Silence fell over the temple, everyone stunned by the sudden slaughter.
Only the burly cultivator remained indifferent, sheathing the glint of his saber. “Keep blabbering, and that’s what happens to you.”
Behind him, several men let out sinister chuckles and began herding the people inside the temple. Unable to resist the intimidating pressure of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, the Qi Refining Realm cultivators in the caravan had no choice but to stumble backward, huddling together to yield space for them.
However, the area covered by the golden light was only so large. Having yielded more than half of the space, the crowd could barely maintain their footing without falling outside the golden light.
Outside the barrier of light, empty spirits watched like hawks, relentlessly flinging themselves forward against it. Up close, their twisted, ferocious faces were clearly visible, sending chills down everyone's spines.
Seeing that pushing back any further would force people outside the barrier, Ninth Uncle spoke up in a stern voice, “Seniors, do not push us too far! We have three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators here. If a fight breaks out, though we may be outmatched, we can certainly inflict severe injuries or even take a few of you down with us. Do you truly wish to suffer mutual destruction?”
Lowering his tone slightly, he added in a negotiating voice, “Why not share the temple for the night and form a good karmic tie instead?”
The burly cultivator scoffed, his eyes sweeping over the caravan as a cold sneer curled his lips. “Mutual destruction? Don’t overestimate yourselves. Trash like you aren't fit to be mentioned in the same breath as us!”
Behind him, his companions continued herding the people in the temple. Helpless, the crowd was driven along like sheep in a pen, despair gnawing at their hearts. If this went on, they would either die under the power of these Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators or fall outside the golden light to be devoured by the empty spirits. There was simply no way out.
However... when these ferocious-looking men reached Shi Yu and her group, an unexpected shift occurred.
The four of them were sitting or reclining comfortably on soft animal hides, looking at the approaching men with cold, indifferent expressions. They showed no intention of moving an inch.
Their fearlessly composed demeanor made the men exchange glances. Assuming the group had something backing them up, the men temporarily paused their actions.
The burly cultivator glanced over, sizing up the attire and aura of Shi Yu's group, a flash of disdain in his eyes. Seeing that they were all merely at the Qi Refining Realm and held no artifacts in hand, he dismissed them as ignorant and reckless juniors.
Jerking his chin forward, the burly cultivator ordered impatiently, “Throw them outside. Don't make a mess with severed limbs everywhere—it'll ruin the mood when I enjoy the beauties later.”
His companions let out lewd laughs and agreed at once, stepping toward Shi Yu's group to grab them.
Su Guanying's expression changed drastically at the sight. Shi Yu's group had previously saved their Sand Camels and were benefactors to the caravan; she could not bear to watch them suffer.
Griting her teeth, Su Guanying tightened her grip on her silver spear artifact and exchanged a desperate look with Ninth Uncle, offering a tragic smile. “Ninth Uncle, it seems we are going to fall here today.”
Ninth Uncle fell silent for a moment before bursting into a hearty laugh. “Having followed you, Third Young Lady, until today has been my true honor. Today, I shall join Third Young Lady in one final battle!”
His words were laced with the tragic resignation and open-mindedness of someone facing the end of his path.
Though the caravan members longed to survive, they were not lacking in bloody courage. Seeing that this calamity was inescapable, their momentum surged instead as they resolved to fight to the death.
“Dead either way—it's just death! What is there to fear?!”
“Let's fight them to the bitter end!”
...
Listening to their shouts, Shi Yu looked at the villain reaching out toward her, her voice ringing out cool and crisp: “Disturbing the tranquility of a Buddhist sacred ground... you truly are despicable.”
Her voice carried a chilling edge yet sounded unnaturally calm. Surprised, everyone turned to look. Shi Yu stood up, her gaze indifferent and serene—resembling... the way one looked at dead men.
Hearing her words, the burly cultivator's expression darkened instantly. Killing intent flashed in his eyes as he commanded, “Kill her.”
Several of his wicked companions immediately swarmed forward.
One of them suddenly manifested six dim, flickering bamboo lamps around his body. With a sinister chuckle, he flicked his long arms, producing a strange wave of spiritual Qi. The six lamps burst into bright light, revolving rapidly around him.
At the same time, an object resembling an ink-gold pestle appeared in his hand. Striking each of the six lamps in sequence with the pestle, several loud clangs resounded, and six surging streams of fire burst forth from the lamps.
The six streams of fire intertwined in midair into a massive fire dragon, roaring as it charged straight toward Shi Yu.
He smiled triumphantly. This was his long-nurtured natal magic treasure, and this technique was known as Six Skies of Extreme Flame. Once unleashed, its power was formidable; even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators of the same rank could not easily withstand it, let alone these young Qi Refining Realm brats before him.
