The Tianjiang Taoist's face turned pale.
His Nine Heavens Yang Thunder Talisman had not inflicted the slightest injury on the grand monk before him.
"Hahahahaha, thank goodness your Buddha practiced the Golden Bell Shield; otherwise, I might have really fallen for your Daoist tricks."
The crazed expression on Hui Lie's face intensified as he pushed his Water Mill Zen Stick forward, unleashing a fiery red Spiritual Power aiming to claim Tianjiang Taoist's life.
"Brother!"
A woman in a light yellow long dress leaped out from the side.
Wielding a sword, she blocked the fiery red Spiritual Power.
"Be careful, junior sister, this demon monk is likely in the Golden Core Perfect stage."
The woman's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
In Qianyuan Temple, the one with the highest cultivation was neither Tianjiang nor Tian Gou but this junior sister.
But it barely made a difference against this suspected Golden Core Stage demon monk.
Just as the junior sister stood in front of Tianjiang Taoist,
a loud shout came from the direction of the temple's main gate.
"Bald donkey, take this sword!"
A Peach Wood Sword shot straight for Hui Lie's back.
Feeling the surge of Spiritual Power behind him, Hui Lie opened his mouth wide and laughed with a 'hehe,' spinning around to swing his staff, sending the Peach Wood Sword flying back.
The newcomer was the Taoist priest in white.
Unfortunately, his attempt at playing hero failed, and he was stunned by his rebounding Peach Wood Sword, spitting out blood.
The woman in the light yellow dress saw her chance as the grand monk had his back to her; gathering Spiritual Power within her, she channeled it into the sword.
"Qianyuan Sword Skill, seventh formula, Qiankun Inversion!"
This move was the most powerful attack in the Qianyuan Sword Skill, with the sword piercing straight for the back of Hui Lie's head.
"Thud!"
A shadow of a yellow copper bell appeared around the grand monk; the divine Buddhist skill, the Golden Bell Shield, protected him once again.
"Be careful, junior sister, that demon monk has the Buddhist divine skill Golden Bell Shield!"
Tianjiang Taoist's warning came too late.
After dealing with the 'little insect' behind him, Hui Lie, filled with rage, swung his Water Mill Zen Stick.
He sent the woman in the light yellow dress flying away.
"Junior sister!"
Tianjiang Taoist leaped forward to catch his junior sister, only to feel a powerful force hit them both as they touched.
The two of them crashed heavily against a stone pillar beside the main hall.
"Are you alright, junior sister?"
Tianjiang Taoist leaned against the stone pillar, blood dripping from his mouth, as he anxiously asked his junior sister in his arms.
Having been struck by the grand monk's staff, the woman in the light yellow dress was pale as golden paper but still managed to lift her arm and place it on Tianjiang Taoist's face.
"Jiang, cough... cough, I'm okay, but it looks like we won't make it to Gusu City."
The two had planned to fulfill their father's last wish to live out their days in Gusu City in peace.
In the blink of an eye, one was gravely injured and on the brink of death, and the other was not much better off.
Next to the shattered temple gate, the Taoist priest in white, injured by the shock, had just finished gathering his breath.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw his "irreverently changed" junior brother holding their childhood friend, his junior sister, who was his closest companion.
And her hand was still on his face!
"Pfft."
Another mouthful of blood spurted out.
Having thrown the two aside, Hui Lie took big strides forward, ready to personally crush their heads and turn them into headless lovers.
But then he heard a noise behind him, turned to look, and found the 'little insect' who had just tried to sneak attack him with the Peach Wood Sword.
Huh? Why was he spitting blood on his own?
The grand monk shook his head to clear his confusion,
then turned back without further care and walked up to Tianjiang and his sister, raising his Water Mill Zen Stick for a crushing blow to their heads!
But that brief glance back caused a slight delay.
Jin Xu and his party arrived.
They had not expected such a scene upon arriving, having taken only a few steps.
The Taoist priest in white was inexplicably vomiting blood by the door.
The woman in the light yellow dress who had just opened the gate was now lying in the arms of a Taoist priest with white clothes as snow and a noble demeanor.
Her light yellow dress had been dyed bright red with blood.
And there was the grand monk who had just burst through the door, about to smash the heads of the two people.
Seeing this, Xu Qian didn't have time to shout his catchphrase, hurriedly taking out a Chaos God Talisman from his bosom to cast it.
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This was one of the standard talismans issued to their night patrol.
It could shatter a person's spirit and confound their mind. Even an ordinary resentful spirit or minor specter would be directly exorcized with this talisman.
Of course, the Chaos God Talisman had little effect on the demon monk, but as long as it could delay him for a moment, it was enough time for Xu Qian to draw his sword and block.
Hui Lie felt the fluctuations of Spiritual Power emanating from behind him, his Water Mill Zen Stick never stopped moving, and the Golden Bell Shield reappeared once again.
