Chapter 569: The Trap

Chuan Ling's eyes widened, her mind going completely blank.

Months of training, the old exorcist's teachings — none of it functioned as it should have in the face of sudden danger.

Even though she remembered that against a demon's tentacle attack, one only needed to block with a sacred weapon.

No matter what a sacred weapon looked like, what shape it took, even if it was a handgun, it could fully block a demon's attack.

On top of that, the Sacred Heart gradually bestowed powerful physical qualities on Resonators.

Blocking such an attack should have been no problem — but that referred to attacks from lesser demons.

The pressure from a mid-tier demon, the speed of its attack, plus her first battle and her helplessness in the face of danger, left Chuan Ling's whole body frozen stiff.

In this instant, everything around her seemed to slow down; she could clearly see the dagger-like glass shards flying out bit by bit, drawing closer, and the mid-tier demon's inhuman, bestial, ferocious face.

"Exorcist..."

A sound, indistinguishable between a wail and a roar, was being stretched out infinitely.

The sacred weapon in Chuan Ling's hands weighed a thousand jun; she simply could not lift it.

Tang Luo, passing by, threw a casual punch.

"Whoosh—"

A howling gale swept through the carriage, forming a powerful wind pressure.

A group of exorcists stood unsteady, instinctively reaching out to grip the seatbacks beside them, keeping themselves from falling.

The flying glass shards were all sucked back in the "gale"; the mid-tier demon clinging to the outside of the carriage was flung out, snapped in two mid-air, then turned into a cloud of gray-black powder, left behind by the still-moving train.

Everyone felt the whole carriage seem to shudder in that instant; fortunately the speed was not fast, otherwise it might well have derailed.

"Besides, fighting on the train is inconvenient." Tang Luo did not stop walking, continuing forward.

That punch just now really was just a casual swipe.

Only after his and the generals' figures disappeared into the front carriage, and the remaining exorcists had also followed, did that group of summoned high schoolers wake as if from a dream.

This isn't right!

This isn't the Bully Tang they know!

Bully Tang would never be this cool.

"Keep up, don't fall behind." The exorcist at the very rear called out a reminder.

On this train, there were no ordinary people — all were exorcists. Tang Luo walked all the way through; the exorcists in every carriage fell in behind the main force, heading for the locomotive.

The train stopped. Near the front, exorcists were already packed in.

Many exorcists' sacred weapons radiated brilliant light, extremely eye-catching.

Dupont stood on the roof of the carriage; the flames on his arms grew increasingly condensed — when he approached, one couldn't even detect any sign of temperature rise.

"A bunch of nobodies."

Looking at the demons gathering around, Dupont shook his head. Small fry.

This few in number — not even as many as when he first encountered the Godscion · Lust.

Just slightly higher quality, but he, Grandpa Dupont, isn't the same Grandpa Dupont as before either.

"Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless!"

A grand heavenly chant resounded through the clouds; apart from the five generals, all exorcists felt power surging.

As if transforming into a surging tide, ready to churn up a thousand layers of snow.

"Kill!"

The un-buffed Dupont was more fired up than anyone; he roared, leaped up, flames forming a small fireball in his palm, which he hurled out.

A sea of fire ignited among the demon horde, heralding the start of battle.

Tang Luo and the other four generals stood motionless, steady as Mount Tai.

No need for them to act — the exorcists were enough to handle these demons, especially with Tang Luo's power buff on top of that...

Wait.

Holt suddenly looked at Tang Luo and asked: "Captain, your power buff — did you apply it to every single exorcist?"

"Yeah." Tang Luo said.

Isn't that only natural?

Every exorcist goes to kill demons; if he buffs them with Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless, Tang Luo gains merit power.

One less person buffed means a bit less merit; of course he has to buff everyone.

"... Can you buff this many people?" Celicia said. The exorcists present numbered nearly a hundred.

That's almost a third of all exorcists.

"Of course." Tang Luo said.

Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless has long been his divine ability, unrestricted by any limit — how many people to empower is entirely up to Tang Luo.

Though he hasn't tried it, Tang Luo figures his current limit should be able to buff a hundred thousand people with "Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless".

After buffing, even he would need to rest for — hmm, an hour or two.

Celicia had a sudden thought: "Can my Phantom Warriors receive a power buff?"

"Can try." Tang Luo said.

Celicia immediately summoned a fake Dupont; during this time, she had successfully updated the original art for Dupont and Holt.

The other two were slightly modified; as for Tang Luo's original art, to this day it remains completely blank — the day he puts brush to paper is still nowhere in sight.

"Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless." Tang Luo pressed his palms together before him, murmuring softly.

Dupont's phantom remained unmoved, showing no reaction.

"No change. Looks like it only works on people." Holt said.

Phantom Warriors are dead objects in the end; Buddha's Dharma Is Boundless derives from the Spartan War Cry — this divine ability is not simply bestowing Tang Luo's power onto others.

Some of the power also comes from drawing out others' potential, produced through "potential exploitation," a state achieved by combining both.

Phantom Warriors have no "potential" to speak of, though using the Merit Jade Lotus to consecrate them can reinforce them.

As he spoke, Tang Luo suddenly reached out, pointing at the battlefield before him.

