Foundation establishment late stage!
Daoist Mude was startled... Wasn't he at the foundation establishment middle stage?
Two people at the foundation establishment early stage fighting someone at the foundation establishment late stage were like two children provoking an adult. It was no different from asking to get their asses handed to them!
The conversation between the three drew out a dozen more black-robed figures. They swarmed out of the houses with swords in hand, staring coldly at Mude and Zhixuan.
How were they supposed to fight this...
"Things are getting hairy..." Daoist Mude and Monk Zhixuan exchanged a glance.
"Let's scram!"
Monk Zhixuan channeled his energy into his feet. His legs instantly gleamed with golden light, and Buddhist radiance emerged to envelop him...
Daoist Mude activated his bronze sword. Azure light flashed from it as he roared, "Light Wind Style..."
The sword tip pointed straight at the black-robed man. Azure light flowed over the blade, stirring up a gust of sword wind.
"Road Severing!"
A murderous aura flared. Wrapped in surging azure light, the bronze sword shot toward the black-robed man, wind howling along its path.
The instant the attack was launched, Monk Zhixuan turned without looking back. Golden light blazed from his legs, runes emerged, and he grabbed Daoist Mude, leaping into the air and racing toward the courtyard wall.
As for the bronze sword they had launched... they were abandoning it!
"Paltry tricks!" the black-robed man snapped.
Holding his longsword, the black-robed man swung fiercely at the oncoming bronze sword, sending a blast of Sword Qi straight toward it.
Bang!
The Sword Qi struck the bronze sword head-on, halting its momentum and stripping away its force. By the time it reached the black-robed man, he easily caught it and casually tossed it aside.
Watching the daoist and monk flee toward the outside of the courtyard, the black-robed man hurled his longsword.
Released from his hand, the longsword soared high into the air before plunging down at tremendous speed. With a clang, it embedded itself in front of the daoist and monk.
Black spiritual energy surged over the longsword, and Dao patterns roiled. Spiritual energy erupted from the blade, blocking the daoist and monk's escape route.
The black-robed figures seized the opportunity to close in, surrounding the two.
"You aren't going anywhere!" the black-robed leader said coldly.
The monk pressed his palms together. "Amitabha! Benefactor, what do you want?"
The black-robed leader sneered. "What did you see just now?"
The monk fell silent... A monk did not tell lies!
"We noticed a little bloody aura here and came to take a look out of curiosity. Presumably, this is a slaughterhouse for cattle and sheep. We came to buy some beef and mutton!" Daoist Mude said with a cheerful smile.
"If we aren't welcome, we'll just leave."
The black-robed man eyed the two mockingly. "A monk and a daoist came to buy beef and mutton?"
"We're a fake daoist and a fake monk!" Mude said earnestly, then reached over and tugged at the hem of the monk's robe.
The monk blushed and nodded.
They couldn't win a fight or escape... Staying alive came first.
"See? Monks don't lie!" Mude pointed at Zhixuan as he spoke to the sword-wielding black-robed man.
Now without his sword, the black-robed man stood with his arms folded and chuckled. "Isn't he a fake monk? Fake monks can lie!"
The monk's face grew redder and redder!
"This isn't a slaughterhouse!" the black-robed man suddenly said.
The daoist's expression stiffened. He forced a smile. "Then it seems we were mistaken. We'll leave right away!"
The surrounding black-robed figures raised their swords, clearly unwilling to let the two leave.
"No hurry to leave! Since you're here, stay and lend us a hand!" the black-robed leader said calmly.
"Oh? What do you need our help with?" Somehow, the daoist produced another bronze sword and gripped it tightly, a friendly smile on his face.
The monk held his staff, watching the black-robed leader warily.
"Nothing much. We're just short of one last bit of living blood to refine a blood pill, so we need to borrow some of yours." The black-robed leader's lips curled coldly as he regarded the two with an indifferent gaze.
