Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 311 Bitter Smiles from the Martial Arts World and the Imperial Court
One day later.

As dawn broke, the few surviving monks from Guangyuan Temple in the village at the foot of the mountain could no longer contain their fear and began to climb up the mountain from the back.

They deliberately avoided the path on the front of the mountain.

The loud noise and red light that came from the mountain yesterday left everyone feeling apprehensive, and they only dared to detour through the rarely visited back mountain.

Even so, the sight before them as soon as they stepped into the forest sent chills down their spines.

The once lush and ancient mountains are now dilapidated. The ancient trees along the way are either broken in half or uprooted, and the broken trunks still bear the marks of burning and impact.

The ground was covered with large pits of varying depths, the deepest of which was more than ten feet deep. The pit walls were smooth, clearly formed by a tremendous force.

The once lush bushes were flattened, leaving only a mess of broken branches and fallen leaves. A faint smell of blood and burnt flesh lingered in the air for a long time.

The monks looked at each other, their steps becoming increasingly hesitant.

When did the back mountain also suffer such a calamity?
I climbed up the mountain with a heart full of fear, and the closer I got to the summit, the more terrifying the scenery became.

When they finally arrived at the gate of Guangyuan Temple, several monks couldn't help but cover their mouths and noses, their faces as pale as paper.

The temple gate had long since collapsed, and the once smooth bluestone pavement was now soaked in blood. The bloodstains had dried and turned black, congealing into dark red patches.

The temple was littered with severed limbs, some torn into pieces, others charred black. The corpses were beginning to rot and swell, emitting a pungent stench that attracted countless forest birds, beasts, crows, wild dogs, and mountain rats, who frantically pecked at the carcasses on the ground, making a sickeningly loud tearing sound.

The main hall had collapsed, with broken beams and pillars lying haphazardly in the ruins, interspersed with fragments of monks' robes and uniforms of the Eastern Depot agents.

The once-prosperous Buddhist holy site, bathed in incense smoke and bathed in Buddha's light, has now become a graveyard where birds and beasts fight over food. The cold wind blows through the ruins, revealing a scene of decay and desolation.

"Guangyuan Temple...it's over."

A young monk muttered to himself, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with despair.

The old monk who was with him sighed, his gaze sweeping over the ruins, his expression somber.

They searched the temple for a long time but did not find Abbot Xuankong's body.

Later, from a young novice monk who had been knocked unconscious while hiding in a crevice in the woodshed and had miraculously survived, it was learned that before the Imperial Guards withdrew yesterday, Shen Tong personally led a group of men to take Xuan Kong away.

As for the other monks in the temple, some died at the hands of the Soul-Slaying Dharma King in the initial melee, while others died at the hands of the demonized Fang Sheng.

Some, seeing the situation was not good, took advantage of the chaos to escape down the mountain through a side gate, and their whereabouts are unknown.

Several monks stood before the ruins, gazing at the devastation before them, their hands clasped together, and chanted sutras in a low voice.

Guangyuan Temple, once one of the three major Buddhist sects, had been passed down for hundreds of years, but ultimately could not escape this catastrophe.

Three days later,
News of Guangyuan Temple's destruction spread like wildfire throughout the martial arts world, even alarming the imperial court.

Throughout the martial arts world, teahouses, restaurants, and inns were all abuzz with talk of this catastrophe.

The tea master pounded his gavel, spitting as he recounted the story of the "Invasion of the Demonic Cult," while a crowd of eager martial arts practitioners and commoners gathered around the table.
"Do you all know? Guangyuan Temple was one of the three major sects of Buddhism, how prestigious it was! But now? It was wiped out by the Demonic Sect!"

"I heard that the leader is the Soul-Slaying Dharma King of the Demonic Sect, clad in a black and red dragon-snake demonic armor, impervious to swords and spears!"
The tea master gestured vividly, "That Dharma King raised his hand and unleashed a demonic light that even Abbot Xuankong of Guangyuan Temple couldn't withstand. He was struck so hard that he coughed up blood and was captured on the spot! And this was just a pawn of the Demonic Sect. There are even more powerful masters pressing in from behind, aiming to unify the martial arts world!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Just recently, the Embroidered Uniform Guard suffered heavy losses in the coastal campaign to suppress a branch of the Demonic Sect, and news of the deaths of several centurions was leaked.

