The robed youth, now in primordial spirit form, was struck by the Five-Lightning Spell and immediately became extremely weak. At this time, his entire form was wrapped in crackling thunder. “Ahhh!” He let out a scream of agony and clutched his head as his once-handsome features twisted in pain and rage. For someone to withstand a quadruple-enhanced Five-Lightning Talisman even in primordial spirit form, his strength had clearly reached an unfathomable level. Li Yanchu activated another Five-Lightning Talisman. This time, the bolt of lightning was slightly weaker than the last. As he had used one of the talismans earlier after a triple-enhanced Decree of Bestowal, its spiritual potency had diminished. Everyone heard a deafening roar by their ears as the world once again turned to blinding white. When the light faded, the robed youth had completely disintegrated. Nothing remained, not even his soul nor body. This mysterious man, who had once seemed to hold everyone’s life and death in the palm of his hand, who had effortlessly killed masters like Yan Chixia, Mr. Ma, and Master Kongming, was now utterly annihilated by Li Yanchu. His soul shattered, and his body was destroyed. Everyone in the tomb chamber was stunned. Just like that, he was dead? That impossibly arrogant, peerless robed youth was killed by lightning? Li Yanchu raised an eyebrow in surprise. Slaying this robed youth had earned him a full ten thousand merit points! It wasn’t just that the robed youth's death had brought such an immense reward. It also highlighted something critical: when ordinary cultivators like the yin-yang master or Daoist Master Jin Feng were killed, no merit was awarded, as they were still technically human. Only killing true evil entities, like yin spirits, demonic creatures, or those cultivators who had twisted themselves into something no longer human, would grant merit. Like the paper effigy craftsmen whose bodies were made of paper, or corpse-bearers who raised corpses within themselves, this robed youth was clearly one of those heretical demons. Finally, everyone exhaled in relief, while Li Yanchu cautiously approached the giant bronze coffin to investigate, just in case another evil corpse was still hidden within. With a light leap, he landed atop the massive bronze coffin. Inside the coffin, it was dim, but one could faintly make out a suit of armor covered in densely inscribed Daoist talismans, all drawn in cinnabar. Talismanic armor!? Li Yanchu's heart stirred. He extended his palm, channeling his qi. With a surge of energy, the heavy armor was instantly drawn out and pulled into the air by his Divine Astral Hands. At this time, everyone turned to look with their eyes filled with astonishment. They hadn’t expected that this legendary Daoist artifact, the talismanic armor, would actually be inside the bronze coffin! The armor exuded a sense of age and a heaviness that spoke of ancient years, as if it had weathered countless ages and seen the rise and fall of empires. The suit itself was incredibly imposing, and once it was pulled out by Li Yanchu, it stood upright and perfectly still on the ground. A battle-hardened aura rushed forth from it. Moreover, streams of Daoist spirit qi continuously flowed across its surface. Seeing this, the eyes of every cultivator present lit up with fervent desire. That aura alone was more than enough to call this a divine artifact. Suddenly, a streak of light shot through the air, carrying with it a terrifying force before it slammed toward Li Yanchu’s back. Immediately, Li Yanchu turned and slashed with his saber. The Jiaoslayer struck a metal sphere. The sphere was covered in engraved patterns and was seemingly hollow inside, and it emitted a faint, eerie dragon’s cry. Li Yanchu’s arm went numb from the impact as a sinister energy from the sphere immediately invaded his meridians. Still, The Yellow Court Classic’s inner qi in his body flowed unceasingly. Just then, his five viscera, six bowels and eight extraordinary meridians[1] erupted with vibrant life force. With that, his fierce Six Yang Force ignited, and his whole body became like a blazing furnace, which surged with pure yang qi. Then, that dark, corrosive power was immediately driven out, and the iron sphere was sent flying! It cut a sharp arc through the air, soaring toward the entrance of the bronze tomb. At this time, three figures appeared. Leading them was a young monk, who was graceful in demeanor, with a powerful and well-built physique that radiated immense strength. Following behind were a middle-aged monk and an elderly scholar dressed in long robes, both exuding an air of cultured refinement. The iron sphere had flown directly back into the hands of that refined old man. Seeing this, Li Yanchu's expression darkened. Find the newest release on novel[f]ire.net He recognized the two monks. They were once rising stars of the Buddhist sect, who had now fallen into disgrace by joining the Bare Body Sect: Master Guanxin and Master Wuxing. The latter had even mastered the secret techniques of the Vajra Sect from the Western Regions. As for the refined elder, Li Yanchu had never seen him before. Master Shenshan stepped forward and said coldly and sternly, “Guanxin! Wuxing! You two disgraceful traitors of the Buddhist order, how dare you show your faces here!” As one of the initiators of this tomb expedition, and with only a handful of their original twenty-six left alive, Master Shenshan's fury had reached a boiling point. The moment he saw the two renegade monks, he was ready to strike. “Master Shenshan, you're awfully quick to anger,” Master Guanxin said with a faint smile. Though his voice wasn’t loud, it carried clearly to every ear in the tomb chamber. Hearing this, Li Yanchu furrowed his brows slightly. He could sense that Master Guanxin’s strength had subtly grown stronger. “You disgraceful heretics, since you've dared to show yourselves, then today I shall cleanse the sect in the name of the Buddha!” Master Shenshan roared in fury. Each step he took covered several zhang, and within a few breaths he had reached the tomb’s entrance. The gold alms bowl bloomed with golden Buddha's light and radiated sacred brilliance as one Buddhist rune after another appeared before growing several times in size. The Buddha light surged forth, enveloping the three newcomers. Though this elder monk had suffered losses earlier at the hands of the old ape and the robed youth, his cultivation was unquestionably profound. For a moment, Master Guanxin felt as though a golden-bodied Arhat had descended into the world, and an involuntary urge to prostrate himself rose in his heart. But he quickly activated his mental technique and broke free from that oppressive force. He then struck out with a palm, and a massive handprint formed from golden light appeared directly in front of Master Shenshan! Master Guanxin’s giant handprint collided with Master Shenshan’s attack, instantly shaving off a layer of stone from the surrounding steps. A ring of golden Buddha's light exploded outward, and the force of it was immense. At this time, Master Shenshan’s brows furrowed slightly. Guanxin was a junior within the Buddhist order, so although he was renowned among the younger generation, he should never have been a match for himself. And yet, right now, Master Guanxin was clashing with him evenly, neither gaining nor losing ground. What in the world was going on? The two fought at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, their battle had moved from the bronze tomb gate into the depths beyond. The golden Buddha's light had become sharp as sabers, and wherever it touched the surrounding steps and walls, stone shattered and flew. Everyone was shocked by Master Guanxin’s strength, but the most stunned of all was Master Huizhen. Though Qinglong Temple was not as prosperous or famous as great temples like Jing'an Temple, Master Huizhen himself was undoubtedly a first-rate expert. With another decade or so of cultivation, he too was expected to reach the level of a high monk like Master Shenshan. That was already an exceptional talent. Master Shenshan had always seen great potential in Huizhen, believing that his innate Buddhist affinity was the strongest among all disciples of Qinglong Temple. Yet now, the difference between them was obvious. And Master Guanxin, who had once been slightly weaker than Huizhen, and would never have won without resorting to treachery, was now matching Master Shenshan blow for blow. It was simply inconceivable. 1. 五脏六腑 (wǔ zàng liù fǔ) refers to the five yin organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) and the six yang organs (gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and triple burner). 奇经八脉 (qí jīng bā mài) refers to the eight extraordinary meridians that run through and regulate the body's qi flow beyond the main meridian system. ☜