Caomiao Village Night!

Caomiao Village.

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed into the dilapidated temple.

Puzhi had once again transformed back into the kind-faced old monk.

He sat cross-legged on the dry grass, his lips moving silently as he recited scriptures.

Suddenly.

A clamor of footsteps shattered the temple's tranquility.

"Zhang Xiaofan, where are you running to!"

"Stop! I'll catch you!"

Several children, barely teenagers, rushed in like a pack of unleashed beasts.

The one in the lead had clear features and sharp eyes, it was Lin Jingyu.

The one running at the front looked clumsy and was panting heavily; who else could it be but Zhang Xiaofan.

The two chased each other around the temple, kicking up clouds of dust.

Puzhi frowned.

His scripture recitation had been interrupted, and he felt a slight displeasure.

But he didn't lash out, merely watching quietly.

"Got you!"

Lin Jingyu pounced, pinning Zhang Xiaofan to the ground.

His hands clamped tightly around Zhang Xiaofan's neck.

It had started as mere childish roughhousing.

But Lin Jingyu, naturally competitive, didn't gauge his strength.

Zhang Xiaofan's face instantly turned a bruised purple, his hands flailing wildly.

Things were about to get serious.

Puzhi sighed.

He flicked his sleeve.

A gentle yet irresistible gust of wind rose from the ground.

The two children struggling felt their bodies lighten.

They were separated by an invisible hand and landed softly on piles of grass on either side.

"Amitabha."

"My young benefactors, it was just a bit of play."

"Why must you harm each other, even to the point of risking your lives?"

Puzhi clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist name.

Lin Jingyu froze.

He looked at the old monk in the moon-white robes, the ferocity in his eyes gradually receding, replaced by a flicker of curiosity.

This monk is incredibly powerful.

How did he do that just now?

Zhang Xiaofan, meanwhile, gasped for air, coughing uncontrollably while clutching his neck. His gaze towards Puzhi was filled with awe.

Puzhi's gaze swept over the two children.

In that instant.

A look of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

This child with clear features had remarkable bone structure and exceptional talent!

If he were to embark on the path of cultivation, he would surely progress a thousand miles in a day.

The slightly slower one, though less gifted, possessed a resilient spirit.

With diligent practice, he might also achieve something.

If only they could join my Tianyin Temple...

The thought had barely surfaced.

The encounter at Qingyun Sect yesterday resurfaced in his mind.

"Alas."

Puzhi shook his head, a hint of loneliness in his eyes.

The divide between sects was like an insurmountable chasm.

In this world, who is truly willing to break free from their cage?

Night fell.

Dark clouds obscured the moon, and the starlight was dim.

The temperature inside the dilapidated temple seemed several degrees lower than outside.

Gusts of cold wind made the flickering candle flame dance erratically.

Puzhi suddenly opened his eyes.

A palpable killing intent, like a venomous snake, slithered towards him.

This aura was cold, sinister, and definitely not benevolent.

Could it be a demon cultist?

Puzhi's heart tightened, and his right hand instinctively clenched the Jade Prayer Beads.

"Whoosh!"

A black shadow, like a phantom, streaked across the top of the temple, its speed astonishing.

The target wasn't him.

It was the village!

Just as Puzhi was about to get up and investigate, a scream echoed from a nearby civilian house.

The voice was young, filled with extreme terror.

It was the child named Lin Jingyu from earlier that day!

"Wretch, how dare you!"

Puzhi roared, his moon-white monk robes billowing.

He transformed into a golden light, shattering the roof and soaring into the sky.

Mid-air.

A mysterious figure, completely shrouded in black, was carrying the unconscious Lin Jingyu, his feet treading on black mist as he sped away.

"Old bald donkey, meddling in other people's business!"

Seeing Puzhi in pursuit.

The black-clothed figure turned, casually throwing Lin Jingyu, who was in his hands, like a sandbag, fiercely towards Puzhi.

Puzhi's heart leaped in alarm.

If he let the child fall, he would surely die.

What a cruel heart this demon possesses!

Without hesitation, he forcibly retracted his attack, spreading his hands wide, and used his gentle Buddhist power to catch the flying Lin Jingyu.

The moment Puzhi touched Lin Jingyu's body.

An unexpected change occurred.

From within Lin Jingyu's tightly closed collar, a multicolored shadow suddenly darted out.

Its speed was like lightning!

The distance was too close.

And Puzhi was entirely focused on protecting the child, completely unprepared.

"Hiss!"

A sharp pain shot through the back of his hand.

Puzhi focused his gaze.

It was a colorful centipede with seven tails, clinging tightly to the back of his hand, its fangs deeply embedded in his flesh.

A Seven-tailed Centipede!

The most venomous creature in the world!

"Ah!"

Puzhi cried out in agony.

It was too late to shake it off now.

A black energy spread from the back of his hand, instantly engulfing his entire arm.

In the face of this potent venom.

His flowing protective Buddhist light dissolved rapidly, like melting snow under the scorching sun.

"Hahaha!"

"Puzhi, you, a divine monk of Tianyin Temple, have fallen to this day?"

The man in black burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the night sky, sounding particularly grating.

Puzhi endured the intense pain.

He first sealed his heart meridian, then placed Lin Jingyu on the ground.

"Seven-tailed Centipede..."

"Are you from the Myriad Poisons Sect?"

Soon.

Puzhi looked up, his eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at the man in black hovering in mid-air.

"Myriad Poisons Sect?"

"A low-class sect like that, you dare compare yourself to me?"

"Hand over the Blood Devouring Pearl, and I'll leave your corpse intact."

The man in black's tone revealed a hint of disdain.

He floated in mid-air, looking down from above, his eyes behind the black scarf gleaming with greed and coldness.

Hearing this.

Puzhi's heart turned to ice.

He had initially thought it was the Demonic Cult seeking revenge.

He hadn't expected.

That the other party was actually after the Blood Devouring Pearl.

"You wish!"

Puzhi gritted his teeth.

This Blood Devouring Pearl was an object of great malevolence.

If it fell into the hands of someone with such wicked intentions, it would surely bring ruin and suffering to all living beings.

"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

The man in black lost his patience.

With a wave of his right hand, an Immortal Sword radiating a chilling aura appeared out of thin air.

The sword trembled, its killing intent palpable.

Puzhi's pupils contracted sharply.

This was not a Demonic Cult technique.

This was... a true Daoist art!

And an extremely profound one at that!

"Who exactly are you?!"

Puzhi's heart was in turmoil.

Within the righteous path, could there be such a person colluding with poisonous creatures, coveting an evil pearl?

Could it be the Qingyun Sect?

No, impossible.

The Qingyun Sect was the leader of the righteous path, how could they...

Before Puzhi could figure it out.

The sword energy of the man in black had already arrived.

This strike sealed off all of Puzhi's escape routes.

Before the sword energy even reached him.

The walls of the dilapidated temple had already cracked under the invisible pressure.

At this critical juncture.

"RUMBLE!"

In the night sky, thunder roared.

This thunder did not come from the heavens, but from--the East!

An incomparably brilliant green sword light, like a meteor tearing through the night, streaked across the sky.

The sword light was so fast that it even surpassed the speed of sound.

"ZING!"

A clear and resonant sword cry echoed throughout Caomiao Village.

The killing blow of the man in black was actually deflected by three inches by this sudden green light.

A terrifying shockwave exploded in mid-air.

The roof of the dilapidated temple instantly turned to dust.

Puzhi looked up sharply.

He saw a tall figure standing on his sword above the dilapidated temple.

The person was dressed in the disciple's robes of the Qingyun Sect, their clothes fluttering wildly in the strong wind.