"Many thanks, Holy Envoy!"

Jie Nan's face was filled with excitement.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

Suddenly, three bell chimes echoed within the mountain cave.

"What has happened?"

The hoarse voice from beneath the blood pool inquired.

Jie Nan's expression changed:

"Three bell tolls in the temple signify a major event; this is a rule established by the first abbot!"

"What?!"

The person beneath the blood pool was somewhat angered and alarmed. Perfection was near, and that evil object was about to be controlled. He didn't want any mishaps to occur.

"Holy Envoy, rest assured, this subordinate will not allow anyone to disturb your recovery!" Jie Nan quickly said.

"Four Ghosts, go with Jie Nan. If you must fight, kill them all. With a large influx of blood, this Envoy can recover more quickly!"

"Understood!"

The entity beneath the blood pool was silent for a moment, then whispered:

"If things become unmanageable, ring the bells and buy me another hour!"

This was his limit. His efforts of the past two months would be reduced to ashes, and he would have to start all over. But he had to do it, or leave this place and find another branch.

He couldn't put himself in danger.

Soon, they left, and the blood pool gurgled with bubbles.

One by one, blood-red paper figures floated up from the blood pool...

...

At this moment,

Before the Ci'en Temple mountain gate.

Hundreds of Ping'an County yamen runners stood ready for battle, long sabers at their waists. Nearly forty runners held crossbows, warily surrounding Ci'en Temple, startling a crowd of believers who scattered in all directions.

Dozens of Ci'en Temple warrior monks, wielding staffs, stood blocking the gate, their gazes fixed on Li Mingqi, who stood at the forefront.

"Anyone who dares obstruct the yamen's search will be executed without mercy!"

Li Mingqi stated coldly from the front.

"How dare you disturb the serenity of this Buddhist sanctuary?"

A calm voice rang out from behind the warrior monks, who immediately opened a path. An eyebrowless old monk, clad in a kasaya, walked emotionlessly to the front.

"Where is Jie Ku?"

Li Mingqi frowned, scrutinizing the monk, finding him unfamiliar.

He had met the abbot of Ci'en Temple several times; it was not this person.

"This humble monk is Jie Nan. Senior Brother Jie Ku has been in seclusion for some time and is unavailable to meet visitors. What business does this official have?"

Jie Nan announced loudly.

"What business?"

"Humph... This official has received concrete evidence that the Wusheng Sect heretics are hiding within Ci'en Temple. If you refuse a search, don't blame this official for ordering the slaughter of your monks."

Li Mingqi declared loudly.

Upon hearing Li Mingqi's words, Jie Nan's face showed no shock. His gaze slowly swept over the yamen runners, and he sneered, saying:

"The imperial court certainly has great power. Very well, since we have been discovered, there is nothing left to hide."

"Everyone, reveal yourselves!"

With a low shout from Jie Nan, four black-robed figures instantly leapt up from within the Ping'an Temple, using it as a springboard. They tapped the air several times, landing beside Jie Nan.

These four figures were all clad in black robes, their faces covered by ghostly masks, revealing only their empty eyes.

Chen Yuan's gaze narrowed. This...

This was completely off-script!

Had the people of Ci'en Temple admitted it so easily?

Shouldn't he be leading the yamen runners to the back mountain, and they would only act out of anger when cornered?

And...

The sudden appearance of the four figures carried a faint aura, identical to that of Li Mingqi, meaning that they were all experts in the Ninggang realm!

Including this Jie Nan, that made...five Ninggang!

What a concept!

The entire Ping'an County had only three and a half Ninggang experts on the surface before. Zhao Nanshan was half.

But now, Ci'en Temple was actually hiding five, and who knew if there were more hidden inside.

Chen Yuan was very glad that he hadn't acted rashly before, otherwise...

He would probably be a blood slave by now.

After the relief, there was deep worry.

Even if Zhang Xuan was exceptionally strong, could he fight four at once?

When the four black-robed figures appeared, not only was Chen Yuan shocked, but Li Mingqi's pupils also shrank, and he was horrified.

Such a small Ping'an County had gathered so many Ninggang experts...

Jie Nan smirked, revealing a cold smile, and said:

"Li Mingqi, since you seek death, this monk will grant it to you. With you people, the Holy Envoy will recover even faster!"

His gaze swept over the yamen runners and constables behind Li Mingqi, as if looking at corpses!

"Is that so? A bunch of rats dare to speak so wildly!"

As soon as Jie Nan finished speaking, a voice like a resounding bell rang in everyone's ears.

"Shu!"

A long saber broke through the air, planted straight into the ground between the two groups.

Zhang Xuan, dressed in a black robe with a white pattern embroidered on the chest, arrived expressionlessly from afar, gliding through the air as if he had a staircase under his feet.

Gliding through the air?

Chen Yuan was shocked, but on closer inspection, it didn't seem to be quite so. Zhang Xuan seemed to have condensed the gangqi around his body into leverage under his feet, allowing him to achieve such a scene.

It should be called gliding more accurately, but it was still amazing enough.

After Zhang Xuan appeared, almost ten Xuntianwei in black mysterious clothes poured in from four directions, including Yue Shan, whom Chen Yuan knew well.

"Xuntian envoy, Zhang Xuan!"

Jie Nan's face was extremely solemn.

Based on other channels and the judgments made from previous encounters, Zhang Xuan's strength had reached the Tiangang level, and his strength was extremely powerful. He had played a part in the destruction of the Holy Sect branch in Nanling Prefecture!

"Zhang Xuan..."

Chen Yuan listened from the side, and understood, remembering the name.

"You dare to be so arrogant based on your power?"

Zhang Xuan's tone was icy.

"Zhang Xuan, don't be too arrogant. Even if your strength is outstanding, can you defeat the combined forces of the five of us?" A black-robed man wearing a ghost mask threatened.

Li Mingqi's face was livid, feeling insulted:

"Impudent!"

Zhang Xuan reached out and grabbed the long saber from the ground, looking at the group expressionlessly:

"Heh... Come at me together."

Seeing that the battle was about to begin, Chen Yuan frowned and quietly retreated behind the crowd. At a glance, Chen Yuan, blended in the crowd of constables, was not noticeable at all.

The masters in the field could not pay attention to him.

"Arrogant!"

"Courting death!"

"Humph, do you think we are afraid of you?"

Several black-robed men scolded.

"Enough nonsense, if you don't attack, this envoy will!"

Zhang Xuan snorted, and a cyan gangqi instantly condensed around his body. He took a step forward and slashed out with the long saber in his hand, and a cyan saber light cut down through the air.

"Boom!"

Several people retreated immediately.

Jie Nan took a deep breath, his palms surrounded by black energy, and shouted:

"Attack, kill them!"

"Good."

"Good."

————

It is said that clicking one can make you do it eighteen times a night!