Chapter 411: Four Degrees Demon Monk

"Drink!"

Ao Yulie let out a violent shout from his mouth, leapt forward, and the black flame demon saber in his hand came crashing down fiercely.

The aura and blade light transformed into a black giant dragon, charging into the pleasure boat beneath his feet.

With a tremendous boom, the waves surged, and the massive pleasure boat shattered into two pieces from the middle.

Ao Yulie's body floated down lightly, landing on a small fragment of wooden plank, rising and falling with the waves, like a banished immortal descending to the mortal world.

"Master, this saber truly can greatly reduce the world's suppression." He turned his head, looking toward the other side and said.

"Hmm, I can feel it."

Tang Luo held a staff in his hand, his other hand stretched out diagonally upward.

He grasped a man in his hand.

The man struggled with difficulty, his movements gradually ceasing, his gaze falling on the staff in Tang Luo's hand.

His face was full of shock.

He could not understand how, clearly holding one of the Nine Holy Weapons, the Panlong Staff, he still was no match for this man in direct combat.

The opponent seemed not to have exerted his full strength at all, and even seized his Panlong Staff.

The shock in his eyes turned into despair and gloom.

As a flash of fire light appeared, the man was burned into a pile of ashes by the Glazed Flame, cremated on the spot.

Raising the staff, Tang Luo glanced at it.

The Panlong Staff was eyebrow-length, black in the middle, carved with a golden true dragon, with slightly raised patterns.

Both ends were golden openwork, with two small golden balls suspended inside.

As the staff moved and collided with the surroundings, it emitted a crisp sound, startling the heart and clearing the mind.

This is one of the Nine Holy Weapons, the Panlong Staff.

To Tang Luo and Ao Yulie, it felt the same as the black flame demon saber, having countless connections with the Nine-Tooth Spike Rake.

It was likely also forged from part of the Nine-Tooth Spike Rake.

"I didn't expect this Misty Rain Tower to be so formidable, far surpassing the Black Heaven Divine Palace." Ao Yulie stepped on the waves, walking to Tang Luo's side.

Tang Luo was now also standing on the water surface.

"Let's go, the efficiency is a bit slow." Tang Luo said, ripples spreading beneath his feet, continuously expanding outward.

In the next breath, white spray formed, and Tang Luo's figure instantly vanished into the distance.

"We're going to the inn!"

Ao Yulie looked up, shouted loudly, his voice piercing the clouds, traveling far to inform the gods and demons wandering nearby to quickly catch up with Tang Luo.

————

Smack!

The "storyteller's block" was slapped on the table, the storyteller loudly said: "Speaking of how the Jade Dragon Prince blocked the Panlong Staff with the black flame demon saber."

"When the holy weapons clashed, the sound was like a great bell, as if heavenly thunder from the ninth heaven exploded beside the ears, everyone nearby staggered left and right. Not to mention joining the two in battle, even standing was extremely difficult."

"But that Four Degrees Demon Monk truly lived up to his reputation, withstanding the might of the holy weapons' clash, appearing behind the owner of the Misty Rain Tower in a flash, and displaying the most terrifying third degree."

"Poor owner of the Misty Rain Tower, having obtained the Panlong Staff for less than a month, was just about to roll up his sleeves and clench his fists."

"Struck in the back by that Third Degree· Salvation, he ended up with no bones left..."

"The hegemon of the Eastern River Lake for a generation fell just like that, and the entire Misty Rain Tower became a pavilion in midair, with no more signs of war and smoke."

This is a wine shop.

The surrounding diners listened to the storyteller recount recent major events in the jianghu—after various artistic embellishments, listening as if enchanted and intoxicated.

After finishing a segment, the storyteller lifted the clear tea before him to moisten his throat.

"Old sir, just what kind of divine being is this Four Degrees Demon Monk?" someone asked.

The storyteller was a slightly thin old man with a strong scholarly aura, though his behavior was somewhat like a market trader. Hearing the man's words, he did not answer, but instead smiled and said nothing.

"Alright, alright," the surrounding people laughed and scolded, "You old fogey, all you know is to ask for money."

Without hesitation, they all gave out tips.

"When one walks the jianghu, one must eat, right?" the storyteller chuckled, stroking his own beard.

His beard and hair were all white, quite possessing the bearing of an immortal and the bones of a Daoist, though his behavior was very much full of worldly air.

