Chapter 283

Making the crimes of Joyous Monastery "known to all under heaven" was Kongming's idea.

He said Joyous Monastery could be destroyed, but they couldn't just go up and slap them all dead without a word.

That would have no effect, and might even backfire.

They needed a just cause, and more importantly, to "kill the chicken to warn the monkeys," deterring others.

In the future, when others commit corruption and pervert the law, they'll have to seriously consider whether a white-haired monk might suddenly appear before their eyes.

Convert them, acting on behalf of heaven.

Outside Joyous Monastery, Yuxuanzi, Qingfengzi, and the others had also just arrived, and happened to witness Master Wuyue's death.

"Is it that person from back then?" Yuxuanzi asked.

"Probably..." To tell the truth, that old man wasn't very certain either; he had only crossed paths with Tang Luo from afar back then.

"What realm is he? Golden Core?" Yuxuanzi asked again.

With a flip of his hand, he killed Master Wuyue without a trace of fireworks; this person is most likely already a Golden Core True Person.

You have to understand, Master Wuyue was no nobody — a powerhouse extremely close to Golden Core, one of Joyous Monastery's three pillars.

Among the Longya Dao Gate's ten great disciples who rushed over, not a single one was his match in a one-on-one fight.

Only the Supreme Elder would be qualified to exchange moves with Master Wuyue.

"Don't know." The old man was helpless; he only knew there was such a white-haired monk back then — anything more specific, he truly didn't know.

Only the Wuyapai elders a generation above him might know more.

"Absolutely Golden Core!" Qingfengzi declared with absolute certainty.

So it's a Golden Core True Person; no wonder he could take him down so easily. Thinking it over, Qingfengzi felt much more at ease.

Losing to a Golden Core True Person isn't shameful at all.

"He... seems to kill with paper? Just ordinary paper?" Someone stared at the sheet of paper covering Master Wuyue's head, soaked in fresh blood.

However you look at it, it's just an ordinary sheet of paper, nothing remarkable about it.

On this side, Yuxuanzi and the others were communicating rapidly via divine sense.

On the other side, Yixi Shangren's body trembled inexplicably as Tang Luo called to her and his gaze swept over; a feeling of fear rose uncontrollably.

Her strength was even a notch weaker than Master Wuyue's.

Yixi Shangren looked toward Joyous Bodhisattva, hoping he could do something, but discovered Joyous Bodhisattva had his eyes closed, as if he couldn't see any of what was before him.

Or rather, it seemed he was gathering strength to deal with this formidable enemy who had appeared from who knows where.

"This is my Joyous Monastery's great tribulation." Joyous Bodhisattva's lips moved slightly, his voice transmitting into Yixi Shangren's ears, "If we survive it, there will be no more obstacles before my Joyous Monastery; we will surely soar to the heavens in a single leap."

"Can we survive it?" Yixi Shangren murmured in her heart.

"I am preparing a secret art." Joyous Bodhisattva continued, "You help me stall for a bit. Your cultivation method is special — extracting the essence-blood of ten thousand people, separating and condensing a wisp of true spirit to hide away; if you die, you still have a chance to reassemble using the power of believers' incense."

Yixi Shangren's hair trembled slightly, revealing her inner turmoil.

She had originally thought this move of hers was concealed to the utmost, absolutely no one knew; she merely passed it off as normal dual cultivation.

She never expected Joyous Bodhisattva to have full grasp of it, and to deliberately point it out at this moment, leaving her no room for wishful thinking.

"Please, Senior Brother, don't go back on your word." Yixi Shangren said; she could tell Joyous Bodhisattva was indeed preparing an incomparably powerful secret art, and it needed time.

When unleashed, it would be an earth-shattering strike; with many disciples at the side, they might not be unable to kill this formidable enemy.

Her own secret art could indeed preserve her life.

Besides, when disaster strikes, everyone flies for themselves — but you have to be able to fly!

Yixi Shangren's only chance of survival was to do as Joyous Bodhisattva said, stake her life to block this Xuanzang monk, and then be reborn.

