Dao of The Demonic Cultivator

Chapter 48: Golden Dragon Temple, Battle Monk Huikong!

Chu Xuan channeled Spiritual Qi into the Array Breaking Mirror and soon spotted numerous invisible threads that did not exist to the naked eye.

These threads guided him to the locations of the array flags. Even if he could not find the focal points directly, destroying these flags would weaken the protective array covering Misty Manor.

Given Chu Xuan's expertise in arrays, finding the focal points was only a matter of time. Shortly after, he located the first array flag embedded within a stone pillar, invisible from the outside.

Without needing Chu Xuan's command, Long emerged from the Corpse Nurturing Tower, growling lowly before fiercely striking the surface of the pillar.

With one palm strike, the pillar cracked. With two, it completely shattered, revealing the array flag hidden within.

Chu Xuan extracted the flag, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and instantly shattered it. As expected, the array shrouding Misty Manor weakened considerably.

Meanwhile, sounds of battle emanated from within the estate. Clearly, Li Xuanming and his two companions had engaged the four Divine Star Sect cultivators defending the estate.

Chu Xuan chose not to join the fray, instead swiftly removing array flags around Misty Manor.

Thanks to his solid foundation in array techniques and the aid of the Array Breaking Mirror, he removed and destroyed over a hundred and twenty array flags in just half an hour, completely dissipating the array above Misty Manor.

The pressure on Li Xuanming and the others significantly lessened.

"Excellent! Faster than I anticipated!" Li Xuanming laughed heartily, his fingers jabbing fiercely.

His sinister finger strength tore through the air, enveloping his opponents like a torrential downpour, leaving them gasping for breath.

A scream rang out as one opponent's shoulder was penetrated by the finger strike, blood spurting uncontrollably.

Li Xuanming relentlessly pressed forward, his finger strikes piercing through the air in rapid succession. His final strike pierced directly through the heart, killing his opponent instantly.

Liu Zhenxiong and Wu Teng also began to gain the upper hand in their fights. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

"Master Huikong! The array is broken! If you do not intervene, we will all die!" shouted one of the Divine Star Sect cultivators toward the estate, veins bulging on his forehead in anger and frustration over the inaction of their hidden ally.

Li Xuanming and his companions exchanged looks of confusion and uncertainty.

Huikong? Had a monk from the Golden Dragon Temple also arrived?

From within a room in the estate, an indignant voice soon responded.

"Idiocy! I was choosing an opportune moment to strike, but you've revealed it!"

The next moment, a khakkhara saber cleaved through the wall, hurtling towards Wu Teng with a flash of blinding golden light and a sharp aura that made one's hair stand on end.

Wu Teng cursed silently and dodged urgently. The khakkhara just grazed past his skull, shearing off a tuft of his black hair. Wu Teng felt his head, realizing he now had a bald spot!

"Humph, quite the dodger," came a cold sneer.

With a loud thud, a tall and burly figure leaped out from the chamber, entering everyone's line of sight. The figure stood over eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and robust, dressed in ochre-colored monk's robes, with bands wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The khakkhara, having completed a full circle, returned to his palm.

"Golden Dragon Temple, Battle Monk Huikong!" Liu Zhenxiong's expression shifted slightly.

Chu Xuan, perched on the rooftop, thoughtfully observed the situation inside the estate. Monks from the Golden Dragon Temple were divided into two types: battle monks and scripture monks.

Battle monks trained in combat from a young age, specializing in vanquishing demons and evil spirits, often traveling to different places to perform exorcisms. The Infinite Sect disciples had their fair share of clashes with these battle monks.

Scripture monks, on the other hand, devoted themselves to studying Buddhist scriptures within the temple. Initially, their combat prowess was far inferior to that of the battle monks. However, upon reaching a deep understanding of Buddhist teachings, their power could surge dramatically. This was what they meant by "the words become the law," referring to scripture monks.

