blogombal Page 158
Page 158
What... what kind of power is this?!
Upon seeing Zhang Yunyuan appear, the men in white robes showed no intention of continuing the fight.
They exchanged a glance and immediately made the most decisive judgment.
The leader, a man in white robes, shouted, and the five of them suddenly split up and fled in five different directions, desperately trying to escape the mountains!
Zhang Yunyuan snorted coldly, pushing his speed to the limit. He transformed into a streak of light that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, like a leech, chasing after the two white-robed men who had deliberately slowed down.
A thrilling chase suddenly unfolded in the deep darkness of Longhu Mountain.
The chaotic battle at the foot of the mountain and the chase at the summit instantly attracted the attention of almost everyone on Longhu Mountain.
Whether it was the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion, the scheming Quanxing demons, or the spies from various factions lurking in the shadows, ready to reap the benefits, their attention was drawn to the fierce conflict that had erupted in these two places.
No one noticed.
Near the Celestial Master's Hall, a young Taoist boy who looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old and was responsible for sweeping the courtyard had a cold and sharp glint in his eyes that was completely inconsistent with his age and status.
He glanced at the chaotic battlefield below the mountain, then at the streaks of light on the mountaintop that were almost disappearing into the night, and a triumphant smile appeared on his lips.
He quietly slipped away from the crowd and hid in a secluded corner.
He raised his hand and wiped his face.
He slowly tore off a human skin mask as thin as a cicada's wing, revealing a handsome young face with a scholarly air.
His face was etched with a composure and determination beyond his years.
Chapter 186 Master Tian Dies in Battle
After removing the disguise from his face, the young Taoist boy also patted his body a few times, and a thick layer of disguise also fell off his body.
His body suddenly grew taller, and he now had the physique of an adult.
If Zhang Yunyuan were to see this scene, he would surely be astonished.
His Thousand-Faced Ghost Hand can disguise people, but the ability to even "disguise" one's body shape and posture is rare in this world!
Almost the instant he removed his disguise, several equally powerful auras, surpassing even the level of top-tier superhumans, silently appeared behind him like ghosts.
They were also dressed in white robes, but unlike the others who had lured Zhang Yunyuan away earlier, their auras were more restrained, and also more... dangerous.
"Acting Sect Leader."
One of them spoke in a low voice, devoid of any emotion, "Where is the Demon-Subduing Cave?"
The young "young Taoist disciple" smiled slightly and gestured for the group to enter.
"Everyone, follow me."
He led the few men in white robes, skillfully bypassing the Celestial Master's Hall and avoiding all the patrolling disciples, heading straight for the forbidden area on the back mountain.
This place in Longhu Mountain is specifically used to suppress and imprison those vicious demons and evil spirits.
The cave entrance is shrouded in thick fog year-round, and the surrounding stone walls are covered with demon-suppressing runes drawn by the Celestial Masters of past generations. The runes shimmer with golden light and exude a majestic aura of righteousness, causing any evil spirit to tremble from the depths of its soul.
However, just as they were about to reach the cave entrance, everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks.
Before the Demon-Subduing Cave, which had been deserted for years, a figure stood quietly.
He was an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard, and a slightly hunched figure.
He held a whisk in his hand and wore a faded gray Taoist robe. He stood there quietly with his back to them, as if he had become one with the night in the mountains.
Behind him followed several tense Longhu Mountain disciples, each holding a long sword as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Master Tian?"
The young "young Taoist disciple" looked at that figure from behind and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The old Taoist priest slowly turned around; it was Tian Jinzhong.
Tian Jinzhong frowned as he looked at the unfamiliar disciple dressed in the robes of Longhu Mountain and demanded:
"Whose disciple are you, and who are the people behind you?!"
The young Taoist looked at him, his smile still the same honest and simple look, but his eyes had become incredibly deep.
He raised his hand and slowly put the human skin mask that he had been wearing for three months back on his face.
The face of an innocent child was revealed once again.
Tian Jinzhong was struck dumb, frozen in place. He pointed at Gong Qing, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
"It's you?! You..."
He looked at the boy in front of him, "Little Gongzi," who had only come up the mountain a few months ago and whom he often liked and would give him a few fruits to eat.
A hint of affection flashed in his cloudy eyes, but that affection quickly turned into overwhelming shock and disbelief.
He stared intently at the several terrifying white-robed men behind "Little Gongzi," his voice trembling.
