Chapter 260: Killing and Punishment

The Tathagata and the Dao Master were the preeminent figures of the previous era. Each had cultivated to the level of gods and Buddhas. Had the divine bridge not been severed, they would have ascended and departed this world long ago.

Although Emperor Yanfeng is a more recent figure in this era, his cultivation in the imperial city, utilizing the nine dragon veins, granted him unique advantages. This allowed him to achieve twice the results with half the effort, and his profound cultivation made him one of the foremost experts in the world today.

Yankang Nation is renowned as the greatest sacred land in the world, and Emperor Yanfeng, along with the Yankang Imperial Preceptor, serves as its sect master and leader.

Nevertheless, he was still slightly outmatched by the Tathagata and the Dao Master. Their decision to gang up on him wasn't an admission of lesser skill, but rather an acknowledgment that in a one-on-one encounter, Emperor Yanfeng could easily escape from either of them.

However, their combined efforts eliminated any possibility of Emperor Yanfeng's escape.

Thunder cracked and boomed. Bolts of azure lightning descended from the clouds, and crackling electrical currents enveloped Emperor Yanfeng. Intense, swirling light flared around him, as true dragons soared in the sky. Suddenly, all nine dragons roared in unison and lunged towards the Dao Master and the Tathagata.

The Tathagata chuckled, flipping his golden alms bowl abruptly so its mouth faced upward. Immediately, a dazzling golden light erupted, and a myriad of celestial beings poured forth, filling the sky with gods and Buddhas who engaged the true dragons in combat.

"Old Daoist friend, I'll leave the killing of the Emperor to you," the Tathagata said, smiling.

The old Dao Master rested his hand on his sword. Its light pulsed with a wondrous rhythm, embodying all worldly movements as he softly chanted, "The Dao nurtures all heavens and earth, sustains myriad laws, and unifies all under heaven! Your Majesty, this half-move..."

Before he could finish speaking, two streaks of light flashed in the air and abruptly halted. The old Dao Master quickly restrained his sword and looked intently, seeing an old man in a green monastic robe and a blind man leaning on a bamboo staff standing in mid-air.

"Tathagata, are you fighting?" the blind man asked, smiling.

The Tathagata also restrained the golden light spewing from his alms bowl and smiled faintly, "Divine King Ma, blind Daoist friend, to what do we owe this visit?"

Old Ma replied icily, "We're looking for someone!"

The blind man tapped his bamboo staff, causing the sky to tremble. Many of the powerful combatants fighting nearby were startled and quickly ceased hostilities. The blind man smiled and said, "A great wind rises, and the clouds fly high; it seems you are all fighting quite hastily. Gentlemen, I offer my humble apologies for the disturbance. May I inquire if any of you have seen a woman?"

Quan Dingwu, who had been on the receiving end of a beating, finally caught his breath and loudly asked, "Blind man, who are you looking for?"

"A woman, extraordinarily beautiful. The kind who, with just one glance, imprints herself upon your heart and lingers there, constantly stirring your thoughts."

The blind man sighed, "This woman is formidable. An ancient demon resides within her, causing mischief. It became enamored with her beauty and intends to seize her body to transform into a woman. As the saying goes, 'a beauty's face is like jade, hidden away in a golden chamber.' We had originally brought her to the Great Thunderclap Temple, hoping the old Tathagata could subdue this ancient demon..."

He spoke for some time, but no one seemed to grasp his meaning. Old Ma interjected, "Blind man, get to the point."

The blind man scratched his head and explained, "This woman is the former Cult Mistress, the former Saintess, of the Heavenly Devil Cult. The Tathagata was about to kill the Emperor, so he let her go."

The Tathagata chuckled, "This old monk was simply stretched too thin and unable to help."

The blind man retorted angrily, "If you couldn't manage it, you should have said so sooner! Now she's nowhere to be found. Esteemed Daoist friends, have any of you seen the former Cult Mistress of the Heavenly Devil Cult? She is exceptionally beautiful, and her voice can charm you to your very bones. Has anyone seen her?"

Everyone shook their heads.

A flicker of hope ignited in Xue Bi'e's heart, and she called out, "We are from the Heavenly Saint Cult! We earnestly hope you two can lend us your aid!"

The Tathagata's heart tightened. The old Dao Master inquired, "What's their origin?"

"My eldest disciple and the Spear God," the old Tathagata replied.