"You count as a jianghu person too?" a diner laughed.

"Of course I do," the storyteller said, "If I didn't walk the jianghu, where would I get all this news? Having walked the jianghu, how could I not be considered a jianghu person?"

"Do you know martial arts?" someone asked.

"Martial arts... as a storyteller, I rely on quick legs and sharp tongue—what use would martial arts be?" the storyteller said.

"Alright, alright, tell us about that Four Degrees Demon Monk." The man who had just asked spoke, "Just what are these four degrees?"

"Speaking of that Four Degrees Demon Monk."

The storyteller moistened his throat with tea again, lightly slapped the storyteller's block to stop talking, "His origins are extremely mysterious, to this day no one has figured out his background."

"This person calls himself a monk, his dharma name is Xuanzang, his secular surname is 'Tang,' and he is also known as 'Four Degrees Demon Monk Tang Xuanzang'."

"His first appearance in the jianghu was the matter of the White Feather Sword Manor over a month ago..."

The storyteller described the White Feather Sword Manor incident in full, containing spring and autumn brushwork, also some exaggeration, but the distance from the truth is also not more than eight or nine out of ten.

"Poor so-called White Feather Three Swords, they are probably the most unfortunate rising stars to gain fame in recent years in the jianghu."

"If it weren't for someone seeing Manor Lord Zhou Yu bringing people and not returning for a long time, sneaking into the White Feather Sword Manor, these three would likely have died in the water prison."

Everyone laughed in unison.

For such imposters posing as young heroes, obviously there is no good feeling toward them, of course, it might also be pure schadenfreude.

"The White Feather Three Swords" having been unlucky made them laugh this much; in a few days, when some great hero or renowned master becomes unlucky, they will laugh just as much. ————

"Where did that Young Master Jade Dragon get the Black Flame Demonic Saber in his hand?" someone asked.

The storyteller stroked his beard: "The Black Flame Demonic Saber naturally comes from the Black Heaven Divine Palace. Over the past half year, the Black Heaven Divine Palace has been expanding continuously, and its trump card is precisely the Black Flame Demonic Saber!"

"How is that possible? If the Black Heaven Divine Palace has the Black Flame Demonic Saber, why was it still destroyed by that demonic monk?"

The invincibility of holy weapons is the iron law of the martial world, a fundamental law of nature.

Many people are puzzled: since they have the demonic saber in hand, how did the Black Heaven Divine Palace end up kneeling?

"That night, the moon was dark and the wind high. Those who experienced it suffered heavy casualties, with only some servants of the Black Heaven Divine Palace surviving..."

Before the storyteller could continue speaking,

"Is it the legendary Herdsman's Whip, really in that monk's hand?" someone interrupted and asked.

The storyteller shook his head: "Herdsman's Whip? Most likely not, because only a few servants survived, their accounts are vague, and the specific events of that night... I truly don't know."

He even deliberately sold a mystery, pausing, waiting for everyone to stretch their necks, then gave them this to listen to.

Fortunately, everyone's pants didn't come off, otherwise...

"You old thing!"

"Return the reward money!"

The diners in the tavern hall burst into laughter and noise.

"If I knew even this, I wouldn't be a storyteller, I'd be an immortal." The storyteller said, "Come, come, let's continue talking about the Four-Times Demon Monk."

"The matter of the White Feather Sword Manor can only be counted as half a major event when the demonic monk first entered the martial world."

"Destroying the Black Heaven Divine Palace is the first major event, destroying the Smoke and Rain Tower and seizing the Coiling Dragon Staff is the third."

Someone thought for a moment and raised a question: "Old man, that's not right, what about the second one? Did you eat it?" He had studied arithmetic.

"Don't rush, I'm about to talk about the second one." The storyteller said, "That second matter is also the origin of the Four-Times Demon Monk's title."

"Speaking of which, the manor lord of the White Feather Sword Manor also has many friends in the martial world, who died mysteriously in the Black Heaven Divine Palace. Since the demonic monk did not conceal the fact that he held the Black Flame Demonic Saber, martial artists naturally flocked over."

Reaching this point, the storyteller shook his head, seemingly sighing, "People die for wealth, birds die for food."

Everyone understands the power of holy weapons, so everyone wants one.

