Chapter 897: Surrounding and Killing Tang Xuanzang

An incomparably massive figure — calling it a god or demon wasn't entirely appropriate either.

That ethereal yet real figure had blurred features, its appearance indiscernible; clad in wide robes and broad sleeves, it seemed like a god, like a Buddha, utterly lacking any "demonic" aura — describing it as a divine Buddha or immortal Buddha would be more fitting.

"What exactly is this……"

Kongming and Zhao Hongmiao had seen grand scenes and possessed considerable strength, yet before this figure they still felt their own insignificance and fragility.

Looking up to a lofty mountain, reverence arose spontaneously.

Lü Jingtiān and Jiang Junren on the other side were much the same; Jiang Junren's perpetually impassive poker face could no longer be maintained.

All four powerful god-demons walking the mortal realm were like this.

As for the ordinary people who saw this divine Buddha figure, there was no need to speak of them — nearly all bowed their heads in worship on the spot, becoming the most devout believers. At least at this moment they were certainly the most devout.

A streak of light flew over; Ao Yulie wasn't driving his beloved bat carriage, but flew directly.

"Young Master Yulong."

"This is……" Zhao Hongmiao and Kongming looked toward Ao Yulie.

Ao Yulie wore a strange expression: "I'd like to know too."

"Is it related to the Master?" Zhao Hongmiao asked; honestly, when this figure appeared he couldn't help associating it with Tang Luo.

What followed was an even more ethereal god-demon, an image of a divine Buddha and the like.

Ao Yulie shook his head: "No, Master and Senior Brother are still refining artifacts. Where would they find time to manifest holiness before mortals?"

Zhu Bajie was now hopelessly addicted to artifact refining, and Tang Luo was inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

This matter had nothing to do with the two of them at all.

However, honestly, when Ao Yulie saw this figure he actually felt a trace of familiarity; in a trance it seemed he glimpsed Tang Luo's shadow.

But after observing carefully for a while, he felt it had nothing to do with Tang Luo.

"Let's watch first." Kongming said, letting out a light breath.

That incomparably towering figure between heaven and earth had a sun-wheel formed from the sun behind its head, emitting scorching light; the midday sun was blindingly bright.

Making it hard to look straight at.

That grand heavenly sound circled by the ears; at first it was somewhat like when one first entered the god-demon game — unable to hear clearly.

After a while it slowly became clear.

"The great gate is open; become a god, become a sage — the road lies ahead."

"Things compete under heaven; the fittest survive."

"I am the Lord of Gods; by my decree, the era of great contention begins!"

The final voice was like thunder; the sun's originally piercing radiance grew even more dazzling, and within this incomparably blinding light the massive figure slowly vanished, and that grand heavenly sound, the aura that made one want to prostrate in worship, also gradually dissipated.

Leaving behind a few words and a crowd of utterly astonished people.

"Is it really the 'god-demon' behind the god-demon game?" Zhao Hongmiao and Kongming glanced at each other.

Ao Yulie blinked; the god-demon of the god-demon game? That shouldn't be right.

According to their master-disciple deduction, if there really was some will driving the god-demon game from behind, the greatest possibility would be the missing Taishang, Rulai, and the others.

What background does this inexplicably appearing fellow have?

One always feels something is off somewhere.

"Hahahaha!"

At this moment, Lü Jingtiān's wild laughter came from behind.

The three turned to look at him.

Lü Jingtiān laughed: "Heard that? The era of great contention has begun; things compete under heaven, the fittest survive. What the god-demon said — what we're doing isn't wrong in the slightest!"

"……"

Kongming and Zhao Hongmiao didn't speak; they thought of the subsequent impact after this god-demon appeared and left these few sentences.

The barely stabilized situation would fall into chaos again.

The god-demon game lifted restrictions on god-demons walking the mortal realm; now with golden-mouth jade-words it decreed the opening of the era of great contention.

Then naturally it would be a comprehensive carnival for god-demons walking the mortal realm.

The old era has thoroughly ended.

Kongming and his group instantly became stubborn remnants clinging to the old ways.

This time, it wasn't something Master Xuanzang could stabilize with a single sentence.

After all, the opening of the new era of "survival of the fittest" was decreed by the god-demon.

No matter how formidable you Tang Xuanzang are, can you be more formidable than a god-demon?

Independence, carving out territories, ruling a region — quite a few god-demons walking the mortal realm might well harbor such thoughts.

There must ultimately be one ruler or a group of rulers; why shouldn't that person be me?

I'm so strong; why should I still let a bunch of ordinary people lord it over us?

We are the ones who should be the world's masters!

Looking at Lü Jingtiān's unbridled smile and Jiang Junren's faintly revealed excited expression, Ao Yulie sighed leisurely: "Alas, I really don't know what you're happy about……"

Lü Jingtiān looked at Ao Yulie; the smile on his face retracted a bit, turning into a mocking cold sneer.

"Clearly you're all about to die, and those who don't die will have to obediently be dogs — why are you still smiling so happily?" Ao Yulie looked at Lü Jingtiān sincerely, wearing an expression of "caring for the mentally disabled."

The smile on Lü Jingtiān's face slowly froze, then retracted, turning into a faint angry look.

"Forget it, forget it; some people just insist on courting death." Ao Yulie no longer paid attention to Lü Jingtiān, looking at Kongming and Zhao Hongmiao, "Why should the two of you trouble your hearts and labor your efforts? Let them go die."

"Good advice is hard to give to a damned ghost; great compassion does not ferry those who cut themselves off."

