Chapter 214: Witch Sovereign Lou Luo Classic

"Could this Ban Gongcuo have improved the Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra?"

The Duke of Wei was somewhat puzzled. He muttered, "I've sparred with masters from the Loulan Golden Palace. Their cultivation methods involve training with souls, and although they refine their bodies to a golden glow, their techniques primarily use souls as offensive means. However, this young savage is taking the physical body route, and his techniques are somewhat different from the Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra; they're a bit too aggressive..."

As a first-rank official and a grandmaster-level figure, he immediately recognized Qin Mu's extraordinary abilities. Yet, despite his exceptional insight, he could only discern that Qin Mu's Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra seemed familiar yet distinct, failing to realize that Qin Mu was actually using the Divine Creation Technique.

Each of the seven chapters of the Great Cultivation Demonic Scripture's Creation section had its unique strengths. The Divine Creation Technique, in particular, excelled at mimicking others' cultivation methods. Granny Si had once demonstrated this technique, perfectly imitating the Dragon-Embossed City Lord Fu Yundi, making it impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

Qin Mu killed Monk Yuanjing with a single palm strike, instantly enraging the monks of Nanda Palace. Another monk stepped forward and loudly declared, "You're using our Nanda Temple's treasured artifact to kill our own people! Do you really think Nanda Temple has no one left? I, Yuanshan, will spar with you..."

Qin Mu reached out and grabbed, and a crackling thunderous sound erupted. Before Monk Yuanshan could finish his sentence, he fell straight to the ground. His body was lifelike, without a single wound, and his heart was still beating.

Several monks rushed forward and checked Monk Yuanshan's breath. He was still breathing, but his eyes were already closed.

"Stop touching him; his soul has been scattered," Qin Mu said. "Xiao Ke seized his soul and destroyed it instantly."

"Wasn't this supposed to be a sparring match?" The monks exclaimed, laughing in exasperation. "Why do you repeatedly deliver fatal blows?"

Qin Mu calmly replied, "These are the rules of the frontier. Once you make a move, life or death doesn't matter. I thought the people of High Kingdom of Yan Kang still had some spirit, but it seems you've become so pampered that you're afraid of death. It appears I came to the wrong place. These Thousand Pagodas should remain in my Loulan Golden Palace; you are not its fated owners."

"Presumptuous!" A monk roared, suddenly charging forward, swinging his nine-ringed staff adorned with nine treasures. He shook it violently, causing a clanging sound that resonated and unsettled one's soul.

Qin Mu stood motionless, allowing the staff to strike his head. Only then did he reach out and grab it, pulling with force. The monk's hands were bloody, his palms scraped raw.

Qin Mu hurled the staff, piercing the monk through the chest and impaling him to the ground, where he stopped breathing.

The Duke of Wei shook his head. "The monks of Nanda Temple are all gluttons; they've grown too pampered over the years. The gap between them and him is too vast; they're no match for him in the same realm. The shamanic arts of the Loulan Golden Palace are indeed sinister and can destroy an opponent's soul. However, something about this feels off. I haven't seen his moves before. Could the Shamanic Deity have created some new divine ability?"

Wei Yong still hadn't found Qin Mu. He thought to himself, "He told me to watch the show, but where did he go himself?"

Inside Nanda Palace, several more middle-aged monks emerged, their expressions solemn. One of them said in a deep voice, "Someone, go to the Dali Temple and report him to the authorities! Another person, go to the Crown Prince's residence and invite the abbot here!"

The other monks' eyes lit up, and they quickly departed.

The Dali Temple was responsible for investigating and trying cases. Nanda Palace didn't need to fight Qin Mu to the death; they just needed the authorities to investigate and imprison him, and the Thousand Pagodas would naturally return to Nanda Temple.

It was only natural for the Dali Temple to investigate since Qin Mu had killed people in the capital. Moreover, Nanda Temple had connections within the Dali Temple, which made things even more convenient.

At the Crown Prince's residence, a monk ran in, flustered, calling out, "Abbot, something terrible has happened! Someone is causing trouble at our Nanda Palace!"