A blood pill!
The monk and daoist's expressions changed.
"You actually dare refine blood pills?" Disbelief covered Mude's face as he stared at the black-robed leader, unable to stop anger from rising within him.
"Aren't you afraid of heaven's punishment?"
A blood pill, as its name suggested, was a pill built upon a pile of human lives.
Refining a blood pill was exceptionally cruel. It required blood from living people, supplemented with heavenly treasures. Fresh blood had to be continuously fed into the furnace, while the heavenly treasures sealed the vitality within it. Since blood was constantly needed, human lives were constantly needed too...
The blood essence of living people brimmed with vitality. Condensing it into a pill meant aiming for something far greater.
"I'm merely following orders!" the black-robed leader said carelessly. "Besides... all I've killed are a few lowly commoners."
Lowly commoners... His tone carried an indescribable air of superiority and contempt.
The daoist looked at the monk and flicked his eyes toward the black-robed man... You hold off this foundation establishment late stage leader. I'll deal with the others first.
The monk widened his eyes and glanced at the ring of people surrounding them... Why don't you hold off this foundation establishment late stage fellow while I deal with the others?
The daoist shot him a sharp look... Fine by me. Can you kill people?
The monk rolled his eyes... Forget it. I'll hold off this foundation establishment late stage fellow. Finish the others quickly. I can't last long.
After a silent exchange of looks, the two settled on a plan.
The monk would hold off the foundation establishment late stage leader, while the daoist dealt with the lackeys first!
"Since you want this humble monk's blood, benefactor, I can only experience your formidable techniques for myself!" Following their plan, the young monk shone with golden light from head to toe. Staff in hand, he charged at the black-robed leader, using offense as defense.
"The Buddhist Golden Body. Interesting!" The black-robed man dispensed with weapons too, meeting him bare-handed.
Seeing this, the daoist turned and charged at the other black-robed figures with his sword, azure light flowing over the bronze blade.
As the daoist's sword danced, sprays of blood rose, like crimson flowers blooming in the rainy night.
The daoist showed no mercy. These people had killed commoners to refine pills, staining their hands with untold amounts of blood.
He felt not the slightest burden of guilt in killing them. In fact, it felt thoroughly satisfying.
Apart from the leader, who was in the foundation establishment realm, the others were merely at the Qi Refining realm. In the blink of an eye, the daoist had killed half of them.
Just as he was enjoying the slaughter, something came flying toward him.
The daoist leaped aside and saw that it was a staff.
Turning to look, he saw the monk sprawled nearby, the golden light around him dim and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Meanwhile, the black-robed man watched his slaughter with interest, utterly unconcerned whether the others lived or died...
"How did you go down so quickly?" The daoist leaped back to the monk's side and helped him up.
The monk flew into a rage. "If you're so capable, you do it!"
"Fine, I'll do it. Go deal with the remaining lackeys," the daoist said.
Gritting his teeth, the monk snatched the bronze sword from the daoist's hand and charged at the few remaining lackeys... To hell with monastic rules and precepts. Staying alive came first.
Once again, the daoist produced a bronze sword from somewhere and rushed at the black-robed man.
The black-robed leader sneered. "It seems you don't understand the gap between the foundation establishment early stage and late stage. Then I'll play with you today."
With a flick of his foot, a longsword landed in his hand. He swung it forward, unleashing a blast of Sword Qi straight at the daoist.
Can't block it, can't block it... The daoist's expression changed as he watched the Sword Qi rush toward him. He dodged sideways, only to find the black-robed man already before him, a streak of dark red light striking straight at his chest.
The daoist hurriedly brought his sword before his chest, raising it to block.
Bang!
An unbearable force struck his chest. A coppery taste rose in his throat, and blood sprayed from his mouth. His body flew backward and crashed to the side.
The monk retreated to the daoist's side, covered in blood.
The remaining lackeys had all been dealt with too...