Zhao Hongmiao and Kongming gave Lü Jingtiān and the other a deep look, said nothing more, and jumped straight down from the rooftop, leaving quickly.

Ao Yulie gave the two a malicious smile, then likewise turned and left.

An era of great contention? No, it should be called an era of great chaos.

"What do they mean by that?"

Jiang Junren looked at Lü Jingtiān, whose complexion kept shifting but could never quite shed a thread of gloom.

Lü Jingtiān took a deep breath: "Perhaps we should lie low for a while."

"Why?" Jiang Junren was puzzled.

Gods and demons descend upon the world, the heavens decree the opening of the era of great contention — this is precisely the time to advance against the current and seize the initiative.

Lü Jingtiān has always been a radical; why would he suddenly choose to play it safe now?

"A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind; it would be bad if we were targeted by Tang Xuanzang." When Lü Jingtiān said this, he felt indescribably aggrieved.

He and Jiang Junren were absolutely among the elite at the very top of the pyramid among gods-and-demons walkers.

Yet there just had to be another guy existing up in the high heavens.

They were the trees standing out in the forest, outstanding and alone; but Tang Xuanzang is the wind!

"Once the general trend fully rises, Tang Xuanzang is but one man — what can he do?" Lü Jingtiān said, "Our strength speaks for itself; lying low for a while to watch the situation is also a good thing. No need to be the bird that sticks its head out."

This is a strategic withdrawal! Not cowardice.

Jiang Junren nodded; it made sense.

"It seems we can't stop it." Zhao Hongmiao looked at Kongming and said.

"Do our utmost, leave the rest to fate." Kongming shook his head; what else could he do? Everything that should have been done has been done.

"You're so pessimistic." Ao Yulie appeared in the back seat of the speeding car, sitting between the two, "Don't worry, just wait for Master to come out."

"The general trend cannot be stopped by human power." Kongming said.

They naturally weren't the kind of true die-hard conservatives who hope the world never changes; rather, they hoped this change, or rather reform, could be as peaceful as possible, without causing too much turmoil and impact.

"However, is that figure truly the descent of the gods-and-demons will?" Zhao Hongmiao frowned.

He always felt something was off.

The two looked at Ao Yulie simultaneously.

"I don't know either, but if you're suspicious, why not investigate?" Ao Yulie looked quite relaxed.

Three days passed.

The originally quieted gods-and-demons walkers began coming out again to stir up all kinds of trouble. And this time, besides gods-and-demons walkers, a lot of messy people also started making waves.

Divine Spirits!

Divine Spirits descend, the world transforms.

Then, the identity of gods-and-demons walkers began to shift from the original "aliens" and gradually became "divine envoys."

Envoys of the gods, chosen by Divine Spirits, emissaries who lead the world onto a brand new path.

This narrative was far better than the image of "gods-and-demons walkers."

Even sects formed in a short time; "celebrity divine envoys" similar to Ao Yulie sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain.

Either gods-and-demons walkers took the initiative, or someone extended an olive branch, wanting to mold them into another Ao Yulie.

And more numerous were the "wars" between inflated gods-and-demons walkers and original powers.

Time flowed on; over a month passed, and the real world remained in intense flux.

More and more "divine envoys" stole the limelight.

Lü Jingtiān, however, was utterly depressed, only able to watch others make their debut and flourish.

He huddled to the side, green with envy, only able to console himself with "Just wait a bit longer, once I go out I'll kill you all" and "Once I appear, all the forces you've built now will be mine."

"Seems you're enduring quite painfully?"

A voice abruptly reverberated in the room.

Lü Jingtiān leapt up, the Square Sky Painted Halberd in hand: "Get out!" He bore Lü Bu's destiny.

"Heh. Don't be tense, it's me." Ripples spread before him, forming a human shape, "Long time no see."

"It's you; I thought you died on a mission, Huan." Lü Jingtiān sheathed the Square Sky Painted Halberd.

Huan Shen, who stood in Lü Jingtiān's camp during the first Gods-and-Demons Walkers Conference; though his relationship with Lü Jingtiān wasn't as close as with Jiang Junren, he still counted as a good friend.

But as early as a year ago, Huan Shen had not appeared again, and had cut off contact with Lü Jingtiān and the others.

The two sides weren't originally on the same team; Lü Jingtiān's group believed Huan Shen had met with some mishap on a mission (death or reaching the failure limit).

"I didn't die." Huan Shen said, still with that ordinary, unremarkable face and aura that would vanish into a crowd.

Even if he stood right before your eyes, you would unconsciously ignore him.

"Use the door next time." Lü Jingtiān said irritably, "What do you want, showing up suddenly?"

Huan Shen smiled, his expression carrying a trace of strange fanaticism and obsession: "I came to you because I want to do something."

"What?" Looking at Huan Shen's expression, Lü Jingtiān's face turned slightly unnatural.

"Encircle and kill Tang Xuanzang!" Huan Shen's smile grew ever more fanatical, his eyes gloomy, like a vicious wolf.

"What?"

Lü Jingtiān didn't say it aloud, but in his heart he had to admit it.

Tang Xuanzang's strength had already exceeded the scope of a normal gods-and-demons walker.

To put it this way: his assessment of that strength was that only the combined forces of the standing committee members of the Walkers Council could possibly defeat and kill him.

And this was still premised on the opponent not running away, and on the consistent "high offense, low defense" flaw of gods-and-demons walkers.

Encircle and kill Tang Xuanzang?

Lü Jingtiān had dreamed countless times of killing this greatest stumbling block, yet this matter was still something he had never seriously thought about, never truly considered.