Chapter 1011: Chapter 1110: The Blood Battle in the Imperial City, Slaughtering in All Directions (End)_1
"Kirin, Sword Emperor, impulsive actions are the devil’s work; do you truly wish to engage in an endless battle with us?"
"You’d best not act recklessly, or no one will benefit."
In the Witch Queen’s temple, the royal family, and the Ancestral Temple had united as one. With such an imposing presence, it emboldened them, especially since none present were weak—previously, they had merely been intimidated by Shi Xiaole’s strength.
Of course, those who were shouting were the experts from the royal family and the Ancestral Temple, while the Witch Heavenly Guards, on the other hand, remained silent, not because they didn’t want to speak, but because they didn’t dare to.
"Do you not already have an unending vendetta against me now?"
Shi Xiaole seemed to be both questioning and speaking to himself.
Something had touched him; this time, perfecting the Vortex Array System had been made possible only with the true "Wizard Scroll" and the Witch God Pill, both of which were the Witch Queen’s most precious possessions.
In a way, he owed her an enormous favor. Even though, from his perspective, the present-day Witch Queen’s temple had strayed from its original purpose, could he really destroy it so cruelly?
Not to mention, it was not certain that he had the ability to do so.
"Mr. Shi, don’t be stubborn and push things to an uncontrollable state,"
Min Yunshu said coldly.
Suddenly, Shi Xiaole noticed that the trio of experts opposite him were closely guarding the central Great Witch Servant, and a thought flashed through his mind.
The Great Witch Servant was the sole leverage he had over the Witch Queen’s temple, compelling all the Witch Heavenly Guards to obey him. If he could eliminate the Great Witch Servant, would not all his problems be solved, with himself rising to prominence?
The sharp intent to kill made everyone’s chests tighten, especially the Great Witch Servant, who spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood in anger. How could he overlook the glance that Shi Xiaole had just given him? His heart was full of both rage and fear.
Angry because the other party clearly had designs against him; normally, he would have slapped such a person down immediately. Afraid because, at this moment, he actually felt threatened!
"Amitabha, the Buddha speaks of saving all beings with compassion. Junior Brother, it’s been over six hundred years, yet you are still the same, your killing intent has not diminished but increased."
In a chant filled with peacefulness, two figures emerged from afar. Although they seemed to move slowly, they were in fact crossing great distances in a single step and appeared between the two groups.
These were two monks wearing robes, both of average build. The one on the left had a kind and benevolent face, while the one on the right looked stern, both appearing to be over sixty years old.
From these two individuals, Shi Xiaole felt an aura of "emptiness," like two orbs of light, intangible, yet shining brilliantly, illuminating the world. Their aura was so strong, hardly weaker than Uncle Wang’s by much.
"Shen Yuan, Shen Wu."
Uncle Wang’s eyes instantly narrowed, his muscles tensing.
Coming from the Wheel of Law Temple, he was all too familiar with the high-ranking monks there. Setting aside those from previous generations who entered the back mountain’s stone forest, where their fates were unknown, there weren’t more than five people who could match him now.
And Shen Yuan and Shen Wu were two of them.
"Great Masters, I’ve been awaiting your arrival."
Upon seeing them, the Great Witch Servant finally relaxed, his previous unease disappearing.
Years ago, by a stroke of luck, he had once helped the Wheel of Law Temple, and those monks were known for their trustworthiness and loyalty; they should surely be able to protect him.
"To dispatch two great temple guardians for a traitor like me, you flatter me indeed,"
Uncle Wang laughed with a hint of sarcasm.
The kind-faced Shen Yuan clasped his hands and said, "Brother Shen Wu, the past is but a misunderstanding. The Sect Master has sent me in hopes of persuading you to return to the temple; remember, it’s never too late to turn back."
Uncle Wang replied, "Turn back? I’ve never gone astray, so how can I turn back? To stop killing with killing, that is my way. You need not bother persuading me."
"Enough with the nonsense. Shen Wu, this isn’t a discussion. You must return!"
Shen Wu was clearly less patient. In fact, back when Uncle Wang was still Shen Wu, they did not get along.
"I have long left the Wheel of Law Temple. It’s not your place to dictate my movements."
"Whether you want to go or not, you must go."
Before Shen Yuan could intervene, Shen Wu struck, a palm pressing down with a golden swastika handprint that grew larger as it spun towards Uncle Wang and Shi Xiaole.
Bang!
A shadow of a staff shattered the swastika imprint, and Uncle Wang and Shen Wu instantly clashed, the two grand Buddhist masters fighting high and low, each collision releasing boundless Buddha light that shook the heavens and earth.
Shen Yuan turned his gaze to Shi Xiaole and remarked, "I’ve heard of the great name of the Kirin even when I was in the temple. Meeting you today, your elegance surpasses what I’ve heard tenfold. However, Sword Emperor’s propensity for killing might be a bit too excessive."
Shi Xiaole smiled faintly, "How do you propose to teach me, Master?"
"With the Sword Emperor’s gifts and strength, you will undoubtedly be a great power in the Martial World, with your words defining life and death for many. Thus, you must not act recklessly. If the Sword Emperor finds the time, you might consider visiting the Wheel of Law Temple with Brother Shen Wu to cleanse your killing intent, to benefit all living beings."
"What if I refuse to go?"
Before Shen Yuan could answer, a hundred-zhang-long staff shadow smashed down towards him first.
"Shen Wu, you dare!"
This was Shen Wu’s loud shout.
Soon, Uncle Wang dragged Shen Yuan into the fray as well, facing two opponents at once. Unfortunately, he was injured, and the strength of both Shen Yuan and Shen Wu was not much inferior to his own. He quickly found himself at a disadvantage, being pressed and beaten.