The old Dao Master exclaimed in surprise, "So it's the three-eyed Divine Catcher Ma and the legendary Divine Eye from all those years ago? You've both aged so much!"

Old Ma shook his head. "Your matters are not as urgent as our search for someone. We're not interested in getting involved."

"Whether you're killing the Emperor or protecting him, it truly pales in importance compared to our search."

The blind man sighed, "If an Emperor dies, a new one will simply replace him. But if that demon escapes, tsk tsk, the entire world will suffer. Emperor, have you seen this Cult Mistress?"

Emperor Yanfeng's expression was grim, and he slowly shook his head. "I have not seen her. May I dare to request assistance from you two seniors?"

The blind man was somewhat disappointed. "No interest," he said. "It's better that you haven't seen her; if you had, you'd be facing national calamity and ruin. Old Master Ma, let's go. She can't have run far!"

Old Ma nodded, and the two whistled away, vanishing without a trace.

The crowd was bewildered. "What truly eccentric senior experts," they muttered.

The sounds of battle resumed.

The Tathagata unleashed the golden radiance from his alms bowl, and the Twenty Heavens ascended into the sky. The Dao Master released his sword light, manifesting the power of the fourteenth chapter of the Dao Sword. The sword light elucidated the grand Dao of heaven and earth; the sword became like heaven, like earth, transforming into myriad laws and the celestial constellations. This single strike embodied the unification of all Dao under heaven!

Emperor Yanfeng activated the Nine Dragon Emperor's Art, his body wreathed in auspicious nine-dragon energy, his feet treading on rosy light. Each of his strikes possessed incredible power, capable of splitting mountains and seas, or even reversing the cosmos. He was proficient in a vast array of Daoist arts and divine abilities, able to effortlessly wield the Dao Sword of the Daoist sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple's Victorious Fighting Method. Any divine ability or Daoist art seemed to transform from decay into wonder in his hands, imbued with astonishing power.

Even the Sword Art of Departing Hatred from Liqing Palace, a technique traditionally cultivated only by women, he could execute with even greater potency.

Even his most ordinary moves became tremendously powerful!

Spells, sword techniques, and even physical divine abilities could all be unleashed by him, each strike possessing the power to move mountains and overturn seas!

He had cultivated the Nine Dragon Emperor's Art to a divine level!

The Dao Master's eyes gleamed. His sword art flowed like a tempest, assailing Emperor Yanfeng, as he praised, "Everyone speaks of the Imperial Preceptor as a prodigy in Daoist arts, yet the world has overlooked Emperor Yanfeng. Your Majesty, you are already a Grandmaster, entirely capable of founding your own sect and establishing a sacred land. What a regrettable situation!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*

The Dao Sword, imbued with the rhythm of the Grand Dao, pierced through Emperor Yanfeng's formidable defenses, leaving him with multiple wounds!

The Tathagata spotted an opening. His golden alms bowl flipped abruptly, and the Twenty Heavens pressed down, unleashing the full force of the twenty minor worlds contained within the bowl onto Emperor Yanfeng.

Emperor Yanfeng grunted, enduring the immense pressure of the Twenty Heavens. His movements grew incredibly sluggish, yet the power of his Daoist arts and divine abilities intensified, allowing him to contend with the Dao Sword.

The Dao Master's incomplete sword move was infinitely varied and untraceable. It pushed the calculations and derivations of numerology to their absolute limits, exhaustively demonstrating the principle of "Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things," thereby capturing the complete essence of the myriad creations.

However, the Dao Master's wisdom had its limits, so this ultimate move was never fully perfected; only half of it was mastered. Yet, even this incomplete sword technique was sufficient to nullify all Daoist arts and divine abilities!

The Tathagata suspended his golden alms bowl in the air, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and declared, "The Yankang Imperial Preceptor has still not appeared, but unforeseen circumstances are always possible, so let us conclude this quickly." With that, his body shimmered, revealing his eighteen-foot golden form. He floated forward and gently struck with a palm, and as his five fingers gestured, five towering mountains descended.

Meanwhile, three hundred *li* away, Qin Mu rode on the back of a dragon qilin, which galloped through the air on fire clouds.

"Faster, move even faster!"

Sensing terrifying fluctuations, Qin Mu urged, "If you can run faster, I'll promise you three *dou* of Red Fire Spirit Pills!"

The dragon qilin panted, "Cult Master, I'm doing my utmost."

