The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 179 The Finger of Spiritual Rhinoceros

The setting sun is like blood.

West of the Huangshan Mountains, atop a lush, unnamed mountain peak, the two stood side by side.

The man was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and burly, with a large knife hanging from his waist, dressed in a black, non-reflective outfit, and with two arms thicker than an average person's thighs wrapped around his chest.

A person who was short and thin, yet wore a large, elaborate robe with wide sleeves and curved hem, gave off a comical feeling of a monkey wearing a crown...

Both of them had their faces covered with painted masks, only their eyes were visible, and they stared intently at the group of swaggering monsters gazing at the distant mountains.

"Do you think he'll come this Sunday?"

The skinny man spoke, his voice cunning and thick with a southwestern accent.

The burly man replied helplessly, "How many times have I told you? Speak the correct pronunciation of the Central Plains."

The skinny monkey stretched his neck, shook his large head that didn't match his thin body, as if clearing his throat, and then spoke again, his accent stiff: "Do you think he'll come out today?"

The burly man said softly, "I wonder... do you really want to confirm that Daniel Wu is Wang Erhu?"

Skinny Monkey: "Don't you want to?"

Strong man: "No."

The skinny monkey turned to look at him, puzzled: "Why? It's the chance to become a god..."

The burly man sighed and said in a heavy voice, "If Wu Yanzu is not Wang Erhu, this is an opportunity; if Wang Erhu is really Wu Yanzu, this is a dead end."

Skinny Monkey nodded in agreement, but his tone remained relaxed: "That makes sense, but these things are none of our business. Let the higher-ups worry about them..."

The burly man silently turned his head to look at him and said in a low voice, "The people above are just having a headache, but people like you and me have to risk our lives!"

The skinny monkey chuckled and said casually, "If I can't beat him in a fight, can't I at least outrun him?"

The burly man gazed at the distant mountains, tightened his grip on the hilt of his knife, and remained silent.

But someone else chimed in, "You think you can escape? You're a fool!"

With a pure Southwestern Mandarin accent, he draped one arm over each of the strong man and the skinny man's shoulders.

The two were startled and turned around at the same time, only to see a smiling face gazing at the distant mountains: "This is a good place to watch a show!"

With his demon-suppressing black armor, sharp-edged face, and squinty eyes, this is Wang Erhu!

Their scalps tingled with fear, and in a moment of terror, they leaped to their feet...

But he couldn't break free from the arm on his shoulder and jump up on the spot!

The arms that seemed to be lightly resting on their shoulders felt incredibly heavy. A chilling aura emanated from the large hands on their shoulders and flowed into their bodies, suppressing the power within them.

"be honest."

With a smile, Wang Wen gently scolded, "Don't force me to slap you when I'm closest to having fun!"

"Or, you could tell me some of the things I want to hear, to make me a little happier..."

"Maybe in a moment of joy, I'll just let you two go like a fart!"

The two trembled violently. One of them, with his large hand hidden under his robes, trembled as he made a hand seal, but hesitated to activate it.

The large hand gripping the hilt of the knife was bulging with veins and trembling like a leaf, yet it gripped it tighter and tighter...

Wang Wen, seemingly oblivious to the intense inner turmoil of the two, gazed intently at the dark clouds drifting from the distant mountains and exclaimed happily, "Look, it's starting!"

Upon hearing the sound, the two turned their heads at the same time and saw a large patch of thick dark clouds hovering above the group of arrogant monsters. Then, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, a large number of neatly armored and densely packed divine generals and ghost soldiers rushed out.

A majestic general with a square face, dressed in golden armor and a red robe, rode astride a fiery black Qilin. Wielding a gleaming silver spear, he charged at the forefront of the divine generals and ghostly soldiers. With a swing of his spear, he unleashed a dazzling burst of lightning, clearing a space among the equally dense horde of monsters.

'Daniel Wu?'

The skinny monkey and the strong man stared in astonishment at the majestic general who seemed to be moving through an empty space. They both gasped in surprise, then turned around and looked incredulously at the smiling Wang Wen beside them.

Wang Wen looked at the two of them, puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you watching a show?"

Skinny Monkey couldn't help but ask, "Brother, how did you do that?"

Wang Wen couldn't help but laugh: "You people haven't even figured out anything, how dare you test me? I'm a god, isn't it normal for me to know a technique to split my mind?"

He grabbed the skinny monkey and waved his five fingers in front of them, making them appear and disappear repeatedly: "Look, this is just a fragment of my spirit... Old man, if you don't keep a close eye on these little darlings, I'll kill you and feed you to the dogs!"

He spoke softly with a smile, but a violent and icy killing intent, like a storm passing by, instantly enveloped their minds, startling them both into a shiver.

With a hiss, a small, vibrant green snake with eyes as red as rubies flicked its dark purple tongue from inside the skinny monkey's collar and darted back into his loose robe.