With these two events occurring simultaneously, the notion of a "massive invasion by the evil cult" quickly became the mainstream view, and everyone felt insecure.

Some people also discovered that the major sects in the Central Plains began to close their mountain gates, patrol day and night, strengthen their defenses, and even send their own disciples to the Jinyiwei Zhenfusi Yamen in the capital.

Some small sects along the coast moved away from their original locations and migrated to the heart of the Central Plains, fearing that they would be affected by the Demonic Sect.

"No wonder Wang An, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, went to Guangyuan Temple in person. He must have received word of it beforehand. It's a pity that he couldn't stop the demonic cultists in the end!"

Some people said with regret, their tone full of fear of the evil cult.

These rumors became increasingly fantastical. Some said that the Soul-Slaying Dharma King could summon wind and rain, others said that the Demonic Cult had gathered all the ancient demonic artifacts, and still others said that several major families in Jiangnan had secretly sided with the Demonic Cult. All these claims were vivid and detailed, as if the narrators had witnessed them firsthand.

Meanwhile, a completely different version of the story is circulating in a small circle.

Several martial arts practitioners who had narrowly escaped the melee at Guangyuan Temple were talking in hushed tones in a secluded tavern, their expressions grave: "Those are all rumors. It wasn't a problem with the Demonic Sect at all. The Demonic Sect did appear, but they were all killed on the spot, and their bodies were taken away by the Eastern Depot!"

Another person asked, "What's going on? Brother He, please tell us quickly."

The man said in a deep voice, "I saw it with my own eyes; Master Fang Sheng of Guangyuan Temple has actually fallen into demonic possession!"

It took everyone a while to remember who Fang Sheng was.

"Master Fang Sheng? A high-ranking monk from Shaolin Temple a hundred years ago?" The onlookers looked incredulous. "Are you out of your mind? How could Fang Sheng of Shaolin Temple have fallen into demonic possession? Fang Sheng has been dead for who knows how many years."

"Absolutely true!"

The wandering swordsman spoke urgently, gesturing with his hands.

"His body swelled to twice its size, his skin was covered in black liquid, and his eye sockets were empty from which black liquid flowed. He was like a demon or a ghost, killing anyone he saw and sucking blood! Later, Wang An, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, took action, and the two fought fiercely. Even Wang An's Fiery True Qi could not burn him to death. The scene was simply hell on earth!"

His companion chimed in, "I saw it too! Fang Sheng turned into a beast after his demonic transformation. He clashed with Wang An in the square, shaking the entire Guangyuan Temple. Unfortunately, the dust was too thick later, and I couldn't see the final result. I wonder if Chief Supervisor Wang An managed to capture him."

"Why hasn't a winner been decided yet???"

"What are you saying? Do you know how many people died on the spot? If you had been there, you would have been so scared that you couldn't stand up straight!"

The man scoffed; very few people believed his words.

A Shaolin monk from a hundred years ago, who had been living in seclusion at Guangyuan Temple for many years, was always compassionate. It's unbelievable that he's still alive today. How could he suddenly become possessed by a demon and kill people to steal blood?

This is too bizarre, beyond everyone's comprehension.

Most people just assumed it was a ridiculous story made up by these wandering swordsmen who were so frightened that they lost their minds. They listened to it for fun and didn't take it seriously.

Two versions of the story circulated simultaneously. The former, because it fit the background of the "Failure of the Embroidered Uniform Guard" and was sensational enough, became the mainstream perception in both the martial arts world and the imperial court.

The latter, being too bizarre, could only circulate within a small circle and was regarded as an absurd tale.

But in reality, neither of them is true.

After Wang An cleared the area, only the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Eastern Depot agents remained. Chen Zhan then dismissed Shen Tong.

Later, Wang An had the people from the Eastern Depot take away the Soul-Slaying Dharma King and the others, and the Eastern Depot agents also withdrew.

At that time, only Chen Zhan, Wang An, and the demonized Fang Sheng remained present.

However, in the end, Chen Zhan killed Wang An, which was witnessed by the agents of the Eastern Depot, though one could also say they didn't.

Because Chen Zhan wasn't in human form at that time.
Therefore, the version circulating in the imperial court today is completely different from that in the martial arts world.

That night, agents from the Eastern Depot carried Wang An's mutilated body back to the capital.

The moment they stepped into the Eastern Depot's office, the leading officer collapsed to the ground, incoherently screaming "monsters are causing chaos!" and "the supervisor has perished!" causing a commotion throughout the entire office.

