Settling Karma, Purifying Sins

Xu Pingfeng didn't look at his eldest son for long. A clear light flashed beneath his feet, carrying him into the sky.

The Law Artifact left behind by the first supervisor are of paramount importance. They can not only form their own world and shield the power of all living beings, but also possess authority that cannot be divined or spied upon.

It was precisely because of this authority that he was able to deceive the supervisor's voyeuristic vision of the future, allowing him to see a "wrong" picture and believe that he was the victor in that battle.

Only the Fated One can defeat the Fated One.

Now, the Supervisor has been sealed away, but Xu Qi'an has inherited the power of all living beings and the authority to "not be divined or spied upon," which is equally effective against experts from other systems, such as wizards!

For example, the Heavenly Gu!

Seeing this, Xu Qi'an bent his knees and, amidst the "boom" of the collapsing ground, soared into the sky at supersonic speed, attempting to seize the bronze disc.

Among the group of extraordinary beings behind him, Luo Yuheng, with his feathered robes fluttering, had the purest thoughts. He reflexively chased after Xu Qi'an, not letting him escape the range he could protect.

Then came Ji Xuan, Sun Xuanji, Kou Yangzhou, Jialuoshu, and Zhao Shou.

They were wary of each other's extraordinary masters who lacked martial ethics, and they fought against each other's armies.

After the extraordinary beings present had all left, Qi Guangbo looked towards the top of Xunzhou city wall, took a deep breath, and shouted:

"Beat the drums! Attack the city!"

The Yunzhou army has also been busy during this time, winning over many martial arts figures, including some powerful local forces.

After all, the Yunzhou army had such a great advantage before, and there were quite a few Jianghu forces and wandering knights who were willing to join them.

Some wanted criminals even came to Qingzhou to seek refuge, hoping to gain merit and rise from fugitives on the run to figures wielding real power.

To the sound of drums, the Yunzhou army's neat and orderly square formations slowly advanced, with large shields in front, followed by cannons and crossbows, then infantry carrying various siege weapons, and cavalry bringing up the rear.

Knock knock knock!

On the city walls of Xunzhou, the sound of drums resounded.

Yang Yan and the other four officials had already climbed onto the city wall and were each guarding a section of it.

There are probably very few city walls like this, guarded by so many fourth-rank masters.

With Xu Qi'an's exhilarating strike and the addition of these fourth-rank experts, the city's defenders, instead of feeling tense or fearful as they watched the densely packed Yunzhou army approaching, were instead eager for battle and filled with fighting spirit.

Xu Yinluo's sword strike revealed the might of the Great Feng Dynasty; how could we possibly fear death?

High in the sky, Xu Qi'an pierced through the sea of clouds and saw Xu Pingfeng collecting the bronze disc.

In the Wind-Riding state, no matter how fast a martial artist is, he can't outrun Warlock who can teleport.

Unable to use shadow jump to close the distance, he casually glanced around and saw Xu Pingfeng's shadow distorted into the distant clouds.

With a "boom," the energy beneath his feet exploded, like a high-performance propulsion system, accelerating even faster. At the same time, he handed over control of his body to Master Shenshu.

"Turning back is the right path!"

Xu Qi'an uttered a divine voice.

Xu Pingfeng froze, half-turning around, but then forcefully suppressed the urge to turn back.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an had already emerged from the shadows not far away. Instead of attacking Xu Pingfeng, who could teleport at any time, he pounced on the bronze disc, attempting to seize it.

Just as Xu Qi'an was about to touch the bronze disc, a circular array appeared between him and the disc!

Teleportation!

If he were to be enveloped by a teleportation spell, he might be transported somewhere far from the battlefield.

This will create an excellent opportunity for Xu Pingfeng and Jialuoshu to counterattack, allowing them to focus on dealing with Kou Yangzhou and Luo Yuheng, among other extraordinary beings.

"Bite!"

The sword light whistled through the air and struck Xu Qi'an's waist. For a martial artist at the Transformation Realm, such force was sufficient to allow him to escape the range of the teleportation technique in the blink of an eye.

Using the power of the flying sword, Xu Qi'an flipped himself to one side, and Luo Yuheng's iron sword took Xu Qi'an's place, bearing the fate of being teleported.

Xu Pingfeng successfully collected the bronze disc, shrinking it to the size of his palm and putting it into his pocket.

At that moment, he saw his eldest son, who was flying around, grasp the hilt of the Zhenguo Sword and make a gesture as if to draw it.

