Chapter 895

Liu Junyan's sudden motion of drawing the Qingming Sword startled everyone.

The temple keeper had previously concealed himself within the Qingming Sword, able not only to control the sword but also to intimidate the captive souls.

But after Liu Junyan forced the temple keeper out of the Qingming Sword, the sword's suppressing power had greatly diminished—after all, the blade was covered in cracks, the resentful killing qi of the captive souls ran rampant, and the entire Qingming Sword was now wrapped in a dense black aura.

As Liu Junyan raised the Qingming Sword, the sword instantly let out a hum, the blade quivered, as if it could break at any moment.

The Qingming Sword slashed toward the temple keeper.

The disparity in strength was obvious; Liu Junyan could have killed the temple keeper barehanded without needing the Qingming Sword.

But he did not do that.

As the Qingming Sword came down upon the temple keeper's head, he instantly dropped his guard, clutched his head with both hands and crouched, putting distance between himself and the sword.

He had guarded the Baiqi Temple his whole life, and had also cultivated within the Qingming Sword for many years; he believed his current strength could match the sword's erupting power.

But when the Qingming Sword came down to slay, that unprecedentedly powerful killing intent made the temple keeper suddenly see himself clearly.

Only then did he fully understand that different people wielding the same weapon can unleash completely different power.

The Qingming Sword in Liu Junyan's hand was like the murderous god Bai Qi possessing him.

What's more terrifying, when the temple keeper crouched with his head in his hands, making a gesture of surrender, the Qingming Sword halted its attack, yet the temple keeper felt the oppressive force grow stronger.

He felt countless resentful, greedy eyes fixed on him from above, as if any movement would cause them to pounce and devour his very soul.

In his mind, as clear as a mirror, he knew that among the souls staring at him, only a portion were the surrendered captives killed years ago; the rest were those he had slain over the years, their essence extracted and trapped within the Qingming Sword.

These were the karmic obstacles he had created.

Evil deeds inevitably bring self‑destruction; now the time has come for him to repay.

"You can't kill me!"

The intimidating yin killing qi forced the temple keeper's soul to tremble incessantly, gradually hovering on the brink of dissolution.

The temple keeper ultimately could not endure; he lifted his head to meet Liu Junyan's gaze and declared in a ringing voice: "You can't kill me! I am the last keeper of the Baiqi Temple, and the sole surviving descendant of our keeper lineage—if I vanish, the Baiqi Temple… you will surely regret it!"

The Qingming Sword pressed down another inch, and Liu Junyan's solemn voice rang out: "What exactly is being suppressed beneath the Baiqi Temple? Speak!"

Only then did Xiao Jiu realize what was happening.

It turned out Liu Junyan had never dealt a killing blow to the temple keeper because he had long anticipated that the temple keeper was merely a minor figure.

What the Baiqi Temple actually suppresses is the true big boss.

At this moment, the temple keeper's spine straightened instead.

He stared at Liu Junyan without fear, saying, "You swear to heaven that you won't let me be annihilated; after this matter is settled, you find a way to send me into reincarnation, then I will tell you."

Liu Junyan let out a cold laugh.

The temple keeper also forced an awkward laugh.

The Chishe hidden in his sleeve kept flicking its tongue, as if waiting for something.

The next moment, Liu Junyan raised her hand and lightly flicked the Qingming Sword.

The humming of the Qingming Sword sounded again above the temple keeper's head, his soul swayed a few times, then ferocious faces suddenly loomed near him, circling him nonstop, gradually pressing in from all sides.

The wailing ghosts and howling wolves sounded nonstop, making the temple keeper feel his head was about to explode.

Even though he had no physical body, only a wisp of human soul, when the long tongues of the resentful spirits licked him, he still felt a... pain from deep within his soul.

"I've given you many chances already," Liu Junyan said, "but you don't know good from bad; heaven and earth never would tolerate you, so you deserve your fate."

Having said that, Liu Junyan raised her hand again, preparing to flick the body of the Qingming Sword.

The temple keeper panicked completely: "Don't! I'll talk! I'll say anything!"

"Inside the Baiqi Temple...... ah......"

Before the temple keeper could finish speaking, a flash of blood light passed, and his human soul shattered.

The Qingming Sword burst apart, its bronze blade shattering into fragments that fell to the ground.

The souls originally suppressed by the Qingming Sword instantly scattered, filling the area with a murky haze; for a moment, Xiao Jiu couldn't see clearly what was happening on the temple keeper's side.

Xiao Jiu lifted her foot and walked toward Liu Junyan.

The blood light rose again, and in an instant a portion of the resentful spirits vanished!

Liu Junyan thrust a palm at that blood energy, causing it to surge into a mist of blood that then dissipated.

Along with it, those resentful spirits also disappeared.

Xiao Jiu's vision went black then red; after it slowly settled, she could finally see the situation ahead clearly.

The Qingming Sword was shattered, but the captive resentful spirits it had suppressed, as well as the souls of those the temple keeper later harmed, were all taken away by that blood light.

In Liu Junyan's hand she now held a bead of decent quality.

That was the temple keeper's essence.

Even if the temple keeper's soul hadn't scattered, it ought to have been taken away or devoured by that blood light.

At the critical moment, Liu Junyan was quick-eyed and quick-handed, retaining his essence.

Xiao Jiu sighed, "He's committed so many wrongdoings, yet his essence is still quite pure; it seems he was sincere in his years of tending the temple, receiving plenty of incense offerings—a shame."

If he hadn't taken the evil path, he might have achieved something later.

But there are no 'ifs' in this world.

Wrong is wrong.

Wrong, and you get punished!

The Chishe stared at that essence, unable to help praising: "Not only is the quality good, this guy has cultivated for many years; his essence counts as a fine thing."

"Do you want it?"

Liu Junyan suddenly asked that.

The Chishe froze.

His first reaction was that Liu Junyan's question just now was directed at Xiao Jiu Zhanggui.

But when he looked at Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, he discovered that Xiao Jiu Zhanggui was smiling and looking at himself.

Chishe looked dubiously at Liu Junyan.

Only then did he realize that Liu Junyan was asking himself.

Chishe salivated over this essence; if he could swallow it whole and refine it, he might just be able to manifest a human form.

But he also understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world; even if this essence were given to him, it certainly wouldn't be given for free.

Chishe hovered back and forth between 'wanting' and 'not daring to want'.

"Ah ya, Āyàn, don't tease him like that." Xiao Jiu spoke up, "If you're going to give it, give it happily; asking all those questions makes you seem insincere."