shook his head. One can be opportunistic, assertive, domineering… just as a flower can be beautiful in a thousand ways, but he felt that true beauty should be the kindness within one's very being. This was actually a form of sorcery. Even if there were a way to absolve oneself of this cause and effect, to make the other party willingly submit, the root of it all stemmed from one's own desires; otherwise, one wouldn't have cultivated the magic to match these eyes.

Luo Xiaoyu reached out, wanting to gouge out those eyes.

After trying several times, I still couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Sister Hua, I'm going to pull out the battle flag. You come and gouge out my eyes."

Sister Hua came over to relieve Xiaoyu, glanced at the woman who had almost successfully seduced her, and cursed:
"Pah, vixen!"

With a swift "whoosh," the knife fell cleanly and decisively, slicing the two eyeballs into the porcelain bottle.

Because the preparations were so thorough, Luo Xiaoyu even set up a treasure trove for himself, so there was no need to dig a pit; he could simply put all the collected treasures there.

Little Sister Hua pushed the cart up, and Luo Xiaoyu sat on it. Their hands were covered in dust, like an old farmer who had just finished his farm work and had to rush to the next field without taking a break.

Luo Xiaoyu sighed:

"Sister Hua, this is the first time I've felt that walking along the river is physically demanding."

……

Qinglong Temple.

Almost all the guests, whether inside the pavilion or by the stream, stood up and paid close attention to what was happening in the stream.

The thick clump of water plants that had initially begun to change was still being broken off one by one, while the illusory golden lotuses in other areas of the stream were disappearing one after another.

Some people didn't participate and just watched and analyzed the situation; others participated but weren't qualified to see the whole picture of the plan; while many of the planners sitting in the pavilion saw something unusual.

Not only were the lamplighters sent by our own side dying one after another, but this phenomenon of multiple points of decay could only mean one thing: the enemy was carrying out multi-point demolition.

They placed candy beans along the route, each one seemingly designed to interact with the others, all to smoothly lure the other person there. But now, while the other person was eating the candy beans, they were also grabbing at them from all sides.

Only those who have a karmic connection with the person who lit the lantern on the river can have their own golden lotus phantom appear in the stream because of the Buddha lotus. People like Luo Xiaoyu had already heeded Li Zhuiyuan's hint and did not let their elders come to witness the ceremony.

Xu Mofan and his group took a more direct approach, sending away the unscrupulous elders who might have shamelessly tried to freeload a spot.

Therefore, their golden lotus phantoms were not visible in the stream, but the golden lotuses continued to dissipate due to their slaughter.

Liu Yumei didn't stand on ceremony and called out names one after another.

It's like when children buy themselves new clothes, they should wear them happily and not spoil the fun.

The children are out there working hard to kill people, so I have to be here to ridicule and destroy their spirit.

No one dared to turn against Liu Yumei when she called their names. In fact, the more names were called, the better their attitude became and the more cooperative they were.

They would stand up and answer questions about whether Liu Yumei was a boy or a girl in the family, or whether she was an apprentice or a grand-apprentice. They would then follow up with self-reproach for failing to pass on the family tradition and for not managing and training her properly.

Unfortunately, although the overall market situation is still there, only a few of the golden lotus flowers in the pond have disappeared. The real trend has not yet begun, but the wind direction has already changed.

Everyone couldn't help but worry about what would happen if things didn't go through and they were held accountable afterwards.

In fact, when Master Kongyi sat down in the stream and created this golden lotus illusion, everyone present, especially the guests sitting by the stream, felt quite uncomfortable.

They weren't sitting in the pavilion; even if Qin Liu wanted to deal with them now, it wouldn't be difficult.

At first, they thought this was part of a plan to break the old lady's spirits, but now, the old lady's interest is rising and she is getting more and more excited.

It was as if everyone had come here to set up a stage just so this old lady could watch a good show.

Jiang Xiuzhi was also trying her best to cooperate. This scene made her feel like she was back in her youth, when she was just like that, standing next to Sister Liu, taking advantage of her status.

But he felt more confident than before, because his granddaughter was also in the party.

The golden lotus representing his granddaughter, after smashing three golden lotuses, has now become active again, and it looks like it's about to hit someone with its flute again.

