126: Chapter 124: Vacuum Hometown 126: Chapter 124: Vacuum Hometown When Yue Hongling was truly attacking the White Lotus Temple, she was very grateful that she had been cautious enough when she was undercover observing it and hadn’t acted rashly.

This temple seemed to have few monks, just about a hundred or so, but in reality, each one was an elite strongman, and Fa Yuan and Gong Chaoqun were equally matched.

Caught off guard and forced into a hasty battle, they were still able to hold their own against the full force of the Demon Suppression Department, slowly retreating towards the back of the temple.

Had it not been for the military deploying hundreds of archers for support, the Demon Suppression Department alone would not have been able to eliminate this den of thieves in the temple, no wonder Gong Chaoqun hardly got anything done on usual days.

Yue Hongling found it hard to understand why the monks of the White Lotus Temple were so strong.

The Maitreya Sect was not like the major sects and families that nurtured seeds from a young age, nor like the Demon Suppression Department that picked martial arts strongmen of clear origin to join its secure job.

Their “troops” were mostly lured in, including bandits and people from innocent families, only some were born with martial arts skills; the vast majority were just impoverished farmers and fishermen, already adults or even middle-aged or older.

How did they manage to train such a disorganized source into every individual breaking through the Mystical Gate, with everyone at least reaching the First and Second Layer, and many as high as the Seventh Layer in such a short period of time?

How was it done?

Was everyone like Zhao Changhe?

Moreover, because of their doctrine “Killing to Become Buddha,” these monks were all incredibly brave and fierce, all having hands stained with blood and having killed before, not the honest farmers who had never fought with anyone.

Such a force, the Maitreya Sect had countless, spread all over Jiangnan.

Once they made a move, it would truly be earth-shattering.

Not to mention all of Jiangnan, even right now at the White Lotus Temple, Yue Hongling doubted if Fa Yuan really wanted to escape, the external crossbows might not be able to stop him.

“Swish!” Yue Hongling slashed a Maitreya Sect follower’s throat with her sword, then immediately covered her shoulder, frowning slightly.

Though the wound was said not to affect her movement much, it seemed to hold her back somewhat more than expected in a real fight.

Looking up, she saw Fa Yuan leading several core monks, retreating towards the back mountain while battling Gong Chaoqun and his men.

It was deep into the night, and once they entered the forest, it would be very easy for them to escape—Zhao Changhe was most experienced in this.

They couldn’t let such a leader escape!

Yue Hongling gritted her teeth, ignored the dull pain in her shoulder, and leaped up with a sword thrust.

Fa Yuan was struggling against Gong Chaoqun, knowing Gong Chaoqun was extremely tough and that he might not win in a one-on-one fight, let alone now when his side was demoralized and the enemies’ momentum was like a rainbow, there was basically no chance to win.

But Fa Yuan was confident he could escape; it was dark at night as soon as he found a chance to dash into the mountains…

With a spirited heft of his Vow Blade, a dazzling Sword Light encompassed Gong Chaoqun’s vital surrounds, initiating the Maitreya Sect’s secret technique, White Lotus Purifying World.

Gong Chaoqun slightly shifted his center of gravity back, holding his sword and concentrating defensively.

He knew the lethality of this blade, a myriad of illusions attacking simultaneously, heaven and earth’s lotus petals all turning into blades.

He needed to stabilize his Spirit Platform, comprehend the illusory to counteract such a strike.

Yet just as he stepped back half a step, the Sword Light suddenly vanished, and Fa Yuan was already darting backwards—an empty feint!

“Such is the Demon Suppression Department!

Hahahaha…

eh…”

A sword light under the moon struck, Yue Hongling’s figure descending rapidly like a figure from the Moon Palace, striking down through the Nine Heavens.

“Clang!” Fa Yuan managed to parry with his blade, halting his escape and angrily cursed, “Yue Hongling!

Don’t have the day when you fall into my hands, I’ll make you kneel on the ground and beg me like a dog…”

Before he could finish his sentence, an arrow, like a rainbow penetrating the sun, accompanied by a terrifying whistling sound, shot through the air straight towards his throat!

Fa Yuan couldn’t even complete his harsh words, hastily twisted his body, and dodged, the arrow grazing his shoulder and scraping off a large piece of blood and flesh.

Yue Hongling’s mouth curled into a slight smile, relentless, she struck with her sword again.

Behind her, Gong Chaoqun had already thrust his sword straight towards Fa Yuan’s back.

Surrounded on three sides, how could Fa Yuan withstand?

Blood splattered from his left shoulder and back simultaneously, Fa Yuan staggered extremely clumsily to the side, shouting angrily, “Maitreya descends, Killing to Become Buddha!”

With his words, the remaining high-ranking monks resisting the Demon Suppression Department chanted in unison, “Maitreya descends, Killing to Become Buddha…”

“No birth mother, true void homeland…”

Just as Yue Hongling was about to deal another blow to Fa Yuan, she saw a monk with blood-red eyes, rushing towards her like a mad tiger.

Yue Hongling thrust her sword towards his chest, intending to push him back, not wanting to engage, but unexpectedly the monk did not dodge or evade, allowing the longsword to pierce through his chest as he forcefully grabbed onto the sword.

Madness…

Yue Hongling tried to withdraw her sword, but couldn’t pull it out for a moment.

Turning her head, she saw all the monks had gone mad.

Each was using their own blood and flesh to block the blades of the Demon Suppression Department, desperately clinging on and refusing to let go.

This is simply beyond being cult followers; even cult followers know pain, yet they seem to have lost all sensation of it.

Magic had deprived them of their reason, turning them into beasts devoted entirely to their faith.

This is their so-called “Vacuum Homeland”?

It must indeed be Ultimate Bliss, for there is no pain.