The skinny monkey lowered his head meekly, not daring to look Wang Wen in the eye.

On the contrary, the strong man on the other side gradually calmed down, and his hand on the knife stopped trembling. He asked in a deep voice, "It seems that General Wang will not let the two of us leave this place alive today, will he?"

Wang Wen curiously turned his head to look at him: "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"

The burly man gritted his teeth and said, pausing between each sentence, "Nothing much. I am unskilled, but I have a sword technique I would like to ask General Wang for some pointers on!"

Wang Wen nodded with a smile: "One cut is too stingy. I'll name a number, and I'll allow you to make ten cuts."

The burly man slowly shook his head: "I appreciate the general's kindness, but victory or defeat, life or death, can be decided with a single strike!"

Wang Wen just laughed: "That's not important, let's watch the show first... Look, the BOSS battle has begun!"

The two turned around at the same time and saw a huge, white-browed tiger with a fierce and terrifying expression flying backwards into the sky. It tumbled and rolled in mid-air before stabilizing itself and, bathed in the faint moonlight, transformed into a colossal creature ten zhang long.

Then it raised its head, and after a brief moment of gathering its strength, it suddenly lowered its head and roared. The tiger's roar pierced through the clouds and split rocks, stirring up layers of terrifying sound waves that shone with dazzling golden light. Wherever the sound waves passed, a dense canopy of trees turned into dust!

But just as this enormous creature was displaying its power, a bolt of lightning shot out from the forest, slashing diagonally across the creature before disappearing in a flash.

The tiger, which had been arrogant, cool, and domineering just a moment ago, suddenly froze, as if it had transformed from a lively and energetic tiger into a stone carving in an instant.

Then, the large, white-browed worm with piercing eyes suddenly shrank and plummeted straight down.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Wang Wen scoffed and shook his head, saying, "Where did you guys find this idiot? He's using his ultimate right up against my face, where's his brain?"

The two men stared blankly, remaining silent.

Wang Wen turned his head to look at the skinny monkey: "Brother, this brute wants to commit suicide. You're definitely different from him. Do you have anything to say to me?"

Skinny Monkey's legs trembled like butterfly wings, but he still forced himself to speak, stammering, "Brother, brother, he's just being silly, please don't hold it against him. What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything. Can you please let us off the hook..."

"Look, look!"

Wang Wen pointed at the skinny man, his face full of anger at his lack of backbone, and said to the strong man, "A group of people should be loyal? Unlike you, you only care about your own pleasure and don't care about other people's lives at all..."

The burly man said in a deep voice, "Do you think you'll spare our lives if we beg for mercy?" Wang Wen smiled faintly, "Why not? You're just two pawns crossing the river. Killing you would neither please me nor make any sense."

The burly man suddenly laughed and said, "He was forced to come, but I volunteered to come and see what kind of master you are, a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm!"

Wang Wen listened to his rambling, his patience suddenly exhausted, and the gentle smile on his lips instantly turned cold: "You think I'm being too kind? If you want to die, then come on, I'll grant your wish!"

He kicked the strong man several meters away. The strong man somersaulted in mid-air and landed nimbly on a blue stone. He stared intently at Wang Wen, his hand on his sword.

Wang Wen waved to him expressionlessly: "Didn't you want me to critique your work? Come on!"

The skinny man shook his head vigorously at the strong man, shouting, "Don't mess around, you'll die..."

The burly man stared at the skinny monkey and said softly, "I've hidden some money in the old spot, enough to buy a hundred cows for your village. If you can still get back alive, take the money and run as soon as possible. Those people up there act recklessly, and people like us have no way to survive..."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, and his already burly figure suddenly swelled up even more, stretching his well-fitting outfit tight, like a young man's tight-fitting clothes and joggers.

Wang Wen looked him over and suddenly waved his hand, saying, "Wait a minute, I'll switch to another account for you to play, so you won't die with your eyes wide open..."

Before he finished speaking, Wang Wen, the Demon-Slaying General in black armor, transformed into a golden light and soared into the sky, narrowly escaping a bolt of lightning.

The next second, the lightning struck the bewildered skinny monkey's side, transforming into Huangshan God King Wen, who wielded a twelve-foot-long silver spear, wore a golden-red civil and military sleeve, and whose long hair danced wildly.

"bring it on!"

Wang Wen held the silver spear upside down and waved indifferently at the strong man.

The strong man held his breath, staring intently at Wang Wen, his powerful acquired true energy surging wildly around him like a mighty river.

The next second, he suddenly drew his sword and, with lightning speed, unleashed a powerful, honed strike, aiming for Wang Wen's head: "Kill!"

Nine rings rang out in unison, and the thick-backed broadsword slashed down with immense force. A dazzling point of light suddenly burst forth from the blade the moment it fell... In that instant, everything around paled in comparison, and it seemed as if only this one sword strike remained in the world!