"Little Gongzi! Who...who are you? And who are these people behind you?! What are you doing here?!"
The young Taoist boy put away his smile and solemnly bowed deeply to Tian Jinzhong.
His voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly in everyone's ears.
"The acting leader of Quanxing, Gong Qing."
"Greetings, Master Tian."
The color drained from Tian Jinzhong's face at a visible speed. He staggered back half a step, his eyes filled with heartache and disbelief.
"So you're from Quanxing!"
He finally understood.
It turns out that all of this was a setup.
The chaotic battle at the foot of the mountain and the chase at the summit were both intended to divert the attention of all the masters of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
But their real target is here!
It's the Demon-Subduing Cave!
Tian Jinzhong suddenly raised his head, staring intently at Gong Qing, his voice hoarse.
"You've been lurking in my Longhu Mountain for three months, just for... for the people in this Demon-Subduing Cave?!"
"Who are these people behind you?!"
“Master Tian, actually my original goal wasn’t the Demon-Subduing Cave, but rather…”
Before Gong Qing could finish speaking, the white-robed men behind him looked at the old Taoist priest, who was like an ant in their eyes, and their faces showed undisguised contempt and impatience.
One of them stepped forward and said condescendingly:
"We come from a higher dimension, and we have nothing to do with you ants!"
Gong Qing raised his hand to stop him. He looked at Tian Jinzhong, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. There was reluctance, guilt, but more than anything, an unwavering determination.
"Master Tian, please move aside."
His voice was soft, "For the sake of our past relationship, I only want the people in the Demon-Subduing Cave. I promise you, I will only erase this memory of yours, and I will absolutely not hurt you."
However, Tian Jinzhong simply shook his head slowly.
His body, which was slightly hunched due to old age, stood straight as a spear at this moment.
Tian Jinzhong's voice was not loud, but it sounded like the clash of metal, each word carrying an undeniable determination, crashing heavily into the silent night sky.
"As long as I, Tian Jinzhong, am still alive."
"We will absolutely not allow anyone to cross this line and desecrate the purity of the Demon-Subduing Cave!"
He took a step to the side, slamming his whisk heavily on the ground, drawing an invisible boundary.
Behind Gong Qing, a man in white robes completely lost his patience.
"Stubborn!"
He let out a low growl, his figure flashing out like a ghost, holding nothing back, and directly delivering the killing blow!
With a single palm strike, the air seemed to freeze and evaporate wherever the palm wind passed, leaving behind a vacuum trail.
A strange power, which Tian Jinzhong had never experienced before and which combined extreme coldness with pure destruction, surged forth like an undercurrent!
Tian Jinzhong's expression changed drastically, his pupils contracted, and almost instinctively he poured all his life's cultivation into the Golden Light Mantra!
A dazzling, solid golden light instantly enveloped his entire body, as thick as a physical substance. This was his final barrier as a high-ranking official of the Celestial Master's Mansion and a peerless extraordinary person.
That was not a simple collision sound, but a mournful cry of shattering glass and crumbling metal!
The protective golden light that was strong enough to withstand a thousand pounds of force crumbled and shattered the moment it came into contact with that strange palm force, just like thin ice under the sun!
Tian Jinzhong felt as if he had been struck head-on by an iceberg carrying the chill of the deepest hell at an unparalleled speed.
It's simply irresistible!
His bones crackled under the strain, and he was thrown backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily against the hard, weathered blue stone wall of the Demon-Subduing Cave!
"puff--!"
A mouthful of scalding blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out of his mouth, leaving a glaring scarlet trail in the air.
With just one move, his meridians were broken inch by inch, and his internal organs were displaced and ruptured by the cold and domineering force!
He was over a hundred years old after all, and this blow severely injured him.
But he did not fall.
Those eyes, which were originally cloudy but were now burning with the last flame of life, were fixed on the enemy in front of them.
He trembled as he pressed the whisk that had been with him for most of his life against the ground, his fingernails cracking and bleeding from the excessive force.
With unwavering willpower, he managed to stand up again, swaying but with unwavering determination, and used his broken body to block the cave entrance.
A genuine look of surprise finally flashed across the white-robed man's eyes, which then turned into a chilling killing intent.
"Old man, you're really asking for death!"
He stepped forward again, this time faster and with more deadly force!
Tian Jinzhong was powerless to block, and even unable to move an inch.