The elders of the Ming family looked increasingly grim. The Ming family members were never good at hiding their emotions. They gritted their teeth and sneered, almost implying: "Let you be happy for a while. I don't believe your family can still turn this pond upside down!"
Liu Yumei was most skilled at teasing the Ming family members, and she said to the Ming family elder:

“My master used to love hearing me tell stories about his mother-in-law, Ming. I would say, since you’re so interested, you should take some time to visit her in person, instead of just peeking from afar.”

Many guests present were stunned. Last time, when the head of the Li family peeked from afar, the spirit of the Dragon King in the Ming family's ancestral home was completely extinguished. Would the Great Emperor do the same this time...?

No, we have received definite intelligence that the Emperor will no longer help that so-called young lord. In fact, the Emperor would rather this young man who usurped the position of young lord die as soon as possible.

Master Kongyi spread his hands out, then brought them together, and shook his head slightly.

This means that the stream is currently only filled with blooming lotus flowers and golden lotuses, and no external force has entered. This indicates that the Great Emperor who is in charge of Fengdu will not take action this time.

Even if we take a step back and say the tide has already turned and the established pattern has been set, those mythical entities that wanted to interfere can no longer get in at this point.

Provoked by this, the Ming family elder immediately said:

"Very well, my Ming family awaits the arrival of Patriarch Li to offer incense to our former mistress. I just don't know if Patriarch Li will truly have the opportunity to come?"

Ming Qinyun must "die" and cannot be allowed to remain alive in the public eye.

Liu Yumei: "Don't worry, my master will go. He said he saw that old woman Ming in Wangjiang Tower last time. She was really interesting, sometimes emitting cold air and sometimes emitting hot air. Living next to old woman Ming would be very convenient, with ice in the summer and warmth in the winter."

Elder Ming: "Elder Liu, don't speak too soon. Do you really think that this pond full of golden lotuses can't keep your family head in check?"

Liu Yumei's voice echoed in all directions:
"Both generations of Dragon Kings died young. Have you all forgotten the true rules of this river?"
Then allow me to remind you all here: when has the Dragon King ever won by sheer numbers?
A Dragon King, ruling over a generation of martial arts world.

My son Ali is not talented. The previous generation lost, and that's that. If that Dragon King Qi could be resurrected and come before me, I would also pay my respects to him as the Dragon King. I would recognize him as the true Dragon King, and so on..."

Liu Yumei gently raised her chin, pointing to the pond of golden lotuses:
"You'd better pray that my patriarch isn't the real Dragon King. If he is, what difference would it make if it were just this pond of golden lotuses, or even a whole river?"
If the Dragon King were inside, he would surely wither all other flowers when my blossoms bloom!

The elder of the family asked, "Elder Liu, does this mean that the Qin and Liu families want to make enemies of half of the martial arts world present here?"

"Hehehe..."

Liu Yumei laughed, and Jiang Xiuzhi took a handkerchief and wiped away the tears of laughter from her sister Liu. Liu Yumei continued:
"Then let's ask this half of the martial arts world here: do you dare to be enemies with the next Dragon King!"

In the adjacent pavilion, Tao Yunhe, who had been sitting upright the whole time, felt extremely tormented.

Today, Liu Yumei is exactly the same as she was in his heart.

But Tao Yunhe wasn't envious of the former beauty; what he coveted were the words Liu Yumei had said.

He had already prepared many versions of his speech, revising them repeatedly, and was just waiting to get up and speak freely.

The reason he's still sitting upright isn't because he's calm and collected, but because his grandson isn't living up to his expectations.

You scoundrel, move! Just move!

The grandson moved.

But it's not his own grandson; it's from your family.

The elders were delighted.

Not only Ling Wuxing, but also the other golden lotuses wrapped around the elders of the Ling family moved. Those golden lotuses were all lamplighters who had been lured by the Ling family.

Alright, our young master is now reunited with his family!

But the next moment, a scene that shocked everyone appeared: the golden lotus representing the Five Elements crashed hard into the string of golden lotuses, and then the golden lotuses disappeared one after another.

Elder Ling: "..."

Liu Yumei said, "Wuxing is a good child."

Inside the pavilion, many people turned to look at the elder of the Ling family. This time, even the most cunning old fox couldn't remain calm.