The next moment, a flash of golden sword light disappeared.

Xu Pingfeng's pupils contracted slightly, knowing that this was Xu Qi'an's "intention," which he could neither stop nor dodge, because this was a strike he had risked his life for, and the damage would be reflected back to him simultaneously.

A second-rank Warlock's physique is insufficient to ignore a powerful, charged attack from an extraordinary martial artist.

At that moment, the image of "Immovable King" appeared behind Xu Pingfeng, freezing the space.

The golden sword light appeared three feet away from Xu Pingfeng, then slowly faded away, not even managing to explode.

The figure of the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree appeared behind Xu Pingfeng.

Then, Ji Xuan arrived on the wind and stood with Xu Pingfeng and the Gara Tree.

On the other side, Kou Yangzhou, Sun Xuanji, and Zhao Shou successively rushed into the sea of clouds.

Even though the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree cannot use the Vajra Dharma Form for the time being, he is still equivalent to a weakened version of a first-rank martial artist. With the blessing of the Immovable King, if everyone attacks together, they will probably only suffer minor damage. Xu Qi'an glanced at his own extraordinary beings, then looked at Xu Pingfeng and the other two, quickly analyzing and weighing the options in his mind.

Perhaps the Bodhisattva of the Garuda Tree would even let out a comfortable shout:

Mr. Xu, please stop scraping!

Therefore, the only way to deal with Gara Tree is to restrain him, not to try to defeat him. Even the Supervisor couldn't do it, so we can't either. Moreover, this battle itself is about stalling for time so that Asuluo can kill the Black Lotus who is in charge of Qingzhou. Xu Qi'an quickly made a decision and adopted the strategy of Tian Ji's horse racing.

He transmitted his voice to everyone:

"Dean, you and I will hold off the Gara Tree; Senior Kou, go and slay Ji Xuan; Senior Brother Sun and the Imperial Preceptor, deal with Xu Pingfeng."

Kou Yangzhou was at least a second-rank official, capable of suppressing Ji Xuan and even killing him.

Luo Yuheng and Sun Xuanji were able to effectively restrain second-rank Warlock were not known for their high burst damage, without causing the Grand Preceptor to suffer too much damage and lose balance in his internal karmic fire.

As for him and the dean restraining the Gara Tree, although the Gara Tree has lost its Vajra Dharma Form, it is still a first-rank martial artist. Under normal circumstances, even two second-rank martial artists would not be able to fight against it.

But Confucian School is different. Confucian School is the strongest support, and it is supported by the power of the Confucian crown of the Second Sage, so it is definitely worth a try.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Shou and the others agreed with Xu Qi'an's arrangement.

"Senior Kou, may I borrow a divine weapon from you?"

A faint light flickered on Xu Qi'an's chest, and the Taiping Blade broke through the "mirror," reluctantly handing himself over to the old scoundrel.

Kou Yangzhou took the Taiping Blade, its aura bursting through the clouds. He paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by the weapon's sharpness, and exclaimed with delight:

"A fine knife!"

Although martial artists claim that their physical bodies are their strongest weapons, it all depends on what they wield.

In terms of sheer durability, a second-grade martial artist's physical body is comparable to most peerless divine weapons, but the characteristics of Law Treasure are something that a martial artist's physical body does not possess.

For example, the Zhenguo Sword can burn wounds caused by Sword Qi that prevents them from healing on their own.

The Taiping Blade is not yet comparable to the Zhenguo Sword. However, after being nourished in the dragon's aura for many days, it can amplify Kou Yangzhou's sword intent, making the old scoundrel's attack power even higher.

On the other side, the Gara tree pondered:

"Xu Qi'an's strength is a bit off."

That's incredibly strong, unexpectedly strong.

Xu Pingfeng remained silent for a moment, then his expression changed slightly, as if he had thought of something:

"Sense whether the Demon-Sealing Nails are still inside him."

A golden swastika appeared in each of the Bodhisattva Garuda's eyes as he scrutinized Xu Qi'an for a moment. His already serious face became even more solemn.

"He doesn't have the Demon-Sealing Nail inside him!"

If the opponent still has the Demon-Sealing Nail inside their body, his Secret Method will reveal it, but it doesn't.

Xu Pingfeng's face immediately turned ugly:

"He's been promoted to the second rank. Who removed the Demon-Sealing Nail for him?"

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree lowered his brows for a moment, his eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said, word by word:

"Asuro"

In Buddhist School, there are only a handful of people who can remove the Demon-Sealing Nails.

