The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

The drumbeats of the Luotian Grand Ritual finally stopped.

Instead, the sounds of battle cries, clashing weapons, and heart-wrenching screams echoed from all corners of Longhu Mountain. These sounds, carried by the mountain wind and the heavy stench of blood, broke through the misty barrier of Jingxin Cliff and crashed directly into Zhang Yulei's ears.

He still stood on the cliff edge, eyes closed, gripping the black sword. The golden light on the blade had long since faded, leaving only its cold, sharp edge pressed against his palm. Decades of seclusion had kept his breathing steady, but only he knew that the anger within his chest was like a volcano about to erupt, just waiting for an outlet.

The Quanxing sect has gone mad.

It seems to have been even earlier than I remember.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhang Yulei's lips. Did these unbridled madmen really think that Longhu Mountain was a place they could come and go as they pleased, causing trouble wherever they wanted? Did they really think that deep within the mists of Jingxin Cliff, there was only a hermit Taoist priest who didn't care about worldly affairs?

"rustle--"

A series of light footsteps came from the end of the mountain path.

Very light, very cautious, with a sneaky air about it.

Zhang Yulei's eyelids twitched slightly.

coming.

He didn't open his eyes or turn around, remaining in the same posture with his sword in hand, like a stone statue blending into the clouds.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping in the open space in front of the bamboo house.

"Heh heh, I didn't expect there to actually be someone living on Tranquil Cliff." A shrill voice rang out, tinged with mockery. "Judging from this old Taoist's appearance, he's probably senile, standing here without moving an inch."

"Enough with the nonsense," another gruff voice snapped. "Chief Gong Qing has ordered that no part of the back mountain of Longhu Mountain be left unsearched. Since this old Taoist is guarding this place, he might be hiding some treasure. Take care of him first, then search this bamboo hut!"

"Solve it? How do we solve it?" The owner of the shrill voice seemed hesitant. "This old Taoist priest looks skin and bones, but why do I feel like something's not right?"

"Something's not right? What could be wrong?" The owner of the gruff voice scoffed. "Just some old codger guarding the mountain. The Quanxing Sect acts without restraint. Make your move!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two dark figures suddenly darted out of the clouds and lunged at Zhang Yulei's back.

One man wielded a short knife, its blade glowing with a ghostly green venomous light, clearly poisoned; the other held an iron chain, the end of which was attached a steel-reinforced claw hook, gleaming coldly. Both were members of the Quanxing sect, known for their ruthlessness, and their attacks were always deadly, with no intention of leaving any survivors.

They were so fast that they left only two afterimages in the clouds.

Just then, the short knife was about to pierce Zhang Yulei's back, and the claw hook was about to pierce his collarbone.

Just then—

Zhang Yulei's eyes suddenly opened.

Those eyes, dormant for seventy years, now blazed like two scorching suns, radiating a chilling killing intent. His once peaceful face instantly turned icy cold, and the energy around him, like a sleeping dragon awakening, exploded violently!

"Buzz—"

The black sword let out a deafening dragon's roar, and golden lightning arcs on the sword instantly surged, the three-foot-long lightning illuminating the entire cloud!

"What?!"

The two Quanxing demons' expressions changed drastically, a hint of terror flashing in their eyes. They could feel a terrifying pressure, like Mount Tai crushing down on them. Within that pressure lay the power of extremely yang and ruthless thunder, and also... a murderous aura as if from hell itself!

They wanted to back out, but it was too late.

Zhang Yulei's figure did not turn at all; he simply slashed backward with the hand holding his sword.

There were no fancy moves, no earth-shattering roars.

Only a single golden bolt of lightning, like a bolt of silk, swept across the sword blade.

"Pfft—"

Two faint sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The demon wielding the short knife didn't even have time to scream before being sliced ​​in half at the waist by lightning. Blood and entrails sprayed onto the bluestone slabs, emitting a nauseating stench. The demon wielding the iron chain reacted slightly faster, abruptly raising his claws to block. But the lightning, like an indestructible blade, instantly pierced through the claws and then through his chest.

Golden lightning exploded within his body.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream echoed across Tranquil Cliff.

The demon convulsed, his skin visibly charring and carbonizing. A few breaths later, he collapsed heavily to the ground, turning into a pile of charred remains.

Zhang Yulei slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two corpses on the ground, his eyes cold and devoid of any warmth.

He couldn't even see the two people's faces clearly.

In his eyes, these Quanxing demons were nothing but a bunch of clowns. Anyone who dared to trespass on Longhu Mountain or set foot on Jingxin Cliff would only face certain death.

"There are still people."

Zhang Yulei's voice was hoarse and deep, as if it came from the deepest hell.