Your family has actually turned against you at this time?
Tao Yunhe's eyes widened: "Grandson, grandson, I thought you were doing poorly, but I never thought it would be this bad. That guy even called out Ling Wuxing, but he didn't call out to you."
Tao Yunhe subconsciously raised his hand again and picked his nose.

We miscalculated, we miscalculated!

If I had known, my Tao family should have bribed some people before deciding to donate my grandson, so that it would have been easier to rack up the spoils.

Tao Yunhe didn't think there was anything wrong with doing this. Those who have no ambition to compete for the Dragon King should all go down to the river to light the lamps again as soon as possible. Those guys who can be bribed to do this kind of work on the river should be taught a lesson and serve as a warning to future generations. This is the consequence of scheming and despicable behavior on the river!

……

"Huh...huh...huh..."

When Ling Wuxing arrived at the coordinate point and saw the groups of people gathered there, he immediately understood the purpose of who had entrusted him with this coordinate point.

These people were all bought off by the Ling family.

When the Five Elements appeared, they all bowed to the young master of the Ling family, for he was their true employer on the river.

The Five Elements remained expressionless.

If he had a choice, he would rather fight a fierce battle, even if it meant being seriously injured or possibly killed, than face them at this moment.

That line from the banquet: "If I had known, I would have stayed on the other side and become the leader."

He threw it away as a burden, but that person made it come true for him.

Ling Wuxing did not want to win unfairly. He felt it would be against morality to treat these people who had been bribed by the Ling family with a sneak attack.

But that person was clearly showing himself in this way:

He didn't care about his own life, nor did he care about appreciating the brutal battle he was fighting; all he cared about was his own worth.

Only with sufficient feedback can he be more lenient when seeking revenge against the Ling family in the future.

The Five Elements spoke:

"Gentlemen, this matter is dangerous, violates the rules on the river, and goes against our original intention of lighting lanterns to cross the river."

"If anyone wishes to withdraw, please speak now. I, Ling Wuxing, on behalf of the Ling family, promise you that we will not pursue this matter afterward!"

This was the limit of what Ling Wuxing could do; he hoped these people would leave.

But he clearly miscalculated, or rather, was naive.

Because the Ling family gave so much.

People who would never agree to such a deal either won't be approached, or even if they were, they could refuse. Once they agree and accept the deposit, they no longer have any ambition to compete for the top spot; all that remains is the "final payment" to be made later.

"Rest assured, young master, we will do our utmost!"

"This will surely succeed!"

"Young Master Ling doesn't trust us, does he? Put your mind at ease. Even if he were a true dragon, he'd still be stranded on this shallow beach!"

"Besides, he's not even that yet, hahaha!"

Ling Wuxing nodded and stood in the middle of the crowd. His followers understood and each took their place in a corner.

"Now that you have all made your decisions, I will say no more. I wish us all the best..."

Before the last word was uttered, Ling Wuxing activated the Ling family's secret technique, runes appeared on his body, his feet left the ground, and lightning raged outwards.

This secret method was improved by that person.

At that time, he thought that since it was the improved secret method, the person must have a way to break it, so he could not use it on him.

Who would have thought that the improved secret technique would still be used to help that person with their work?

The consequences of being ambushed by the least likely person are truly devastating.

One by one, heads were pierced by lightning. No matter how many tricks you had up your sleeve, you were annihilated by this one blow.

The followers of the Five Elements were ordered to act simultaneously to eliminate these escapees.

Soon, the group of people all died.

The lightning on Wu Xing's body dissipated, and his feet returned to the ground. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and after a long while, he spoke:

“I will pass on the things in my cave to the lineage behind you.”

The followers didn't evoke much emotion from the Five Elements; they immediately followed their instructions, some touching the corpse, others digging pits.

There were more opponents than expected, and since most of them were killed in a single blow during a sneak attack, there were more good items to be found, so the pit had to be dug bigger to accommodate them.

Ling Wuxing found a rock, sat down, closed his eyes, and waited for his men to clean up while he cleaned himself up.

"Boss, everything has been checked."

"Boss, the pits have all been filled in."

Command the Five Elements:
"If I survive this wave, I will declare to the world that I, Ling Wuxing, have betrayed the Ling family."

