One step ahead

Nine unrealistic fox tails, like a peacock spreading its tail, fluttered behind Xu Qi'an, swaying gently.

These fox tails belong to Princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox.

From the very beginning, Dean Zhao Shou and the patriarch of the martial arts alliance were merely cards that Xu Qi'an put on the surface.

He also has a hidden trump card that no one knows about—the princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons.

Xu Qi'an had no connection with the princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. In his knowledge, that powerful fox spirit was merely a name that appeared in historical records.

But Xu Qi'an knew that if he encountered a major crisis, he wouldn't be able to survive it.

The princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was definitely one of those who would protect him.

The reason is simple: he was a spy for the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons who secretly sent Shen Shu to his residence.

Clearly, would the spy have dared to do this without the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox's authorization?

The remnants of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons aimed to use the fortune within him to nourish Shen Shu's severed arm; he and Shen Shu would share both glory and ruin.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox might not care about his life or death, but she absolutely could not stand idly by and watch Shen Shu be sealed away and regain control by the Buddhist Kingdom. Otherwise, what was the point of the Sangbo case, which the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons had painstakingly planned?

Of course, this only shows that everyone has the same interests. If that were all, Xu Qi'an would not have entrusted his life and fortune to a demoness who had never appeared or been in contact with him before.

He was certain that the Demon Princess would make a move, and regarded her as his trump card, because of two things.

First, a short story about Fuxiang.

It wasn't that Xu Qi'an looked down on this sworn brother of Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, but given Fuxiang's status and position, could he really know about the past of the Grand Master's disciple?

Obviously not.

Why would she write such a suggestive story in the letter she left for herself?

The answer is simple: this was a hint from the princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, hinting at who his real enemy was while subtly expressing her intention to intervene.

Even so, Xu Qi'an still wouldn't consider her his trump card.

The real reason was that when he awoke at the Bureau of Astronomy that day, before he went to the Cloud Deer Academy to see Zhao Shou, the Observatory Chief gave him a milky-white pill.

As Xu Qi'an swallowed the pill, he vaguely heard a soft and charming laugh, which vanished in an instant.

Xu Qi'an didn't know how the Supervisor and the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox got together, but that didn't matter. Smart people know how to understand each other without saying a word.

Finally out. Xu Qi'an, who had noticed the abnormality in his coccyx, breathed a sigh of relief.

He called the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox a stinky old woman because he had experienced her wicked character firsthand.

She could have acted much earlier, but she had to wait until this crucial moment. Xu Qi'an was almost scared to death, thinking that his trump card for survival wouldn't work.

In that case, you can only pray that you'll be reborn into a good family in your next life, that your father is a decent person, and that you'll have a tall, long-legged, 36D older sister who can "whimper."

As soon as they appeared, the white-robed Warlock seemed to be frozen in place, momentarily frozen in place.

Taking advantage of this gap, the nine fox tails, like tentacles, partially entangled the invisible and intangible vast fortune, preventing the white-robed Warlock from removing it.

The other part of the blows were delivered fiercely to the white-robed Warlock.

They did not emit any terrifying energy fluctuations, nor did they create any spectacular phenomena, but the white-robed Warlock subconsciously took a small step back, seemingly extremely wary.

"Snort!"

He snorted coldly, showing both surprise and disbelief at the appearance of the nine-tailed celestial fox.

I wasn't surprised because I knew about the intricate connection between the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox and Shen Shu, so it was expected that the other party would intervene.

To his surprise, he hadn't expected the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox to launch a surprise attack in this way.

It should be understood that most concealment techniques will be exposed in front of a top-tier Warlock is proficient in the Qi-Watching Technique. There are very few concealment techniques in the world that can hide from the eyes of a second-rank Warlock.

The white-robed Warlock knew all about these methods, but the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox was using a concealment technique he had never seen before.