"Hoo—"

She let out a long breath of turbid qi, took off the nun's hat on her head, and tossed the duster aside.

Yixi Shangren's whole person suddenly became "vivid," as if just awakened from sleep.

Astonishing charm radiated from her, driving people mad.

Though restrained to the utmost, directed only at Tang Luo alone, the many disciples on the plaza also grew heavy of breath.

A scent and aura of *** enveloped Joyous Monastery.

The originally loose and holy robes, as Yixi Shangren exhaled sweet, intoxicating breaths, became tight against her body.

Although nothing was exposed except her hands, neck, and face, it was far more alluring than baring it all.

Yuxuanzi and the others watching from outside Joyous Monastery also circulated their cultivation methods, resisting Yixi Shangren's charm.

Yuxuanzi said, "Though this Yixi Shangren is not skilled in direct combat, she is even more dangerous than a heart demon."

"Should we help? Joyous Bodhisattva is probably preparing something." Qingfengzi said.

After confirming Master Xuanzang was a senior expert, an invincible powerhouse, his attitude underwent a one-eighty-degree change.

He felt like immediately running up to Tang Luo and saying: "Master, do you still remember me? That guy you beat up that night" — that kind of feeling.

"Get ready." Yuxuanzi said, "Master Xuanzang wants us to 'clean the floor.'"

"Clean the floor?" Someone was puzzled.

"It means the cleanup work." Qingfengzi recalled and explained.

"Oh..."

Everyone's expressions varied; they felt a bit strange inside.

They were members of the Longya Dao Gate's ten great disciples; though called disciples, they were not newcomers or the backbone, but representatives of near-top-level power.

In the end, they just got stuck with a cleanup job.

Yixi Shangren walked up to Tang Luo, a few steps away, about a meter, but didn't come closer; instead she shook her head slightly.

A strand of green silk was bitten between her lips as she murmured, "Master, please, look at this servant girl once."

Her body swaying, she actually began to dance; for a moment, many Joyous disciples let out cries of utmost pleasure, their bodies going limp.

Dying in the midst of bliss.

Heavenly Demon Dance!

"Master..." Monk Yixi twisted his body, arriving before Tang Luo, humming softly; his originally intact robe had somehow become openwork.

Snow-white skin faintly visible, making one's blood surge.

"This says only a thousand kills; didn't expect it to be ten thousand." Tang Luo looked up, tossing the paper in his hand aside.

Monk Yixi's expression changed slightly; the paper recorded the crimes their Joyous Temple had committed, recording how she had harvested over a thousand people to death — she was not surprised.

For the enemy to come killing their way in, if they couldn't even uncover these things, that would be the strange part.

But ten thousand...

Clearly it was the Joyous Bodhisattva who had just pointed it out, saying it for her ears alone — how could this monk have "heard" it?

"Surprised?" Tang Luo raised a hand, pressing it on Monk Yixi's head, "He deliberately sent you to die; this poor monk accepts with a smile."

Ferry Soul!

Monk Yixi felt the world spin; his spirit had actually left his body, and a wisp of essence soul, faint and hidden elsewhere yet linked to the spirit, had nowhere to hide.

Her face twisted instantly; her originally bewitching beauty vanished completely, leaving only venomous hatred.

Glazed flames ignited.

Together with Monk Yixi's spirit and the essence soul hidden in the dark, all burned to nothing in one go.

Or rather, they simply could not withstand the Glazed Flame's strengthening, collapsing directly into nothingness in an instant.

Monk Yixi's serpentine body stiffened, aging at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into a nauseating old hag's corpse, then into a desiccated corpse; as Tang Luo withdrew his hand, she toppled backward.

The moment she hit the ground, the impact turned her into a pile of powder.

Just as lightly done; to outsiders, it was simply Master Xuanzang reaching out and pressing on Monk Yixi's head — not even a press, just a motion like a gentle caress.

Like an immortal stroking my crown.

