Chapter 346 - 345: Scattering in Disarray

Chapter 346: Chapter 345: Scattering in Disarray

A lapis-colored light flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes as he unleashed the Soul Enchantment Technique. His invisible Spiritual Power, like the toughest of chains, instantly coiled around the Black Ape Demon Monarch’s Sea of Consciousness, which had grown scattered from intense pain and grievous wounds.

’Unfortunately, all three Spiritual Shackles have already been used. Otherwise, if I’d led with the Spiritual Shackles and supplemented it with the Soul Enchantment Technique, there was a high probability I would have succeeded this time.’

However, just as his Extraordinary Spiritual Power was about to invade the core of the demon’s Sea of Consciousness, an inconspicuous, dark-red bone fragment strung on a black beast tendon around the Black Ape Demon Monarch’s neck suddenly erupted. It cast a blinding, blood-red light that illuminated nearly half of the Vajra Sect’s ruins.

A ferocious, domineering Spiritual Shock, filled with a primeval and barbaric aura, burst forth from the bone fragment. It slammed viciously into Xia Wuyang’s Soul Enchantment Technique at an astonishing speed.

BOOM...

The formless collision on the spiritual plane made Xia Wuyang’s Sea of Consciousness tremble. The chains of his Soul Enchantment Technique were forcibly shattered by the blood-red light, halting his attack for a crucial instant.

Seizing this precious instant, a look of pained reluctance, grim resolve, and clear horror flashed in the Black Ape Demon Monarch’s eyes. It violently crushed another gray Jade Talisman engraved with complex patterns, which had been hidden in the fur on its chest.

HUMMM...

The Power of Heaven and Earth fluctuated, and the Black Ape Demon Monarch’s massive body abruptly blurred. Before Xia Wuyang could react, it transformed into a dim, blood-red streak of light and shot toward the distant horizon at an incredible speed, vanishing into the pre-dawn darkness in the blink of an eye.

All that remained was the faint scent of blood in the air and the lingering fluctuations of an Escape Technique. It was moving too fast for even Xia Wuyang to pursue.

The Escape Talisman Records it used was clearly of an extremely high Level.

’So many trump cards, and they’re specifically for countering Spiritual Attacks and escaping. A veteran Extraordinary being, indeed!’ Xia Wuyang hovered in midair, his brow furrowed slightly as he gazed in the direction the Black Ape Demon Monarch had vanished.

He hadn’t expected this seemingly brutish Demon Beast to have so many life-saving treasures. And clearly, it wasn’t limited to just those two.

’That dark-red bone fragment was obviously a spiritual protection treasure refined from the remains of some powerful Demon Beast, and that gray Jade Talisman was an even more precious, high-level Escape Talisman Record.’

’A shame. A Level 12 Demon Monarch.’

Xia Wuyang shook his head, though he wasn’t overly disappointed. After all, his opponent was a Demon Monarch equivalent to a Two Spirits True Monarch and had lived for several hundred years. It was only natural for it to have a few life-saving trump cards.

Severely wounding it and forcing its retreat had already proven his current strength. He had defeated a Level 12 Black Ape Demon Monarch relying solely on his Body Refining Cultivation.

This was enough to show that his current comprehensive combat power was likely at the very peak among Two Spirits True Monarchs, and had probably reached the level of a Three Spirits True Monarch.

’Even if I were to face a Middle Level True Monarch of Four Spirits or higher, it would be hard to say who would come out on top.’

’Besides, it can run now, but it can’t hide forever. There will be other opportunities in the future.’

A cold glint flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes; he had no intention of letting the Black Ape Demon Monarch go. ’Since it coveted the Dragon Blood Fruit and we’ve now become enemies, we’re bound to meet again. It won’t be too late to subjugate it then. There’s no rush. I just have to make sure I have a Spiritual Shackle free beforehand next time.’

His quota for Spiritual Shackles was full, having been used on Tantai Zhan, Zheng Zhicang, and Sun Wuyang... He couldn’t place one on a new target for the time being.

