The Demon Lords

Chapter 478 5 Heaven's Will_2

"Since Tianhu Mountain couldn't properly safeguard this item, it naturally falls to us to take over."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fan finally understood. The Jade Order must be that blood-sucking artifact. It seems to be some kind of evil object that had been suppressed, whether at Tianhu Mountain or in the Ancestral Temple of the Wenren family in Li Tian City. However, with the Yan Army's defeat of the Wenren and Helian families, the Jade Order was lost amidst the chaos of war. And now, it has surfaced here in Yinlang County.

"Tianhu Mountain has established procedures for suppressing the Jade Order!" the middle-aged Taoist shouted.

"Enough," the man in black retorted. "Soon, all the newly recognized sects in the New Jin Territory will be required to send their leaders to Yanjing to pay homage to His Majesty, the Yan Emperor. You have established procedures? Then simply submit them. It amounts to the same thing."

"This is utterly outrageous!" the Taoist protested.

The man in black's smile widened. "You're only just realizing this?"

His expression suddenly turned cold. "Suppressing evil artifacts and preventing them from harming the mortal realm is the responsibility of us, people of the faith. I, for one, am not concerned that you would stand idly by. As for who will be entrusted with suppressing this item henceforth, that is hardly a matter for discussion now.

For now, I can still address you as Daoist Brother and afford you some respect. Assist me in subduing and sealing the Jade Order first. If you prove incapable of even this... Heh, my Emperor has never been fond of supporting idlers."

With that, the man in black turned to Zheng Fan and shouted, "I'll trouble you, Chief, to watch the perimeter."

Zheng Fan nodded and ordered his cavalry to spread out.

"Honestly, I've never actually seen Taoists fight before," Zheng Fan mumbled.

A Ming nodded in agreement. "We've been caught up in fighting and killing for so long, we've nearly forgotten about all the mystical and supernatural elements in this world."

"Indeed," Zheng Fan reflected. "Sometimes, if not for the Pi Beasts ridden by the generals in the barracks, I'd almost instinctively believe this world isn't much different from the ancient times we know."

The blind man, however, reminded him, "My lord, these are ultimately minor matters."

After all, even the Baili siblings turned tail and fled back to the imperial capital upon sighting Yan cavalry. The Daoist masters of Tianhu Mountain could only swallow their anger when confronted by the sabers of the Yan people. Ultimately, true power and the right to speak stemmed from military might. So-called grand cultivators capable of moving mountains, parting seas, or annihilating nations with a flick of their fingers likely didn't exist in this world.

While Zheng Fan and his companions were still muttering quietly among themselves...

「On the other side,」

By the riverbank, the man in black had already begun to form hand seals. Simultaneously, the middle-aged Taoist opposite him also started forming his own seals.

Zheng Fan and the others immediately fell silent, their attention fixed on the unfolding spectacle.

The blind man even produced three oranges from his pocket, handing one each to Zheng Fan and A Ming.

OMM!

A blue halo of light manifested before the man in black, then abruptly descended onto the frozen river surface.

The peachwood sword on the middle-aged Taoist's back shot out, hovering before him. He bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the blade.

The next moment, the ice layer began to crack, as if something within was being forcibly expelled.

BOOM!

A creature resembling a black bear leaped out.

"Go!"

The middle-aged Taoist's peachwood sword shot forth, piercing the black bear's chest.

The black bear, however, was not felled by the single blow. It roared and charged towards the middle-aged Taoist. Many of his disciples immediately rushed forward with their swords to intercept it. However, the black bear, seemingly impervious to pain, charged onward, ignoring the swords that pierced its flesh.

The middle-aged Taoist spread his hands, a talisman paper appearing in each palm as he began to chant an incantation.

ROAR!

At that moment, the black bear's body suddenly swelled, tripling in size like an inflating balloon.

"Get back!" the middle-aged Taoist yelled to his surrounding disciples.

However, it was already too late to retreat.

A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The surrounding young Taoists were all sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. Their deaths were gruesome.

The middle-aged Taoist let out a low grunt. A protective heart-mirror magical artifact on his chest absorbed much of the impact. Though blood trickled from the corners of his mouth from the shockwave, he remained standing ramrod straight.

"Phew, we'll have to find a way to get one of those magical artifacts later," Zheng Fan said. Even with Mo Wan, which could only block a single sword strike at a time, that middle-aged Taoist's magical artifact would surely be more effective. When it came to self-preservation and increasing his odds of survival, Chief Zheng was never one to be frugal.

"My lord," one of his subordinates suggested, "once we're settled in Jin land, we can start cultivating relationships with some of these people of the faith. I'm sure they'd be more than willing to gift us their ancestral treasures. Willing? Of course, they wouldn't be. But as long as we know where the good stuff is, we can just take it."

Over there, the middle-aged Taoist had already advanced.

After its self-detonation, the black bear's massive body deflated, shriveling like a punctured wineskin.

The middle-aged Taoist slapped the two talisman papers in his hands onto the black bear. Instantly, vivid red, net-like lines materialized across the black bear's body. Its already collapsing form was slammed to the ground. It crashed face-first with a dull THUD.

Only then had the man and woman in black crossed the river.

The middle-aged Taoist shot them a frigid glare. His gaze then fell upon his disciples, lying motionless on the ground. His mood, understandably, couldn't have been worse.