"A bad lot, both of them," bring them all back."
With his hands freed, Shen Wu let out a cold snort and reached out towards Shi Xiaole with a palm that seemed to cover the sky, giving Shi Xiaole a sense of the inescapable.
Compared to a Heaven Realm Martial Emperor, he was far too lacking.
And at that moment, the experts from the Ancestral Temple and the royal family also made their move.
Since Uncle Wang was tied up by Shen Yuan, Min Yunshu, Divine Light Emperor, Emperor Mingtong Saber, and other Heaven Realm Martial Emperors all charged towards Shi Xiaole, followed by Earthly Realm Martial Emperors. The collective power of the crowd nearly crushed the heavens with violent energy.
Shi Xiaole immediately activated the Array System, but no matter how strong the array was, it couldn’t withstand so many attackers. It held only for a moment before shattering with a roar. This place, after all, was not the Witch Queen’s temple; the arrays there wouldn’t budge even if the Forbidden Martial Emperor himself came.
"You fools, don’t injure my beloved general."
Just then, a majestic shout came from the sky, and a woman dressed in glittering jewels and white from head to toe arrived riding on the wind. With a wave of her hand, she battled alone against Min Yunshu, Divine Light Emperor, Emperor Mingtong Saber, and the others.
"Master Mu."
The newcomer was none other than Mu Qianji.
Shi Xiaole then turned to look at Han Yanfa (Pan Eunuch), who was in a fierce battle with Min Yuntian, his expression complex.
It was obvious, even without asking, that Mu Qianji had been called by the other side. Thus, all the actions of Han Yanfa within the royal family must have been known to her. Given his status as one of the four Protectors, he had almost killed Shi Xiaole, a rising star within their sect, for his own selfish interests and was sure to be severely punished.
In fact, the moment Han Yanfa took Pan Eunuch’s side, he had put himself in a position of absolute peril.
Whoosh...
Sword Qi surged as Shi Xiaole controlled the Array System to block Shen Wu while attacking the Great Witch Servant.
"Shi... Sixth Witch Servant, stop!"
"No!"
The four Great Witch Servants, as well as all the Witch Heavenly Guards, all looked on with ugly expressions. They were destined not to interfere in the dispute between Shi Xiaole and the Great Witch Servant, and given the Great Witch Servant’s current state, it was really uncertain whether he could withstand Shi Xiaole.
"Another murderous demon, who will surely bring calamity upon the common folk in the future."
A layer of Buddhist aura enveloped Shen Wu, and instantly, the power of the arrays on him dissipated. Shen Wu’s left hand held a wooden Ruyi the size of a palm that emitted a profound aura.
"Treeless Bodhi!"
Uncle Wang was taken aback from a distance.
"Treeless Bodhi," one of the treasures of Wheel of Law Temple, theoretically could dispel all Array System powers within ten feet. Of course, it was merely theoretical, but at the very least, dispelling Void Origin Realm arrays was no issue.
With "Treeless Bodhi" in hand, Shen Wu was no longer restricted; his right hand continuously stamped out swastika seals, determined to capture Shi Xiaole.
Boom boom bang.
A thousand feet away, Shi Xiaole gathered forces of the Array System, but as Shen Wu approached, the force of the arrays kept dissipating. Fortunately, Shi Xiaole’s mental strength was a notch above Shen Wu’s, and he was always able to dodge in advance; otherwise, he would have been captured long ago.
Even so, Shi Xiaole found it tough going. A top-tier Heaven Realm Martial Emperor was not so easy to deal with, and the occasional brush with the energy made him seriously injured.
"Kill, kill him..."
The Great Witch Servant roared inwardly.
Until Shi Xiaole was dead, he would be a great threat to his rule over the Witch Queen’s temple. Besides, he was truly frightened; with the rate of Shi Xiaole’s cultivation, who knew when he might catch up to him.
"This is not to my advantage. It seems best to retreat first."
Without the last two parts, the "Wizard Scroll" had approached the realm of top-level martial arts, and a complete "Wizard Scroll" was naturally of the top level. Back in the Witch Queen’s illusionary realm, Shi Xiaole had given up cultivating the "Wizard Scroll," using it purely for reference, which allowed him to trade it for a killing skill.
But one does not use a killing skill so lightly; in a situation where escape is certain, Shi Xiaole did not want to waste it rashly. After all, as far as he was concerned, it wouldn’t be too long before he reached the Heavenly Realm himself. Then he would have his revenge.
"Uncle Wang, Master Mu, let’s retreat."
Passing through a flaw in the array system, Shi Xiaole’s figure gradually faded. Nine successive swastika seals struck the void, rippling with golden ripples.
"Don’t let him get away!"
Shen Wu pursued with the "Treeless Bodhi," but alas, the connection to the array was incredibly secretive, and he had no way to determine from which direction Shi Xiaole had left. In the end, he could only return with a dark face, to find that Uncle Wang, Mu Qianji, and Han Yanfa had also disappeared.
It turned out that earlier, Shi Xiaole had used a secret message to notify them ahead of time and had created the corresponding flaws in the array system, allowing them to escape from the Daxia palace together.
"Senior Brother, what do we do?"
Shen Wu’s voice was cold.
Shen Yuan sighed, "It’s fate, it’s time. Disciple of Shenzong commits grievous slaughter, and the demon is not easy to eliminate. As for that Kirin, he seems righteous and peaceful, but in fact, his slaughters exceed those of the Shenzong disciple tenfold. Once those two mix up, I fear the Martial World will not be at peace. We can only do our humanly best."
