White Robes Dyed in Blood (Continued)

After hearing the whole truth, even Ji Shichen, who enjoyed reading history books and had seen many conspiracies and schemes, couldn't help but be astonished. It was as if the glamorous surface of history had been lifted to reveal the dark abyss hidden behind it. If this matter were exposed, the reputation of the Mohist School would probably suffer a serious blow.

The actions of the Ninth Generation Grandmaster cannot be judged as right or wrong, because history cannot be rewritten. Although Tu Wangyue claimed that the various nations had stopped their wars to resist the demon tide, resulting in a significant reduction in casualties, who can guarantee that the outcome would have been better if the Grandmaster had not done so?

For example, after experiencing the pain of a great war, the various kingdoms of the Northern Continent unified into one country, ushering in a golden age of peace. Another example is the Su State, which, following the proposal of the war faction, launched a military campaign against the Northern Continent, achieving unification and further strengthening its national power. In the future, it might even be able to incorporate the Southern Continent into its territory, nipping the Barbarian Race rebellion in the bud and sparing the people of the Li State the suffering of war...

All these possibilities have vanished because of the Ninth Generation Grandmaster's decision. Simply comparing past data is not enough to prove right or wrong. Moreover, for those victims who lost their families due to the demon tide, they have no admiration for the fact that many people in the world died less; they only have anger over the loss of their loved ones.

Especially the victims of the Su State. What do the lives and deaths of the people of the Northern Continent have to do with them? They could have enjoyed a peaceful life, without having to worry about Heavenly Demon suddenly rushing into their cities. But because of the Grandmaster's act of pity for the common people, they are now living in constant fear. Why should other people's happiness be built on their own suffering?

There happened to be such a victim at the scene.

"So the Holy Maiden was the culprit who killed my entire family. I suspected the Heaven-Defying Society, the Demon Race, and spies from enemy countries, but I never suspected her..."

Xia Guanxue's hand gripping the sword trembled uncontrollably from the force of his grip, his entire body radiating intense killing intent. The aura he exuded caused the surrounding dust to rise, and even his hair stood on end. He stared intently at the palace where the Holy Maiden resided, as if trying to pierce through everything with his furious gaze.

Fortunately, he had experienced many events over the years, with his life full of ups and downs and he had been tempered by many hardships. This gave him the strong willpower to control his urge for revenge. He knew that rushing in now might not be beneficial to the situation and might even interfere with Ji Shichen's spellcasting. It would be better to stay outside and intercept the Holy Maiden if she tried to escape. This was the most correct course of action.

Ying Zhou, who was also waiting on the perimeter, glanced over and, unusually, remained silent. Having experienced so much, he was no longer the impetuous and reckless youth he once was. Perhaps he hadn't yet mastered the high-level skill of reading people's expressions, but at least he knew not to break taboos. At this moment, it would be meaningless for him to offer comfort or express solidarity.

Suddenly, a burst of energy shot through the air towards Ji Shichen, seemingly trying to stop her from maintaining the barrier.

"Careful!"

Ying Zhou reacted faster than Xia Guanxue, who was still immersed in anger, and swung his sword to unleash a powerful Gang Qi, intercepting the force of the attack.

"All of the saint's henchmen deserve to die!"

Xia Guanxue found an outlet for her anger, and immediately merged with her sword, transforming into a magnificent Sword Qi that shot towards the attacker, tearing the air apart with a thunderous sound.

"Azure Flood Dragon Subdues the Waves!"

The Cang Baiyi Guanxue wielded Sword Qi staff like a soaring dragon, her staff shadow entangled the Sword Qi energy and twisted it, instantly shattering it. But Xia Guanxue did not retreat at all; instead, she accelerated forward, passed through the staff shadow, and then flicked her wrist to thrust out. The sword energy poured out like a thunderstorm, its force chilling and piercing to the bone!

However, the Cang Baiyi, enveloped by layers of Sword Qi, calmly responded, exhaling without fear. With a sudden shout, his hands seemed to sprout six arms, each wielding a long staff, the intense, scorching staff energy carrying surging waves of energy.

"Four Cardinal Directions and Four Corners!"

The Cang Baiyi used the Eight Trigrams Staff Technique to strike the four cardinal directions first, then the four corners. The four corners are the four cardinal points, which means striking eight directions. Each direction has eight points, which together make sixty-four strikes. With each strike, sixty-four staff shadows emerge simultaneously, weaving into a net to block all angles of attack.

Although Xia Guanxue's sword momentum was fierce, it was only temporary. After being intercepted by the staff shadows, she failed to break through in one go, and her sword momentum immediately weakened. The Cang Baiyi decisively switched from defense to offense, creating countless hazy staff shadows that seemed both real and illusory. The staff shadows concealed the real within the illusory, and the illusory within the real, covering all the vital points on Xia Guanxue's body.

