Chapter 457: Battle Outside the Hall Reveals the Demon Form

The moment the stone gate closed, the Grand Marshal struck first, moving with the speed of a gale.

Chengxin only managed to catch a few afterimages before the Grand Marshal's fist was already right before his eyes.

Thanks to Donghui's quick reaction, he pulled Chengxin away, which was the only reason he escaped the punch.

True Person Donghui's expression turned stern: such a swift opponent would likely be difficult for the two of them to handle.

Although True Person Chengxin had the highest cultivation in the Yuanqing Sect and wielded ring blades well, he excelled in spells and techniques, and his Martial Dao was quite weak.

And while True Person Donghui practiced Martial Dao, he mostly did so to comprehend the fragments in the Langhuan Pavilion and did not cultivate it deliberately, so he could not be considered to have reached the pinnacle.

If one were to ask which of the fellow disciples had the highest Martial Dao cultivation, it would be the two brothers, Danyang and Danzhu.

Danyang and Danzhu had fought for their lives against mountain beasts since they were young and had run through forests for years, so they had naturally forged a great set of skills. After being taken in as disciples by True Person Lingxiao, they naturally practiced Martial Dao; for them, spells and techniques were relatively just a way to assist in raising their cultivation, not a means that would leave them at a disadvantage.

Of course, Danyang and Danzhu had been blessed by the mountains and forests since childhood and possessed a natural talent for "Communication with Earth." If they had focused on cultivating spells, they could have achieved something, but the two were young at the time and lacked the patience, which is why True Person Lingxiao taught them Martial Dao—first to temper their character, and second, so as not to waste their natural talent.

It is just that Danyang and Danzhu are currently at Yuanqing, acting as guards for the four True Persons—Shangqing, Qianyuan, Fuyin, and Xuanhuai—and are not participating in the matter of the avatars.

The fellow disciples had entrusted the heavy responsibility of "bringing Lingxiang back" and the group of disciples entirely to True Person Chengxin and True Person Donghui.

If they were competing against the Demon Lord, the two would have a fifty-percent chance of winning, but no one expected to encounter an opponent like the Grand Marshal.

This was truly a grave miscalculation.

Furthermore, although Donghui trusted Lingxiang, he could not for the life of him figure out what medicine she was selling in that little gourd of hers.

If her leaving alone three years ago was for the safety of Yuanqing, then what was the reason for her turning away and disappearing this time?

Chengxin was puzzled at first, but now he no longer dwelled on it.

Based on Chengxin's understanding of Lingxiang, although his little junior sister often acted strangely, she never acted recklessly. If there was something left undone, it was certainly something she had planned long ago.

At this moment, he could only trust Lingxiang; relatively speaking, the more pressing issue was the formidable enemy right before them.

True Person Chengxin was still thinking of a countermeasure, but the Grand Marshal pursued closely, his offensive fierce and his fist wind powerful.

The two True Persons were forced to retreat repeatedly, with no room to counterattack! Yet the Grand Marshal looked relaxed, as if he had not used his full strength at all.

What was strange, however, was that although the Grand Marshal pressed them step by step, he seemed to have no intent to kill; his every move felt more like he was guiding the two of them.

This was truly quite strange.

In truth, it was not that the Grand Marshal was slacking; on the contrary, he wanted to end the battle quickly more than anyone else. It was just that the Grand Marshal truly did not want this Yinxu Hall, which he had guarded for generations, to be destroyed by his own hands, which was why he had not let himself go completely.

Even so, Chengxin and Donghui could only parry, with no power to resist.

After a few rounds, the two were overwhelmed, and by the time they regained their senses, they were already outside the hall.

Seeing the Grand Marshal stroll out of the hall, True Person Chengxin's expression turned stern.

"Junior brother, it seems a fierce battle is unavoidable."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." True Person Donghui flicked his robe: "Since our training in our youth, the two of us brothers have rarely fought together. This is a rare opportunity, though I wonder if your skills have grown rusty, Senior Brother."

