Nightfall

Quni Madi, a master from the peak of Seethrough Realm had many years’ of profound cultivation and very practical skills. She enjoyed a solid reputation in the cultivation world. However, when compared with Ning Que, she was nobody. Besides, as her natal scepter was cut apart by Ning Que in the monastery, could she do anything except use her bare hands?

Sensing the suddenly changing aura behind him, Ning Que quickly lifted his right hand to draw the sword out from its sheath, and then he thrust it into Quni Madi’s stomach under his armpit like a streak of lightning.

Looking pale, Quni Madi slowly sat down to the ground with her hands tightly holding the podao. She wore a wild smile, seeming like that she cared nothing about the blade which was cutting her fingers.

In Ning Que’s mind, this very influential Aunt in Buddhism Sect acted viciously and timidly. He was confused about why she would sneak attack against him after he had given her a break, so he asked her, “Why?”

While coughing up blood, Quni Madi smiled. “Because I want you to die.”

After thinking for a moment, Ning Que knew this old woman’s intention, so he thrust the podao in his right hand forward. The blade cut off her fingers and penetrated her body making blood sprout like a flower.

He had killed too many people today, making himself insensitive, exhausted, and even a bit disgusted. He did not want to kill people anymore, but it did not mean that he was afraid to do so or dared not do so.

Quni Madi cried out painfully and slowly closed her eyes. She died with the blade still inside her body.

The first time Ning Que met this old woman in the palace of the Wilderness years ago. And that was when the story of resentment between them had begun. Although he had never lagged behind her in terms of status in the cultivation world or the rapidly rising strength, he had never thought that he could kill her so easily only with a sword one day.

Over the years, he had occasionally wished that he could humiliate Quni Madi using her name and curse at her if he met and quarreled with her. However, after today, he would never have the chance to do so whether he regretted it or not.

Drawing out his podao, Ning Que looked at her dead body. After recalling that he had killed every member of her family, he silently wished that they could reunite either in the Underworld or in the pure land created by Buddha.

Qi Mei walked out from the crowd and looked at Quni Madi lying in a pool of blood. Putting his palms together, he said in a trembling voice, “Merciful Buddha.”

Lu Chenjia slowly came there, sat on her knees beside Quni Madi, and hugged her in her arms. She slightly lowered her head, looking very disconsolate. Overwhelmed by sadness, she failed to say a word or shed tears.

Turning around and looking at the rear of the crowd, Ning Que sensed the approaching aura. Knowing that he would not be able to leave, he started to make some preparations. He put his trembling right hand behind him.

A horse carriage was slowly driven into White Tower Temple and came to the rear of the crowd. The sixteen fine horses dragging the carriage were so tired they were foaming at the mouth and were about to die from exhaustion.

An old monk wearing a bamboo hat and holding a monk’s cane walked out of the carriage. No sooner did he step on the ground with his right foot when the carriage made of stainless steels rebounded off the ground about a half foot.

Accompanied by dozens of Ascetic Monks, the old monk walked slowly towards White Pagoda Temple.

There were many people in the temple, and they curiously watched the scene, guessing the identity of the old monk. Gradually, a piece of news spread among the crowd.

Yuelun Kingdom was a Buddha country, and all the people in Chaoyang City were believers of Buddhism Sect. They were too shocked to speak when they suddenly found that the Chief Preaching Monk of Xuankong Temple, a real Buddha of the present age was visiting the human realm. They all knelt on both sides of the path and kowtowed to salute the man with ecstasy and excitement. The ground was covered with bloodstains after a short while.

No matter where the old monk walked, the crowd gradually separated and walked to either side of the road, which was like the waves revealing the sandy surface at the bottom of the sea. A wind coming up from the lake made the old monk’s kasaya dance in the air, making it look as if the monk was walking in the middle of the sea.

At the other end of the crowd, Ning Que held his sword and killed, making a bloody road for himself. Those two roads with completely different meanings stretching toward each other where they would finally meet.

As the crowd were divided into two sides, those two roads that finally met were well connected. There was no obstacle for the monk and Ning Que to look at each other.

The old monk saw a young man covered in blood with the Daughter of Yama on his back, and saw him holding his bow.

Ning Que saw an old monk with his kasaya gently dancing in the wind and a monk’s staff in his hand.

Looking at Ning Que, the old monk smiled, and slowly put down his staff.

Ning Que slightly loosened his fingers from which the bowstring bounced back.

After killing Quni Madi, Ning Que knew that he would not be able to avoid this strong aura. So when he put his hand behind his back; rather than comforting Sangsang, he intended to take the iron bow from her.

When the crowd was gradually divided into two sides, he had already stretched the bow to its full extent, aiming at the other end of the road.

Ning Que’s hands were very steady, as was his mind.

He knew that he was facing the strongest enemy he had ever met in his life, and he never expected to make use of any tactics. Thus, hardly did he meet the monk when he used his strongest weapon against him without any hesitation.