The white-robed Warlock remained calm despite the panic. He stomped his foot, and the remaining magic arrays simultaneously erupted with dazzling clear light, forming a protective barrier around him.

Buzz buzz buzz!

The six fox tails slapped against the barrier, causing the clear light to vibrate violently, the energy to explode layer by layer, and the white-robed Warlock to retreat repeatedly, displaying an invincible ferocity.

The other three fox tails wrapped around the immense fortune and returned to Xu Qi'an's body.

Good fortune has returned to him.

Whew. Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief. That vixen is really something!

Seeing this, the Martial Alliance Ancestor and Dean Zhao Shou seized the opportunity, and more and more sword intent surged out of the void. The sword intent was at the peak of the third rank, close to the second rank. Combined with the Confucian Sage Carving Knife, it obliterated the formation, as if it were chiseling through thousands of troops and horses, chiseling through small formations, and directly taking the enemy general's head.

The white-robed Warlock remained calm despite being attacked by three people. Seeing that he could not extract the Qi Luck for the time being, he decisively abandoned Xu Qi'an.

The sachet opened automatically, and one by one, Law Artifact seemed to come alive, flying out on their own. These were not physical attack Law Artifact like ballistae or cannons, but rather Law Artifact with more bizarre uses.

Some of them are bronze mirrors, some are sharp teeth, some are small bronze seals, and some are exquisite pagodas.

Their functions are to bestow divine status, pierce through qi, imprison, and refine.

Numerous Law Artifact swirled around him. Xu Qi'an's physical body was unharmed, but his Primordial Spirit shuddered as if it had been torn into countless fragments, causing him to briefly lose consciousness.

The fox tails, which resembled tentacles baring their fangs and claws, seemed to lose their vitality and purpose under the influence of the Law Artifact, wriggling aimlessly.

The white-robed Warlock reached out and placed his hand on Xu Qi'an's head, drawing back the massive amount of luck that he had already refined.

The use of Law Artifact is prohibited here.

Zhao Shou said in a deep voice.

The white-robed Warlock's unparalleled formation was mostly destroyed under the combined onslaught of the contemporary Confucian scholar and the half-step second-rank martial artist, leaving it powerless to resist the Confucian School Law Follows Speech of words becoming law.

Ding ding!

The magical Law Artifact that were flying through the air all fell to the ground.

The Confucian scholar's cap and carving knife also sealed themselves away, concealing their brilliance. Scholars are reasonable people; they are not scoundrels. The power of Law Follows Speech applies equally to one's own side.

Zhao Shou grunted, his face turning ashen white—this was the backlash from his boasting.

Under normal circumstances, when facing an enemy of the same level, the power of Law Follows Speech can only be used three times if it directly exerts its influence.

Any more, Vast Righteous Qi would be unable to withstand the backlash of the Law Technique.

However, if the power of Law Follows Speech is used to assist or to buff oneself, then there is no limit to the number of times it can be used.

"Teleportation is prohibited here" and "Law Artifact are not allowed" are both forces directly applied to the enemy. With Zhao Shou's peak third-rank strength, even with the assistance of the Confucian Sage Carving Knife and Confucian Crown, he could only deal with Warlock one rank higher than him three times.

Without the suppression of the Law Artifact, the nine fox tails instantly became enraged, whipping and lashing wildly into the sky.

The white-robed Warlock was driven back once again; close combat is Warlock's weakness.

The illusory fox tail, entwined with fortune, returned to Xu Qi'an's body.

"Kill eight hundred enemies, but lose a thousand of your own."

The white-robed Warlock sneered.

He was mocking Zhao Shou, whose Confucian hat and carving knife had been self-sealed, ending the three instances where his Law Follows Speech. In the ensuing battle, this great Confucian scholar could exert very little combat power.

As for the patriarch of the Martial Alliance, although the crude martial artist's attacks were strong, he had plenty of ways to deal with him. Besides, that old scoundrel was in poor condition and unable to personally confront the enemy.

