Chapter 441: E Wu

Ewu had been ambushing near Jindou Island for several years, but his senior brother, Mutuo, never emerged.

Both he and Mutuo were originally monks from Qinling Temple in Youxiang County. After Maha's fall, Qinling Temple collapsed, and Mutuo and Ewu successively fled the Zhao Kingdom, each heading in a different direction.

This lineage of Qinling Temple was already in decline, lacking even the slightest compassion. After the fall of Wrath, their spiritual tradition became significantly weaker; many methods for divination and slaying enemies became ineffective, forcing them to constantly hide and evade.

Although Mutuo was not skilled in combat, the temple's spiritual heritage resided within him, allowing him to track others and live a more comfortable life. Ewu was stronger in battle, but his divination abilities were far inferior, leading to a much tougher existence over the years.

He fled from the Zhao Kingdom to the East Sea. While passing through the Zhulu Sea, he vaguely sensed something amiss. Upon setting up a high altar for divination, he discovered that his senior brother's Dharmakaya had been shattered, and Mutuo didn't even dare to reincarnate back into the Zhao Kingdom. This realization greatly stirred Ewu's heart.

"Normally, you can conceal your aura, preserve your heritage, and track others, making it impossible for me to catch you. But now that you're gravely wounded, this old monk's opportunity has arrived!"

Over the years, Ewu had experienced some fortuitous encounters. He set up a high altar and, combining it with the Taoist techniques he had learned, managed to pinpoint Mutuo's location, though it cost him three liters of blood. He then healed his injuries nearby and secretly set up an ambush.

The Buddhist lineage is tied to destiny. Qinling Temple's spiritual tradition resided with Mutuo, closely intertwined with his fate. As Mutuo's junior brother from Qinling Temple, Ewu believed that if he could kill Mutuo and "transform him into a Five Viscera Temple," the heritage would naturally pass to him.

Unexpectedly, after several years of waiting in ambush, Mutuo had still not appeared, but Ewu instead sensed a spiritual treasure. While other aspects of Zhao Kingdom's Buddhist cultivators might be debatable, their life-saving techniques were first-rate, making them inherently bold. Without a second thought, Ewu decided he must investigate, rushing off on the wind to find it.

Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng paused his cultivation at sea. Before any news arrived from Jindou Island to the south, a golden light soared from the north, swiftly descending and circling nearby.

He activated his ocular technique and, upon careful inspection, indeed saw a tall monk. The monk had a long face, deep-set eyes, held short staffs in both hands, and his body was entirely red, his eyes wide with fury—unmistakably a practitioner of the Wrath lineage.

The monk exuded a powerful aura, with golden light-flames billowing from his body. Li Xuanfeng took a quick look, then unslung the Golden Geng longbow from his back and silently observed.

*Is this Mutuo?*

Li Xuanfeng observed with a cold gaze, sensing something was amiss. According to the Ning family's intelligence, Mutuo should still be severely injured and unrecovered; furthermore, he didn't typically wield two staffs.

*It appears to be an accomplice of Mutuo... all lackeys of Wrath.*

He hadn't managed to lure Mutuo, but had instead drawn out a Wrath monk. Li Xuanfeng watched him, in no hurry to make a move, simply observing with his bow in hand.

The tall monk wore half a robe and carried two long staffs on his back, resembling a martial monk. He paused, observing as he patrolled the sea area where the spiritual treasure's aura had previously manifested. Li Xuanfeng maintained a considerable distance, relying solely on his ocular technique to observe from afar, thus remaining undetected.

Li Xuanfeng's dark golden spirit armor, a Foundation Establishment-level artifact called "Dark-Eyed Tiger," inherently possessed the ability to conceal his aura. Even if he were to approach the monk, he might not be discovered. However, Buddhist practitioners were peculiar, and one never knew what detection methods they might possess, so he continued to observe from a distance.

Ewu frowned and observed for a while, then suddenly perked up his ears and peered intently into the distance. He saw a figure stealthily flying in from the south, also lingering in the area, but only at the late Qi Refining stage of cultivation. How could Ewu possibly let such an opportunity pass? He sped over on the wind, saying:

"Who are you?"

The Jindou Island cultivator was startled. He glanced at Ewu, confirming he was indeed a Buddhist cultivator, and thought to himself:

*The Buddhist treasure the Master spoke of must be on him! I'll explain it to him in detail, and then the Master can come to handle it personally.*

So, he took a step back, intending to put Ewu off and return to the island. Confident in his background, he softly replied:

"Greetings, Senior. I am from Jindou Island..."

Before he could even finish his name, Ewu's face was already twisted into a cruel smile. With a wave of his hand, the cultivator felt a surge of immense force. His face flushed red, and he broke into a cold sweat, frantically fumbling for the talisman in his sleeve.

Ewu's combat prowess was exceptional even among monks; moreover, monks were inherently stronger than Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even with his lineage in decline, there was no way the cultivator could resist him. The cultivator felt his blood rush to his head as Ewu appeared before him and seized his collar.