Qin Mu gritted his teeth. "Your speed is significantly slower than that old ox!" he admonished. "That ox runs more than twice as fast as you and can cover ten thousand *li* without stopping! Dragon Fatty, if you put in the effort, I'll take you to beat up the old ox! But if you keep dragging your feet, I'll bring the old ox to beat *you* up!"

The dragon qilin gritted its teeth and surged forward, fire clouds bursting from its hooves. Its speed increased dramatically, nearly sending Qin Mu flying. After galloping for thirty to fifty *li*, the dragon qilin's pace slowed again, and it foamed at the mouth. "Cult Master," it gasped, "I can't keep this up!"

Qin Mu, resigned, glared and threatened, "Because you're so gluttonous, I'll have you served on a platter next New Year!"

As he spoke, two streaks of light, one green and one gray, suddenly whizzed past. Qin Mu was momentarily stunned, then watched as the two lights circled back.

"Mu'er, what are you doing here?"

The two lights halted, revealing Old Ma and the blind man. The blind man remarked, "If my eyesight wasn't so keen, I would have missed you. When did you leave the Great Thunderclap Temple? Did the monks give you any trouble?"

Qin Mu quickly replied, "I left right after you two did. Blind Grandpa, Old Ma Grandpa, something terrible is happening! The Tathagata and the others are killing the Emperor!"

Old Ma stated, "We saw. It's a minor affair; emperors were frequently replaced in the past."

The blind man chided, "Mu'er, don't get your priorities mixed up. Li Tianxing is the real root of disaster. If that scoundrel acquires Grandma's body, *that's* when the true calamity will begin. Who could possibly stop her then?"

"I've found Grandma," Qin Mu reassured them. "You two grandpas don't need to worry. Grandma simply doesn't want to return to the Great Ruins, fearing she might implicate you both."

Qin Mu blinked. "Can you two grandpas rescue the Emperor?" he asked.

Old Ma looked at the blind man, who shook his head. "Difficult. The Emperor has likely already perished by now. With the Tathagata and the Dao Master attacking together, even if the Yankang Imperial Preceptor were to return, he'd probably be helpless. Oh, and your Heavenly Devil Cult members are there too; they're likely facing a grim end."

Qin Mu gritted his teeth. "The Emperor cannot die yet," he insisted. "As for my cult's experts, there's no need to worry about them; they can teleport away at any moment. But isn't the Yankang Imperial Preceptor there?"

"We didn't see him."

Old Ma stated, "The Tathagata is old, and so is the Dao Master. The battle won't last much longer, or it will deplete their already limited lifespans."

The blind man smiled. "We are younger than them."

Old Ma nodded in agreement.

The blind man laughed, "Then we'll go retrieve the Emperor. Mu'er, wait here. We'll bring back the Emperor's corpse for you."

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned. "Corpse?" he echoed.

Old Ma departed with him, his voice echoing from a distance: "With the Dao Master and the Tathagata striking together, he's certainly dead."

On the battlefield, the Tathagata and the Dao Master acted in concert, aiming for a swift conclusion. Emperor Yanfeng resisted the onslaught of two god-like beings, enduring continuous heavy blows. His vital energy remained extraordinarily vigorous, while the vital energy of the Tathagata and the Dao Master fluctuated wildly. However, their cultivation was simply too formidable; in terms of cultivation, both vastly outmatched him, and in terms of combat power, they held a slight edge. What's more, he was facing the combined assault of two god-like entities.

Although his vital energy was still robust, it was merely the final flicker of a dying lamp.

The Dao Master and the Tathagata were well aware that their next move could claim his life. Just then, a bamboo staff poked forward. The old Dao Master hastily swung his sword to block, and the Tathagata, sensing a killing intent from behind, instantly projected light backward from his golden alms bowl. With distinct clinks and thuds, the bamboo staff struck the sword, and the sword pierced into the golden alms bowl.

The blind man staggered back, praising, "Impressive skill; your cultivation is superior to mine, though just a tad short of that old Village Chief." With that, he turned and departed.

The Tathagata and the Dao Master quickly turned around, only to find Emperor Yanfeng had vanished without a trace.

"There's no need to pursue him," the Tathagata sighed. "Emperor Yanfeng's vital energy is depleted, and all his divine reservoirs have been shattered."

"Alas, alas," the Tathagata sighed. "Even if he were rescued, he would be a cripple."

Qin Mu was waiting when suddenly a body was thrown over, landing heavily on the dragon qilin's back. "Mu'er, the corpse you wanted has arrived!"