However, he never expected that the youngest among the four would actually curve his eyes and burst out laughing: “Using fire in front of my sister—er, brother? Oh boy.”
The villain cultivator had no idea what those words meant, but feeling insulted, he cursed aloud. The fire dragon whipped around, pivoting to charge at the brazen brat instead.
Ji Yu gasped in surprise and hurriedly ducked behind Shi Yu, with the fire dragon pursuing closely behind.
Su Guanying and the others gasped, their pupils shrinking as they believed Shi Yu was about to perish. Just as they were about to rush forward to help, Shi Yu calmly extended a finger, pressing it into midair right toward the forehead of the roaring fire dragon.
The fire dragon froze in midair, its roaring flames grinding to a complete halt. Before anyone could react, the fire dragon dissolved into nothingness without a trace, and even the six rapidly spinning bamboo lamps fell to the ground, lifeless and still.
The six bamboo lamps were his natal magic treasures. As they crashed to the ground, a massive surge of force traveled through him, sending him flying backward to slam heavily against the temple wall.
“Aargh!” He spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision going black as he lost consciousness.
...
Dead silence enveloped the temple. Everyone's gaze froze on Shi Yu as they watched her withdraw her finger with an unbothered expression, their hearts trembling involuntarily.
By now, even the dullest among them realized that Shi Yu's cultivation base was definitely not the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm her aura suggested!
After all, that man was a genuine Foundation Establishment Realm Master, yet he had been dealt with so effortlessly by her hands.
In truth, Shi Yu had relied on a bit of trickery. Playing with fire in front of her was like teaching a fish how to swim. She had neutralized his attack using her Heavenly Fire, causing him to suffer severe backlash from his disrupted natal magic treasure—allowing her to eliminate him in a single move, which looked immensely intimidating.
Seeing this unexpected turn of events, a bad feeling crept into the burly cultivator's heart, and he roared, “Strike together!”
With that, he and the remaining men joined forces to unleash an attack. Instantly, wind rumbled and strange lights flashed throughout the temple.
Shi Yu's figure flickered as she struck a Divine Phoenix Seal into herself, Qingzhou, and Mo Tong respectively. She called out, “Ji Yu, hide well. I will take care of the leader; as for the rest, Qingzhou, Mo Tong, you two join forces.”
“Yes!”
Seeing the three of them actually planning to face the crowd outnumbered, the other cultivators in the caravan exchanged bewildered glances. Ninth Uncle and the caravan's other two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators had intended to step forward to assist as the situation shifted, but upon hearing Shi Yu's words, they choked on their words, uncertain if they should step in at all.
The Hidden Hatred Flute slipped from her sleeve. As Shi Yu blew softly into it, countless flute notes rang out like sharp blades slicing through the air, colliding against the men with resounding metallic clangs. Soon after, the notes flowed like water, causing their minds to waver in an instant.
Qingzhou and Mo Tong were essentially connected as one, and their moves were identical, differing only in that one's aura was slightly stronger than the other's. Both pressed their palms together before slowly drawing them apart, revealing longswords condensed from flowing water in their palms, dazzling with a layer of blue radiance.
The crisp sound of flowing water intertwined with the flute notes, and in an instant, murderous intent surged.
Of the seven malicious cultivators, excluding the one knocked unconscious by backlash, the remaining six burned with fury. They unleashed their moves simultaneously, charging straight at Shi Yu's group.
Yet Shi Yu's movement technique was unpredictable, flickering like erratic flames that made her impossible to lock onto. Meanwhile, the other two swung their water swords, slicing apart the incoming attacks with a single thrust!
The villains were shaken in terror, never expecting that besides Shi Yu, the other two possessed such formidable strength as well—they couldn't even get close! A heavy dread settled in their chests as regret washed over them for acting so arrogantly earlier.
However, the grudge was already forged, and there was no turning back!
The leading burly cultivator yelled grimly, “Make it quick!”
The six men exerted everything they had, leaving nothing in reserve. Disregarding their spiritual energy consumption, they unleashed divine abilities one after another while driving their artifacts and spirit talismans through the fray.
Regrettably, when it came to foundations and resources, how could they possibly match Shi Yu and her group?
Within a few breaths, two heads hit the floor, and the rest sustained varying degrees of injuries. Meanwhile, Shi Yu's group remained completely unscathed, their breaths steady and deep.
The burly cultivator glared furiously and roared. But just as he was about to make a move, Shi Yu's figure materialized before him. A crescent blade slid out from inside the Hidden Hatred Flute, slicing clean across his throat.
She whispered softly beside his ear, “Make it quick.”
...
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