"Shut up! If you dare keep screaming, I'll chop you down!"
Apparently growing impatient with the noise, a Demon Suppression Envoy drew the saber at his waist, stepped forward, and barked the threat.
The young novice was glared at by those eyes brimming with Killing Intent, then saw the gleaming steel blade before him. His whole body immediately trembled; his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward. He had actually been frightened unconscious.
Everyone: "..."
That Demon Suppression Envoy was stunned as well, clearly not expecting the fellow to be so timid.
"Little Seven, go test him."
Qin Wei's expression was cold as he stared fixedly at the unconscious novice on the ground and gave the order.
A square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy behind him stepped out in response, casually drawing a dagger etched with strange patterns from his waist as he walked.
Ling Yun's expression shifted slightly as he looked at the patterns on the dagger.
If he remembered correctly, Thousand Machines also bore similar Spirit Inscriptions, with the effect—Spirit Cleansing!
The Demon Suppression Envoy crouched before the novice with dagger in hand and cut a small wound across his brow.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, a thread of bright red blood seeped from the wound.
Yet the Spirit Inscription on the bloodstained dagger showed no reaction whatsoever.
"He really is an ordinary human!"
At this sight, the Demon Suppression Envoys looked at one another, momentarily unable to make heads or tails of it.
They had thought a hard battle awaited them from the outset, but no one had expected that within a place imagined to have completely become a ghost temple, there would actually still be living people!
Ling Yun watched the scene, his eyes flickering faintly.
In his perception, this novice's breathing and pulse were no different from those of an ordinary person!
The environment inside the temple beyond the door was also entirely normal. There was none of the uniquely chaotic aura of an Evil Spirit.
Qin Wei happened to turn and look over at that moment. The two met each other's gaze and gave slight nods, their expressions grave.
Neither of them could see what was wrong with this place, but that was precisely the greatest problem!
This place was clearly far more troublesome than they had imagined!
"Hui Yuan!"
Just as the two were frowning in thought, a startled cry suddenly rang out beside them.
At some point, another young novice had emerged from the temple.
When he saw his companion lying on the ground, bleeding without stop, his life or death unknown, as well as the savage-looking Demon Suppression Envoys before him, his face immediately filled with terror.
Before anyone could react, he screamed and turned to flee back into the temple.
As they were wary of the situation inside the temple, they had no intention of stopping him.
Not long afterward, amid a clamor of footsteps, more than a dozen martial monks wielding staves came rushing out of the temple in a great wave.
Judging from the auras emanating from them, most were at the Force Conduit level. The leading martial monk, however, was an expert at the Force Intent level.
"They're the ones who harmed Junior Brother Hui Yuan!"
Behind the martial monks, the novice who had fled earlier now pointed at them with a furious face.
The moment those words were spoken, the martial monks flew into a towering rage. Without asking right or wrong, they brandished their iron staves and charged forward.
Yet the Demon Suppression Envoys at the rear merely wore looks of disdain, showing no intention of intervening at all.
As the distance between the two sides rapidly closed, a pale gray humanoid phantom suddenly emerged from behind the square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy at the front.
The humanoid phantom covered its face with both hands, its body twisting and swaying ceaselessly as though in extreme agony.
The next instant, a piercing, ear-splitting shriek spread from its mouth.
Ling Yun and the others felt nothing, but the martial monks opposite them all revealed pained expressions. Before taking more than two steps, they clutched their ears and fell to their knees in agony.
Only after they had completely lost the ability to resist did the square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy snort coldly and retract the humanoid phantom.
Without waiting for orders from Qin Wei behind him, he used the dagger to cut a small wound into each of their brows.
But after the entire process, the Spirit Cleansing dagger showed no reaction at all. These people before them seemed to truly be nothing more than ordinary humans.
This left him completely unable to decide what to do. He could only turn to Qin Wei behind him, his gaze filled with inquiry.
Qin Wei's eyes shifted as he looked at the martial monks sprawled across the ground before him, his gaze icy.
"Kill them all!"
Clearly, he had chosen to kill a thousand by mistake rather than let a single one slip through the net.
Ling Yun could not help but furrow his brow.
It was not that he found the act cruel. He simply felt that this method would be of no use whatsoever and might even create unnecessary trouble.
But Qin Wei was clearly in the heat of anger right now, so Ling Yun did not speak up to stop him. He merely quietly withdrew behind the group and observed in silence.
Having received the order, the square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy immediately drew his saber and slashed without hesitation at a martial monk beside him.
"Stop!"
Just as that martial monk was about to lose his head, a thunderous shout rang out.
Whoosh!
From the darkness, a black shadow shot forth with a fierce whistling cry, hurtling straight at the square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy.
The square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy's expression changed. Without time for further thought, he swung his saber in an arc and brought it down heavily upon the black shadow.
Clang!
The collision burst forth in a violent shower of sparks.
Though he successfully sent the black shadow flying back, the square-faced Demon Suppression Envoy himself was forced back several steps by the tremendous force it carried.
At the same time, a figure suddenly leaped out of the darkness and caught the black shadow that had been knocked away.
Under the light of the flames, the man's features were revealed before everyone.
He stood more than eight feet tall, dressed in a rough hemp martial robe. His face was fierce, and he held an ink-wash-colored long staff. His vitality and blood were exceptionally vigorous—he was unmistakably a martial artist at the Force Divine level.
He looked at these uninvited guests before him with an incomparably grave expression.
In his perception, every one of these people was immensely powerful, while several figures at their head were even more unfathomable!
But now that he was riding a tiger and could not get down, he fiercely planted his monk's staff against the ground and said coldly.
"Who exactly are you? Why have you injured the martial monks of my temple for no reason?"
Everyone remained cold-faced. No one answered him.
This attitude of utter disregard immediately made the martial monk's face flush red. Just as he was about to attack, an aged voice drifted from the depths of the temple.
"Jie Wu, stand down."
The martial monk called Jie Wu could not help but change expression. A trace of unwillingness flashed across his face, but in the end, he helplessly put away his monk's staff.
Then the aged voice sounded again.
"Honored guests, this old monk is unwell and cannot come out to welcome you from afar. Please enter the temple so we may speak."
Enter the temple?
The Demon Suppression Envoys looked at the pitch-black temple and could not help turning their gazes toward Qin Wei.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qin Wei grinned and waved a hand.
"Enter!"
Before you continue