Given the setbacks in the Southern Frontier border war, it is easy to deduce who is to blame.

However, the Bodhisattva Gara did not understand how Asura avoided the Buddhist teachings on mind-body questions.

Xu Pingfeng frowned deeply.

Has Asura allied with Xu Qi'an? If so, the Buddhist School certainly has no place for this young Asura King's son. But since he has already joined the Great Feng camp, why hasn't he shown himself now?

What is he doing?

What other purpose is there?

In a flash, this top-tier chess player had already guessed Xu Qi'an's true purpose.

"Black Lotus, their real target is Black Lotus."

Xu Pingfeng said in a deep voice:

"Galo Tree, protect the Yunzhou army. I'm returning to Qingzhou."

As they spoke, the teleportation array beneath their feet lit up.

Teleportation is prohibited here!

Zhao Shou flicked the Confucian crown of the Second Sage, Confucian School that Law Follows Speech become law, thus altering the rules of this world.

He didn't directly inflict "damage" on the enemy, nor did he exaggerate his abilities; he only restricted teleportation and didn't even restrict other formations.

The advantage of doing this is that the power of Law Follows Speech to become law will last for a long time.

Without teleportation, Warlock lose their prized mobility and become unable to leave the battlefield.

"Zhao Shou!" Xu Pingfeng revealed his extreme rage for the first time, letting out a deep, rumbling roar:

"If I ever conquer the Central Plains, I will surely sever your Confucian School tradition!"

Zhao Shou smiled:

"It truly pleases your mother."

Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office.

Upon sensing the enemy's approach, the Lotus Daoists of the Earth Sect rushed out of their houses, but were quickly suppressed by Asura's overwhelming arrogance.

"Does Buddhist School want to be enemies with my Earth Sect?"

Black Lotus stood on the lotus platform, angrily questioning.

Without a word, Asuro's right fist glowed with brilliant light as he grasped the power of the "Slaying Thief Fruit Position" and unleashed a punch from a distance.

At this moment, the arrays that had been set up in advance in various courtyards of the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office lit up one by one.

This is the new stronghold of the Earth Sect, and Xu Pingfeng certainly wouldn't have been unprepared; he had already set up a large formation in the government office.

Sharp golden spirits surged from the west, flames soared to the south, water spirits surged to the north, vegetation flourished in the east, and vines undulated like tentacles. In the center of the formation, earth spirit power erupted.

The Black Lotus immediately manifested the four Dharma forms of "Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire," absorbing the power gathered from the great formation into these Dharma forms.

The four Dharma images instantly returned to the Black Lotus's body, and a five-colored rotating ball of light condensed on his fist.

"Boom!"

The collision of the two forces produced a deafening explosion, tearing the surrounding buildings apart with devastating force.

have equal shares.

"Snort!"

Black Lotus's crimson eyes swept over Asuluo and Golden Lotus, and she sneered:

"This formation uses the Qi of Qingzhou as its base, condensing the five elements. Being within the formation makes one feel like a tiger with wings. Guess where the formation's core is?"

He was the key figure in the formation.

As long as he stays in the formation, the formation will not break.

If they hold out long enough, Xu Pingfeng and Jialuoshu will eventually realize that the situation has changed and rush back to provide support.

"Jinlian, do you think I moved the Earth Sect's headquarters to Qingzhou just because I was afraid of your retaliation? No, I wanted to seize the home-field advantage. Although I don't know why this Buddhist School Arhat would help you, you are seriously underestimating us."

Constructing a world-shaking array was one of the deals he made with Xu Pingfeng, and it was also the source of his confidence in taking charge of Qingzhou.

Master Jinlian responded with an "Oh," her expression composed, and smiled:

"I can't break the Warlock's array, but this one is rooted in the earth, relying on the ley lines. Hmm, have you forgotten the Book of Earth?"

There are two types of formations. One type is based on the Warlock himself; the formation is created as soon as he has a thought.

Another type is a fixed formation, which uses mountains and rivers as its base to set up a large formation.

The former cannot be broken unless the Warlock is killed. But the latter is precisely countered by the Book of Earth.

Master Jinlian took out the ninth fragment of the Earth Book, spat out a mouthful of merit power towards the mirror, and then threw it into the sky.

The earthly script spun rapidly, rippling with a dazzling halo of light.

Inside the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's office, several streaks of light flew in and met the fragment of the Earth Book.