As people withdrew their blades from these beasts, Fa Yuan took advantage of the brief chaos to slip into the forest, vanishing without a trace.

Infuriated, Gong Chaoqun issued orders sharply, “Search the entire mountain!

He’s badly injured and can’t disguise his Blood Qi, he won’t get far!”

Yue Hongling, somewhat weakened, clutched her shoulder and gasped for breath.

Her injury had been aggravated when she intercepted Fa Yuan’s sword, the recoil from its parry intensifying the existing wound.

Continuously suppressed, it now began to rupture, with blood gushing out profusely.

Recalling the timely support from that arrow, Yue Hongling felt an indescribable emotion as she looked up and searched for Zhao Changhe’s figure inside the temple.

Zhao Changhe had not participated in the encirclement because he was dealing with opponents of his own, mainly an old acquaintance, Heavenly Girl of the Pinched Flower.

When shooting the arrow, he had just subdued Heavenly Girl of the Pinched Flower, and before he could join the others, the situation had abruptly changed, and Fa Yuan had escaped.

Zhao Changhe pinned the Heavenly Girl by the shoulder, pressing her helplessly to her knees as she sighed, “With Fa Yuan making such harsh threats against Yue Hongling, and you forcing me to kneel…

The debt is to the debtor as the crime is to the criminal, why must it be this way?”

Yue Hongling, while flying over to consult with Zhao Changhe, hesitated slightly and watched him with a complex expression, deciding not to approach.

Actually, Zhao Changhe did have thoughts of avenging Yue Hongling on the spot, but that wasn’t all.

Through previous interactions, he had felt that this Heavenly Girl’s faith wasn’t as fanatical.

She had made clever little covers for herself before, not entirely a simplistic zealot dedicated to her sect.

This pressure was also a test, to see if, like other voluntarily sacrificing beasts, she would refuse to kneel, instead perhaps opting to end her own life with the Vow Blade.

However, she knelt, indicating that she was not some brainwashed devout fanatic who could not be persuaded otherwise.

The Heavenly Girl continued, “Our Holy Sect has always treated you well, wishing to absorb you into our sect.

Why do you…”

Zhao Changhe finally spoke up, “Absorb?

Into the sect?

To die like these beasts?”

The Heavenly Girl hesitated, her voice low, “Not for you…

with your potential as part of the Hidden Dragon List, the sect would only wish to cultivate, not the same.”

“There’s nothing different, sending you disguised as Lady Yue to ‘preach’ to me, if not for the control of secret techniques hidden behind those actions?”

The Heavenly Girl responded, “It’s different…

Well, since you think so, there’s nothing I can argue.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I’m not here to argue scriptures with you.

Rather, I feel you’re different from them, not brainwashed into idiocy or madness, capable of communication.

I’ll be direct.

With the injuries Fa Yuan sustained, it’s impossible for him to escape Gong Chaoqun’s encirclement.

If everyone still can’t find him, that means there must be a secret cave or passage within these mountains, and I’m suspecting that while everyone else searches the mountain.

He’s already miles away.”

The Heavenly Girl’s eyes flickered, slightly astonished.

Zhao Changhe stated, “So I wasn’t wrong, was I?

After being operated for so long, it’s impossible for a Demon Sect den to not have any sort of secret caves.

Just tell me where this passage is, and I can spare your life on my authority.

You could then change your identity and live somewhere else without further involvement with the Maitreya Sect…

Seeing these people’s fate, don’t you have any doubts?

Being used and then sacrificially sent to die, I find it all quite lamentable for you.”

The Heavenly Girl looked curiously at him, “You…

could have resorted to harsh interrogation, or even, or even the harsh words like Fa Yuan used on Yue Hongling against me, why would you rather let me go and persuade me to reform?”

Zhao Changhe’s expression flushed slightly, his voice lower, “You… once helped push me into embracing her for a moment, and even got a kiss.”

The Heavenly Girl widened her eyes, the captured horror nearly slipping away, barely containing a laugh.

Enraged and embarrassed, Zhao Changhe snapped, “Hurry up and speak, otherwise I really will resort to harsh interrogation!”

“There’s no need for that,” the Heavenly Girl laughed.

“I not only know where the passage is, but I can even take you there right now.”

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “Really?

Just like that?”

“Because you’re not wrong.

I don’t want to end up like them,” the Heavenly Girl chuckled a bit seductively, “And…

you’re quite charming.

The bloodthirsty Asura everyone imagines turns out to be such a little brother…

And besides, I’m not anyone’s tool…”

“What does that have to do with me?” Zhao Changhe felt embarrassed, instinctively looking around, only to be stunned to find Yue Hongling standing nearby and listening.

Zhao Changhe: “…When did you get here?”

“Just arrived.” Yue Hongling approached expressionlessly and, for some reason, kicked the Heavenly Girl, “Where is the secret cave, hurry up and speak.”

Had she really just arrived?

Zhao Changhe tilted his head, pretending not to guess.

The Heavenly Girl laughed, “Actually, there’s an underground secret cave and passage within the temple itself, used for secret rituals and also for escaping to the rear mountain.

You came so suddenly, they had no time to enter the temple’s secret passage and could only retreat towards the rear mountain.

Now, on the contrary, if he were to enter the passage from the rear mountain, then he could come out through the temple, allowing him the chance to escape if you focus your efforts on searching the rear mountain.”

Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling exchanged glances, any small embarrassment instantly discarded high into the clouds.

The Heavenly Girl added, “Also, there are many recovery items below; the recovery methods of the Holy Sect are far beyond your imagination.

I suggest you don’t give him that opportunity, you should act swiftly.”

————

PS: The previous chapter was short, this one’s a bit longer, there’s more tonight~