https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-370-Buddhist-Treasures-and-Gains/13688689/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-372-The-World-Watches-the-Wolf-Hides/13688691/
Chapter 371: Purge, the News Spreads
Boom!
In a great city of Xi Zhou, a colossal Buddha statue under construction suddenly collapsed with a thunderous roar.
The workers below stared up at the figure in the sky, filled with awe. They had never seen anyone fly through the air like that before. Could this be a celestial being descending to earth?
In an instant, devout commoners—those who believed in gods and buddhas—dropped to their knees and began to worship.
A young monk, whose spirit force had already reached the Xian Tian Jing realm, gazed up at the sky, his face pale with shock. He saw Lu Qing, his feet resting upon a golden small boat, a Ghost Face Mask covering his visage.
"Master from which Secret Place are you? Are you mocking Xuan Kong Shan in this manner?" the monk cried out.
"Xuan Kong Shan? I’m aiming straight at Xuan Kong Shan!" Lu Qing’s eyes narrowed. A single, concentrated thread of Sword Qi shot down from the heavens, aimed straight at the young monk.
The speed was blinding, the power overwhelming. The monk gasped in terror. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. With no time to react, he summoned all his spiritual force, forming a defensive barrier of energy before him, hoping to block the deadly strike.
But there was only a soft crack.
The monk froze. His eyes widened, then slowly dulled. A thin line of blood appeared on his forehead, spreading rapidly—until his body split cleanly in two, falling lifeless to the ground, triggering screams of horror from the crowd below.
After killing the Xuan Kong Shan disciple, Lu Qing didn’t even turn his head. He simply guided the golden boat forward, vanishing into the distance like a streak of glowing light.
Yet, as he soared through the air, a deep thought settled in his mind.
It had been two days since his battle with the Gray Robe Elder. For two days, he had remained in seclusion within the cave, refining his cultivation. This morning, he emerged, awakened his Golden Small Boat, and began executing his plan.
He had launched a relentless assault across numerous cities of Xi Zhou—destroying every temple and Buddha statue still under construction. If any Xuan Kong Shan disciples dared resist, he slaughtered them without hesitation.
The city he had just left was already the fourth in his sweep today.
The flying spiritual artifact truly lived up to its reputation. After mastering the Golden Small Boat, his mobility had undergone a quantum leap. He could now cross the entire Xi Zhou in less than a day.
In the past, even if he had managed such a feat, it would have drained him of immense stamina and spiritual energy. But now, simply riding the boat, he moved with effortless grace.
Compared to before, it felt like he had saved countless efforts and expended barely any strength.
Everything should have been going perfectly—yet, deep in his heart, Lu Qing sensed something was off.
Because the disciples stationed in the cities he had attacked… they didn’t seem to recognize him.
Their reactions were purely shock at seeing a flying figure—no fear, no recognition, no awareness of who he was or where he came from.
That was deeply suspicious.
After all, not long ago, he had slain Xuan Yi and several other high-ranking elders of Xuan Kong Shan. Even a Tai Shang Elder like the Gray Robe Elder had fallen to his blade.
Such a massive disturbance should have sent shockwaves across the entire sect. The news should have spread like wildfire.
But now, here he was, striking at multiple outposts—and the disciples acted as if he were a complete stranger.
Clearly, the sect’s leadership had deliberately suppressed the truth. They had not informed the outer disciples about the Gray Robe Elder’s death.
But why?
Was it because they believed someone like him—a so-called "senior cultivator"—wouldn’t harm ordinary disciples? So there was no need to warn them?
Or was it fear—fear that the truth would undermine Xuan Kong Shan’s prestige and authority?
Or… was there a deeper conspiracy at play?
Lu Qing’s mind raced with possibilities.
Yet his actions remained unchanged. If anything, he pushed the Golden Small Boat even faster, his expression hardening with resolve.
No matter what Xuan Kong Shan’s motives were, he no longer needed to fear them.
If there truly was a trap ahead, he would simply reveal his trump card—unleashing his spirit artifact with overwhelming force.
He had no doubt that, when the moment came, the sect would be far more shocked than he was.
With that thought in mind, Lu Qing continued his relentless purge of Xuan Kong Shan’s outposts.
Wherever he saw a temple or Buddha statue under construction, he destroyed it without hesitation.
If any disciple dared to resist, he cut them down without mercy.
Now that he had declared open war on Xuan Kong Shan, he would no longer waste time with compassion.
An enemy? Then kill them.
By the end of the day, Lu Qing had swept through the majority of Xuan Kong Shan’s strongholds across Xi Zhou.
And in his brutal, unapologetic campaign—his attacks too obvious, too bold to hide—the truth could no longer be concealed.
The rumors spread like wildfire.
A mysterious warrior, riding a golden small boat and wearing a Ghost Face Mask, was wreaking havoc across Xi Zhou—destroying temples, slaying disciples.
The tale spread rapidly, reaching beyond Xi Zhou and echoing through the other great provinces.
"Are you certain?" asked a red-faced elder monk, robed in gray but with a healthy flush on his face, standing in the Lingshan Mountains. He stared impassively at the red-robed monk before him.
"Absolutely certain, Tai Shang Elder," the red-robed monk replied, trembling slightly. "The masked specter is slaughtering our disciples across Xi Zhou. Our scouts have been wiped out in droves. The news has already spread throughout the region—and now, even other provinces are beginning to hear about it."
"Understood. You may go."
The red-faced elder spoke coldly.
"Yes, Master." The red-robed monk bowed deeply and retreated quietly.
The elder stood motionless, his expression blank. After a long silence, he finally reached into his robes and pulled out a jade token. With a flick of his mind, he activated it.
A faint glow pulsed from the token.
A spirit resonance emerged: "Chi Xin Elder, report. What is the situation?"
"Exactly as we suspected," the red-faced elder replied. "The masked intruder is indeed targeting us. He appeared again today, destroying all the new outposts we’ve established in Xi Zhou. He shows no mercy—even ordinary disciples are slaughtered without hesitation."
"Killing even rank-and-file disciples? Then this is no mere grudge. This man bears us a deep, deadly hatred. Who in our sect could have provoked such a powerful enemy?"
A different voice echoed in the jade token—clearly, it wasn’t just a one-way link.
"I don’t know," the red-faced elder shook his head. "Ku Rong was annihilated too thoroughly. He left no traces. The battlefield is shrouded in chaos—no way to calculate or predict. Honestly… I can’t even tell if the masked man is male or female."
"No need to speculate," a firm voice cut in. "Someone who could kill Ku Rong in such a short time must be an ancient cultivator—just like us. Besides the elders from the other Secret Places and the three monsters from Sheng Shan, no one else could possess such power."
"True. Especially those nose-riders from Qing Yang Guan—they’ve always hated us. Their grudge runs deeper than any other."
"But the other great Secret Places have only just emerged. They’re still consolidating their own domains. They wouldn’t have time to trouble us now."
"Then it must be Sheng Shan. Those three monsters have always been scheming. Their motive fits."
The jade token buzzed with voices—several spirit echoes arguing fiercely.
(End of Chapter)
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