The followers looked at each other. They must have taken into account Ling Wuxing's background as a member of the Dragon King's family when they were willing to follow him across the river.

If the Five Elements were to betray the Ling family, it would undoubtedly be a huge loss for them, and there would also be a huge hidden danger after the journey across the river ended. They had the instinct to form a bond with the Dragon King's family, but instead they became enemies.

However, everyone just shrugged and smiled at each other, then knelt down on one knee before Ling Wuxing:
"We are willing to follow our leader and rebuild our family!"

Ling Wuxing glanced at them, somewhat amused and exasperated, and said:
"Hehe, it seems you all approve of his Dragon King even more than I do."

……

While the guests by the stream were still processing the Ling family's sudden betrayal, Tao Yunhe finally witnessed the scene he had been waiting for: that grandson had finally made his move!

Tao Yunhe took a breath, puffed out his chest, and prepared to stand up and speak.

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to wait a little longer.

After the grandson finishes finishing with those one... two... three... six golden lotuses?
After counting the opponents his grandson was facing, Tao Yunhe's lips twitched.

He suspected that his grandson might be killed.

No, are you plotting against that Li family head or against my grandson? What has my grandson done to deserve such hospitality?

This situation rendered Tao Yunhe's carefully prepared speech inappropriate. It was too righteous and impassioned. If, after he finished speaking, his grandson's lotus flower shattered with a "bang," it would be too embarrassing.

It needs to be changed, it needs to be made more tragic, so that it can match the end of his grandson's life.

Tao Yunhe picked his nose hard. If he hadn't seen any hope, he would have really thought that his grandson was going through a life-or-death struggle. But now that he saw hope, his grandson was still going through a life-or-death struggle. This twist of fate was hard for him to accept. It felt like he had lost two of his own grandsons in a short period of time.

The guests by the stream initially thought that the Tao family had also joined in, as they watched Tao Zhuming's golden lotus frantically entangle and collide with the seven golden lotuses. They believed that this was a reenactment of the old story of Ling Wuxing, using bribed heads as a pledge of allegiance.

So, it turns out this is actually a fierce battle?

The attitude of each Dragon King's family profoundly influences the trends in the martial arts world. At this moment, people are somewhat unable to understand the mysterious and unpredictable Tao family.

Liu Yumei looked at Tao Yunhe and asked:
"If you keep scratching, it'll bleed."

This was the first time Liu Yumei had spoken to him since she arrived here.

Tao Yunhe's tense face melted away uncontrollably, revealing a smile.

Back then, he practiced repeatedly in front of the mirror how dashing he would look when he saw her.

Who would have thought that after so many years, the feelings are gone, but the muscle memory remains.

Tao Yunhe nodded and said:

"You've had a tough time, but thankfully you made it through."

The first half of the sentence is meaningless. Without a specific context, Liu Yumei wouldn't need pity; that would be an insult. Only by adding the second half can this concern be expressed.

Liu Yumei: "Zhu Ming is quite interesting."

Tao Yunhe: "You... told him?"

Suddenly, Tao Yunhe felt that it wouldn't be so unacceptable if his grandson's golden lotus were to break.

Liu Yumei: "Thank you."

I don't know whether to thank myself for my past admiration or for the stance I took by donating my grandson.

Tao Yunhe stood up, walked to the pavilion, looked at the stream, and addressed everyone:

"I just feel that this martial arts world should have some rules."

Looking at his grandson who was still taking on six opponents at once, Tao Yunhe pursed his lips. At this moment, he wished he could step down and replace his grandson.

The guests in the pavilion scrutinized the three people, behind whom stood four Dragon King gates.

When they are ready to join forces, they are not a force that can be easily shaken. Even though Qin Liu is currently weak, the alliance can be established because Qin Liu has produced another outstanding and frightening junior.

But the more this is the case, the less we can allow this Dragon King to succeed. Everyone knows how much grievance Qin Liu has suffered over the years. If they are allowed to vent their frustrations, then there will never be peace in this martial world.

In the other pavilions, many people also stood up, making their stance clear: whether in the stream or on the rivers and lakes, neither of those two winds would be allowed to be suppressed.

Sitting in the stream, Master Kongyi gently pushed forward with his palm. The babbling stream pushed the last thick waterweed in front of him, which Master Kongyi grasped.

