A wisp of mist rose over a mountain peak a hundred li from Golden Mountain Temple, obscuring people's vision. A cowherd boy was on his way down the mountain when the sudden mist made him lose his bearings. He had been born at the foot of the mountain and had climbed it countless times since childhood, but he had never seen such thick fog. No matter which way he went, he could not get out.
The cowherd boy kept circling until he heard faint voices, seemingly discussing something. He slowly followed the sound and dimly made out a group of black-clad figures standing in the distance. More black-clad figures were constantly gathering around them.
Their leader wore red, striking even in the thick fog, and everyone gathered around him.
"Chief Steward, five hundred White Tiger Hall elites are in position."
"Five hundred Black Tortoise Hall elites are in position."
"Five hundred Vermilion Bird Hall elites are in position."
"Demon Tiger King, Demon Dragon King, Demon Rat King... Second Guardian... Sixth Guardian, in position."
People beside the red-robed man kept cupping their hands and reporting to him.
This was precisely the plan Liansheng of the Demon Sect had devised: break the force into small groups, gather on a mountain peak a hundred li from Golden Mountain Temple, and launch a surprise attack on the temple.
The red-robed man waved his hand and declared, "This operation is unlike anything our Demon Sect has undertaken in decades. It is also the Sect Master's test of us. Success alone is permitted. Failure is not. Move out."
"Yes, Chief Steward."
The cowherd boy's instincts already told him something was wrong. Though he had seen little of the world and did not understand what these people were saying, they were clearly no good. He immediately tried to flee, but before he could run, his head grew dizzy, and then he knew nothing more.
At Golden Mountain Temple, it was time for the morning chanting. A novice monk led a young man and woman through the mountain gate. "Senior Brother, Golden Mountain Temple is so grand and imposing!"
The young man smiled as well. "Of course. Golden Mountain Temple is one of the continent's five great sects, a power at the very pinnacle."
"Senior Brother, do you think we can get a Lesser Restoration Pill?"
"We definitely can. Master's injuries can't wait any longer. Holy Monk Wufa of Golden Mountain Temple is a good friend of his. He'll certainly help."
"But Holy Monk Wufa is the second-ranked expert on the Earth Ranking. How could he know Master? In their eyes, Master is only a minor figure in the Martial Marquis Realm. How could they have become friends?"
The young man looked at his junior sister, who was brimming with questions, and said no more. In truth, he did not know how their master had come to know someone like Holy Monk Wufa either.
The novice led them to the door of a meditation room in the rear hall and knocked. "Granduncle Master Wufa, two visitors say they are old acquaintances of yours and wish to see you."
A deep, rough voice came from inside. "Come in."
The novice opened the meditation room's door and led them inside. He bowed to Wufa, then turned and left. The two martial siblings gazed at Holy Monk Wufa before them. Though there were many rumors about him in the martial world, only upon seeing him in person could they sense how extraordinary he was. Even seated cross-legged, he stood no shorter than either of them.
The two bowed. "Greetings, Holy Monk Wufa."
"What brings you two to see me?"
Without speaking, the young man took a letter from inside his robe and handed it to Wufa. Wufa accepted it and began to read. The more he read, the tighter his brows drew together. Finally, he folded the letter, took a porcelain bottle from inside his robe, and handed it to the young man.
"There are three Lesser Restoration Pills inside. Take-"
Before he could finish, the two martial siblings suddenly found that Wufa had vanished from before their eyes. Before they could grasp what had happened, shouts of battle rang out outside.
They hurried out the door and found everything outside in chaos. A great crowd of black-clad figures had appeared from who knew where and launched an attack on Golden Mountain Temple. Disbelief filled the young man's face. "How is this possible? Someone actually dared to attack Golden Mountain Temple!"
Wufa was already locked in fierce combat in the air with a man in an ink-black battle robe. His entire body took on the aspect of a wrathful vajra, and he showed no mercy in his attacks. Every blow sent ripples through the surrounding space, but whenever he was about to strike his opponent, a protective shell flashed over the man's body. Apart from making noise, his blows inflicted no damage whatsoever.
Wufa roared in fury. "Wan Li, you stinking turtle! I'll smash that turtle shell of yours today!"
Though Wufa's words brimmed with imposing confidence, the shock in his heart was beyond description. He recognized his opponent as Wan Li, the master of the Demon Sect's Black Tortoise Hall. They had fought before, and back then, Wan Li had been no match for him at all. Had he not fled quickly, Black Tortoise Hall might have had a different master by now. Wufa had never expected that in just a few years, Wan Li would cultivate to a level that made him difficult even for Wufa to defeat.
Shouts of battle filled Golden Mountain Temple, and black-clad figures were everywhere. Numerous eminent monks flew out of their meditation halls, only to be intercepted by the Demon Sect's senior members. An elder of Arhat Hall flew into the air and shouted, "Fiends of the Demon Sect, who dares fight me?"
"Ha ha! Such courage! I, Demon Tiger King, will take you on!"
The two exchanged fewer than three moves in the sky before a scream rang out. Arhat Hall's guardian elder stared in shock, a hand thrust through his chest. The hand slowly withdrew, and the guardian elder immediately fell from the sky. Plainly, he would not survive.
Golden Mountain Temple's senior members were instantly stunned. This guardian elder had been an early Martial Emperor, one of the temple's strongest fighters. Yet Demon Tiger King was merely a rising talent of the Demon Sect. There were twelve just like him, and the Demon Sect also had its four hall masters, elders, and others.
Yet even so, the guardian elder had not lasted three moves against Demon Tiger King. A shadow fell over the hearts of everyone in Golden Mountain Temple.
Not far away, three figures stood in the air above the main hall. One wore yellow kasaya robes and held a nine-ring monk's staff. Upon hearing the distant scream, he stared at the two opposite him with an ashen face.
Of those two, one wore a red battle robe, while the other wore a long blue robe with a sword on his back.
"Chief Steward, Grand Elder, does your Demon Sect truly intend to provoke a war between the righteous and demonic paths?"
Liansheng raised a hand. "By the Sect Master's command, we are to annihilate Golden Mountain Temple. We have no choice but to borrow the head from your shoulders, Abbot, to report the completion of our mission."
Wuwо looked at the Grand Elder and demanded loudly, "Grand Elder, is this truly your Demon Sect's intention?"
The blue-robed man raised his head and looked at Wuwо. "The Sect Master ordered that this entire operation be placed under the Chief Steward's command. Also, don't call me Grand Elder anymore. I am Bai Haotian, Guardian of the Demon Sect. Of course, you won't have another chance to call me anything."
Wuwо was secretly startled. He had already realized that the Demon Sect now seemed to obey Zhou Qiong completely. Even the Grand Elder had submitted, and was now lowering himself beneath Chief Steward Liansheng.
The distant shouts of battle grew louder and louder. The senior fighters the Demon Sect had brought this time were simply too powerful, far beyond what Golden Mountain Temple could withstand. Halls kept collapsing. Wuwо knew he could wait no longer. He had to deal with the two men before him as quickly as possible, or it would not be long before all of Golden Mountain Temple was destroyed.