Translator: CinderTL
"Ah..."
"No..."
"Help..."
Several terrified cries rang out.
The ten Golden Core stage monks of Mixed Yuan Temple recognized the voices as those of their fellow disciples.
Turning their heads, they saw it was Hao Kong and Tong Hua.
The two had stepped out of the Mountain Protection Array of Jie Mountain and were flying towards them.
As they moved, they continuously shot bursts of spiritual power, causing the Foundation Establishment stage monks of Mixed Yuan Temple to fall one by one along the way.
Except for a few who were far enough away, nearly all ninety Foundation Establishment stage monks were on the verge of death.
The ten Golden Core stage monks were greatly alarmed.
Where were Fayan and Xiao Chan?
Why hadn't they appeared yet, while Hao Kong and Tong Hua were slaughtering the monks?
The ten monks could no longer afford to chase the shadowy figure and instead fled in different directions, hoping that Hao Kong and Tong Hua's attention would be drawn to their comrades, allowing them to escape by chance.
Hao Kong and Tong Hua both wore expressions of joy.
Fayan and Xiao Chan were truly absent.
The two split up and pursued the ten monks.
The gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core was simply too vast. Even though the ten monks fled in completely different directions and at varying altitudes, not a single one managed to escape successfully. All of them fell to Hao Kong and Tong Hua.
After slaughtering all the monks, the two took some time to collect the bodies and souls of the ten.
When they returned to Jie Mountain, they found that 'Lei Xing' had not yet left and was still collecting the bodies and souls of the Foundation Establishment stage monks.
"Seniors, could you hand over the bodies and souls of those ten bald donkeys to me?" Seeing the two return, the shadowy figure clasped his hands and asked.
"What do you need their souls and bodies for?" Hao Kong inquired.
"To slowly torment them, to console the spirit of my departed wife," the shadowy figure replied.
"Are you truly Lei Xing of the Lei family?" Hao Kong questioned.
The shadowy figure said, "Whether I am or not, does it matter to you, Senior?"
Hao Kong smiled faintly, "You're quite bold. Aren't you afraid I might attack you?"
The shadowy figure replied, "I helped Jie Mountain resolve its crisis, which counts as a favor to the Nine Palaces Sect. I believe you, Senior, are not the type to repay kindness with malice."
Hao Kong said, "Fine! Their souls and bodies are yours."
With that, Hao Kong took out six corpses and threw them to the shadowy figure.
Then, he signaled to Tong Hua, who also handed over the corpses in his possession to the shadowy figure.
These corpses contained their respective souls.
However, the storage rings of these ten corpses had already been taken by Hao Kong and Tong Hua.
"Thank you."
The shadowy figure accepted the ten corpses and turned to leave.
Watching the shadowy figure depart, Tong Hua curiously asked, "Hao Kong, why did you agree to give the bodies and souls to this person?"
Hao Kong said, "Do you remember that cultivator named 'Cui Huo' I once mentioned?"
Tong Hua replied, "The one who asked for your help in refining a top-grade thunder-based magical artifact, then promised to help refine thunder talismans, but later stood you up—that 'Cui Huo'?"
Hao Kong nodded.
"But Cui Huo is a Nascent Soul cultivator, while this person clearly only has Golden Core cultivation," Tong Hua said.
"He must have some treasure that conceals his aura. Otherwise, how could a Golden Core cultivator remain unscathed under the siege of ten Golden Core stage monks from Mixed Yuan Temple?" Hao Kong explained.
Tong Hua asked, "Since he once stood you up, why did you still agree to give him the bodies and souls?"
Hao Kong said, "Tai He and Xi Ling are both severely injured, and Mixed Yuan Temple is advancing aggressively. Having someone divert their attention will ease the pressure on us. As for the enmity between him and me, it will have to be set aside for now. We can settle it once everything stabilizes."
Then, Hao Kong added, "We shouldn't linger here any longer. Let's return to Jie Mountain as soon as possible. Fayan and Xiao Chan could return at any moment."
Just as Hao Kong had said, shortly after he and Tong Hua returned to Jie Mountain, Xiao Chan's figure appeared on the distant horizon.
When Xiao Chan noticed that the area around Jie Mountain was deserted, a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in his heart.
As he approached Jie Mountain and saw the scattered remains of flesh everywhere, a deep sense of regret welled up within him.
Those were ten Golden Core cultivators and ninety Foundation Establishment cultivators, all lost. The impact on Mixed Yuan Temple's strength was undeniably severe.
Xiao Chan's expression turned grim, his fists clenched tightly, and his gaze icy as he stared at the two figures atop Jie Mountain.
"Hao Kong, Tong Hua, did you kill them?" Xiao Chan asked.
Hao Kong's face was full of mockery and triumph.
"Hahaha... Xiao Chan, you and Fayan thought you were so clever, leaving your disciples here to die. I should thank you for such a generous gift. Hahaha..."
"How did you see through the plan of Zen Master Fayan and me?" Xiao Chan asked, somewhat unwillingly.
"Hmph! The Nine Palaces Sect has many secret techniques. Naturally, we have ways to know your and Fayan's whereabouts," Hao Kong replied.
Xiao Chan was furious, gnashing his teeth in anger, but there was nothing he could do against Hao Kong and Tong Hua.
With the loss of a hundred monks, it would take at least several days for him and Fayan to set up the Wrathful Buddha Demon Subduing Formation.
Moreover, the materials needed for the formation were originally in the hands of those monks. Now, all those materials were lost.
To set up the formation, they would have to return to Mixed Yuan Temple to retrieve the necessary materials.
Filled with rage, Xiao Chan turned and left.
After flying over three hundred miles, he noticed a Foundation Establishment stage monk hiding in a ravine below. It seemed this monk had narrowly escaped death.
Xiao Chan immediately descended and landed beside the ravine.
"Jie Xin, come out," Xiao Chan said coldly.
The monk named 'Jie Xin' had been hiding in a crevice within the ravine.
Afraid of being discovered by Hao Kong and Tong Hua, he had been suppressing his aura and dared not use his Spirit Sense to probe.
Thus, he only realized Xiao Chan's arrival when he heard his voice.
Jie Xin's face lit up with relief, and he quickly crawled out of the crevice.
"Greetings, Master Xiao Chan," Jie Xin said, his face filled with the joy of having survived a disaster.
Xiao Chan asked, "What happened here? How did you survive?"
Jie Xin then recounted the events in detail.
"Lei Xing? A remnant of the Lei family?"
"His partner is from the Si family?"
"To avenge his partner, he risked his life alone to fight ten monks from Mixed Yuan Temple of the same cultivation level?"
After hearing Jie Xin's account, many questions arose in Xiao Chan's mind.
This 'Lei Xing' was highly suspicious.
It seemed as though he knew that he and Fayan were not present, deliberately luring Hao Kong and Tong Hua out of the formation to kill the monks of Mixed Yuan Temple.
Who exactly is this 'Lei Xing,' and how did he know the whereabouts of him and Fayan? And how did he and Fayan remain completely unaware of being watched from start to finish?
Xiao Chan glanced back at Jie Mountain and suddenly understood. The reason Jie Xin had survived wasn't because he had hidden well, but because Hao Kong and Tong Hua had deliberately allowed it. They wanted Jie Xin to pass on the message to him, informing him of the existence of the 'Lei Xing.'
With such formidable enemies lurking in the shadows, how could he and Fayan not be distracted, thus acting with caution and hesitation.
(End of the Chapter)
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