Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"It seems that the Ministry of War is using all their manpower and resources in the fight against the Vampires," Zhang Ruochen said. "I can meet their people even in this remote temple."
Large numbers of Vampires were gathered in the Yuan Mansion. This naturally made the Ministry of War call for all their soldiers and generals. The free soldiers were all sent out to patrol the 36 counties.
Some of the soldiers looked for information and collected intelligence. Some others set up bases in the areas surrounding the Guardians of the Prison. Once there were signs of the Immortal Vampires, they would send news to the main camp in the Yuan Mansion.
The four soldiers living next to Zhang Ruochen had come to set up a base. They chanced upon Sikong Zen Temple.
Everything about the Sikong Zen Temple was strange, so this naturally attracted their attention. Plus, the temple even had Emperor Buddha's statue.
The Emperor Buddha was the Empress' enemy. Wasn't wors.h.i.+pping him disrespecting the Empress?
Even if this temple had nothing to do with the Vampires, it still had to be destroyed. Of course, it wasn't a small accomplishment to discover this cult-like temple.
Zhang Ruochen was also wanted by the Ministry of War. Naturally, he couldn't interact with them. That would lead to unnecessary troubles.
"Let's go! This place is truly strange. It's not suitable to hide in."
As soon as Zhang Ruochen opened the door, the neighboring room also opened with a creak. Two middle-aged men walked out. They were armored and had black metal badges hanging at their waists. They were clearly from the Ministry of War.
Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin glanced at Zhang Ruochen but didn't think much about him. They thought he was a regular guest.
Zhang Ruochen strolled casually with his hands behind his back and started walking out of the temple.
Pu Yuelin was the younger of the two. He looked up again and stared at Zhang Ruochen's back with suspicion. "Second Brother, look at that guy. Does he look familiar? He looks a bit like Zhang Ruochen, the criminal wanted by the Ministry of War."
"Really?"
Zhao Yue picked up the badge at his waist and tapped it. Black light instantly shone from the surface.
Whoosh.
Various images flew out of the black light. One of them was Zhang Ruochen. Looking at the image, Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin exchanged glances. They were both shocked.
Could it really be Zhang Ruochen?
So many strong cultivators were hidden inside this remote and ancient temple. First, there was a white-haired woman who could kill with the wave of her hand. Next, there was a wanted criminal with a horrible reputation.
Yes, to the soldiers of the Ministry of War, Zhang Ruochen indeed had an evil reputation. After all, countless Kings had died under his sword.
This man had once split Ziyong Pa.s.s with one sword and then escaped easily, humiliating all the soldiers from the Ministry of War.
"If he really is Zhang Ruochen, we're not his match at all," Zhao Yue said. "However, we can't let him escape either. Finding Zhang Ruochen's traces is an accomplishment too. It's much bigger than finding this temple."
"Let's pretend we don't know him," Pu Yuelin said. "We'll sneak up on him. I wonder why he came to the Sikong Zen Temple."
"Yes. The strong cultivators of the Ministry of War should hurry over soon. Zhang Ruochen won't be able to escape at that time."
Even though they'd found Zhang Ruochen, Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin didn't dare to arrest him. With their cultivations, they weren't even enough for appetizers.
The two of them followed Zhang Ruochen out of the Sikong Zen Temple.
"Fourth Brother, I think Zhang Ruochen has already discovered us. He should be leaving now."
Zhao Yue was worried. It had been so hard to find signs of Zhang Ruochen, but now he had to watch him escape. Would this great accomplishment pa.s.s him by?
Just as Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin were debating whether they should stop Zhang Ruochen or not, a huge black beastly figure flew over. It appeared above the temple. The huge black shadow was like a dark cloud. It pressed down, not stopping until it was a few hundred feet from the ground.
Looking up, one could see a huge winged dragon. It was around 80 meters long and covered entirely with scales. Its huge head was like a lion's. This was a sixth level lower beast. It could counter a lower level Half-Saint, spout ghostly fire, and easily turn a city into a sea of fire.
There was a tall man standing on the winged dragon. He wore nine layers of red armor and held a long halberd. He seemed very majestic.
Seeing the man, Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin were both overjoyed. They immediately bowed, saying, "King Lixian, we have a great discovery."
King Lixian huffed coldly. "Isn't it just an evil temple? How is this a great discovery?" Before Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin could speak, King Lixian continued, "I came here to notify you two that a while earlier, the Vampires invaded the Pluto Sword Tomb and ma.s.sacred the people."