Chu Xuan had heard of Huikong before—a prodigy ranked alongside Li Xuanming. Blessed with extraordinary talent, Huikong had reached the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of thirty and was highly regarded by the many Golden Core monks of the Golden Dragon Temple. Li Xuanming had faced Huikong several times, more often losing than winning.

"Li Xuanming, Benefactor Li, hahaha, we meet again," Huikong stared at Li Xuanming, his sinister laugh suggesting he saw a worthy adversary. Li Xuanming's expression darkened. He had previously investigated the situation at Misty Manor, which was supposed to be guarded by only four people. Misty Manor used Wan Wuying's blood to nourish evil spirits, which then honed the sword qi—hardly a noble endeavor, not widely known.

Why would Huikong be here? Could the Golden Dragon Temple be involved too?

Li Xuanming shouted, "Huikong! Your Golden Dragon Temple claims to uphold the purest Buddhist doctrines, showing compassion for all beings. And yet, you stoop to collude with the Divine Star Sect, engaging in such evil as imprisoning cultivators and feeding them to ghosts?"

Huikong laughed derisively, "Nonsense, I am here only to exterminate evil ghosts; I know nothing of imprisoning cultivators or feeding them to ghosts. It seems you demons of the Infinite Sect have truly walked into a trap!"

With that, Huikong stamped on the ground, causing it to tremble violently. The hard flagstones cracked under the force. In an instant, Li Xuanming, Liu Zhenxiong, Wu Teng, and the four Divine Star Sect cultivators struggled to maintain their balance.

"Earthquake Technique!"

Chu Xuan immediately recognized this signature spell from the Golden Dragon Temple. The battle monks of the temple were renowned for their indomitable courage and strength. The Earthquake Technique could harm both enemies and allies alike, yet the battle monks could navigate the trembling ground as if walking on flat land.

"It's time to deliver you all!" Huikong sneered, slashing his khakkhara again towards Liu Zhenxiong. His upper robe suddenly flew out like a spider lunging at Wu Teng. At the same time, he clasped his hands, and a string of prayer beads around his neck flew out, aiming straight for Li Xuanming's head!

In an instant, he was manipulating three magical tools at once, attacking Li Xuanming and his companions simultaneously. Moreover, judging by the radiance of the magical tools, both the khakkhara and the prayer beads were high-grade magical tools! The robe was of a slightly lower grade but was still a powerful mid-grade magical tool.

"Damn it." Li Xuanming cursed under his breath as he dodged swiftly. His strength was sufficient for him to evade the onslaught of prayer beads just in time.

Liu Zhenxiong was slower to react; his arm was grazed by the khakkhara, and a large chunk of flesh was torn away, blood gushing out immediately. He grunted in pain and retreated, enduring the agony.

Wu Teng was less fortunate. His injuries had barely healed, and the sudden movement aggravated his chest wound. In the blink of an eye, he was enveloped by the attacking robe, which constricted around him like a massive python. Within moments, his face turned red from suffocation, nearly on the verge of death.

Huikong laughed heartily, "How weak! Has the Infinite Sect's demonic cultivation really degenerated to this extent?"

Liu Zhenxiong clenched his fists. Huikong was cunning indeed. He had allowed the four Divine Star Sect cultivators to deplete their substantial spiritual qi, observing all their techniques. Now, his intervention was sure to be decisive.

"Retreat!" Li Xuanming gritted his teeth and threw out a black flag, signaling a retreat. The sudden appearance of Huikong had completely disrupted their plans. Any further delay would inevitably result in reinforcements from the Divine Star Sect and the Golden Dragon Temple. By then, escape would be impossible.

The black flag hit the ground, and thousands of ghosts surged out, swarming toward Huikong and his group. This was also a high-grade magical tool and one of Li Xuanming's trump cards.

The robe entangling Wu Teng was assaulted by numerous ghosts, dimming significantly and forcing it to release Wu Teng and retreat to Huikong's side.

The three Divine Star Sect cultivators also hurriedly used various means to dodge the ghosts.

However, Huikong stood motionless, utterly unfazed. He grinned bizarrely, "Leaving? Did you ask the monk's permission?"