The seven small jade mirrors came together, and their shapes quickly "melted," turning into irregular jade fragments, just like broken porcelain.

These fragments fit together to form a square jade plate with a missing corner.

Under the manipulation of Master Jinlian, the square jade plate slowly sank into the ground.

The next moment, the array within the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office collapsed, and the power of the five elements dissipated.

Asuro's ears twitched, and he turned his head to look at the spot where the fragments of the Earth Book had disappeared, frowning slightly.

As the owner of the fragment of the Earth Book, he heard a low murmur just a moment ago.

Master Black Lotus was both shocked and furious, and roared:

"You dare to let the Earth Books merge? How dare you?!"

His tone was extremely angry and terrified, as if something terrible was about to happen when the Earth Books were assembled.

What would happen when the Earth Books converged? This thought flashed through Asura's mind. Without giving it much thought, the dazzling halo behind his head concealed itself, and the fire ring exploded, transforming into golden streams of light that shot towards the black lotus.

The black lotus, its body flowing with a thick, black liquid, suddenly became ethereal, replaced by surging currents of air.

He transformed into a gust of wind, dodging Asura's attack.

Meanwhile, a pool of viscous liquid left in the distance, like a fountain, swallowed Asuro's figure.

"Turning back is the right path!"

From the fountain came Asuro's calm voice.

The black lotus's flight came to a halt, and it involuntarily turned around.

Seeing that escape was impossible, Black Lotus made a decisive move, retracting her wind form and causing her body to collapse into a viscous, surging black ocean that engulfed and corrupted everything around her.

Inside the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's office, ordinary clerks and guards began to change, their gazes losing all reason.

Some of them could not control their bloodlust and would kill anyone they saw; some were only thinking about venting their lust and would pounce on anyone they saw, regardless of gender; some greedily plundered the property of the government office, wanting to take it for themselves.

The four members of the Heaven and Earth Society who were slaughtering the evil sects of the Earth Sect were hastily lifted into the air to avoid the surging, corrupting power.

This immense corrupting force has exceeded the limits of Daoist School Golden Core can purify; even those at the fourth rank are powerless to avoid it.

In contrast, the demonic cultivators of the Earth Sect thrived, their strength greatly increased.

Asuro sat cross-legged, the viscous liquid obscured by a pale golden halo.

Zazen!

Master Jinlian rose into the air, transforming into the blazing sun and radiating colorful power of merit.

hiss

The viscous, murky liquid emitted plumes of black smoke, covering the viscous liquid of Asuro, which then quickly disintegrated and dissipated.

Asuro bent down, plunging his palms into the churning, viscous liquid, when a dazzling halo suddenly exploded behind his head.

Kill the thieves!

Screams echoed throughout the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office. The viscous liquid receded like a tide, reforming into a human form—a form that kept melting and disintegrating, barely able to maintain its shape.

The only characteristic of the "Slaying Thieves" rank is "never giving up until death," which is very similar to the power of the "National Guardian Sword."

Asuro's figure flashed away and then reappeared in a flash, already in front of Black Lotus.

Twist your waist, raise your arm, and throw a punch like thunder.

Boom!

The black lotus exploded, its viscous liquid, like mud, scattering in all directions.

At this moment, the fact that his corrupted body could collapse at any time became his only advantage in avoiding being killed by the warriors.

The raindrop-like liquid fled rapidly, converging in the distance to form a twisted and melting human shape. Without any hesitation, Black Lotus manipulated the air currents with the wind element, attempting to escape Qingzhou.

"Turning back is the right path!"

Asura clasped his hands together and once again used "precepts" to prevent Black Lotus from escaping.

The distorted humanoid figure suddenly stopped, then collapsed into air currents and vanished without a trace.

This is a black lotus disguised as a wind-manifested form, imbued with some corrupting power, while its true form is...

A jet of black liquid shot towards the golden lotus in the air, suddenly opening like a curtain, enveloping the Golden Lotus Daoist within.

Black Lotus's true target is Daoist Golden Lotus.

"Once I've digested the Golden Lotus and replenished myself, I'll make sure you die a horrible death," the Black Lotus roared with laughter.

After a brief exchange, he realized that this Buddhist School Arhat was no match for him.

The enemy before them was both a third-rank Vajra and a second-rank Arhat.

Even in a one-on-one fight, he would have a hard time winning.

Logically speaking, with the addition of a third-rank Yang God who possesses the power of merit, Black Lotus should have an even greater chance of defeating him.

