Chapter 123: Daoist Jin Feng

At this moment, the situation grew ever more dangerous. The old ape was being held at bay only by the combined efforts of several top cultivators, giving those at the foot of the stairs a rare moment to catch their breath.

Had the rampaging demon ape broken through, no one below would’ve been able to stop it.

Squelch!

Suddenly, a sharp, chilling sound cut through the air.

The disciple of the master-disciple pair, who had earlier used the Hellbind Ropes, suddenly struck and plunged a bronze dagger straight into his master’s heart.

“Jin Feng, you...!” The elder Daoist stared at him in disbelief with his eyes wide and his face drained of color.

Shrrkk!

The middle-aged Daoist, who appeared to be in his forties, twisted the saber and utterly destroyed his master’s heart. After that, he reached down and removed the Hellbind Ropes from the old Daoist’s waist as his face twisted into a cruel and savage smile.

The sudden betrayal was so swift and horrifying that it left everyone stunned. While the old ape was wreaking havoc at the front, held off only by the desperate efforts of the top cultivators, the others were still reeling, treating wounds, struggling to stay alive. And yet, in the midst of this chaos, this middle-aged Daoist stabbed his own master in the back without hesitation.

Now holding both Hellbind Ropes, Jin Feng quickly twisted them together. These ropes were not only a powerful spell, they were also a refined magical artifact. When used in conjunction with the proper techniques, their exorcizing power was immense.

With the two ropes fused into one, they shone even more brilliantly, and divine light radiated from the joined strands. In truth, these yellow ropes were woven entirely from talismanic paper, making them rare and highly potent spiritual weapons. They were capable of binding demons, dispelling evil, and even trapping ghosts. However, they required a specific incantation and ritual technique to be properly activated.

The moment this betrayal unfolded, the others immediately surrounded the middle-aged Daoist with fury and disbelief. Even though many were wounded, with numbers on their side, victory seemed certain.

“Jin Feng! Why did you kill your own master?!” an elderly monk spoke in a deep voice.

This “Jin Feng” was the Daoist’s Daoist title, while the monk's Dharma name was Huiqing. He was the senior brother to Master Huizhen of Qinglong Temple.

Though his cultivation wasn’t as profound as Huizhen’s, Master Huiqing’s gaze was sharp and forceful. Even while seriously injured, he exuded a presence that made one’s heart tremble.

Jin Feng sneered coldly, “That old fool was hoarding his skills. He never passed down the complete Hellbind Ropes to me. What use is he alive?”

“You wretched animal! You vile beast! Just for this... you murdered your own master?!” Master Huiqing snapped with righteous fury.

He had been close to the slain Daoist, and the two had fought side by side in countless battles against evil. He never imagined his companion would one day be stabbed in the back by his own disciple.

“Heaven and Earth know naught of mercy’s breath;

Ghosts and gods possess no eyes to see our plight;

The world lies cast in night’s unending depth;

I alone stand supreme.”

Jin Feng’s voice was slow and deliberate.

As he finished his sentence, the crowd stirred in shock.

Meanwhile, Master Huiqing’s eyes narrowed. “The Bare Body Sect! You’ve joined the Bare Body Sect!?”

Jin Feng chuckled icily. “That’s right. This tomb of the Southern Guardian Marquis... will be your burial ground.”

“Such arrogance!” Master Huiqing jabbed.

Even though Jin Feng was surrounded, he remained composed, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

Of all present, Yan Chixiao was the most bloodthirsty. The moment he heard that heretical verse from Jin Feng’s lips, he could no longer restrain himself and raised his broadsword before he swung it straight at Jin Feng’s neck. If this strike landed, even a bronze statue would be cleaved in two, not to mention flesh and blood.

But Jin Feng had a mocking expression as he pulled something from his robes in a flash. It was an Eight Trigrams Mirror!

Just then, a dazzling beam of white light erupted from the mirror. In an instant, Yan Chixiao’s saber was stopped, and the blinding light engulfed his entire body.

Boom!

