Chapter 88

Under Ye Qingxuan's intense anger, the front of Qingyun Temple turned into a chaotic mess. On the other hand, Huo Dong and others, who had descended the mountain earlier, were speeding down the mountain path.

"Huo Lao..."

"Hmm, they're following us!"

"Divine Eye Golden Eagle" Huo Dong, after using the [Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing] technique, quietly explained, his expression unusually serious.

Hua Zixing immediately waved his hand, and a dozen or so imperial experts quickly spread out, forming an array to prepare for the incoming enemies.

Unexpectedly, in this small place of Qingyun Temple, there were actually four experts at the Houtian realm. It was unclear whether they were friends or foes, but the hostility in their auras was unmistakable.

"I haven't had a serious fight since I left the palace. This time, I'll let them try my sword skills—"

Before long, a dragon's roar echoed, accompanied by a sky full of sword shadows, as a figure descended from the sky. The person didn't even greet them, directly using a killing move...

"I'll handle it—"

Eunuch Liu He drew a flexible sword from his waist, shook it in the wind, and swung it to create a sky full of sword shadows, flying to meet the incoming person.

Hua Zixing gestured, and the figures around him moved, forming a covert encirclement by the experts from the three imperial departments. As long as Eunuch Liu He could force the intruder to the ground, they could immediately form an array and kill the enemy in an instant.

Hua Zixing laughed and closed his jade fan, also preparing to join the fight.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed, and a thick pine tree was cut in half. A figure flew down from the sky, stepping on the pine tree and landing with immense force...

Not good—

Hua Zixing, not daring to face the attack head-on, sidestepped and retreated...

The person on the tree unleashed a powerful aura, stomped on the tree, and used the momentum to leap towards Hua Zixing. Extending a single palm, a blue light flashed, and Hua Zixing felt the entire sky suddenly solidify, like a collapsing snow mountain crashing down.

I have no choice—

Hua Zixing gritted his teeth, gathered all his strength, and infused his jade fan with true qi. He drew a circle in the air, and the qi condensed into a sharp point, like a golden needle, fiercely stabbing towards the opponent's palm. Before it even touched the palm, Hua Zixing felt his sharp move as if it had hit a stone slab, unable to advance.

The person in the air coldly snorted, and the solidified sky flashed with blue light again. The air that had solidified like a stone shattered, and the qi scattered. The jade fan, which was supposed to stab the opponent's palm, also shattered.

Hua Zixing retreated in shock, his hand behind his back, looking at the person with a wary expression.

At this moment, the large pine tree finally crashed to the ground, deeply embedding itself in the earth. The powerful qi spread out like ripples, and several of their experts were swept up like leaves in a strong wind, screaming as they flew in all directions. The array they had set up was shattered, and the chaotic scene left many casualties.

As the figure landed, a young Taoist in his early twenties stood before them. Hua Zixing was greatly surprised and looked at him with caution. The person who had broken the pine tree with one palm and almost crippled his entire right arm was a young Taoist with a scholarly air, making it hard to believe that such a powerful strike had come from his hand.

Hua Zixing's right hand, which was behind his back, was still trembling. If he hadn't used his qi to break the jade fan and block the devastating blow, his entire right arm would have been shattered.

Staring at the young Taoist, Hua Zixing didn't dare to move an inch.

"Sorry—went a bit too far—" the scholarly Taoist apologized.

"You—" Hua Zixing was furious.

Another sound of qi clashing echoed, and a figure was blasted to the side, spraying blood. It was the chief constable of the twelve counties of Yunzhou, Lu Zhongji.

Damn—

Looking to the side, a towering figure emerged from the dense forest. Although he wore a Taoist robe, his loyal appearance and bulging muscles made the loose robe look like it might burst at any moment.

The towering Taoist smiled cruelly and said in a deep voice, "I was already itching for a fight. You bastards actually dared to target my junior brother... You must be tired of living..."

This Taoist had immense strength and profound internal power, making it difficult for them to escape easily...

"Huo Lao..."

Hua Zixing, for the first time, showed a hint of panic and hurriedly looked for the most skilled expert in the group, "Divine Eye Golden Eagle" Huo Dong.

However, when he turned around, Huo Lao was staring into the depths of the forest with a wary expression, as if facing a life-and-death enemy, not daring to move an inch. His face was serious, and a cold sweat dripped from his temples.

This, this...

Just as he was puzzled, a graceful middle-aged Taoist emerged from the forest, carrying a long sword, with a pair of slightly curled mustaches, a clear and unbound appearance, and a wine gourd in his hand, which he kept drinking from.

Despite his apparent weaknesses, he exuded an invisible pressure, making it impossible to underestimate him. No wonder Huo Lao didn't dare to act rashly.

While he was thinking, a soft hissing sound echoed, and "Imperial Eunuch" Liu He, who had been dueling with the intruder, collapsed, his body covered in sword marks. Each sword had stopped just short of breaking the skin, but Liu He had fainted from excessive internal power consumption.

Hua Zixing was terrified. He wasn't particularly clear about Liu He's martial arts skills, but they should have been on par with his own. Yet, in a single sword exchange, Liu He had been forced to exhaust his internal power, fainting without being able to retreat.

Looking up, he saw a slightly plump Taoist smiling as he sheathed his sword.

Four Taoists, in four directions.

In an instant, their dozen or so people were surrounded in the forest by these four Taoists, not daring to move an inch.

"Who are you? How dare you attack imperial officials?" Huo Dong, facing a formidable enemy, finally spoke.

"Imperial officials? That's a new one... Yunzhou has been forgotten by the court for decades. Today, imperial officials come to visit, which is hard to believe..."

Huo Dong, with a stern face, threw something over, and Qingyan Taoist caught it and laughed, "Criminal Court Magistrate? Oh, you really are imperial officials, and even from Luoyang—"

"Since you know our identities, why don't you step aside... If you provoke the charge of attacking imperial officials, even destroying Qingyun Temple ten times over wouldn't be enough to atone for it..."

"Hmph, don't try to scare me. Do you think we don't know the court's laws? If not for the killing intent of your friend towards my junior brother, we wouldn't have gotten involved..."

Huo Dong sighed and glared at Hua Zixing, thinking: It's all because of Little Hua's aggressive nature that this trouble started. Behind his aggressiveness, there's a bit of cowardice, only daring to fight those weaker than him, especially the talented young geniuses who haven't yet reached their peak. But once he faces a more powerful expert, he dares not easily challenge them...

Huo Dong sighed inwardly but still said sternly, "The Taoist masters must have misunderstood. My young brother absolutely had no intention of harming your junior brother. He was just excited by the sight and wanted to test his reaction... Perhaps you overreacted a bit?"

"Test?"

"Exactly. As imperial officials, we are bound by the court's laws. How could we dare to act with killing intent in broad daylight and in front of everyone? If it were to get out, the court's laws are severe, and we would not only lose our positions but also our heads... If we really wanted to take his life, we would do it secretly, not in such a time and place..."

"That... is true... But we can't let you go just because of a few words. How about this, please come back to our temple with us, and we'll ask our master before making a decision... Is that acceptable?"

Hua Zixing instantly became furious and roared, "You dare to coerce imperial officials? Are you planning a rebellion?"

"We're just inviting you to our temple for a cup of mountain tea. Why get so angry?"

"Do you take us for fools? Move out of the way, or don't blame me for being impolite..."

Iron Qing Shi, who had been impatient, immediately burst out, "If you don't agree, let's see who's stronger!"

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