His gaze fell on the shadows of the mountain path. There, three figures lurked, trembling and barely daring to breathe.

What they had just witnessed completely terrified them.

They were peripheral members of the Quanxing sect, who had come with those two demonic figures. They thought it would be an easy job, but unexpectedly, they encountered a killing god!

The golden lightning, the terrifying pressure, and the merciless killing move instilled fear in them to the core.

"Get out here."

Zhang Yulei's voice rang out again.

This time, his tone carried an undeniable air of authority.

From the shadows of the mountain path, a rustling sound came. Three figures, like stray dogs, scrambled out, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Master, spare me! Master, spare me!"

"We were forced! They forced us to come!"

"We dare not do it again! We dare not trespass on Longhu Mountain again! Please, Taoist priest, spare our lives!"

The three people's voices were choked with sobs and filled with fear.

Zhang Yulei gripped his sword and walked towards them step by step.

With each step, the grass on the bluestone slabs is scorched to ashes by the power of thunder. With each step, the surrounding mist is dispersed by the energy.

His gaze fell on the faces of the three people.

The three men, dressed in tattered clothes, with expressions of fear and obsequiousness on their faces, certainly looked like members of the lowest rungs of the Quanxing sect.

But Zhang Yulei's eyes remained completely unmoved.

All the demons of the Quanxing sect are mortal enemies, regardless of rank or social status.

During the battle at Blood Moon Valley, he witnessed too many civilians being brutally murdered by the Quanxing; in his decades of seclusion, he also heard far too many stories of the Quanxing's atrocities. This group of people treated human life like dirt and rules as nothing; they were utterly unworthy of living in this world.

"Spare my life?" Zhang Yulei's lips curled into a mocking smile. "When you stormed Longhu Mountain, did you ever think about sparing the lives of those guarding disciples? When you indiscriminately slaughtered the innocent, did you ever think about sparing the lives of ordinary people?"

The three of them trembled violently and were speechless.

"The rule of Longhu Mountain is: trespassers die."

Zhang Yulei's voice was resolute.

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his sword once more.

Golden arcs of lightning danced across the sword's blade.

A flicker of despair crossed the three men's eyes. They wanted to escape, but their bodies seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.

"Puff puff puff—"

Three sword lights flashed by.

Three heads shot into the sky.

Blood splattered onto Zhang Yulei's coarse Taoist robe, staining it crimson. Yet, he seemed oblivious, remaining standing there, his gaze coldly fixed on the corpse on the ground.

Tranquility returned to Jingxin Cliff.

Only the heavy smell of blood remained, permeating the clouds and mist.

Zhang Yulei slowly sheathed his sword, the lightning on its blade gradually fading. He looked down at the bloodstains on his Taoist robe, his brows furrowing slightly.

Seventy years have passed.

He hasn't killed anyone with his own hands in seventy years.

But he felt no remorse or discomfort whatsoever.

Killing the Quanxing demons is like cutting weeds and eradicating the roots; it is a matter of course.

He raised his head and looked down the mountain.

The shouts of battle there grew even more intense.

He could sense a presence moving rapidly in the direction of the back mountain.

It's that kid from the Lü family.

He should have already sneaked into the back mountain and is approaching Tian Jinzhong's residence.

Zhang Yulei's eyes suddenly sharpened.

He couldn't wait any longer.

His second senior brother was still waiting for him.

Zhang Yulei took a deep breath, and the Qi around his body surged wildly once again. He suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his figure, like a black lightning bolt, sped off towards the foot of the mountain.

In the open space in front of the bamboo house, five corpses lay there quietly, their blood staining the bluestone slabs and the green grass on the cliff.

The clouds and mist slowly rolled in, completely covering the corpses.

From then on, no one knew that five Quanxing demons had once broken into Jingxin Cliff.

They have been left here forever.

The shouts of battle echoed through the back mountains of Longhu Mountain.

The demons of Quanxing swarmed like locusts, burning, killing, and looting everywhere. The disciples guarding the mountain fought valiantly, but were ultimately outnumbered, and many fell.

At this moment, Zhang Zhiwei was standing in the Celestial Master's residence at the Celestial Master's Mansion, preparing to bestow the Celestial Master's Ordination upon Zhang Chulan, the winner of this year's Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.

But he didn't know that, out of his sight, a black lightning bolt was hurtling toward the back of the mountain.

At the end of that lightning bolt was Tian Jinzhong's residence.

There, a wolf in sheep's clothing was about to bare his fangs.

Zhang Yulei's sword was already itching for a fight.

He wanted to make Gong Qing and that young man from the Lü family pay the most terrible price for their actions.

The evil god of Blood Moon Valley has finally been unleashed once again after seventy years.

This time, his sword will be wielded solely for protection.