A pity it wasn't receiving eternal life from childhood; once the hand withdrew, Monk Yixi aged and died on the spot.

Same as Master Wuyue; outsiders couldn't understand the "battle" between the two at all before life and death were decided. Or rather, this didn't even count as a battle.

At this moment, the Joyous Bodhisattva also slowly opened her eyes.

In those eyes, there were no longer whites, no distinction of pupils; there was only a stretch of black-red color.

But within this black-red, at the original pupil positions, a pink lotus bloomed.

Both left and right eyes were the same.

With the act of opening her eyes, the Joyous Bodhisattva shed two lines of bloody tears.

"Master Xuanzang, you are strong." The Joyous Bodhisattva said, "But you shouldn't be so arrogant, letting this poor monk act freely."

"Since it's killing the chicken to warn the monkey." Tang Luo said, "If the chicken doesn't struggle miserably, how can it achieve a deterrent effect?"

"Hah." The Joyous Bodhisattva gave a short, light laugh, finally revealing anger, stepping forward one step.

Black ripples rose beneath her feet, spreading out; the ground of Joyous Temple instantly turned into a red-black water surface.

"Enter my Blood-Lust Lotus Pond." The Joyous Bodhisattva's voice was distant and ethereal, "No matter your heaven-penetrating abilities, don't even think of escaping."

Large numbers of pink lotuses emerged from the red-black water.

All living people inside Joyous Temple were, in this instant, replaced by lotuses.

In fact, when the Joyous Bodhisattva was preparing, these people had already become the fertilizer, a part of the Joyous Bodhisattva's Blood-Lust Lotus Pond.

Masses of lotuses bloomed; inside appeared naked men and women, performing the most primal movements.

Lewd sounds, entering the ears one by one.

"Pfft!"

Outside watching the battle, Yuxuanzi and the others had their true essence instantly thrown into chaos; the weaker ones directly vomited a large mouthful of fresh blood.

They immediately sat cross-legged, using all their strength to guard their original hearts and not fall into disorder.

"This is the result of a Golden Core True Person going all out?"

Just watching the battle already required going all out; of course, this also had to do with the Joyous Bodhisattva's cultivation method.

The Joyous Bodhisattva walked toward Tang Luo, her body gradually merging into the blood pond; she waved a hand, and her red kasaya flew up, forming a red cloud layer above Joyous Temple.

Red clouds and blood pond, enveloping the entire Joyous Temple into a death trap, to fight a death battle with Tang Luo!

"Come!"

The Joyous Bodhisattva roared, the blood pond boiled, blood-colored light erupted.

Merging as one with the red cloud layer formed from the kasaya, a red streak connected heaven and earth.

The next breath, the streak emitting a terrifying aura shot skyward, suddenly fleeing.

Fight?

No, when the Joyous Bodhisattva saw Tang Luo easily take down Master Wuyue, she thought of the Beiyuan incident.

She realized the other party was likely the true mastermind behind the Beiyuan incident!

She herself absolutely would not be a match for this person.

Even going all out, she'd probably only achieve mutual destruction — her own death, Xuanzang heavily injured.

At that time, the Joyous Bodhisattva had already planned to leave; keep the green hills, no fear of no firewood.

The blood-colored streak had already rushed into the high sky in an instant, reaching the edge of the capital, as if already escaped from heaven.

"Can you escape?"

Tang Luo didn't even look, just raised his right hand.

The firmament, at this moment, began to sink.

Yuxuanzi and the others revealed expressions of utter shock.

Where is this a sinking sky?

A colossal, semi-transparent hand, like amber and emitting a faint golden glow, had replaced heaven and earth at some unknown time.

It was slowly descending.

The blood-colored silk band solidified in midair, continuously boiling, yet remained utterly still in place.

The face of the Joyful Bodhisattva appeared, letting out an agonized, piercing howl: "No——"

Tang Luo clenched his fist.

The giant hand instantly closed, and the Joyful Bodhisattva's cry cut off abruptly.