The Taoist rang the Copper Bell without flinching or dodging, charging straight into the dust net.

DINGLING-LING,

The crisp sound of the bell unleashed an invisible force that made the dust net vibrate and tremble on its own, tearing a narrow slit down the middle.

A plain, unadorned Copper Coin Longsword silently pierced the rift in the dust net, thrusting toward Scholar Xiao's heart with an unearthly calm.

Scholar Xiao had already employed his Light Body Technique to swiftly retreat, but the Copper Coin Longsword clung to him relentlessly, rapidly closing the distance between them.

There was no time to dodge.

Scholar Xiao instinctively flicked his wrist, spreading the Iron Bone Folding Fan in front of his chest, attempting to divert the sword's momentum with a clever move.

However, it was only upon actual contact with the blade that he truly understood what Yun Heweng had faced.

CRACK—

Scholar Xiao's wrist bones snapped. His palms burst open, and blood splattered.

The finely forged Iron Bone Folding Fan was severely deformed. It flew from his grasp and crashed onto the stone wall of the ruined temple, sending chips of stone and dust flying.

And the Copper Coin Longsword continued its forward thrust, its trajectory and even the angle of its blade unaltered.

Despair spread. The image of the blade in his pupils grew ever closer.

In that fleeting instant, a thousand thoughts whirled through Scholar Xiao's mind, finally dissolving into blank bewilderment.

CLANG!

A deafening sound of metal striking metal echoed.

Scholar Xiao's vision blurred. To his shock, he realized the hulking man known as Owl Fer-de-lance had stepped before him, using a Long Knife to block the Copper Coin Longsword.

SQUEAK—

Owl Fer-de-lance's boots dragged two long trails across the dusty floor tiles.

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his arms as he tightly gripped the handle of his Long Knife. His corded muscles seemed to have a life of their own, pulsating and fully displaying the raw beauty of strength.

Finally, he stopped his retreat, his boots no longer scraping against the stone tiles.

"Oh?" The short-haired Taoist raised an eyebrow, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "To block one of my sword strikes, you are quite impressive."

Owl Fer-de-lance gasped for breath, in no mood for conversation.

The impact had made the webbing between his thumb and forefinger ache intensely. His arms trembled as if shocked, and his heart pounded violently like a drum.

This Taoist is no mere human.

"He's a tough one! Attack together!" Owl Fer-de-lance roared, mustering all his strength to swing his Long Knife and parry the Copper Coin Longsword.

Using the momentum from the parry, he immediately swung downward again, aiming for the short-haired Taoist's neck.

WUUUU—

A mournful wail emanated from the Long Knife, and dozens of dim, dusky shadows poured out, crowding the air above the ruined temple.

This Long Knife in Owl Fer-de-lance's hand was one used by Yamen Executioners for capital punishment. It had beheaded forty-nine heinous criminals and was saturated with Evil Qi.

After acquiring it, Owl Fer-de-lance had subjected the Long Knife to a Refining Sacrifice using a nefarious Secret Technique. This bound the souls of all forty-nine executed criminals to the blade. Whenever he faced an enemy, he would release these vengeful spirits, driving them with the Secret Technique to attack his foes—a myriad of demons to devour his enemies, ever victorious.

Scholar Xiao, just then regaining his composure, endured the agonizing pain from his shattered right wrist. He bit his left fingertip and swiftly drew a Talisman in the air with his blood.

The enchanting woman, Yi Yeqing, flicked her Soft Sword, thrusting it rapidly forward.

Ruan Tian and Ruan Di launched a barrage of assorted hidden weapons at the Taoist from all directions.

The two maidservants, their faces as cold as frost, did not draw their swords. They stood their ground, lips moving as they muttered incantations.

"Excellent! This move, this is like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each revealing their divine abilities!" Hiding behind the two maidservants, Wu Hu couldn't help but clap his hands, exclaiming excitedly, "Even if that Taoist possesses Divine Power, he won't escape this alive!"

Before his voice faded, the Taoist moved.

He raised his left hand, effortlessly deflecting the various hidden weapons Ruan Tian and Ruan Di had thrown. He shook the Copper Bell, immobilizing the countless vengeful spirits. Then, reversing his grip on the Copper Coin Longsword, he thrust upwards with lightning speed, striking the underside of the brawny man's forearm with the pommel.

With a CRACK, Owl Fer-de-lance's right forearm bones snapped. The fractured ulna and radius pierced through his skin, exposing blood-spattered bone shards to the air.

"NO!"

Seeing her beloved wounded, the female bandit Yi Yeqing's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. She channeled all her power into her Soft Sword, which quivered like a striking Snake as it aimed for the Taoist's right abdomen.

"Aqing, stay back!" Though his vision darkened from excruciating pain, Owl Fer-de-lance pinpointed his wife's location by her voice. As he frantically warned her, a grim resolve settled in. He caught the falling Long Knife's handle with his uninjured left hand. Like a battering ram, he charged at the Taoist, intending to cleave the man's chest open with the razor-sharp blade.

But he was still too slow.

The Taoist kicked out, his foot connecting squarely with the blade of the Long Knife Owl Fer-de-lance wielded. With sheer, unreasonable brute force, he kicked the blade backward, driving it into Owl Fer-de-lance's own chest and sending both man and Long Knife flying to smash against a pillar.

Simultaneously, he casually flung the Copper Coin Longsword to his right. The blade glided smoothly through the air, piercing the female bandit Yi Yeqing's abdomen. Its momentum unchecked, it pinned her firmly to the wall.

CLANG.

Yi Yeqing's Soft Sword fell from her hand. Her face contorted in agony as she tremblingly gripped the Copper Coin Longsword embedded in her waist. Blood gushed through her fingers, dripping to the floor. Yet, she didn't look at her wound. Instead, her gaze—a mixture of pain, despair, unwillingness, concern, and lingering affection—was fixed on Owl Fer-de-lance, who lay on the other side of the ruined temple.

"Duan Lang..." Yi Yeqing whispered her beloved's name, the light in her eyes fading rapidly. "In our next life, I... I must bear you a child..."

Before she could finish, her head slumped forward.

"Aqing!! NO!!!" Owl Fer-de-lance roared, his eyes bloodshot. The Long Knife was still embedded in his chest, blood gushing from the wound like a torrent. Anyone could hear the immense sorrow and despair in his voice.

Everyone, that is, except the short-haired Taoist.

SIGH.

The Taoist clapped his hands, brushing off non-existent dust. He seemed completely oblivious that he had just torn apart a deeply loving couple, separating them forever by death. Without a hint of guilt, he remarked, "You members of the White Lotus Cult are truly troublesome. If a few more of you had come, you might have actually caused this humble Taoist some trouble."

"You! YOU!" Owl Fer-de-lance struggled to his feet, his eyes practically splitting with rage, his hair and beard bristling, his expression utterly frenzied. "DIE!"

He ripped the Long Knife from his chest. With each step he took towards the Taoist, the stone floor tiles shattered beneath his boots. Dust and blood mingled, staining the ground a dark, deep red.

The Taoist neither dodged nor evaded. He smashed a fist into Owl Fer-de-lance's face, sending the man's head snapping back. His neck bones shattered completely. The Long Knife spun from his grasp, clattering into a corner of the ruined temple.

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