Chapter 145: Lure the Snake Out
Chapter 145: Lure the Snake Out
“We’ve arrived at the territory of the Crimson Shadow Sect, oh no, it’s now the territory of the Jiuyou Sect.”
“Although we’ve seen plenty of evil cultivators at Two Realms Mountain, the evil cultivators on the Barbarian Continent mostly keep the same old ways—their elite areas are creepier and scarier than each other, like ghostly realms. How many bleak, deserted marketplaces have we passed by along the way?”
Buming and Chen Xiangxiang whispered to each other as they went.
Lu Hangzhi stayed behind, unenthused and silent.
Since they entered the Jiuyou Sect’s territory, Elder Lu picked a mountain peak to halt at. The party of four walked overland to the nearest cultivator marketplace.
What they saw and heard along the way filled them with pity.
In the Xuanxin Sect’s lands, sightings of evil cultivators were rare. Here, though, they met them after a while—some alone, others in groups of three or five. Sneaky, unfriendly glances swept over Lu Hangzhi and the others again and again.
Certainly!
After two high insight-stage evil cultivators blindly smashed into an iron wall and died, all nearby evil cultivators vanished instantly. They weren’t disturbed by any clueless thieves until they reached the marketplace.
Lu Hangzhi couldn’t help looking around.
This marketplace was named Qinshan Town. The name sounded refined, and it used to have a lively reputation. But after the Jiuyou Sect was founded, countless evil cultivators flocked here. It became their main base. Innocent boys and girls peddling goods with cute buns were now gone. Instead, many painted women traded their bodies. The town gate even hung the dried skull of a peak ninth-grade bear blind for who knows how many years.
Though Buming and Xiangxiang said the town felt deserted, it wasn’t really. The streets were packed with bustling crowds. Maybe they just thought few normal people were left, or that after this event, no one would remain here.
Alright, he was overthinking it.
Lu Hangzhi shook his head and thought-talked, “My goal is Jiuyou. Elder Lu, why are you bringing me to the marketplace?”
“You simply don’t get it.”
Elder Lu wore a smug expression:
“Causing trouble for a cultivator costs you—magic power, talismans, maybe injuries. Any experienced cultivator clears out their rival’s businesses first, grabbing some gains early. Then they rest easy and wait for the enemy to come to them.”
“Isn’t that just scaring the snake?”
Lu Hangzhi muttered quietly.
Hearing this, Elder Lu rolled his eyes with a “you’re so clueless” look and huffed angrily, “What else? Are you planning to risk bad luck and force your way into the Jiuyou Sect alone? Or push the limits and test if the Jiuyou Sect’s sect protection array is sharp enough?”
It seemed reasonable, but also…
While Lu Hangzhi hesitated, Buming stated firmly:
“Hangzhi, trust Elder Lu. He’s wandered the Barbarian Continent for over a hundred years and is an expert at tracking down revenge like this. If I handle this, it won’t scare off the snake. What do you say?”
“Alright then, you guys take charge. I’ll watch.”
“Deal!”
After discussing it as a group, Lu Hangzhi calmed his mind. He put on a serious front as a follower, waiting to see what Elder Lu and the others did.
Elder Lu proved to be an old hand—he’d clearly done his homework for the trip. He knew the auction at Qinshan was happening today and went straight in with Buming, swaggering into the auction house. He left Lu Hangzhi and Chen Xiangxiang waiting outside at a tavern.
Lu Hangzhi found this totally pointless.
What could be worth seeing in a bunch of epiphany-stage cultivators bidding at an auction?
As the Xuanxin Sect’s sect leader, with the storage ring of the Two Realms Mountain logistics headquarters, he saw nothing of value in the auction house. It felt like a waste of time.
But then he thought: After Elder Lu and Buming swept off stuff from the Jiuyou Sect’s territory, Jiuyou would have to act. That would save a ton of hassle later on.
After sitting down, the pair ordered a bottle of wine and some dishes but didn’t touch them. They quietly watched the constant flow of evil cultivators below and heading to the auction house.
Whoosh.
The Mirror Spirit Cat had just absorbed a demon beast inner core from the late concentration stage. Its energy rose a notch. Happily, it hopped onto the table, stretched its limbs lazily, and purred with content.
“What an adorable little kitten.”
A soft, sugary voice came from the next table.
Without turning, Lu Hangzhi knew who it was.
At the next table sat four people—three men and one woman. The men looked fierce and mean, as if daring others not to know they were evil types. The woman wore revealing clothes, curved nicely all over, and flirtatiously eyed everyone. She was the center of attention among all evil cultivators on the tavern’s second floor.
“Haha… if junior sister likes it, I’ll get it for you right away.”
The bloated-faced man slammed the table to stand up and come over. But the female companion shot him a glare and stopped him:
“Rude!”
The other two men also chimed in.