All the people that Qinglong Temple had gathered and sent out this time were wiped out.

Master Kongyi held a water plant in his hand and chanted a Buddhist prayer:
"Amitabha."

The monk had a faint smile on his lips. He was the only one present who could sense more information because the second round of karmic backlash that was expected to occur to him did not happen.

This shows that:
It was the people of Qinglong Temple who wiped out the Qinglong Temple people.

……

"Li Longwang, I was donated by my grandfather, but you don't have to treat me like I was found!"

Tao Zhuming and his men rushed to the coordinates without delay, only to encounter the six teams opposite them.

The six teams were also straightforward; without saying a word, they attacked them directly, not giving Tao Zhuming a chance to muddy the waters and claim that his Tao family was also filthy.

The main reason is that among those six teams, there is also a member of the Dragon King family, Xiao Shengyan, the current lamplighter of the Dragon King Xiao family. His grandfather is a figure sitting at the round table on the second floor of Wangjiang Tower, and is also one of the top forces behind this event. You can't fool him at all who is on your side and who isn't.

If it were a one-on-one fight, Tao Zhuming wouldn't be afraid. He was confident he could overpower that effeminate man from the Xiao family. But the other side had six teams, and three of them were traveling alone on the river. This impressive lineup made Tao Zhuming's scalp tingle at first glance.

He didn't understand why the person would give him such a difficult knot. Tao Zhuming felt no gratitude for the new Dragon King's high regard for him; he was only frantically trying to get going.

If you can't win, you can only run. In an encounter battle, there are no formations or terrain to defend against it. If you stand still and fight, you'll be wiped out in no time.

Fortunately, the other side was also worried that there were still people on their side. The main concern was that the person they suspected was also hiding nearby, and that they were just scouting ahead. Therefore, when they were chasing, the other side did not go all in and was always on guard against being ambushed from the outside.

This created a good environment for Tao Zhuming to stall for time. He couldn't really escape, and he couldn't possibly risk everything to flee for his life.

If he went back and told his grandfather, "Grandpa, your grandson has barely escaped with his life," his grandfather would definitely kick him to death.

Tao Zhuming unleashed a series of square seals, slowing down the enemy's pursuit while preventing his followers from committing suicide to cover their retreat.

It's not time yet. If that person really arranges things like this, wouldn't all of us who received the Dragon King's orders be given away for free?
Time passed slowly, and the attackers, who had not yet appeared, seemed to realize that their only opponent was Tao Zhuming and his group.

When they relaxed and truly began to surround Tao Zhuming, Tao Zhuming realized that he could no longer escape this encirclement.

He stopped running.

Holding the square seal in his left hand and the blood seal in his right, he merged them together, intending to fight to the death right from the start and see if he could take someone down with him.

There was a piece of black paper under the seal. Even if he only exchanged it for the lamplighter, he would still have gained something. After he died, he would vanish into thin air, while the other person would have to go to hell after death.

Tao Zhuming's followers also surrounded him, each preparing to fight to the death.

Xiao Shengyan: "Brother Tao, your Tao family has always preferred to stay out of trouble, so why bother getting involved in this mess!"

Tao Zhuming: "Bah! You didn't inform the Tao family when you did something bad last time, so this time the Tao family will set some rules for you!"

A person on their deathbed tends to embellish their words.

You can't exactly say that you were forced to come here to die by your grandfather.

Xiao Shengyan glanced at the increasingly powerful seal in Tao Zhuming's hand and ordered the lowest-ranking member of the six teams to go first.

At the same time, he covered for him again, saying:

"Brother Tao, to die like this under the overwhelming tide, without even making a ripple, do you think it was worth it?"

Tao Zhuming: "It was quite worth it. After all, I won first place and became the first person of this generation to die because of the Dragon King's Decree."

Xiao Shengyan: "Dragon King? Heh, who is the Dragon King, and where did this Dragon King come from?"

Tao Zhuming: "If you don't think he can become a dragon king, why go through all this trouble? Do you think your family's wealth is too much to contain, so you're giving it back to the martial arts world?"

Xiao Shengyan: "Until the very end, it is still unknown who will win and who will lose."

