With that, waves of energy rippled outward in all directions. The solid ground was scraped away layer by layer, and the tomb shook violently, as though it might collapse at any moment. The divine aura radiating from Li Yanchu was immense and overwhelming. As he let out a thunderous shout, his saber qi actually split the towering golden mountain in two. At this time, Master Guanxin’s cold, indifferent face finally showed a flicker of emotion. And the very next moment, the saber qi slashed straight across his body, Li Yanchu was unstoppable! In an instant, a bronze medallion hanging on Master Guanxin shattered, and a deep gash opened across his chest, where blood gushed forth. Check latest chapters at novel·fire·net He then stared at Li Yanchu in disbelief. By then, his aloof, godlike arrogance had vanished completely and was replaced by sheer terror. He had borrowed the power of a great Buddhist figure, amplified further by the secret feng shui formation within the tomb, which elevated his strength to terrifying heights. He did all this specifically for the purpose of countering someone like Master Shenshan. Yet this opponent had also drawn down divine power. And it was even purer and more immense, and its majesty was unmistakably divine. It was a presence so holy that mortals dared not gaze upon it. Not only had it shattered his Buddhist divine art in one strike, it had even broken the Eight Divine Dragon Talisman, the protective copper talisman he wore. Even after joining the Bare Body Sect, this once proud disciple of the Buddhist order still carried himself with poise and pride, as he had always believed he was destined to rise among the world's elite. He saw this tomb raid as part of a grander scheme, and himself as a key player in it. Now, the endgame was near, and victory was almost in hand. He would gain rare opportunities here that would help him contend for Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands in the future, which was what he truly cared about. But now, everything had been shattered in a single strike by a nameless young Daoist. At this time, Master Guanxin panicked, and he wanted to flee. He was destined to reach the summit, so he couldn’t die here! “Trying to run? I told you that I’ll kill every last one of you today.” Li Yanchu’s eyes were icy cold, and his voice brimmed with unrestrained killing intent. As soon as the words left his lips, he was already behind Master Guanxin. A black saber light tore through the air, and it was thick with deathly resentment and malevolent qi. It was Master Wuxing who struck to protect his companion. Unlike Guanxin, who had relied on orthodox Buddhist divine arts even if he had fallen into heresy, Wuxing’s techniques were downright sinister. His techniques reeked of ghostly yin qi, which was worse than that of common dark arts. What he used now was the Asura Saber, which was from the Western Vajra Sect. “Get lost!” Li Yanchu shouted, and his voice sounded like exploding thunder by one’s ear. Then, he threw a punch, and scorching, razor-sharp blood and qi burst from his body. In an instant, the surrounding temperature surged, and faint flames seemed to flicker into view. Immediately, Master Wuxing was forced back. The machete in his hand shattered into fragments, breaking cun by cun into useless scrap metal. Sensing the deadly force rushing up behind him, Master Guanxin turned abruptly and unleashed the Buddhist Great Hand Seal. At this moment, he could already sense the threat of death, and so, he struck with everything he had. A radiant golden palm, which was taller than a man, came crashing down toward Li Yanchu. But Li Yanchu’s Jiaoslayer shone with dazzling golden light as it surged with an overwhelming Divine Dao aura. Spirit Officer Wang was revered in many Daoist temples as the guardian of the mountain gate. As a divine general and protector, he was majestic, fierce, and awe-inspiring. The divine power Li Yanchu had summoned from this Spirit Officer of Heaven was unstoppable. The golden handprint of Master Guanxin was shattered instantly, and with one swing, Li Yanchu cleaved him cleanly in two. The divine power on the Jiaoslayer didn’t just cut through Guanxin’s flesh, it annihilated his very soul. After all, the divine could not be gazed upon directly. In the blink of an eye, Guanxin’s spirit was pulverized into dust! Li Yanchu’s battle spirit soared even higher. His presence now was so overpowering, it was almost unbearable to look upon. A once-celebrated rising star of the Buddhist order, and a man destined for greatness with the potential to inherit the legacy of Great Xiangguo Temple itself in the future, had now been slain by an obscure young Daoist from a nameless temple in Wei City in the Beifeng Prefecture of the Kingdom of Qian. He was absolutely crushed ruthlessly and absolutely. And this was after he had borrowed the supreme power of a great Buddhist master and used the special feng shui formation within the ancient tomb to deceive the heavens and shift fate. Even so, he had been ruthlessly and overwhelmingly destroyed. Li Yanchu moved again. He moved so fast that his figure blurred, becoming almost