But Jinlian is different; the two were originally one, while Heilian is of the second rank and Jinlian is of the third rank.

This turned Master Jinlian into a pure tonic.

Suddenly, the black lotus in the air screamed:

"Fake? No, that's impossible."

A hissing sound emanated from within the curtain, accompanied by wisps of green smoke.

Black Lotus gained nothing; instead, she was burned by the power of merit and suffered severe injuries.

Asura's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this situation. He bent his knees and sprang up, grasping the dazzling halo behind his head in his palm.

The third blow!

Boom! The fist pierced through the "curtain," and with a scream from Black Lotus, it crumbled, scattering black mud in all directions.

At this moment, a colorful stream of light rushed into the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, enveloping the black mud that was splashing everywhere.

The colorful light transformed into the Golden Lotus Daoist Priest, who exchanged a smile with Asura.

This is the real Master Jinlian; the one from before was a fake made by someone who was supposed to be a disciple.

When Asura secretly fled from Aranya, he knew he would never return, so he took advantage of the situation and stole a relic from the Buddhist School —a relic worthy of offerings.

On that day, the members discussed in the Earth Book chat group that, based on their own trump cards and the enemy's situation, they devised a plan to eliminate Black Lotus in the shortest possible time.

This plan has three core conditions:

One, a clone so realistic it's hard to believe.

The core of it all is the bait of Master Jinlian.

The position of the offering is that of a second-grade Arhat, and the strength of the Golden Lotus Daoist he manifests is lower than that of a second-grade Arhat, which is just right to match the level of someone who has just entered the third grade.

Perfect.

Second, the Black Lotus Society will take a risk and seize the opportunity to strengthen itself.

The Black Lotus, who has fallen into the demonic path, is inherently greedy and cruel; fear of death and caution are not evil traits inherent in human nature.

When he finds himself in danger but has a slim chance to turn the tide, what choice will he make? The answer is self-evident.

Third, Asuro's control over the situation.

He had to create a situation where the Black Lotus could neither escape nor be in despair, forcing him to take a risk and devour the Golden Lotus.

When the Black Lotus chose to devour the False Golden Lotus, he was destined to suffer a crushing defeat, severely injured by the False Golden Lotus's power of merit, thus hastening his demise.

The plan may seem simple, but it actually involves understanding the enemy's psychology, assessing one's own strength, and making good use of one's trump cards.

Of course, with the wisdom of Xu Qi'an, Chu Yuanzhen, Huai Qing, Asuluo, and Master Jinlian, such a plan was actually quite simple.

After all, among these people are either a crime-solving genius, a top scholar, an empress, a traitor who has endured for hundreds of years, and an unfathomable old silver coin.

"Despicable, utterly despicable and shameless."

Master Jinlian's body twisted and contorted, as if something inside her was trying to burst out.

But the force of the impact gradually weakened, eventually fading into nothingness.

At this point, Black Lotus was no longer able to contend with Golden Lotus Daoist in his prime.

Mission accomplished!

Master Jinlian let out a sigh.

Even someone as powerful as him was filled with joy and excitement at this moment.

He endured humiliation and hardship, cultivated members of the Heaven and Earth Society, and planned for many years; today, his wish has finally come true.

He finally killed himself.

Afterwards, as long as he refines the black lotus with the power of merit, he will be able to restore his cultivation.

Master Jinlian rose into the air on the wind, looking down at the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office. He saw Hengyuan, covered in blood and looking like a god of death, flying on his sword, and the Crouching Dragon and Phoenix and Chu Yuanzhen, who were as swift as the wind.

They also saw the Earth Sect's demonic cultivators, who had lost their will to fight, fleeing in panic towards the outside of the government office.

"Well!"

Golden Lotus Daoist's body emitted beams of colorful light, piercing through each Lotus Daoist and purifying their lives and past sins.

"Daoist Master, does the fragment of the Earth Book possess a spirit? What did Black Lotus mean by what she just said?"

Asuro asked.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Master Jinlian looked completely bewildered.

Asuro said softly:

"If you don't confess, I will join forces with Xu Qi'an and other members to expel you from the Heaven and Earth Society."

Ah, this Golden Lotus Daoist suddenly realized that having too many uncontrollable experts in the guild wasn't necessarily a good thing.

He thought for a moment and said:

"I will explain this matter in detail within the Heaven and Earth Society. Now, let's leave here and head to Xunzhou to assist Xu Qi'an."