The cultivator opened his mouth to argue but instead spat out a mouthful of blood. The protective light shield around him flared brightly, but it was merely a magic shield of the late Qi Refining level. It vanished instantly after being struck by the monk's palm.

"Master! Master..."

Ewu ignored his screams, twisted off his limbs, extracted the stark white bones, and pressed a palm onto his skull.

Although Ewu was not proficient in soul-searching techniques, he had at least learned a few basics. After reviewing the cultivator's memories from the past three days, he burst into laughter and declared:

"Situ Mo is truly gutless! If not for that, my senior brother would have fallen into my hands long ago."

Not only did he refrain from killing the man, but he also used his magic power to sustain his life force. He circled the island, found a banyan tree, and affixed the cultivator's head to it, keeping him barely alive.

From the corpses on the ground, he then scooped up a handful of blood, liberally poured it over his face, and gently rubbed. His features shifted with a crackling sound, and he had transformed into the exact likeness of the cultivator.

"Heh heh."

He chuckled twice, then rose on the wind and flew leisurely southward.

A full ten breaths or more passed before Li Xuanfeng finally landed at the edge of the island, stepped inland, and slowly walked forward, raising an eyebrow at the large banyan tree.

The head atop the tree wore a peculiar expression, a mix of anger and excitement that was neither a smile nor a frown. It seemed not yet dead, likely trapped in some pleasant dream of escape and retaliation. Li Xuanfeng's gaze hardened as he looked, and the sand and gravel beneath his feet began to rattle, producing a grating sound.

His eyes grew increasingly savage, as if he was ready to devour someone at any moment.

The Qi Refining cultivation of the individual reminded Li Xuanfeng of his younger brother, Li Xuanling, who had been shattered and consumed at Zhenhui Temple.

Back then, only Li Tongya had managed to retrieve the remains, which consisted solely of a head. Li Xuanfeng, being in Southern Jiang at the time, had never witnessed it. Now, seeing this severed head, his heart boiled with rage, and his eyes felt as if they would split.

Unlike Li Xuanxuan, who had wept bitterly and internalized the hatred, allowing inner demons to proliferate, Li Xuanfeng's expression grew colder with increasing hatred. He repeatedly analyzed the unfolding situation in his mind, and his bowstring vibrated faintly, emitting sharp whistles in the air, like an eagle's cry.

Li Xuanfeng turned, walked step by step along the coastline to the water's edge, then rose on the wind and flew towards Jindou Island.

Ewu, disguised as the cultivator named Situ Er, flew on the wind. Midway, he encountered a person in golden robes, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who served as a guest elder for Jindou Island.

Although Ewu's disguise, created using a specialized spell combined with blood energy, was remarkably perfect, it still had flaws when facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Furthermore, he didn't know if the other party was an "Immortal Foundation" specialized in detection. So, he hurriedly addressed the person using the title from the cultivator's three-day memory:

"Guest Elder Zong, no time to lose! Go back and report quickly!"

"In the sea ahead, a monk and a cultivator are locked in a fierce battle over a glittering golden object. It's a life-or-death struggle, and they've already fought their way to the seabed! Please, Guest Elder, hasten to fetch the Master."

Guest Elder Zong had dispatched five or six people, and the one Ewu was impersonating was the first to return. Upon hearing the news, he dared not delay, simply stating:

"Understood. Point me in the direction, and I'll go ahead to keep watch. You, continue back to the island to report!"

Ewu had made numerous contingencies, having a plan for any response. He casually pointed a direction for the guest elder to follow, then continued flying toward the island. As he reached the edge of Jindou Island and stopped, he saw an unsightly monk flying up.

"Senior Brother!"

Ewu was startled. His disguise was difficult to fool a Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone Mutuo, who was also a monk. Mutuo, however, merely glanced at him impatiently and said:

"What's going on?!"

Only then did Ewu remember that Mutuo's Dharmakaya was shattered and he wouldn't be able to discern Ewu's disguise. He inwardly rejoiced and concisely relayed the message. Mutuo immediately became greatly agitated, flying down to find Situ Mo. Ewu, however, dared not enter the array and simply waited outside.

Mutuo, having entered the hall, was sweating profusely, filled with both hatred and alarm, and immediately said:

"Situ, you brat, quickly get three or four guest elders for me!"

Situ Mo, who had just overheard their conversation, merely frowned in doubt:

"Is this true or false? How could such a good thing happen? I think we should send someone to investigate first..."

"No!"

Mutuo, however, wore a look of lingering fear and sighed:

"Fortunately, you're quite clever. That person just now was no longer Situ Er! It was clearly my junior brother. He assumed that with my Dharmakaya greatly damaged, I wouldn't be able to see through his disguise. But he doesn't know that this secret art of blood-gathering and face-changing was personally taught to me by our Master... I recognized him with a single careful glance!"

"Your junior brother?"

Situ Mo, whose mind was also quick, reacted swiftly and whispered:

"What do you intend to do?"