True Person Chengxin, being teased, shook his head helplessly, smiling without a word. Back when they followed True Person Lingxiao to cultivate and went down the mountain for training, it was Chengxin and Donghui who traveled together.

At that time, war was everywhere and demons and monsters ran rampant; the two brothers had fallen into dangerous situations more than once on their journey, and surviving desperate straits multiple times had forged a perfect rapport between them.

It was fortunate that they were outside now, as they could finally stretch their limbs.

Chengxin and Donghui looked at each other and smiled, then Donghui stepped in front of Chengxin.

"Your skills are remarkable, it was our eyes that were dull. My senior brother is not skilled in Martial Dao, so I imagine he did not have his fill just now. This humble Daoist is untalented but knows a thing or two about fists and kicks; why don't I accompany you for a few rounds?"

"Mere Mortal Path, you don't know life from death, how dare you speak so wildly?" The Grand Marshal dusted off his sleeves and laughed disdainfully: "Very well, since you are bent on seeking death, this old man will grant your wish."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Grand Marshal vanished, leaving only a cloud of dust in his place.

True Person Donghui was not flustered in the slightest; he stepped into a horse stance, set his hands in a Taiji position, adjusted his breathing, and waited quietly for the enemy.

Before the enemy's shadow was seen, the force of the wind arrived first; True Person Donghui raised his hand to meet it, catching the Grand Marshal's palm strike.

"Good lad, you can actually keep up."

"You flatter me."

Not a single error, not a single mistake, not a single movement missed—look!

The two went back and forth, fists and palms clashing, moves coming one after another, yet their feet did not move an inch, as if they were nailed to the spot.

Although their positions did not shift, every move and stance erupted with immense Qi, which continuously surged and dissipated in all directions, sounding like thunder and trembling incessantly.

One had fierce fist wind, the other had deep palm power; as the two clashed, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand.

The momentum of the two affected the others outside the hall; whether they were from the Daoist Sect or Demon Soldiers, all were swaying and flailing in the wake of these moves.

True Person Chengxin, who was closest, remained motionless; if not for his robes fluttering, one would think the battle before them had nothing to do with him.

True Person Chengxin was currently forming the Xun Character Technique, his whole being seemingly melted into the wind, his mouth chanting true words incessantly, his feet glowing with spiritual light.

Just as the Grand Marshal's fist aimed straight for Donghui's spirit platform, Donghui leaped, flashing behind Chengxin.

At the same time, True Person Chengxin's finger seals changed rapidly; he slashed with a sword finger, breaking through the airflow.

A blade of Qi shot out, aimed straight at the Grand Marshal's face. The Grand Marshal tapped his toes and jumped to dodge, and the Qi blade struck the Yinxu Hall, slicing off half the eaves.

Seeing this, the Grand Marshal's brow tightened: "How bold! You dare to destroy the palace of the Demon Race!"

True Person Chengxin sneered: A nest of rats—what does it matter if it is destroyed?

Seeing his expression of "What can you do to me?", the Grand Marshal was instantly consumed by rage; he gathered his Qi, leaped into the air, and sprang toward True Person Chengxin.

True Person Chengxin grinned, and before the Grand Marshal could react, a blade of Qi pierced through his chest from behind.

The Qi blade returned to True Person Chengxin's side, hovering and circling his wrist; it was the weapon True Person Lingxiao had gifted him years ago—"Returning Goose"!

The Grand Marshal clutched his chest, his face showing thirty percent astonishment and seventy percent unwillingness, his body falling toward the ground.

Just as Chengxin and Donghui thought they had succeeded, the moment the Grand Marshal hit the ground, mist suddenly rose around him; as the mist dissipated, he vanished, leaving behind only a single...

Hair!

Looking at the hair drifting down, both Chengxin and Donghui's expressions changed drastically, and from behind them came a mocking laugh.

The two turned to look, and there, crouching on the railing, was a three-tailed white ape!