Sun Nantuo, who sat like a great Buddha in meditation, opened his eyes at the news and looked towards the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, a middle-aged man who appeared to be around the same age as Emperor Yanfeng, stroked his beard and chuckled, "Could it be a devil from the Heavenly Devil Cult seeking revenge?"

The monk shook his head. "It's not the Heavenly Devil Cult. It's a disciple from the Loulan Golden Palace from beyond the Great Wall, named Ban Gongcuo. He brought our Nanda Temple's treasured artifact, the Thousand Pagodas, which has been missing for several hundred years. He claims he's gifting it to someone fated to receive it. He said that if anyone could defeat him in the same realm, he would give them the Thousand Pagodas. Several of us brothers challenged him, but he brutally killed many of them without a word!"

Sun Nantuo's expression slightly darkened. He said, "You indulge in alcohol and lust, neglecting your Buddhist cultivation; you deserve this defeat. However, the Thousand Pagodas are indeed the treasured artifact of my Nanda Temple, having been lost beyond the Great Wall centuries ago. We must retrieve this treasure."

The Crown Prince frowned slightly. "Grand Tutor, the Heavenly Devil Cult has lost two Heavenly Kings in a row. Given the nature of the primary demonic sect, they certainly won't give up easily. Is this sudden appearance of a Loulan Golden Palace disciple a trick? I heard that after forty years, the Heavenly Devil Cult finally has a new cult master, and his origins are still unknown..."

Sun Nantuo rose and calmly stated, "Your Highness, your information is a bit outdated. The origins of the new Heavenly Devil Cult Master have already been revealed. I received news from the Great Thunderclap Monastery that this new cult master is Qin Mu, a Grand Academician from the Imperial Academy and a refugee from the Great Ruins. His Majesty recently promoted him to a fifth-rank Cavalier General."

"It's him!" The Crown Prince stood up, surprised. "Although the new Heavenly Devil Cult Master is young, the cult still has powerful and wise individuals, so we must be wary. Grand Tutor, I didn't realize you still had contact with the Great Thunderclap Monastery. Would you be able to arrange a connection for me?"

"That can be arranged easily," Sun Nantuo said as he walked out. "Old Buddha also wishes to meet Your Highness."

The Crown Prince followed him, chuckling, "I'll go with you to see this Ban Gongcuo from the Loulan Golden Palace and determine whether he's truly from the Loulan Golden Palace or the Heavenly Devil Cult."

Not long after, several Dali Temple officials arrived and, upon seeing the Duke of Wei, immediately bowed in greeting.

The Duke of Wei, spotting Sun Nantuo and the Crown Prince approaching, loudly declared, "The Emperor previously decreed that what belongs to the court stays with the court, and what belongs to the martial world stays with the martial world. This is a martial world dispute; there's no need for Dali Temple to interfere. Otherwise, if there's fighting every day in the martial world, can your Dali Temple handle it all? Only when an official appointed by the court dies should you get involved. Minister Sun, Your Highness, come here and enjoy the show!"

Sun Nantuo's expression slightly darkened, while the Crown Prince chuckled, "Grand Tutor, it's probably best if we go over there. Otherwise, Big-Voice Wei will shout loud enough for the whole capital to hear. Speaking of which, the rules Father Emperor set back then really should be changed."

The Duke of Wei had just referred to the rules established by the Emperor and the major sects: what belonged to the court stayed with the court, and what belonged to the martial world stayed with the martial world, with no interference between the two. Although the monks of Nanda Temple were disciples of Sun Nantuo, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, most of them held no official positions and were therefore considered part of the martial world.

As Sun Nantuo and the Crown Prince approached the Duke of Wei and the others, Qin Mu killed several more monks, infuriating the Nanda Palace community. Numerous monks clamored to fight and kill him.

The middle-aged monks noticed the growing crowd around them and, fearing the loss of Nanda Temple's reputation, quickly ordered the other monks to stop.

"Duke, Your Royal Highness, Minister Sun!" The Duke of Wei looked over as an elderly official approached, smiling. "Ah, it's Lord Yan Zhigui. Lord Yan is quite favored by the Emperor and Empress Dowager these days."

Lord Yan quickly chuckled, "You're joking, Duke. Minister Sun, what's happening here?"