Unfortunately, the effect of the Chaos God Talisman was to attack the Sea of Consciousness, and his Golden Bell Shield wasn't mastered to perfection, only able to block physical attacks and the like.
The grand monk felt as if his head had been struck by a hammer, experiencing a moment of dizziness.
By the time he regained clarity, he found his Water Mill Zen Stick had been deflected by a long blade.
Xu Qian hadn't dared to strike directly at the demon monk's vitals while he was under the talisman's effect, because he suspected that his long blade likely couldn't penetrate the earthy yellow phantom of the copper bell.
"Seventh-grade night patroller of Great Xia, Xu Qian is here, and you, demon monk, had better surrender immediately!"
Xu Qian shouted his signature catchphrase.
Hui Lie looked at the man in front of him, dressed in an official uniform, wielding a long blade with black hair.
A wide smile split his face as he let out a sneer.
"Night patroller? The Divine Envoy said the old Emperor of your Great Xia is almost done for, why would Buddha fear you, a mere seventh-grade night patroller!"
He said, swinging his Water Mill Zen Stick with fiery red Spiritual Power swirling around it, smashing it towards Xu Qian's head.
"How dare a demon monk speak recklessly of the current holy Emperor! Taste the Gale Saber Skill of your Xu forefathers!"
Although Xu Qian was rash, he didn't fall short in a verbal exchange; Hui Lie called himself Buddha, so he referred to himself as a forefather.
The Gale Saber Skill he mentioned was chosen from the armory when he joined the night patrol.
He firmly believed that among all Cultivators in the world, nothing was indestructible; only speed was unstoppable.
Since he entered the path through martial arts, he was prepared to follow it all the way.
A man must be fast!
As long as he was fast enough, he was strong enough!
The Gale Saber Skill just happened to align with his Cultivation philosophy.
However, against opponents like the grand monk who had high offense and defense, he was somewhat restrained.
After a prolonged struggle, Xu Qian had exhausted more than half of the Spiritual Power of his Golden Core.
He had not yet broken through the defense.
"Hahahaha, you barking dog, you've got a loud bark, but you don't bite, come and try Buddha's Leaving Fire Staff Skill!"
Seeing that Xu Qian had been fighting for a long time and hadn't even broken his Golden Bell Shield, Hui Lie became even more arrogant.
Looking at the Taoist Jin Xu to the side, watching the two exchange flashy moves and going back and forth, he felt envious.
The Cultivators of the Nine Provinces Realm had classified their Cultivation scriptures into various categories.
Those that could be cultivated to increase the Spiritual Power within one's body were called Cultivation Techniques.
Moves that utilized weapons or bare hands were collectively referred to as Skills.
Techniques like Jin Xu's Hand Palm Thunder and Strengthening Skill belong to the category of magic.
The Golden Bell Shield that the grand monk used was said to be a Divine Skill of Buddhism but strictly speaking, it could also be categorized as a type of Defensive Skill.
And that was only a rough classification; the specific categories were even more intricate, involving elements of pills, talismans, instruments, flora, and other Cultivation arts.
The little Taoist currently knew neither various Skills nor many magics.
Only his Hand Palm Thunder was somewhat presentable.
So when he saw Xu Qian and the grand monk shouting about Gale Saber Skill and Leaving Fire Staff Skill, he felt quite envious.
Caught up in thought, he then saw Xu Qian retreating to his side.
"Little Taoist, if you don't make a move, I'm going to be beaten to death by this demon monk!"
Hui Lie's Leaving Fire Staff Skill was extremely fierce, while Xu Qian's Gale Saber Skill took a nimble and light approach, inherently unsuited for direct confrontation.
Having resisted stubbornly, his Golden Core's Spiritual Power was nearly depleted.
Only then, finding a gap, did he exit the fray and come over to seek support.
The grand monk saw Xu Qian retreating to a little Taoist for help and couldn't help but mock.
"A lackey is still a lackey, even on the brink of death he seeks a master!"
Xu Qian, not one to be outdone, retorted, "Jin Xu, the little Taoist, is unmatched under the heavens, a peerless hermit unknown to the world. How could you, a demon monk, comprehend that!"
The grand monk, hearing Xu Qian's words, looked at the little Taoist with suspicion, noticing that he still had no sign of Spiritual Power fluctuations.
"You spineless cur, still trying to deceive your Buddha!"
In this world, unless one deliberately learned the Concealing Breath Skill, one could hide one's aura, but it couldn't be maintained for long.
He had been entangled with this night patroller for a long time and had also noticed the other two who came with him; that little Taoist hadn't emitted the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Power since he entered the door.
On the other hand, the woman dressed in a golden red gauze skirt exuded a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power that gave the grand monk a sense of danger.
Convinced that Xu Qian was trying to deceive him, the grand monk advanced boldly.
Even if there was real danger,
Buddha has his Golden Bell Shield to protect his body!
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