’When I get back, I’ll have to consider making an adjustment and removing a less important one.’

He stopped dwelling on the matter and turned his gaze downward to Little Sumeru Mountain, which had been turned into a true ruin. A smile touched the corners of his lips.

’After this battle, the Vajra Sect can be considered completely wiped off the map of the Great Xia. It will be very difficult for them to ever rebuild.’

’Their mountain gate was destroyed and their core combat strength annihilated. Even if a few stragglers managed to escape, they wouldn’t be able to make any waves, much less dare to rebuild the Vajra Sect.’

On the distant horizon, the dawn finally tore through the last vestiges of darkness, scattering a thousand golden rays across the land. A new day had begun.

Xia Wuyang lingered no longer. He carefully put away the still-warm Dragon Blood Fruit—the key to significantly boosting his strength next.

His figure transformed into a faint gray shadow, melting into the golden light of the rising sun as he sped toward White Jade City.

Behind him, the devastated ruins of Little Sumeru Mountain remained, silently testifying in the morning light to the soul-stirring slaughter and fierce battle of the previous night. Yet, there were few who would dare stand up for the Vajra Sect.

As for Xia Wuyang’s journey, it was far from over. It had only just begun.

In early July, at the height of the summer swelter, the scorching heat in White Jade City reached its zenith, far surpassing anything from his previous life.

The midday sun was like molten white gold, ruthlessly baking the earth and raising all-encompassing waves of heat.

The water level of the city moat dropped lower and lower, exposing large patches of the cracked, stinking, black riverbed.

The leaves of the willows lining the streets curled and withered, looking as if their last ounce of life force had been drained away as they teetered on the verge of death.

Even the most heat-tolerant stray dogs lay sprawled in the muddy gutters, their long, scarlet tongues lolling out as they panted heavily, lacking even the strength to bark—to say nothing of ordinary people.

However, a fervor even hotter than the weather—and far more unsettling—swept through White Jade City like a wildfire amidst the suffocating summer heat, even beginning to spread to the surrounding regions.

Its source was a shocking piece of news from the direction of Little Sumeru Mountain to the northwest—news startling enough to shake the entire Martial World.

At first, the news only trickled out sporadically from a few Low Tier Monks of the Vajra Sect who had been lucky enough to escape with their lives, as well as from nearby mountain folk and hunters. The accounts were few and vague, filled with terror and exaggeration, and most people refused to believe them.

Some claimed to have seen a Demon God descend and raze the entire Vajra Sect to the ground, leaving nothing but a field of ruins.

Others claimed to have witnessed two Ancient Fierce Beasts battling atop the mountain, their fight so intense that it shattered the earth and made the very mountains collapse.

Still others spoke of a divine general clad in Golden Armor who annihilated the region’s scourge, the Black Mountain Demon King, with a single punch, leaving nothing behind...

When the news reached the nearby State and County Government offices, it wasn’t taken very seriously at first. Officials dismissed the stories as the fabrications of ignorant villagers, distorted and grossly exaggerated as they spread.

After all, the Vajra Sect was a major Buddhist Sect that had stood for thousands of years. Though its reputation had been worsening, it was still filled with countless masters and was even presided over by a Super Grade Celestial Human. How could it possibly be annihilated just like that?

As for a True Monarch capable of fighting and defeating the Black Ape Demon Monarch—that was the stuff of legends, a being rarely, if ever, seen. Such a claim was obviously a wild exaggeration.

However, as more details were pieced together—especially after several groups of daring Jianghu Wanderers and local magnates sent their trusted subordinates to investigate Little Sumeru Mountain—the truth began to emerge. These investigators had witnessed the devastated ruins with their own eyes, seen the terrifying remnants of the battle, and confirmed that the Vajra Sect’s core leadership had been almost completely wiped out. Only then did everyone realize with horror that the stories were not fabrications or baseless rumors. It was all true. The original witnesses had not been lying.