"Stop chattering! If we delay too long, that fellow will grow suspicious. Just bring me a few guest elders, and I'll lure him into the array..."

"Nonsense!"

Situ Mo interrupted him, his voice cold:

"Do you think he'd willingly enter the array? You'd be better off taking a few guest elders and deliberately going out with him to surround and kill him!"

Mutuo paused, then instantly recognized the wisdom in Situ Mo's words. If he had genuinely fallen for the trick, he would indeed be rushing out at this moment, not bothering to call more people into the array. That would undoubtedly arouse Ewu's suspicion and cause him to abandon his plan.

There was no time for praise. He hastily summoned four guest elders, and they all flew out on the wind together.

Watching them depart, Situ Mo felt a slight realization, musing:

*So it was a trap set by the Wrath lineage. I knew it was too good to be true...*

He took two steps forward, flying just to the edge of the array, and deliberated:

*With Mutuo and four guest elders... this Ewu surely has no escape. Still, it's best to be cautious; I shouldn't leave the array carelessly...*

Situ Mo took a step back, standing within the shimmering grand array, and gazed silently outward.

Mutuo flew out of the grand array, completely shielded by the four guest elders beside him. Ewu, still disguised as Situ Er, had just opened his mouth, delightedly saying:

"Master, follow me!"

Mutuo nodded, and they all flew northward together, preparing to launch their attack. The four individuals beside him slowly and subtly began to close in on Ewu.

The four guest elders, all recently advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators, maintained normal expressions, but their actions betrayed them. They had only flown ten li when Ewu immediately sensed something amiss and was alarmed. Mutuo, who had been observing for some time, shouted:

"Attack!"

The four guest elders stepped forward simultaneously, and brilliant golden magical artifacts flew from their hands, crisscrossing and shining in the sky as they all attacked Ewu.

While these magical artifacts were all from the Tangjin School, the spells they unleashed were varied and haphazard, clearly indicating that these guest elders were originally East Sea cultivators who had later defected to Jindou Island, and their combat prowess was quite ordinary.

"You treacherous dogs!"

Ewu's reaction was equally swift. He formed hand seals, emitting light, and golden flames ignited on his limbs. A three-headed, six-armed figure slowly materialized behind him, each hand wielding a short staff or axe. Mutuo, however, burst into maniacal laughter:

"With your senior brother here, what escape technique do you think you can use?! You're certainly willing to pay a heavy price! You thought to use some spiritual treasure to lure me in, but now you've lost both yourself and your treasure!"

Although Mutuo's aura was weak, he simply formed a hand seal and shot out a stream of light with minimal movement, causing the ethereal figure behind Ewu to repeatedly blur. Mutuo sneered:

"I am the abbot of Qinling Temple!"

Mutuo, possessing the full heritage, effortlessly dispersed Ewu's spell. He then signaled the four Jindou Island guest elders to swarm forward, while he himself remained at a distance from the five, only interfering with Ewu's spells from afar.

"...Senior Brother indeed held back a trick when he imparted the Dharma!"

Ewu, surrounded by the group, remained unpanicked. He cursed angrily, then coldly replied:

"Senior Brother, do not underestimate me!"

With that, golden light flowed from his hands. Ewu produced two long staffs, intricately patterned with gold. He crossed and raised them, blocking the four magical artifacts with a resounding clang.

He instantly pushed the cultivators away, adopting a fierce stance. He swung his staffs repeatedly at them, allowing their magical artifacts to pierce his own body. His eyes blazed with golden light, causing the air around them to ripple with heat.

The Buddhist practitioner's body was like soft dough; the magical artifacts pierced it without drawing blood, and as they flew off, the wounds stickily healed. Ewu's attacks, however, were ferocious, and none of the cultivators wished to sustain injuries that would impede their cultivation. For a moment, they were hesitant, appearing somewhat clumsy.

However, none of them had expected to subdue the monk immediately; they hadn't even fully unleashed their "Immortal Foundation" power, merely testing each other.

For a time, magical lights continuously collided, emitting violent roars in the air. Mutuo, his eyes gleaming with greed, glanced at his junior brother Ewu and whispered:

"Once I consume your body, I can cut decades off my healing time!"

Ewu sneered, observing the situation around him. He had numerous backup plans, and the likelihood of dying here was very low. At most, he would have to relinquish this monk's body to Mutuo. For now, he only wanted to escape with minimal losses.

*You can run, but can the spiritual treasure on you also escape?*

Mutuo saw through his intentions and inwardly gloated. He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. As he wiped his mouth and looked at the dark red blood in his palm, he suddenly froze.

"What's happening?"

Mutuo felt a chill on his cheek as blood dripped down. He turned his head and felt as if his left eye was about to explode, his remaining vision filled with a vast, golden light.

This golden light approached from afar, like a beam piercing the sky, yet it was also ethereal, seeming to vanish with just a slight shift of his gaze. Mutuo felt a sharp pain on his face and was suddenly alarmed.

"This bastard has backup!"