Tao Zhuming: "Sissy, I am truly ashamed of your ancestors. After dealing with people in this way, how can you still have the nerve to continue fighting for the Dragon King?"

In my entire life, I, Tao Zhuming, have never seen such a shameless person as you!
"Make way, make way! I'm going to die with this sissy!"

Xiao Shengyan didn't make a move, but that group of people made their move first.

Having no other choice, Tao Zhuming could only smash out the well-preserved seal.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the lamplighter and his two followers were reduced to ashes. Tao Zhuming slumped down, his arms hanging loosely. This was the weakness of the secret technique: it could grant a rapid increase in power, but it was also very limited. He had no choice but to use it just now, and after using it, he entered a brief state of exhaustion.

In the past, he could have relied on his followers to get through the crisis, but this time, the other side would never give him that chance.

Xiao Shengyan moved along with the others.

Tao Zhuming pursed his chapped lips. Faced with this situation and this outcome, he could only let out a long sigh, filled with lingering fear and relief:
"Fortunately, the previous generation had you, King Qi."

That's how those bastards managed to avoid getting the Dragon King's throne and bringing shame upon the Dragon King's identity.

"Buzz!"

A black torrent surged forth, forcefully forcing Xiao Shengyan and the others back, and protecting Tao Zhuming.

When Tao Zhuming, who was on the verge of death, opened his eyes, he blurted out:
"Has the Dragon King appeared to us?"

Amidst the black torrent, Yayoi's figure emerges; he is "ravaged," yet still alive.

Yayoi: "You seem to have called the wrong person."

Tao Zhuming: "Monk, luckily you arrived in time. If you had come a moment later, I would be gone."

Yayoi: "Actually, I've been here for a while now."

Tao Zhuming: "So you were deliberately standing by and watching me make a fool of myself?"

Yayoi: "I just feel that there are not many opportunities in a person's life to be heroic and ambitious, and I don't want to leave you with any regrets."

Tao Zhuming: "Haha, I love to hear that. It's settled then. On the day of my grandfather's funeral, I'll invite you to the Tao family for a vegetarian feast."

……

Smoke shrouds the cold water.

Li Zhuiyuan sat by the river, with A Li standing behind the boy.

Ahead, thick fog enveloped everything.

Li Zhuiyuan could have tried to break through the fog barrier, but he didn't. He could have broken through it, but if he had, it would have alerted the beings inside the fog and caused a series of chain reactions.

It's not time yet.

The knots on the other side haven't been fully untied yet, and the real river water hasn't reached this final battleground.

All he can do now is wait.

This seems somewhat pessimistic, with the strongest team sitting here in silence.

But this is the price of trying to catch them all at once. Only with enough patience can you catch as many fish as possible. Opportunities can be fleeting.

Fortunately, the lamplighters haven't arrived yet. Li Zhuiyuan guessed that they were probably in batches at various temporary assembly points.

This place cannot be arranged in advance, and its use is subject to great restrictions, which also illustrates the special nature of this location.

The boy was genuinely curious about what the auspicious burial site they had chosen for themselves looked like.

"Pfft!"

Ah Li opened a can of Jianlibao and handed it to the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan took it and took a sip.

"Cough...cough...cough cough!"

The boy choked.

Ah Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the boy's face.

As Li Zhuiyuan grabbed the handkerchief, he also grabbed the girl's hand. The boy's gaze was fixed on the mist ahead, where a moving shadow seemed to be visible.

Standing on the tree, Tan Wenbin asked Li Zhuiyuan through the red thread:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, should I activate my Snake Eyes?"

Intense prying is likely to trigger the other party's senses.

"open."

Although it might alert the enemy, this unusual movement could very well be the opportunity that all my plans and schemes have been working towards.

Tan Wenbin activated his snake eyes, his gaze piercing straight in.

The scene he saw was synchronized to Li Zhuiyuan via the red line.

It was a boat with more than ten people standing on it; at this moment, only their silhouettes could be seen.

Just as Tan Wenbin was about to enhance the Snake Eyes and refine them further, a figure standing at the bow of the ship moved, and the "image" Tan Wenbin saw suddenly became blurry.

"Brother Xiaoyuan..."

"That's enough, stop now."

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, took out the dragon-patterned compass, and prepared to break through the thick fog.

on board.

