Chapter 34: The Fierce Might of the Demon, The Monk Who Subdues Evil

At the command of the leading officer, the order echoed through the ranks, and hundreds of soldiers let out a deafening battle cry that shook the heavens. At the very front marched four burly men clad in the Twelve Golden Men’s Armor; in pairs, they wielded massive hammers and brought them down upon both the front and rear gates of the compound. In only a few strikes, the doors shattered and fell apart as if swept away by a mighty storm.

Meanwhile, on all sides of the courtyard, military strongmen attacked the walls in shifts with heavy weapons. United in their effort, they toppled the brick and stone walls like dominoes, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.

“Advance!” came the order.

Dozens of soldiers bearing heavy shields pressed forward, followed by others armed with long weapons. Archers and crossbowmen climbed atop the walls, drawing their bows and cocking their crossbows, ready and aiming with utmost vigilance at every building within the courtyard.

“To all inside: come out and surrender your arms at once, or meet your fate at the hands of the army. Resist, and you will be crushed!” a junior officer shouted.

No response came.

“Stubborn fools!” the officer snorted coldly, waving to those behind him. “The command from the Captain and the lords is clear—any criminals who resist are to be executed without mercy!”

“Yes, sir!”

A tidal wave of battle cries surged forth as the soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, advanced on the buildings within the compound.

“Masters, remain behind the troops to supervise the formation,” the lead officer instructed the monks from the Temple of Heavenly Sound as he urged his horse forward. “Follow the soldiers. Our formation depends on strict order; should you act rashly, you might disrupt our lines.”

The monks agreed in unison, with Monk Jingyue and five staff-bearing monks taking the lead.

Suddenly, a strange sound arose from behind. Turning, they saw four or five figures leap from a hidden tunnel a hundred paces away, plunging straight into the ranks of soldiers. From the rear of the compound, too, the clamor of battle arose—evidently, more foes had burst from another tunnel to launch a surprise attack.

“Hah, we’ve been waiting for you!” the lead officer remained unflustered, his gaze sharp. The soldiers responded swiftly, for those listening for underground movements had already passed along the warning.

Coordinating perfectly, the soldiers used heavy shields and armor to protect themselves, while spearmen behind jabbed through the gaps. The intruders tried to use their agility to vault into the air, but were immediately met by a volley of arrows and bolts from a dozen archers and crossbowmen, forcing them back to the ground. One of the attackers, unable to dodge in time, was struck by an arrow, lost his balance, and was instantly surrounded and killed by seven or eight soldiers wielding spears.

“Masters, it seems these villains are of little consequence. We may not even need your intervention to cut them down,” the officer said.

“Do not be careless, General. A cornered beast will fight desperately, and these sorcerers of the Demon Sect are cunning beyond measure. Their true masters have not yet revealed themselves,” Monk Jingyue replied, his voice sonorous as a great bell, his gaze fixed unwaveringly ahead.

By this time, the soldiers had stormed into every building in the compound, smashing doors and windows to splinters. If any foes remained hidden inside, there was nowhere left to run.

Suddenly, with a muffled crash, the largest main hall trembled violently. The sound of breaking beams and falling tiles rang out like shattered jade, and in an instant, the entire hall collapsed with a thunderous roar.

“Not good!” The color drained from everyone’s faces. They realized at once that the demon sect had secretly severed the main supporting pillars of the hall with a subtle, internal force. Then, as the soldiers rushed inside, the walls were brought down, deliberately creating a deadly trap.

A great cloud of dust rose, and dozens of soldiers were buried beneath the rubble.

From within the smoke came a piercing, thunderous howl, echoing again and again so that none could tell how many voices there truly were.

Within the shriek, one could sense an immense martial power. Monk Jingyue could restrain himself no longer; slamming his iron staff to the ground, he charged forward, the five staff monks close behind. Seeing this, Monk Jingru had no choice but to follow as well.

A figure burst first from the dust, flinging a handful of barely visible Oxhair Needles. Their trajectories were treacherous, aimed straight for the only exposed weakness in the armored soldiers—their eyes. Some needles pierced through the gaps between the shields, wounding spearmen behind.

“Ah!” came cries of pain as more figures darted from the smoke, throwing the military ranks into sudden chaos.

Monk Jingyue swung his staff in a downward arc, enveloping the red-robed elder he sensed to be the most formidable among them. With a cold smile, the elder pinched the staff with two fingers, diverting it aside. A tremendous force surged along the staff into Monk Jingyue’s hands. Knowing well the elder’s fearsome power to devour inner energy, Jingyue mustered all his strength to resist. But the elder abruptly withdrew his force in the opposite direction, leaving Jingyue off-balance and nearly coughing blood from the shock.

Monk Jingyue was inwardly shaken. Though the elder’s martial realm matched his own, his skill was far deeper, and his demonic techniques were unfathomable—subtle and elusive as a mountain goat’s path. In just a single exchange, Jingyue had nearly suffered a grave defeat. No wonder the Demon Sect was considered the foe of all martial artists; their menace was real and formidable!

Having gained the upper hand, the red-robed elder unleashed a thunderous shout, far more terrifying than before. The sound waves rolled out in all directions, stunning every enemy within several yards and halting their movements. Seizing the opportunity, the elder unleashed his full power; the armored soldiers before him felt as if they’d been thrown into a blazing furnace, their vision filled with flames, and staggered helplessly.

Once a martial artist reaches the first-class realm, they must also cultivate and temper the spirit. As the spirit grows stronger, it can affect the minds of others—the weaker the opponent, the less able they are to resist. That the red-robed elder could overwhelm so many at once showed he had advanced far along this path.

With the way cleared, the other Demon Sect disciples found the pressure on them greatly eased. Following their leader, they all concentrated on breaking through in one direction. The red-robed elder moved like a startled hare, knocking arrows and bolts aside with a sweep of his hand. Leaping over the wall of men, he turned and struck with his palm, sending six soldiers flying like kites, clearing a path to survival for his comrades.

At this moment, the true experts present understood: if the soldiers could not contain the red-robed elder and his followers, and allowed them to unite their strength, the cost of capturing them would rise dramatically.

The archers and crossbowmen in the rear, seeing the melee before them, dared not fire for fear of hitting their own.

In this critical moment, Monk Jingyue, having caught his breath, and the five battle-hardened staff monks acted in unison. Their six iron staffs crashed down with irresistible force, sealing the path and cutting off the Demon Sect disciples from their leader.

At that very instant, several white-clad figures shot skyward from the far tunnel exit.

Only then did all present realize the true cunning of these demon sorcerers—they had planned for everything.