"It is an emergency. The Little Saint G.o.d and lord of the Yuan Mansion have already messaged the State of Tiantai and Central Emperor City. We will reform an army and fight back in the Pluto Sword Tomb with all our might."
"The soldiers in Fairy Forest County and Xincang County have already notified us that they can arrive at Guandu by noon tomorrow. You two hurry there immediately and take them to the northwest of the Pluto Sword Tomb, close to Golden Cloud Valley, and wait for further orders."
With that, King Lixian grabbed the chains on the winged dragon and prepared to leave immediately. Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin were shocked by his news. The Guardians of the Prison, Ministry of War, and Martial Market Bank had united, but they still couldn't stop the Immortal Vampires from taking the Pluto Sword Tomb.
Just how terrifying were the Immortal Vampires?
Of course, no matter how horrifying the Immortal Vampires were, Zhang Ruochen was also a wanted criminal of the imperial court. They couldn't let him escape.
"Lord, there's something else…Zhang Ruochen, the wanted criminal, is also in this temple," Zhao Yue said fearfully, stealing a glance at where Zhang Ruochen lived.
Hearing this, King Lixian, who'd been about to leave, stopped immediately. Two 30-foot-long beams of fire surged from his eyes and scanned the Sikong Zen Temple. His gaze immediately focused on the air and landed on Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and smiled. He glanced at Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin in the back.
The two were frightened. They immediately retreated, stumbling back into the Sikong Zen Temple. They clearly feared Zhang Ruochen. He didn't give them a hard time though. This was part of their duties. With his current cultivation, he had no reason to fight two Monks in the Fish-Dragon Realm either.
Soon after, Zhang Ruochen looked back at King Lixian. He smiled, revealing his white teeth. "I advise you to hurry back and continue mustering soldiers to defeat the Vampires instead of wasting time on me."
"Ha, really? What if I insist on arresting you?" King Lixian's aura grew stronger.
All the Spiritual Qi within a thousand miles gathered toward him. A huge black saintly image, hundreds of feet tall, appeared behind him. One could vaguely see crackles of electricity streaking inside the shadows. The entire mountain trembled.
This King Lixian was already in the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm. No wonder he was so confident in capturing Zhang Ruochen.
However, Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brow. After all, the Second Vampire Prince was pursuing him. King Lixian was making such a big commotion. Wouldn't it be even more troublesome if the Second Prince was lured over?
"What, what are you all doing? This is a peaceful Buddhist refuge. How can you engage in violence?"
Sikong One's fat body "rolled" out of the Sikong Zen Temple like a white leather ball.
"Fat monk, this has nothing to do with you. Get out." King Lixian waved his hand. Powerful Holy Qi flooded from his hands. It transformed into a gale of wind that struck Sikong One.
He hadn't thought about being merciful against an evil temple. The power in this strike was enough to kill a first level Half-Saint.
"Must you be so hard on a common man?"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He also struck with a palm print. Dazzling golden light radiated from his hands. Next, a huge golden dragon flew out, shattering King Lixian's palm power.
King Lixian took out his Killing Token. He waved it forward, piercing the golden dragon, transforming it into specks of golden mist.
"Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm."
Sikong One muttered something and glanced at Zhang Ruochen in shock. However, his voice was very soft. Only he could hear it.
After that, Sikong One screamed like a dying pig, "Murderer! Master, someone wants to kill me. So scared…Amitabha…" As he yelled, he ran back into the Sikong Zen Temple. He slammed the gate shut.
Just as Sikong One burst into the temple, a yellowed window was propped up by a piece of bamboo. It was from a second-floor room deep inside the temple.
An elegant white-haired woman sat inside the window. She had a light temperament. The surrounding windows, buildings, and paG.o.das were like a beautiful painting.
Her eyes were like two black gems and her skin was white like porcelain, but her lips were bright red. She looked otherworldly, like one of the nine G.o.ddesses.
"Cousin, is it really you?"
Kong Lanyou's eyes fell upon Zhang Ruochen outside the temple. Her gaze carried suspicion, reminiscing, antic.i.p.ation, and some other feelings.
Zhang Ruochen naturally didn't know Kong Lanyou was staring at him. At the moment, he was confronting King Lixian. A huge battle was imminent.
