The trees beside the temple swayed, while sand and stones from the surrounding ground whirled into the air. Fallen leaves were blown down and rolled about, scraping across the ground with rustling sounds.
In midair, a mass of golden cloud slowly drifted over, faint threads of sinister, mysterious aura lurking within.
Bang!
A cloud of golden smoke exploded from one side of the central courtyard, revealing an elderly man in white with a swollen lump on his forehead.
The old man wore a kindly expression and leaned upon a black staff.
"Qing Yun, this time, you have lost..."
A golden imperial edict scroll appeared in his hand. The instant he appeared, the entire courtyard was shrouded beneath an immense, suffocating pressure.
The handsome man coughed twice and rose from the carpet, a trace of displeasure appearing on his face.
"If we had not come for that thing, we would not have disturbed the peace of this tranquil place beyond the mortal world. Old Ancestor Hua Qing has certainly put on quite the display, but this is Vajra Temple."
"Mister Qing knows this is Vajra Temple as well?" Old Ancestor Hua Qing sneered. "The imperial edict is here. The princes have either fled or scattered. What else do you have to say?"
"The outcome has already been decided. What is there left to say?" Mister Qing replied blandly. "If you wish to fight, then fight, but do not implicate innocent people."
"Implicate?" Old Ancestor Hua Qing shook his head and glanced at Lin Xin and the others nearby. "Since they have already been dragged into this, they are no longer innocent."
His eyes were cold and utterly indifferent. Clearly, to him, killing a few peripheral people caught in the fallout meant nothing.
Lin Xin's brows furrowed even deeper. He had merely