In the first exchange, Xia Guanxue was struck dozens of times with the stick. Although each strike was not very powerful, it was enough to tear his skin and bleed him as he flew through the air. The Cang Baiyi pressed his advantage, thrusting his stick downwards. His vital Primal Qi surged from the tip of the stick, and the energy transformed into a dragon that swooped down. If it hit, it would be enough to completely incapacitate Xia Guanxue.

"Cloud Thunder Drums and Lightning Flashes!"

Lightning crackled, Ying Zhou swiftly drew his blade to cleave the dragon's shadow, simultaneously unleashing a palm strike to catch Xia Guanxue.

"Calm down, don't act impulsively, you're not me."

Everyone has their own fighting style. Some people can unleash their potential when they are angry, while others must calm down to unleash their full strength. Xia Guanxue undoubtedly belongs to the latter. His strength is not far behind that of Cang Baiyi, but he was defeated in one move because he lost his mind.

Ying Zhou said, "If you can't do it, then step aside. I can manage on my own. Forcing yourself will only hold me back."

Xia Guanxue glanced at him, rubbed her back, and said, word by word, "Your palm strike was too heavy."

He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them again. He had already controlled his anger. The long sword in his hand suddenly rose, and his figure flew away. There were no more unnecessary movements, and his aura was solid and uniform.

"Seven Qian Seal the Vast Heaven!"

The sword light surged and flashed, fast as lightning, fierce as thunder, like the wrath of the heavens, carrying the majestic might of the heavens as it slashed towards the Cang Baiyi. Ying Zhou also followed up with "Asura Pardons Buddha," his sword energy like a rainbow attacking from another direction.

"Yin and Yang Excel at Dismantling!"

The Cang Baiyi spun his long staff, with yin and yang energies coiling around both ends. As the staff spun, the yin and yang energies merged into Taiji, with faint sounds of thunder and lightning emanating from it. The air rippled outwards from the staff, creating concentric circles of water-like ripples that enveloped him.

Xia Guanxue and Ying Zhou's ultimate moves struck the staff circle, but they were unable to break through. In fact, the Sword Qi and saber energy canceled each other out, causing them to lose control.

"Trying to use someone else's strength against them? It's not that easy!"

Ying Zhou's Sha Qi suddenly vanished, as if he had transformed from an assassin into an ordinary person, posing no threat whatsoever. He had entered a state of Divine Intent Halts Slaughter, and with a single slash, the blade's energy enveloped the entire circle of staffs, using its force to suppress them and drastically reduce their spinning speed.

Xia Guanxue deftly wielded her sword, unleashing a surge of Sword Qi that swirled and circled before her, endlessly enveloping her. Yet, it was a counter-swirling motion, a dismantling of Taiji Chi, a return to Yin and Yang.

The two forces combined, and the Yin-Yang staff circle was immediately broken. The Cang Baiyi quickly switched from offense to defense, wielding his staff to protect his body. However, Ying Zhou pressed down with a fierce blade, immediately forcing him to reveal an opening. Xia Guanxue used the Mystic Void Divine Needle technique to unleash Sword Qi. The sword ring shattered, spewing out a large amount of fine, needle-like Sword Qi, which instantly hit the opening, piercing through the Cang Baiyi's True Qi and leaving a series of dense needle holes on his chest, from which blood mist spurted out.

"Two Aspects Intercept and Kill!"

The Cang Baiyi, who should have retreated due to his injuries, instead used his internal energy to suppress his wounds, ignored the backlash of his internal force, and launched a fierce counterattack. Yin and Yang energies burst forth from both ends of the staff, striking Xia Guanxue and Ying Zhou, who were recovering their energy.

But this move was tantamount to killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own. Instantly, the three of them were splattered with blood and flew out, falling to the ground from the sky.

As soon as the Cang Baiyi landed, before his injuries could even heal, he eagerly raised his staff to attack Ji Shichen. Xia Guanxue did the same, bracing herself with her injuries and swinging her sword to intercept him. Even though her injuries were aggravated by the shock due to her inferior Cultivation Body, she still refused to retreat even half a step.

Ying Zhou did not have that kind of reckless passion. He was a step slower and, seeing this, quickly swung his sword at the back of the Cang Baiyi, forcing him to dodge.

"Wait a minute, we're not bad people. Yan Jinghong is among those interrogating the Holy Maiden inside."

Knowing that the Cang Baiyi was a supporter of the Holy Maiden, Ying Zhou worried that he might misunderstand and think that his group intended to do something improper to the Holy Maiden, so he quickly brought out Yan Jinghong, who had a reputation to guarantee.

"I know."

However, the Cang Baiyi did not stop his attack.

Xia Guanxue snorted coldly and said, "But you don't know, just now the Holy Maiden herself admitted that she personally used the Sacred Sword to cleave the barrier sealing the Demon Race, greatly increasing the threat of the demon tide. It's no exaggeration to say that she was the instigator of the two wars between humans and demons."

"I know."

The Cang Baiyi's reaction remained unchanged.