"Ah~~~"

Zhao Yi raised his hands and crossed them behind his back, then lazily stretched.

Standing in front of Zhao Yi, the young man dressed in black turned around and smiled:

"Brother Zhao, are you tired?"

Zhao Yi nodded: "After painstakingly planning until now, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Zhou Xuqing exclaimed, "Brother Zhao's composure and ease of mind truly reflects the spirit of our ancestor, the Dragon King Zhao."

Zhao Yi: "Brother Zhou, we're already so familiar with each other, there's no need for us to flatter each other, is there?"

Zhou Xuqing: "But this is the first time I've met Brother Zhao."

Zhao Yi: "We've become friends, we've become friends."

Zhou Xuqing: "But Brother Zhao wasn't qualified to come here before."

Zhao Yi: "So, it's what I yearn for."

The fog gradually dissipated when it touched Zhou Xuqing. There was no key to enter this place; only those who shared the same bloodline could do so.

Outsiders are not prohibited from entering, but the consequence of unauthorized entry is that the place will automatically close, making it almost impossible to leave.

The ship docked at the pier.

Zhou Xuqing walked in front, Zhao Yi followed behind, and behind them were their respective followers.

“My grandfather said that Brother Zhao has the bearing of a Dragon King, and that after this incident, no one but Brother Zhao can replicate the old story of the Dragon King Qi.”

"Mr. Zhou is right."

Trust is built step by step in this way, and the most solid foundation of trust is mutual benefit.

Because if that one were to fall, the one most likely to become the Dragon King would not be unmoved.

To some extent, Zhao Yi's determination to become the Dragon King was unwavering. Even the two young masters, Ling and Tao, who came from the Dragon King's family, were impressed after visiting Li Zhuiyuan's home. However, everything in Li Zhuiyuan's home was built with Zhao Yi's personal assistance.

Zhou Xuqing's four subordinates, each carrying a flag, went in four directions.

“Brother Zhao, there’s no one here right now, let me take you inside to have a look first.”

"How embarrassing!"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Perhaps in the future, Brother Zhao, we'll be discussing matters here."

Zhao Yi raised his hand, signaling Chen Jing and the others to stay outside and not follow.

Zhou Xuqing smiled and said, "There's no need for that, I trust Brother Zhao."

Zhao Yi: "That's the rule."

Zhou Xuqing is the living core of the formation here; it's very difficult for anyone to harm him from here.

Zhao Yi followed Zhou Xuqing into the building.

Zhou Xuqing introduced, "Brother Zhao, this is..."

Halfway through his sentence, Zhou Xuqing turned around and looked behind him, puzzled. "Someone broke the rules and arrived first? No, he's trying to break..."

"Seal the gap between life and death!"

Zhou Xuqing stood frozen in place, unable to move or speak, cut off from all contact with the outside world, only his eyes looking at Zhao Yi with confusion.

Blood flowed from Zhao Yi's chest and dripped to the ground. This was the price of the gate between life and death operating beyond its capacity. Zhao Yi was using his life force to seal himself away.

Fortunately, he obtained a mature Gate of Life and Death from the man surnamed Li; otherwise, even if he were willing to risk his life to seal it, it would be nothing but a pipe dream.

Even so, it can only be sealed off for a short while; any longer and his life force will be completely depleted.

Zhao Yi reached out and closed the door, then drew the curtains to prevent Zhou Xuqing's four men from observing the situation inside.

After doing all this, Zhao Yi patted Zhou Xuqing on the shoulder and said:

"You say I have inherited my ancestors' ways, sigh, didn't your grandfather teach you that you shouldn't insult other people's ancestors?"

My ancestor Zhao Wuyang was the Dragon King of that generation. Do you think the Dragon King would do such a ridiculous and despicable thing?

Yes, I should be the person in this world who understands how terrifying that person is the most, and if nothing unexpected happens, I should also be the first person to wish for his death.

Don't laugh at me, but this morning when I got up I dropped a coin into the water tank, hoping he'd choke to death when he drank his soda.

He could die, but not like this. The Dragon King's throne, obtained through such means, is something I, Zhao Yi, don't covet.

Half of the doubt in Zhou Xuqing's eyes disappeared, replaced by anxiety and tension.