"Of course it's dangerous, but others will also go for it. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get it? As a martial artist, what danger is there to fear? If you fear danger, you might as well go home and farm."

In the struggle for holy weapons, everyone holds similar thoughts, rushing forward one after another.

The strength brought by holding a holy weapon is not all-encompassing invincibility and strength.

To be human is to have flaws, and having flaws means having opportunities.

Only a holy weapon can counter a holy weapon's iron law, referring to a frontal clash of strength.

If obtaining a holy weapon truly made one invincible in every way, then holy weapons would not continuously appear and disappear in the martial world, circulating among various martial artists.

"Stop sighing, old man, continue!" someone urged.

"Alright, alright." The storyteller said, "Actually, there's not much to say. It's just that some people found the Four-Times Demon Monk Tang Xuanzang, were 'converted' by him, and the title 'Four-Times' came from this."

"What exactly does 'Four-Times' mean?"

"The so-called Four-Times refers to converting the body, converting the heart, converting and transforming, and also surviving tribulation." The storyteller said, "The first three are that monk's domineering and deceitful martial arts."

"Converting the body refers to the demonic monk's domineering inner strength. One palm, one fist, every movement carries a force that ordinary martial artists cannot resist at all. Touch it and you are injured, strike it and you die, often dying without a complete corpse, hence people call it converting the body."

"As for converting the heart, it is extremely deceitful, hard to describe what kind of martial art this is. On that day at the White Feather Sword Manor, Tang Xuanzang patted each of the three White Feather Swordsmen on the head, and the three immediately bowed in submission, weeping bitterly. Later, others who suffered this move could not free themselves."

"Rather than saying this is some Buddhist martial art, it's better to say it's not some demonic heretical practice."

"Converting and transforming is likewise, using immense power like a raging fire, reducing the opponent together with their clothes to ashes, leaving no bones behind."

"Isn't that the third time?" Seeing the storyteller pause, someone asked, "What about the final time?"

"The final time, from others' perspective. Tang Xuanzang's appearance is equivalent to their tribulation." The storyteller shook his head and swayed his body.

"How so?"

"Could it be saying that the Hate Heaven Sect is about to meet misfortune?"

The storyteller lightly tapped the surprise block: "Not just the Hate Heaven Sect. That white-haired monk acts decisively, strikes without mercy, yet lacks the compassionate heart of a monastic in legend. But this person is not one who kills indiscriminately, being neither purely righteous nor purely evil, nor truly a demonic heretic. To face him is equivalent to undergoing tribulation—whether one lives or dies depends entirely on heavenly fate."

"What heavenly fate, still undergoing tribulation? I don't believe it! That demonic monk is that powerful!" someone said, slapping the table.

"Others have two holy weapons in hand. Under heaven, who else possesses two holy weapons?"

"It's not as if having a holy weapon truly makes one invincible." Someone said, "Moreover, relying on holy weapons, what kind of hero is that?"

"As for the demonic monk, he was never a hero to begin with. Furthermore, if you say that, what are the Four Holy Lands then?"

"Can the Four Holy Lands be the same? Holy weapons are their symbol, their foundation. Without holy weapons, are the Four Holy Lands still holy lands?"

"That can't be said either. The Flying Sword Sect has always been a single lineage. Without holy weapons, it would just be two people—who would fear them?"

"Enough! Give you a holy weapon, would you dare to go duel the Falling Flower Sword God?"

"Then you give it to me!"

"You go, and I'll give it to you!"

"You give it to me, and I'll go!"

A group of people argued into a frenzy over who is stronger, the power-analysis nitpicking faction, which has existed since ancient times.

"Stop arguing!"

A violent shout shook people's ears numb, stopping the fighting faction's infighting.

Yet it was a red-lipped, white-toothed, handsome young master, no need to say more—this is a man dressing as a woman.

But just hearing that shout earlier, one can tell his strength is not weak.

"Cough cough." That person coughed twice, looking at the storyteller, "Old sir, I have an important question."

"Young master, please speak." The storyteller smiled and narrowed his eyes.

"That... I've heard that Young Master Jade Dragon is peerlessly handsome, is that true?" His face slightly flushed, but he still asked.

"..."

"... Important my ass!"

"Women, get out of the martial world!"

Everyone was fired up, and you-know-who's mother just asked that?