Two Angry People

"Yulong, you are a genius."

"Yulong, the future of the Shangqing Sect rests entirely on your shoulders!"

"Yulong, you say you've mastered the Taishang Induction Scripture? Heavens, you are the pride of our Shangqing, the Mystic Maiden of the Shangqing Sect!"

The poison within her body was being expelled, bit by bit.

With Shangqing internal energy coursing through her hands, Ming Yulong flicked, tapped, and struck with the fluidity of flowing water, dispatching the two Western Xia soldiers attacking her. Even though her strength had yet to fully recover, she undeniably demonstrated the reputation of a prodigy of the Shangqing Sect.

Yet, facing this scene.

This girl who had always loved to smile still wore that "innocent and adorable" expression on her face.

Only, at this moment, it was twisted in an unexpected way.

Her personality might appear incredibly sweet, but inside, it was an entirely different story.

She had almost died!!!

She, herself, had almost died just like that.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the little monk who had killed Li Hui and now lay on the ground, bleeding. She had felt a flicker of interest in him earlier due to his talent. Recalling the fierce blade techniques of that fallen boy, he might not have been much in his prime, but right now, a few strikes would have been enough to claim her life.

Ming Yulong bit her lip gently, not stopping even as blood began to flow.

She had been saved!

The realization that she had fallen into such a desperate, hopeless situation—and that she had been saved by someone even younger than herself—was agonizing.

A genius of the Shangqing Sect?

The pride of the Shangqing Sect?

Like a clown making a fool of herself on stage, Ming Yulong's face was full of smiles, but her heart could not laugh—it could not laugh at all.

Since when had she become a weakling who needed protection to survive?

Carelessness had plunged her into this predicament.

Weakness had turned her into an object to be rescued by others.

Is that enough?

Has that been enough?

Ming Yulong slowly raised her head, her large eyes revealing an emotion known as terror.

Ants, just how much further are you going to make me lose my composure? To what extent? Will you finally be satisfied!

Her delicate little hand gently pinched the blades the two men were swinging at her. Ming Yulong, with a soft, gentle, and incredibly mild smile, whispered in a voice only they could hear: "The color of your internal organs must be beautiful!"

Her small hand released the blades, and her palms moved forward, pressing against their chests with a touch as light and gentle as a caress.

The two Western Xia soldiers shuddered, took two steps back, and then doubled over, their mouths hanging open as they began to vomit uncontrollably.

Bright red blood, mixed with strange, clotted matter, poured onto the ground. As they retched, the two men collapsed into the pool of blood, their lives extinguished.

Looking at the blood covering the ground, Ming Yulong observed it carefully for a long while before a smile identical to her previous one returned to her face.

"Jie jie, finally, I've come back to life. Master was right after all: when walking the jianghu, the greatest taboo is carelessness."

With a pat of her small hands, Ming Yulong skipped over to Xuankong, extended her petite, jade-like fingers, and gently pressed them against his pulse.

Soon, she let out a breath, and the smile on her face grew even sweeter.

Little monk, I've remembered you.

Immediately, Ming Yulong stood up and ran straight toward Xu Jing, pressing her palms against the girl's shoulders to channel her energy and help purge the "poison" from her body.

******

Damn it!

How did a situation that should have been a sure victory end up like this?

With Li Hui dead and the remaining two dealt with, the rage in Tuoba Xiong's heart grew ever more intense. He was on the verge of madness. If he weren't currently entangled by the monk before him, he would have loved to round up these subordinates—whom he had previously thought were decent—and kill them all over again.

As his murderous intent surged, the Eagle Claw Technique he unleashed became increasingly vicious. The very air seemed to be affected by his waving hands, emitting shrill, piercing whistles.

Die, die, die for me!!

Consumed by a maddening rage, Tuoba Xiong attacked the monk Tianming with frantic intensity.

Amitabha...

Facing Tuoba Xiong's fierce onslaught, the monk Tianming remained as steady as Mount Tai, not retreating a single step in any of his moves.

The opponent seemed very angry? Very furious? According to Buddhist teachings, this would be the time to speak and resolve the conflict...

However, it was clear that the monk Tianming had not considered this question at all. In his mind, there was only one question, which he asked himself.

This old monk, what exactly am I doing???

As a first-rate expert, as the elder to the young juniors present, as the master of Xuankong and the others...

He was supposed to guide them, allowing them to feel a slight sense of "difficulty" while ensuring they gained sufficient experience in a safe environment.

He recalled the words he had spoken before they set out, the promise he had made to his senior brother, the Abbot, and the promise he had made to himself.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, this humble monk will certainly bring them all back safely."

Thinking of this, Monk Tianming felt as if his heart were about to split open.

If not for Xuankong discovering the truth, if not for Xuankong's decisive action, if not for Xuankong's forceful intervention, and if not for that young girl from the Shangqing Sect neutralizing the toxins within their bodies...

What kind of situation would they be in right now? And what would the outcome have been?

To die in utter helplessness???

Despair, pain, and regret.

By the Buddha, these were clearly things that he, as their master, should have handled, yet they were all done by his disciples and juniors. Not only that, but when Xuankong stood up once more to block the experts of the First Rank Hall, and when Ming Yulong struck down the final threat, Tianming discovered that his heart had actually twice surged with joy and a sense of relief.

Heavens.

Is this how a master should behave?

Is this the mindset a senior should have?

Monk Tianming, though a monk, was still a man, and even a Buddha has a temper.

However, the fire of a Buddha is somewhat different from that of an ordinary person.

The more furious he became, the calmer his heart grew.

The so-called "Holding the Great Brightness to illuminate all living beings, this is the Immovable Wisdom King!"

The rage buried deep in his heart erupted like a volcano.

For the first time, Monk Tianming's expression underwent a massive change, revealing a look of fury never seen before.

The Wrathful Aspect!

His left hand rose, thumb pressing against the first knuckle of his index finger.

His right hand fell, thumb also pressing against the first knuckle of his index finger.

In the space where the two were locked in a lightning-fast exchange, everything suddenly slowed down, save for this movement performed by Monk Tianming.

Great Brightness Sutra, Womb Realm Threefold Wrath.

First Form, Immovable Venerable!

One hand, descended!

Silence fell upon the surrounding area.

The face of the enraged Tuoba Xiong changed abruptly; he thrust out both hands, his scorching true energy erupting with intense heat.

Nine-Turn Eagle Strike!

His body spun in the void, claw marks filling the sky—nine claws in one rotation, nine rotations in one turn.

A single strike, totaling eighty-one claws.

Bang!

They collided with a roar, turning the three-zhang radius into a different world. Terrifying energy surged and shredded the air, whipping up a sky full of sand, stone, and dust.

"Ah!! Damn it, damn it! You bald donkeys of the Shaolin Temple, I, Tuoba Xiong, will remember you!!!"

With a sharp, piercing cry, Tuoba Xiong's figure soared into the air, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished toward the north.

Along the path of his departure, visible droplets of bright red blood continued to scatter.

Hoo!

Exhaling a long breath, Monk Tianming silently circulated his true energy, quickly calming himself down.

He had not expected that because of this extreme rage, not only had his cultivation broken through, but the Great Brightness Sutra, which had long been stuck, had finally crossed that last line, allowing him to directly execute the Immovable Venerable—a move he absolutely could not have performed back at the Shaolin Temple.

Thoughts aside, Monk Tianming felt not a shred of joy on his face at this moment. He immediately turned and rushed toward where the others were, heading first and foremost to Xuankong.