The following day, hundreds of Tibetans who had witnessed the horrific scene at the foot of the mountain submitted a joint petition, their testimonies being virtually identical.

"At the foot of the mountain that day, they witnessed an ancient monster appear: its tiger claws were as sharp as knives, its dog fur was red and black, its bear back was as broad as a mountain, its long tail was as thick as a whip, and its vaguely visible human face was shrouded in thick red mist, making it impossible to see its true appearance, leaving only a pair of cold vertical pupils, extremely ferocious."

It was this demonic beast that utterly destroyed the arrogant King An, whom they considered invincible, leaving no trace of his body, not even his head.

The descriptions by the people from the Eastern Depot were vivid and detailed, each word revealing a deep-seated fear, and it seemed that no one dared to utter a single falsehood.

The news struck like a thunderbolt, instantly shattering the atmosphere in the imperial court.

Although Emperor Wanli was lazy and averse to politics for many years and rarely attended court, he entrusted most of the affairs of state to Wang An, relying heavily on this eunuch who had been with him for decades.

Wang An was not only his right-hand man, but also a key pawn in balancing the civil service and martial arts factions.

Upon hearing the news that Wang An had died, and that his body was mutilated beyond recognition by an unknown ancient monster, Emperor Wanli was filled with shock and rage in the deep palace. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered the memorial in front of him.

"It doesn't make sense! It doesn't make sense!"

"Do these people think I'm a fool? They can't even come up with a plausible reason!"

Zhu Yijun slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. This was the first time he had lost his composure since ascending the throne. Wang An had even promised to help him cure his illness!

"Pfft!~"

Overwhelmed by rage, Emperor Wanli vomited two more mouthfuls of blood, his face turning deathly pale, and he swayed precariously before being hastily supported by the eunuchs.

"Issue my decree! Summon Xu Long."

Xu Long, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, quickly arrived at the palace and met with the emperor.

"Xu Long, you are hereby given full command of the Northern and Southern Garrison Commands, and you are to capture the true culprit within one month!"

"I don't care whether that thing is an ancient ferocious beast or a demonic cultist in disguise. Anyone related to the Guangyuan Temple incident shall be killed without exception. Only the result matters!"

"Yes, Xu Long obeys!"

Xu Long accepted the imperial edict and left the palace with a heavy heart.

The imperial decree caused a stir throughout the court and the country.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was already incredibly powerful, and now, with the emperor's special permission, it was even more powerful. The guards went out in all directions, blocking the main roads of various prefectures and checking suspicious persons from house to house.

Anyone associated with the demonic sect or with an unusual physique was captured on the spot, and anyone who resisted was killed without mercy. For a time, the world was filled with fear and unease.

The Imperial Guards had already clashed with the Demonic Sect, but were delayed by the Guangyuan Temple incident and did not have time to investigate the coastal areas.

Xu Long immediately ordered the Southern and Northern Garrison Commands to go together, with Pei Qian and Zhao Lie leading the team to investigate the coast. If there was any suspicion, they were to act first and report later.

But that's all just the surface.

In fact, Xu Long also knew that Wang An did not die at the hands of the Demonic Sect.

Inside Xu Long's residence.

Shen Tong and Xu Long were talking in a secret room.

Shen Tong recounted the events of that day in detail. When he led his team away, only three parties remained in the arena: Chen Zhan and Han Tiange, the Eastern Depot, and Qiongqi Magic Cube.

"You mean, Fang Sheng lost control and became a demon after that masked man blew out his eyeballs? He turned into the Qiongqi monster?" Xu Long repeated what he had said to Shen Tong.

"Yes, absolutely true."

"So, the ancient ferocious beast that the Eastern Depot agents mentioned is real? Wang An was killed by the Qiongqi Demon?"

Shen Tong hesitated, his expression shifting.

"Speak directly!"

"Yes, I believe they are not the same ferocious beast," Shen Tong stated his conjecture.

Xu Long was so angry that he could only laugh helplessly, "Hahaha, you mean, another ancient ferocious beast appeared, killed Wang An, and also killed the Qiongqi demon beast?"

"That's right."

Shen Tong was also helpless, but this was indeed the only guess he could make.

Because the Eastern Depot agents described it very clearly, the Qiongqi Demon and the later tiger-like ferocious beast had completely different appearances.

(End of this chapter)