"Your divine arts... are nothing special."
The gaunt old man flew into a rage.
"Hard-mouthed little brat."
He chanted a spell, and just then, suddenly chunks of artificial rock came hurtling through the air; it was the other three taking the opportunity to assist Wang Hongdao from a distance.
Although they were arrogant, they dared not confront the Incense Master directly.
Years of enterprise destroyed, and further taunted by a junior, the gaunt old man went mad. After dodging an attack with a green fire, he waved his hand, and this time eighteen green snakes tore through the air towards them, obviously a ranged attack, meant to wipe them out at once.
Suddenly, a figure fell from the sky. He tread on clouds and moon, his palms waved like blossoming lotuses, smashing the green snakes. With a bang, the figure shot up from the ground, blasting up countless mists of water, then struck the gaunt old man’s protective divine fire like a beam of white light, the wind from the Gale Palm Strike preventing any rainwater from getting close.
"Tai Chi・Cloud Pushing!"
His body emitted white luminescence, spinning like a Yin Yang fish, unleashing incredible power, his palm covered in white light ignored the high temperature and pierced through the protective green flames.
The gaunt old man was sent flying, spitting out fresh blood.
"Damn, he caught up so fast... Where are my divine generals?"
On the lake surface, white steam soared into the sky, a figure moved across the water, boiling it wherever he went. His face was red as Guan Gong’s. Behind him on the lake, floated six mutilated bodies with charred wounds, their bodies also more or less covered in green scales, just like little Wang’s.
Including the two divine generals killed by other experts from the police force.
Thirteen core disciples, nine now slain!
Chen Zhen initially thought to capture these people alive for questioning but realized the cultists, one by one truly maniacal beyond reason, like moths to a flame undeterred by death, which is the primary reason why cases involving Evil Calamity were harder to solve than those involving Black Calamity. Capturing normal human criminals, even martial artists, Da Xia had ample experience, but these cultists, possessing the strength of gods or devils, were impenetrable, and many could only be killed.
Seeing he was once again surrounded by two martial artists,
The gaunt old man’s eyelids twitched wildly, pondering a way out.
Chen Zhen, carrying the momentum of Tiger Evil, came smothering him, his strikes powerful and unrivaled compared to Qian Ming. The gaunt old man dared not take them head-on, but his movements were tightly blocked by Qian Ming, getting kicked back no matter which direction he tried.
He knew his situation was dire.
"Too bad... I will not be able to personally greet the descent of our god."
The gaunt old man’s eyes filled with reluctance, and his decaying body suddenly ignited, his clothes burnt away revealing a lean body covered in dark green scales. The green flames made his flesh translucent like jade, showing mutated organs completely different from humans.
"Get away from here!"
Chen Zhen shouted loudly.
The old man’s pupils turned to vertical slits, his sinister forked tongue flicking in and out, he gave a chilling laugh, his body unnaturally stretching like rubber, sections of his dark green ribs turning inside out forming limb-like centipede legs.
"Brilliant Saint Realm, mighty divine presence!"
"Blazing holy fire, consume my divine body!"
"Merciful Heavenly King, pity the mortals!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⚑fire.net
He howled incomprehensibly, his turned-out ribs enveloping Chen Zhen, who had closed in for the combat; his right claw, covered in sinister green scales, reached for his chest.
"Red Evil・Tiger Armor!"
Rich crimson luminescence gathered at his chest, warding off the strike. Qian Ming turned into a white blur, shattering the monstrous ribs and rescuing Chen Zhen from the middle.
Old Tian and the others were surrounded by dozens of ferocious cultists. Chen Xiaoyun’s long whip whirled like a windmill, sending any cultist that got close flying viciously.
Lu Chenzhou, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, roared, immediately causing two men to faint.
He was attacked by a group of people with various weapons, intermittently pelted with broken rocks and steel reinforcement. He dodged and weaved, exploiting the close, quick advantages of Tiger Form to their fullest, sending bodies flying in all directions, bones breaking audibly. Soon, there was a large number of people lying around him, moaning in pain.
Lu Chenzhou showed no mercy, knocking each out with a palm strike, then bound them with willow branches like wrapping rice dumplings. After catching his breath, he looked around; the sounds of fighting and gunfire seemed much reduced. He said gravely,
"Seems like most of the regular cultists are dealt with."
He looked toward the Martial Arts Tree; both "Tiger Spirit Divine Fist" and "Arhat Skill" had improved slightly. Getting hit by others also counted as percussive training.
Protected by Hard Qi Gong, he wasn’t even slightly injured.
Chen Xiaoyun dipped her long whip into the water to wash off the bloodstains.
Lu Chenzhou casually asked,
"How much for your Void Blade?"
Lu Chenzhou’s corner of the eye twitched.
This whip was more expensive than Master’s Yanyun Saber; this woman really was wealthy.
Tonight’s fight against the cultists made him realize that participating in practical training really required a handy weapon; before martial artists existed, the lethality of alloy cold weapons was absolutely a dimension-reducing strike against ordinary fists and palms. Even for martial artists, if they were not top-level experts, alloy weapons still had their uses. He became even more eager to win the Jiangnan talent competition to have money to buy a better Void Blade.
He had long had his eye on a Fist Blade weapon, but alas, money was short.
After regaining his breath for a moment, the four of them moved to assist elsewhere.
A man in a suit holding a dagger stilled his breath and concentrated, hiding behind the corner of a wall, listening to the increasing sound of approaching footsteps, a cruel smile appeared on his face.