This burly, iron-tower of a man was blasted backward, and his huge frame flew through the air. While it was true Yan Chixiao was already badly injured and not at his full strength, there was no way someone of his level should’ve been blown back so easily. Clearly, there was something strange about that mirror.

Daoist Jin Feng, having forced back Yan Chixiao in a single move, was instantly filled with pride and arrogance. No matter the circumstances, driving back a demon-slaying member of the Yan family was always a glorious and deeply satisfying feat.

Seeing this, Li Yanchu’s gaze darkened. He felt that mirror looked... vaguely familiar.

Jin Feng then waved his hand, and something suddenly struck the ground. In an instant, a blinding white light engulfed everything, and even those still engaged in battle with the old ape were affected.

By the time everyone’s vision cleared, Jin Feng was gone! He had already broken through the crowd and appeared outside the bronze tomb gate.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this time next year shall be your death anniversary!”

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

In his hand, Jin Feng now held a fire lightning-bomb, a formidable weapon from the

jianghu

.

Gunpowder was strictly prohibited by imperial law, and mere possession was a capital offense. These types of weapons were long lost to time, or rather, no one dared to use them anymore.

Jin Feng and his accomplices had planted explosives all around the bronze tomb gate, intending to blast the passage shut and completely sealing off the tomb. And this fire lightning-bomb was the detonator.

He flung the fire lightning-bomb outright with a crazed gleam in his eyes! With it, he could utterly imprison countless masters of both the Buddhist and Daoist sects, along with the

jianghu

’s extraordinary talents and eccentrics, inside the great tomb. It was sheer, diabolical genius!

Plus, according to a feng shui master from the Bare Body Sect, the explosion would disrupt the tomb’s feng shui alignment, releasing all the buried evil qi and corpse qi. The nearby counties and villages would gradually turn into haunted realms.

The goal of the Bare Body Sect was to unleash all the monsters and evil spirits buried within this grand tomb. And this group of demon hunters, with their profound cultivation and unmatched skills, would be the sacrifices.

But then, in the very next second, Jin Feng’s eyes widened in disbelief, because that fire lightning-bomb had never hit the ground. It had vanished and completely disappeared right under his nose!

Whoosh!

A mighty palm strike roared forth like a crashing tidal wave, carrying an overwhelming force and a searing heat infused with powerful qi and blood.

Daoist Jin Feng suddenly felt his breath catch, and his nose and mouth burned as if scorched by fire. He hastily held up his Eight Trigrams Mirror, which instantly emitted a blinding white radiance, and the divine light of the mirror just barely managed to block the incoming force.

But in the very next instant, a figure flashed forward, and a saber gleamed coldly as it slashed straight at Jin Feng’s arm.

“Aaah!!” Jin Feng let out a blood-curdling scream. Moments after, his arm holding the Eight Trigrams Mirror was sliced off cleanly at the shoulder, and blood gushed forth in a crimson spray.

Clutching his severed shoulder, he stumbled backward while howling in pain. Then, he saw a young Daoist bent down and calmly pick up the mirror from Jin Feng’s still-twitching severed hand. The young Daoist crushed the dismembered limb beneath his foot with deliberate force, then looked up at Jin Feng with an inscrutable half-smile.

Daoist Master Jin Feng’s face went deathly pale; sweat poured down his head like rain, and blood welled from his shoulder like a gushing spring, so much so that his palm couldn’t hold it back at all.

“It’s you!” Jin Feng cried out in a voice laced with agony and horror.

The youth holding the Eight Trigrams Mirror and leaning slightly on an ancient-looking saber was none other than Li Yanchu.

Just moments earlier, Li Yanchu had used Telekinetic Retrieval, a method recorded in

The Yellow Court Classic

, to snatch the fire lightning-bomb at the critical moment. Sometimes, even he could hardly believe that his primary vocation was being a Daoist priest.

The techniques in

The Yellow Court Classic

were truly profound beyond comparison.

“You’re that old Daoist who ran away the other day, aren’t you?” Li Yanchu said slowly, his gaze locking onto Jin Feng’s bloodless face.