"Oh, guess who's breaking through that fog to get in? Hehehe, that's right, it's him, it's you, oh no, it's the one we've been planning all this time to get rid of in this game."

I felt that gaze the moment I was on the ship. I'm all too familiar with that feeling of being stared at by a eunuch.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan felt a sense of familiarity when Xuanzhen probed him through the crack of the Gate of Life and Death in the Zhenjun Temple, Zhao Yi also felt a sense of familiarity with Tan Wenbin's snake eyes. There was no other reason than that the two would look at each other's eyes whenever they met and care about each other's health.

"Hiss... Li, if you don't hurry up, I'm going to be drained of my life force!"

……

The moment Li Zhuiyuan made his move, he knew that it would inevitably trigger the perception within the fog. But he did not stop. Finally, the fog broke open, revealing a white marble bridge extending from the shore to the river.

"Enter."

Runsheng was the first to go up, and the others followed behind.

When he reached the end of the bridge, Li Zhuiyuan felt a strong sense of crisis. Even now, the consequences of trespassing would be severe.

The Ghost Gate, whose lock I replaced back then, was ultimately just a door. But this place in front of me, if we were to draw a comparison, would be more like the highest level of the Fengdu Underworld, a palace exclusively for the Great Emperor.

The fog in front continued to dissipate in all directions, indicating that the people inside were opening it up in all directions, and Li Zhuiyuan was finally able to catch a glimpse of its true form.

This is... Wangjiang Tower!

They really thought too highly of themselves, using Wangjiang Tower as their final resting place.

First came the sound of the door opening, followed by a voice from inside:

"I was thinking of turning against you and helping you out while you were fighting here, but you actually arrived before me."

That's definitely in your style, Mr. Li! You really don't want to take any unnecessary detours!

This sentence also has another layer of meaning: in this game, you don't want to let anyone go.

When Zhao Yi spoke, Zhou Xuqing's four men realized something was wrong, immediately put down their flags, and returned to the building.

"Howl~"

Chen Jing transformed into a white wolf and charged out first, followed closely by the Liang sisters and Xu Ming, who blocked their path.

Zhao Yi stood at the entrance of Wangjiang Tower, gazing at the boy standing on the bridge.

He knew just how dangerous the real Wangjiang Tower was. Once the man surnamed Li entered, as long as he removed the seal on Zhou Xuqing, the Wangjiang Tower could trap him.

At that point, the situation will become that Li's isolated team is trapped here, and the lamplighters who are arriving in batches will catch them like turtles in a jar, which will be countless times worse than Uncle Qin's situation back then.

The person surnamed Li is the one who hates risk the most.

Zhao Yi planned to call out to the man surnamed Li to send someone over so that he could hand Zhou Xuqing over to his men to keep an eye on. That way, the man surnamed Li would feel a little more at ease. Well, that man would have to hold a knife to his neck and control him as well.

If nothing unexpected happens, the guy surnamed Li should send Lin Shuyou over.

If there's a little more time, and Chen Jing and the others can hold on a little longer, and if they can squeeze out as much of their own life force as possible, they should have a chance to get that guy surnamed Li to prepare a new seal and have Ayou bring it over as well.

However, just as Zhao Yi was about to offer his advice,

An unexpected incident still occurred.

Zhao Yi watched helplessly as Lin Shuyou, who hadn't been called out, stood on the bridge in the distance. Runsheng, who was standing at the very front, stopped and turned aside.
Li Zhuiyuan walked down the bridge alone and stood on the Wangjianglou Square!

"Hehehe..."

Zhao Yi laughed.

Because you understand him so well, you truly understand what it means for him to go to such lengths for you.

It's not that I believe in Zhao Yi as a person, nor do I believe in any pros and cons analysis; it's simply that the person surnamed Li sees himself as Zhao Wuyang.

There were clearly more rational and safer options, but Mr. Li didn't choose any of them. He chose the option that gave him the highest emotional value.

Zhao Yi bit his lip, shook his head, and seemed somewhat helpless, displaying an attitude of "Sigh, I really can't do anything with you."

Finally, Zhao Yi turned sideways, bent over, and with his arm pointing into the building, shouted:

"Ancestor, please come in!"

(End of this chapter)