For Warlock, this is a huge, exploitable weakness.

The white-robed Warlock formed a hand seal and said in a deep voice, "Rise!"

The stone disc rumbled and trembled, then floated into the air. On its surface, the peerless array, two-thirds of which had been carved through, began to shrink and self-repair, resembling a simplified version of the "peerless array."

Although not as powerful as the previous formation, it was like an exhausted warrior taking a breath. Compared to its damaged state, its aura was stronger and more complete. All the abilities it had lost, such as teleportation and confinement, were now restored.

For high-level Warlock, repairing damaged formations is the most basic ability, just like a monk meditating or a Daoist priest traveling in spirit—it's a fundamental skill within the system.

However, at that moment, the white-robed Warlock saw Zhao Shou calmly extend his hand, palm facing him, and say in a deep voice:

"Formations are forbidden in this world."

As soon as the words fell, the floating stone disc cracked rapidly, and the arrays went out, losing their divine power. With just this one sentence, this small, peerless array was weakened by another 50%.

The white-robed Warlock could no longer control the stone disc to levitate, and he fell down along with it and Xu Qi'an on it.

At the same time, an unparalleled sword intent slashed fiercely from behind the white-robed Warlock, striking him hard in the back.

The white-robed Warlock groaned as his back tore open, oozing large amounts of blood.

Since his appearance, he has finally been injured, and because this is the sword intent of a martial artist, his killing power is stronger and more terrifying than other systems of the same level.

The white-robed Warlock staggered backward, putting distance between himself and Xu Qi'an. At this moment, he no longer dared to face the nine-tailed fox's tail directly.

A series of sword intents emerged from the void; the old man from the martial arts alliance, a disgrace to martial ethics, was preparing to beat a dog when it was down.

Seeing this, Zhao Shou grabbed Xu Erlang's shoulder, stopping him from rushing to check on his nephew, and quickly led him away.

To be precise, it was a Pyrrhic victory, killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

Zhao Shou retorted sharply.

Previously, the method he used to break the formation was not actually the Law Follows Speech, but rather the free transfer of Wei Yuan's Daoist intent. The reason he recited it aloud and had the carving knife and Confucian hat assist him was to disguise the power of Law Follows Speech manifesting as law.

This is purely misleading to white-robed Warlock.

This seemingly insignificant detail has now become the key to determining victory or defeat.

Zhao Shou sighed inwardly, recalling how Wei Yuan had visited Clear Cloud Mountain alone before his expedition.

That time, Wei Yuan saw the stone tablet in the Temple of the Second Saint; that time, Wei Yuan left behind a portion of his Blood Pill; and that time, Wei Yuan cooperated with him, allowing him to record the meaning of "breaking the formation".

At that time Wei Yuan did not fully understand the white-robed Warlock's scheme, and he was even unaware of the existence of Xu Dalang. The causal relationship between the two was too small, and Wei Yuan could not understand a person who was shielded by the Heavenly Secrets Technique and had little to do with him.

However, after reviewing Xu Qi'an's various experiences, he predicted with his strategist's intuition that Xu Qi'an would be in big trouble in the future.

"I hope this will be helpful to him. I can't protect him forever; a fledgling eagle will eventually spread its wings and fly."

Zhao Shou seemed to hear Wei Yuan's words echoing in his ears.

Wei Yuan has gone to great lengths to scheme for this kid.

In the distance, the white-robed Warlock calmly strode through the layers of sword intent, taking out healing pills from his sachet, and moved away from the encirclement of the "mountain of knives."

The sword intent unleashed by the patriarch of the martial arts alliance seemed to have lost its target at this moment.

The white-robed Warlock Xu Dalang concealed himself, causing the patriarch of the martial arts alliance to temporarily forget him.

After swallowing the pill, he felt its effects spreading throughout his body, dispelling the rampant sword intent, and smiled as he said to Xu Qi'an:

"I already understand the relationship between Shenshu and the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. Although the Wan Yao Princess's methods surprised me, I am prepared to be wary of her as an enemy."