Inside, an exorcist who had been killed by a demon instantly revived, face full of shock, nearly killed a second time.

Fortunately, a companion nearby rescued him.

"I'm alive?" The man touched his own chest; he had been pierced through the chest in one blow, most of his chest cavity blown away.

Dead on the spot, the kind that gave no chance for rescue.

"You're alive, Captain Tang Luo saved you, keep fighting, don't die again." An exorcist slightly more familiar with Tang Luo reminded from the side.

"Still a Resonator after being saved back to life..." Tang Luo mused inwardly.

After an exorcist dies, their Sacred Heart does not immediately return to an ownerless state; it requires waiting a period of time before becoming an ownerless object.

The sign of returning to an ownerless object is also simple: the weapon manufactured with the Sacred Heart as its core collapsing on its own means this Sacred Heart has lost its master.

Even if the exorcist is still alive, they are no longer a Resonator.

As for damage caused during battle, it does not affect this in the slightest; just repair it anew.

Only demons can damage Sacred Weapons, and... other Sacred Weapons.

The entire battle did not last too long.

Ten minutes later, the battle had already stopped; gray-black powder scattered around, merging into the ground, disappearing without a trace.

The hundreds of attacking demons were all eliminated.

On the exorcist side, fifteen heavily injured, three lightly injured, seven dead.

Next, all the wounded, including the dead, were treated by Tang Luo with consecration.

"Let's go." Tang Luo reboarded the train; the exorcist responsible for driving the locomotive walked to the front.

Soon, the train started moving again.

The carriage swayed slightly, leaving the battlefield just now behind.

Some exorcists changed into new uniforms — not because of blood, demons have no blood, only because the uniforms were damaged in battle.

The demons attacking this time were mostly mid-tier demons.

The intensity of the battle was enough to leave uniforms in tatters.

【84】 The demons attacking this time were mostly mid-tier demons.

【85】 The intensity of the battle was enough to leave uniforms in tatters.

Celestia, who had watched the whole process from the side, was naturally spotless, sitting by the window watching the scenery constantly recede.

After traveling for two hours, the train stopped at a station; prepared field personnel immediately delivered supplies and boarded as well.

Next, the exorcists would spend ten-odd days on the train, then one "carriage journey day," before reaching the destination.

Along the way, more exorcists would continuously join up.

Until over three hundred exorcists had all gathered, for a grand decisive battle.

Unless... the Godscions fled.

Four days later, the speeding train slowed again, but not because of a demon attack; rather, a large bridge lay ahead that had to be crossed.

Below the bridge flowed a mighty river, the water surface over thirty meters from the railway bridge, the current very swift.

The kind of rapids where a fallen leaf vanishes in an instant.

If demons destroyed the bridge while the train was on it, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The exorcists certainly would not make a reckless mistake; they planned to send a few people ahead to clear surrounding hidden dangers in advance, ensuring the train could cross the bridge smoothly.

The train stopped near the bridgehead; the sound of flowing water could be heard, water vapor permeated the surroundings, and a faint white mist hung in the air.

"Flight buff."

Tang Luo pasted a Flight Talisman on each of the five Phantom Warriors.

Celestia stood at the bridgehead, holding *Paradise Lost*, ordering the five Phantom Warriors to go scout the path first.

Yes, this kind of path-scouting and incidentally clearing hidden dangers task is, of course, most suited for Phantom Warriors.

Actually, not even Tang Luo's Flight Talismans needed to be added.

But the Blood Talisman · Flight skill has already reached level three; practicing more when free can lead to early mastery.

Anyway, Flight Talismans cost nothing; buffing them onto Phantom Warriors loses nothing, and can let them exert maximum effect.

These five Phantom Warriors were respectively four Generals and one veteran exorcist phantom whose strength was only slightly weaker than a General.

With the help of Flight Talismans, they went up and down, checking the bridge deck, under the bridge, even rushing into the turbulent river, all thoroughly inspected once.

After confirming no danger, the train restarted.

Dupont also led a batch of exorcists standing directly on the roof, eyes watching all directions, ears listening to all sides, ensuring danger was strangled in the cradle.

When the train passed over the bridge, besides Tang Luo, even the General's face held a trace of gravity and tension.

If they fell it would be no matter, but most of the exorcists would not survive.

If you added demon attacks on top, with over a hundred exorcists (more had joined along the way), who knew how many would survive.

If they were Godscions, they would definitely not let this opportunity pass.

Even after inspection, it was not absolutely foolproof; who knows if Godscions have some special means?

Don't forget Godscion · Lust can control others; even Celestia resisted with great difficulty.

Someone did suggest everyone get off the train, advance in batches, then drive the train across last.

But Tang Luo vetoed it, reason being efficiency too low.

And even doing that, there would still be hidden dangers, possibly picked off by suddenly emerging demons.

Fortunately, without surprise or risk, the train smoothly crossed the bridge, no accidents occurring.

Dupont and the others returned to the carriage.

The train smoothly entered the canyon after the bridge...

"Wait!"

Looking at the sheer cliffs on both sides, Holt's face suddenly changed drastically. "We might encounter danger here!"

As if to match his words, a loud boom rang out from above the carriage.

The sheer cliffs on both sides were destroyed and collapsed at the same time!