As time passed, the moon sank from view. The night grew darker and darker, and before long, all of Mount Longhu had fallen silent beneath the cover of darkness.
For some reason, tonight's darkness seemed destined to last far longer than usual.
Because, contrary to everyone's expectations—or perhaps exactly as expected—
In any case!
A series of piercing whistles, shrieks, and battle cries tore through the night. The once-peaceful Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu quickly descended into chaos.
In almost the blink of an eye, the tranquil back mountain of Mount Longhu was shrouded in a terrifying, bloodthirsty atmosphere.
So those cries had been the signal for the Quanzhen fiends to attack?
With the Quanzhen fiends' appearance, the growing clamor spread in an instant. One courtyard after another at the foot of the mountain burst into flames, and before long, the fires had lit up nearly the entire forest.
The increasingly loud and ferocious battle cries rose and fell, surging like a tide toward the main peak of Mount Longhu. With flames leaping into the sky and shouts of slaughter ringing everywhere, the attackers looked ready to destroy the solemn temple and venerable reputation of the Tianshi Mansion, which had stood for over a thousand years, in one fell swoop.
The Taoist masters of the Tianshi Mansion would never allow that to happen, much less sit by and wait for death!
Although they had been caught somewhat off guard, the Luotian Grand Ritual had only just ended, and many Taoist masters from Mount Longhu had yet to leave. They quickly rallied. Clad in Taoist robes, their bodies shimmering with the dazzling golden light of the Golden Light Mantra, their faces resolute and determined, they formed rows of golden barriers to protect the halls and major thoroughfares.
And so!
Before long,