One stood up, pressing the bloated man’s shoulder. His gaze drifted to Chen Xiangxiang across from Lu Hangzhi. He deliberately raised his voice:
“Brother Ba Dao, even with your eighth-grade cultivation now and combat skill against mind focusing cultivators, we are on the Venerable One Jiuyou’s turf. Starting trouble here might not end well.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
The bloated man and his buddy played off each other. “This little lovebird pair look soft and fair-skinned, full of righteous spirit—clearly not our kind. Suspicious identities, might be leftovers from the Crimson Shadow Sect. Hehe, if we capture them, we might earn some merit and get rewards from Venerable Jiuyou.” While speaking, the nearby air seemed to boil. An evil spirit at the concentrated spirit peak level charged out, hands reaching to grab the young man and woman at the next table.
The rest in the tavern just watched, ready for some fun.
Lu Hangzhi didn’t even glance sideways at the four at the next table.
The Mirror Spirit Cat didn’t budge, acting like it couldn’t see the evil spirit. It perched on the table, licking its fluffy paw pads.
Chen Xiangxiang had good composure but flared up each time the bloated man called them “little lovebirds.”
She started to prepare an art technique to punish him when her expression shifted to attentive listening. The corner of her mouth lifted secretly. She abandoned the technique entirely, letting the bloated evil cultivator’s evil spirit roar closer…
“They’re just useless, pretty-looking grass dolls after all!”
“Ugh, letting that fatty bag an easy win.”
Many evil cultivators observed in secret. Seeing the evil spirit close in on the couple’s heads with no reaction—probably frozen in fear—they sighed inwardly.
“That girl’s quite a beauty… pity she fell into the fatty’s grip.”
However!
Just when all thought these unlucky cultivators’ journey would end in that tavern, earsplitting Buddhist chants boomed out. Immense golden Buddhist light poured from above. A huge Buddha statue, towering dozens of feet tall, landed at the auction house opposite the tavern. The whole area spanning miles fell under holy chanting and light…
The bloated man’s evil spirit was a dark, evil thing. Bathed in the spirit condensation-stage Buddhist light, it whimpered no protest. Like a tiny water drop under a hot sun, it turned to dust instantly—purified away without a shred left for rebirth.
“A spirit condensation-stage powerhouse!”
“Quick, flee! It’s the righteous Buddhist Sect…”
CRASH!!!
Amid a deafening boom, the auction house roof shattered under the Buddha statue. Tiles and bricks blew into powder. Countless evil cultivators screamed out, rolling in panic to flee the site.
In that instant, who even noticed Lu Hangzhi and Chen Xiangxiang?
The Buddhist chants and light carried truth-word power to test souls. The bloated man had lived through greed and death—his crimes piled high. He couldn’t even raise his art techniques in time. The light baked his face into blisters instantly. He roared out in agony, stumbling back in pain.
“My face!”
“Hurry, run!”
The bloated man’s three companions fared a bit better.
When the evil spirit evaporated, they sensed things were off. Each put up spiritual artifact barriers. Though the barriers crumbled fast, they dodged the direct light blast and retreated swiftly into shadows.
Other tavern patrons did the same, dodging away and using tricks to escape the fight zone.
Except…
Lu Hangzhi and Chen Xiangxiang sat calmly facing each other, not moving a hair from their spots. Tables and benches nearby stayed untouched by the light blast. Lit up gold, their noble aura stood out against the panicked evil cultivators around. Subtle pressure sank into every evil heart unseen.
Especially the four who had just started trouble. Seeing this, they lost all courage and retreated at top speed, sweat dripping from brows. They frantically slapped protection and haste talismans on themselves:
Defense!
Acceleration!
Basically, trying everything to flee those star demons disguised as prey nearby.
The bloated man’s eyes turned bloodshot. He cursed his bad eyes and wished he flew away instead…
Too late.
Beams of Buddhist light shot from the giant golden Buddha above the auction house. They spread in all directions with majestic heaven and earth power. Countless buildings were pierced on the spot. So were many evil cultivators too slow to avoid them.
The bloated man and his foursome, even that coquettish female companion, got purified too.
One wave of light purified hundreds of evil cultivators!
Qinshan Town’s busiest marketplace street was practically flattened. Only Lu Hangzhi’s half-standing tavern trembled but didn’t collapse.
“Where’d that stinky bald monk come from? Daring to wreck the Jiuyou Sect?”
“Brothers, all together—cast the evil spirit battle array!”
Qinshan Town held many evil cultivators, including some ninth-grade peak pillars of the Jiuyou Sect. Facing Buming—a Buddhist Sect disciple wielding spirit condensation power—they feared nothing and rushed in from around.
“Amitabha!”
Buming stood within the giant golden Buddha, looking solemn and righteous, impossible to defy.
His chant echoed.
The air rippled as golden Buddhist light cooked everything like boiling water. Heat surged instantly. Every evil cultivator in range was crushed dead.
“That monk isn’t at the early spirit concentration stage… it’s mid-stage! Scatter!”
Distant evil cultivators halted, shocked, and ran for their lives.
Boom… crackle…
Thunder rumbled overhead.
“Venerable Master of the Buddhist Sect, Jiuyou failed to greet you properly.”
A powerful heaven and earth force surged from the skyline with a booming voice. Instantly, the broken spirits of Qinshan’s evil cultivators revived.