imperceptible to the naked eye. If this old man was the feng shui master who had laid the sinister formation in Longmen Village, then it stood to reason that their true backup plan was tied to him. Just then, a flicker of fear flashed through the old man’s eyes. He had countless techniques at his disposal, and he could ensure his opponents never left alive even when he faced opponents far stronger than himself, as long as he had time to prepare. This grand tomb itself was arranged with a deadly feng shui formation by his hand, and it was prepared to blood-sacrifice all living beings inside and deceive everyone[1]. The previous yin-yang master had been more skilled in summoning spirits and guiding ghosts, but when it came to yin and yang dwellings and feng shui formations, that was definitely the forte of this feng shui master. Only, the young Daoist in front of him was simply too fierce. The valiant, unstoppable, and awe-inspiring Daoist instilled fear just by standing there. Just then, the feng shui master raised his feng shui compass once more and began to spin the dial with his fingers. This compass had been passed down to him by his master. Back in the day, his master had narrowly lost a spiritual duel and was left blind in both eyes, and so he had passed down all his knowledge in seeking auspicious spots[2] and the mysterious arts of feng shui to this disciple. And the disciple had not let him down. He had turned around and exterminated the entire family of the rival feng shui master, leaving no descendants. When his master heard the news, he laughed and wept tears of blood. Then, he passed on the family’s heirloom feng shui compass and took his own life. The disciple knew well that his master had once doubted his moral compass. His master was worried that he was too ruthless and too skilled in the art of feng shui, and would one day harm others and even himself. After all, whether dealing with a yin dwelling or a yang dwelling[3], it was entirely possible to curse someone to death or even to wipe out an entire bloodline. That suspicion had always left a bitter taste in his heart. But in the end, he still received the compass, and notably, he never laid a hand on his master’s family. He simply took to wandering the jianghu on his own path. Now, as he spun the compass again, Li Yanchu suddenly lost all sight of the man. His vision went dim, and he found himself trapped in a world of gray mist. All around, he could hear the sounds of clamor, such as arguing voices, laughter, and murmuring conversations. The dense, chaotic barrage deeply disturbed his mind. “With a golden whip in hand, he searches the world. Clad in golden armor, he wields divine might.[4] Exorcize evil! Break!” Li Yanchu shouted with power. Instantly, the illusion before his eyes vanished. Whoosh! A fierce wind roared past his ears. It was Master Wuxing, who launched a sneak attack from behind. And at some point, he had produced another razor-sharp machete in his hand, and he was aiming a vicious, underhanded slash straight at Li Yanchu’s lower body. The feng shui master had completely vanished, and his presence gone without a trace. Just then, Li Yanchu spun around and swept his saber in a wide arc, thereafter a streak of saber qi tore through the air. It looked like a casual flash, but it was perfectly timed. He narrowly dodged Master Wuxing’s vicious, underhanded strike. Li Yanchu wasn’t just a cultivator trained in Daoist arts, he was also a first-rate martial artist of his generation, so he was exceptionally skilled in close-quarters combat. “You're the one courting death!” With a single slash, Li Yanchu sent Master Wuxing flying backward. A ghastly wound opened across Wuxing’s waist, and blood gushed forth and soaked his robes. 1. "偷天换日" is a Chinese idiom that literally means "to secretly replace the sky and the sun." It is used metaphorically to describe secretly altering the truth or reality of a situation in order to deceive or mislead others. ☜ 2. Xun Long Dian Xue (寻龙点穴) is a term from feng shui theory. In feng shui, there is a concept known as the “dragon vein” (龙脉). People have observed that due to differences in geography, soil composition, groundwater, and surrounding environment, each region forms its own unique terrain and topography. Through continuous exploration and practice, people discovered that certain locations, due to their unique environment and soil, could nourish life and bring prosperity and good fortune. These auspicious spots came to be known as “dragon sand” (龙砂). And the process of locating such a place is called “Xun Long Dian Xue”, which literally means “seeking the dragon and marking the acupoint.” ☜ 3. In feng shui, 阳宅 (yin dwellings) refers to the feng shui of homes for the living, while 阴宅 (yin dwellings) concerns the feng shui of burial sites, believed to influence the fortunes of descendants. ☜ 4. The lines “手持金鞭寻世界，身披金甲显威灵” come from a Daoist invocation found in the 灵官经, a ritual text used to summon and praise Spirit Officer Wang, a powerful guardian deity in Daoism. These lines portray Spirit Officer Wang’s divine attributes and authority as he enforces order across the realms. ☜