"Nanda Temple has gotten into trouble; judging by the situation, it looks like a revenge attack." Several more high-ranking officials walked over. One official remarked, "Nanda Temple has had a poor reputation these past years, with monks frequenting the private quarters of ladies and the backyards of princes and ministers. Many officials have grievances but don't dare voice them, to avoid embarrassing themselves. This time, I expect everyone is just waiting to watch Nanda Temple's downfall. Look, not a single person is willing to intervene. Oh, Minister Sun is here too."

These officials were all first- or second-rank dignitaries of the court, and they deliberately pretended not to see Sun Nantuo, giving him a cold shoulder.

Sun Nantuo remained impassive, looking at Qin Mu. The Crown Prince of Yan Kang was also observing Qin Mu, trying to discern the origins of his cultivation technique.

"Send up a divine ability practitioner! Have him seal his Six Harmonies Divine Treasure first, then unseal it and strike ruthlessly! Kill him directly!"

A middle-aged monk lowered his voice and said, "Yuankong, you go. We've already lost face, so a little more won't hurt. Regardless, you must win back the Thousand Pagodas!"

Monk Yuankong affirmed, immediately sealing his Six Harmonies Divine Treasure and stepping forward to spar with Qin Mu. His cultivation was far superior to Monk Yuanjing's. He stood there like a thousand-armed Buddha, his body unmoving, his arms swirling, bearing a striking resemblance to the Thousand-Armed Buddha of the Eight Thunderclap Forms.

Qin Mu charged forward, and a thunderous roar erupted as Monk Yuankong met him with a powerful palm strike. A fierce, surging wind swept outwards in all directions, making the clothes of those nearby flap violently.

Cracking and popping sounds emanated from within Monk Yuankong's body as he fell straight to the ground, his bones completely shattered. He hadn't even had time to unseal his Six Harmonies Divine Treasure before being beaten to death!

Many monks from Nanda Temple were furious, their eyes red with rage. They shouted and surged forward, wanting to hack Qin Mu to death, but they were held back by the middle-aged monks.

The Duke of Wei clapped his hands in admiration, his voice booming, "The Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra of the Loulan Golden Palace is truly formidable! Another great monk has been killed!"

Sun Nantuo frowned slightly and murmured, "This is the Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra?"

He had never met masters from the Loulan Golden Palace nor seen this cultivation technique. However, the Duke of Wei had previously traveled to the western frontiers and had even sparred with a Shaman King from the Loulan Golden Palace.

The Crown Prince of Yan Kang pondered, "I heard that the shamans of the Loulan Golden Palace cultivate with souls, allowing them to demonize themselves, becoming half-human, half-demon, and exhibiting various transformations..."

As he was speaking, another monk from Nanda Temple stepped forward. Upon entering the arena, he immediately unsealed his Six Harmonies Divine Treasure, intending to unleash a divine ability, but Qin Mu closed in, striking him in the chest.

With his Six Harmonies Divine Treasure open, the Nanda Temple monk's aura surged, and his divine ability burst forth!

He was even stronger than Yuankong, having refined over four hundred treasures from the Thousand Treasures of the Spiritual Treasure Immovable Zen technique, mastering over four hundred types of hand seals. With each seal he struck, Buddhist light shimmered and burst outwards, resembling a Buddha in a thunderous rage, subduing demons. This drew applause from all around!

"Master Yuanyue's cultivation is impressive!" praised a lady, her face flushed like a peach blossom, whose identity was unknown.

As she spoke, Qin Mu's body rippled, transforming into his deified state: a human body with a bull's head and hooves, glowing golden all over, standing on two dragons. A bull's eye appeared on his forehead, from which a beam of fire shot out, slicing across Master Yuanyue's neck.

Master Yuanyue felt his head flying backward, seeing his own headless body with blood still gushing from his neck.

His head flew into the arms of the peach-blossom-faced lady, terrifying her so much that her face turned ashen, and she screamed before fainting.

*Whap, whap.*Qin Mu's bull tail swung, hitting his buttocks twice, which immediately turned red and swollen.

The Crown Prince of Yan Kang's eyes flickered. He said, "It should be the Shamanic Deity Loulan Sutra of the Loulan Golden Palace. But why would he hit his own buttocks? Is that some strange spell from the Loulan Golden Palace?"