"A son is still a son; he's no match for his father."

As they spoke, the effect of shielding them from the heavenly secrets wore off.

After the secrets of heaven are concealed, the person involved cannot appear in front of outsiders, otherwise the technique will automatically become ineffective.

This "outsider" includes enemies, a large number of bystanders, and three or more of one's relatives or people with whom one has a deep karmic connection.

Those present were either deeply connected to him or his enemies.

Therefore, the technique of shielding heavenly secrets can only be maintained for a very short time and cannot be reused.

In the void, streaks of sword intent reappeared, striking towards the white-robed Warlock.

However, at that moment, the world lost its color.

In a true sense, all colors faded away at this moment, turning into black and white, including Xu Qi'an, Zhao Shou, and others, as well as the white-robed Warlock.

In this colorless world, only one person possesses their own color.

A female bodhisattva wearing a white kasaya, with flowing black hair.

"Formless, Dharma-like, and without characteristics."

Zhao Shou spoke these words at an extremely slow pace.

One of the nine major Dharma forms in Buddhist School, and one of the nine major Bodhisattva attainments.

The formless Dharma!

"Fuck your mother, Xu Dalang," a vulgar curse slowly flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind.

He felt as if his body and mind were stuck in a quagmire, and it would take a long time for a single thought to emerge. He was completely unable to move.

The Buddhist School has made its move. The Buddhist School has indeed made its move. The white-robed Warlock borrowed the Demon-Sealing Nails, which means he must have already informed the Buddhist School of Shen Shu's existence. Given the relationship between the Buddhist School and Shen Shu, how could they not intervene?

These thoughts slowly flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind.

Then, he heard an old, slow voice from the void, cursing in the Jianzhou dialect.

Even the old scoundrel from the martial arts alliance was forced to swear.

Dean Zhao Shou must be cursing in his heart right now, Xu Qi'an thought to himself, when he heard Zhao Shou's angry, slow voice:

"That woman is truly displeasing!"

What does that mean? Xu Qi'an didn't understand for a moment.

"You didn't lie to me, Shen Shu is indeed inside him. Very good, this is excellent."

The female Bodhisattva's voice was melodious and pleasant, but devoid of emotion and fluctuation.

"You reclaim your rightful destiny, and I will take Shen Shu with me, but Xu Qi'an cannot die. He has a deep karmic connection with our Buddhist School and is a key figure in resolving the current conflict between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism."

She raised her hand and gently wiped it.

The white-robed Warlock regained his color and his ability to speak fluently, saying, "He will die once the fortune is extracted."

The barefoot, snow-white-bodied woman Bodhisattva said calmly:

"Therefore, you cannot take the fortune now. Come with me to the Buddhist School. I will reshape a Buddha body for him, and then you can take the fortune."

Hmm, it sounds like my ending isn't so bad after all. Xu Qi'an slowly turned his thoughts around.

The white-robed Warlock remained silent, lost in thought.

The woman, with a voice as melodious as a silver bell, said, "After reshaping the Buddha, he will renounce all worldly desires and leave behind the mortal realm; he will not seek revenge on you."

That woman is truly not pleased!

Xu Qi'an was shocked, and a sense of crisis surged up again. He could tell that becoming Buddhist School disciple would not be any better than death.

If all is vanity, it's better to be dead.

The white-robed Warlock immediately nodded. "Good."

The female bodhisattva turned her head to look at Xu Qi'an, flicked her finger and released a beam of Buddhist light. The pale golden light pierced through the black and white world and entered Xu Qi'an's body.

The illusory fox tail hissed and emitted wisps of blue smoke, like snowflakes meeting the sunlight.

"Oh!"

From the void came a woman's soft, charming voice, seemingly disdainful.

"Supervisor, the big fish has taken the bait, what are we waiting for?"