What fell into Wang Wen's eyes was just a faint firefly's light, which suddenly emitted boundless silver light, as if he had stepped into a desolate world covered in silver, or as if he were standing on a towering mountain, with thousands of feet of white snow flying towards him like a waterfall...

What a simple and honest cut!

What a stunning strike!

Wang Wen exclaimed in amazement as the Dawnbreaker Spear remained motionless, while his left hand extended out with a seemingly slow but actually swift motion.

"Ding."

A clear and melodious sound of a knife ringing out echoed through the mountains and forests.

The gleaming blade aura vanished in an instant, and the gust of wind whipped Wang Wen's long hair into a frenzy.

The burly man stared blankly at the blade of the nine-ringed broadsword, where two slender, fair fingers held the gleaming blade steadily.

Wang Wen smiled faintly and said, "If I told you that this is my ultimate move, 'Spiritual Finger,' would you feel any better?"

"clang."

The bright light in the strong man's eyes vanished instantly, and the nine-ringed broadsword fell heavily to the ground.

He slumped to the ground, his eyes dim and vacant, muttering to himself, "How could this be, how could this be..."

"All you know is that I have the martial arts cultivation level of a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm."

Wang Wen said calmly, "But little did I know that martial arts cultivation is the weakest power within me."

The strong man gave a weak, bitter smile, as if he had given up on treatment, saying, "Whatever you say."

Wang Wen ignored him and turned to the skinny monkey beside him: "Now can you tell me the cause and effect of all this?"

The skinny monkey met his cold gaze, shivered again, and then knelt down in front of Wang Wen with a "thump," ripped off his mask and threw it on the ground, revealing a gray-white, beardless young face.

Judging from his age, he's only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

“Big Brother, we are the Wind Catchers from the Imperial Observatory. We were ordered by our superiors to come here to verify your true identity. We didn’t do anything. Those monsters weren’t found by the two of us, nor are they under our jurisdiction. However, I know they were created by the Water-Seeking Division. They love to go deep into the mountains and forests to find monsters…”

Wang Wen frowned slightly: "The Imperial Observatory still exists? When did you join the Imperial Observatory?"

He wasn't surprised that the imperial court, or rather, Emperor Hongtai, was behind this!

He was somewhat surprised that Emperor Hongtai had taken advantage of the reorganization of the Imperial Observatory into the Demon Suppression Bureau to intercept a group of talented individuals and send them underground.

These two brothers didn't really cause any trouble under his command.

But these two brothers are truly formidable; even in the current landscape of China, they would be considered top-tier experts!

This strong man was a top-tier swordsman in the Acquired Realm. The power of his strike just now was unmatched by any Acquired Realm expert he had ever seen. Even Jiang Jin and Lin Baichuan back then were far inferior to this strong man in combat.

This seemingly harmless, skinny young monkey must be a Gu master from the Miao region. Judging from his densely packed, adorable body, his lethality is probably even greater than that of this strong man...

These two, working together, can conquer even the most dangerous and dangerous places in the world; the rest of the land is theirs to conquer!
But judging from their words, it seemed that the two brothers were just insignificant figures inside the underground Imperial Observatory.
Skinny Monkey: "I went to the Imperial Observatory in the middle of the year before last. The relocation of the imperial cauldron was more than half a year earlier than mine."

"So to say……"

Wang Wen's brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face again: "You two are my seniors. I was only added to the Imperial Observatory in the middle of last year."

"I don't dare to take it seriously."

Skinny Monkey shook his head meekly: "We only beg you, big brother, to spare our lives. The higher-ups ordered us here, and we really had no other choice!"

Wang Wen's gaze swept between the two men: "Do you have any dirt on either of you that the Imperial Observatory has on you?"

Skinny Monkey: "Yes, no..."

Wang Wen: "Is it there or not?"

Skinny Monkey: "I originally had it, but I secretly removed it."

Wang Wen: "Did the Imperial Observatory poison you?"

The skinny monkey nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Wang Wen clicked his tongue: "This imperial court is getting more and more chaotic... Alright, no matter what, you two have done wrong. It would be inappropriate for me to just let you go like this."

"But in the end, you two are just following orders. If I were to kill you both like this, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?"

The skinny monkey shook his head vigorously: "That's definitely not suitable, not suitable at all!"

Wang Wen laughed and said, "Then join my Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, atone for your sins, and make amends for your mistakes!"

Upon hearing this, the skinny monkey was overjoyed and turned around to crawl to the side of the strong man who still had a blank expression. He pressed the man's head down and kowtowed to Wang Wen, saying, "Thank you, big brother! Thank you, big brother!"

Wang Wenju, distracted by his pursuit of the mountain spirits and monsters in the distant mountains, murmured to himself, "The Imperial Observatory..."

He felt that perhaps it was time to confront the truth.

(End of this chapter)