The bowstring shook heavily, and the arrow tail suddenly disappeared like the rushing water.

And the next moment, the iron arrow appeared before the old monk about dozens of feet away from Ning Que.

Without saying a word, without any change of his facial expression, without asking who he was and why he came, without any angry shouting, and without mentioning the Academy or Buddhism Sect, Ning Que just shot one arrow first.

Including tens of thousands of people in White Tower Temple, Ascetic Monks from Xuankong Temple, people from West-Hill Divine Palace in the distance, and officials from Yuelun Kingdom, no one would have expected the battle to begin so suddenly.

It made people really frightened.

Ning Que was keenly aware that when he loosened the bowstring, the old monk wearing a bamboo hat did not respond at all. He could not help feeling somewhat confused.

No matter how strong the cultivator was, he would not dare to ignore Primordial Thirteen Arrows containing the wisdom of the Academy and the materials of Tang Empire in such way. In previous battles, those strong men who took the iron arrows from Ning Que always responded in advance as soon as they vaguely sensed the danger before Ning Que shot out.

Including Ye Hongyu, Long Qing, or Luo Kedi, they all did so to defeat Primordial Thirteen Arrows which represented the absolute speed.

However, the old monk did nothing.

Ning Que felt a bit excited, as he believed that not even Liu Bai, Sage of Sword could stand still in the face of his arrow. Even Eldest Brother must move in advance if he intended to take on his arrow.

Meanwhile, he felt a bit alert, as he believed that the old monk was definitely the strongest enemy that he had ever met, and it was impossible that the old monk would do nothing and just let himself be shot dead.

Excitement, vigilance and discomposure struck him, and he finally felt confused. However, no matter what kind of feelings he had, it was just a matter of a moment which was countless times shorter than the Ksana told by Buddhism Sect.

What happened within such short moment made Ning Que felt nothing but extremely shocked.

The iron arrow was hitting the heart of the old monk.

But the sharp arrowhead failed to penetrate the old monk’s body.

The hard iron arrow suddenly bent, as if it had hit a steel plate.

A dull noise against the old monk’s body could be heard, and a strong wind could be felt. The old monk’s kasaya danced in the wind.

The iron arrow shooting the old monk was as weak as the straw intending to pierce ice. It fell in front of the old monk’s feet, making a crunching noise.

The wind stopped, and the kasaya on the old monk no longer danced.

A piece of cloth fell from the old monk’s chest like a dead leaf.

That was the only damage made by Primordial Thirteen Arrows.

Primordial Thirteen Arrows were so powerful that they could even penetrate stones and mountains, and even if they really had shot a steel plate, they could pierce it easily. But now, they could not even penetrate the old monk’s body.

Having seen such an incredible scene, Ning Que could no longer control his slightly shaking left hand which was holding the iron bow.

Earlier on, when he carried Sangsang on his back and was fleeing towards the west gate, he had sensed a very strong aura. He had already vaguely guessed who the newcomer was, but he didn’t want the guess to shake his determination to fight. As such, he had shot his Primordial Thirteen Arrow when the crowd parted and he first saw the old monk.

However, the final result proved that no matter how strong his determination to fight was, how resolute he was, and even how hard he tried not to think who the newcomer was, they would make no sense in the face of the absolute power.

Everyone in White Tower Temple had dropped to their knees and kowtowed to the old monk constantly, as in their minds, he was a Buddha. And the scene in which the old monk bore the arrow using his flesh made them excited and in awe of him.

Looking at the old monk and remaining silent for a while, Ning Que said with a cracked voice, “Xuankong Temple is the Unknown Place, and Chief Preaching Monk is the Buddha of the present age. It is really beyond my expectation that you would step into the mortal world.”

The Chief Preaching Monk of Xuankong Temple obviously turned out to be the strongest man of the Buddhism Sect, enjoying an equal position with the abbey dean of Zhishou Abbey and the Headmaster of the Academy in the cultivation world, thus it would be impossible for Ning Que to defeat him.

Having seen Sangsang on Ning Que’s back, Chief Preaching Monk said slowly, “As the Daughter of Yama has visited the mortal world, how can I not do so? The question should be why you are still here.”

After a brief silence, Ning Que smiled and said, “Why should I leave?”

Looking at those dead bodies and endless blood on the ground behind Ning Que, Chief Preaching Monk asked two questions with a merciful expression.

“As people are so innocent, why should they suffer so much pain?”

“As your action would come to nothing, why should you be so evil?”

Looking at this powerful old monk, Ning Que defeated his dread by his strong will and said, “Master, you are wrong. Should I be evil enough, I can find my own cause and effect. And when I killed people earlier, I hesitated to kill children after killing the old and women, which took me some time, or I would not be here now.”

Chief Preaching Monk signed, “It is said that you have joined the Devil. From what you have done today, not only has your cultivation joined the Devil, but your mind has too. In that case, I’d like end your life.”