A soft, alluring female voice spoke gently.

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure appeared in the distant sky.

Dressed in white as snow, with white hair and beard.

He stood high in the sky, like a god who ruled over this world.

Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief when the supervisor finally arrived.

"Liuli!"

The supervisor's tone was calm, but his voice was like a thunderclap as he declared in a deep voice, "Entering the territory of my Great Feng without permission is punishable by death!"

At that moment, he seemed to establish a connection with the rules of the the Unseen and gain their approval.

He acted in the name of the Great Feng Guardian Deity, without touching upon matters that would reveal heavenly secrets.

The supervisor reached out and pulled a bronze plate from the void. The back of the plate was engraved with the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, while the front was engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. As soon as it appeared, the whole world was in an uproar.

The colorless realm shattered with a deafening roar.

The female bodhisattva frowned slightly, and her white robe was instantly stained red with blood.

The female bodhisattva was dealt with by the supervisor, but the white-robed Warlock still had the ability to stop them, at most returning to the previous situation.

He faced Zhao Shou, who was no longer able to fight; the martial arts elder, who was in poor condition; and the nine-tailed fox, who had been baptized by Buddha's light.

At this moment, the intervention of the Supervisor and the appearance of the Heavenly Secrets Disc forcibly broke the rules set by Zhao Shou, allowing the Law Artifact to be used and the formations to be cast.

The white-robed Warlock's feet shimmered with array patterns, and his figure flickered as he approached Xu Qi'an.

Freed from the constraints of the colorless realm, Xu Qi'an regained his ability to move freely. He looked at the white-robed Warlock and said:

Do you want to experience the taste of bad luck backfiring?

The white-robed Warlock was taken aback, then his expression changed drastically. The array beneath his feet expanded, one layer after another, enveloping Xu Qi'an.

He manipulated magical Law Artifact, combining effects such as divine consecration, imprisonment, and refining.

All of it was dumped on Xu Qi'an.

But Xu Qi'an was faster. He spat out a piece of paper folded into a small square, held it between his fingertips, and forcefully stabbed it into his abdomen, creating a large, bloody hole that was clear from front to back.

Curse Killing Technique!

Xu Qi'an's life force rapidly weakened, and he was on the verge of death.

There are two forms of curse killing. The first is to obtain the target's blood, hair, or even personal clothing and items, and use these as a medium to launch the curse killing.

Upon reaching the third rank, one can perform a curse from a distance without any medium, but the effect is greatly reduced.

Another form involves using one's own flesh and blood to launch a curse attack on the target.

The premise is that the enemy has recently inflicted sufficient damage on you.

The white-robed Warlock perfectly fits the latter's criteria.

Puff!

The white-robed Warlock coughed up blood, large gushes of blood spilling from his mouth and nose, instantly suffering severe injuries.

His usually calm face finally showed surprise and anger.

Xu Qi'an laughed hoarsely, "This move was originally intended to kill you, but I held back, planning to use it at a crucial moment. I didn't expect you to be colluding with the Bodhisattvas of Buddhist School. What a pity."

"I summoned the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox for another reason: she can restore my mobility so I can cast my curse-killing spell."

Before this, his body had been restrained by the white-robed Warlock, and he was completely unable to move.

"Taste the curse-killing techniques of someone with great fortune, taste the backlash of that fortune, you inhuman bastard!"

Xu Qi'an laughed mockingly.

The white-robed Warlock unleashed array patterns beneath his feet, teleporting him away and escaping without giving the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox a chance to kill him.

He left without looking back, as if he had sensed the threat of death.

P. S.: I had a lot to do today, and I only had time to write around 4 PM. I also need to go to the hospital for a nucleic acid test tomorrow. I'm attending an authors' gathering on the 19th, which will take me out of town for several days, so I have a lot to prepare for tomorrow. To be honest, I really, really hate these kinds of events during the serialization process.

But I have no choice but to go; some things can't be refused.